CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME 
 OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT 
 FUND GIVEN IN 1891 BY 
 
 HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE 
 
3 1924 028 914 384 
 olin 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tiiis book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028914384 
 
HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 DAVENPORT 
 
 AND 
 
 SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 IOWA 
 
 Harry E. Downer 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 VOLUME II. 
 
 CHICAGO 
 THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL 
 
 ' JOE R. LANE. 
 
 There is no problem more difficult than character analysis. Psychic research 
 often fails to clearly elucidate the problem and yet there is no truth more evident 
 as the result of careful and analytical contemplation of successful lives than that 
 results have been achieved through intelligence and energy. What special 
 phases of nature causes a man to take up a certain line or lines of activity it is 
 impossible to determine, but in the execution of a clearly defined purpose it is 
 inevitable that unfaltering energy and intelligent appreciation of opportunity 
 must constitute the vital forces. It is these qualities that have carried Joe R. 
 Lane to the eminent position which he now occupies as a man of notable business 
 sagacity and as a political leader whose wisdom and resourcefulness have en- 
 abled him to accomplish seemingly impossible results. His interests are never 
 so self-centered as to exclude active participation in affairs of moment to the 
 community at large, for, on the contrary, he has been an active participant in those 
 activities which have promoted the material, political and social life of the com- 
 munity and which are matters of civic virtue and civic pride. 
 
 Mr. Lane was born in Davenport in May, 1858, a son of James T. and Annie 
 J. (Reed) Lane, and a brother of Mrs. lies. His father, who is mentioned else- 
 where at length in this volume, was long a representative member of the bar and 
 died in Denver in 1890. Passing through consecutive grades in the public 
 schools, Joe R. Lane eventually became a high-school pupil and later attended 
 Knox College at Galesburg, Illinois, from which he was graduated with the class 
 of 1878. He began preparation for the practice of law as a student in the office 
 of Davison & Lane, of which firm his father was the junior partner. Subse- 
 quently he matriculated in the State University Law School, from which he was 
 graduated in 1880, when he became assistant in the office of Davison & Lane, thus 
 continuing until January, 1881, when Charles Davison and Joe Lane, the sons of 
 the respective partners, were admitted to the firm. In the following August, 
 Charles Davison went to North Dakota and in 1889 James T. Lane withdrew from 
 the firm on account of failing health. The relation between the older Davison 
 and Joe R. Lane continued uninterruptedly and in 1893 Charles Davison reen- 
 
6 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 tered the partnership, the firm remaining Davison & Lane until 1900, when the 
 death of the senior member occurred, while two years later Charles Davison also 
 passed away. Mr. Lane was left alone to care for an increasing practice that 
 had already brought him distinction as one of the most eminent representatives 
 of the Iowa Bar. Soon afterward he was joined by Judge Waterman, who 
 resigned his position as a member of the Iowa supreme court to enter into part- 
 nership relations with Mr. Lane under the firm style of Lane & Waterman. A 
 contemporary writer has said in this connection: "Possibly no higher testimonial 
 to the standing, business value and reputation of the practice which Mr. Lane 
 had helped to upbuild and of which he had become the head could be given than 
 is embodied in Judge Waterman's action. Few positions are more earnestly cov- 
 eted; none considered higher in judicial dignity; scarcely any offer more assured 
 social position or surer and more commensurate recompense than the supreme 
 judgeship, yet Judge Waterman resigned all these to become Mr. Lane's part- 
 ner. Comment would be superfluous." The public voice names this firm as the 
 most prominent in Davenport and one of the most distinguished of the state. 
 
 It would be difficult to enumerate all the interests which have felt the stimulus 
 of Mr. Lane's cooperation, keen sagacity and liberal business policy! Banking, 
 manufacturing, lumber and real estate are among those interests which have 
 claimed his time and attention and in furthering his individual interest along 
 these lines he has contributed in substantial measure to Davenport's growth 
 and expansion along normal and healthy lines. He is the president of the Joe 
 R. Lane Investment Company, which erected the Lane office building at 
 Third and Main streets; president of the Building Society of the new 
 Commercial Club; a director of the Davenport Hotel Company; vice pres- 
 ident and director of the First National Bank of Davenport; and finan- 
 cially interested in numerous other commercial enterprises. His labors 
 have constituted a most important feature in the railroad development of 
 this section, for he was treasurer of the Davenport, Iowa & Dakota Rail- 
 road at the time of its construction and was also manager and had charge 
 of the building of the Davenport, Rock Island & Northwestern Railroad 
 bridge, which gave the road entrance to Rock Island and Moline. His realty 
 investments are most extensive and in all of his business connections he has 
 proven himself a man of action rather than of theory. 
 
 Moreover, Mr. Lane is recognized as one of the most influential members of 
 the republican party. With full recognition of the duties and obligations as well 
 as the privileges of citizenship, unlike many of the men today who are controlling 
 extensive professional and business interests, he finds time for active participa- 
 tion in public aflfairs upon which hinge the political stability and welfare of the 
 country. As a political leader he has always put public needs and party benefit 
 before self interests. He has served in the ranks from preference and only held 
 office when it has been clearly shown him that it was a duty which he owed his 
 fellow citizens and for which he could obtain no substitute. Several terms he 
 «at in the council as alderman and his labors were always to the advantage of his 
 ward and the city at large. During his term of service in congress, to which he 
 was elected in 1898, he never forgot his allegiance to his state nor his duty to 
 his constituents. He has frequently served as a member of the republican exec- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 7 
 
 utive committee and always to his party's benefit. He holds decided views on 
 public questions and expresses them clearly, cogently and logically when occa- 
 sion demands, but it is always the timely word which he speaks. As a diplomat 
 he has cemented party and business fractures, healed internal dissensions in 
 various financial and political vetures and unified and solidified acute divisions 
 in numerous enterprises where to all appearances such action was hopelessly 
 looked upon. As a political leader he has led his party to victory in ward, city, 
 county and state campaigns and added his share to national victories. And all 
 this he has done without claiming individual credit or demanding personal recog- 
 nition. 
 
 Mr. Lane was married in 1881 to Miss Jennie Richardson, a daughter of D. N-. 
 Richardson and a native of Davenport. They have three children : Dick R., who 
 is now associated with the firm of Lane & Waterman; Jeanette, student in St. 
 Katherine's school, a private institution; and Reed, who is attending the Iowa 
 State University Law School. Mr. Lane has attained the highest degrees in 
 Masonry, and is also connected with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. 
 He likewise belongs to the Outing Club and the Arsenal Golf Qub. He is a 
 member of the Business Men's Association and a patron of the many public 
 beneficiaries which exist in Davenport. He is without sham or pretense, yet 
 there is not the least shadow of mock modesty about him. He stands as a high 
 type of the American business man and citizen, whose ideals are high, whose 
 methods are practical, who is active and energetic in all public and private work 
 and with laudable ambition for his own success displays a helpful and broad- 
 minded interest in public aflfairs that has constituted his services of wide benefit 
 to the city and state. 
 
 EDWIN W. BRADY. 
 
 In the years of Davenport's early development Edwin W. Brady became one 
 of its residents and continued throughout his remaining days as one of its repre- 
 sentative citizens, his labors beingt a tangible element for the growth and better- 
 ment of the community at large. He was bom in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Febru- 
 ary 22, 1826, and was therefore a young man of twenty-eight years when he 
 arrived in Davenport in 1854. Throughout his life he stood for those things 
 which uplift hiunanity, which advance progress and promote improvement. He 
 was a stalwart champion of the cause of temperance, laboring along practical, 
 effective and far-reaching lines to curb and suppress the liquor traffic. About 
 1880 he purchased the Blue Ribbon News from Dr. Morgan. This was a journal 
 devoted to the cause of temperance amd, changing its name to the Northwestern 
 News, Mr. Brady continued its publication for some time. His sons were in- 
 terested with him in this enterprise and later they founded the Daily Times, with 
 which the father was financially connected. At a still later date the sons went to 
 New York to become stockholders in McQure's Magazine Company and have since 
 been associated with that enterprise, helping to build up the business and make 
 the magazine what it is today — one of the most interesting, entertaining and in- 
 
8 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 stiuctive popular magazines of the country.. When the sons removed to the east 
 the father retired from business, spending his remaining days in the enjoyment 
 of well earned rest. 
 
 On the 22d of February, i860, Edwin W. Brady was imited in marriage to 
 Miss Lydia Frances Weaver, a daughter of John Weaver, who died December 9, 
 1908, at the remarkable old age of ninety-six years. He was born in Fairfield 
 county, Ohio, April 16, 1812, and was there reared and educated. After arriving 
 at years of maturity he was married in Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 30th of June, 
 1837, to Miss Julia Ann Warrington Fuller, who died March I, 1899, at the ad- 
 vanced age of ninety-three years. For an extended period John Weaver was em- 
 ployed in a wholesale grocery house in Cincinnati and was then appointed post- 
 master of Little Mill Creek by President Polk. He acted as postmaster for four 
 years, serving first at Little Mill Creek and afterward at Ostrander, Ohio. While 
 there he also filled the office of justice of the peace and his opinions were strictly 
 fair and impartial. The year 1853 witnessed his arrival in Davenport, after which 
 time he did not again engage in active business. All of the family lived to an old 
 age. His wife's father was one of the life guard of George Washington and was 
 once shot while serving his country. He recovered his health, however, and lived 
 for some time to enjoy the fruits of his labor, reaching the age of ninety-nine 
 years. UntO' Mr. and Mrs. John Weaver were bom four children : Mrs. Lydia 
 F. Brady, C. W., Albert and Mrs. Melissa Jennings. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Brady were born six children : Oscar W. ; Albert B., who is 
 deceased; Mrs. Carrie B. Tagge; Edwin B.; Ella F. ; and Curtis P. As previously 
 stated, the surviving sons became associated with their father in newspaper publi- 
 cation and, continuing their eflforts in the field of magazine publication, all are 
 associated with the conduct and management of McQure's, Curtis P. being the 
 business manager of the magazine. 
 
 The death of Mr. Brady occurred on the i6th of January, 1909, and thus 
 passed from Davenport one whose record was of benefit to the city in many 
 essential ways. He placed a correct valuation upon life, its purposes and its oppor- 
 tunities and was never a self-centered man who found his happiness in the ac- 
 quirement of success! to be used alone for his own efiForts, but on the contrary 
 knew that joy which comes of service for others, and from practical, effective 
 effort for the world's uplift. 
 
 JAMES E. LINDSAY. 
 
 Prominent for many years among the mill operators of the Mississippi river 
 were James E. Lindsay and John B. Phelps, who as Lindsay & Phelps were for 
 nearly forty years connected with the manufacture of lumber at Davenport. 
 
 James Edwin Lindsay, the subject of this sketch, was born at Schroon, Essex 
 county. New York, April 12, 1826. His ancestors came from Scotland in 1731 
 and settled at Argyle, New York. His great-great-grandfather was Donald 
 Lindsay, who was interested in the grant which was extended to Laughlin Camp- 
 bell and was one of the hundred founders of that early Argyle community. His 
 
^. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 11 
 
 training between 1826 and 1847 terminated with one year's schooling in civil en- 
 gineering at Norwich, Vermont. His father was a hotel keeper, farmer and 
 lumber manufacturer combined. Young Lindsay worked at measuring and the 
 hauling of logs at his father's mill, a water power affair propelled by the old 
 style "flutter wheel." This sawmill was facetiously called the "Thunder Shower 
 Mill" on account of its utter inability to operate unless a frequent rain would 
 kindly fill the small creek dam from which it drew its water power. Young 
 Lindsay was in an atmosphere that was apt to make him a lumberman and in- 
 cluded among his neighbors Israel Johnson, the inventor of the much used "mu- 
 lay" saw, and Philetas Sawyer, the long time prominent lumberman and for 
 many years United States senator from Wisconsin. Logs in those days meas- 
 ured about two standards to the log, a standard, according to Dimock's rule, being 
 measured on the basis of thirteen- foot log, nineteen inches at the top end. They 
 were made up of perhaps twenty-five per cent clear at fifty dollars a thousand; 
 twenty-five per cent second clear at forty dollars; twenty-five per cent select at 
 twenty dollars; and twenty-five per cent common, worth fourteen dollars. Be- 
 fore his twenty-first birthday anniversary young Lindsay already had some ex- 
 perience in the logging business in partnership with his brother-in-law John 
 Tompkins. The firm was named Lindsay & Tompkins and existed for four years. 
 
 In the fall of 1856, the year he was thirty years old, he came west, and with 
 his savings and what had been entrusted to him, secured about seven thousand 
 dollars worth of lands through land warrants in the Black River Falls (Wis- 
 consin) country. 
 
 In March, 1861, Mr. Lindsay located permanently at Davenport, Iowa, and 
 his Black river timber was logged and rafted to Davenport, where it was sawed 
 into lumber by the thousand at the mills at that place. He had formed a part- 
 nership with E. Harris, of Queensberry, New York, the understanding being — 
 as above referred to — that Mr. Lindsay was to come west and look about and 
 take an interest in whatever looked most favorable. The absolute trust of his 
 partner in Mr. Lindsay's judgment seems to have colored his subsequent career. 
 He had not only his own interests to further but also had absolutely in his keep- 
 ing the interests of another. This tended to make him conservative, and he has 
 always been a conservative man. This conservatism, however, should not be 
 misjudged, for he has ever had an aggressive and enthusiastic confidence in the 
 future values of timber lands. 
 
 Later in 1861 Mr. Lindsay secured a lease of the Renwick mill in Daven- 
 port. Shortly afterward John B. Phelps bought Mr. Harris' interest and the 
 firm became Lindsay & Phelps, and it has so continued — barring its incorpora- 
 tion in 1890 — for nearly fifty years. In 1866 Lindsay & Phelps built a mill at 
 Davenport. It started with a circular saw; a gang saw was added in 1867, at 
 that time the only gang mill in this section of the country ; and later, in 1880, a 
 band mill was added and other necessary machinery for a more modern plant. 
 The mill at Davenport continued in operation until the close of the season of 
 igo4 — a period of thirty-nine years. The corporation of Lindsay & Phelps 
 Company is still being maintained, the present officers being J. E. Lindsay, presi- 
 dent ; R. E. Lindsay, vice president ; Fred Wyman, secretary and treasurer ; and 
 
12 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 George F. Lindsay, assistant secretary and treasurer. John B. Phelps, Mr. 
 Lindsay's long time partner, died in July, 1900. 
 
 Mr. Lindsay's confidence in pine timber was of the broader kind, and as early 
 as 1882, with his close friend and associate, C. R. Ainsworth, of Moline, Illinois, 
 he personally located the first holdings of the Lindsay Land & Lumber Company 
 in Arkansas. Perhaps it may be due to Mr. Lindsay and Mr. Ainsworth that 
 they be called the pioneer northern lumbermen in Arkansas, and surely they 
 were among the earliest to purchase timber lands in that section. The company's 
 first officers were J. E. Lindsay, president; C. R. Ainsworth, vice president; J. 
 B. Phelps, secretary ; William Renwick, treasurer. The late Hon. D. N. Richard- 
 son, a newspaper man and close associate in those early days of investment in 
 the south, asked Mr. Lindsay in conversation one day, "Is there a chance for an 
 outsider to put some money in your southern timber company, Mr. Lindsay?" 
 "Not for you, a newspaper man," was the reply, "for it takes long patience and 
 years of constant outgo of money to work out a proposition of this kind, and you 
 who are accustomed to annual dividends would lack the 'sand' to stay with such 
 a proposition." Without hesitancy Mr. Richardson replied, "We have the sand 
 and only ask you to make the opportunity." Mr. Richardson went in and up to 
 the time of his death that quality of sand first shown was ever apparent. 
 
 Resulting from Mr. Richardson's enthusiasm later came the Richardson Land 
 & Timber Company, with D. N. Richardson as its first president. The present 
 officers are J. J. Richardson, president ; Fred Wyman, vice president ; and M. N. 
 Richardson, secretary and treasurer. The directors are J. E. Lindsay, Rebecca 
 Renwick, J. J. Richardson, Fred 'Wyman and J. B, Richardson. This company 
 made purchases in Little River, Dalls, Sevier and Howard counties, Arkansas, 
 and later extended its operations into Mississippi. At one time its holdings 
 amounted to one hundred and fifty thousand acres in Arkansas At this time 
 it owns nearly fifty thousand acres in Mississippi. 
 
 In 1884 when Renwick, Shaw and Crossett went north to Cloquet, Minne- 
 sota, and organized the Cloquet Lumber Company with George S. Shaw as its 
 manager, Mr. Lindsay and Mr. Phelps became members of that company, Mr. 
 Lindsay now being a director. 
 
