Fayette County Iowa
Biographies
Alonzo Abernethy Alonzo Abernethy was born April 14, 1836, in Sandusky County, Ohio. His early education was received in the public schools of that State. In March, 1854, he came with his father's family to Fayette County, Iowa. He entered the Chicago University, leaving the senior class in August, 1861, to enlist in the Ninth Iowa Infantry as a private. He was engaged in seventeen battles and won rapid promotion, attaining the rank of lieutenant-colonel before the regiment was mustered out. In 1865 he was elected to the House of Representatives of the Eleventh General Assembly from Fayette County. In 1870 he removed to Denison, in Crawford County, but was soon chosen president of Des Moines College. In 1871 he was elected on the Republican ticket Superintendent of Public Instruction, serving six years by reelections. He was largely instrumental in securing the enactment of the laws providing for Teachers' Normal Institutes and the establishment of a State Normal School. In September, 1876, he resigned his office to accept the presidency of the University of Chicago. After two years' service he made a trip to Europe and upon his return made his home on a farm near Denison. In July, 1881, he was elected president of the Cedar Valley Seminary at Osage. Colonel Abernethy has long ranked among the eminent educators of the State. [Iowa Biography By Benjamin F. Gue, 1903 - Transcribed by AFOFG]
Lucian L. Ainsworth Lucian L. Ainsworth was born in Madison County, New York, on the 21st of June, 1831. He acquired a liberal education, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1854. Mr. Ainsworth came to Iowa in August, 1855, locating at West Union in Fayette County where he opened a law office. He soon attained high rank in the profession and in 1859 was nominated by the Democrats for State Senator in the district composed of the counties of Fayette and Bremer. He made a vigorous canvass, overcame the Republican majority and was elected, serving four years with marked ability. In 1862 Mr. Ainsworth raised a company for the Sixth Cavalry, of which he was appointed captain. In 1871 Captain Ainsworth was again elected to the Legislature, serving two years in the House. In 1874 he was nominated by the Democrats of the Third District for Congress and by his personal popularity overcame the Republican majority of nearly 2,000 and was the first Democrat elected to Congress from Iowa in twenty years. He died in April, 1902. [Iowa Biography By Benjamin F. Gue, 1903 - Transcribed by AFOFG]
William V. Allen William V. Allen was born in Midway, Madison County, Ohio, on the 28th of January, 1847. He attended the public schools in Ohio and Iowa and finally the Upper Iowa University but did not take a full college course. His father removed with his family to Iowa in 1857, making his home on a farm near Nevada. When the War of the Rebellion began William, who was but fourteen years of age, enlisted in the Fourteenth Regiment of Volunteers. He was rejected at the mustering in of the regiment on account of his youth. In August, 1862, he again enlisted in Company G, Thirty-second Iowa Infantry, was accepted and served to the close of the war. He was in all of the marches and battles of this regiment and the last few months was on the staff of General James I. Gilbert. At the close of the war, Mr. Allen read law with L. L. Ainsworth at West Union, was admitted to the bar in 1869 and at once entered upon the practice of his profession. In 1884 he removed to Madison, Nebraska, and in 1891 was nominated by the Populist party for judge of the Ninth Judicial District and elected. In February, 1893, he was elected by a union of the Populists and Democrats to a seat in the United States Senate. As a judge he had acquired a State-wide reputation and in the Senate he soon attained high rank in debate and was the acknowledged leader of his party in Congress. He served six years in the Senate, and upon the expiration of his term was appointed judge of his old district where he served until December 13, when he was appointed United States Senator to fill the term of Senator Hayward whose death had caused a vacancy. Mr. Allen has served as chairman of four State Conventions of his party in Nebraska and was president of the National Convention at St. Louis in 1896. [Iowa Biography By Benjamin F. Gue, 1903 - Transcribed by AFOFG]
Dr. Benjamin Davis A prominent physician of Cushing, was born in Oelwein, Iowa, October 4, 1881. His parents, Benjamin and Theresa M. (McCurdy) Davis, natives of Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, respectfully, were married in Iowa, whither their parents had moved as pioneers. Benjamin Davis, the father, became a merchant after reaching manhood, and spent the greater portion of his life in that occupation. He located in South Dakota, and there died in 1900; his wife moved to St. Louis in 1902. They were the parents of the following four children: Benjamin; Earl R., deceased; Arthur L., a dentist living in Princeton, Wisconsin; and Myrtle B. Dr. Davis received his early education in Iowa and South Dakota, and graduated from the high school at Mitchell, South Dakota. He spent two years in Dakota University, and in 1902 entered the medical department of the St. Louis University, from which he graduated in 1906. During his junior year Dr. Davis and forty other students took the examination of the State Board of Examiners, and four of them passed, he being