Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry County - 1888

Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry County, Iowa
Chicago: Acme Publishing Company, 1888.

Unless otherwise specified, biographies submitted by Pat Ryan White.

Residing on Sect. 16, Center Twp., Henry Co., was born in Providence RI, Sept. 10, 1816, the son of Horace and Hannah (Ballou) Taylor. A shoemaker by trade, his father had a contract for making shoes during the War of 1812. In 1818 he removed to Lewis Co. NY where he secured Government land, residing there some years, engaged in farming during the summer and shoemaking during the winter. They were the parents of nine children, five sons and four daughters, six of whom are now living. In 1828, they moved to Middlebury, VT, where the children found employment in a cotton factory.

William Taylor was in 1829 apprenticed to a harness-maker, Walter R. Gilkey, receiving no compensation for five years except for his board and clothes. At the age of 20 he emigrated with his brother Horace and others to Buffalo, NY. He soon went to Cleveland, OH for six months and next to Athens, OH, where he had a half-sister living, remaining there for a year.

While there he became acquainted with Susan H. Talbot, daughter of William and Jemima J. Talbot, and their marriage was celebrated Oct. 28, 1838, the ceremony being performed by Rev. Mr. Petty. Carrying on harness-making until 1856 in Marietta, he with his family moved to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and again embarked in the same business. They had 8 children: Sarah E., wife of Dr. T. L. Andrews, resides in Wichita, KS; B. Franklin, who enlisted in Co. B, 25th Iowa Vol. Inf. under Capt. Smith, participating in the battle of Arkansas Post, and during the siege of Vicksburg he contracted a disease from which he never recovered, dying in a general hospital in St. Louis, MO, and was buried in Forest Home Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant; W. H. Jr., a resident of Wichita, KS, enlisted in the 100- days regt., and served on guard duty near Memphis, TN; Mary S. is in business in Bloomfield, Davis Co., IA; Anna T., wife of Clinton M. Shultz, commercial editor of the Pioneer Press, at St. Paul, MN; Laura J., wife of Will Van Benthuysen, night editor of the Chicago Tribune, who is the son of Judge Van Benthuysen, of Bloomfield, IA; Nellie L. is the wife of Nelson Culver, a carpenter of Chicago; Rollie, the youngest child, is at home.

Among those who so gallantly defended their country during the Civil War, besides his two sons, Mr. Taylor had two brothers and five nephews. One brother, Horace, was taken prisoner during the Kilpatrick raid on Richmond.

George W. Trimble

Superintendent of the Mt. Pleasant Water Company, and a resident of Mt. Pleasant since 1855, was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., April 7, 1821, and is a son of John and Mary (Carnahan) Trimble. His father was a native of Ireland, and came to America with his parents in infancy. His mother was born in Pennsylvania, of Scotch parents. The early life of George was spent on a farm, and in his youth he learned the carpenter's trade, at which he worked for some years. On the 3d of December, 1853, in Westmoreland County, Pa., he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Frey, a daughter of Hon. Jacob Frey. Her parents were Germans, and her father was a prominent man of that region. Five children were born unto Mr. and Mrs. Trimble, one in the East, and the remainder in Mt. Pleasant: John W. is a druggist's clerk in Chicago; Mary died at the age of thirteen years; Charles is in British Columbia; Emma J. is the wife of Phillips Fluke, a dairyman of Mt. Pleasant; Estella M. lives with her father at Mt. Pleasant. Mrs. Trimble died at Mt. Pleasant, in August, 1883.

In 1855 Mr. Trimble decided on coming West, and in June of that year landed at Burlington, Iowa, where he remained a short time, and in August following came to Mt. Pleasant, where he has since continued to reside, engaged principally in working at his trade of contracting and building. On the 1st day of January, 1886, he became connected with the water company, George B. Inman & Bro., of New York, and has since been Superintendent. For many years he was politically a Republican, but since the Greeley campaign of 1872 he has affiliate with the Democratic party. Fraternally he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, his membership being with Mystic Lodge No. 55, at Mr. Pleasant. Mr. Trimble has not been an office-seeker, but for some years was a member of the City Council. In the third of a century that he has been a resident of Mt. Pleasant, he has made many warm friends, and enjoys the respect and confidence of the entire community. Many of the best buildings in the city were constructed under his supervision.

