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Washington County >> 1887 Index Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington
County, Iowa R Henry Rathmell is a retired farmer residing in Washington. Ireland, England and Germany have furnished many of those who populate this county, but these are mainly the second generation. Our subject, Henry Rathmell, has an ancestry from each of the former countries. His grandfather, Amariah Rathmell, was born in Ireland, and his wife was of English birth. They settled in Lycoming County, Pa., long before the War of 1812, in the wild woods of that country, while the Indians were yet residents. They reared a large family, probably nine children, of whom John was the father of our subject. John Rathmell married Mary Biss, whose parents were natives of England. The Biss family were very early settlers in Pennsylvania, and the family consisted of Gideon, Mary, Jane, James, William, Rosetta, Sarah and Henry, of whom only four are living. The parents resided in Williamsport, Pa., for more than fifty years, where they died at an advanced age. James came to Illinois early in the settlement of Tazewell County, and while engaged in digging a well, the earth caved in and he was suffocated. He married in Illinois, and left one daughter, the wife of De Witt Goosh, a resident of McLean County. In 1844 our subject moved to LaPorte County, Ind., where he remained five years, during which time he was married to Katie Page, daughter of Michael and Catherine (Kenetel) Page. Mr. Rathmell left his wife with her parents in 1850, and started overland from Indiana for California, driving an ox-team. There were a number composing the party, but they disbanded at Salt Lake City. Mr. Rathmell left home as driver of the team, and also without money, and his employer becoming bankrupt at Salt Lake City, he was consequently left without employment, but he secured a situation with William Day, who lived at South Bend, Ind., and for him a team was driven through to Weaversville, Cal., where Henry was discharged. He was yet without money, and started out at sundown to seek a fortune. He slept in a wagon that night, and the next day formed the acquaintance of a German, who, from similarity of names, asked if Henry was a relation of William Rathmell, a cook at Vantasselle Ranch. Knowing that William Rathmell had gone to California in 1849, but not to what place, after working a few days for the German, Henry started for Vantasselle, and was fortunate enough to find his brother, who loaned him $25, and Henry then formed a partnership with another man, and they opened a claim on the Macosm River. Although both were inexperienced, they averaged from $12 to $15 per day. Not content with this, and considering the danger from Indians, they moved southward to Calaveras River, and struck a paying lead, where Indians were plenty but no troublesome. Later, Henry fell sick, and the money made was rapidly spent in paying a waiter and the doctor. He recovered sufficiently to return home after an absence of fifteen months, this time making the journey by the way of the Isthmus of Panama and by steamer to New Orleans, and up the Mississippi to Illinois, which carried him to Peru, Ind. His health was good on his return, and in June, with his young wife, he became a resident of Washington County, Iowa. The first home of Mr. Rathmell was the house in which this sketch was written, where he entered a quarter section with a Mexican soldier's land warrant, which he purchased for $125. He began the improvement of the farm, and in 1852 had a crop planted on a few acres. Having brought an ox-team from Indiana, they did the breaking where his house, 16x18, was built, and they were ready to begin life in the country. Henry now found his cash exhausted, but they managed to get along, he doing everything in the way of improvement himself, while his wife cheerfully lent her aid, and together they lived and prospered from the beginning. Two children were born in Indiana -- John, who married Lizzie Cleckner, and Samuel, the husband of Eliza Weidright. The remainder of the children were born in this county: Milton, the husband of Maggie Ulch; Sarah A., the wife of Isaac Hartman; Harrison H., the husband of Sarah Turner; James married Ida, a sister of Sarah Turner; Frank and Minnie, both unmarried. Being settled, Mr. Rathmell purchased ten acres of timber, and he made the rails which fenced his land, and being by trade a carpenter, he took any kind of job, often taking for pay anything he could use, money being scarce; but it cost little to live, as clothes were inexpensive. Year by year the family prospered, and he made other purchases of land, until he now owns 510 acres, part of which was improved at the time of purchase. Every acre of this land is now improved, and a large part of it is well tiled. In 1881 Mr. Rathmell concluded to retire from farm work, and built a residence in the county seat, Washington. His children reside upon his several farms, thus giving them a nice start in life. Mr. Rathmell has grown wealthy as his years increased, and with his good wife, who never failed to do her part, he can enjoy what has been honestly earned. Mr. and Mrs. Rathmell rank among the oldest citizens of Jackson Township, and as they have reared a large family who have married and are well started in life, to them comes the consciousness of not having lived in vain. L. K. Richardson
L. K. Richardson is engaged in
general farming and stock-raising on section 35, Highland Township.
