Guthrie County >> 1884 Index

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

Glendon and Menlo
Transcribed by Bobbi Pohl

George W. Bike, one of the firm of Stults & Bike, bankers, is one of the pioneers of Guthrie county. He was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, June 24, 1830, and was there reared and educated. In 1856 he came to this county, locating at Guthrie Center, where he followed his trade of carpenter and builder. In 1869 he removed to Beaver township, farming on section 31 until the following spring, when he removed to Menlo, where he again engaged in his trade. In 1875 he became a member of the present firm and engaged in the banking business. He was a member of Company C, 4th Iowa infantry regiment, during the war, enlisting when that company was formed.

Marion Boots, the senior member of the firm of Boots & Leach, was born in Randolph county, Indiana, on the 31st of August, 1849. He moved with his parents to St. Clair county, Missouri, in 1853, and in 1862 he removed to Guthrie county, and settled in Jackson township, where his parents still reside. Marion was married in Jackson township, on the 12th of January, 1871, to Miss Martha Burnham, a daughter of Abram E. and Lydia (Nelson) Burnham. They have five children--Lemuel, Charles E., Mary A., Clarence and William M. Mr. Boots followed the occupation of farming until 1880, when he was engaged in the mercantile business at Dale City, where he remained until the 1st of January, 1883, when he sold his stock to Louis Moore. He then came to Glendon, and purchased the general stock of M. J. Sanborn, and is now at the head of the firm of Boots & Leach.

John V. Cottrell, of J. V. Cottrell & Co., hardware.--The subject of this sketch was born in Hampshire county, Massachusetts, September 24, 1823. He was there reared to manhood, and received his education from the schools of the neighborhood. He followed agricultural pursuits in his native county until 1854, when he emigrated to Bureau county, Illinois, where he was a successful farmer, owning the premium farm, of that county. In ;\1882 he came to Menlo, Iowa, and engaged in the hardware business. Mr. C., although a new settler, is well and favourably known in this county, and is slowly identified with the business and farming interest of Beaver township. He owns a fine farm of three hundred and twenty arcres of land in Beaver township, which is carried on by his son Frank. He was married October 8, 1845, to Cornelia Burnham, a native of Massachusetts. They have three children--Frank L., Nettie D. and Mary A. Mr. C. and wife and daughter Mary are members of the Presbyterian church in Menlo; Nettie D. is a member of the Congregational church in Malden, Illinois.

William H. Curtis, of Kile & Curtis, merchants, was elected clerk of court of Guthrie county in 1878, and served one term. In 1881 he became a member of the firm of Kile & Curtis, and is one of Menlo's most successful and enterprising merchants. He was born in LaSalle county, Illinois, March 6, 1845. He is the son of E. W. and Matilda (Fash) Curtis, who came to LaSalle county, Illinois, in 1835, being among the old settlers of that county. Our subject was reared in his native county, and received a good education. He then followed agricultural pursuits until 1871. He came to Beaver township and settling on section 30, engaged in farming, which occupation he continued until elected clerk of the courts. He is a member of the city council of Menlo, and is president of the city school board. Mr. Curtis was united in marriage, September 18, 1867, to Aurelia Kingsley, a native of Illinois. They have two children--Harvey E. and Roy K.

William B. Harris, the postmaster, is among the younger settlers of Guthrie county. He was born in Augusta county, Virginia, July 2, 1849. In 1855 the family removed to Lee county, Illinois, where William was reared to manhood and educated. In August, 1871, he came to Menlo, and with three brothers engaged in the hardware business. In 1882 he sold his interest in the business, having been appointed postmaster on the 1st of July, 1881, which office he now holds. He was united in marriage, May 28, 1878, with Miss Celia M. Sampson, daughter of H. M. Sampson, of Guthrie Center. Mr. Harris is treasurer of the V. A. S., and is the present clerk of the school board of Menlo. He is also township clerk of Beaver township.

Hiram H. Kellogg

The first church ediface [in Menlo] was erected by the Presbyterians, in the fall of 1869.

