Guthrie County >> 1884 Index

History of Guthrie and Adair Counties, Iowa
Springfield, Ill: Continental Hist. Co., 1884.

Highland Township
Transcribed by Bobbi Pohl

Charles Bower was born in Yorkshire, England, August 26, 1829, his parents being Jeremiah and Elizabeth (Williamson) Bower. He came to this country in 1855, going to Pennsylvania, where he remained for one year, when removed to Orange township, Guthrie county, in August, 1856. In the spring of the next year, he removed over the township line, in to Highland township, locating on section 7. He was married in 1858, to Miss Mary A. Clearwater, a native of this state, by whom he had one child--William A. In the fall of 1866 he was again married to Sarah J. Utt, a native of Ohio, by whom he has eight children. He enlisted in the 29th Iowa infantry, in August, 1862, and served till the close of the war. He has three hundred acres of land.

Mason C. Bucklin, a farmer on section 24, came to Guthrie county in 1870, locating in Richland. He remained there about two years, when he moved to Colorado, where he made a visit throughout the country in about six months, when he returned home, and came to his present location [Highland township]. He was born in Washington county, Vermont, in April, 1844, and is the son of Otis and Mary (Rice) Vermont [sic]. He remained in Vermont until 1870, when he came to Guthrie county. He was married in 1867, to Miss Kate Dimick, by whom he has one boy--Eugene L., about nine years of age. Mr. Bucklin enlisted in the service of the army in Company A, 80th Vermont infantry. He was in the engagements at Winchester, Cedar Creek and Fisher's Hill. He was one of our bravest soldiers, and his braveness will some day be rewarded for fighting for his country, and making it what it is. He owns forty acres of land under cultivation, having sold eighty acres of his farm last year. He has a number of fine stock and a comfortable dwelling with orchard in connection. In 1873 he was elected school director, and three years later was trustee.

Edgar Burrhus, a native of Buchanan county, Iowa, born April 16, 1859, and is the son of Frank and Clara (Bull) Burrhus. His mother, Mrs. Burrhus, married Robert A. Dilley, of Racine, Wisconsin, in 1866, and now resides a short distance from Panora. The subject of this sketch moved to Racine county, Wisconsin, in 1864, where he remained for one year, when he went to Boone county, Iowa. He wandered about from Iowa to Wisconsin for several years, when he came to Highland township, and settled on section 7, where he has a farm and a comfortable house, and also owns forty acres of land in Orange tonwhship. He was married in 1881, at Guthrie Center, to Miss America E. McClaran, of Panora. They have one child--Pearl, about three years of age. Mr. Burrhus is a prominent member of the Masonic lodge and Knights of Pithias order. He has received a common school education, and has become one of the most prominent and esteemed farmers of this township.

Philip Clouse, son of Henry and Barbara A. (Metz) Clouse, came to their present location on section 14 [Highland township] in February, 1882. He was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, in February, 1852. He left Pennsylvania in 1881, coming to Iowa, settling in Cedar county, where remaining but a short time, he came to his present location. He was married in Pennsylvania, July 14, 1872, to Miss Martha E. Brawlyer, a native of Pennsylvania. They have had six children--Willie A., David H., William, George, Sarah, and an infant. He has one hundred and twenty acres of land, nearly all under cultivation. He raises large stocks of cattle and hogs, and has some horses. He is road supervisor of Highland township, and is a member of the German Baptist church. Mr. Clouse had the misfortune to lose his good wife and infant child in the spring of 1884.

George W. Dewey came to his present location on section 15 [Highland township], in 1870. He was born in Windsor county, Vermont, March 25, 1844. He moved to Stark county, in 1865, where he farmed until 1870, when he came to his present location. He was married in Vermont, 1865, to Miss Henrietta Whitney. They have seven children--Iris, Redolphus Kinney, Cora, George W., May Isabel, Charles K., and Daisy. He owns two hundred and forty acres of land in section 15, and eighty acres in section 14. He pays particular attention to the raising of stock; he has shorthorns, and Poland-China hogs; buys, and bunches, and sells stock cattle, and also feeds every year. He thinks there is no better country for raising stock than that in which he is located. He has held the position of trustee for four years; assessor for four terms, president of the school-board for three years, and also road supervisor.

