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History of Johnson County, Iowa C Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Mary Hitchcock. Owen T. Calagy, a farmer, residing in Hardin township; post-office, Oxford; was born March 22, 1848, in New York City; left there March 19, and arrived in Johnson county and Iowa City March 22, 1866. He was married February, 1873, to Miss Sophia J. Bradley. They are blessed with a family of five children; Julia A., John D., Owen T., James C., and William T. A democrat in politics, and voted against the prohibitory constitutional amendment. Fred T. Carl, farmer and stock raiser; post-office, Lone Tree; was born in Indiana, April 18, 1837. In the fall of 1838 his parents, George and Cordelia, moved to Cedar county, Iowa, where the subject of this sketch spent his early life, and came to Johnson county the fall of 1875. He owns 160 acres of fine land, and gives his attention to farming and raising fine blooded horses of Lexington, Regent and Hambletonian stock, all fast animals. He was married November 8, 1855, to Miss Emoline Soper, a native of New York, but came to Cedar county when quite young. She died October 18, 1880, leaving seven children, Minerva E., James R., F. f., Lucina, Addie S., Elard and Eben Davis. Mr. Carl is a member of the U. O. H. No. 2, at Lone Tree. W. D. Cannon, farmer; post-office, Solon; was born on the farm he now lives on, section 36, Big Grove township, November 6, 1840, and was the first white child born in the township. Is a son of William D. and Julia A. Cannon, the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter a native of Maine, her maiden name being Pratt. They came to Johnson county February 10, 1840; here the subject of this sketch has since resided. He attended Cornell College from September, 1857, to January, 1860. He now owns 175 acres of fine land, and has a fine brick residence and good improvements. He was married March 15, 1863, to Miss Delilah A. Eason, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of Alexander and Mary Eason, she having taught a school for five years in this county. They have three children, Carrie A., Willie D., and Ray P. Mr. and Mrs. Cannon and daughter are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Solon. JAMES CAVANAGH, born in Hamilton , Ohio , November 29, 1806 , died in Iowa City , February 14, 1880 , aged 73 years, 2 months and 15 days. For forty-one years Judge Cavanagh was actively and creditably identified with Johnson county. His father was a native of Ireland , of that Cavanagh family which left its name stamped upon the geographical nomenclature of Ireland , but was driven from its native soil by the oppressions which sent at one time 450,000 of the flower of Irish youth to fight in the armies of every country of Europe . A Cavanagh and a McMahon offered their swords to France and in our day a Cavignac has sat upon his war horse and kept order in Paris when paving stones were flying into barricades almost without hands, and a McMahon has been the Marshal-President of the Republic which sprouted in the bloody ground of Sedan . In the scattering of this and other Irish families, the elder Cavanagh came to America , and married an Irish born girl. Of this pair James Cavanagh was born. In 1828 he removed to Michigan with his family and there James, two years later married Amy Kinney Townsend, of the New York Townsends. In Michigan he was successively justice of the peace, and for four years elected associate judge of the circuit court for Cass county. Removing to Iowa I 1839, he was one of the early commissioners of this county, was county assessor under the old law, and was commissioned by Gov. Stephen Hempsted to select the lands in the great 500,000 acre grant of the Federal government to Iowa . He was next a representative in the legislature and was the last county judge of this county, being the incumbent of that office when its duties were enlarged and its title changed to Auditor. He served acceptably as auditor under the new law and was subsequently several times elected justice. MATHEW CAVANAGH, a resident of Iowa City , and engaged in the practice of law, and real estate, was born May 12, 1832 , in Cass county, Michigan . His parents came to Iowa in 1839, and settled in Johnson county in 1840. He was married September, 1858, to Miss Mary Fellows, of Lee county, Illinois . They have five children, Amy R., Julia M., Carrie C., James M. and Lucy M. He graduated from Cornell College , Iowa , in 1857, and his wife is a graduate from the same college. His daughter, Julia M., graduated from the State University , class in 1882, and is now teaching at LeMars , Iowa . Amy R., Carrie C. and James are graduates of the Iowa City High School . He was admitted to practice law in Linn county, Iowa , in 1861. He is a democrat in politics, was sheriff of Johnson county, was appointed and filled