one of them. Thus he was given a good place in the senior class. After his graduation he spent one year as interne at the City Emergency Hospital of St. Louis, and for the next eighteen months practiced his profession at Albany, Gentry County, Missouri. On January 1, 1909, Dr. Davis settled in Cushing, and purchased the practice of Dr. D. D. McHenry, and since has also been successfully building up a practice on his own account. He is considered one of the leaders in his profession, and has a general practice in the city and also extending into the surrounding country eight or ten miles. Dr. Davis devotes his best energies to his profession, and takes little interest in political matters, though he votes with the Republican party, as a rule, in national affairs. However, he is actively interested in all matters pertaining to the welfare and growth of his adopted state and town, and always lends his support to any worthy cause. He is a member of Athens Lodge Number 127, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Albany, Missouri. He has many friends in Cushing, and has won confidence and respect. [Submitted by Dale Donlon]
Miss Carrie Harrison Miss Carrie Harrison, a plant expert of national reputation, was born in Fayette county, Iowa, the daughter of C. C. and Louisa Ray Harrison. After graduating from the upper Iowa University, she attended the normal school at Valparaiso, Ind., was graduated from Wellesley College and took further work at Cornell University, N. Y. When she was sixteen years old she taught a country school. At the age of seventeen she managed a farm in Fayette county, and during those two years began her interest in plants. She began making collections of Iowa plants. She then did curator work for the national herbarium, collecting a half million specimens. She visited the largest herbaria in Europe and secured from Germany for the U. S. government the most complete collection of plants from Porto Rico, to be found any place. She is now a resident of Washington, D. C., filling an important position in the bureau of plant industry in the United States Department of Agriculture. She is an extremely clever woman, aside from her knowledge of plants, as was demonstrated during the Boxer uprising in China, when she was the means of getting a cablegram through to the American legation, in Peking, which probably saved all the foreign embassies in China. Miss Harrison is a member of the Woman's National Press Association, the Washington Wellesley Club, and the College Women's Equal suffrage League. She says her original equipment for the study of plants was a botany, a horse on which to ride and a dog for a companion; with these she spent long summer days studying Iowa plants, from that beginning she has gained a knowledge of the plants of every land. [The Blue book of Iowa Women, by Winona Evans Reeves, Publ. 1914, Transcribed by Dana Kraft]
Charles Hobart This gentleman is justly entitled to consideration in the history of Latah county since he assisted to open this country for settlement, has labored faithfully for its progress since that date, and has been a prominent citizen of the county, being a man of capabilities and integrity. Mr. Hobart was born in Licking county, Ohio, on November 17, 1845, being the son of Jonathan and Charlotte Hobart, who brought their young children to Iowa when he was ten years of age, settling in Fayette county. In that section our subject remained, acquiring an education, also gaining good exercise on the farm, until 1861, when he enlisted in Company C, Ninth Iowa Infantry and at once took part in the Civil war. He was with Curtis in the Arkansas campaign and participated in the battle of Pea Ridge, where he was wounded. He was at the siege of Vicksburg, also at Jackson, then in the battle of Chattanooga. When his time was completed he returned to Iowa and at once reenlisted in the same company and regiment and went to the sea with Sherman and remained with him until the close of the entire conflict. Returning to Iowa he farmed in Fayette county for about ten years, then went to Adair county, near Creston and farmed and raised stock for four years. Then he removed to northwestern Kansas and remained there until 1882, when the journey was made to Idaho. Arriving here, he selected a farm four miles east from Moscow and there settled to work, producing the fruits of the field and raising stock. Eighteen years were spent in this work, and then Mr. Hobart removed to his present place, seven miles east from Moscow. This farm has two hundred acres and is well improved. In addition to this labor, he has operated a threshing outfit for nineteen years, having had success in this line as in his other labors. On January 27, 1868, in Macomb, Illinois, Mr. Hobart married Miss Lavina, daughter of James and Elizabeth Lenington, and the following children have been born to them; James L., married to Elizabeth Decker in Nezperce; Edwin, married to Adella Denny also in Nezperce; Jacob I., married to Elvira Dollarhide and living in this county; Leona, wife of Francis Hill, in Nezperce; Clifton, at home; Nellie, wife of John K. Bruce. Mr. Hobart is one of the esteemed citizens of the county, has an enviable standing and receives the confidence of all. [An Illustrated History Of North Idaho Embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai, Shoshone Counties, State Of Idaho, Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903, submitted by Barb Z.]
