Dallas County >> 1907 Index

Past and Present of Dallas County, Iowa
Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1907.

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Anthony Mabbitt, one of the leading and prosperous business men of Redfield, was born in Madison county, Iowa, November 17, 1866, a son of William and Samantha E. (Boner) Mabbitt. The father was born in Indiana on September 6, 1833, being reared and engaging in farming in that state until 1864, when he went to Madison county, Iowa. Here he purchased about three hundred and thirty acres of land, which he successfully operated until 1893, after which he came to Redfield, Dallas county, and in partnership with W. S. Eppard purchased the Redfield grist and sawmill. He gave his attention to the management of this enterprise for a short time. After the firm of Mabbitt & Eppard became owners of the mill it was completely remodeled and refitted with modern machinery and all the equipments necessary for the successful conduct of the business. William Mabbitt lived largely retired in Redfield, although his attention was more or less given to business affairs in which he had made investments. He was a man of sterling integrity and was endeared to all who knew him by reason of his genuine personal worth and upright life. Mr. Mabbitt was also prominent in local political circles, serving for one term as mayor of Redfield and always giving his aid in every way possible for the growth and material prosperity of the town. In religious belief he was a devoted member of the Christian church and in his daily life exemplified the teachings of this denomination. He was twice married, his first wife being Miss Susannah Carroll, by whom he had five children, two of whom are still living: Emery, a resident of Wyoming; and Columbus, living in South Dakota. By his second marriage Mr. Mabbitt became the father of eleven children, six of whom survive: Marcus L., of Madison county, Iowa; Anthony, of this review; John W., also living in Madison county, Iowa; Lydia, the widow of H. A. Leeper, of Redfield, Iowa; Charles and Arthur, both residing in Redfield, Iowa. William Mabbitt had sixteen children, twenty-one grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Anthony Mabbitt was reared under the parental roof and acquired his education in the common schools. After he had attained his majority he carried on agricultural pursuits on the home farm for three years, receiving a share of the crops. He afterward rented other farms which he conducted for two years and in 1893 came to Redfield in company with his father. For the following two years he worked in the mill as a helper, thereby becoming familiar with the business in principle and detail. In 1895 he was made manager of the mills and in 1897 took entire charge of them, conducting the business and operating the mills for a percentage of the profits. He is still successfully engaged in this enterprise, which under his capable management has become a prosperous concern. He is also connected with the draying business in Redfield and thus his interests extend over a wide field, making him a representative and leading business man of the community.

On June 24, 1890, Mr. Mabbitt was united in marriage to Miss Sarah E. F. Epper, a daughter of William Smith Epper, of Madison county, Iowa, who came to that county from Virginia. He felt that he would be pressed into the Confederate service if he remained in the south, and as his sympathies were with the northern cause he left his estate in Virginia and came to Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Mabbitt became the parents of three children who are yet living: Ethel Florence, Clarence Willard and Harry. One child died in infancy. The mother is a member of the Christian church, and presides with gracious hospitality over her pleasant home.

Mr. Mabbitt votes with the democratic party and has frequently served as a member of the town council and also as a member of the school board for one term. Fraternally he is connected with Redfield lodge, No. 135, I. O. O. F.; Redfield lodge, No. 346, K. P.; and Redfield camp, No. 3498, M. W. A. He is public spirited, giving his co-operation to every movement which tends to promote the moral, intellectual and material welfare of the community.

Wheeler M. Mapes, a representative and enterprising agriculturist of Union township, Dallas county, was born in Laporte, Indiana, March 5, 1849, a son of G. W. and Martha (Dennison) Mapes, both natives of New York, the former born in 1828 and the latter in 1830. The parents went to Illinois in 1853, locating near Walnut, Bureau county, where they purchased a farm. The father was a minister of the Christian church and followed his holy calling for forty years. He passed away in Des Moines in 1898, while his wife survived him until 1900. He was one of nature's noblemen, actuated in all that he did by the spirit of Christian charity, kindliness and helpfulness. As a preacher he was earnest, if not eloquent, and in the various pastorates which he filled his work was always effective. He taught as largely by example perhaps as by precept and his memory is yet enshrined in the hearts of the great majority who knew him. His wife assisted him in all his work and shared with him in the warm regard in which he was everywhere held. They were the parents of six children, five of whom are still living: Wheeler M., of this review; Chettie, the wife of M. A. Hitchcock, living at Des Moines, Iowa; G. G. and Charles, both residents of Kansas City, Missouri; Frank H., who lives in Macomb, Illinois; and Ella, deceased.

When Wheeler M. Mapes attained young manhood he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits in Bureau county, Illinois, where he remained for two years and then took up his abode in Nebraska in 1870, homesteading a tract of government land which he cultivated for four years, or until the grasshoppers became so numerous and annoying that he was obliged to leave the state. Our subject also has a creditable military record, having enlisted in 1864, in Company I, Thirtieth Illinois Infantry, as a soldier in the Civil War. He marched with Sherman from the Atlantic to Washington, D. C., and was there mustered out.

After his return from Nebraska, in 1875, Mr. Mapes removed to Des Moines, Iowa, engaging with the Rock Island Railroad Company as a brakeman, in which capacity he served for three years. He was then promoted to the position of conductor, in which he remained for fourteen years, his long retention in the service of the railroad company being proof of the able and efficient manner in which he discharged his duties. He was conductor on the first vestibule train that went out of Council Bluffs. After his retirement from the railroad service Mr. Mapes again took up agricultural pursuits near Redfield, Dallas county, while in 1901 he purchased the farm of one hundred and twenty-three acres on section 10, Union township, Dallas county, on which he now resides. He has brought this land under a high state of cultivation, his unabating industry and sound business judgment being resultant factors in the prosperity which he now enjoys.

On March 5, 1868, Mr. Mapes was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Winter, a daughter of William and Lydia (Yonker) Winter, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Winter were the parents of four children, two of whom yet survive: O. O., a resident of Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Mrs. Mapes. Unto our subject and his wife were born four children: Cora L., the wife of W. F. Hartman, a resident of Chicago, Illinois; Chettie I., the wife of I. T. Stanley, living in Adams township, Dallas county; Georgia E., a graduate of the Redfield high school, who has been a teacher for five years; and Charles G., of Fort Williams, Ontario, Canada.