 The big trees of the Pacific coast next attracted Lindsay & Phelps' atten- 
 tion and, associated with Weyerhaeuser & Denkmann and the Richardson inter- 
 ests, they organized the Sound Timber Company on December 23, 1899. The 
 officers are J. E. Lindsay, president ; Fred C. Denkmann, vice president ; George 
 F. Lindsay, secretary and treasurer; and with F. Weyerhaeuser, Joe R. Lane 
 and M. N. Richardson form its board of directors. This company owns some- 
 thing over fifty thousand acres of fir, cedar and spruce in Skagit, Snohomish, 
 Whatcom and King counties, Washington, and Lane county, Oregon. 
 
 Interest was ' again directed to the south in 1901, and Mr. Lindsay, with 
 Weyerhaeuser & Denkmann, the Laird, Norton Company, Dimock, Gould & 
 Company, and the Richardson interests, formed the Southland Lumber Company 
 on May 4 of that year, for the purchase of timber lands in Louisiana. Its offi- 
 cers are : F. E. Weyerhaeuser, president ; F. C. Denkmann, vice president ; George 
 F. Lindsay, secretary and treasurer ; Fred Wyman, assistant secretary and treas- 
 urer. The directors are F. Weyerhaeuser, E. P. Denkmann, H. A. Ainsworth, 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 13 
 
 J. E. Lindsay, F. S. Bell, F. H. Thatcher, Fred C. Denkmann, Calvin Ainsworth, 
 Joe R. Lane, M. N. Richardson and Fred Wyman. The present holdings are in 
 southwestern Louisiana and approximate one hundred and thirty thousand acres 
 of longleaf yellow pine. 
 
 The Southern Lumber Company of Arkansas was organized January 28, 
 1902, by Weyerhaeuser & Denkmann, Dimock, Gould & Company, the Richard- 
 son interests and J. E. Lindsay, purchasing the holdings of the Lindsay Land & 
 Lumber Company, previously referred to, and has at the present time a sawmill 
 in active operation at Warren, Arkansas, and seventy thousand acres of short- 
 leaf yellow pine. The officers are F. E. Weyerhaeuser, president; E. P. Denk- 
 mann, vice president; George F. Lindsay, secretary; Fred Wyman, treasurer; 
 N. H. Clapp, Jr., assistant secretary and treasurer and general manager. The 
 directors are F. Weyerhaeuser, C. H. Ainsworth, J. E. Lindsay, F. E. Weyer- 
 haeuser, E. P. Denkmann, Calvin Ainsworth, Joe R. Lane, Fred Wyman and 
 M. N. Richardson. 
 
 Mr. Lindsay is still active in business, keeping in touch with the affairs of 
 the companies with which he is connected, and spending several hours daily at 
 his office. Local enterprises have always received the strong support of Lind- 
 say & Phelps, and Mr. Phelps was before his death, and Mr. Lindsay now is, 
 identified with many local organizations. 
 
 Mr. Lindsay married in 1858 Mary Helen Phelps at Schroon River, Essex 
 county. New York. Three children were born of this union; Ralph E. Lindsay; 
 Mrs. Fred W)mian, who died in 1905; and George F. Lindsay. Mr. and Mrs^ 
 Lindsay have two grandchildren, Edith Helen Wyman and Edwin Blair Lindsay. 
 
 Mr. Lindsay has always manifested a deep interests in the religious and 
 charitable institutions of the community. He is identified with the Baptist church, 
 having been one of its most loyal supporters for many years. His interest in 
 young men was evidenced by his liberal contribution to the Young Men's Chris- 
 tian Association. 
 
 The results of environment are very apparent in a man of Mr. Lindsay's 
 character. Long years of association with kindly mother nature as exemplified 
 in her vast forests have intensified in him those inherent qualities which are 
 characteristic of the grandest forest growth. Their physical qualities find their 
 counterpart in his mentality — strength of purpose, uprightness of character and 
 those other admirable traits which are typified by the giants of the forest and the 
 stalwarts among men. He has a minute knowledge of lumber and logs which 
 always he is glad to share generously with his friends and of which they par- 
 take with the utmost confidence in his judgment, notably in his home city, the 
 center of a great lumber interest, where and in the adjoining cities of Rock Is- 
 land and Moline between the members of the Lindsay & Phelps Lumber Com- 
 pany and all competitive lumber and logging interests in the three cities Mr. 
 Lindsay's thorough knowledge and sterling character are well known and highly 
 honored. 
 
 While of a modest and retiring disposition, one's first impression of Mr. 
 Lindsay, unconsciously conveyed by him, is that of personal dignity; yet he is 
 always approachable. He is never hasty in judgment and his decisions are al- 
 ways the result of intelligent deliberation. Perhaps the only voluntary exercise 
 
14 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 of his innate qualities that needs restraint is his ready generosity, his practical 
 sympathy for misfortune. In the sense that makes the characteristic a strongly 
 commendable one, he is one of the most conspicuous figures in the lumber m- 
 dustry of the middle west. 
 
 EMANUEL PHILLIP ADLER. 
 
 Emanuel Phillip Adler, as president of the Lee Newspaper Syndicate, repre- 
 sents that spirit of organization and coordination of forces that constitutes one 
 of the most forceful and vital elements in the business life of the times. It is 
 but another expression of the truth of the old adage that "in union there is 
 strength," for with combined interests the expenditure of time, labor and ma- 
 terial is reduced to a minimum in the accomplishment of maximum results. 
 Bending his eiforts to administrative direction and executive control as head of 
 the Lee Newspaper Syndicate, Mr. Adler has justified his adoption of the print- 
 ing business as a life work, for in this field he has advanced from a humble 
 position to one of leadership. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, September 30 
 1872, and was taken to Ottumwa, Iowa, by his parents, P E. and Bertha Adler, 
 in 1874. His youthful days were therefore passed in this state, and in Ottumwa 
 he pursued his education in the common schools to the age of fourteen years, 
 when he began learning the printer's trade. He afterward secured a position 
 in a Chicago, newspaper office as "sub" when seventeen years of age, and later, 
 returning to Ottumwa he secured a position as printer on the Ottumwa Courier. 
 In 1894 he was given a trial as "cub" reporter on the Courier and proving his 
 worth was promoted from time to time serving successively in the position of 
 editor, managing editor and business manager. In 1900 A. W. Lee, publisher 
 of the Courier, purchased the Davenport Times and established the Lee News- 
 paper Syndicate, and in January, 1901, Mr. Adler was sent to Davenport as pub- 
 lisher of the Times. The policy which he inaugurated in its management made it 
 one of the profitable journals of the state and the evidence of business ability 
 which he thus displayed led to his election to the presidency oif the syndicate 
 upon the death of Mr. Lee in 1907. Five daily papers constitute this syndicate: 
 the Davenport Times ; the Ottumwa Courier ; the Muscatine Journal ; the La- 
 Cross Tribune ; and the Hannibal Courier-Post. 
 
 Mr. Adler's activities extend to political circles, wherein his labors have 
 largely advanced the interests of the republican party in Iowa. He was made 
 state central committeeman from the second district, was chosen secretary of the 
 committee and given charge of the press bureau in the Taft campaign. To prac- 
 tical politics he brings the results of business experience and that wise direction 
 of forces which have been salient elements in the general movement toward 
 placing the republican party in Iowa beyond the pale of possible diminution of 
 power. 
 
 On the 5th of February, 1902, occurred the marriage of Mr. Adler to Miss 
 Lena Rothschild, a daughter of the late David R. Rothschild, president of the 
 Rothschild Grain Company. Their only son, Phillip David Adler, is now a lad 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 15 
 
 of six years. Mr. Adler's social nature finds expression in his membership 
 in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Arsenal Golf Club, the Out- 
 ing and Rock Island Clubs — assiociations which also indicate the nature of 
 his recreation. Moreover, he is prominent in the Davenport Commercial Club, 
 serving as its vice president and as a member of its board of directors. He is 
 active in all projects looking to the development of the city along many lines 
 of general improvement and has done much in promoting desired results. 
 
 ALFRED CHRISTIAN MUELLER. 
 
 Fortunate is the man who has back of him an ancestry honorable and dis- 
 tinguished, and happy is he if his lines of life are cast in harmony therewith. 
 In person, in talents and in character Alfred Christian Mueller is a worthy 
 scion of his race. He is a representative in the maternal line of a family that 
 has figured conspicuously in connection with the legal history of Davenport for 
 fifty-seven years, and in his personal connection with the bar he has demon- 
 strated the possession of those qualities which win success in law practice — 
 close application, comprehensive study of legal principles and unfaltering devo- 
 tion to the interests of his clients. 
 
 Mr. Mueller was born in Davenport, June 14, 1875, a son of Christian and 
 Elfrieda (Claussen) Mueller. The father, for many years a leading lumber mer- 
 chant and prominent and beloved citizen of Davenport, is mentioned at length on 
 another page of this volume. The mother was a daughter of Hans Reimer 
 Claussen, who in 1853 was the founder of the present law firm with which A. C. 
 Mueller is now connected. The business has descended by legacy or purchase 
 to son and grandson to the present time and the firm has ever stood as one of 
 the most successful and representative among the practitioners of the Daven- 
 port bar. Hans Reimer Qaussen, the founder of the firm, was born in Schles- 
 wig-Holstein, in 1804, and prepared for the practice of law as a student in the 
 LTniversity of Kiel between the years 1824 and 1829. The following year he 
 was admitted to the bar and entered upon the active duties of the profession 
 near his old home. In 1834 he opened an office in Kiel, where he remained in 
 active practice until 1851, when he was exiled by the King of Denmark, then ruler 
 of Schleswig-Holstein. He had served as a member of the legislature of Hol- 
 stein from 1840 until 185 1 and in 1848-9 was a member of the German parlia- 
 ment, which convened in May of the former year. For the prominent part 
 which he took in the discussion of governmental affairs, and because his son 
 Ernest fought in the ranks of the revolutionists of 1848, the family were exiled. 
 America, the refuge of so many political exiles from Germany, offered shelter 
 and opportunity to H. R. Claussen, who, arriving in Davenport in 1851, began 
 the study of the English language and two years thereafter was admitted to the 
 bar. His son Ernest became his law partner and the firm soon took rank with 
 the leading representatives of the legal profession in this city. In 1869 Hans R. 
 Claussen was elected to the state senate for a four years' term, and his knowledge 
 of the law enabled him to take active part in the revision of the court in 1873. 
 
16 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 He left the impress of his individuality upon the laws enacted during his con- 
 nection with the general assembly and also upon the history of the republican 
 party, aiding largely in shaping its history in this state. In May, 1832, he married 
 Anna Rahbeck, a daughter of a Danish civil officer and niece of a celebrated 
 Danish poet. Ernest Claussen, who became his father's law partner and was 
 an uncle of A. C. Mueller, was born in 1833, spent the first two years in Amer- 
 ica in St. Louis and then became a resident of Davenport. Following his father's 
 retirement from the bar in 1870 he continued in practice alone until his son Al- 
 fred became his associate. Moreover, he was prominent in connection with munic- 
 ipal affairs and that his fellow townsmen recognized his devotion to the public 
 welfare is indicated in the fact that he was for five terms mayor of Davenport. 
 
 From a family of lawyers, therefore, Alfred Christian Mueller was de- 
 scended in the maternal line. At the usual age he became a pupil in the pub- 
 lic schools and afterward attended Duncan's Commercial College, while for one 
 year he was a student in the polytechnic school at Hanover, Germany. His 
 literary course completed, he took up the study of law and afterward pursued 
 his reading for one year under the direction of Julius Lischer. He next entered 
 the law school of the Iowa State University, from which he was graduated in 
 1897 and afterward spent one year in the office of Lischer & Bawden. He next 
 went to New York and pursued a three years' course in law in Columbia Uni- 
 versity, from which he was graduated in the class of 1901. Returning to Daven- 
 port, he became associated with the Mueller Lumber Company as auditor, but in 
 1903 entered actively upon the practice of law and became the successor of his 
 cousin, Alfred Claussen, thus continuing the firm which was founded by his 
 grandfather. 
 
 On the 2ist of January, 1903, Mr. Mueller was married to Lulu May Ells- 
 worth, a native of New York city and i daughter of Albert Starr and Cora Ells- 
 worth, who were of English descent. Mr. Mueller takes little active part in 
 politics but is a member of the school board and is much interested in the cause 
 of education, recognizing the full value of public instruction as one of the bul- 
 warks of the nation. 
 
 EDWARD SAVAGE CROSSETT. 
 
 The lumber industry occupies a most important relation to the development 
 of the United States. One of the most interesting chapters in our national his- 
 tory is that recounting the origin of this far-reaching activity, the struggles of 
 its pioneers, their privations and triumphs and the marvelous growth which the 
 business has now attained in certain sections of our common country. Employ- 
 ing, as it does, literally an army of men ; offering channels of investment for mil- 
 lions of dollars ; this branch of trade takes easily front rank as one of the wealth 
 producing agencies of America. One of the captains in this great industry is 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 When one has spent the fifty most active years of his effective life in one 
 section of the country and in the pursuit of a single enterprise which has issued 
 
/i^^p-^t^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 19 
 
 in ultimately fortunate results to himself and those associated with him, he 
 most certainly has contributed to the development of the industry and has won 
 for himself a large and merited place in the history of that locality. Such a 
 man is Edward Savage Crossett of Davenport, Iowa. For half a century he 
 has played a conspicuous part in the lumber business of the entire Mississippi 
 valley and is a masterful factor in council and conference wherever in that entire 
 section men interested in yellow pine foregather. 
 
 Mr. Crossett was born in West Plattsburg, Clinton bounty, New York, Feb- 
 ruary 4, 1828, near the scene of the battle of Plattsburg, historic in the war of 
 1812. His father, John Savage Crossett, participated actively in that war as a 
 soldier in the American army. The subject of our sketch received his educa- 
 tion in the public schools and in an academy . His first employment was in the 
 printing office of Bardwell & Kneeland, at Troy, which work, however, he aban- 
 doned on account of failing health. His new position as clerk in a shoe store 
 brought him the munificent salary of two dollars and fifty cents each month 
 and board. In 1846, when eighteen years of age, he became clerk in the village 
 store at Schroon Lake, New York, and two years later he and his brother pur- 
 chased the establishment. It was here that he first became interested in the 
 lumber business, handling pine and spruce lumber in small quantities. 
 
 At the age of twenty-two Mr. Crossett turned his business over to his brother 
 and started west. From Cincinnati he journeyed to St. Louis by steamer, and 
 in the spring of 1852 on to St. Paul, going soon to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where 
 he remained one year and six months. In the meantime business matters had 
 not gone well in the east, his brother had sold the property at a loss and young 
 Crossett was under the handicap of debts, if anything can handicap one so 
 strong and courageous. With the restiveness of an honest nature smarting under 
 the sense of unmet obligations, he assumed the entire burden and eventually 
 paid the last dollar. 
 
 In the fall of 1853 Mr. Crossett went to Black River Falls, Wisconsin, where 
 he took charge of a supply store for lumbermen. He was in entire command of 
 this enterprise, from the making contract for supplies to the sale of the goods. 
 His experience as a merchant in the Adirondacks served him well, and so satis- 
 factory were the results that his employers united their four stores into one and 
 gave him its management. From, 1854 to 1856 he was postmaster of Black 
 River Falls, and in the latter year he associated himself with W. T. Price in a 
 supply store busifiess of their own, returning, however, a year later to his former 
 employers. 
 
 Then came a period of reverses in which Mr. Crossett suffered heavy losses. 
 The freshet of the following year swept the company's logs down the river and 
 out of reach; as a result the company was forced to suspend operations and go 
 into bankruptcy. A portion of Mr. Crossett's capital and two years salary were 
 sunk in the general collapse. In 1859 he started a supply store of his own, but 
 shortly after was burned out with the complete loss of stock and building. Still 
 undaunted and unafraid, Mr. Crossett gathered up the threads of his raveled 
 business and attempted to again weave them together. Succeeding in obtaining 
 the equivalent of some bills due him, in the shape of lumber and hewn timber, 
 he rafted it down the river in 1861 and sold it where he could, but was obliged 
 
20 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 to take in payment "stump tail currency," which depreciated largely before he 
 could dispose of it. Thus Mr. Crossett's first eight years in the west brought 
 him little but valuable experience. 
 
 In this same year Mr. Crossett was employed to assist J. E. Lindsay, who was 
 shortly thereafter joined in partnership by J. B. Phelps; and subsequently he 
 was connected with other concerns until 1870. For several years he ran the 
 yards of Isaac Spaulding in East St. Louis, spending his winters in picking up 
 stock on Black river. From 1870 to 1875 he was engaged in scaling logs and 
 estimating timber; purchasing for himself parcels of timber land whenever such 
 were available and seemed valuable. 
 
