1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa
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Jarvis | Truman | Escher | McCuskey | Bigler | Schnuettgen | Heese | Chatburn | Paup | Kees | Buckman | Redfield | Collins
L. L. JARVIS
L. L. JARVIS is the owner of the Jarvis livery and sale stables of Harlan, Iowa. This barn, located near the southwest corner of the square, was built by Downey & Company in 1887,and was sold to Mr. Jarvis June 12, 1888. Good driving teams and carriages can be found at Mr. Jarvis's, who has built up a profitable business. The subject of this sketch was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, March 21, 1835. His father, James Jarvis, was descended from an old Virginia family, and his mother, Mary Hildreth, was a native of Massachusetts. In 1837 his parents removed to Elkhart County, Indiana, where the father died in 1851; the mother died in Cass County, Michigan, in 1849. L. L. was reared to the occupation of a farmer, and received the advantages of a common-school education. In 1853 he went to Kankakee County, Illinois, remaining there one year; he then spent a year in Cass County, Michigan, and at the end of that time went to Piatt County, Illinois. In August, 1862, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Company H. While he was in the service he spent seven weeks in the hospital. He was honorably discharged May 9, 1863.
In 1864 he went south in the government employ, and in 1865 he came to Shelby County, Iowa, which has since been his home. In 1866 Mr. Jarvis was married to Mary Billeter, and seven children have been born to them-Charles B., Leora, Owen, Frank, Frederick, Ella and Jennie. Mr. Jarvis owns one of the best farms in the township; it contains 160 acres, and has a residence in Harlan costing $1,800; he also owns eighty acres in section 29, Harlan Township.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 375
Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
MRS. HARRIETT A. TRUMAN
MRS. HARRIETT A. TRUMAN was born in Dover, England, and is the daughter of William and Susan (Laws) Ashman. Until she was thirteen years of age she resided in her native country, receiving excellent instruction and training. She then became companion to Lady Pemberton Knight who had been a schoolmate and intimate friend of Mrs. Truman's mother, and who also proved a most loyal friend to her young companion. In the society of this gifted person Mrs. Truman visited all important points of Europe and the West Indias, obtaining in this way an education superior to that of most people of her day. Mrs. Truman was married in 1865, in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to N. M. Dickinson, a man of unusual intelligence and education, and a very successful business man; he was a native of Vermont, and during the late civil war he served his country in the Sixtieth New York Regular Infantry, for three and a half years; he held the office of Lieutenant and Adjutant, and was a faithful and efficient officer. After the close of the war he entered the United States postal service at Omaha, Nebraska. >From Omaha he came to Harlan, in which place his death occurred March 4, 1875. Mr. Dickinson and wife were the parents of three children-Elena, died at the age of eleven and a half years; George W., died at the age of six and a half years, and Norris M. still survives. Mrs. Dickinson was married in November, 1877, to P. C. Truman, an attorney of Harlan. Mrs. Truman owns 240 acres of well-improved land and good residence property in Harlan. She is a woman of intelligence, culture and education, and is a worthy member of the Baptist church.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 374-375
Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
H. A. ESCHER
H. A. ESCHER, of Pleasant Ridge Farm, Lincoln Township, is another of the responsible men of this county, for whom we are indebted to Germany, where he was born October 3, 1851. He is a son of John M. and Martha (Riesland) Escher, and was but twelve months old when his parents emigrated to America and settled in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Here he was reared and educated. In 1866 his parents came to Iowa. The mother died at Lisbon, Iowa, in 1887, and the father still resides there. They were the parents of three children-Charles, of Harlan; Minnie, wife of S. P. Meyers, and H. A., the subject of this sketch. Mr.Escher was united in marriage, March 20, 1873, to Miss Romancy Granel, of Jones County, a daughter of Simon and Rhoda (Miller) Granel, who were formerly from Ohio. Our subject was engaged in farming in Jones County until 1875, when he came to Lincoln Township, Shelby County, where he had formerly purchased eighty acres of land. This was wild and unimproved, but he put it under a fine state of cultivation and made many improvements, and added 120 acres, which made a farm of 200 acres. He sold this place in 1884, and bought his present home from his brother, Charles Escher. This farm is one of the best in the township, and contains 240 acres. In 1876 Mr. Escher erected a residence at a cost of $2,200. There is a beautiful lawn adjoining, and ornamental trees add very much to the attractiveness of the place. There are two large barns, affording abundance of room for stock, grain and hay. There is also a windmill, furnishing water to the dwelling and barns. Mr. Escher devotes his time to stockraising and feeding, making a specialty of high grades, which he sends to the markets at an early age. Mr. and Mrs. Escher have six children-Frankie C., Elsie E., Minnie L., Mabel Maud, Myrtle Romancy and Herbert Ernest. Mr. Escher is a Democrat, and an active worker in his party. He has served as township trustee and as a member of the school board. He and his wife are members of the Evangelical church. Mr. Escher is yet in the prime of life, of a genial disposition, honorable in his dealings, and has won a position in the county of which any man might well be proud.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 417
Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
H. C. McCUSKEY
H. C. McCUSKEY was born in Morgan County, Ohio, April 25, 1843, and is the son of Joseph and Prudence (Dodge) McCuskey, who were natives of West Virginia and Ohio respectively. The subject of this sketch was deprived of a mother's care at the age of three years, and at the age of seven he lost his father, so he early realized the responsibilities of life, as he was left alone and dependent upon his own resources. Until the age of fourteen years he resided in his native county, and then went to Hocking County, Ohio, making that his home for three years; thence he removed to Perry County, Ohio, remaining there until the spring of 1878, with the exception of three years spent in the United States service, and three years spent in and about Des Moines, Iowa. He enlisted at the beginning of the late civil war, July, 1861, in Company G, Thirty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was discharged November 29, 1861, on account of physical inability. He again enlisted in May, 1862, in Company G, Eighty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. After three months' service he returned home sick and unfit for duty. In February, 1864, he re-enlisted in Company D, Sixty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served until September, 1864, when he was promoted to the Second Lieutenancy of the Seventh United States Colored Infantry, which position he held until the close of the Rebellion. He was engaged in many hard-fought battles, the most severe being that of Fort Gilmore, the regiment entering with thirty-three officers and coming out with five, and losing 700 men.
Mr. McCuskey was married March 8, 1864, to Miss Emily J. Bugh, daughter of Henry and Charlotte (Black) Bugh, who was born in Perry County, Ohio, February 15, 1841. They are the parents of six children-Lizzie C., a graduate of the Iowa Agricultural College, at Ames, Iowa, now teaching in Marshall County, Iowa; Henry B., a member of the junior class at Ames; Waldo B. R., attending school at Woodbine, Iowa; Willie, Charlotte P. and Mary at home. In June, 1878, Mr. McCuskey and family landed in Grove Township, Shelby County, Iowa, having driven from Ohio in a wagon; they settled on section 14, on a farm of forty acres of wild land. Mr. McCuskey built a cabin and commenced improving his land. He has added to his first purchase until he now owns 320 acres, which he has brought from its original wild state to one of high cultivation. He has also replaced the cabin with a comfortable frame residence; he devotes his summers to farming, and spends his winters in teaching; he takes an active interest in the educational work of the county, and assists in all worthy enterprises tending to the advancement of the community. Politically he is a staunch Republican, and a strong advocate of prohibition. He was presented by his party as a candidate for the office of auditor of the county, and has been justice of the peace, township clerk and secretary of the school board. Mr. and Mrs. McCuskey are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Defiance.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 503-504
Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
EDWARD S. BIGLER
EDWARD S. BIGLER, a native of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, was born December 29, 1840. He is the son of Samuel and Susannah (Kislig) Bigler, natives of Switzerland. He was reared and trained to agricultural pursuits in his native county, and received his education in the common schools. At the age of twenty-two years he came to Iowa, settling in Poweshiek County, where he remained until 1879; he then came to Shelby County, locating on section 27, Greeley Township, on a farm of forty acres of unimproved land; here he erected a temporary dwelling in which he spent the summer and a part of the fall of 1879; the same autumn he purchased an adjoining forty acres of improved land and removed to this new place. In the fall of 1880 Mr. Bigler made another purchase of 120 acres of wild land adjoining the former purchase; here he has made many valuable improvements in the way of erecting buildings, and all the surroundings bespeak the thrift and prosperity of the owner. He now owns 240 acres of finely improved land, with about six acres of grove. Mr. Bigler is a live, energetic man, devoting himself to general agricultural pursuits and the raising of live-stock. Beginning life without any financial support, by industry and thrift he has gained an enviable position in the community. Politically he is a Republican, and at the present time is acting as justice of the peace. Mr. Bigler was married March 28, 1875, to Miss M. E. Grant, daughter of Henry and Ellen (Hoggarty) Grant, natives of Scotland and Ireland respectively. Mr. Bigler was born in Portage County, Ohio, February 23, 1851. They are the parents of five children-Effie V., Minnie I., Ivin E., John Leonard and Sarah Cecelia. They are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and are among Shelby County's respected citizens.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 504
Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
AUGUST SCHNUETTGEN
AUGUST SCHNUETTGEN, a native of Prussia, has been identified with the interests of Shelby County since 1873, when he emigrated to America, and settled in Westphalia Township. He was born March 30, 1854, and is a son of Anton and Mary A. (Hitze) Schnuettgen, both deceased. August was the sixth child in a family of seven, three of whom reside in America. He was reared in his native country to farm life; he acquired a common-school education, and worked at the carpenter's trade one year previous to his coming to America. For twelve or thirteen years he followed this business in this country, and worked on a farm for one year. In the fall of 1885 Mr. Schnuettgen came to Earling, and erected a large two-story brick building, in which he opened a stock of hardware, tinware, stoves, pumps and furniture; he also attends to the undertaking of Earling and vicinity, keeping a full line of burial robes and undertakers' supplies. His stock in both lines is unequaled in most towns of the size of Earling. He also owns forty acres of land in Westphalia Township, 160 acres in Union Township, a house and lot in Panama, and his property in Earling. He has erected most of the school buildings in Westphalia and Union townships, beside a great number of dwelling houses. Mr. Schnuettgen has probably done as much as any other citizen of the county toward the advancement and growth of the town of Earling. Politically he affiliates with the Democratic party. He was married February 10, 1886, to Louisa Block, daughter of Henry and Mary A. (Bolte) Block, who was born in Fort Madison, Iowa, October 2, 1862. Mr. and Mrs. Schnuettgen are members of the Roman Catholic church.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 504-505
Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
J. C. HEESE
J. C. HEESE, dealer in lumber and building materials, has been a resident of Westphalia Township since his eighteenth year. He was born in Prussia, April 15, 1858, and is a son of John and Anna M.(Drexelius) Heese, natives of Prussia, but now residents of Westphalia Township. J. C. was the third child in a family of four, and was reared to farm life in his native country; there he acquired a common-school education, and in 1876 emigrated to America with the other members of his family; they immediately came to Westphalia Township, and have since made it their home. In 1881 our subject started in life for himself, having mastered the carpenter's trade, which he has since followed, also doing a large business in contracting. In 1886 he entered into partnership with Frank Hesse, and they carry a stock of lumber, lime, and general building supplies; they also carry a stock of coal. Mr. Heese is a live, energetic man, and has done much toward the building up of Earling and the surrounding country. The firm does an annual business of $20,000. Mr. Heese is a staunch member of the Democratic party. He was married November 26, 1885, to Miss Elizabeth Gollobisch, a daughter of John and Rosina (Nipp) Gollobisch. Mrs. Heese was born in Dubuque, Iowa, March 15, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Heese are the parents of two children - Mary Rosina and Anna Margaretta. They are members of the Roman Catholic church.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 505
Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
JONAS W. CHATBURN
JUDGE JONAS W. CHATBURN, proprietor of the Harlan Mills, has been prominently identified with the interests of western Iowa since 1850. He is a native of England, born in Lancashire, March 11, 1821, and a son of Thomas and Margaret (Ingham) Chatburn, natives of the same place. At the age of fourteen years he was apprenticed to a machinist, and served an apprenticeship of three years, after which he served an apprenticeship of seven years in calico printing. Judge Chatburn was united in marriage, December 25, 1843, to Miss Mary Burton, a native of Lancashire, England, and a daughter of George and Jane (Foster) Burton. In the spring of 1845 they emigrated to America, sailing May 12, in the vessel Genesee of Bath, and arrived in New York, July 2, 1845. They went to Frankfort, Pennsylvania, five miles from Philadelphia, here our subject engaged in the printing business at the Tackawanna print works, where he remained one year. He then went to New Jersey , to the pine woods on the Rancocus River, and repaired a steam saw-mill, which he run for six months, having his wife and two children in the green woods. He then returned to Frankfort, and the following summer run the engine in a woolen factory at Grubtown, Pennsylvania. He remained here about a year and then went to Philadelphia, and run out the insurance on a large steam engine, for Sutton & Smith; here he remained a year and a half, and in April, 1850, came west, starting with a company of about 100 people, with the intention of going to Salt Lake City. They went by the Pennsylvania Canal to Pittsburg, thence down the Ohio River to the Mississippi, thence up the Mississippi to St. Louis by steamboat, and from there to a trading post on the Missouri River, about seven miles below the present site of Council Bluffs. On the trip up the Missouri River, the boiler of the engine burst; there were 300 passengers on board, and an immense amount of freight; the engineer was unable to repair the boiler, and things were being prepared to float the boat back to St. Louis, when the captain called Mr. Chatburn to him, and requested him to examine the boiler; he did so, repaired it, and in less than twenty-four hours the boat was on her way.