The Rev. Hiram H. Kellogg was born at Clinton, Oneida county, New York, on February 26, 1806. His father, also Hiram Kellogg, was one of the pioneers of Western New York, coming to that place from Connecticut shortly after the revolution. The subject of this sketch was dedicated by a pious mother, to the service of God, and although he was of a frail and feeble constitution, he studied hard, and completed his course at Hamilton college and at the theological seminary. He commenced preaching at Camden and Bridgewater, Oneida county, and at Salina, now a part of Syracuse. He established at Clinton the "young ladies' domestic seminary." In his earlier days he was the schoolmate and constant friend of Gerritt Smith, and he was a warm co-adjutor with him in the anti-slavery cause. After removing to Illinois, which was soon after the death of the elder Lovejoy, he became the intimate and associate of the little knot of abolitionists in that state, among whom were Dr. Dyer, Owen Lovejoy, Codding, Eastman and Allen, and many other of that devoted band, now gone to their long home. He came to Illinois at the solicitation of Rev. George W. Gale, and on the inception of Knox college at Galesburg. Mr. Kellogg was chosen as the first president of that noble college. He removed to the East again in 1847, and was engaged in the pulpit and school until 1851, when he removed to Tazewell county, Illinois, from whence he moved to Baraboo, Wisconsin, Denton, Illinois, Marshalltown and Des Moines, Iowa, and from the latter place to Menlo, where he organized the church as above. From here he removed to Chicago, and from there to Mount Forest. On the 1st of January, 1881, after a long life of usefulness he was called upon to cross the dark river and to enter into the reward prepared for such as do their Master's work here on earth.

Henry W. Kellogg was born in Galesburg, Illinois, January 8, 1847. In 1848 the family moved to Oneida county, New York, where he was reared to manhood and educated. In 1861 he returned to Illinois, and resided in Washington, Tazewell county, until 1863. He then went to Baraboo, Wisconsin, as a student of the seminary of that city, and from there enlisted in Company E, 40th Wisconsin infantry, in April of 1864, and served until the fall, when he was discharged. He then located in Pontiac, Illinois, where he resided until 1870. He then came to Menlo, Iowa, where he has since been farming or clerking. In February, 1884, he accepted his present position. He was married February 25, 1869, to Miss Maggie Guthrie. They have four children living--Louisa A., Sadie C., Charles H., Emily E. (deceased), and Harry W. Mr. K. was the first mayor of Menlo, and was a justice of the peace here for three years. He is a leading member of the Presbyterian church.

Joseph B. Leach was born in Clinton county, Indiana, October 16, 1850, his parents being Abel Wilkinson and Sarah (Powell) Leach. His father was an early settler in the county, and is a local preacher in the M. E. Church. When Joshua was five years of age the family removed to Guthrie county, settling northeast of Panora. After staying there a short time they removed to Morrisburg, where they remained until 1869, they removing to Highland township, and locating on a farm in section 27. He started in the mercantile business at Rock Bluffs and removed the stock to Bayard in January, 1882. He was married in 1879 to Miss Alice Conner, a native of Iowa. They have one child -- Clyde, aged four years. Mr. Leach commenced to sell out his stock in April, 1884, preparatory to going to Glendon to engage in the mercantile business there, but has not succeeded in that endeavor as yet as he still owns an interest in them.

Charles A. McCoy, a prominent citizen of Beaver township, also of Menlo, was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, on the 31st of August, 1848. He moved to Vinton county, Ohio, in 1865, where he remained with his parents until coming to Guthrie county in August, 1866. He was married on the 27th day of December, 1868, to Miss Sarah E. Jordan, a daughter of Eliza and Mary A. (Legg) Jordan. Their union has been blessed by five children--Lizzie B., William R., Louisa, Stella and Tullis. Mr. McCoy came to Menlo and started a grocery store which he ran about seven years, and then built the new hotel of which he is still proprietor. His hotel is a very accommodating place, and is the best in the town. He holds the position of constable at the present time.

M. J. McCullough, pharmacist and druggist, is a native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and was born September 5, 1853. When ten years of age, the family emigrated to Farmington, Fulton county, Illinois, where they resided until 1866; they then settled in Peoria County, Illinois. In March, 1871, he, with his mother and sister, came to Guthrie county and located on a farm in Beaver township, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1875. In the spring of 1875 he accepted a position as clerk with the drug firm of Duncan & Manwell, of Menlo, with whom he remained one year. He then held a position in Stuart, Iowa, as assistant postmaster for seven months. He then returned to Menlo in February, 1877, and engaged in the drug business. He was united in marriage December 23, 1879, to Alzina E. Knox, a native of Morrison, Illinois. They have one child living -- Alson. Mr. McCullough is a member of the city council of Menlo, and he is a member of the Masonic fraternity.