the unexpired term of S. P. McCadden, 1872, deceased, and was elected in 1873, and re-elected in 1875. He was township trustee of Iowa City township in 1871, a member of the city council in 1862, mayor of Iowa City in 1878, and is at present a member of the Iowa City school board and its president. He is a member of he Unitarian Society; a member of No. 6, I. O. O. F., A. O. U. W., and L. of H., Iowa City. Joseph Cerny, a resident of Iowa City , a clothing merchant doing business on Washington Street , was born February 20, 1839 in Bohemia Austria. Came to America , December 25, 1854 ; landed in New York and came to Iowa City January 6, 1855 ; a carpenter by trade. He clerked for Harrison Eppel prior to going in the clothing business in 1865. He was married June 14, 1864 to Miss Helen Haas of Iowa City . This union is blessed with six children: John A., George Fl, Louis F., Rosa, Ida, and Joseph. Member of Tutonia German Lodge, No. 129, I.O.O.F; a member of the Masonic societies; a democrat in politics; was a member of the City Council two years from the third ward; elected in 1875. John J. Cerny, a resident of Iowa City ; in the saddlery and harness business at No. 28 Washington Street; was born March 7, 1848 in Bohemia Austria; came to America in 1855; landed in New York and settled in Iowa City the same year. He was married October 18, 1875 , to Miss Mary Kasper of Iowa City ; has three children, John W., Clara E., and Ella M. He is a member of Tutonia German Lodge, No. 128 and the A.O.U. W. of Iowa City . He is a democrat in politics. James R. Cloud, farmer, Monroe township, post-office, Danforth. Was born in Highland Co., OH, October 30, 1827. His parents, Nathaniel and Rebecca Cloud, came to Iowa in 1841 and settled twelve miles north of Burlington. In 1852 they moved to Johnson County. James was on the `14th of November, married to Miss Elizabeth Whitmore, daughter of Lovell Whitmore, deceased, and step-daughter of Benjamin Swisher. To them were born two children, Elizabeth A., and Mamie H. His wife died February 15, 1880. Mr. Cloud owns a farm in section 3, where he resides, and follows farming. He is a member of the Baptist church; a republican in politics and voted for the amendment. Samuel Cloud, farmer, Monroe Township, post-office, Danforth. Was born October 14, 1819, in Adams Co. OH., where he was raised on a farm. (He) Is the son of Nathaniel and Rebecca Cloud. January 13, 1841 he was married to Miss Eliza A. Case, daughter of Otha and Mary A. Case, of Adams Co. OH. To them have been born 12 children, nine of whom are living: Caroline, Mary A., James F., Rebecca M., Francis E., Rosan E., Samuel N., John T.W., and William S. Mr. Cloud moved to Indiana in January 1841, and remained there until October 26, of that year, when he came to Iowa, and first settled in Big Grove township; lived there until 1846, then moved to this township where he now resides, on section 10, though he first lived in section 6. In 1852 he went to California, remained there 4 years; then came back, and has followed farming and stock raising ever since. He owns a splendid farm of 200 acres, well improved; and deals in Short-horns and grade cattle, and Clydesdale horses. Until 1856, Mr. Cloud was a democrat; since that time he has voted the republican ticket. He wife died July 22, 1881. Mrs. Lucy Higgins Colany was born in Washington county, OH, April 22, 1808 . Married to John Colany, in Knox county OH Feb. 22, 1827 ; he died Oct. 12, 1835 . Four children were given to them, all of whom now live in this township. It is something worthy of note that Mrs. Colany has reared a family - her husband dying when her family was small - who have proven so exceptionally successful in all the pursuits of life. Their names in order of age are, Mr. Philo Colany, Mrs. Hannah Wolfe, Mr. Charles E. Colany, and Lieut. John D. Colany. Each of these gentleman have held many township offices with credit to themselves and usefulness to the township. Lieut. John D. Colany is the present efficient township clerk. Mrs. Colany came to this township in 1853, with her children, and has made her home with her son-in-law, Mr. William Wolfe, from that time to the present. Mrs. Colany is connected with many families in the neighborhood- Slaghts, Drakes, Williams, and others, besides the enlargement of the circle of relationship in the marriage of each of her four children. D. V. Conklin, farmer near Iowa City; was born March 24, 1827 in Licking Co. OH. He came to Iowa in 1838 and finally settled in Johnson Co., Big Grove township in 1850. He was married October 7, 1849 to Miss Sarah Payn, of Solon, IA. They have five children; William F., A.C. Dodge, Loren J., Jessie A., wife of L.P. Kessler, of Audubon Co. IA and Ernest V. He is a democrat in politics, and has held the office of township trustee of Big Grove township. He is an American in every sense of the word, and has no use