Mrs. Chatburn is a member of the Latter Day Saints church, and when she learned that polygamy was in vogue in Utah, she refused to proceed further; so they settled in Iowa. Mr. Chatburn purchased a claim near Council Bluffs from a man who was going to Utah, and located there; he worked at various things until he went to Mills County, and entered a saw-mill, where his early training as a machinist served him a good turn. In 1853 he went into Harrison County, and entered 160 acres of land, near the place where Magnolia now stands; he was the first person to drive a wagon across the place where Magnolia now is. He began to improve the land, and in 1854 built the first mill in Harrison County. It was an up-and-down saw-mill, on Willow Creek, near Magnolia. Not being pleased with the idea of going forty miles to get corn ground, Mr. Chatburn conceived the idea of taking two small stones from the prairie, commonly called boulders, and dressing them down for burrs; then the question arose, where the belt was to be procured. He had a dried cowhide which he soaked and cut in strips to make a belt; the mill was put in running order, and the first night the wolves came and devoured the belt. Mr. Chatburn then sawed a walnut log and hauled his lumber to Rainsville and traded it for harness leather, of which he made another belt for his mill, and to this rude mill people came from points as far distant as the place where Sioux City now stands, and would remain a week to get their grinding done. In the manufacture of the first flour in Harrison County Mrs. Chatburn's veil was used as a bolting cloth. In 1862, in company with Thomas Davis, Mr. Chatburn erected a large mill near Woodbine, which he managed in connection with his farming pursuits, until he came to Shelby County, in August, 1866; he settled in Harlan, and lived in the school-house until he could erect a residence. In 1867 he built the first mill in Shelby County, which he continues to manage; he also built a mill in Shelby, and controlled the two for about three years.