Wheeler M. Mapes is a republican in politics and has served as assessor of Union township. Fraternally he is connected with Wiscotta lodge, No. 158, A. F. & A. M., at Redfield; and Redfield lodge, No. 3498, M. W. A. He has ever discharged his duties with marked ability and fairness, for he is a most loyal, public-spirited citizen. His life has been one of continuous activity, in which has been accorded due recognition of labor and today he is numbered among the substantial citizens of his community. His interests are thoroughly identified with those of Dallas county and at all times he is ready to lend his aid and cooperation to any movement calculated to benefit this section of the country or advance its wonderful development.

John S. Mark, the efficient and popular agent for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company at Adel, is one of.the native sons of Dallas county, his birth having occurred in Van Meter township, February 15, 1873. His parents were James A. and Sarah J. (Mitchell) Mark. The father was born in Van Wert county, Ohio, April 30, 1840, and was a son of John and Maria (Jones) Mark.

John Mark was a native of Pennsylvania. He followed the occupation of farming as a life work and was also a preacher of the Methodist Episcopal church. About 1854 he removed from Indiana to Missouri, locating in Grundy county among the pioneer settlers. He entered one hundred and twenty acres of government land, upon which he built a log house, and then set to work to break the wild prairie, turning the furrows with ox teams. He spent a number of years there, after which he removed to Mercer county, Missouri, near the Iowa state line. He took up government land lying in both states but built his cabin home in Missouri. Again he broke the wild prairie with ox teams and carried on the work of cultivating the fields but some time afterward traded this farm for a sawmill, which he removed to Livingston, Missouri. He was residing there when the Civil war broke out and, being a strong Union man, he felt that it would be better for him to return to Iowa. Accordingly he sold his mill and went back to Decatur county, Iowa, where he remained until 1867. He then removed to Kansas, preaching and farming in Labette county near Oswego. He was a man whose upright life, warm sympathy and kindly spirit endeared him to all with whom he came in contact and he exerted a widely felt influence for good. After his death the people placed a memorial window in the Methodist Episcopal church in Oswego in his honor. His political allegiance was given to the republican party. He passed away at the age of sixty-eight years, while his wife, who was born in Pennsylvania, died in Indiana during the early childhood of their son, James A. Mark. In the family were six children, namely: Martha Ann, the wife of Thomas A. Preston of Gallatin, Missouri; John M., who is living in Oregon; Mary J., the wife of Daniel Francis of Los Angeles, California; William A., who wedded Mary C. Harper, and is living on a farm near De Soto, Iowa; James A., of Adel, Iowa; and Maria A., the wife of Stephen Crouse of Leon, Iowa.

James A. Mark was a lad in his teens at the time of his parents' removal west of the Mississippi. He assisted his father during the period of his boyhood and youth and after arriving at years of maturity he was married on the 23d of March, 1868, to Miss Sarah J. Mitchell, whose birth occurred in Vermilion county, Illinois, March 20, 1850. Her parents were John H. and Caroline (Baldwin) Mitchell. Her father was born in Ohio and died in 1898, at the advanced age of eighty-two years, passing away in Madison county, Iowa. His wife was born in Indiana and died in Madison county, September 29, 1891, at the age of seventy-five years. They were married in Ohio and Mr. Mitchell was a cooper and also a ship carpenter by trade. He was likewise skilled in other industrial arts, including blacksmithing. He went to Illinois in the '40s, locating in Vermilion county, becoming one of the pioneer farmers of that locality, where he carried on general agricultural pursuits until the spring of 1853. He then came to Dallas county, Iowa, at a time when few settlements had been made within its borders. He entered land, however, in Madison county, where he built a log house and broke the wild prairie with ox teams, turning the first furrows in the fields. His nearest neighbors were John Atkins and his family. Mr. Mitchell spent his remaining days upon the farm which he developed and improved. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and an earnest Christian man. His political allegiance was given to the whig party. In his family were six children, of whom five are now living: George S., who married Mahala J. Payton and lives in Pomona, California; Darius B., who married Isabelle Hester and is living in Adel; Rachel A., the wife of Alvin Bever, of Dallas county; John J., who married Ruth Foley and makes his home in Adel; Mrs. Sarah J. Mark; and William D. The last two were twins and William D. Mitchell died November 5, 1896. He had married Samantha M. Richards, who is now living in Dallas county.

Prior to his marriage James A. Mark had served his country as a soldier in the Civil war. On the 13th of June, 1861, he enlisted as a member of Company H, First Regiment of Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, and was discharged on the 3d of January, 1864, at Little Rock, Arkansas, by reason of the fact that he would re-enlist as a veteran. After again entering the army he remained at the front until he was discharged as sergeant of Company H on the 16th day of November, 1865, in the city of New Orleans. He was with the army for four years and five months and was a most loyal defender of the stars and stripes. He participated in the battle of Prairie Grove and was with his regiment in all of the engagements in which it participated.

After his return home from the war James A. Mark located in Dallas county, settling in Van Meter township, where he successfully and energetically followed the occupation of farming until the spring of 1882. He then removed to Washington township, where he lived until the spring of 1901. He then took up his abode in Adel, where he has been working at the carpenter's trade, which he had followed to a greater or less extent throughout his previous life. He has served as trustee in Van Meter township and has always stood for good citizenship, giving his support and cooperation to many movements that have been of direct benefit to the community. His life has ever been honorable and upright, actuated by high principles and guided by commendable methods. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and his interest in the temperance cause is indicated by his affiliation with the Good Templars society. He is also a member of Colonel Mills post, No. 45, G. A. R., and in politics he is a stanch republican.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. James Mark have been born five sons and a daughter: Mary F., the wife of R. D. Lancaster, a resident of Des Moines; John S., of this review; William O., who married Minnie Switzer and is living in North Dakota; James H., of Sanborn, Iowa; Otto R., who married Gertrude Beaver and lives in North Dakota; and Thomas C., of Adel.