Crawford Dobson was born in Morgan county, Indiana, in 1834. He moved with his parents to Champaign county, Illinois, when he was three or four years of age. His father hauled wheat to Chicago, which was a distance of about one hundred and fourteen miles, and sold it for thirty-five cents per bushel, and brought back salt, for which he received ten dollars a barrel. In September, 1855, Mr. Crawford started to California. When he reached Burlington, on his way back, he saw the first train ever in Iowa, which consisted of an engine, tender and five cars. On account of the cholera he gave up the idea of going to California, and went to Marion county, Iowa, where he stayed till the 12th of January, 1855. He then went back to Illinois, where he worked on the first railroad begun in the state. He was in Chicago when it was a small town, and from there came to Louis county, and, staying three years, came to Guthrie county, settling on section 21 [Highland township], his present location, where he cut down trees and shrubs and built him a small log cabin. He enlisted in the Thirty-seventy Illinois Infantry, in 1861, under Colonel White. He was in the Western Division, and in the campaign against Price, and was discharged in 1862. He was married in November, 1857, to Miss Mary Howe, a native of New York. They have three children--Violet Amanda, John F., and William. He has held the position of constable, and some few others. He was postmaster of Dodge Post-office, and was burned out in January, 1875. He has the largest orchard and most fruit of any one in the township. He put out 17,000 forest trees when he first came here, and started on twenty-five cents. He is a member of the Benevolent Lodge Masons of Bayard, A. F. and A. M., and is junior warden of that lodge, having previously been senior deacon. He has been a member of the Northwestern Christan conference, and a member of the Quarterly Conference of the same district, consisting of Guthrie, Adair, Dallas and Polk counties.

D. K. Ferris was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, in June, 1856, being the son of John and Mary (Claffey) Ferris. He came to Iowa in 1867, going to Monroe county, where he lived about one year, after which time he moved to Jasper county, where he remained about five years, when he went to Madison county. About two years later he moved to Guthrie county, settling in Cass township, where he remained about four years, when he came to Highland township, locating on section 25 He was married in 1882, to Miss Mary A. Hanlin, of Guthrie county. They have one child--Mary A., aged one year. D. K. owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, one hundred acres of which are under cultivation. He raises some cattle and Poland-China hogs. Mr. Ferris and his wife are both members of the Roman Catholic church.

Charles H. Hammond, the son of Thomas and Rebecca (Shannon) Hammond, was born in Morgan county, Ohio, May 13, 1847. He removed from Ohio to Nebraska in March, 1880, and, after a stay of one year, came to Highland township, Guthrie county, locating on section 16. He was married in Ohio, December 3, 1869, to Miss Mary Henderson, of Ohio, by which marriage he has two children--Katie R. and Jessie. He has eighty acres of land, sixty of which is improved, and he raises cattle and hogs. His father died in Ohio, in 1863, and his mother is now living in Central City, Nebraska.

Avery N. Hawley, son of Harry and Lydia (Dow) Hawley, was born in Washington county, Vermont, on the 2d day of June, 1838. In 1872 he removed to Canada, thirty miles south of Montreal, where he remained one year. Leaving Canada, he spent two years in Boston and Lowell, as a commission merchant. From there he went to Fort Collins, Colorado, where he had established a ranch, and remained there eight years, when he went to Atlantic, Cass county, where he stayed one year, then came to his present location on section 2 [Highland township]. He was married in 1861, to Miss Emily R. Bucklin, a native of Vermont. They have one child--Harry, aged four years. Mr. Hawley owns one hundred and sixty acres of good land on section 2, and is a member of the Masonic and Independent Order of Odd Fellows' orders.

Jesse C. Hickman, the son of Samuel and Melinda (Remine) Hickman, was born in Monroe county, Ohio, March 13, 1832. He removed from Ohio to Guthrie county in the spring of 1867, locating on section 18 [Highland township]. He was married in Ohio, April 5, 1855, to Miss Hannah M. Dilley, of Ohio, by which union he has three children--Lucius M., Etta Lucy, and Jesse D. He has one hundred and sixty ares of good land, all of which is underlaid with coal, and one hundred acres of which is subject to cultivation. The yield of coal will average over $500 per annum in royalty, and the total annual yield will be $10,000. At present it is worked by drift. Mr. Hickman has held the offices of township trustee, school director, and others.