 In 1873 Mr. Crossett was united in marriage to Miss Harmony E. Clark, 
 of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and from that auspicious day dates, as he declares, 
 his real prosperity. The two made their home in Nielsville, Wisconsin, until 
 February, 1875, when they removed to Davenport, Iowa, where Mr. Crossett 
 became a member of the firm of Renwick, Shaw & Crossett. Their son, Edward 
 Clark Crossett, was born at Davenport, August 7, 1882. The same year marks 
 Mr. Crossett's first investment in yellow pine, as one of the organizers of the 
 Lindsay Land & Lumber Company. 
 
 In 1884 Renwick, Shaw & Crossett bought a sawmill and some pine land 
 at Cloquet, Minnesota. Two years later Mr. Crossett sold his interest to Mr. 
 Shaw, taking in payment ten thousand acres of Arkansas land covered with 
 yellow pine. His friends were confident that he had made a serious mistake in 
 acquiring Arkansas property, but the soundness of his judgment was speedily 
 vindicated. Convinced by personal inspection of the great possibilities in yellow 
 pine, he became extensively interested in other companies operating in the south. 
 Already a heavy stockholder in the Eagle Lumber Company, of Eagle Mills, 
 Arkansas, and in the Gates Lumber Company, of Wilmar, Arkansas, he, in 
 company with C. W. Gates and Dr. J. W. Watzek, purchased in 1892 the Fordyce 
 Lumber Company, of Fordyce, Arkansas. 
 
 In the principle of cooperation Mr. Crossett has always been interested. 
 With William Morris, its modern apostle, he has believed that the profits accru- 
 ing from any enterprise should in some equitable way be divided among those 
 producing them. In 1899 the Crossett Lumber Company was organized on a 
 cooperative basis, not as the result of any dreaming of a modern Utopia, but 
 as a business proposition, and partly no doubt because of his own long bout with 
 the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune." In the cooperative organization 
 Messrs. Crossett, Watzek and Gates held three-fourths of the stock and certain 
 employes the other one-fourth. In recognition of Mr. Crossett's generosity, 
 his fine sense of justice in this self-centered age, and of his wise council and 
 cooperation always so freely given, his associates named the new town in his 
 honor, and Crossett, Arkansas, came upon the map. 
 
 After eight years of actual operation, this town has come from the virgin 
 forest to be one of the "show towns" of the entire south. Here dwell a pros- 
 perous people, numbering upward of two thousand, each in a home good enough 
 for the best and at rents that return to the corporation only a very low interest 
 rate on the investment. The town rejoices in a fine public school costing upward 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 21 
 
 of fifteen thousand dollars, a well equipped hospital worth thirty-five thousand 
 dollars, two good churches well supported and effective, and a clubhouse and 
 swimming pool costing something like fifteen to twenty thousand dollars, these 
 latter the personal gift of Mr. Crossett to the youth and manhood of the town. 
 There is a five-mile liquor law and it is enforced ; the finest type of labor gravi- 
 tates here naturally, and it is to be doubted if any finer specimens of life and 
 character can be found in any lumber town in the world than flourish and mature 
 in this favored spot. While much credit for these conditions is surely due to 
 the splendid men whom Mr. Crossett has associated with him, the fact still re- 
 mains that it is due to his influence, his ideals and his character that the town 
 is what it is. 
 
 More recently Mr. Crossett has extended his holdings and, as an influential 
 member of the Jackson Lumber Company, of Lockhart, Alabama, has with his 
 associates invested in one hundred and fifty thousand acres of virgin timber in 
 Alabama and Florida. In cooperation with Messrs. Watzek and Gates, the two 
 remaining members, a large sawmill plant was built at Lockhart, and the prop- 
 erty otherwise developed and increased. In 1906 the Crossett Timber Company, 
 of Davenport, Iowa, was organized for operation in the Pacific northwest, with 
 holdings chiefly in Washington and Oregon. Mr. Crossett not only organized 
 and projected this company but retains a controlling portion of the stock and 
 direction in management through his son, Edward Clark Crossett, its president. 
 Believing that a man should dispose of his property and provide for his family 
 during his lifetime, while still in his early seventies Mr. Crossett organized the 
 Crossett Land & Investment Company as a holding company for the greater 
 part of his property and gave his wife and son equal shares with himself. 
 
 Religiously Mr. Crossett has always been known as a sincere and earnest 
 worshiper of the God of the forests. Reared as a Methodist, and a member of 
 the Baptist church from the age of twenty-five, his sympathies have always been 
 with all genuine men of whatever name or creed. It would be expected that a 
 man of such robust personality and breadth of vision would have fellowship 
 with all good men, and hence his interests and beneficences have outrun all de- 
 nominational bounds. He was a member of the building committee of St. John's 
 Methodist Episcopal church, of Davenport, of which his wife and son are com- 
 municants, and his generosity and liberality, with that of one or two others, 
 made that superb structure possible. His proposition to give fifty thousand 
 dollars to a Young Men's Christian Association building in Davenport, providing 
 the citizens would contribute an equal amount, was the means of securing for 
 his home city one of the best equipped structures in the middle west, while his 
 private benevolences, about which even his right hand knows not, are perpetual 
 and broadcast. 
 
 Mr. Crossett is that type of manhood for which America is most famed and 
 for which she may well be proud ; yet only now and then in a century is she able 
 to grow one of his superfine qualities. Born with little promise of what was to 
 be, with little to assure him such a future as has been his, little save his rugged, 
 stalwart character and his tireless determination, all graciously shot through 
 with his changeless trust in God. Honest to the core, circumspect in life, genial 
 in spirit, alert in mentality, helping everybody and hindering none, wronging no 
 
22 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 man that he might himself gain, but enriching all others by his own prosperity, 
 he lives an honored and conspicuous type of that noblest of all men — an Ameri- 
 can gentleman. 
 
 GEORGE W. CABLE. 
 
 George W. Cable, since 1866 a resident of Davenport and for many years 
 one of the most prominent representatives of the lumber trade in the city, is 
 now practically living retired but still has large investments and commercial in- 
 terests. He was born in Athens county, Ohio, June Vj, 1831, his parents being 
 Hiram and Rachel (Henry) Cable. The father was a native of Jefferson county, 
 New York, and the mother's birth occurred in Washington county, Ohio. The 
 family is of English lineage and was founded in America by James Cable, the 
 grandfather of our subject, who came from England in 1770 and settled in Mas- 
 sachusetts, whence representatives of the name removed to other localities and 
 established other branches of the family. Mrs. Rachel Cable, the mother of 
 George W. Cable, was of Scotch-Irish descent and was a lady of high charac- 
 ter, whose influence has been one of the potent forces in the life of her son. 
 Hiram Cable, prominent in public affairs, labored along practical and effective 
 lines for the advancement and improvement of the section of the state in which 
 he lived". Various public enterprises were promoted by him and commercial 
 activity was also stimulated by his efforts through the years in which he was 
 engaged in merchandising in Athens county, Ohio. Later he became one of 
 the projectors of the Piqua & Indiana Railroad, now a branch of the Pennsyl- 
 vania Central, and was one of the largest contractors in its construction. He 
 also served for nine years as a director of the company. He was one of the 
 founders of the picturesque town of Cable in Champaign county and in many 
 ways left the impress of his individuality for good upon the development and 
 substantial upbuilding of that section of the state. A republican in politics, he 
 represented his district in the state legislature and did not a little toward mold- 
 ing public thought and action. He was a man of strong character, fearless in 
 defense of what he believed to be right and his championship of any measure 
 was an effective force for its accomplishment. 
 
 George W. Cable acquired a good English education in the schools of Ur- 
 bana, Ohio, and commenced business life as a farmer in Champaign county, 
 where he successfully conducted agricultural interests for two years. He then 
 sold out in 1857 and came to Scott county, Iowa, where for nine years he de- 
 voted his energies to general agricultural pursuits. In 1866 he came to Daven- 
 port and with his father engaged in the coal business and lumber trade. Extend- 
 ing the scope of their activities to include an extensive and up-to-date lumber 
 manufacturing enterprise, George W. Cable has since been actively or financially 
 interested in the business. In 1874 his father retired and was succeeded by John 
 Hornby, under the firm name of Hornby & Cable. This association was main- 
 tained until the death of the senior partner in 1879, in which year the business 
 was reorganized under the name of the Cable Lumber Company, with George 
 
"^ ry. ^oJij-L^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 25 
 
 W. Cable as president. The business grew to mammoth proportions, the Cable 
 Company becoming a power in lumber circles. The enterprise was developed 
 along modern business lines, its ramifying trade interests reaching out to various 
 sections of the country, while the close conformity of the house to a high stan- 
 dard of commercial ethics has made its reputation an unassailable one. By the 
 stimulus of his exertions Mr. Cable aroused the enterprise of others and through 
 this means added to his own efforts, while at the same time he furnished many 
 with remunerative employment. His strict integrity, business conservatism and 
 judgment have always been so universally recognized that he has enjoyed pub- 
 lic confidence to an enviable degree and naturally this has brought him such a 
 lucrative patronage that through times of general prosperity and general adver- 
 sity alike he has witnessed a steady increase in his business until the Cable Lum- 
 ber Company now controls one of the most important enterprises of this charac- 
 ter in the middle west. Now, owing to failing health, Mr. Cable has retired from 
 active work, his interests, however, being carefully guarded and augmented by 
 his son. As the years went by he made other investments of an important char- 
 acter, including some of the milling enterprises, banking and telephone interests. 
 He was likewise a director in several railroads and his cooperation in any pro- 
 ject has been taken as proof of its worth because of his business discernment 
 and known reliability. 
 
 On the i8th of October, 1854, Mr. Cable was united in marriage to Miss 
 Eliza E. Baldwin, a daughter of Richard Baldwin, of Champaign county, Ohio. 
 Their only son and Mr. Cable's namesake is his worthy successor in business. 
 Active in the Presbjrterian church, Mr. Cable practices charity without ostenta- 
 tion and Christianity without cant. His name is unsullied and there is no man 
 who occupies a more enviable position in industrial and financial circles. His 
 rise in the business world has been continuous and has been the legitimate out- 
 come of methods that neither seek nor require disguise. 
 
 HON. GEORGE W. SCOTT. 
 
 Hon. George W. Scott, mayor of the city of Davenport, whose experiences 
 have been wide and whose course has been marked by continuous progress, was 
 born on a farm near Le Roy, in Oldtown township, McLean county, Illinois, 
 January 31, 1861. His parents were William H. and Eunice B. (Lebo) Scott, 
 the former of Irish descentv and the latter of French hneage. The maternal 
 grandfather was bom in France, and some of the Lebo family were participants 
 in the Revolutionary war and the war of 1812, while brothers of Eunice B. Lebo 
 served in the Civil war. 
 
 William H. Scott was a farmer by occupation and carried on agricultural 
 pursuits and stock-raising on an extensive scale. He died March 19, 1889, near 
 Lincoln, Nebraska, which city was at that time his home. His widow now re- 
 sides with a daughter near Enid, Oklahoma. Their family numbered four sons 
 and two daughters, five of whom are living : George W. ; Ira, who is on a farm 
 near Cashion, Oklahoma; Wilson H., living near La Cygne, Kansas; Orris, 
 
26 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 whose home is near Norfolk, Nebraska; and Emma,. the wife of John Hollar, 
 near Enid, Oklahoma. 
 
 George W. Scott was reared to farm life and attended the district schools 
 until nineteen years of age, when he continued his studies in the Evergreen City- 
 Business College, at Bloomington, Illinois, pursuing a commercial course. He 
 afterward entered the Illinois State Normal University at Normal, Illinois, 
 and there pursued a two years' course. He afterward engaged in teaching in 
 the country and graded schools for three years and, making advance in this 
 field of labor as he has in every other to which he has directed his attention, he 
 became principal of the graded schools at Morton, Ilhnois. After a short time 
 he was appointed superintendent of the Indian school and special disbursement 
 agent at Fort Stevenson, Dakota, now North Dakota. He continued in that 
 position from October 28, 1885, until January 8, 1889, when he was appointed 
 superintendent by Hon. J. D. C. Atkins, commissioner of Indian affairs, and 
 at the same time received appointment as special disbursing agent from the 
 Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, secretary of the interior during President Cleveland's 
 first administration. 
 
 Shortly after reaching Fort Stevenson Mr. Scott was appointed first post- 
 master of the fort by General Adlai E. Stevenson, first assistant postmaster- 
 general. This was an old military fort established in 1868 and when Mr. Scott 
 received this appointment the military reservation was set off, in charge of the 
 interior department, for school purposes and he was placed in charge as its 
 first bonded officer. He not only had charge of the school and reservation but 
 also established an industrial school to which he brought many Indian children 
 who were there taught the different trades and industries. On the 8th of Janu- 
 ary, 1889, by order of the secretary of the interior and commissioner of Indian 
 affairs, Mr. Scott was transferred to the superintendency of the Chilocco Indian 
 Training School at Chilocco, Indian Territory, with an annual increase of salary 
 of three hundred dollars. At the time that was one of the largest Indian train- 
 ing schools in the service, having an enrollment of some three hundred boys and 
 girls. General John H. Oberly had charge of the Indian affairs and the Hon. 
 William Vilas was secretary of the interior. Mr. Scott remained in charge of 
 the school until December i, 1889, when he resigned to devote his attention to 
 the reading of law. At the school he had had thirty-five employes under him, 
 had conducted a farm of five hundred acres, had carried on stock-raising quite 
 extensively and had superintended all the manual and graded school work. He 
 was one of the pioneers in the work of the Indian training schools and suc- 
 ceeded in demonstrating their worth in the civilizing of the red race. 
 
 While thus engaged Mr. Scott read law in his leisure moments. His read- 
 ing was directed by C. T. Atkinson, at Arkansas City, Kansas, and after his 
 admission to the bar, on the 20th of April, 1890, he practiced there until April, 
 1 89 1, when he was elected justice of the peace, which position he continued to 
 fill tmtil elected county attorney, January i, 1893. He filled the latter position 
 for two years and following his retirement from office removed to Davenport 
 on the 1st of February, 1895, and has since been a representative of the bar in 
 this city. While engaged in teaching and also while pursuing his studies Mr. 
 Scott devoted some time to the newspaper business, being correspondent for the 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 27 
 
 Bloomington Bulletin. He also worked for the Pekin (Illinois) Times and 
 while in Kansas he was for a time associate editor of the Arkansas City Val- 
 ley Democrat and correspondent for a number of years for other papers. Dur- 
 ing the fifteen years of his connection with the legal profession of Davenport 
 he has made substantial advance and has conducted many important litigated in- 
 terests. He formed a partnership with William Theophilus which continued 
 itntil April i, 1898, when Mr. Scott was appointed city attorney at Davenport, 
 holding the position until April i, 1900. He was then engaged in the practice 
 of law alone until January i, 1905, when he formed partnership relations with 
 B. I. Salinger and William Theophilus under the firm name of Salinger, Scott 
 & Theophilus, which relation was maintained until May 17, 1909. On the ist 
 of April, 1906, Mr. Scott was appointed city attorney of Davenport, which office 
 he held until the election of 1908, when he was chosen to the highest official 
 position in the gift of the city, being elected mayor for a two years' term. In 
 1904 he was the democratic nominee for county attorney but was defeated by one 
 hundred and eighty-one votes. He ran far ahead of his ticket, however, as is 
 indicated in the fact that Roosevelt in the same year was given a majority of 
 twenty-five hundred. 
 
 On the 5th of January, 1887, Mr. Scott was married to Miss Rosemary Spier, 
 of Peoria, Illinois, and they have six children: Walter Howell, Maris Stella, 
 Coaina Marie, Eunice Marie, Sylvester Hackney, and George Winans. The 
 family are members of the Catholic church and Mr. Scott holds membership with 
 the Modern Woodmen of America, the Woodmen of the World, the Ancient Order 
 of United Workmen, the National Union, the Modem Brotherhood of America, 
 the Odd Fellows' society and the Elks, and has filled nearly all of the chairs in 
 nearly all of these organizations. He was exalted ruler of the Elks lodge for 
 two years, was district deputy of the southern division of Iowa and was one of 
 the board of directors of the Elks Building Association. He has also been a mem- 
 ber of the Elks grand lodge. He has taken a very active part in society and 
 political affairs and has been called upon to deliver many speeches and ora- 
 tions, both in the lodges and during political campaigns. He has been attorney 
 for a number of corporations in this city and has met with eminent success as 
 a criminal lawyer. He stands as a splendid representative of the men whose 
 strength of character and ability have enabled them to work their way upward. 
 Mr. Scott provided for his own education and though he has met with many 
 hardships and difficulties in life, he has made continuous advancement and is 
 today a forceful character in the professional and political circles of his adopted 
 city. 
 