While in Harrison County Mr. Chatburn served as judge and justice of the peace; he was also a member of the board of supervisors from its organization, and was president of the board when he left the county. He has served as supervisor in Shelby County, and has held the office of coroner for many years. He is an elder in the church of the Latter Day Saints, and is now presiding elder of the Harlan branch. Judge and Mrs. Chatburn are the parents of seven children, six of whom survive-Thomas, of Independence, Missouri; Jane, the wife of John Burcham, of Shelby County; Mary Ellen, the wife of Wallace W. Wood, of Harrison County; Margaret Ann, the wife of John Chatburn, of Idaho; Cisley J., the wife of A. D. Tinsley, of Iowa; George R., principal of the Portsmouth, Nebraska, schools, and a graduate of Ames College; and one child who died in infancy. Judge Chatburn is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Harlan Lodge, No. 321; Olivet Chapter, No. 107, and Mt. Zion Commandery, No. 49. Politically, he was formerly an old-line Whig, casting his first vote for John C. Fremont, and was one of the organizers of the Republican party. The first corn Judge Chatburn planted in Harrison County he carried from Kainsville on his back; as the waters were very high in the streams he could not take his team, so he started on foot after seed corn, a trip of seventy-five miles. He bought one-half bushel, paying $1.50 for it, and carried it on his back thirty-seven miles. He waded water for miles south of where Missouri Valley is located, and the water was half-leg deep where the city of Missouri Valley is now located.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 297-299
Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
GEORGE PAUP
It is not often that one beholds the spectacle of ambitions, not ignoble, fully-realized, and yet this vision is sometimes vouchsafed to mortals, even in western Iowa. The subject of the following biographical sketch furnishes us with one example of this character. George Paup is a native of Pennsylvania, born in York County, May 9, 1833. He is a son of Daniel and Lydia (Clark) Paup, natives of Pennsylvania, of German extraction. His early life was spent on a farm and in a mill; his education was received in the primitive log schoolhouse with slab benches. He resided at home until his marriage, which occurred in 1861, to Miss Sarah Ham, a native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Jared Ham. Soon after his marriage Mr. Paup, with very limited means, started to Iowa. He came to Cleveland by railroad, thence by lake boat to Chicago. From Chicago he traveled sixty miles by railroad to Savannah, and then by steamer to Bellevue--the journey having consumed three weeks. When he landed at Bellevue his capital had diminished to 20 cents. He left this point and started to Andrew, the county seat of Jackson County; there he went to work at 50 cents per day. His wife remained in Andrew, and he worked at farm work all the fall and winter, and took his pay in produce. His first modest desire was to own a farm of eighty acres, and with this in view the weather was never too severe for him to be about his work. In the spring of 1853 he was fortunate to have a yoke of oxen given him by a friend; he then rented ten acres of ground, which he sowed in wheat, the seed being the pay for his fall and winter's work. Besides putting in his crop he worked every day with his team, and when the little harvest was reaped he hauled it to Bellevue and sold the wheat for 25 cents per bushel. This was the first money he had received since coming to the State. If we were to go back to this period of Mr. Paup's life, this is the picture we would see: A mere boy with his young wife hundreds of miles from his native home, living in a little round-log cabin, with what the pioneer will recognize as a stick and clay chimney, with no floor, except what Mother Earth furnished, struggling to get a home of his own. For two years he rented land from his neighbors, who, Mr. Paup realizes, were very generous, and assisted him in every way possible. In 1854 be made his first purchase of eighty acres of wild land for $100; this he paid for by breaking prairie for other people. In the meantime he had traded his yoke of oxen for two yokes of steers. By hard work he paid for his land in two years, and by close attention to his pursuits be was soon able to add to his possessions sixty acres more, which he fenced and improved. He then sold out with the intention of going to California, but on reaching Iowa City he changed his mind and engaged in land and live-stock trading until 1853. He then purchased what he has since called his home farm in Clinton County; the nucleus of this home place was eighty acres, and he has added to it until there are now 460 acres in a high state of cultivation.
In 1864, in connection with his agricultural industries, he engaged in shipping stock, which he continued until 1881, and was known as the most successful shipper in that section of country. By his first marriage Mr. Paup had four children-Leslie, of Kirkman; George, on the old home place in Clinton County; Horatio and Harrison, both of Lincoln Township. His first wife died in 1873, and he was again married, to Miss Julia Brumbaugh, a native of Pennsylvania. In 1881 Mr. Paup came to Shelby County, leaving George in charge of the homestead. Leslie purchased a farm fifteen miles from Denison, which was almost in a wild state; he afterward sold out to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, and Manilla now stands on the ground. He then bought the place known as the Kibby farm, of 660 acres, supposed to be the best farm in the county. When he retired from farming Mr. Paup settled in Harlan, where he has a pleasant, comfortable home in which to spend the remainder of his days. Mrs. Paup is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Paup's political inclinations lie very decidedly in the direction of the Republican party. From a very small beginning Mr. Paup has increased his property to a fortune of no mean dimensions, besides assisting his sons to excellent homes of their own, and he is an exception to humanity in general in this, that he is well satisfied with the results of his exertions, and is one of the contented few who desire no more.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 299-300
Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
H. B. KEES
H. B. KEES, a native of Venango County, Pennsylvania, was born August 19, 1835; he is a son of George and Nancy (Benn) Kees; he was reared to farm life and received his education in the common schools and in an academy. When he reached his twenty-first year he came to Iowa, and located at Sabula, Jackson County, Iowa. He resided there five years and learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed during his stay in Jackson County. For ten years after leaving Jackson County, he spent his time in carpentering, farming and school-teaching. From Jackson County he emigrated to Clayton County, near the county seat; while there he followed farming and school-teaching.