Warren W. Hull was born in Grafton county, New Hampshire, December 9, 1837, being the son of Jacob L. and Sarah S. (Wise) Hull. He removed from New Hampshire in 1862, coming to Ohio, where he enlisted in the service of company I, 73d Ohio infantry, under Captain L. H. Burkett, who was killed at second Bull Run. He was first assigned to the army of Virginia, in the first army corps, under General Banks, and was then transferred to the 11th corps, under Generals Siegel and Howard, which was afterwards consolidated with the 12th, and made the 20th corps, under General Joe Hooker. He was in the battles of Cedar mountain, second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorville, Gettysburg, Lookout mountain and Mission Ridge, and worst of all, in the midnight charge at Lookout mountain, participated in by the 73d Ohio and 33d Massachusetts, under Colonel Orland Smith. His regiment lost half of its men. He was discharged after the grand review at Washington at the close of the war; he served three years and nine months. He was married in 1867 to Miss Mary F. Goss, a native of Vermont, by whom he had three children--Mary Grace, Clara A. and Stella May. He has held the positions of township clerk and school director, which position he now holds, and is a member of the I. O. O. F.

Elizabeth E. Hupp

In 1824, in Ohio, Elizabeth E. Hupp, a daughter of Peter and Sarah (Luke) Hupp, was born. When she was about seven years of age, she moved to Noble county, Ohio, where she remained until she moved to Carroll county, Iowa, where she remained about fourteen years, after which time she moved to Guthrie county, and settled on section 7, Highland township. She was married in 1836, to I. W. Hupp, of Noble county, Ohio. She has had thirteen children, four of who are dead. Those dead are--Lena E., U. S. Grant, Daniel W., and Mary A. Those living are--Sara J., Ernest, William, Nathaniel D., Isaac W., Mattie A., Benjamin J., Angelina, and Carlina (twins)). Mr. Hupp died on the 17th day of January 1882, at the age of fifty-nine years. Mrs. Hupp owns some ten acres of land, which is under cultivation. She is a member of the Free Methodist church.

Rudolph Latshaw, one of our prominent men of Highland township, was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, April 2, 1836, and when he was one year old his parents moved to Columbia county, of that state, and from there to Union county, where he was reared and where he received his education. In 1867 he came to Guthrie Center, where he remained about six years, when he came to Highland township, locating on section 36, where he still resides. He was married in December, 1860, in Union county, Pennsylvania, to Miss Angelina Shirk, by whom he has had thirteen children, twelve of whom are living--Jonas W., Luther M., John A., Ernest R., William, Laura R., Daisy E., Ida M., Luella J., Cora A., Flora, Martha M.; Mary A., died in July, 1874. Mr. Latshaw owns eighty-five acres of land on section 36, fifty acres of which are cultivated, and eighty acres on section 34. He is building a neat and comfortable residence, which will be completed sometime this fall. Mr. Latshaw is a carpenter by trade, which capacity he served in Guthrie Center until moving to his present location. He was school director for seven or eight years, and holds the present office of township trustee, which position he has held for a number of years. He has also been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for over fourteen years. In 1882, his son, Jonas A., was married to Miss Emma Beardsley. They have one child about three months old. In 1884, his daughter, Laura R., was married to Mr. Fremont Tool.

Alexander Littlejohn took up a claim upon section 18 in the fall of 1854, where he at present resides, one of the honest, rugged pioneers of Guthrie county. Alexander Littlejohn was born in Southern Indiana, February 5, 1828. He removed to Johnson county in the spring of 1852, where he farmed until removing to Iowa county. He moved to Guthrie county in the fall of 1854, settling in Highland township. He was married in 1861, in Guthrie county, to Miss Ruth Clearwater, a native of Indiana. They have one adopted child--Francis Marion, aged seventeen. He owns eighty acres of good land in section 18, one-half of this eighty acres is in section 14, Orange township, half of which is under cultivation and timber. When Mr. Littlejohn first came to this county there were only two families here. Game was plentiful, also wolves, badgers, etc., and he claims to have seen one elk and one wild buffalo.

James Love was born in York county, Pennsylvania, December 24, 1834, being the son of John and Elizabeth (Sweigart) Love. He moved to Henderson county, Illinois, in 1855, where he lived on a farm until 1865 and then established the millinery business. In 1869 he came to Adair county, and in 1876 came to Guthrie county, locating on section 10-81-32 [Highland township]. He was married in 1858 in Illinois to Miss Charlotte Mundorff, a native of Pennsylvania. They have twelve children living, James F., George W., John A., Mary E., Zachery T., Sarah A., Rachel R., Lilian Jennette, Charlotte V., Margaret E., William H. and Juliaetta J. They have two dead. Viola Jane died October 15, 1867, and an infant son died March 3, 1876. He owns three hundred and twenty acres of good land part of which is under cultivation, and ten acres of timber on section 19. He owns a large stock of cattle, paying particular attention to the raising of shorthorns; has Poland-China hogs and some few horses.

