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Pocahontas County >> 1904 Index The Pioneer History of Pocahontas County,
Iowa P Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton. PATTEE, JOHN FRANK (b. Nov. 10, 1833; d. Aug. 23, 1889), sheriff of Pocahontas county from Jan. l, 1884 to Aug. 23, 1889, was a native of Smithville, Maine. In 1850 he moved to Ohio and, as a contractor, engaged in railroad building. In 1852 he married Mary F. Ady and in the fall of 1856 moved to Farrington, Ill., where in 1867 she died, leaving a family of three sons, Joseph Edward, William D. and Charles F. In 1869 he married Lucinda Taylor and moved to a farm in Boone county, Iowa. In March 1878 he located on the NE 1/4 Sec. 23, Lincoln township, Pocahontas county, where he continued to reside until the time of his decease, Aug. 23, 1889, He served three years in the civil war as sergeant of Co. F, 86th Ill. Infantry, one year as deputy sheriff In Fulton county, Ill, two years as deputy sheriff of Boone county, Iowa, and was serving his third term as sheriff of this county at the time of his death. In the performance of his official duties he became widely known and was highly esteemed by all who had the pleasure of making his acquaintance. His second wife died in Nov., 1888. His family consisted of the three sons named above. Joseph Edward (b 1855), a teacher, in 1880 married Catherine Kreul and became proprietor of the Nemick hotel at Pocahontas. In December following leaving the hotel he resumed teaching and has continued to reside at Pocahontas. In 1880 he was the republican nominee for recorder, but lacked 11 votes of an election. His family consists of seven children, Mary, William, Rosella, Joseph, Adaline, Agnes and Frank L. William D. (b. 1857), in 1884 married Ella M., daughter of Thomas L. Dean, and located on a farm. In 1889 he moved to Pocahontas, where he is engaged as a blacksmith. His wife died in 1899 and his family consists of four children, Mary, George, Minnie and Nellie M. Charles F. in 1895 married Frederika Winegarten and engaged in farming until 1895, when he moved to Pocahontas where he is now a dealer in coal. He has two children, Emma and Zeila. Peterson Charles P.
(b. 1844), owner and occupant of a farm in Colfax township since March 17, 1869,
is a native of Sweden, came to America in 1868 and lived one year in Boone
county, Iowa.
On March 3, 1869, he entered and two weeks later began to occupy, as a
homestead, the S 1/2
NW 1/4 section 12, 80 acres. Four
other young men from Sweden that were his personal friends, namely, John A.
Johnson, Gust H. Johnson, John A. Nelson and Harry August Nelson (died the next
year), entered homesteads on the same section the same day with him, all having
walked together from Des Moines.
When they went to locate their claims there was no house west of the
Blandon farm, eight miles east.
They had to have their claims surveyed three times at a cost of $20 each
before they got their boundaries satisfactorily located.
Each built a sod house on his claim before the end of that summer and
worked on the railroad when not needed
on his homestead.
At the time of the great snow storm, March 8-10, 1870, they were all at
the cabin of John A. Johnson, and not until the third day were they able to
return to their own homes to feed and water their stock. The
first home of Charles P. Peterson was a sod house, or more correctly, a dugout,
12x16 feet, excavated two feet below the surface, built with sods three feet
above it and covered with a roof of boards.
It had one window in the rear gable facing southward.
He occupied this humble but comfortable dwelling until 1871, when he
built a frame shanty that lasted the nest eight years.
In 1879 he married Hilda Nelson (b. Sweden 1857) and began to occupy a
new house completed at that time.
In 1891 he sold the homestead and bought 240 acres on section 26.
He has here a beautiful home with attractive surroundings, he has met
with a good degree of sucsess of the farm, raising good crops and raising stock
with profit.
He is a man of intelligence and strict integrity.
He is a liberal supporter of the Swedish Lutheran church and has taken an
active part in the management of the most important affairs of the township.
He was president of the school board four years, 1893, '95-97, and a
trustee six years, '93-98.
His family consists of five children, Alfred, Frank, Henry, Melvin and
Amy, four having died in childhood. Peterson
Frank
(b. 1851), in 1873 secured as a homestead the S 1/2
SW 1/4 section 12, improved and occupied it until 1892.
He then sold it and bought 160 acres on the NW 1/4 sec. 23, which he has
improved and still occupies.
He is a native of Sweden, came to America in 1869 and located first near
Des Moines.
He has been a trustee of Colfax township since 1897.
In 1875 he married Turina Hendricks, a step-daughter of Nels Anderson.
She died May 2, 1899, leaving a family of eight children, Hilda C., Ida,
Ina, Amanda, Verner, Carl, Lawrence and Nellie. At the time of his arrival he had formed a partnership with James Campbell (called R. R. Tim) of Madison , Wis. , owner of 280 acres on sec. 3, for the purpose of raising stock on these lands. In 1883, Mr. Campbell died and his interest passed to his daughter, Charlotte, wife of G. O. Clinton, formerly a superintendent of the C., M. & St. P. Ry., and now a resident of Joliet , Ill. The partnership was continued and J. C. Potter continued in charge of it six years. During this period the farm was increased to 1,000 acres, splendid buildings were erected and the Clinton stock farm became the most prominent one in the township. During the next seven years it was managed by Mr. and Mrs. G. O Clinton, who were represented on the farm by their son, C. A. Clinton, in 1888-'89. In 1890, they located on it. In 1895, it was divided into four farms and three other sets of farm buildings were erected. In 1887, J. C. Potter moved to Havelock and became associated with S. H. Gill in establishing the Citizens Bank. He continued in the banking and real estate business until 1899, when he relinquished his interest in the bank to engage again in raising stock on his own farm east of Havelock . He served six years as a trustee of the township, '83-88, and in Havelock three, each as a member of the town council, treasurer of the school fund and president of the school board. His family consists of six children, one of whom, LaVerne, was born and raised in Wisconsin , the others, Winifred, Pearl , Lona, John C., and Marshall, in Pocahontas county. After the death of his father in 1880, his mother, Mrs. Harriet Capon Potter, came to this county and lived several years in Havelock . She then returned to Wisconsin and died in 1894, leaving one son, Elmer, who located at Monticello, Wis.; and three sons and two daughters, who are located in Pocahontas county, namely, John C., Havelock; Juliette, who married Ross Dennis, a painter, Rolfe; Cora, married W. S. Cox, a general merchant, Havelock; Frank A., who is in the grain business, Rolfe; and William A., the deputy sheriff of this county, Havelock. PRICE, EDWARD and his wife Elizabeth, natives of England , married there in 1839, came to America in 1842 with one son, Theophilus, and located in New York State . August 1, 1873 , he entered as a homestead the W 1/2 SE 1/4 sec. 36, Cedar township and became a resident of Pocahontas county. After a few years he engaged in the mercantile business at Pomeroy and died there in 1885. His wife died at Rockwell City in 1888. His family consisted of eight children, all of whom except the eldest son were born in New York . Theophilus enlisted in the civil war and was killed in battle. Edward J. in 1869 located on a homestead in Calhoun county, Iowa , married Harriet R. Rockwell, of Rockwell City , and now lives in California . Charlotte E. married H. E. Walker and lives in Minneapolis . Louisa A. located at Fonda in 1870, entered a [homestead] in Williams township in 1872 and became the wife of Wm. J. Busby, of Fonda, in 1874. Ellen M, lives with her sister in Minneapolis . Robert J. died at Rockwell City in 1895, and John D. died in 1860. Francis P. married W. M. Frantz, agent of the I. C. R. R., and lives at Fort Dodge. |