Herbert McNaul Herbert McNaul, carrier on Rural Route No. 1, Chili, was born January 20, 1885, at Fayette, Iowa, and a year later came with his parents to Berlin, Wisconsin. He lived there two years, at Wautoma four years, at Eureka four years, and at Spring Lake until he was 16, and on a farm west of Red Granite until 1908, when he came with his parents to Chili, which has since been his home. His mother died here in 1909 and his father in 1911. After coming to Chili he worked four years in a blacksmith shop, and was substitute mail carrier for two years before receiving his appointment as regular carrier in 1917. He was married March 8, 1912, to Miss Eunice Travean of Chili. They have three children, Evah, now Mrs. Kermit Wimer, Burdett and Ruby, all at home. They have one granddaughter, Shirley Mae Wimer, born May 27, 1930. His hobbies are reading and pitching horseshoes. [Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood County, Wis.) 14 June 1930; transcribed by Marla Zwakman]
John A Rowland The family of this name were early identified with Fayette county, their connection with this section going back as far as 1850 or before and the first of the name was among the very earliest of the settlers. In or about the year mentioned P[eter] L[ane] Rowland made his appearance in the precincts of Fayette county, which at that time was wild and uncultivated. Shortly afterward his brother, John M[iller], assisted in building a mill at Auburn. P.L. Rowland also worked on the Clermont mill. Besides this he turned his hand to various jobs, including farming. He was also an evangelical minister off and on, until the last years of his life, but most of his time was given to farming. He started a creamery on the farm now occupied by his son, conducted it for four or five years, then rented and finally sold it. He married Alvina (family records say Elvira) Wheeler, of Canada, and from this union was born the subject of this sketch. John A. Rowland was born in Dover township, Fayette county, Iowa in 1871, on the homestead that bears his family name. He remained on the farm with his father until about 1892, when he embarked in business for himself. John A. and Albert R. (brother) operated the two-hundred-ten-acre farm where the former now resides, keeping up their partnership for about four years. John A. the purchased his brother's interest and has since farmed with success on his own account. Mr. Rowland is one of the progressive young farmers whose combined work has made Iowa one of the finest agricultural states in the world. Besides the usual crops, which he has raised with success, he has achieved distinction as a livestock breeder. Many specimens of the fine thoroughbreds of different varieties and breeds which have made Iowa noted may be seen on Mr. Rowland's place. The celebrated Shorthorn family has no finer specimens than those found here. The peerlees Norman horses, with their graceful limbs and sleek, black coats, enliven the meadows and glades of the Rowland homestead. Duroc-Jersey and Poland-China hogs in the best of condition and of mammoth sizes give promise of rich revenues when they reach the swine market. In addition to his other interests, Mr. Rowland has followed dairying extensively and figured creditably in an industry for which Iowa is famous. Mr. Rowland inherited his love of fine stock, as his father believed in it and always kept a good stallion. He was a man of notable qualities and far above the average. He was founder of the Evangelical church in Fayette county and for many years practically stood the expenses of the same. He donated the land for the buildings which were erected in 1895 or 1896. One of the achievements of which he was justly proud was the passage of what was called the "herd law," for which he worked indefatigably. In 1898 Mr. Rowland married Clara E., daughter of Henry Smith, and has three children: Merritt, Gladys and Myrtle.The family are members of the Evangelical church. Mr. Rowland is a Republican, but never sought office, though he has consented to act as president of the school board for some years. Like his honored father, he has always been a supporter of all moral causes and active in church work. Peter Rowland, paternal grandfather of John A., was born December 31, 1791, at Hagerstown, Maryland, and died at the age of eighty-five years. He married a Miss Hoffner, who died in Ohio, and by her had six children, five sons and one daughter. They first moved to Pennsylvania, from there to Ohio, and in the early fifties came to Iowa and settled in Fayette county on land located in Clermont township. He was a pioneer of that section and ended his days peacefully after a strenous life chiefly devoted to agricultural labor. [From Past and Present of Fayette County Iowa Vol 1, B. F. Bowen & Company, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1910. Submitted by Vickie]