In taking up the personal history of John S. Mark we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in this locality. At the usual age he began attending the public schools and was a student in the Adel high school from 1892 to 1894. He lived upon the home farm until the latter year, when he started out in life on his own account, being then twenty-one years of age. He entered the employ of the Des Moines Northern & Western Railroad in June, 1894, and in November of same year he was appointed agent for the company at Kennedy, Iowa, having charge of the station there for two and a half years. He was then appointed extra station agent and telegraph operator at different stations for one year or more and subsequently was made agent at Granger, Iowa, where he remained from October, 1898, until the 30th of April, 1904. At the latter date he was transferred to Adel, Iowa, and has since been agent for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad at this place. He is always courteous and considerate in his treatment of the patrons of the road and his ability and fidelity to the interests of the corporation which he represents have made him a valuable official to the company and a popular one with the general public.

On the 24th of June, 1903, Mr. Mark was married to Miss Orpha Walker, whose birth occurred in Adams township, this county, March 29, 1877, her parents being John W. and Elizabeth (Bothwell) Walker. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mark has been born a daughter, Frances L., whose natal day was June 3, 1905. The parents are highly esteemed here, having gained many friends in Adel during their residence at this place. Mr. Mark is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and of the Railroad Telegraph Association, while his political views are in harmony with the principles of the republican party.

Macy B. Maulsby, M. D.

Dr. Macy B. Maulsby, possessed of broad humanitarian principles and kindly spirit, in the practice of his profession won the love and gratitude of many to whom he ministered. He was one of the first physicians in Dallas county and for many years figured prominently in this section of the state, being widely and favorably known, while an excellent patronage was accorded him up to the time of his retirement.

Dr. Maulsby was born in Tennessee, February 12, 1817, and died at Redfield, Iowa, September 26, 1899. When he was a small boy his parents removed with their family to Indiana, where the father, David Maulsby, died. The Doctor began his education in the public schools and prepared for his profession in the Cincinnati Medical College, from which he was graduated with the degree of M. D. He then practiced for a short time in Wayne county, Indiana, but in the year 1853 he came to Dallas county, Iowa, settling in Linden township, purchasing a tract of land near where the village of Linden now stands. He had intended to retire from his profession and devote himself to farming, but the members of the medical profession in this locality were so few and their services were so much in demand that he was forced to resume the active work of his calling. Therefore the following year he sold his land and took up his abode in Redfield, Union township, establishing an office on the corner where the State Bank of Redfield now stands. He continued in active practice for a.third of a century or until 1887 when he sold his business and spent his remaining days in honorable retirement. He always kept in touch with the onward march of the profession as research, investigation and experiment broadened knowledge and promoted proficiency among the members of the medical fraternity.

His early practice was fraught with many hardships and discomforts such as come to the pioneer physician. At the time he removed to Dallas county it wad very sparsely settled by white men but Indians were numerous in this part of the state. The Doctor was a fine horseman and always kept good saddle horses. He would frequently go thirty or forty miles on horseback to visit his patients, fording streams and enduring all the trials and difficulties experienced by the physician on the frontier. After coming to Redfield he occupied the same building for an office and residence for some time but afterward removed to the northwestern part of the village, where he and his wife made their home until they moved to the dwelling now occupied by Mrs. Maulsby. Aside from his profession Dr. Maulsby was at various times extensively interested in farm land, owning at the time of his death between four and five hundred acres, as well as city property.

Dr. Maulsby was married three times. He first wedded Miss Sally Price, who died in Indiana. His second wife, Mrs. Martha Jane Webster, whom he also married in Indiana, died after their removal to this state. On the 12th of October, 1870, Dr. Maulsby was joined in wedlock to Mrs. Mary H. Jameson, the widow of R. R. Jameson, and a daughter of Charles Walters, who was born and died in Ohio. His widow still survives. By his second marriage Dr. Maulsby had a son that died in infancy.

In his political views Dr. Maulsby was a stanch republican, firm in his opinions but not an office seeker. He belonged to the Christian church and took a very active and helpful part in its work. In his will he provided that the income from his estate should go to his widow and upon her death the entire property is to go to Drake University to be turned into a fund to provide for the education of men and women for foreign missionary work. Thus the usefulness and good work of Dr.Maulsby continues after his death. His memory remains as a blessed benediction to many who knew him and will long be cherished by those who came under the influence of his kindly spirit and upright life.

Milton Maulsby, who owns two hundred and ninety acres of fine farming land in Linn township, is therefore numbered among the representative and prosperous agriculturists of Dallas county. He was born in Wayne county, Indiana, February 19, 1841, a son of William and Zerelda (Mills) Maulsby, both of whom were natives of Tennessee, the former born in 1810 and the latter in 1813. The father always followed farming as a life work. He went to Indians with his parents in 1817 and in 1857 came to Dallas county, Iowa, where he purchased the farm on which his son Milton now resides. Mr. and Mrs. Maulsby both passed away in 1893 and at the time of his death the father was the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of land in Dallas county, a part of which Milton Maulsby now owns. In the family of this worthy couple were three children, two of whom are still living. Irwin resides in Des Moines but has an interest in a general mercantile store with his son at Redfield, Iowa.

Milton Maulsby acquired his education in the common schools and the occupation to which he was reared he has made his life work, having always followed agricultural pursuits on the farm which his father purchased in this county in the year 1857. He helped his father improve this tract of land and still owns and operates it, having brought the place under a high state of cultivation through the use of modern methods of farming and sound business judgment. He is also engaged in the stock business and likewise finds this a profitable undertaking. In connection with his son Edwin Mr. Maulsby now owns four hundred and ninety acres on section 26, Linn township, being widely recognized as one of the extensive and up-to-date agriculturists of Dallas county.

In 1863 Mr. Maulsby was united in marriage to Miss Mahala R. Towns, who was born in Indiana in 1846, being a daughter of Cyrus and Rachel (Duck) Towns, the former a native of Maine and the latter of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Towns first removed to Indiana and in 1855 came to Dallas county, Iowa, entering a tract of land from the government. Mrs. Towns is still living on this same farm, having now attained the age of eighty-one years. She became the mother of nine children, five of whom are still living, as follows: Mrs. Maulsby; Marion, a resident of Dallas county; Ira, also living in this county; Irwin, living in North Dakota; John, who makes his home in this county; Jesse, a resident of North Dakota; and Albert, Milo and Mary, all deceased. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Maulsby has been born one son, Edwin, who is now married and operates the home farm. The wife of our subject has been an invalid for some years but bears her affliction with noble resignation, her kindly nature and generous spirit having won her the warm regard of all with whom she has come in contact.