 HENRY MOELLER. 
 
 Henry Moeller is one of the most prominent and wealthy of the many suc- 
 cessful agriculturists of Cleona township, although he has now forsaken the 
 active work of the farm, to which he devoted himself with such energy for so 
 many years and now makes his home in the village of Walcott. He was bom 
 in the province of Mecklenburg, Germany, September 17, 1848. His parents. 
 
28 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 John and Caroline Moeller, were also natives of the fatherland and came to the 
 United States in 1854. Immediately after their arrival in this country they came 
 to Scott county, Iowa, locating in Blue Grass township, where Mrs. Moeller died. 
 She was not able to withstand the hardships of travel in those early days when 
 there was nothing to shorten the tiresome journey across the ocean, and the means 
 of crossing the mountains and prairies were most primitive. Mr. Moeller him- 
 self did not live to see the great change which transformed the character of 
 this county for he passed away seven years after his advent here. Only two 
 sons were bom to him and his wife — Henry, the subject of this review; and 
 Charles, a resident of Shelby, Iowa. 
 
 Henry Moeller, when being deprived of his father's guidance in his youth, 
 found employment and a home upon his uncle's farm, where he remained until 
 he reached man's estate, ,and, having married, was filled with the natural desire 
 to make a home of his own. Accordingly he bought a large tract of land in 
 Cleona township, to whose cultivation he devoted himself assiduously until 
 May 22, 1906, when he felt that a large income, the generous return of his 
 years of labor, entitled him to the respite from toil he desired and he took up his 
 residence in Walcott. He had previously built a fine residence, whose many 
 modern conveniences indicate the progressive spirit which was as potent a fac- 
 tor in his success as the industry and frugality. In addition to operating his 
 own place, Mr. Moeller improved and cultivated a fine tract of one hundred and 
 thirty-four acres belonging to his wife and another of sixty acres owned by his 
 mother-in-law. 
 
 On the 6th of February, 1875, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Moeller 
 and Miss Caroline Feuerbach, who was born in Cleona township, this county,' 
 April 14, 1858, and is a daughter of John and Mary Elizabeth (Dietz) Feuer- 
 bach. Her father was a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, where his birth 
 occurred May 20, 1817, and he came to the United States in 1853. He was ac- 
 companied by his sister Lizzie, who later became the wife of Jacob Adomey and 
 was the only other member of his family to come to America. She like her hus- 
 band has now passed away. Mr. Feuerbach had learned the trade of a carpenter 
 in the land of his birth, but after coming to this country worked in the mines 
 of Pennsylvania while that state was his home, and when he took up his resi- 
 dence in Scott county, Iowa, devoted himself exclusively to agricultural pur- 
 suits. He first bought forty-eight acres of land in Cleona township, to which he 
 added extensively in the course of years until at the time of his death he owned 
 five hundred acres. This is now in the possession of his widow and part of it 
 is operated by his son Henry. In Pennsylvania, July 11, 1853, Mr. Feuerbach 
 was united in marriage to Miss Mary Elizabeth Dietz, who was also born in 
 Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, December 18, 1832. In 1853 she came to America 
 with her parents, John and Marie Elizabeth (Mock) Dietz, who settled in the 
 Keystone state and latter came to Scott county, where they passed the remainder 
 of their lives. Caroline, who is the wife of Mr. Moeller, and Henry, of whom 
 mention is made elsewhere in this work, were the children granted to Mr. and 
 Mrs. Feuerbach. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Moeller have seven children, namely: Willie, who resides upon 
 his father's farm ; Bertha, who is the wife of John Hein, of Cleona township ; 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 29 
 
 Amelia, the wife of Louis Gibson, of Blue Grass township; Theresa, who mar- 
 ried Julius Hein, a brother of John Hein, and a resident of Cleona township; 
 Elizabeth, the wife of Adolph Rodgens, of Cleona township; Ella, who mar- 
 ried George Reisen, of Fulton township, Muscatine county, Iowa; and Fer- 
 dinand, who lives with his brother Willie on the home farm. 
 
 Mr. Moeller is one of the most substantial representatives of the German 
 race who have come to this country, and through the strong traits of their char- 
 acter have raised the standard of citizenship here, while at the same time they 
 have contributed to the sum total of the prosperity which distinguishes this 
 county and state. 
 
 JOHN W. JAMISON. 
 
 John W. Jamison, residing at No. 1019 Scott street in Davenport, has lived 
 retired for more than two decades and is one of the oldest residents of the city. 
 His birth occurred in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, on the 2Sth of July, 1822, 
 his parents being Francis and Nancy (Wallace) Jamison, who were natives of 
 Ireland and America respectively. The father was a farmer and miller by occu- 
 pation. John W. Jamison obtained his education in the schools of his native 
 county and after putting aside his text-books worked with his father on the farm 
 and in the mill. He likewise learned the shoemaker's trade and worked at that 
 occupation in Allegheny county until his removal to Scott county, Iowa, in 1855. 
 After a residence O'f three months in this county he returned to the Keystone state 
 for his wife and children and on establishing his home in Davenport obtained em- 
 ployment in a mill. Subsequently he entered the service of Dawson & Greggs, a 
 shoe concern, with whom he remained for about five years, on the expiration of 
 which period he opened a shoe factory in association with Mr. Murdock. Several 
 years later they dissolved partnership and for a long time Mr. Jamison remained 
 the sole proprietor of the enterprise. Later he became associated with his son, 
 George W. Jamison, and thus continued an active factor in commercial circles 
 until his retirement from the shoe business in 1877. During the following ten 
 years he was employed in a clerical capacity by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific 
 Railway but since severing his connection with that corporation he has lived in 
 honorable retirement. 
 
 On the nth of February, 1845, Mr. Jamison was united in marriage to Miss 
 Rebecca Kelso, who was bom in Pennsylvania on the 8th of September, 1816, her 
 parents being Geoirge Washington and Nancy (Murdock) Kelso. Her graiid- 
 father participated in the Revolutionary war. Mr. and Mrs. Jamison became the 
 parents of six children, the record of whom is as follows : George W., the eldest, 
 is now a resident of St. Louis. At the time of the Civil war, when but eighteen 
 years of age, he enlisted for one hundred days' service in the Union army and 
 reenlisted in 1864, becoming a member of Company G, Twentieth Iowa Volunteer 
 Infantry. He participated in a number of hotly contested engagements and when 
 the supremacy of the Union had been established was honorably discharged. He 
 married Miss Matilda Hartung, by whom he has four children, namely : Lottie, 
 
30 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 the wife of Edward Owens; Edmund K., a resident of Moline, Illinois, who 
 wedded Miss Emma Barroclough and has one child, Raymond; Archie, who 
 makes his home in St. Louis; and Wliliam, who is in the United States navy. 
 Francis Jamison, who lives in Moline, Illinois, wedded Miss Mary Binder and 
 has three children : Ida, who is the wife of George Sauni and has three children — 
 Mabel, Margaret and Mary ; Minnie, a twin sister of Ida ; and Amy, who gave 
 her hand in marriage to Charles Berry and has one child, Beatrice. The other 
 children of Mr. Jamison of this review were : John, who has passed away ; Robert, 
 who makes his home in California; Benjamin, who is likewise deceased; and 
 Nancy, at home. Mrs. Rebecca Jamison passed away on the 25th of March, 
 1907, and her loss was deeply and sincerely mourned by all who knew her. 
 
 Mr. Jamison is a stalwart democrat in his political views and held the office 
 of city assessor in 1877. He joined the Masonic fraternity in 1858 and is one 
 of the oldest representatives of the craft here. He belongs to all the branches 
 of the order, has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite and is 
 past grand treasurer of the grand lodge of Masons. He is likewise past 
 grand chancellor of the Knights of Pythias lodge. For many years he served 
 as superintendent of the Sunday school of the United Presbyterian church and 
 has always been one of its most active and valued members, holding various 
 official positions therein. He assisted in the erection of the first house of worship 
 and was one of the two men who contributed the funds for the seating of the 
 edifice. He is now in the eighty-eighth year of his age and is one of the most 
 venerable as well as respected residents of Davenport, which city has remained 
 his home for fifty-five years. His record as a business man and as a private 
 citizen has been so honorable that he has gained the confidence and good will of 
 all with whom he has been brought in contact. 
 
 COLONEL HENRY EGBERT. 
 
 Henry Egbert, "a peer among men," with a wide acquaintance, and honored 
 wherever he was known, left his impress for good upon the city which he made 
 his home and which was stimulated in its growth and progress along many 
 lines by his cooperation, his keen business insight and his unselfish devotion to 
 all that contributes to the welfare of the individual and the community. A 
 successful business man, his commercial and financial interests represented to 
 him but the one phase of life. There was something higher and of more worth 
 for him in life than the accumulation of wealth, and with the passing years he 
 used every opportunity to aid his fellowmen, to alleviate human suffering, to 
 ameliorate the hard conditions of life for the individual, and to heighten those 
 joys and pleasures which are of real value to man. All these things contributed 
 to give to Colonel Henry Egbert a hold on the affection of his fellowmen that 
 was rare and notable, causing the news of his death to be received with a sense 
 of personal bereavement throughout the entire city. 
 
 A native of Delaware, Colonel Egbert was born in New Castle, December 
 22, 1826, a son of Christian and Elizabeth (Austin) Egbert. The father was 
 
£^((l€<-^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 33 
 
 a native of Amsterdam, Holland, and came alone to America at the age of four- 
 teen years. From that time forward he was dependent entirely upon his own 
 resources, and following the sea for years, finally became captain of sea-going 
 craft. 
 
 Colonel Egbert, one of a family of three children, spent his early boyhood in 
 his father's home, attending school until bereft by death of both parents. At 
 fifteen years of age he went to Philadelphia and, though but a youth in years, 
 soon engaged in the grocery business, which occupied his attention until he 
 attained his majority. Continuing on his westward way, in 1847 he went to 
 Hocking river, seven miles from Logan, Ohio, and there operated a sawmill. 
 While residing in that locality, he was married on the 12th of May, 1850, to 
 Miss Elizabeth G. Sudlow, a daughter of Richard and Hannah Sudlow and a 
 native of New York. They began their domestic life near Logan, where they 
 remained until 1856, when they came to Scott county, Iowa. It was still in 
 some respects a frontier district, although the seeds of civilization had been 
 planted many years before and were already bearing good fruit. 
 
 Colonel Egbert purchased a farm in Cleona township and gave his time and 
 labors to the cultivation and improvement of the fields until August 14, 1861, 
 when, aroused by the spirit of patriotism, he abandoned the plow and offered 
 his services to the government. His military record is one of which any man 
 might be proud and well serves to perpetuate the memory of Colonel Egbert in 
 Iowa. He enlisted in Company C, Second Iowa Cavalry, August 14, 1861, as 
 first sergeant and seven days later was elected captain of his company. At the 
 battle of Farmington, Mississippi, he was severely wounded, a piece of shell 
 striking him in the left leg. He was compelled to return home on sick fur- 
 lough, but all the time he was anxious for recovery that he might again engage 
 in active service for his country. Forty days from the date of his home-coming 
 found him on his way back to the field and after rejoining his regiment he par- 
 ticipated in all of its battles until May, 1863, when he was again compelled by 
 wounds and illness to return to his home. He did not leave the service per- 
 manently, however, but in 1864 again went into the field as lieutenant colonel 
 of the Forty-fourth Iowa Infantry and on the ist of March was appointed pro- 
 vost marshal of the second district of Iowa. In that capacity he closed up the 
 provost marshal business of the entire state and on January i, 1866, received 
 his honorable discharge from the service. 
 
 The war ended, Colonel Egbert quietly resumed the pursuits of civil life, 
 again taking up the work of the farm, to which he gave his attention until the 
 fall of 1869, when his fellow citizens gave expression of their desire for his 
 service in a public capacity by electing him treasurer of Scott county. He held 
 that responsible position for four years and about the close of his term engaged 
 in the printing, binding and blank book business as the senior member of the 
 firm of Egbert, Fidlar & Chambers. In the fall of 1879 he was elected on the 
 republican ticket as Scott county's representative to the Iowa legislature, and his 
 course in the general assembly was characterized by the same loyalty and fidelity 
 which had marked him in other offices, both civil and military. He was from 
 its founding deeply interested in the Soldier's Orphans' Home at Davenport, and 
 while a member of the legislature worked earnestly and successfully to secure 
 
34 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 such enactments as would insure the permanency and still greater usefulness of 
 that institution. For several years he was the locall member and president of 
 its board of trustees. 
 
 In politics Colonel Egbert was always a stanch supporter of the republican 
 party, thoroughly conversant with the issues of the day and ready at all times 
 to support his position by intelligent argument. In addition to his other ofifices 
 he served as postmaster of Davenport during the Harrison administration. In 
 his later years he was prominently known as a representative of the banking 
 interests of the city, becoming president of the Davenport National Bank and 
 Union Savings Bank. The complex problems of banking were quickly and cor- 
 rectly solved by him and he remained at the head of these institutions to the 
 time of his demise. 
 
 Colonel Egbert was a prominent and popular member of Davenport Lodge, 
 No. 37, A. F. & A. M., manifesting in his life the beneficent spirit of this 
 society. He belonged to the Loyal Legion and always gave it hearty support. 
 He was a firm believer in Christianity, had strong religious convictions, and ex- 
 emplified them fully in his daily life. In early manhood he became a member 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church and continued to render active and loyal 
 service therein until the end. His first membership was in the Wharton Street 
 church in Philadelphia. Thereafter it was in the First Methodist, later the 
 Central Methodist church, of Davenport, Iowa. The church was very dear to 
 him, and he gave to it liberally, both in time and means. 
 
 He was a lover of the quiet and freedom of life in the country and this led 
 him in later years to again make his home there. He chose a sightly spot on the 
 river bluffs above the city, within easy reach of its activities, and there built a 
 home and surrounded it with those things which, with him, made best for life's 
 true enjoyment, and here he spent the last five years of his busy life. Here he 
 and his cherished wife and helpmeet lived to celebrate their golden wedding an- 
 niversary. May 12, 1900. The death of Henry Egbert occurred on the 23d of 
 February, 1901. 
 
 "He was one of the finest men that ever lived in Davenport," was the opin- 
 ion uniformly held throughout the city. Kindly and generous, the extent of his 
 good works will never be known, but they have won for him a place in the hearts 
 of his fellows that is more to be coveted than the honors of the statesman or the 
 success of the captain of industry. He stood for all that is highest and best 
 in citizenship, in business and in social life, and though he has passed away, 
 his memory will be enshrined for years in the hearts of those who knew him. 
 
 HENRY F. WUNDER. 
 
 In a history of Blue Grass it is imperative that mention be made of Henry F. 
 Wunder, its present mayor, who has occupied that office since the incorporation 
 of the town in 1903, and is also serving as the efficient cashier of the Blue Grass. 
 Savings Bank, while he is at the same time identified with other financial and in- 
 dustrial enterprises. One of Scott county's native sons, his birth occurred on 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 35 
 
 the 4th of September, 1859, his parents being WiUiam and Catherine (Schlap- 
 kohl) Wunder, both of whom were born in Holstein, Germany, the former on 
 the 25th of March, 1823, and the latter on the 13th of May, 1822. The father 
 crossed the Atlantic to America in 1851, locating first in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, 
 where he remained for one year and then came to Scott county, where he worked 
 at the carpenter's trade until 1859. In that year he purchased a farm in Blue 
 Grass township, to which he removed and upon which he resided until 1886, 
 when he put aside the active work of the fields and lived retired in Davenport 
 until he passed away on the 4th of July, 1907. The demise of his wife had 
 occurred in this city on the 12th of October, 1891. 
 
 In the district schools of Scott county Henry F. Wunder acquired his pre- 
 liminary education and later benefited by study at the Littlebridge Business 
 College of Davenport, completing the course in 1878 and being thus well equipped 
 to take up the practical and responsible duties of life. Returning home, he took 
 charge of the homestead farm for his father and was engaged in agricultural 
 pursuits until the organization of the Blue Grass Savings Bank, when he was 
 elected cashier of that institution and has so continued to the present day. The 
 bank, which opened for business on the 6th of January, 1902, was first capitalized- 
 for fourteen thousand dollars, but its growth has been so rapid during the inter- 
 vening years that on the 22d of June, 1909, its capital was increased to twenty- 
 five thousand dollars. It is today one of the safe, reliable and well known banks 
 of the community and in the capacity of cashier Mr. Wunder has proven himself 
 a very capable and faithful official. His accuracy and business ability, combined 
 with integrity and fidelity to the interests of the bank, have won for him the 
 appreciation and high regard of the other officials, while his uniform courtesy 
 and promptness in the discharge of all business have made him very popular with 
 the patrons of the institution. He is furthermore a stockholder in the Guaranty 
 Mutual Life Insurance Company of Davenport and a director in the Blue Grass 
 Repair & Implement Company, both of which organizations have profited materi- 
 ally by his wise counsel and business sagacity. Upon the cieath of his father in 1907 
 he came into possession of the old homestead farm, which he still owns and which 
 annually returns to him gratifying rental. His various business interests, carefully 
 managed, have brought him a most gratifying measure of success and today he 
 stands among the substantial, influential and representative citizens of the com- 
 munity. 
 