He was married December 25, 1860, to Miss Martha Patterson, daughter of John and Jane Green Patterson. She was born in February, 1838. In 1865 they removed to Boone County, Iowa, near Prairie Hill post-office. Here he followed carpentering three years, and then engaged in the mercantile business, near Perry, Iowa. He remained at this point two years and then went to Perry with his stock of goods; after one year's sojourn in Perry he sold the business and moved on a farm in Greene County, Iowa. He remained here until December, 1881, when he removed to his present home, in section 32, Douglas Township. His first purchase was 210 acres of partially improved land; he has since brought it into a fine state of cultivation; he now owns 570 acres of improved land in Douglas, Greeley and Polk Townships. Since his residence in Shelby County he has followed agricultural pursuits alone. When residing in Greene County he was elected to the board of commissioners. He enlisted in the United States service in 1865, but was never mustered into the service.
He is a live, energetic man, who labors for the country and the welfare of those around him. He is a Republican, always taking an active part in the movements of the party. He is president of the Farmers' Alliance of Shelby County, an association formed March, 1886. He is also vice-president of Shelby County Bank. Mr. and Mrs. Kees are the parents of seven children - George S. resides near Defiance, Iowa; Clarence H., at home; Sarah J., deceased; Lettie A., deceased; Lillie M., John P. and Edward, at home. Mr. and Mrs. Kees are worthy and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Harlan, Mr. Kees being an ordained local deacon in that church.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 300-301
Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
A. N. BUCKMAN
A. N. BUCKMAN comes of Quaker parentage. He is a native of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, born January 21, 1838; is a son of William and Sarah (Cooper) Buckman. He was reared in his native place and spent his early life on a farm, receiving his education at the Friends' school at Wrightstown until the age of eighteen, when he entered the State Normal school at Millerrsville, afterward taking a course at Bryant & Stratton's Business College, Philadelphia. A portion of his time since leaving school has been spent in the profession of teaching In May,1861, he enlisted In Company C, Third Pennsylvania Reserves, under Colonel Sickle,serving until October 1, 1865 he fought in quite a number of battles; among the most noted were the seven days' battle of McClelIan's army before Richmond, the siege of Petersburg, Deep Bottoms, Fort Fisher and Bentonville. He enlisted as a private and was promoted step by step until he was made captain, and finely brevetted major of volunteers by President Lincoln, for "gallant and meritorious services in the field." His horse was killed under him at Deep Bottom, where the slaughter far exceeded that at the famous "charge of the Light Brigade;" but there was no Tennyson to immortalize it. Out of eighteen officers in his regiment that went into the fight, thirteen were either killed or wounded within fifteen minutes after the battle began. He lost another horse in the Fort Fisher expedition.