Lyman B. Manville was born in Delaware county, Ohio, January 31, 1835. He removed to Iowa in September, 1852, came to Iowa City, Johnson county, where he entered land, and farmed (with the exception of three years), until going to Iowa county, fifteen years later. He remained there farming until March, 1874, when he removed to his present location on section 16, of Highland township. In 1858 he was married in Johnson county, to Miss Mary Monteer, a native of Ohio, by whom he has three children--Oscar, aged 25, Charles, aged 24, and Albert, aged 11. Mr. Manville has eighty acres of good land, all cultivated, upon which he has a fine orchard, two good wells, and two hundred rods of ditching. He pays attention to cattle, horses hog, etc.

Daniel Morgan, son of Lewis and Esther (Williams) Morgan, was born in Wales, November 13, 1839. He moved to this country in 1869, arriving in New York, where he remained but a short time, when he went to Kansas, where he remained on a farm until 1877, when he came to Highland township, Guthrie county. Here he was employed in running the coal mines on Middle Coon for three years, and bought one hundred and sixty acres of good land on section 17, in 1880. He left none of his nearest relatives in Wales, his father and mother both having died before he came to this country.

Stephenson Mount was born June 11, 1804, in Oldham county, (then Henry county), Kentucky, his parents being Matthias and Elizabeth (Stephenson) Mount. When Stephenson was fourteen years of age, his father removed to Washington county, Indiana, where the old gentelman died. In 1821 Stephenson went back to Kentucky, and in 1826 went to Montgomery county, Indiana, where, in 1827, he was married to Miss Louisa Wasson, a native of Kentucky. In 1851 he went to Dallas county, Iowa, and bought five hundred and twenty acres of land around Adel, living therre until 1854, when he came to Jackson township, Guthrie county. His wife died in January, 1878, being sixty-eight years, five months and three days old, and was buried in the Morrisburg cemetery. They had eleven children--nine boys and two girls. Of these, five are living. His sons William, Elijah C., Matthias and George were in the army. Matthias was a prisoner four months. Stephenson's living children are--Matthias, William, Elijah C., George and Louisa Ellen. Mr. Mount now makes his home with his son William. He has given each of his chldren homes in Iowa.

C. F. Ocheltree was born in Greenbriar county, West Virginia, February 17, 1843. He moved to Cedar county, Iowa, in 1856, where his father farmed until 1869, when he moved to Highland township, Guthrie county. He was married in September 1870, to Miss D. A. Belgrade, a native of Canada. They have four children--Gertrude, Clara, Harry and Herbert. Mr. Ocheltree owns sixty acres of land, mostly under cultivation, has small numbers of cattle, horses and hogs. He has held the position of town assessor two terms.

Thomas Sammon was born in Galway, Ireland, June 2, 1817, being the son of Thomas and Marcella (O'Brien) Sammon. Emigrated to the United States in 1836, settling in Philadelphia, where he learned the tailor trade; remained there five years, when he removed to Cincinnati, and from there to St. Louis, working at his trade in both those cities about one year. He then went to Galena, Ill., where he remained twelve years, then going to the vicinity of Rockford, where he farmed till 1875, when he came to Guthrie county, settling on section 2, in Highland township. He was married in Galena, Ill., in 1849, to Miss Julia McKenna, a native of New Jersey. They have seven children--John, William, Thomas J., Timothy, Edwin, Margaret and Julian. He has one hundred and sixty acres of good land, mostly under cultivation. He enlisted in Captain Crow's company.

James W. Selley, son of Samuel and Lucinda (Fox) Selley, moved to Guthrie county, on section 14 [Highland township], in 1876. He was born in Oneida county, New York, in November, 1835. He moved to Iowa county, Iowa, in 1867, where he remained until 1876, when he moved to his present location. He was married in New York state in 1860, to Miss Anna Chambers, daughter of Thomas and Mary Chambers. The have three children--Cora A., aged twenty-two years; Charles J., aged twenty-one, and William W., aged twenty years. Mr. Selley owns three hundred and forty acres of good land on section 14 and 23, most of which is improved. He raises a great variety of valuable stock, such as Durham cattle, Poland-China hogs, etc. He has held the positions of school director, supervisor, and township trustee.

George W. Smith, son of Charles and Mary A. (Ernest) Smith, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, January 30, 1837. When he was eight or nine years old they moved on a farm about six miles north of Springfield, which they left in 1855, coming to Fairfield, Jefferson county, where they spent the winter, and then moved to Orange township, Guthrie county, where he was married to Miss Mary J. Squires in 1861. They have four children living--Flora F., Richard, Fred and Lulu Pearl. They have three dead--George F., died in October, 1865; Thomas I., died in February, 1875; Gails, died April 3, 1883. Mr. Smith enlisted in August, 1862, in Company I, 29th Iowa infantry, and was assigned to the thirteenth army corps. He served till the close of the war, when he was mustered out with his regiment. After coming home from the war he stayed in Carroll county about five years, then returning to Guthrie county, he settled on his present location on section 18. He owns eighty acres of good land, all of which is improved. He is a member of the Perry Wright post, G. A. R., and chaplain of the post. He held the office of township clerk for three years, and justice of the peace one year.