 Mr. Wunder belpngs to Hillside Camp, No. 2470, M. W. A., of Blue Grass, 
 and is a prominent and active member thereof. He cast his first presidential vote 
 for Garfield and since that time has voted a mixed ticket. His fellow citizens, 
 recognizing his personal worth, have called him to various offices of trust and 
 he served for six years as township clerk and as a member of the school board for 
 ten years. In 1903, at the time of the incorporation of the town of Blue Grass, 
 his fellowmen conferred upon him the greatest honor in their power to bestow, 
 electing him mayor of the town, in which office he has since continued to serve. 
 He has made an excellent record during his incumbency in that office, giving to 
 the town a businesslike, progressive and beneficial administration. He has also 
 inaugurated many reforms and improvements and in the discharge of his public 
 duties has ever been true to the trust reposed in him by his fellow townsmen. 
 
36 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 In the business circles of Blue Grass few men are more prominent or more 
 widely known, and his prosperity is well deserved, as in him are embraced the 
 characteristics of an unbending integrity, unabating energy and industry that 
 never flags. 
 
 JUDGE G. C. R. MITCHELL. 
 
 A scholar in the breadth of his own wisdom and the appreciation of knowl- 
 edge, a statesman in his understanding of the vital problems of government, a 
 lawyer of superior ability and a gentleman because of the innate refinement of 
 his nature that rejected everything opposed to good taste, the names of Gilbert 
 Chris Russell Mitchell is written large on the pages of Davenport's early his- 
 tory and his influence was a most potent element in shaping the early progress 
 of the city in professional, social, educational and moral lines. The intensely 
 human side of his nature, that which held friendship inviolable and expressed 
 itself in acts of kindness and deeds of generosity, was never in any way over- 
 shadowed by the strength of his intellect, which, however, was far in advance 
 of the great majority of men of his day. Born in Dandridge, Jefferson county, 
 Tennessee, December 26, 1803, he was the only son of Nathaniel and Ann 
 (Rhea) Mitchell. The father was born in Albemarle, now Nelson county, Vir- 
 ginia, in 1778. During the war the records in the courthouses of Virginia wei'e 
 burned, consequently little is known of his ancestry but many of the name of 
 Mitchell from Virginia are on the Revolutionary honor roll. The family is of 
 Scotch lineage. The father was a man of sterling qualities, honorable and high 
 minded. He served in the war of 1812, holding the rank of colonel. His wife 
 was born in New River county, Virginia, in 1783 and was a daughter of Archi- 
 bald Rhea. Later the family removed to Tennessee, settling about a mile above 
 Knoxville, and it was in Knox county that she became the wife of Nathaniel 
 Mitchell. The progenitor of the Rhea family belonged to the Scotch house of 
 Argylle — Matthew Campbell by name. Known as "The Rebel," he fought in 
 many wars in Scotland and was finally obliged to flee to the north of Ireland, 
 where he changed his name to Rhea. Members of the Rhea family were re- 
 markable for attaining influence and honor wherever they lived in this country. 
 Coming of Scotch covenanter stock, there was a strong tendency toward the 
 Presbyterian ministry. In a single generation not only one son but two or three 
 would enter upon that calling. Mrs. Ann Mitchell was a devoted Presbyterian 
 and became one of the ten charter members of the Presbyterian church of Daven- 
 port in 1839 and assisted in building the first chapel. The Rhea family were very- 
 prominent in the upbuilding and development of the south. 
 
 It was among the "over mountain people" that G. C. R. Mitchell spent his 
 boyhood and early manhood. Though the early settlers of that locality are rec- 
 ognized as having been of an unusually high type, it is rather surprising that 
 almost before the echo of the Indian war cry died away, it was possible for a 
 boy to be as finely educated as was Gilbert Mitchell. As a child he was sin- 
 gularly beautiful. His health was delicate, so that he was carefully nurtured and 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 39 
 
 during these early years he was laying the foundations for his thorough mental 
 attainments and accomplishments. He spoke French and German and was- 
 versed in Greek and Latin ; in his boyhood he learned to play the flute and the 
 violin, and also understood surveying. For a time the family lived in Russell- 
 ville, Alabama, and in 1818, then fifteen years of age. Judge Mitchell was attending 
 school in Knoxville. He was afterward a student at East Tennesee College, now 
 the University of Tennessee, where the curriculum was highly academic, and was a 
 member of the first graduating class in the fall of 1822. He was always an apt 
 student, at the head of his classes, and the fine "speeches" which he delivered 
 in those days show that he was already thinking out along broad lines relative 
 to the country, its development and welfare. He was particularly interested in 
 the Mississippi river country, for even in boyhood his thoughts were turned to 
 the west. Some of his college speeches are still preserved and are well worthy 
 of perusal, showing a marked difference from the present in habits of thought ; 
 all show a remarkable command of language and clearness of thought, qualities 
 which were afterward of value to him in his legal career. He also wrote verses, 
 but whether at this period or later is not known. 
 
 Following his graduation Mr. Mitchell went to Moulton, Lawrence county, 
 Alabama, where his parents were then living, and took up the study of law in the 
 office of Judge A. F. Hopkins. He was admitted to the bar in 1825 and prac- 
 ticed successfully in Alabama for several years while living in Moulton. Here 
 he was a partner of David A. Smith. For the greater part of that period he 
 was clerk of the circuit court and was a candidate for the office of circuit judge 
 but was defeated. In 1828 he traveled in the west with the idea of settling there. 
 He returned, however, to Alabama and was living in Courtland in 1830 but he 
 had not given up the idea of going west. In 1832 he went again to St. Louis 
 but returned to Courtland, where he lived until 1834, in the meantime selling his 
 land, with the idea of leaving there permanently. Investigation into possibilities 
 of the middle west at length brought him to Davenport and from the time that 
 he came to the city he sprang into instant prominence. However, he spent a year 
 in a tour among eastern cities before coming west permanently but did not find 
 that section of the country attractive to him. While living in the south he was 
 seriously ill with typhoid fever and a change of climate was advised. This gave 
 him his opportunity. He visited St. Louis, Fort Dearborn (Chicago), Galena 
 and Dubuque, then came to Stevenson, as Rock Island was called, in May, 1835. 
 In that year he purchased a squatter's right in Davenport — the tract of land which 
 was later known as Mitchell's addition. He built thereon a little pioneer home, 
 which he occupied until 1837. His parents followed him to Davenport in 1836 
 and his father bought land also. An old record seems to indicate that he pur- 
 chased land of Antoine LeClaire but most of his property was obtained by tak- 
 ing up a regular squatter's claim and then buying from the government when 
 the land was placed on the market. When this was done the claims that had 
 been taken up by the early settlers did not conform to the government surveys, 
 which were made about 1840. The land office was opened at Dubuque and the 
 settlers of Davenport and vicinity agreed that Judge Mitchell should purchase 
 all the lands that were thus conveyed. Thus by a mutual give and take system 
 each owner was bounded by the section lines of the survey. As Judge Mitchell 
 
40 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 had the confidence of all, his dictum settled all discontent. There were many 
 instances in the early history of the community where Judge Mitchell was called 
 upon to settle difficulties, his legal knowledge and fair-mindedness giving him 
 unusual equipment for arbitrator. He was, moreover, "the leading practitioner 
 of law in Davenport from his earliest settlement." On the 23d of February, 
 1836, a meeting was held, presumably at the home of Colonel George Davenport, 
 on Government Island, to found the town of Davenport, on which occasion Judge 
 Mitchell was present. The instrument was executed in his fine, clear hand- 
 writing and is now in possession of Louis A. LeClaire, a nephew of Antoine 
 LeClaire. In an account of Davenport in 1836 the Democrat-Gazette of 1889 
 in speaking of Judge Mitchell said: "Our first lawyer had no taste for office. 
 Attractive in ways of chat, scholarly, intelligent, at home in classic lore or 
 modern thought, a thorough jurist, observant of the country's men and laws and 
 politics, quick to see, faithful 'in memory, yet shunning the crowd he loved his 
 home, his papers and his books. With these he constantly communed. His 
 library was the best in Davenport and its owner knew its contents." 
 
 At this time Iowa was a part of the territory of Wisconsin and there is in 
 existence a document executed February 15, 1837, by Henry Dodge, governor of 
 the territory of Wisconsin, appointing G. C. R. Mitchell master in chancery of 
 the county of EHibuque. This office carried with it the title of judge. At the 
 time that Rockingham and Davenport each sought to become the county seat 
 Judge Mitchell was nominated for representative to the legislature but was de- 
 feated. However, it was acknowledged that he was "largely instrumental in 
 securing for Davenport the enviable distinction of being made the county seat of 
 Scott county." With all that pertains to the early life of the city and the upbuild- 
 ing of this section of the state Judge Mitchell was closely identified. Although 
 not a Catholic at the time, he gave liberally toward the building of St. Anthony's 
 church, which was dedicated May 23, 1838. It was for many years the largest 
 public edifice in the town and was used by all large assemblies to deliberate 
 upon matters of public interest. It was there that the first district court met. 
 Father Pelamourgues, the priest in charge, "deemed it no desecration of the 
 holy place to have it temporarily used as a temple of justice." 
 
 G. C. R. Mitchell and Jonathan Parker were the lawyers for the defense 
 in the first case docketed in the Scott county district court and the answer of the 
 defense is in the plain, leisurely written hand of Judge Mitchell. He also wrote 
 the document and his was the first signature to an agreement made October 9, 
 1838, by the members of the Iowa bar regarding the return of court notices. In 
 1838 or 1839 Judge Mitchell became one of three directors of what was called 
 "the Rock River and Mississippi Steam Navigation Company," an enterprise 
 that did not prove a profitable venture. In 1840 he was one of three who issued 
 a call to organize an Agricultural Society and became its vice president. He 
 was also among the first to advertise in the Iowa Sun, which was printed in 1838. 
 This publication was succeeded by the Davenport Gazette in 1841. In the Daven- 
 port Academy of Science are now found bound volumes of the Burlington Haw- 
 keye of 1843 and 1844, which are Judge Mitchell's copies. When the Judge died 
 
 one room in his house was entirely filled with files of newspapers in perfect order 
 
 a notable collection — and the most valuable of these files was that of the Niles 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 41 
 
 Register, published in Baltimore during the period following the Revolution. 
 At his death the Register was given to St. Ambrose College. 
 
 Judge Mitchell never sought office and in fact preferred to leave office hold- 
 mg to others. Yet he had no patience with those who evaded public duties. 
 When he was nominated for judge the Iowa State Democrat said : "Judge Mit- 
 chell is a man who never seeks office and has never shown any desire for official 
 honors but such men are just the proper persons to be nominated and they have 
 no right to decline, unless the sacrifice of accepting office is too great." In 1843 
 Judge Mitchell was again a candidate for the territorial legislature on the whig 
 ticket. When that party dissolved Judge Mitchell affiliated with the democratic 
 party. He was elected as representative of Scott county to the sixth territorial 
 legislature which convened in Iowa City, December 4, 1843. If the life of a 
 people is reflected in the laws they frame the proceedings of a legislature are 
 a valuable index to the times. In his message the governor made reference to 
 the removal of the Sac and Fox Indians to the "west of the temporary boundary 
 of Iowa" and deplored the vicious habits of the Winnebagoes. He also spoke of 
 health conditions in the state and urged ascertaining the wishes of the people in 
 regard to framing a state constitution. This matter was taken up during the 
 session and referred to a select committee, on which Judge Mitchell served. He 
 was also prominent on the committee to which was referred the protection of 
 the frontier, for at that time militia officers were negligent in reporting the num- 
 ber and equipment of their respective commands, so that it was impossible for 
 the war department to furnish them with the arms to which proper returns would 
 entitle them. Judge Mitchell was on three standing committees, the judiciary, 
 military affairs and engrossing bills. He was also on a committee of one from 
 each electoral district to prepare rules for the government of the house and later 
 when the standing committee on the library was appointed he served on it. The 
 judiciary committee has always been the most important and his work in that 
 connection was evidence of his great ability in legal matters. He was chair- 
 man of a special committee to which was referred a bill to amend the law then 
 in force regarding grand and petit jurors, and served on a committee of three 
 appointed to report on such alterations of the law regulating wills and adminis- 
 trators as might be deemed necessary. To the judiciary committee was referred 
 a bill to district the county of Scott for the election of county commissioners ; a 
 bill to amend an act for the election of constables and the defining of their duties ; 
 and a bill relative to proceedings in chancery, Judge Mitchell was one of two 
 appointed as committee of conference regarding the last named bill. The judi- 
 ciary committee dealt also with a bill to amend an act defining crimes and punish- 
 ments. All these questions show more or less clearly the formative condition 
 which then prevailed and Judge Mitchell was active in framing laws and in- 
 stituting measures which have been important forces in the state's development 
 and government. Among' the petitions presented by Judge Mitchell from Scott 
 county was one praying for the establishment of a "territorial road" between 
 Davenport and Iowa City. He introduced a memorial to the postmaster general 
 for additional mail facilities, and most important of all was the bill he introduced 
 for the purpose of abolishing imprisonment for debt, supplementary to a law on 
 the same subject previously passed. Several divorces were applied for and re- 
 
42 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 ferred to the committee on judiciary. The legislature had heretofore granted 
 divorces. The committee offered a resolution to the effect that in their opinion 
 such matters should be brought before a judicial tribunal rather than before the 
 legislature. The report made on the subject is voluminous and reflects the 
 universal seriousness with which divorce was then regarded. 
 
 In 1846 Judge Mitchell received the whig nomination for congressman at 
 large from the state. The Gazette of that date says : "G. C. R. Mitchell, Esquire, 
 is so well and favorably known from his long residence in the territory — having 
 lived here when it was embraced in that of Wisconsin — that it is needless for u? 
 to speak of his qualifications. As a jurist, a scholar and an honest man we doubt 
 if Mr. Mitchell has a superior in the territory. The whigs can rest assured that 
 in him they will find a faithful exponent of their principles. As representative 
 from this county to the legislature he gave general satisfaction." He was, how- 
 ever, defeated by the democratic candidate. Throughout these years Judge 
 Mitchell continued in the practice of law, occupying his place as "the foremost 
 lawyer of Davenport in the early days." 
 
 On the 14th of April, ,1852, G. C. R. Mitchell was married in St. Anthony's 
 church to Miss Rose Anna Clarke, daughter of William and Catherine Clarke. 
 She was born December 23, 1823, near the town of TuUamore, Kings county, 
 Ireland, and in her early girlhood her parents brought the family to this country, 
 settling near Cincinnati, in Brown county, Ohio. Her eldest sister, Mary, be- 
 came the wife of George Meyers, one of the earliest residents of Rock Island, and 
 a second sister, Sarah A., married George L. Davenport. Theirs was the first 
 in the record of marriages of St. Anthony's church. When Rose Clarke was 
 eighteen years of age she came to Davenport by steamboat from St. Louis in 
 1842, and for ten years she lived with her sister, Mrs. Davenport. Judge Mitchell 
 was the first gentleman she met after her arrival. The fame of her beautiful 
 voice had preceded her and for years she was a prominent member of St. An- 
 thony's choir, to which Judge Mitchell also belonged. There was no organ or 
 no melodeon in those days but they had flute, clarionet, 'cello and violin. Later 
 when St. Anthony's secured a melodeon. Rose Clarke played on it, singing while 
 she played. She was also an accompHshed horsewoman and rode a great deal in 
 her younger days. Judge Mitchell and his bride went south for their wedding 
 trip. It is said that while they were in St. Louis they spent one thousand dollars 
 in furnishing their new home, which was then considered a very unusual outlay. 
 Most of this furniture was finely carved mahogany and a mahogany rocking 
 chair which was a wedding gift from George L. Davenport is now in possession 
 of their daughter, Mrs. William J. McCullough. After living for a time on the 
 west side of Main street, between Fourth and Fifth streets, Judge Mitchell and 
 his family removed to the corner of Eighth and Marquette streets. Separate 
 from the house but on the same grounds was the office, built so after the soulhern 
 custom. Later, removal was made to the present location of St. Mary's Home. 
 Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Davenport, the "Qarke sisters," were considered the 
 best housekeepers in Davenport. 
 