In his political views Mr. Maulsby is a republican and has held several of the minor township offices for a number of years. Fraternally he is connected with Redfield lodge, No. 158, A.F. & A.M., while both he and his wife are members of the Quaker church, in the work of which they are active and helpful. Mr. Maulsby thoroughly enjoys home life and takes great pleasure in the society of his family and friends. He is always courteous, kindly and affable and those who know him personally have for him warm regard.

Samuel S. McKibben, Jr., a resident farmer of Adams township, born on the place which is now his home, his natal day being February 15, 1859, is a son of Samuel S. McKibben, Sr., and further mention of the family history is made in connection with the sketch of his brother, G. S. McKibben, on another page of this work. His boyhood and youth were spent at home and his education was acquired in the district schools. He was a student in one of the typical pioneer log schoolhouses of the period, with its greased paper windows, slab benches and huge fireplace. The curriculum was not extensive but it brought to the student a good knowledge of the fundamental principles of English learning. At an early age, almost as soon as he could hold a plow, Mr. McKibben was at work in the fields, and long before he had attained his majority he and his brother, G. S. McKibben, were operating the farm for the father, who for years was in poor health. After his death the brothers continued the management of the property for the mother and subsequent to her demise the estate was divided, Samuel McKibben receiving as his share of the estate one hundred and six acres of the home farm. He has made agriculture his life work and has prospered in the undertaking. In December, 1896, he purchased of the railroad an adjoining forty acre tract, so that the place now comprises one hundred and forty-six acres of rich and productive land. The farm is well tilled and everything about the place indicates his careful supervision and practical, progressive methods. The fields bring forth rich crops and the latest improved machinery is used to facilitate the farm work. In 1903 Mr. McKibben erected one of the handsome and modern farm residences of Adams township, supplied with hot and cold water, bath, and all conveniences known to the model home of the present day. This residence is built on the site of the old home of the family and is one of the attractive features of the landscape. The place in all its departments shows the work of the master farmer, the improvements being the best, attracting the attention and admiration of all who pass by.

On Christmas day of 1878 Mr. McKibben was united in marriage to Miss Lillie A. Mark, a daughter of William A. Marks, one of the pioneer settlers of Adams township and a veteran of the Civil war, who is yet one of the old and respected citizens of this locality. Unto Mr. and Mrs. McKibben have been born six children, three sons and three daughters: Evalina Dell, the wife of Leonard H. Cook, a resident farmer of Union township; Byron B., living in Adams township; L. Scott, who is a graduate of the Highland Park College, at Des Moines, and is at home; Samuel C., Lulu May and Veta Loyone, all yet at home.

At the polls Mr. McKibben exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican party and has held the office of justice of the peace. He and his family are members of the United Brethren church and are interested in its work and the extension of its influence. He is regarded as one of the substantial and highly esteemed residents of Dallas county. His entire life has been spent upon the farm which is yet his home and his time and energies have ever been given to agricultural pursuits with the result that has unabating labor and unremitting diligence have brought him a goodly measure of prosperity. He is a worthy representative of an old pioneer family and his honorable record adds further luster to an untarnished family name.

William Lucas McKissick is the president of the Dallas County Brick & Tile Works, manufacturers of brick, drain tile and hollow building blocks at Adel. This is one of the leading productive industries of the state and in its establishment and control Mr. McKissick has displayed excellent business ability, keen discernment and executive force. He is prominent among the energetic, far-sighted and successful business men of Dallas county and in his life record has shown a strength of purpose that has enabled him to overcome all difficulties and obstacles in his path and proved that prosperity and an honored name may be won simultaneously.

Mr. McKissick is a native of Indiana county, Pennsylvania , born on the 27th of August, 1853 . The McKissick family is of Scotch-Irish extraction and was founded in America at an early day. Thomas McKissick, the father of our subject, was also a native of the Keystone state, born in Indiana county, and for many years he was a pilot on the Susquehanna river . When not engaged in that work his time and energies were given to general farming. While in the east he married Miss Betsy Garman, who was born in Cambria county, Pennsylvania . In the month of June, 1864, they came to Iowa , settling on a farm nine miles south of Des Moines , where they lived for two years. They afterward became residents of Norwalk, Warren county, Iowa, and Thomas McKissick spent his last days in Atlantic , Iowa , where he died in 1903, at the age of seventy-three years. His widow still survives him and is now seventy-seven years of age. In their family were three sons and seven daughters and five of the number are yet living, namely: William L.; Sadie, the wife of Elmer Cassidy, living in Salt Lake City, Utah; Callie, the wife of Thomas Prall, who resides near Atlantic, Iowa; Cora, who is engaged in the millinery business at Adair, Iowa; and John, a resident of Omaha, Nebraska.

William L. McKissick was a youth of eleven years when brought by his parents to Iowa , where he was reared to agricultural pursuits. When nineteen years of age he returned to Pennsylvania and there learned the bricklayer's trade. After mastering the business he returned to this state in 1875, settling first at Des Moines , where he worked at his trade, while later he was employed in a similar capacity in Indianola for two years or more. In 1878 he began the manufacture of brick between the towns of Van Meter and De Soto , where he conducted the business for two years. He also took contracts for furnishing the brick for many buildings in the two towns and he erected twenty-one brick buildings in the city of Adel . In 1880 he sold his plant and removed to Adel, where he began the manufacture of brick on a more extensive scale, also added a tile manufacturing department and did business as a contractor and builder. The new enterprise prospered and, needing more capital in the business, he entered into partnership relations with R. M. Kerns and A. C. Hubbard under the firm style of R. M. Kerns & Company. The plant was then enlarged and the facilities for manufacture increased. It was at this time that they took up the work of manufacturing drain tile. Mr. McKissick continued to act as manager of the business and owing to his ability and enterprise the new concern proved a very profitable one. In 1885 he sold his interest to his partners and returned to De Soto , where he built what is now the De Soto Brick & Tile plant. He made this complete in every department and in a short time was conducting a very extensive and prosperous enterprise here. In the fall of 1888 he sold a half interest to J. W. Blackman, who in 1892 disposed of his share to his brother, E. D. Blackman, so that for some time operations were conducted under the firm name of McKissick & Blackman. Their plant covered about six acres and in addition to the manufacture of brick and tile they handled grain, lime, coal, lumber, paints and oils. In March, 1904, Mr. McKissick established a brick and tile manufactory in Adel, where he is now doing business at the present time. In 1906 his shipments amounted to seven hundred and sixty carloads, his tile being used extensively throughout the state of Iowa . The plant is conducted with two eighty horse power boilers of high pressure, giving them one hundred and sixty horse power. They have a hundred and fifty horse power engine and the most modern machinery is used in all departments. Mr. McKissick has been engaged in the manufacture of tile for the past twenty-eight years and has superintended the building of five different plants, all still running. At the Adel plant he employs from thirty to thirty-four men throughout the year. There is about one mile of railroad track over which the clay is hauled to the plant and the business is constantly increasing along substantial and satisfactory lines. His son, Ernest R. McKissick, is now manager of the plant at De Soto .