He is a native of Gallia County, Ohio, born in 1828, and is the son of
Elisha and Polly (Summers) Richardson, who resided for many years in Ohio, then
came West, the former dying of cholera in Missouri. The subject of this sketch was
reared upon his father’s farm, and has followed farming as an occupation thus
far through life. He grew to
manhood in Ohio, and in 1848, was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Love, a
daughter of Robert and Rosa L. (Willmore) Love, who is also a native of Ohio,
born in 1828. Six children have
been born to them: Martha A. is now the wife of E. Y. Love; they have one child,
Maude. William R. married Eva
Warner, by whom he has four children – Lewis, Rosa, Robert and Earl; Almira is
now the wife of Sidney Coon, and is the mother of three children – Joseph L.,
Preserved L. and Ira A.; Elizabeth is the wife of James Maguire; they have four
children – Charles, Jesse, James M. and Pearl.
Joseph and Lindley H. are at home. In 1857 Mr. Richardson came to
Iowa and settled in Muscatine County, where he remained until 1868, when he
moved with his family to Washington County and settled in Highland Township.
Since coming to Iowa he has been quite successful in life, and although
he has been a most industrious man, he ascribes much of his success to the noble
part taken by his good wife, who has also toiled early and late, been economical
in all things and wise in her counsels. She
certainly deserves all the praise that may be bestowed upon her in this respect.
No persons in Highland Township are more respected than Mr. And Mrs.
Richardson. They are members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically,
he is a Democrat. A. M. Rowan, proprietor of a livery and feed stable, at Ainsworth, Iowa, is a native of Westmoreland County, Pa., born Sept. 9, 1845, and is a son of John and Sarah (McGloughlin) Rowan. In 1856, the family emigrated to Washington County, Iowa, and settled on a farm in Oregon Township, where they still reside. The subject of this sketch came to this county with his parents, and here grew to manhood, being reared on a farm and educated in the common schools of this county. His occupation during the greater part of his life has been that of a farmer, but since 1886 he has been engaged in the livery business in Ainsworth. In 1871 Mr. R. was united in marriage with Miss Fanny Clement, a native of Kentucky, born in 1852, and daughter of Malin and Mary (Palmer) Clement. By this union there have been three children, two of whom are living, Ida and Mary. The deceased was Irene. Mr. Rowan is a consistent member of the United Presbyterian Church. Politically, he is a Republican. Mrs. Rowan is a member of the Christian Church. Both are highly respected citizens of the community where they reside, each endeavoring to do their duty in all things. John Rowan is a farmer in Oregon Township, who was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., May 9, 1804. He comes of that sturdy stock which peopled the North of Ireland, both of his parents being natives of County Tyrone. Their names were John and Letitia (Porterfield) Rowan. After their marriage the young couple sought a home in the New World, emigrated to America about the year 1790, and settling in the county where their son John was born, and where they resided until their death. Nine children were the result of this union, all now deceased except the subject of this sketch. In his youth John Rowan learned the trade of a carpenter, but his life-long occupation has been that of a farmer, which he has follwed both in the East and West. He has been twice married; first in Allegheny County, Pa., in 1828, to Nancy Wilson, who died in 1830, leaving one child; William. Mr. Rowan's second marriage occurred in Westmoreland County, Pa., in 1838, his wife being Sarah, daughter of William and Jane (Huey) McLaughlin. She was born in 1813. The children of this marriage are: John, a resident of Burlington, Iowa; Joseph, living in Oregon Township, this county; Thomas, in Colorado; Theodore, in Ainsworth, Iowa; Nancy J., the wife of Archie Eure, of Washington County; Robert, of the same county, and Melvin, who is in the livery business at Ainsworth. Mr. Rowan first came West in 1855, in which year he located in Louisa County, Iowa, removing the following year to Washington County. He and his wife are both members of the Prebyterian Church, and are highly respected in the community where they have so long resided. Politically Mr. Rowan is a supporter of the Republican party. William Rownd, Esq., farmer, section 1, Jackson Township, was born in Maryland in 1822. He is the son of Joshua and Hannah (Shockly) Rownd, both of whom were natives of that State, he of English, and she of Irish descent. The grandfather of our subject, William Rownd, Sr., was a sea captain, and for many years sailed between Philadephia and the East Indies. His last trip was made while the Revolutionary War was in progress, and the Delaware River was soon afterward in possession of the British. He was shipwrecked during this cruise upon the Indian Ocean, and was mourned as dead for five years by his family, but he was saved providentially, and finally made his way home. The family resided in Worcester County, Md., on a farm near Capes Henlopen and May, and his remaining