 Recognizing the needs of the city in many directions, Judge Mitchell devoted 
 and found time to support and cooperate in movements that met these needs. 
 In 1854 he became engaged in a new venture, becoming associated with C. S. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 43 
 
 Whisler in establishing a ferry after obtaining a ten years' charter from Iowa. 
 In the winter of 1854-55 they made an effort to obtain a charter from the Illinois 
 legislature but failed. Having authority to carry but one way, business was un- 
 profitable but in the latter year they sold their Iowa franchise to their competi- 
 tors for two thousand dollars and afterward disposed of their boat, the lone. It 
 was also in 1854 that Charles E. Putnam came to Davenport and studied law 
 under Judge Mitchell, by whom he was admitted to a partnership that existed 
 until 1857, when Mr. Mitchell became district judge. From 1855 until 1857 his 
 activity in public life reached its height. Old files show that on the ist of March, 
 185s, a meeting of Scott county democrats was called by.G. C. R. Mitchell, G. E. 
 Hubbell and others, for the formation of a democratic club. In the same year 
 he was a member of the city council. At that time Davenport was plunged into 
 bonded indebtedness beyond its constitutional limit. Judge Mitchell was very 
 conservative and opposed increasing the indebtedness in all the votes he gave as 
 alderman. In 1856 he was elected mayor and in his official capacity appointed 
 a corrtmittee to commence action, enjoining the continuance of the bonded in- 
 debtedness. The action succeeded and the injunction was made perpetual. The 
 following spring a bar convention held in Lyons offered him the nomination for 
 judge of the fourteenth judicial district. This was the first attempt in the dis- 
 trict to take the election of judges out of politics, a plan now followed. In the 
 Iowa State Democrat appeared the following editorial comment: "G. C. R. 
 Mitchell is too well known in all the three counties of this district to render it 
 necessary to speak of his abilities. He has one of the best judicial minds of any 
 man in the district- and he is the soul of honor. His most intimate and dearest 
 friend could never move him to any act of partiality so long as he should wear the 
 ermine. So spotless is his reputation in this respect that no man will be found 
 with hardihood enough to question it." Another newspaper characterized him 
 as a man "of eminent qualifications for the post to which he had been nominated." 
 Though the Gazette tried to make the election a party issue. Judge Mitchell was 
 elected by a handsome majority — a fact indicative of his personal popularity and 
 the high regard entertained for him in a professional way, for he was the only 
 democrat elected. Though he resigned from the office of judge in the fall of 
 the year in which he went upon the bench, he left a strong and lasting impression 
 upon the judicial history of Iowa. Davenport Past and Present, in a biography 
 of Judge Mitchell published before his death, says : "As a jurist Judge Mitchell 
 takes a high position. He is profoundly discriminative, a keen, careful analyst, 
 and one whose deductions are always reliably correct. His mental processes are 
 seemingly slow but in reality rapid, for while others would dash to a conclusion 
 (often the wrong one) with an imperfect view of a few contiguous facts, he- 
 traverses the whole ground, omitting nothing, however seemingly trivial or great ; 
 and although he may be twice as long in evolving a question as another, he per- 
 forms ten times the labor and his conclusion is in the same proportion more 
 worthy of credence. If he has one trait more prominent than another, it is his 
 thorough comprehensiveness, his ability to include everything in his examination 
 of a subject, and add to this a nice instinctive and cultivated perception of the 
 character and weight of a fact, and one may see why he rarely goes wrong, or 
 
44 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 commits errors in conclusions." Elsewhere the statement is found that he 
 stood the peer of the greatest men of his time in Iowa." 
 
 In December, 1858, Judge Mitchell was called upon to go as a ilelegate from 
 Scott county to the general convention at Iowa City to consider taking action 
 regarding state aid to railroads. He was chairman of the meeting and was 
 also a member of the committee of five which memorialized the governor 
 to call an extra session of the legislature relative to the matter. In 
 the later years of his life Judge Mitchell lived quietly, happy in his home life 
 with his family and his friends and his books around him. Unto him and his wife 
 were born six children, of whom Henry M., Anna M. E., Mary Catherine and 
 Martha M. died in childhood. The eldest son, Nathaniel Stephen, lived to the 
 age of thirty-three and at his death left a wife and five children. He inherited 
 brilliant gifts of mind and while at college was considered an exceptional student 
 in all the branches of general education. He was talented along artistic lines 
 and was an excellent musician. For many years he directed the choir at St. 
 Marguerite's church. He was a lawyer by profession. The only living child of 
 Judge and Mrs. Mitchell is Josephine Mary, the wife of William J. McCullough. 
 She is convent bred, having received an excellent education, and is a woman of 
 great beauty. She is also an artist of ability. She has a gentle, serene nature 
 and above all else is the devoted wife and mother. Mr. and Mrs. McCullough 
 are the parents of six children. 
 
 On one occasion Judge Mitchell lost ten thousand dollars, all of the cash 
 which he possessed, in a bank failure, but he was the owner of valuable property 
 that included a large tract of land north of his residence and known as Mitchell's 
 Bluff. He was very liberal with his wealth, gave generously to the poor and often 
 loaned money when he knew it would never be returned. He never refused his 
 professional service to those unable to pay and when he died there was sixty 
 thousand dollars due him as fees which was never collected. He was especially 
 generous to the church, gave the land on which St. Kunigunda's (now St. 
 Joseph's) church was built in 1855 '"•"^ ^^so the land on which the new church 
 building next to the old one was erected. Mrs. Mitchell after her husband's 
 death was a most generous supporter of St. Mary's church, for which she selected 
 the name. Judge Mitchell and George L. Davenport donated ten acres of land 
 to the Sisters of Charity, on which in 1859 was established a school for yoiing 
 ladies that was the beginning of what is now the Immaculate Conception Acad^ 
 emy. Judge Mitchell possessed one of the finest private libraries in the state 
 and was ever a man of broad and liberal culture, thoroughly informed concerning 
 philosophy and kindred subjects, history and general branches of learning and 
 research. He was extremely modest regarding his gifts of mind and would never 
 attempt to write on law or literature, although his friends frequently urged him 
 to do so. He spent some time in travel, especially in the south. To slavery as 
 an institution he was strongly opposed but did not take an active part in slavery 
 agitation. He suflfered a stroke of apoplexy December 6, 1865, and died on the 
 evening of that day. Funeral services were held December 8th, the impressive 
 rites of the Catholic church being celebrated over the remains at St. Kuni- 
 gunda's church, on which occasion Father Pelamourgues delivered a feeling and 
 appropriate address, while the members of the Old Settlers Association attended 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 45 
 
 the services in a body. Mrs. Mitchell survived her husband almost forty-two 
 years. She was a woman of strong qualities, possessing a fine, grave nature. 
 After his death she developed an unusual business ability, was a splendid man- 
 ager and, like Judge Mitchell, was very generous. One of the newspapers of 
 recent years said : "Mrs. Rose A. Mitchell lived on one of the city's most beau- 
 tiful eminences, where she passed her declining years in works of quiet charity 
 and the profoundest piety." She died March 23, 1907, after a week's illness at 
 the home of her daughter, Mrs. McCullough, and the funeral services were held 
 in St. Mary's church on the 26th of March. 
 
 The Schmalhaus portrait of Judge Mitchell, which was taken from a daguer- 
 reotype of an early day, was placed in the courthouse at the request of the 
 members of the Scott county bar. Judge Mitchell was far above the 
 mediocre, the commonplace. Such men as he are rare. In the story of his 
 life can be found nothing discreditable or ignoble. Of wonderful fineness and 
 sensitiveness of nature, remarkably gifted mind and endearing qualities, public- 
 spirited, honorable and high-minded, he stands out vividly as an incentive and an 
 inspiration. So long as the history of Davenport and Scott county is remem- 
 bered will the name of Judge Mitchell be held in honor. 
 
 (Note: — This sketct was taken from a biographical article written by M. Elizabeth 
 McCullough, a granddaughter of Judge Mitchell.) 
 
 HENRY ROHLF. 
 
 Henry Rohlf, who devoted his time and energies to farming throughout his 
 active business career, has lived in honorable retirement for the past fifteen years, 
 making his home at No. 704 Main street in Davenport. He was born in Holstein, 
 Germany, on the 25th of February, 1840, a son of Henry and Catherine Rohlf. 
 The father, who was a laborer, served as a soldier of the German army. In 1854 
 he brought his family to the United States and after landing at New York came 
 direct to Davenport, Iowa, arriving in this city on the 3d of June. He secured 
 employment as a farm hand and continued to reside in this county until called to 
 his final rest in 1887, having for fifteen years survived his wife, who passed away 
 in 1872. Unto this worthy couple were born five children, namely: Henry, of 
 this review; Amos, who is a resident of Clay county, Iowa; Fred, of Sheridan 
 township, Scott county; August, living in Davenport; and Wilham, who makes 
 his home in Davenport township, Scott county. 
 
 Henry Rohlf attended the schools of the fatherland until fourteen years of 
 age, when he accompanied his parents on their emigration to the new world. Af- 
 ter coming to Scott county he continued his studies during two winter terms of 
 school and then devoted his entire attention to farm work. In 1862 he purchased 
 forty acres of land in Pleasant Valley township and was actively engaged in its 
 cultivation for two years, when he sold the property and bought a tract of fifty- 
 five acres on the Jersey Ridge road. As his financial resources increased he ex- 
 tended the boundaries of the farm to include one hundred and seventy and a. half 
 
46 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 acres and made his home thereon for nineteen years, placing many fine improve- 
 ments on the property. On disposing of that farm he purchased a quarter section 
 of land in Muscatine county, where he successfully carried on his agricultural 
 interests for ten years, when he put aside the active work of the fields and has 
 since lived retired in Davenport. He still retains possession of the farm in 
 Muscatine county and also owns one hundred and sixty acres of land in Sheridan 
 township, Scott county, which he purchased subsequent to his retirement. 
 
 On the 20th of December, 1864, Mr. Rohlf was united in marriage to Miss 
 Malinda Heath, whose birth occurred in Pennsylvania in 1841. They became the 
 parents of four children, the record of whom is as follows. Ida, the eldest, 
 passed away when but two years of age. Ella is the wife of Andrew Krambeck, 
 of Dysart, Tama county, Iowa, and has two children, Ida and Emma. Sadie, 
 who gave her hand in marriage to William Schroeder, of Blue Grass, is now de- 
 ceased. Her children were four in number; one who died in infancy; Freda; 
 Ella; and Hulda. Otto L., who operates his father's farm in Muscatine county, 
 wedded Miss Emma Schroeder, by whom he has four children: Elsie, Arthur, 
 Lester and Bessie. The wife and mother was called to her final rest in 1886. 
 
 Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Rohlf has given his 
 political allegiance to the republican party. He proved a capable incumbent in 
 the office of assessor of Davenport township and has done much to advance the 
 cause of education during his many years' service as a school director. The 
 period of his residence in this part of the state covers fifty-six years and he is 
 widely recognized as a prosperous and esteemed citizen. The German Pioneers 
 Association numbers him among its worthy members. 
 
 JENS LORENZEN. 
 
 While Jens Lorenzen came to be recognized as one di the foremost repre- 
 sentatives of commercial and financial interests in Davenport there were also 
 certain other qualities which gained him a firm hold upon the regard of his fel- 
 low townsmen. A genial and sympathetic nature caused him to make friends with 
 all and his life was, therefore, the exposition of the Emersonian philosophy that 
 "the way to win a friend is to be one." So widely and favorably was he known 
 that his history cannot fail to prove of general interest and, moreover, his life 
 work constitutes an important chapter in the business development of Davenport. 
 
 Mr. Lorenzen was born in Luegumkloster, Schleswig, Germany, April 6, 
 1833. His early schooling gave him a splendid business education and, actuateS 
 by the spirit of ambition and energy, he sought the opportunities of the new world 
 when twenty-one years of age, crossing the Atlantic with a large party of his 
 fellow countrymen. Landing at New Orleans, he made his way to Chicago, 
 where he engaged in business for a time, but in 1856 arrived in Davenport. He 
 was thenceforth until his death connected with the commercial interests of the 
 city, extending the scope of his interests proportionately with the growth and 
 development of this part of the state. His initial step in business circles here 
 was made in 1857 as proprietor of a little porcelain, glass and stoneware store. 
 
^^^^^ '/^'^^^^^^^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 49 
 
 his stock of goods being placed upon display in a frame building on Harrison 
 above Second street. From that humble start he developed a mammoth enter- 
 prise which had become a very profitable concern long before he turned it over 
 to his successors in the later years of his life. It passed through the financial 
 crisis of 1857 and, although not all days were equally bright and at times the 
 storm clouds seemed to gather, he nevertheless held to his purpose with a firm 
 and steady hand and his keen business insight, together with his well known 
 honesty and honorable methods, soon won for hini the respect and confidence of 
 the entire community. His place of business, therefore, became a popular shop- 
 ping center and each year witnessed an increase in the volume of trade. He was 
 soon obliged to seek larger quarters and removed to the corner of Third and Hai^- 
 rison streets. Even here the building which he occupied was found to be too 
 small owing to the rapid and substantial growth of the business, and in i860 he 
 removed to 217 Harrison street. In 1871 Mr. Lorenzen replaced the old build- 
 ing with the present modern block at 223 West Third street, to which he added 
 the corner in 1890. He also owned the property to the south. The business 
 was at length reorganized under the name of the Jens Lorenzen Crockery Company 
 and so continued until 1907, when Mr. Lorenzen retired, disposing of his inter- 
 ests to the present owners. He, however, retained the ownership of the building. 
 As his financial resources increased he extended his efforts to other fields and 
 became one of the organizers and a member of the first board of directors of the 
 German Savings Bank, of which he was president from 1901 to 1906. He was 
 also one of the founders of the Security Fire Insurance Company, of which he 
 was a director and for nine years vice president. He was also a director 
 of the Davenport Water Company and one of the founders and first presi- 
 dent of the Mutual Insurance Company. For over forty years he was a 
 director of the Citizens Bank and vice president from 1900 to 1906. What- 
 ever he undertook seemed to prosper under his careful guidance. His suc- 
 cess, however, was not due to any fortunate combination of circumstances 
 but to the sound judgment which he displayed. He had the ability to combine 
 seemingly diverse interests into a harmonious whole and, watchful of every 
 detail, at the same time he recognized the more salient features of the business 
 and gave to them their due relative importance. 
 
 Mr. Lorenzen was the possessor of those qualities that render the individual 
 a favorite with his fellows and was popular in the Davenport Turngemeinde, 
 the Davenport Shooting Association, owners of Schuetzen park. He also be- 
 longed to the German-American Pioneers Association. For thirty years he served 
 as treasurer of the school district. One of the local papers said of him: "Mr. 
 Lorenzen was looked upon by those who knew him best as the ideal American 
 citizen. Broad minded, liberal, sincere, honest, progressive, he at all times 
 stood squarely upon these principles. In his death Davenport loses one who has 
 done much to further its growth and development. He will also be greatly 
 missed in the community at large for all those who have met him either socially 
 or through business channels have learned to regard him as their friend." 
 
 Mr. Lorenzen was twice married, his first wife being Laura Priester, by 
 whom he had two children, Mrs. Elise Berger and Theodore. He was married 
 April 15, 1868, to 'Agnes, a stepdaughter of Lieutenant Governor Rusch, and 
 
50 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 their children were: Mrs. Martha Brandt, Mrs. Elsie Dueser, Marie, Laura, 
 Herle, Hilda and Paul. 
 
 To his family the death of Mr. Lorenzen came as an almost insupportable 
 blow. He passed away at the family home at No. 629 West Sixth street, October 
 10, 1909, when he reached the age of seventy-six years. For more than a half 
 century he had been an honored and respected resident of Davenport and all 
 with whom he came in contact enjoyed his courtesy, his geniality and his kindly 
 spirit, but his best traits of character were reserved for his own home and fire- 
 side. There he was a devoted husband and father, a courteous host and faithful 
 friend. He is spoken of in terms of highest regard by all who knew him and 
 considering the various attributes of his character no more fitting epitaph for him 
 could be written than this : 
 
 "His life was gentle and the elements 
 
 So mixed in him that nature might stand up 
 
 And say to all the world 'This was a man.' " 
 
 CAPTAIN CHARLES FALKNER. 
 