After his return from the United States service he settled in Philadelphia, where he engaged in business for two years; he then came west, spending one year in Nebraska. In 1869 he came to Iowa, locating in section 18, Douglas Township, Shelby County, on the farm he now owns. Here he has made himself a home; he improved his land, adding to it until he now owns 140 acres, which is chiefly devoted to grass-raising. He has experimented largely in fruit-growing, and has now an apple orchard of 400 trees and five acres of grove. Mr. Buckman, since his residence in the county, has devoted himself to farming and teaching. From 1873 to 1877 he was county superintendent of schools, holding the first Normal institute in the county during the first year of his superintendency. He has held most of the township offices, especially those connected with the educational interests of the county. He has had to undergo most of the hardships incident to pioneer life, coming, as he did, in the early history of the county. He was married January 31, 1867, to Emma V., daughter of William Hurst. She was born October 10, 1839, arid died May 29, 1882. Four children graced this union; two died in infancy: Willie and Grace are at home, Grace being a teacher in the public schools. Mr. Buckman married again December 27, 1883, to Amanda T., daughter of W. A. and Mary (Jones) Blane; she was born in Perry County, Pennsylvania, October 16, 1868. Two children have been born of this marriage-Mary (deceased) and Warner. The family are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Kirkman. Mr. Buckman is a member of A. F. & A. M., Parian Lodge, No. 321, and of the G. A. R. Post at Harlan. He is the present secretary of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company of Shelby County, Iowa, being one of the active promoters in the establishment of this institution in the county. He also assisted in the organization of the Shelby County Agricultural Society, serving as the first secretary, and filling that office for several years. He is now the president of that association.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 301-302
Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
CARLOS C. REDFIELD
CARLOS C. REDFIELD, of Harlan, is a native of Connecticut, born in Saybrook, April 3, 1887. He is a son of William and Dency (Chittenden) Redfield, natives of Connecticut, and of English ancestry. William Redfield, the father of C. C. Redfield, was the fifth child of Orrin Redfield, who was born at Chestnut Hill, Connecticut, May 31, 1807, and followed farming in his native State. He was married November 26, 1835, to Miss Dency Chittenden, a daughter of Joseph and Dency Chittenden, who was born in North Madison, Connecticut, October 30,1812; she was of English ancestry. They were the parents of two children: Carlos C., and Ellen Maria, wife of Giles A. Bushnell, of Saybrook,Connecticut. William Redfield departed this life July 5, 1876; his widow still survives and resides with her daughter.
Orrin Redfield, the grandfather of Carlos C., was born at Killingworth, Connecticut, on the homestead, Chestnut Hill, June 25, 1779, and was the second and youngest son of Josiah Redfield. He was married in March, 1796, to Miss Rachel Grave, of Killingworth, Connecticut, who was born February 24, 1769. He died December 31, 1861; his wife died April 21, 1850. They were the parents of ten children, six of whom lived to maturity. Josiah Redfleld, the great-grand-father of Carlos C., was born at Chestnut Hill, Killingworth, Connecticut, September 6, 1700, and was the seventh son of Theophilus Redfield. He was married December 8, 1757, to Miss Sarah Parmelee, a daughter of Lemuel and Sarah Parmelee, who was born August 19, 1734. He died August 6, 1802, and his wife died August 25, 1808. By this union there were four children. Theophilus Redfield, the oldest son of James Redfield, was born in 1682, probably at Saybrook, Connecticut. He was a joiner by trade, and probably settled in Killingworth soon after coming of age. About 1717 or 1718 he purchased 120 acres of land on Chestnut Hill, North Killingworth, and there established the Redfield homestead. December 24,1706, he was married to Priscilla Greenel (or Grinnell), the daughter of Daniel and Lydia Greenel. They were the parents of thirteen children, all of whom lived to be married and have families. He died February 14, 1795, and his wife died January 12, 1770. James Redfield (or Redfin), the only son of William Redfield, was born in 1646. The place of his birth is not known. He was bound to the tanner's trade for five years. He resided in various places, and finally settled in Saybrook, Connecticut, in May, 1669. He was married in New Haven, Connecticut, to Miss Elizabeth How, a daughter of Jeremy How, by whom he had three children. She died, and he was again married, to Deborah Sturgis, by whom two children were born. William Redfield (or Redfin) was probably one of the early emigrants from England to the colony of Massachusetts during the decade of years following 1630. He had two children.
Carlos C. Redfield was reared on a farm, and received an academic education. He remained with his parents until his majority, after which he engaged in steamboating for three years between Hartford and Sag harbor. At the breaking out of the late civil war the vessel on which he was employed was chartered by the government. This boat carried the mail three times per week, from Fortress Monroe to Cherry Stone Creek, for two years, and exchanged prisoners. Out of a crew of thirty Mr. Redfield and two others were all that came back with the boat. He left the service at Philadelphia, and for a year was unable to do anything on account of disease contracted while in the service; he did not recover from the effects of this for over twenty years.