Malcolm L. Rowland A modern, progressive farmer and dairyman is M.L. Rowland, one of the best known citizens of Pleasant Valley township. He was born in Clermont township, this county, where his people were known as leaders in pioneer times in all the walks of life. His birth occurred November 11, 1858, and he is the son of Peter L. and Elvira (Wheeler) Rowland, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Canada. His paternal grandfather was Peter Rowland, born in Pennsylvania, his parents being of German origin. Peter ROWLAND married and reared a family in Ohio. Peter L. Rowland, father of M.L. Rowland, of this review, came to Iowa in the early forties when this country was sparsely settled. They were compelled to go to Dubuque, quite a distance, to market, and in those early times they had many trying experiences and underwent many hardships. Mr. Rowland carried flour on his back from Auburn, many miles through the woods to his primitive home. He was a hardy pioneer and made a success by his persistent labor. He first farmed on one hundred and sixty acres in Clermont township where he settled on account of the excellent timber and the fine springs. He worked at Auburn for some time burning charcoal, also farmed and engaged a great deal in hunting, the woods hereabout abounding in various wild and fur-bearing animals. He became prosperous, finally owning three hundred and fifty acres of valuable land. He carried on general farming and raised horses, mostly for draft purposes, the Norman breed especially. Some time before his death he retired from active farming. The maternal grandparents of M.L. Rowland were Royal and Almina Wheeler. They, too, were early settlers in Fayette county, living many years on Turkey river, later moved to Union township, always engaged in farming. Peter L. Rowland, father of the subject, reared a family of eight children, six sons and two daughters, five of the sons and one of the daughters now living, and all but one reside in Fayette county. M.L. Rowland received his primary education in Clermont township, attending the district schools during the winter and working on the home farm in summer when he became of proper age. He has always followed farming with the exception of four years when he engaged in the creamery business on Turkey river, operating a private creamery and he made a success of the same; he was assisted by his fathers and brothers. M.L. and David Rowland owned a farm of one hundred and seventy-nine acres in partnership and they farmed together for nine years. In the spring of 1899, M.L. Rowland bought one hundred and eighty acres where he now resides and on which he carries on general farming and stock raising. He has a fine farm, well improved and tastily kept, a substantial and attractive home and numerous outbuildings. Mr. Rowland was married in August, 1887, to Mary Archer, the daughter of an influential and highly honored old family here, and this union has resulted in the birth of the following children: Clarence Ray; Ethel Blanche died when three years of age; Elsie Gladys, Lorenzo Vern, George David and Clara Almina. Mr. Rowland is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and a liberal supporter of the same; politically, he is a Republican and, while he has taken considerable interest in local political matters, he has never been an office-seeker, being too busy with his business affairs, though he has served as school director. He is a plain, honest, pleasant man to know and he has maintained the excellent record of the elder Rowlands in this county. [From Past and Present of Fayette County Iowa, submitted by Vickie]
P. L. Rowland Dover Township - Fayette County Iowa; farmer, Sec. 36; P. O. Clermont; born May 4, 1828, in Ashland County, Ohio; in 1851 came to Fayette Co., and settled on Sec. 31; in 1867, removed to his present farm; owns 207 acres valued at $25 per acre. Married Elvira Wheeler June 18, 1856; she was born in 1831 in Canada; had nine children, six living - Malcolm L., Ida A., David L., Albert O., John L., and Ezra L. Are members of the Evanglical Church; he holds the position of local preacher at this place. [History of Fayette County Iowa, 1878, page 677, submitted by Vickie]
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