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Past
and Present of Shelby County, Iowa D A prosperous merchant and
public spirited citizen of Portsmouth, Iowa, is DANIEL T. DOYLE, proprietor of a
general mercantile establishment in that city.
He is a young man of splendid ability and has already demonstrated his
qualifications for a business career. He
comes from an excellent family and has all those qualities which characterize
the men of affairs. Daniel T. Doyle, the son of
PATRICK and HANNAH (BARRY) DOYLE, was born in 1888 in Ireland.
His father was also a native of Ireland, his birth having occurred in
1855. At the time of his death in
1894, he was the owner of 120 acres of excellent land in that county. Hannah Barry, mother of Mr. Doyle, was born in London,
England, in 1866, of Irish parentage and died in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, in
1913. Six children were born to
Patrick Doyle and wife: Michael,
who is now serving in the United States Army and located in Honolulu; Mamye, who
married O. S. Kennison, is now living in Omaha, Nebraska; Patrick of Neola,
Iowa; Loretta, who is living in Omaha; Eugene, deceased; and Daniel T., whose
history is here briefly portrayed. Daniel T. Doyle was only six
years of age when his father died, and when twelve years of age, he went to make
his home with a man by the name of M. O’Connor, who is now his partner in the
store at Portsmouth. He received a
good common school education, and from the time he was twelve years of age has
been interested in the mercantile business, either as a clerk or owner. The store in which he has a half interest is well stocked
with such goods as are usually found in general mercantile establishments in
towns of this size. It has built up
a large and lucrative trade in the town and surrounding community.
Mr. Doyle bought a half interest in the store with M. O’Connor April
20, 1914. Mr. Doyle was married in 1912
to Alice McDERMOTT, who was born in 1885 in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and is
the daughter of THOMAS McDERMOTT. Mr.
And Mrs. Doyle have one son, Patrick T. Chris Dreier, a farmer of
Shelby County, has been a resident here for the past 30 years.
Born of German parents, he has all the thrift and industry which
characterize that people. The
application of these qualities has made him one of the substantial men of Cass
township. He is a man of energy and
determination and everything to which he lends his hand is brought to a speedy
conclusion. Shelby County is
largely indebted to its German farmers and business men for the material
prosperity of the county. Without
question, these citizens from across the sea have contributed in no small
measure to the high position which this county holds today among its sister
counties. CHRIS DREIER, the son of Chris
and Anna (Gottburg) Dreier, was born in 1872 in Schleswig Holstein, Germany. His father was born in 1845 and his mother in 1849, coming to
America in 1885 with their children. After
coming to America, Chris Dreier, Sr. and family located in Shelby county and a
year later rented 40 acres of land in Cass township.
Chris Dreier Sr. continued in active farming until 1909 when he retired
to Persia, Iowa, where he and his wife now live.
He now owns 143 acres of land in Cass township as well as two lots in
Persia. Five children have been
born to Chris Dreier Sr. and wife, only two of whom are living. Chris F. Dreier, Jr. was 13
years of age when his parents moved from Germany to Shelby County, Iowa.
As a lad in this county, he herded cattle on the plains for two summers,
and then began farming for his father. In
1901 he invented a rail joint which was constructed in such a way that it would
prevent the rails from sagging at the joint.
He has not yet placed his invention on the market.
He has taken out patent on his invention, but has not organized a company
for its manufacture, or attempted in a definite way to put it on the market. Mr. Dreier has a half interest
in his father’s farm, and since his father moved to Persia in 1909, he has
been in active charge of the farm. An
interesting incident occurred in the life of Mr. Dreier when he was about 17
years of age. Late one summer he
saw a prairie fire coming across the plains directly toward the barn.
In order to save the barn, Mr. Dreier removed his dress coat to fight the
flames. Fortunately, he did not
have much difficulty in staying the fire, and the barn was saved, although he
suffered a loss from the burning hay and other crop. Mr. Dreier was married in 1909
to LENA DOHRMAN, who was born in Germany in 1883.
His wife came to this country the same year they were married.
Three children have been born to Mr. Dreier and wife:
Chris, Erma, and Herbert. |