 Captain Charles Falkner, a retired river and police captain whose life history 
 has ha.d many unusual and some exciting chapters, constituting a stoiy that is 
 evidence of the old adage that "truth is stranger than fiction," was bom in 
 Prussia, Germany, October 18, 1844. His parents, William and Fredrica (Det- 
 man) Falkner, both died in Germany. In the fatherland. Captain Falkner attended 
 school to the age of fourteen years, when he entered upon the life of a sailor, his 
 first trip being on a sailing vessel to London, England. He ran away from the 
 ship there, however, and spent three days in London without food. Finally ait the 
 back door of a hotel he met a cook who could speak German ajid after giving 
 Captain Falkner food took him to a sailors' boarding house, where he soon made 
 arrangements to ship on board a vessel bound for Quebec, Canada. He ran away 
 again and shipped under Captain Huston on the Mary Ann, which eventually 
 landed at Boston, Massachusetts. There he reembarked on another vessel whidh 
 bore him to San FranciscO', California, in 1859. His voyages were not over, how- 
 ever, for he sailed through the Golden Gate for Qiina and Japan, also visited 
 Manila and afterward returned to New York, Later he sailed for the West 
 Indies and then to Liverpool, England, and again returned to New York, whence 
 he made his way to Mobile and Key West. Later he was at Philadelphia and 
 afterward sailed for Pensacola, Rorida. From that point the vessel proceeded 
 down the coast a little distance and loaded with cotton. This was the ship Eureka 
 under Captain Bellford. While on their return to New York the vessel was 
 struck by lightning during a terrible storm and the cotton was set on fire. Five 
 times the vessel was blown back while attempting to round Cape Hatteras, but 
 they managed to hold the fire in check and finally succeeded in docking at pier 
 No. 8, North river. New York, and the fire department extinguished the blaze, 
 although nearly all of the cotton was burned. This was in 1863. Immediately 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 51 
 
 afterward Captain Falkner enlisted in the United States navy at the Brooklyn 
 navy yards and shipped on the sloop of war Brooklyn as an able seaman. The 
 vessel belonged to Admiral Farragut's fleet and he served for twelve months on 
 tliat ship and was at the battle of Mobile Bay and also in the engagements at Fort 
 Morgan and Fort Gaines. The Brooklyn had four hundred and fifty men aboard 
 but after they had anchored at Fort Morgan there were only one hundred and 
 fifty of the number able for duty under Captain Irving, whoi was in command. 
 After the battle Captain Falkner was promoted to quartermaster on board the 
 gunboat Owasco, which was stationed near Galveston, Texas, doing blockade 
 duty and looking for the Alabama. They saw that ship once and fired on her with 
 an eleven-inch gun but after the smoke cleared away they could see nothing of 
 her. Captain Falkner landed at New York, July 4, 1866, and on the afternoon 
 of the 6th was honorably discharged. 
 
 On the 8th of September, 1865, Captain Falkner wa^ married tO' Miss Christina 
 Schroeder, who passed away twO' years later. For his second wife he chose Mrs. 
 Louisa (Richer) Shoel, the widow of Hans Shoel, who died in the army. It 
 was with his first wife that he removed to Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, there 
 working in a coal mine. Just before that, however, he made two trips tO' Brazil 
 and thus gained knowledge of South American countries to add to the knowledge 
 which he had obtained of other lands as he had sailed around the globe. From 
 Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, he came to Davenport, Iowa, where he arrived 
 March 14, 1866. He then became a pilot on the Mississippi river and after serv- 
 ing in that capacity on different boats later purchased the vessel Louisa in 1874. 
 After running on the river for some time he returned tO' Davenport, sold the 
 boat and obtained an appointment on the police force under Mayor Dow, serving 
 as a patrolman for four years, as city detective two years and as night captain for 
 fifteen years. Since then he has been foreman for different construction com- 
 panies, street inspector of Davenport and private watchman for banks and other 
 business houses. At the present time, however, he is living retired, enjoying a 
 well earned rest. His experiences have been of a varied character as he has 
 sailed the high seas in the interests of trade and commerce or in defense of his 
 adopted country. In his young days he was injured while going from England 
 to Odessa on the Black sea and was in a hospital at Constantinople for about six 
 weeks, but recovered in time to sail again to Germany on the same ship, the 
 Rengende Jacob, which had been laid by during that time for repairs. 
 
 By his second marriage Captain Falkner had three children : Charles, a resi- 
 dent of Canada, who married Louisa Binger and has three children — Carl, Fred- 
 erick and Elizabeth ; Louisa, the wife of Jacob Stoft, of Moline, Illinois, by whom 
 she has one daughter, Mary Louisa, now the widow of Frank Williams ; and Her- 
 man, of Davenport. By her former marriage the second Mrs. Falkner had two 
 cliildren: Emma, who is now living in San Francisco, California; and Wil'iam, 
 who is superintendent of the waterworks at Keokuk, Iowa. For his third wife 
 Captain Falkner chose Dora Buck, a daughter of John Buck and the widow of 
 Emil Uthoflf. They were married February 22, 1904. By her former marriage 
 Mrs. Falkner had two daughters and a son : Adelia, the wife of William Ort, by 
 whom she has three children — Rolland, Hetta and Chalma; Alma, who married 
 August Jans ; and William, living iri Rock Island. 
 
52 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Captain Falkner is a member of several social and fraternal organizations. 
 He is connected with the Masonic lodge, the Knights of Pythias, the Davenport 
 Boat Club and the Turners and was a member of the old volunteer fire Comp?,ny. 
 He now derives his income largely from town property, having in former years 
 made judicious investment in real estate, so that he is now enabled to live retired, 
 enjoying in well earned rest many of the comforts of life. 
 
 JAMES T. LANE. 
 
 Among the older members of the Davenport bar who won well merited fame 
 and distinction during the thirty-five years of his practice in the courts of Iowa 
 was James T. Lane. While the practice of law was his real life work, his strong 
 and forceful nature, broad minded and intelligent appreciation of the real values 
 of life brought him prominently before the people in other connections and he 
 became widely known in fraternal, political, social and church circles. He was 
 born March i6, 1830, at Freeport, Pennsylvania. His father was proprietor of 
 a general store and the son assisted him, as clerk behind the counter and in other 
 ways through the period of vacation and after school hours until seventeen years 
 of age, the remainder of his time being given to the acquirement of an education. 
 He was ambitious, however, to enjoy better educational privileges than had here 
 been afforded him, and with an elder brother he entered the university at Lewis- 
 burg, at that time a Baptist institution of note. It required six days to make the 
 journey from Freeport to Lewisburg by stage coach and canal, for such was 
 the primitive method of travel at that time. Mr. Lane was a close and apt 
 student, a lover of books, quick and able in debate even in his school days. He 
 eagerly embraced the advantages which were offered him and acquired a knowl- 
 edge that constituted an excellent foundation upon which to build the success 
 of his later life. Following his graduation he returned home and, with the de- 
 sire to make the legal profession his life work, spent two years in Butler, Penn- 
 sylvania, in reading law under the direction of General Purviance afterward at- 
 torney general of the state. 
 
 Admitted to the bar, Mr. Lane came to Davenport, February 23, 1854. He 
 was a passenger on the first through train from Chicago to Rock Island, which 
 was then the western terminus of the road. At once he opened an office and for 
 thirty-five years continued in active practice here. In the spring of 1855, he re- 
 turned to Butler, where he married Annie J. Reed, whom he brought as his 
 bride to Davenport. They became the parents of a son and daughter. Joe 
 R. Lane, the former, is a prominent member of the Davenport bar, while the 
 latter was Mrs. lies. With the added stimulus of having a home to provide for, 
 he bent every energy toward building up a good practice and recognized that this 
 must be done by making his professional labor of value to his clients. He 
 was very careful and earnest in the preparation of cases, was always accurate 
 in the application of a legal principle and in debate was strong, forceful and 
 logical. In 1856 he was appointed city attorney, which position he filled for a 
 year. Later other political honors were conferred upon him. On the 4th of 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 55 
 
 September, 1861, he was nominated by the republicans of the county for repre- 
 sentative to the state legislature and was elected. He served during 1867 and 
 1868 as county attorney and the following year became a member of the school 
 board, his incumbency continuing through 1871. He also took a keen interest in 
 education and was the champion of every measure which he believed beneficial 
 to the interests of the schools. In 1873 the republican state convention nominated 
 him as one of the eleven presidential electors and in the campaign that followed 
 he took an active part, as he always did, for he was ever an active, loyal and 
 stalwart supporter of the principles in which he believed. In the same year 
 President Grant nominated him for the position of United States district at- 
 torney for Iowa, the duties of the position being at that time much more onerous 
 and important than at the present. During his term of office he was called in to 
 the federal courts all over the state and his reputation was heightened by the 
 able service which he rendered and the comprehensive knowledge of law which 
 he displayed. As United States district attorney he gained valuable experience 
 and wide acquaintance that proved of inestimable benefit to him as he continued 
 in the practice of his profession. 
 
 The law partnership of Davison & Lane was formed in April, 1873, and con- 
 tinued until November i, 1889, when it was dissolved by the withdrawal of Mr. 
 Lane on account of impaired health. He died March 19, 1890, in Denver, Colo- 
 rado, and throughout Davenport there swept a feeling of intense regret and sor- 
 row. He had practiced law in this city for more than a generation. He was a 
 man of notable mental and physical strength and utilized his time and his talents 
 not only for the promotion of his individual interests but for the benefit of the 
 general public as well. He was recognized as one of the leading republicans in 
 the state and his opinions always carried weight in the councils of his party. As 
 an orator he displayed an eloquence that never failed to leave its impress upon his 
 hearers, his speech frequently thrilling those who listened to him, his ability in 
 this direction proving a potent force in his addresses to the jury. He was always 
 kind and courteous to his professional brethren, considerate of a witness and 
 deferential to the court, believing that the dignity of the law should ever be 
 sustained. 
 
 For over thirty years Mr. Lane was connected with nearly all of the organi- 
 zations which had for their object the improvement or betterment of Daven- 
 port. To mention these in detail would be to give a history of the state. Suffice 
 it to say that all who are familiar with the annals of the state know how impor- 
 tant and valuable a part he took in its upbuilding. He was a prominent and 
 helpful member of the Baptist church and an enthusiastic, exemplary Mason, 
 becoming one of the earliest members of Davenport Lodge, A. F. & A. M. When 
 Fraternal Lodge was organized he became one of its charter members and was 
 elected its first worshipful master. He was also a member of Davenport Chap- 
 ter, No. 16, R. A. M., and a Sir Knight of St. Simon of Cyrene Commandery, K. 
 T., of which he was a past commander. He was also made deputy grand com- 
 mander of the Iowa Commandery and acted as a delegate from this state to the 
 triennial conclave at San Francisco in 1883. AH these varied interests brought 
 him a large acquaintance and it is said that he knew personally every prominent 
 man in Iowa. When death claimed him he was mourned as a great lawyer, as a 
 
56 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 distinguished political leader, as an exemplary brother of the Masonic fraternity 
 and more than all as a good man. He manifested the qualities that have come 
 to be known as those of a practical idealist, for, while he labored to secure the 
 adoption of measures and projects which represented the highest standards, he 
 knew how to use the means at hand for the accomplishment of this purpose. His 
 integrity in no relation of life was ever called into question and the simple weight 
 of his character and ability carried him into most important and prominent 
 relations. 
 
 FRANK X. BEH. 
 
 Frank X. Beh, for many years an important factor in agricultural circles, is 
 now living retired, enjoying the quietude that comes of labor well performed. He 
 is a native of Scott county, born in Buffalo, September i8, 1861, a son of Francis 
 X. and Caroline (Heckley) Beh, who were prominent pioneer settlers of Scott 
 county. The father was born in the southern part of Germany in the year 1826 
 and pursued his studies in the schools of his native country. He also learned th^ 
 stonecutter's trade and about 1850, with his wife and one child, emigrated to the 
 United States. He made his way to Detroit, Michigan, but after a year there 
 spent took up his abode in Buffalo, Iowa, where he worked at stonecutting and 
 lime burning for a number of years. He cut the stone that was used in the 
 erection of the Catholic church in Buffalo and also in a number of other build- 
 ings erected in this village. In 1867 he engaged in farming, having purchased 
 one hundred and twenty acres in Buffalo township, sixty acres of which was im- 
 proved. He served as justice of the peace, road supervisor and school director 
 in Buffalo township and in many other ways his influence was felt in community 
 interests. He was a prominent member of the Catholic church at Buffalo and gave 
 liberally of both time and means in support of the church. He also kept the 
 records of the church for many years prior to his death, which occurred in 1899. 
 His wife, also a communicant of the Catholic church, donated the bell and our 
 subject and his brother were the first to ring the bell after it was placed in the 
 tower. The mother died in 1904, at the age of seventy-two years. The family 
 record is as follows: Henry R., of Muscatine county; Anna, the wife of Morris 
 Barnick, who also lives in Muscatine county; Joseph, who is engaged in mer- 
 chandising in Harlan, Shelby county, Iowa; Frank X., of this review; Katherine, 
 the wife of Adolph Strohbehn, who resides on a part of the old homestead farm 
 in Blue Grass township ; Charles C, of Dickinson county ; Benjamin, of Buffalo 
 township; and Mary, the wife of Harry Schiele, a resident of Muscatine county, 
 this state. 
 
 Frank X. Beh, the immediate subject of this review, was reared on the home 
 farm and acquired his preliminary education in the schools of Buffalo and Oak 
 Hill, while later he pursued a course in Ambrose College at Davenport. He then 
 returned home and resumed farming with his father, remaining under the parental 
 roof until his marriage, when he began work on his own account. Eventually 
 he became the owner of land and followed farming for many years. He still 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 57 
 
 owns an interest in the home farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Buffalo town- 
 ship and also owns residence property in Davenport, where he now lives retired. 
 
 Mr. Beh chose as a companion for the journey of Hfe, Miss Alvina Weise, 
 a daughter of Fritz and Christina (Schnack) Weise, who were early settlers of 
 Scott county. The father conducted a livery stable in Davenport for forty 
 years and died in 1899, at the age of sixty-three. The mother is still living and 
 is a communicant of the Protestant church. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Beh, 
 which was celebrated June 25, 1896, has been blessed with six children, Alvin F., 
 Clarence M., Frank B., Leon Beh, Raymond and Eddie, but the last named is 
 deceased. 
 
 Mr. Beh, inheriting the sterling characteristics of a long line of German an- 
 cestry and endowed by nature with a good constitution, early developed all the 
 attributes which make the successful man. His home at 1419 Marquette street, 
 in Davenport, is a hospitable one and the family take great pleasure in entertaining 
 their many friends. 
 
 HENRY WIESE. 
 
 Henry Wiese, who has lived retired in his pleasant home at No. 835 Harri- 
 son street in Davenport since 1900, won his prosperity as an agriculturist and is 
 still the owner of five hundred and twenty acres of rich and productive farming 
 land in Benton county, Iowa. His birth occurred in Holstein, Germany, on the 
 i6th of October, 1840, his parents being Marx and Lucy Wiese. The father, 
 who was born in 1800, learned the blacksmith's trade and in early manhood served 
 as a soldier of the German army. In 1853, in company with his wife and chil- 
 dren, he crossed the Atlantic to the United States, landing at New York. Thence 
 he made his way direct to Moline, Rock Island county, Illinois, where the family 
 home was maintained for about twenty years. They first took up their abode 
 in a log cabin which stood on a tract of eighty acres of land which the father 
 had purchased, about twenty acres of which were improved. As his financial re- 
 sources increased, owing to his well directed industry and capable management, 
 Marx Wiese added to his landed holdings in Rock Island county and brought his 
 fields under a high state of cultivation and improvement. He passed away in 
 1886, having for four years survived his wife who was called to her final rest in 
 1882, when seventy-two years of age. Unto them were born three sons and one 
 daughter, namely : Fred, who is deceased ; Henry, of this review ; John, who is a 
 resident of Geneseo, Illinois; and Anna, the wife of Henry Operdicke, of Port 
 Byron, IlHnois. 
 
 Henry Wiese pursued his education in the schools of his native land until 
 thirteen years of age and then came to the new world with his parents. He 
 continued his studies to some extent in Rock Island county, Illinois, but owing to 
 the sparsely settled condition of the country, schools were few and far between 
 and he did not find much opportunity to attend. He assisted his father in the work 
 of the home farm until twenty-five years of age, when he was married and started 
 out in life on his own account, purchasing and locating upon a tract of one hun- 
 
58 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 dred and sixty acres of prairie land in Coe township, Rock Island county. It was 
 raw land upon which no improvements had been made, but with characteristic 
 energy he began its development and cultivation and soon converted it into a 
 productive farm. He likewise erected a house and put up fences and later bought 
 an additional tract of eighty acres adjoining. In 1874 he disposed of the property 
 and removed to Benton county, Iowa, purchasing three hundred and twenty 
 acres of land in Cedar township. The place had been improved to some extent 
 and there were several small buildings upon it. There he carried on his agri- 
 cultural interests energetically and successfully until 1900, since which time he 
 has lived retired in Davenport, enjoying the fruits of his former toil in well 
 earned ease. Prospering in his undertakings, he added to his holdings by addi- 
 tional purchase and is still the owner of five hundred and twenty acres of fine 
 farming land in Benton county. 
 