years were passed upon the farm among his children. He was a slaveowner, and his children either emancipated or disposed of them previous to the war. To William Rownd, Sr., and his wife, were born ten children -- John, Edward, James and Jacob, all died in Worcester County; William married and removed to Louisiana, where he died; Joshua, the father of our subject, married Hannah Shockly, removed to Ripley County, Ind., in 1836, and resided there until his death, Dec. 6, 1875, aged eighty-nine years and three months; Jenkins married Leah Savage, and moved to Ripley County, Ind., where he died. Benjamin wedded Drusilla Hosier, and became a resident of Miami County, Ind., where he died; Elizabeth married Eleazer Johnson, and Mary wedded Mr. Bevans, and both families moved to Ohio. After the marriage of Joshua, he remained in Maryland until all but three of his children were born. They were fourteen in number, three dying in infancy; Sally became the wife of William Jersnan; Elijah wedded Ruth Lester; Martha, the wife of William Bratton; James married Sarah King; Robert, husband of Matilda Moreland, came to this county in 1854, and remained several years, and is now a resident of Red Cloud, Neb.; Ann married Aaron Wilson; Hannah is the wife of Elam Wilson, brother of the former; Lucretia married Nathaniel Bratton, a brother of William Bratton; Radcliffe and Charles both died unmarried. All the sons were farmers, and the daughters wedded farmers. Three of the brothers of Joshua Rownd were educated for the ministry, but only James lived to fill the sacred desk. The marriage of our subject to Miss Lurana Nicherson was celebrated in Ripley County, Ind., Nov. 25, 1847. She was the daughter of Abijah and Abigail (Dolboff) Nicherson. Her father was a native of Rutland, Bennington County, Vt., and her mother of Buckingham County, N. H. They were married in Chautauqua County, N. Y., and emigrated to Ripley County, Ind., in December, 1818. Mr. Nicherson settled in the woods in that county, upon a farm which he hewed out of a virgin forest, where all of his children were born. He has been a lumberman for several years after going to Indiana, purchasing lumber, and rafting it from New York down the Alleghany and Ohio Rivers to Cincinnati and other points below. This was continued for a number of years, before he remoced with his family to Washington County, Iowa. George, Eliza, Lorena and Polly were their children. The eldest born died unmarried in Indiana; Eliza became the wife of Rev. J. C. Harbin, and Polly wedded Rev. W. A. Watson. The last named came with her husband to this county in 1854. Our subject, in company with his father-in-law, came to this county in 1855, and Eliza with her husband, in 1859. Rev. Watson had charge of what is now called "Lone Tree" Congregation, but Rev. Harbin never engaged in the ministry after coming to this county. He is now a resident of Mt. Pleasant, Henry Co., Iowa, and Rev. Watson, of Dighton, Lane Co., Kan. The land upon which Squire Rownd now lives was entered by Abijah Nicherson in 1853, and Mr. Rownd entered the northwest quarter of section 12, and eighty acres on section 1. The death of Mrs. Nicherson occurred in February, 1856, and Mr. Rownd and his wife made their home with Mrs. Rownd's father. Together they began the improvements of their farms, upon which not a shrub had grown, and their beautiful groves were planted by them, and after so short a time it seems impossible to believe that such a change could appear. When the lands were entered in 1853, there was not a house to be seen from the commanding elevation, where the farm residence now stands, and no neighbor was nearer than two miles. Now a more picturesque and fertile country cannot be conceived of. Then, the long grass waved in the breeze, and the odor of wild flowers filled the air; to-day, elegant farms and fine houses and a wealth of crops are to be seen, Mr. Nicherson built a small farm house which stood fronting the modern farm house erected by our subject. The sod was broken by ox-teams, and several acres were ready to plant when the family arrived in 1855. Mr. Nicherson remained with his daughter, Mrs. Rownd, until his death, in July, 1882, having reached the advanced age of ninety-two. Seven children have graced the union of Mr. and Mrs. Rownd: Adelaide, the wife of M. D. Yard; Franklin L., husband of Florence Cooper; Anna, the wife of J. A. McCoy; William N., husband of Anna E. Kay; Maria J. and Alice are unmarried, and reside beneath the paternal roof; Washington J., the second son, died when nine years of age; Franklin L. is a graduate of the Rush Medical College, Chicago, Ill., Class of 1874, and is a resident physician of Dighton, Lane Co., Kan.; William was graduated by Dennison University, Granville, Ohio, completed his theological education at Rochester, N. Y., in 1885, and is now pastor of the Baptist Church at Albany, N. Y. The children have all a thorough business education, and the family library is replete with choice literature, one of the largest in the township. Squire Rownd has filled numerous official positions in his township, one of which was Justice of the Peace. The family rank high in social circles, and are deserving of more than this brief biography.
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