On the 4th of July, 1877 , Mr. McKissick was married to Miss Mary Stephens, who was born in Warren county, near Springhill , Iowa , February 21, 1861 , a daughter of Edward D. and Lavisa (Fisher) Stephens. Her father, who was born in England , died in his eightieth year, while the mother, who was born in Madison county, Indiana, passed away at the age of sixty-four years. Mr. Stephens became a farmer of Warren county, Iowa , where he settled in pioneer days. He owned there a good farm of two hundred acres and was extensively engaged in the breeding of fine horses. All who knew him respected him, for he was a man of genuine personal worth. His life was in harmony with his professions as a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and his political allegiance was given to the republican party. In his family were ten children, of whom eight are now living.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. McKissick have been born two sons and a daughter: Ernest R., who was born June 2, 1879 , and now has charge of the plant at De Soto ; J. A., who is secretary of the company at Adel and was born November 7, 1882 ; and Gertrude, born June 13, 1884 . Mr. and Mrs. McKissick attend the Methodist church and he exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican party but he has never sought or desired public office, preferring to give his time and attention to his business interests, in which he has met with signal success. He is a gentleman of genuine personal worth, well informed on the questions of the day and keeping in touch with the trend of current thought and modern progress. As a business man he has displayed many sterling traits, not the least of which are close application and unfaltering industry. He early came to a realization of the fact that there is no excellence without labor and to this end he has put forth earnest effort, advancing from a comparatively humble position in the business world to a place of leadership as one of the prominent tile and brick manufacturers of the state.

Hans Meier is a prosperous farmer and stockraiser of Beaver township, owning a well improved farm of one hundred and seventy-four acres on section 4, pleasantly located near Bouton. In addition to his home farm he likewise owns farm land in Boone county, Iowa, which he leases. Mr. Meier is a native of Holstein, Germany, born January 23, 1864, a son of Herman and Anna (Rahn) Meier, both of whom were natives of the fatherland, where the father carried on farming. In 1874 he emigrated with his family, consisting of wife, six sons and one daughter, to the United States, making his way at once to Jackson county, Iowa, where he spent one year, and in 1875 came to Dallas county, where he first purchased one hundred and seventy-five acres of land. He became one of the extensive landowners of this section of the state, having at the time of his death fifteen hundred acres of well improved land. He spent his remaining days in this county, passing away here in 1899, when he had reached the age of seventy-one years. His wife still survives and now makes her home with the subject of this review. Their children were: Herman, born April 2, 1854; Henry, August 25, 1856; Peter, September 9, 1858; John, January 13, 1861; Hans, January 23, 1864; Anna D., now Mrs. Lorenzen, March 15, 1867; and Jerry, June 19, 1869.

Mr. Meier was a youth of eleven years at the time of the emigration of the family to the new world. He was educated in the common schools of Dallas county and during the period of his boyhood and youth assisted his father in the operation of the home farm. In 1892 he established a home of his own by his marriage to Miss Christina Frahn, who was burn April 22, 1872, in Germany, where she was reared.

Following his marriage Mr. Meier located upon the farm where he now resides. He improved the place by the erection of a good country residence, a barn, granary, tool house, sheds and all outbuildings which are usually found upon a model farm of the twentieth century. He likewise drained his land by the use of tiling, built fences and now has a good property. He is here engaged in cultivating the cereals best adapted to soil and climate and in addition to tilling the soil is engaged in raising cattle and hogs, fattening a carload of each for the city markets each year. In addition to his home place, Mr. Meier also owns a tract of land in Boone county, which he rents. He is one of the substantial farmers of this section of the state and his success has come to him by reason of his capable management and honorable business methods.

On the 26th of October, 1899, Mrs. Meier passed away, leaving three children, John H., Anna D. and Christina C. In his political views Mr. Meier is a democrat but has never been active as an office-seeker, preferring to give his undivided time and attention to his private business interests, in which he is meeting with gratifying success. He is a member of the German Lutheran church at Bouton, and there is no citizen of Dallas county who is held in higher regard than Mr. Meier.