for any person that does not belong to America. W. F. Conklin, attorney at law and real estate dealer, Washington Street, Iowa City; was born August 22, 1853 in Cedar Co. IA. He graduated from the State University, law department, class of 1873, and began the practice of law in Iowa City in November 1876. He was married, December 17, 1874 to Miss Annie B. Keen, of Solon, IA. They have three children: Eddie P., Gertrude C. and Maude I. He is a democrat in politics. Was township clerk of Iowa City township for 2 years, 1879-1880. M. W. Cook, post-office Oxford ; son of John Cook; born in Carroll county, OH July 16, 1838 . Removed with his father's family to Oxford in 1851. He was married to Hester Talbott, of Iowa County , in 1859. They have four children, three sons and one daughter: John H., Milton W., Arthur T. and Ella L. He began teaching in the public schools at the age of nineteen and has taught twenty-nine terms in twenty-five years. He enlisted in the 28 th Iowa Infantry, at Marengo, in August, 1862. Served in the southwest and gulf departments till 1864, when the regiment was called to Virginia , and participated in the Shenandoah Valley campaign. He was severely wounded at the battle of Cedar Creek, October 19, 1964 , “with Sheridan twenty miles away;” discharged on account of wounds and returned to his home in Iowa County in 1865. Was nominated for representative by his soldier friends and declined to become the regular republican nominee. Removed to Nebraska in 1866, and served as county surveyor one year in Johnson County , Nebraska and taught school three years in Hillsdale Nebraska . Returned to Iowa in 1871, and engaged in teaching and farming till 1876; then taught in Davenport township, Scott County , three years. Returned to Oxford in 1879 and located on the old Cook homestead. He has been for many years a contributor to the press, giving special attention to educational matters and the temperance cause; wrote the “Annals of Oxford” in 1881, for publication in the Oxford “Journal”. His educational advantages consisted of the common school training in the public schools of Ohio till twelve years of age, and four months in the schools of Iowa subsequently with a course in a normal school for soldiers, at the hospital in Philadelphia , while being treated for the wound received at Cedar Creek. The two circumstances of his life which he regards as most creditable are his services as a soldier and his advocacy of the cause of temperance in the campaign of 1882, which gave to Iowa the prohibitory amendment. E. M. Copeland submitted by Darrell Manrique Andrew Crawford, farmer and importer of thoroughbred stock; post-office, Lone Tree; was born in Kircubrightshire, Scotland, May 11, 1838, and when quite young his parents, Hugh and Jennette Crawford, emigrated to Canada, and lived near Toronto some thirteen years, and the fall of 1854 came to Iowa City. During early life the subject of this sketch followed farm work, and in May, 1866, he purchased a half section of land where he now lives, in Fremont township, then being wild prairie. He now has one of the best improved farms in the township, of 385 acres. He pays special attention to importing and raising thoroughbred horses, cattle and sheep. He imported the first English pure-bred Clydesdale mare in 1877 that ever came to Iowa, at a cost of $900, when fifteen months old. In 1865 he imported from Canada the first Canada bred horse brought to this county. Since then he has imported from Canada six head of Canada bred Clydesdale horses and mares. He now has seven head that are recorded in the Clydesdale stock book. In January, 1870, he bought a pair of thoroughbred Short-horn calves six months old, of A. G. Dunlap, Galesburg, Illinois, and brought them home in a wagon, these being the first brought to this county. He has now a herd of forty head. He also has some fine Cotswold sheep from Canada bred. He was married January 8, 1867, to Jennette Allison, a native of Canada. This union has been blessed with five children, four now living: William, Jessie, Thomas and Walter. Nathaniel Crow, farmer and raiser of fine stock, post-office, Windham ; born in Fayette county, PA, February 14, 1835 , and is of German descent. Is a son of Michael and Sarah Crow, who are still living in PA. He spent his early life in his native county on a farm and in 1855 came to Iowa and bought land in Hardin township, where he now owns 415 acres of fine land, all well improved, and gives his attention to farming and raising thoroughbred stock. He now has 90 head of cattle, part of them fine thoroughbred Short-horns. He is one of the most enterprising farmers in Johnson County . He was married September 1, 1859 , to Miss Louisa Schleiter, a native of Ohio and came to Johnson County in the spring of 1854. They have five children, all still living: John G., Louisa, Minnie C., Charles S. and Frankie H. |