Mr. Redfield engaged with William C. Rough & Co., as bookkeeper in the cotton mill at Rockville, Connecticut. At the expiration of one year he was appointed superintendent, which position he filled for three years. In 1870 he came to Iowa, and settled in Shelby County. He purchased an unimproved farm in Harlan Township, a portion of the land also lay in Lincoln Township, which he immediately began to put in a state of cultivation. In connection with his farming pursuits he engaged in various avocations, among others was the running of an express line between Harlan and Avoca before the railroad was built. Mr. Redfield served as clerk of Harlan Township for ten years. He has been appointed deputy sheriff three terms, and for two terms he filled the office of sheriff - appointed by the board of supervisors. He was first appointed justice of the peace in 1884, and that fall was elected to the office. He was re-elected in 1886 as an independent. He served as secretary of the agricultural association for four or five years. He was appointed assistant commissioner by Commissioner Herbert S. Fairall, to the World's Fair at New Orleans, in 1884. He took great interest in this work, making two trips to Yew Orleans. In 1880 he took the census of Harlan and Harlan Township.
Mr. Redfield was married to Miss Dora King, at Rockville, Connecticut. By this union one son was born-Clarence. Mrs. Redfield died in 1865. In 1866 Mr. Redfield was again married, to Miss Sarah Backland, a native of Windsor, Connecticut. By this union one child was born - Elbert B. Mrs. Redfield is a member of the Congregational church. In politics Mr. Redfield is independent.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 302-303
Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
E. A. COLLINS (portrait)
E. A. COLLINS was a man of decided character, who, though not one of the earliest settlers of Shelby County,did, by his untiring energy, enterprise, and broad, liberal views, become more closely identified with the people of this county than most men of longer residence. Possessing ample means, he came into the county in 1871, and purchased an excellent tract of land in Shelby Township, brought it to a high state of cultivation, made it his home, and took especial pleasure in entertaining a very large circle of friends and acquaintances, who enjoyed his hospitality.
Mr. Collins was born in Pennsylvania, January 31, 1810, being a descendant from the old Pennsylvania Dutch stock. His mother could not speak a word of Engish. He was raised in the mountainous district of his native State, and being inured to the hardships incident to that period, lie grew to manhood possessed of splendid health, and a magnificent physique. He was endowed with a well-balanced mind, and possessed an unusual amount of good common sense. His father died when he was quite young. He was raised by an uncle, who brought him up to the trade of a tanner. November 12, 1833, in his twenty-third year, he was married to Nancy Ann Parkhiser, and there were born to them eight children, four sons and four daughters. Soon after his marriage Mr. Collins embarked in the tanning business for himself upon rather a small scale. A few years after he formed a partnership with Jesse Grant, father of General Grant, and for twelve years they were associated together in making and selling leather, in the meantime they built a large steam tannery on the Ohio River, and as the western country grew and developed they opened a wholesale store in Galena, Illinois, then the Chicago of the West, for the sale of leather, saddlery, hardware, shoe findings, etc. In 1853 the firm of Collins & Grant was dissolved by mutual consent, Mr. Collins continuing in the business with his two older sons, under the firm name of E. A. Collins & Sons; they had branch stores at Marshalltown and Iowa City, and did a very successful business. In 1861 Mr. Collins closed out his business interests and removed to Davenport, Iowa, where he resided about two years. He then removed with his family to Louisiana, and purchased an orange grove in the vicinity of New Orleans, where he resided seven years.
In 1871 he visited Shelby County, purchased a 1,000 acre tract of land,named it Deer Ridge Stock Farm, and devoted his time to improving and developing this place. He stocked it with fine blooded cattle, and for several years farmed it on quite a large scale; at one time he had several bead of buffalo and elk on the farm. Here it was that his first wife died, September 24, 1874, after a long continued illness. Mr. Collins married his second wife, Mrs. Maria Conn, in 1880, who still survives him; there were no children by this second marriage. Mr. Collins continued to make this farm his home until his death, which occurred in April, 1882, at the age of seventy-two years; he left the following Sons and daughters - John S. Collins, Omaha, Nebraska; E. A. Collins, Jr., Yorkshire, Iowa; Mrs. James Franklin, Neola, Iowa, and Mrs. W. F. Cleveland, of this county, since deceased. Mr. Collins was highly respected by all who knew him, for his sterling worth and undoubted honesty. When death removes from our midst such a man as E. A. Collins was, the community meet with an irreparable loss, but his life affords us an example worthy of emulation.
Source: 1889 Biographical History of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 303-304
Contributor: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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1889 Biographical History of Shelby and Audubon Counties, Iowa
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