Newton T. Smith was born in Adams county, Ohio, Febrary 27, 1844, his parents being Samuel and Levina (Duffy) Smith. In the spring of 1869 he removed to Adair county, Iowa, between Stuart and Dexter. After three years he removed to Dallas county, near Des Moines, and lived there two and a half years, then removed to his presnt location in section 10, Highland township, just outside of Bayard. He was married in 1868 to Miss Lizzie P. Kerr, daughter of William and Icephene Kerr, a native of Pennsylvania. They have three children--Cora I. and Samuel Kerr and Lulu Belle (twins). He devotes his attention to farming and stock-raising, and has one hundred acres, all improved. His stock consists of horses, cattle and hogs. Mr. Smith was one of the brave patriots who, in the time of their country's need, marched to the front. He was a member of company E, Captain J. A. Murphy, 1st Ohio heavy artillery regiment, and served one and a half years.

James B. Squires was born in Vermillion county, Illinois, in January, 1832. He left Vermillion on the first day of May, 1852, coming to Polk county, Iowa, stopping there until August of the same year, when he came to Highland township. His father, Richard Squires, now resides in Carroll county. James moved to Orange township in the fall of 1857, and remained there until the spring of 1882, when he returned to Highland township. He was married November 13, 1856, to Miss Josephine Moffitt, a native of Ohio. They have seven children living--Henrietta, Mary Jane, Charles B., Norman, Bruce, Elizabeth, and Edwin. They also have two dead--Willie B. and an infant. Mr. Squires owns one hundred and sixty acres of improved land on section 15, and two hundred acres in Orange township. He owns a great deal of stock. He has been road supervisor, and the first winter he was in the township he was obliged to haul feed for his stock from Des Moines, which is a distance of over forty miles.

A. C. Harmon Tell, the son of William and Ruth (Armstrong) Tell, was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, May 10, 1818. His parents removed to Columbiana county, Ohio, in 1822, where his father farmed until 1833, when he went to Franklin county, five miles from Columbus. From there he went to Illinois, from there to Missouri, and thence to Guthrie county, Iowa, in 1875, locating on section 8 [Highland township]. He was married in 1844 to Miss Amanda Sly, who was born near Columbus, Ohio. They have nine children--William H., Warren M., James A., Mary E., Susannah, Ruth A., Asa H., Andrew and Jane. One child, Jacob, died in September, 1850, aged one year, and was buried in Cumberland county, Illinois. Mr. Tell owns eighty acres of improved land, and is engaged in farming and stock raising. He has held the office of supervisor for two years.

David Wilson came to Guthrie county in 1873, settling on section 21 [Highland township]. He was born in Morris county, New Jersey, in 1821. He moved from New Jersey to Scott county, Iowa, in 1854, where he farmed for twenty-one years, and then came to his present location. He was married in 1846 to Miss Margaret Cramer, a native of New Jersey. They have three children living--Sarah L., Emma R. and Henry A. Two dead. Mary died in January, 1882, aged thirty-three years; Joseph died in 1868, aged two years. He owns two hundred and forty acres of land, one hundred and sixty acres of which is unproved and eighty acres of timber land. He raises large numbers of Poland-China hogs and cattle. He has been trustee, was elected justice of the peace in 1876, supervisor and school director, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church in Bayard.

Daniel P. Zentmyer, son of Daniel and Sarah (Berger) Zentmyer, was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, March 21, 1858. He moved to Dallas Center in 1877, where he ran a mill. He stayed there about six months, then going to Van Meter, where he was in a mill about five months. He then went to Stuart, where he was engaged in the same business for one year, when he moved to Redfield, and staying there one year, he returned to Van Meter, where re remained three months. He then went to Perry, remaining there eight months; he went to Coon Rapids, where he remained one year. He entered into partnership with Ralph R. Smith, of Rock Bluff, and came there taking charge of the firm. He is a member of I. O. O. F., Lodge 257, at Van Meter, and of Wescotta Lodge, No. 158, A. F. and A. M., of Redfield, and Palmyra Chapter, R. A. M., No. 86, of Perry.