Eder B. Newton, real-estate dealer -- Probably no name appears as often in the early history of Guthrie county as does the name of E. B. Newton. He came to this county in 1853, and was an early settler in Cass, Jackson, Baker, and Beaver townships, and one of the first settlers in Guthrie Center, in fact, was one of the parties who laid that city out, and was the first merchant. He is an enterprising man, and one of the leading citizens of the county. He was born in Greene county, New York, February 18, 1821. He is a son of Amos and Lucia P. (Bushnell) Newton, who were natives, he of Connecticut, and she of Massachusetts. They reared ten children, of whom our subject was the seventh child. He was reared in his native county until fifteen years of age, when the family removed to La Salle county, Illinois, where Eder was engaged for a while in farming. He was then engaged in carrying the United States mail from Ottumwa, to Peoria, Illinois, his occupation for some ten years. In 1853, he came to Guthrie county, settling on section 17, Jackson, township, where he farmed until 1854. He then removed to section 1, Baker township, where he was the second settler. He followed agricultural pursuits in that township until 1869. In that year he settled on section 30, Beaver township, and while there was also identified with and considered a resident of Guthrie Center. He opened the first store in that city in 1856, which was managed by Charles Huxley. In 1871 he became a resident of Guthrie Center. In 1872 he moved to his farm in Beaver township, where he lived thirteen years. He then located in Menlo, where he engaged in the real-estate business. He was united in marriage November 22, 1844, with Miss Eveline Seeley, a native of Illinois, by whom he had four children--Adingram J., born October 16, 1845; William A., born June 10, 1847; Clarence E., born May 5, 1851, and Eunice L., born October 7, 1852. Mrs. Newton's death occurred September 3, 1857. He was again married March 22, 1858, to Miss Louisa Bike, who was a native of Pennsylvania. They have four children living--Harriet, born December 19, 1858, Jeanette L., born May 12, 1864, Esther, born December 12, 1865, and Margaret, born November 3, 1867. Mr. Newton has held many offices of trust in the county. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and also of the independent Order of Odd Fellows; was the first N. G. of Guthrie lodge, No. 113, I. O. O. F., and was also the first president of the Guthrie County Agricultural Society, organised in 1859. Mr. Newton paid the first licence as real-eatate agent in Guthrie county, and built the first meeting house in Guthrie Center, at his own expense.

Morrison J. Sanborn, of Sanborn & Sayre, merchants. -- The subject of this sketch is one of the most successful and progressive merchants of Menlo, and a man who has done much toward making that little city what it is. He was born in Grafton county, New Hampshire, August 12, 1842. He was there reared and educated. He is one who you might say grew up in mercantile pursuits, having been engaged in the same from a mere youth. In 1868 he went to Whitesides county, Illinois, where he was engaged in this stock business. In 1870 he came to Adair county and located on a farm in Jefferson township, where he farmed four years. In 1874 he located in Menlo, and engaged in the buggy and carriage trade, which he continued until 1878. He then engaged in the mercantile business. In April, 1884, he engaged also in the lumber business. He has a business standing that is second to none in this part of the state, and is a very popular gentleman. He was married July 7, 1866 to Miss R. A. Hinkson, a daughter of George Hinkson, of Grafton county, New Hampshire. They have two children--George H. and Rolland M. Mrs. Sanborn's death occurred March 1, 1883. Mr. Sanborn is a member of the city council of Menlo, and is also city treasurer. He is a trustee and the treasurer of the Presbyterian church.

James P. Stover, of Stover Brothers & Motz, is a native of Center county, Pennsylvania, and was born August 21, 1846. He was there reared and educated, and then followed the occupation of farming until 1867. He then went to Effingham, Illinois, where he worked at the carpenter trade some two years. He then came to Guthrie Center, where he resided until March, 1870, when he went to Menlo, where he was a contractor and builder, and in December following he returned to Illinois, where he followed carpentering for some time. He then engaged in the dry goods trade in Effingham, which he continued until returning to Guthrie Center in March, 1874. He has been a member of the firm of Stover Brothers & Motz since that date. He was married, April 5th, 1874, to Miss Henrietta Rich, a native of Ohio. They have three children--Nellie M., Clement E. and Rose E.