Story County >> 1887 Index

A History of Story County, Iowa
Carefully Compiled, from the Earliest Settlement to the Ptesent, March 1, 1887. Des Moines: Iowa Printing Company, 1887.

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Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton.

WILLIAM GILMER ALLEN was born Aug. 26, 1816, in Madison county, Ohio. There were seven brothers and two sisters - one sister died when very young, the other, (Mrs. Sarah Morris, living at Andalusia, Ills., at the time of her death,) was 77 years old. The brothers were: Samuel, Ananias, Jared, Hiram, Moses, William G. and Vincent. All of those named above are now dead, excepting Jared and William G. Samuel died at Midway, Madison Co., Ohio. He had been a missionary nearly ten years among the Cherokee and Choctaw Indians. Ananias died near Ligonier, Indiana. Hiram died at or near Madison Wis.; Moses died in Livingston Co., Ills.; Vincent died near Jackson, Miss., while in the Union service as a member of Co. K, 95th Regiment Ohio Volunteers Infantry, from near London, Ohio, after passing through a number of hotly contested battles, the last of which was the siege of Vicksburg. He lost a son and son-in-law in the rebellion. M. C. Allen, of Nevada, Iowa, is a son of his who also was in the service for a time. Jared Allen is living near Waco, Texas, and was 79-1/2 years old Jan. 22, 1888. He was in the Black Hawk expedition in 1832. He would not, tho' in Texas, turn against his country during the rebellion. Wm. G. Allen, the other surviving brother, is living at Nevada, Iowa. From 1850 to 1856, he done a great deal of surveying in Madison and adjoining counties in Ohio. By order of commissioners, he re-run the lines and re-fixed the corners of the county. It was no small job, as the lines of the lands were in the "Virginia Military District," and run at all points of the compass. He also had the contract of making a re-survey of the lands of the county, or to have it done for the county, and to make a map of said county. He and his family came to Story county early in 1856, where he still resides. As County Surveyor and Deputy of Story Co., he has, in the discharge of duty, seen much of its features, and noted the incidents. During most of the Rebellion, he was Postmaster at Nevada. He resigned and moved onto a small farm, 4 miles south of Nevada; but after a few years farming, moved back to town. He furnished much of the information that aided in the completion of Warner & Foote's map of Story Co., Iowa, published in 1883. He was selected by the National Prohibition Committee as the Presidential Elector of the then 10th Congressional District of Iowa, on the National Prohibition Ticket of 1884.

Mr. A. is now the author of the History of Story Co., and which is well recommended as a close and accurate history. He now - Feb. 26, 1888 - is 71-1/2 years old. His wife - a noble woman - died June 27, 1886, at her home in Nevada, where her husband still resides.

Later: - Jared Allen (named above) died at or near Del Norte, Colorado, Dec. 26, 1888. Was 80 years and 5 months old.

Mrs. MARY BENNAMAN
is she a sister of Commodore O. H. Perry?

Mary Perry was her maiden name, and she was the daughter of William Perry. She was born in Chester County, Delaware, March 15, 1773. At the age of thirty-five she married Wm. Coulter. He died when she was fifty-two. She afterwards married Mr. Bennaman. Her son Peter Coulter says: "The celebration of the birth-day of Mrs. Mary Bennaman, of Russiaville, Indiana, was an unique affair. It was also the birth-day of her son Peter. Three hundred citizens, headed by a brass band of music marched to the house where she was then staying." Mrs. Bennaman has been a resident of Ames or the vicinity for a number of years. At this time she is living with her daughter, Mrs. Black, of Ames. Mrs. Black is a widowed lady herself. It has been said Mrs. Bennaman was a sister of Commodore O. H. Perry, who, after three hours desperate fighting on Lake Erie, September 10, 1813, defeated the British and then wrote briefly and definitely to General Harrison the result. He said: "Dear General, we have net the enemy and they are ours. Truly O. H. Perry." Mrs. Black does the talking when information is sought, and says her mother (Mrs. Bennaman) is no relation to Commodore Perry so far as she knows. There was a letter, years ago, written by a sister of the Commodore's to Mrs. Bennaman, making inquiry as to relationship but no relationship was ascertained. Mrs. Bennaman has but few, if any, her seniors in Iowa. Just think of it! A citizen of Story County was born three years before the "Declaration of American Independence" was made, and is still living! She is 114 years old and past.