Mrs. Sarah Mercer, living in Adel, Iowa, is the owner of an excellent farm of two hundred acres on section 2, Adams township.  She was born in Indiana, on the 6th of September, 1830, and is a daughter of Elisha and Elizabeth (Palmer) Mercer.  The father was a native of Maryland, while the mother's birth occurred in South Carolina. At an early day they removed to Indiana, making the journey across the country with teams and both died in that state.  Their daughter Sarah was reared on the old home farm in Indiana and was trained to the duties of the household, so that she was well qualified to take charge of a home of her own at the time of her marriage, which was celebrated in 1847.  In that year she became the wife of Valentine Mercer, who was born in Ohio, July 22, 1822.  He acquired his education in the common schools and in early  manhood  engaged  in  teaching  for several years.  After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Mercer continued to reside in Indiana for eight years, or until 1855, when they disposed of their business interests in that state, bade adieu to their friends and journeyed westward to Iowa, their destination being Dallas county.  Here Mr. Mercer purchased a farm and with characteristic energy began its development and improvement. As the years went by he brought his fields under a state of rich fertility and annually gathered good crops.  He also placed substantial buildings upon his farm and became recognized as one of the leading and prominent agriculturists of the community.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mercer were born ten children: Henry, a resident of Arkansas; Nancy Jane, the wife of Darius Francis, who is living in Adel, Iowa; Eliza, the wife of J. P. College, whose home is in Adel township; Robert, deceased; William, who is now living in Madison county, Iowa; Sarah, the wife of  J. H. Alexander, a farmer of Adams township; Mary, the wife of Julian Overton, who is now living in North Dakota; Valentine, who makes his home in this state; Emma, the widow of T. R. Davis, and a resident of Adel; and Clinton, who is living in California. The death of the husband and father occurred on the 28th of December, 1883, and his loss was greatly regretted by many friends as well as by his immediate family.  He was a democrat in politics and a citizen of progressive spirit who was much interested in all that pertains to the public welfare. His business insight, energy and perseverance brought to him a goodly measure of success and Mrs. Mercer is now the owner of an excellent farm property of two hundred acres on section 2, Adams township, from which she derives a good income. She also has a fine residence in Adel, where she is now living and thus is comfortably situated in life.  She belongs to the United Brethren church and is a lady of many good traits of heart and mind, her life being in harmony with her Christian professions.  She has lived in the county for more than a half century and has a wide acquaintance among the older settlers as well as among those who have arrived at a later  day.  She  has so  long witnessed the growth and development of this part of the state that she has intimate knowledge of the history of Dallas county and relates many interesting instances of pioneer times.

Henry S. Merical

Pioneer life in its various phases is familiar to Henry S. Merical of Dallas Center, who has lived in this county since 1852.  He came here when a youth of six years and has since been an interested witness of the changes which have occurred as, the county has taken on all of the evidences of a modern civilization known to the older east. There were still many proofs of Indian occupancy here at that early day and many kinds of wild game were yet to be found.  One could ride for miles over the prairie without coming to a habitation or fence to impede his progress.  The timber land was uncut and it was only here and there that a settlement had been made to show that the seeds of modern development had been planted upon the frontier of the west.

Mr. Merical, a native of Warren county, Indiana, was born January 29, 1846. His father, Benjamin M. Merical, was a native of Ulster county, New York, and when a young man removed to Ross county, Ohio, where he followed farming. He was married there to Miss Magdalen Smith, who was born in Montgomery county, Virginia.  After living in Indiana for some time they made the trip by wagon to Iowa, being five weeks en route.  He entered land from the government, securing two hundred and seventy-five acres in Adel township.  His death occurred in Adel township in 1898, when he had reached the venerable age of eighty-six years, while his wife passed away in 1893. In the family were nine children, of whom Henry was the fourth born. He was only six years of age at the time of the arrival of the family in this county, where he has since resided.  He was reared in the usual manner of farm lads and had but common-school advantages.  He remained under the parental roof until his twenty-first year, when he started out in life on his own account. The occupation with which he had become familiar in his boyhood he has made his life work.  He rented his father's place for fifteen years and then rented and farmed in the northern part of Adel township, where he lived for several years.

On the 27th of March, 1867, Henry S. Merical was married to Miss Johanna Mary Becker, a native of La Salle county, Illinois, and a daughter of George P. Becker, who was born in Germany but became a pioneer of Iowa. In 1890 Mr. Merical came to Walnut township and bought eighty-six acres, which he began to further improve and develop.  In the midst of this farm he erected a good two-story residence and also a substantial barn and outbuildings.  Since that time he has bought fifty-three acres and he now has one hundred and thirty-nine acres of valuable and well improved land equipped with all modern accessories and conveniences.  He has laid many rods of tile and thus has drained the place, making the soil very productive.  He has also fenced the fields and he uses the latest improved machinery to facilitate his crop raising.  He also has good graded stock upon his farm and his stock-raising interests constitute an element in his success.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Merical have been born eight children:  Maggie, the wife of Charles Lanning, of Waukee, and the mother of six children; Jennie, Earl, Ada, Flossie, Carl and Theodore; Ada, the wife of Ed Hooper, a resident farmer of Adel township, by whom she has two children, Mary Elizabeth and Charles Henry; Carrie, the wife of John K. Hawbaker, a farmer of Boone county, Iowa, by whom she has three children, Lennie and Leona, twins, and Ray B.; Ella, the wife of Levi Hawbaker, a resident farmer of Van Meter township, by whom she has four children, Boyd Henry, Bryan Lee, Verne C. and Mary; Nellie, the wife of John Johnson, a farmer of Washington township, by whom she has one son, John Henry; Weaver H., who operates his father's farm, and who married Susan A. Kellar, a native of Pennsylvania, but she died April 26, 1907; Grover C., who follows the barber's trade; and Benjamin H., who assists in the improvement of the home farm.

Mr. Merical has served as road supervisor for two terms and as school director for several years.  He has never sought or desired office, however, preferring to leave that to others, while he has given his attention to his business affairs with the result that his labors are proving very profitable. He belongs to the Odd Fellows society at Dallas Center, and both he and his wife are members of the Christian church and are much esteemed in the community, receiving the warm regard of many friends by reason of their genuine personal worth and devotion to high and lofty principles. Mr. Merical has engaged in breaking prairie and thus aiding in the development of the county, and has noted the advance in land values, while the farms have been improved from a raw state to a high grade of development.

Frank Middlekoff, who for a quarter of a century has been the leading contractor and builder of Adel, has contributed in very large measure to the improvement of the city, having more than one hundred residences and business houses to his credit here. He was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1857, his parents being Christian and Jane (Keedy) Middlekoff, who were likewise natives of Maryland. The father died in Adel seven years ago, while the mother is still living in this city with her son Charles.

Frank Middlekoff was only a year old when his parents left Maryland and removed to Ogle county, Illinois, settling on a farm there which remained their home until 1880, when they came to Adel. The son was therefore reared to agricultural life, early becoming familiar with the duties and labors of the fields, while in the public schools of the neighborhood he acquired his education. Two years after the removal to Adel he began contracting and building and for twenty-five years has been the leading representative of this line of business in the city. He had little experience when he started out to make his own way in the world but he possessed natural mechanical genius and his ready adaptability led to excellent workmanship, while his thorough reliability has secured to him trust and the patronage of the public. Many of the finest structures of the city stand as monuments to his thrift and labor. He is always true to the terms of a contract and is prompt and faithful in the execution of the duties which devolve upon him in this connection.