ALFORD TRUEBLOOD, of Mt. Pleasant , one of the pioneer settlers of Henry County, Iowa, was born in Washington County , Ind. , April 24, 1841 , and is the son of Phineas and Elizabeth (Overman) Trueblood, natives of North Carolina . Mr. Phineas Trueblood when a lad of twelve removed with his father, Abel Trueblood, to Washington County , Ind. , in 1816. Our subject's father emigrated to Henry County in 1847, settling on section 35, Tippecanoe Township , residing there until his death, which occurred in March, 1877, at the age of seventy-three. His wife preceded him four years to her final home, departing this life in 1873. They were both members of the Society of Friends.

Alford, our subject, was but five years old when his parents came to this county. He was reared on the farm, and educated at the district school. On the 1st of September, 1864 , he formed a matrimonial alliance with Miss Rosanna Smith, a native of Indiana . By this union there are eight children--William Foster, Nelson, Matilda, Alvan, Newton , Eliza Ellen, Lena Florence and Le Roy. Mr. and Mrs. Trueblood are members of the Society of Friends, and are highly respected by all. In politics Mr. Trueblood is a Republican, and is at present serving his township as Justice of the Peace. He owns 194 acres of land in Henry County .

Samuel M. Turner

The Postmaster and merchant of Coppock, he is a prominent citizen of Henry Co. Among the earliest famlies settling in Salem Twp. was his father Thomas N. Turner, who was born, reared and married in KY. The Turners were of Scots origin, but the early history of the family cannot be detailed.

Thomas N. Turner was three times married, his first wife being Miss Margaret M. McKinney. After their marriage, in the autumn of 1845, the next Spring found them enroute to IA. They were parents of 10 children, all sons, and all born in this county: William E., married Cordelia Lane, and resides in Polk Co., IA; John F. wedded Lydia Allred, resides in Harrison Co., MO; Samuel, our subject; Henry wedded Aletha Jay, who died Nov. 15, 1847; Perry M. married Elizabeth Graham, and lives in Polk Co., IA; Benjamin H. and Martin M. are unmarried and live with their father on the farm. Oscar, Zephaniah and David died in childhood.

The death of Mrs. Turner occurred Nov. 20, 1873, and on Nov. 12, 1875, Mr. Turner was married to Mrs. Nancy (Wright) Vorris, who died the following August, and on May 6, 1877, he married Mary M. (Long) Redinger, who by her first union had six children: Samuel H., William T., John E., Sarah C., Mary A., and George D., all living.

The four youngest are married: George is the hus- band of Hettie McDonough, resides in Corvallis, OR; Sarah C. wedded Julius Lippmon, now deceased, and she makes her home with Mr. Turner and is the mother of Jules R., a bright boy four years of age; Mary A. married William A. Smith, of Trenton.

The parents of Mrs. Turner, John and Mary M. Long, came to IA from Franklin Co., PA in 1842, settling in Jefferson Co., and bringing with them six children: John, William, Sarah, David, Henry and Mary M. Only two are living, the eldest and youngest. John wedded Barbara Courtney, resides in Chariton, IA. The parents both died in Jefferson Co., the father age 61 and the mother age 63.

Our subject, Samuel M., was born May 7, 1854 on the farm in Franklin Twp. He was married in 1872 to Miss Elizabeth C. Mason, whose father W. Mason, was an early settler and whose history will be found elsewhere.

A few months after his marriage he rented a farm in Henry Co., and 3 years later removed to Montgomery Co. for three years, and then to Jefferson Co. for one year, then farmed one year in Henry Co. An accident to his right hand disabled him for farm work and he engaged in huckstering a year, and when the railroad was graded he came to the village of Coppock, and erected his home which was the first one built on the town site.

Four children have been born to them: Martha L., and Harry O., who died within a few days of each other, in 1878, one on Oct. 18 and one on Oct. 26; Clayton O., and Elsie M. who was the 1st child born in Coppock, was born on Dec. 31, 1882.

Mr. Turner was the 1st family to settle in the village, and he was the first merchant and Postmaster. His commission bears the signatures of Timothy O. Howe, Postmaster General, and Frank Hatton, First Asst., dated July 5, 1882.