Mr. Middlekoff was married to Miss Mattie Sutton, who was born in Polk county, Iowa, a daughter of Branson and Nancy Ann Sutton, both of whom are now deceased. They came to Iowa at an early day and were closely associated with pioneer development. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Middlekoff have been born nine children, namely: Guy, who is married and is living in Adel, where he is employed by his father; Golda, the wife of Fred C. Drake, an attorney and abstract agent of Mitchell, South Dakota; Urbana, at home; Bernice, the wife of Del Paul at Dallas Center; Lavonne, at home; Park, who died at the age of eleven years; Doyle and Trent, both at home; and Naomi, who died when only six months old.

The parents and children are members of the Christian church and Mr. Middlekoff is interested in its work and generous in its support. He exercises his right of franchise in support of the republican party but has never sought or desired office. His life has been one of continuous activity, in which has been accorded due recognition of labor and today he is numbered among the substantial citizens of his county. As a business man he has been conspicuous among his associates, not only for his success but for his probity, fairness and honorable methods. In everything he has been eminently practical and this has been manifest not only in his business undertakings but also in social and private life.

Frederick Miller is one of the few remaining veterans of the Civil war and the wounds which he received in battle attest his splendid defense of the old flag and the cause it represented. For a quarter of a century he has been numbered among the active and public-spirited citizens of Woodward, where he is well known in business circles.  He dates his residence in Iowa from 1869, first locating in Boone county, whence he came to Dallas county in 1881. 

Mr. Miller is a native of Sweden, his birth having occurred in that land on the 1st of December, 1835. His father, Adolph Miller, was also born in Sweden, where he was reared to manhood and he there married Elizabeth Lundberg, of the same country.  Her death occurred there and Mr. Miller afterward emigrated to the new world, settling first in Kane county, Illinois, remaining five years and then removed to Minnesota, where he died in 1863. In the family were six children, of whom Frederick Miller is the youngest. Five of the number were sons and all reached adult age.  The eldest, the Hen. John Miller, was a pioneer  and  prominent  farmer of Goodhue county, Minnesota, and represented his district in the state legislature.  His son, G. O. Miller, is a leading business man, who established and built up the town of White Rock, Minnesota, where he opened a creamery and engaged in the manufacture of butter and cheese, oftentimes shipping his products by the carloads.  He now has a wholesale house in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. He has developed his business to mammoth proportions and is well known as a most prosperous, enterprising, reliable and successful business man.  Another brother of Frederick Miller is Louis Miller, a prosperous farmer of Goodhue county, Minnesota.  A sister, Mrs. Sophia Donaldson, is a widow and resides in Goodhue county.   Gustave Miller makes his home in Sweden. He was for years in the government employ, being connected with the arsenal at Eskelstuna, and one of his sons is now superintendent of the arsenal of that place. August Miller, another brother, was a blacksmith and carried on business in Sweden until his death, which occurred in the winter of 1907. 

Frederick Miller, whose name introduces this record, spent the first seventeen years of his life in Sweden. He came to the new world in 1852 and located in Chicago, where he was in the employ of the McCormick Harvester Company.  Subsequently he worked for the Danford and Whitaker Reaper Companies in Geneva and in St. Charles, Illinois, and in 1858 he removed to Goodhue county, Minnesota, where he settled upon government land, securing a claim which he improved, continuing its cultivation for three years.  In 1860 President Buchanan ordered the land sold and Mr. Miller being unable to buy traded his interest for a span of horses, a wagon and twenty-five dollars in gold.  It was not long after this that in response to the country's call for aid he offered his services in defense of the Union, enlisting in October, 1861, as a member of Company D, Third Minnesota Volunteer Infantry.  He went to the south and was under command of General Buell in Kentucky. Subsequently the regiment proceeded to Nashville, where they guarded Governor Johnson for a time and were afterward sent to Murfreesboro.  Mr. Miller participated in the battle of Stone River, where he was captured, but a few days later he was paroled and sent to Benton Barracks, St. Louis.  Not long after, his command was ordered to the plains against the Indians and he was wounded at Wood Lake, Minnesota, by a gunshot in the arm, which disabled him for a time.  In the spring of 1863 he rejoined the regiment in Tennessee and went into the Vicksburg campaign, participating in the capture of the rebel stronghold.  The troops then proceeded to Helena, Arkansas, and later to Little Rock, taking part in the battle of that place. The regiment lost more men there from illness than in the engagement, eleven members of Company D dying and about the same proportion throughout the entire command. At the close of his term of service Mr. Miller was mustered out and was honorably discharged at Duvall's Bluff, Arkansas.  While he was at the front the government had confiscated his horses for use in the Indian campaign but later he was reimbursed. 

Returning to Minnesota after his discharge from the army, Mr. Miller purchased forty acres of land there, which he broke and brought under cultivation.  He also bought another forty-acre tract, on which he made some improvements, but in 1869 he removed from Minnesota to Iowa, settling in Peoples township, Boone county, where he secured one hundred acres of land, which he improved and cultivated for a number of years, successfully carrying on his farm work. During that period he was also postmaster at the Prairie Hill post office for eight years.   In 1881 he came to Woodward and built a business house which he stocked with a line of general merchandise. He also formed a partnership with Mr. Chandler, with whom he engaged in the implement and hardware business. After two years he sold out his interest in the general store and has since given his time to the hardware and implement business.  His present partner, L. W. Saker, is a man of enterprise and good executive ability and the firm is therefore a strong one, for Mr. Miller possesses those qualities which go to make up the successful merchant. They carry a large stock of heavy hardware and implements and a fine line of buggies, windpumps, etc.  They have built up a good trade, receiving now a liberal share of the public patronage.  Mr. Miller has also aided materially in building up the town, has erected two good business houses and owns three.   He also has a comfortable residence here and in addition he owns a well improved farm near Woodward.  His investments have been carefully made and have brought to him a good return. 

Mr. Miller has been married twice. His last marriage was celebrated in Beloit, Wisconsin, in September, 1869, Miss Julia E. Steves, a native of New York, becoming his wife.  He has no children by either marriage but adopted an infant son, Charles E. Miller, whom he and his wife have reared and who is now a young man. 

Mr. Miller's position upon political questions is never an equivocal one. It is well known that he is a stanch republican where national issues are involved but at local elections he does not consider himself bound by party ties.  He believes in the principle of prohibition and is a strong temperance man, while his influence is always given on the side of right, improvement and progress.  He has never sought nor desired office but served as president of the first school board of Woodward.  Both he and his wife are members of the Baptist church and Mr. Miller was the largest contributor to the erection of the new house of worship.  He also gave generously toward the construction of the Christian and Methodist Episcopal churches and to the Baptist church in Boone county near his old home, of which he was a member before his removal to Woodward.   He is well known in Boone, Dallas and Polk counties and his worth as a business man and individual is widely acknowledged.  He has gained a goodly fortune but moreover he has won an honored name in the land of his adoption and is one of the most valued and respected citizens of Woodward.  He deserves much credit for what he has accomplished and all through his life -- as a citizen, as a soldier and as a merchant -- he has displayed sterling traits of character.

Hanford C. Modlin, who is engaged in the coal and lumber business in Perry, was born in Henry county, Indiana, November 12, 1866. His parents were Joseph and Lydia (Osborne) Modlin and the father was born in Henry county, Indiana, March 1, 1829, while the mother's birth occurred in Tennessee. In 1831 they moved to Henry county, Indiana, and the father followed the occupation of farming in that state. He came to Iowa in 1870, settling first in Marshall county, where he worked at the carpenter's trade which he had learned in early life. He was recognized as a valued factor in the community and held a number of offices, including that of justice of the peace and constable. He became a member of the Odd Fellows society in Indiana and his life has been in harmony with the principles and teachings of that order. His early political support was given to the whig party, and upon its dissolution he joined the ranks of the new republican party which he has since continued to support. He was of Quaker parentage. He now makes his home in Des Moines, at the age of seventy-eight years, and his record has been such as has made him a valued citizen and a man worthy of the respect of all with whom he has come in contact. His wife died at the age of forty-five years. They were the parents of five children, of whom four are yet living: Richard C., who married Eva L. Ingledue; Anna M., the wife of John M. Spear; Charles M., who married Belle Grider; and Hanford C.

In taking up the present history of Hanford C. Modlin, we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in Perry. He was educated in the Marshall county schools, having been brought to this state by his parents when but four years of age. When a young man of eighteen he went to work for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company at Arcadia, Iowa, in the capacity of telegraph operator. He was afterwards stationed at many places in the west and in Iowa, remaining with the company for six years, when he resigned and entered the service of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad at Manning, Iowa. He was again operator and later was made station agent for the company at Templeton, Iowa. Subsequently he went to Neola, where he continued for three years, when he came to Perry as station agent in which position he continued for seven years. He made a competent railroad official, owing to the courtesy extended to the patrons of the road and the faithfulness with which he discharged the duties devolving upon him.

At length he resigned, turning his attention to the coal and lumber business in which he is now engaged. He has secured a liberal patronage in this line and his annual sales now bring him a good financial return.

Mr. Modlin was married September 25, 1889, to Miss Gertrude Bell, who was born in Brownsville, Minnesota, November 14, 1870, a daughter of Henry and Asenath (Benton) Bell. Her father was born near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1832, and the mother's birth occurred there in 1838. They were married in Davenport, Iowa, and are now residing in Norwich, Kingman county, Kansas. The father was captain of a boat on the Erie canal when only eighteen years of age, being the youngest captain in the service. He came west through Chicago in 1854 and located first at Brownsville, Minnesota, becoming one of the pioneer grain merchants there. He shipped his grain to Prairie du Chien by boat and by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. He was also agent for the Diamond Joe Steamboat Company for years. Later he removed to Arcadia, Carroll county, Iowa, and afterwards to Manning, and conducted the grain business at both places. In 1891 he removed to Norwich, Kingman County, Kansas, where he again engaged in the grain business. He has become an expert in the grading of grain and has done an excellent business as a grain merchant, his opinion being largely received as authority on such subjects. He was made a Mason in Brownsville, Minnesota, and in politics is a stanch republican. For many years he has been a member of the Presbyterian church in which he is now serving as a deacon. Unto him and his wife have been born nine children, eight daughters and one son, of whom six are now living: Alice B., Effie, Gertrude, Sadie M., Maud and Grace.

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Modlin has been blessed with four children but only two are living, Wade H. and Earl H. Leon H. died at eleven months old and one died in early infancy. Mr. Modlin is a member of Crystal lodge, No. 128, K. P., at Neola, Iowa. He also belongs to Perry lodge, No. 407, B.P.O.E., and is secretary at the present time. He has also been its leading officer for two years and he was grand representative to the grand lodge at Salt Lake, Utah, and at Baltimore, Maryland. He was also elected to attend the grand lodge at Cincinnati but round it impossible to do so. He has been grand representative in all for eight years and is one of the most prominent and valued members of this organization. In politics Mr. Modlin is a very earnest and stanch republican, his opinion carrying weight to its local councils, and he has twice been a delegate to the republican state conventions. On the 1st of April, 1907, he was elected mayor of Perry which office he is now filling, for his party felt no hesitancy in endorsing him for the position of chief magistrate of the city. He had proven his worth in business life and had shown those sterling traits of character which go to make up honorable and progressive citizenship. Whatever success he has achieved is due entirely to his own labors. He started out in life without financial aid or the assistance of influential friends and he is now one of the successful merchants of Perry and moreover is esteemed as a man of genuine personal worth, enjoying in a large measure the confidence and good-will of all who know him.

John H. Moore, for many years a resident of Dallas county, passed away at his home in Perry on the 26th of February, 1907, when in the eighty-first year of his age. He was born in Sidney, Shelby county, Ohio, November 20, 1826, his parents being Douglas and Sarah (Davis) Moore, both of whom were natives of Maryland. Removing to Ohio, the father cast in his lot with the pioneer settlers of that state and there followed the occupation of farming. His political endorsement was given to the whig party and his religious faith was indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. Unto him and his wife were born five children, four sons and a daughter.

In his boyhood days John H. Moore left Ohio to become a resident of Vermilion county, Illinois, and he was there connected with pioneer life, sharing in the hardships and trials incident to the establishment of a home on the frontier.