 On the 4th of January, 1865, Mr. Wiese was united in marriage to Miss 
 Kathryn Kahler, a native of Holstein, Germany, where her birth occurred on 
 the 1 6th of June, 1846. In 1852, when six years of age, she was brought to. the 
 United States by her parents, Mathias and Lena Kahler, who took up their abode 
 in Rock Island county, Illinois. They were farming people and both passed away 
 in Benton county, Iowa. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wiese were born eight children, 
 as follows : Anna, Charles and Elizabeth, all of whom are deceased ; John, who 
 is a resident of Davenport ; Louisa and Albert, both at home ; Augusta, the wife 
 of Charles Stelk, of Virginia; and Dorothy, who is likewise still under the par- 
 ental roof. 
 
 Mr. Wiese is a stanch democrat in his political views and has capably served 
 in a number of township offices, including those of road supervisor and school 
 director. He is a member of the German Pioneers Society of Scott county. In 
 his business career he has displayed excellent ability and unfaltering diligence and 
 as the years have passed his labor has been the measure of a gratifying success. 
 He and his wife are people of the highest respectability, whose good qualities 
 of heart and mind have won for them the confidence and friendly regard of all 
 who know them. 
 
 RUDOLPH SCHLAPKOHL. 
 
 Agricultural interests of Qeona township find a worthy representative in 
 Rudolph Schlapkohl, who has spent his entire life on the farm upon which he 
 now resides, his birth there occurring on the 28th of January, 1871. His parents 
 were Jurgens and Katharine (Kumerfeldt) Schlapkohl, both natives of Schles- 
 wig-Holstein, Germany, born on the ist of May, 1823, and the 24th of November, 
 1826, respectively. They were reared and married' in the old country and came 
 to the United States in the fall of 1853, locating in Rock Island, Illinois. The 
 father farmed for Billy Davenport on Government island for nine or ten years 
 and then came to Cleona township, Scott county, Iowa, where he purchased the 
 present homestead. Although a poor man when he came to this country, at the 
 time of his death he was the owner of two other farms beside the home farm, 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 59 
 
 one consisting of one hundred and eighty acres adjoining the latter, and the other 
 comprising'one hundred and sixty acres in Muscatine county— a fact which clearly 
 indicates the success that came to him as the result of perseverance, industry 
 and diligence. Both parents are now deceased, the father passing away on the 
 28th of April, 1895, and the mother on the 22d of October, 1903. Their family 
 consisted of four children, namely: Betsy, the wife of Henry Schumann, of 
 Pottawattamie county, Iowa ; Herman, a farmer of Cedar county, whose home is 
 near Durant; George, a resident of Muscatine county; and Rudolph, of this 
 review. 
 
 No event of special importance came to vary the routine of life for Rudolph 
 Schlapkohl during the period of his boyhood and youth, which was passed upon 
 his father's farm, and at the usual age he was sent as a pupil to the disitritt 
 schools for the acquirement of an education. When not busy with his text-books 
 he worked in the fields, early becoming familiar with the best methods of tilling 
 the soil, and continued to give his father the benefit of his assistance until the 
 latter 's death, when he took charge of the home farm and has since directed his 
 efforts towards its further development. It consists of two hundred acres located 
 on sections 8 and 17, and had been well improved by his father. Under his care, 
 however, it has been put under still higher cultivation and is numbered among 
 the valuable and desirable properties of the township. He carries on general 
 farming and stock-raising, and his interests, which are conducted along strictly 
 up-to-date and progressive lines, are a source of gratifying remuneration to him. 
 
 It was on December 20, 1899, that Mr. Schlapkohl was united in marriage to 
 Olga Ladehofif, a native of Cleona township, her birth occurring on the 2Sth of 
 August, 1877. She is a daughter of Henry and Ida (Lamp) Ladehofif, residents 
 of Cleona township, who were both born in Germany, the mother coming to the 
 new world in early childhood, while the father arrived when about twenty years 
 of age. In his political views Mr. Schlapkohl has always been a republican, 
 believing that the principles of this party are most conductive to good govern- 
 ment. He has not, however, been an aspirant for public office, preferring to 
 concentrate his energies upon his business affairs, which, carefully managed, are 
 bringing to him a large measure of success. Having passed his entire life in 
 this state, he is a t)^ical lowan, alert and enterprising, who recognizes the fact 
 that upon individual effort depends success and is therefore laboring earnestly 
 to advance to the goal of prosperity. 
 
 HANS F. MUHS. 
 
 Hans F. Muhs, who is now living retired in Davenport, was in former years 
 actively and successfully identified with the commercial interests of the city, con- 
 ducting a merchant tailoring establishment on Second street for more than a 
 third of a century. His birth occurred in Holstein, Germany, on the 6th of June, 
 1835, his parents being Jochim and Anna Muhs. The father died when our 
 subject was but six weeks old. H. F. Muhs obtained his education in the schools 
 of his native land and there learned the tailor's trade. In 1856, when a young 
 
60 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 man of twenty-one years, he set sail for the new world in company with his 
 mother, landing at New Orleans after an ocean voyage of eight weeks. He then 
 started up the Mississippi river for Davenport, reaching his destination at the 
 end of three weeks. For about a year after his arrival he worked as a farm hand 
 in Sheridan township for his brother Peter, who had come to this county in 
 1853. He then took up his abode in Davenport and secured employment at his 
 trade, remaining in the service of John Bartimeier for ten years. On the expira- 
 tion of that period he embarked in business as a merchant tailor on his own 
 account, opening a shop on Second street which he conducted successfully for 
 about thirty-five years, when he sold out to his sons, who still carry on the busi- 
 ness in a commendable manner. Since disposing of his tailoring establishment 
 Mr. Muhs has lived retired in the enjoyment of well earned ease. 
 
 On the 9th of April, 1857, Mr. Muhs was united in marriage to Miss Anna 
 Mahl, who was born in Holstein, Germany, on the 9th of April, 1831, her parents 
 being Max and Esther Mahl, of Germany. Miss Mahl was a passenger on the 
 same boat on which her future husband sailed for the United States. Unto Mr. 
 and Mrs. Muhs were bom eight children, four of whom still survive. Edward, 
 who is a resident of Davenport, wedded Miss Mary Stormi, by whom he has 
 seven children, namely : Mabel, Edna, Hattie, Roy, Laurence, Maxine and Veneta. 
 Lewis, the next in order of birth, likewise makes his home in Davenport. Ben- 
 jamin, living in Davenport, married Miss Mamie Wendt and has two children, 
 Martha and Arthur. Hugo, who is a resident of Missouri, married Miss Mamie 
 Murphy. On the 9th of April, 1907, Mr. and Mrs. Muhs celebrated their golden 
 wedding and the presence of their children and grandchildren helped to make 
 the occasion a most joyful one. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Muhs is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows and the Knights of Pythias and he is also a well known member of the 
 German Pioneers Society. He is now in the seventy-fifth year of his age and in 
 the evening of life can look back over an active, useful and honorable career. 
 Coming to the new world in early manhood, he availed himself of the oppor- 
 tunities here offered and soon won a place among the substantial and respected 
 citizens of his community. 
 
 WILLIAM LARNED ALLEN, M. D. 
 
 Equipped by thorough training at home and abroad. Dr. William Earned 
 Allen in the practice of his profession has demonstrated his ability to cope with 
 the intricate problems which are continually confronting the physician and sur- 
 geon. His broad study and research, his correct application of scientific knowl- 
 edge and his wide experience have given him eminence in his chosen calling and 
 he is moreover entitled to public recognition as the promoter of the electric street 
 car system in this city. Born in Davenport on the 7th of June, 1858, Dr. Allen is 
 a son of William and Augusta Dorrance Allen, nee Seabury. The father, who 
 was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 1824, served as chief paymaster of the 
 district of Cumberland from 1861 until 1865. Coming to this city at an early 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 63 
 
 day, he was active in its substantial development and progress and from 1870 
 until 1874 was a partner in the firm of Mandeville & Allen, railroad contractors. 
 His death occurred the following year and he was long survived by his wife. 
 She was born in Portland, Maine, in 1830, and died in Davenport in 1899. Among 
 the early American ancestors of Dr. Allen are Governor Bradford, of Massachu- 
 setts, and the Rev. Thomas Allen, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the great-grand- 
 father, who was called "the fighting parson" because of his action in 1777 at the 
 battle of Bennington. 
 
 Dr. Allen supplemented his early education, acquired in the common schools, 
 by study in Griswold College of Davenport, and in preparation for a professional 
 career entered the medical department of the Iowa State University, from which 
 he was graduated in 188 1. He afterward spent two years in Vienna, Austria, 
 in special work in surgery and gynecology. He has always remained a closa 
 student of the profession, keeping in touch with the advanced thought that marks 
 the onward march of the medical fraternity, and the ability which comes through 
 wide study, careful analysis and broad experience is his, making him one of the 
 prominent and successful physicians of Davenport. His experiences in other 
 lines have also been of a somewhat varied nature. In early manhood he spent 
 one year on a farm in Iowa and one year in managing a plantation in Arkansas, 
 being called to this task on account of the death of his father and his father's 
 partner. Having inherited some stock in a street railway company in Davenport 
 and having seen the successful trial of an electric car in Richmond, Virginia, he 
 bought up all the stock owned by parties who would not consent to adopt elec- 
 tricity as a motive power and equipped the Davenport Central Railway with elec- 
 tric cars in August, 1888. This was the second road to be thus fully equipped in 
 the United States. The undertaking required nearly all of Dr. Allen's capital. The 
 attempt to operate lines in Stillwater, Minnesota, and another in Dubuque, Iowa, 
 which he had equipped, together with the necessity of purchasing new motors 
 which had soon to be replaced with more powerful ones, required more capital 
 than he could command and the electric supply companies and his banker forced 
 him to give up his property, which was then carrying only a small bonded debt, 
 and which a few years later was sold to an eastern syndicate for several million 
 dollars. The early change to electricty gave Davenport a widespread reputation, 
 but few of the citizens were willing to put any money into the electric venture, 
 believing that it would be impossible to thus run cars up the heavy grades. 
 Resuming the practice of medicine and surgery, Dr. Allen has since confined his 
 attention almost exclusively to his professional duties and in 1895 founded St. 
 Luke's Hospital and was elected president of its medical board and chairman of 
 the executive committee, which position he still retains. He has done notable 
 work along surgical lines, prominent among his operations being the removal in 
 1895 by gastrotomy of a hairball from a girl's stomach, it being the largest foreign 
 body ever successfully removed from the human stomach. Other operations 
 which he has performed have been almost equally notable and have brought him 
 wide reputation as a skilled surgeon. For twenty years he has been surgeon of 
 the State Orphans Home and for a similar period of the Tri City Railway Com- 
 pany. For two decades he has been a member of the state, district and county 
 medical associations and for fifteen years of the American Medical Association. 
 
64 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 He was the president of the Davenport Academy of Natural Science for three 
 years, from 1893 until 1895 inclusively, and in the latter year was chosen president 
 of the Scott County Medical Association. In 1900 he was elected to the presi- 
 dency of the Iowa & Illinois District. Medical Society and in 1908 became the 
 chief executive of the Second District Medical Association. 
 
 In his political views Dr. Allen is a stalwart supporter of the republican party 
 and, though not an office seeker, has been concerned in various public movements 
 of widespread benefit, acting as president of the Davenport Business Men's 
 Association in 1889 and cooperating in various projects for general progress. 
 
 On the 1st of October, 1885, Dr. Allen was married to Miss Alice Van Patten, 
 a daughter of John P. Van Patten. Their children are : Larned V. P., Elizabeth 
 M. and William Seabury. The family are Episcopalian in religious faith and 
 Dr. Allen is prominent in the various departments of the church work, serving 
 as a member of the vestry and also as president of the Men's Club of the cathe- 
 dral. He joined Trinity Lodge, A. F. & A. M., in 1888 and has ever been ail 
 exemplary representative of the craft, utilizing the opportunities which his prac- 
 tice affords for the exemplification of its basic principles of mutual helpfulness 
 and brotherly kindness. 
 
 F. E. PETO. 
 
 F. E. Peto, who in former years was an active factor in commercial circles 
 of Davenport, conducting an extensive and profitable business as a shoe mer-chant, 
 is now living retired save for the supervision which he gives to his real-estate 
 interests. His birth occurred in the town of Koenigsberg, Prussia, Germany, on 
 the 1st of May, 1838, his parents being Frederick and Henrietta Peto, both of 
 whom passed away in that country. The father, whoi was engaged in business 
 as a shoe merchant, served as a soldier in the war of 1830 between Poland and 
 Prussia. 
 
 F. E. Peto attended the schools of hisi native land in the acquirement of an 
 education and afterward worked for his father, under whose direction he gained 
 a thorough knowledge of the shoe business. He likewise served in the German 
 army, participating in the war with Denmark in 1863-4 and in the war of 1866 
 against Austria. The many favorable reports which reached him concerning 
 the opportunities and advantages of the new world led him to the determination 
 to establish his home on this side of the Atlantic and in 1870 he set sail for 
 American shores. After landing at New York he came direct to Davenport, 
 arriving in this city on the 30th of June. He first spent about two years in the 
 employ of John Jamison, who was engaged in the shoe business, and then 
 started out on his own account, conducting a leather business on Second street 
 for three years. Subsequently he was engaged in the same business in the 
 Hahnemann building for about three years and then purchased a building at No. 
 415 West Second street, where he successfully carried on business until the 
 time of his retirement in 1904. He purchased two more buildings on either side 
 of the one which first came into his possession and likewise bought considerable 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 65 
 
 other property and, though living largely retired for the past six years., still gives 
 his supervision to his extensive real-estate interests. 
 
 In January, 1858, Mr. Peto was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Dahms, a 
 daughter of Peter and Helena Dahms. Unto them were bom seven children, 
 four of whom passed away in early life. Edward, who is a resident of Chicago, 
 wedded Miss Minnie Miller and has a daughter, Edith. Frank, who died at the 
 age of thirty-seven years, had married Miss Laura Wiese, by whom he had two 
 children, Alice E. and Camilla. Henry, living in Davenport, wedded Miss Anna 
 Klode and has two sons, Harry and Orr. 
 
 Since becoming a naturalized American citizen Mr. Peto has given his politi- 
 cal allegiance to the repubilcan party, while fraternally he is identified with the 
 Modem Woodmen of America. Though bom across the water, he is thoroughly 
 American in thought and feeling, and is patriotic and sincere in his love for the 
 stars and stripes. For four decades he has made his home in Scott county, where 
 he has acquired a competence and where he is an honored and respected citizen. 
 In business his course has been characterized by the strictest fidelity to principle 
 and in social relations he displays an unfailing courtesy and a genial cordiality 
 that have won for him many friends. 
 
 THEODOR HARTZ. 
 
 Theodor Hartz, secretary, treasurer and manager of the Otto Albrecht Com- 
 pany, manufacturers of fine cigars, was born in Altona, Holstein, Germany, April 
 24, 1857, a son of Theodor and Emilie (Gottschau) Hartz, who came to America, 
 settling in Rock Island, Illinois, on the 27th of July, 1872. The father was a 
 carpenter and joiner and both he and his wife spent their remaining days in 
 Rock Island, their graves being made in Chipawanie cemetery of that city. 
 
 Theodor Hartz was reared in his native land, attending the city schools and 
 also taking up the study of English under private instmction ere he left Germany 
 for the new world. He had therefore learned to speak the language of this 
 country fairly well when he accompanied his parents on the trip across the 
 Atlantic. They reached Rock Island on Saturday, and on the following Mondav 
 he secured a position in the dry-goods store of Louis Kiesow, with whom he 
 remained for seven years — a trusted and valued employe whose fidelity and 
 ability was indicated by the fact of his long retention in the house. He was 
 originally given his board and clothing as compensation for his services, and the 
 proprietor also bestowed upon him a dollar somewhat as an honorarium. On 
 Christmas he was given two dollars and at the end of the year he had eighty-five 
 cents left out of his cash capital of three dollars. During the second year he 
 was paid twelve and a half dollars a month and board, while the third year he 
 was given fifteen dollars per month and board. Later he received an increase to 
 fifteen dollars per week and boarded himself. The appreciation of his services 
 on the part of his employer is indicated in his continued promotion and increase 
 in salary. 
 
66 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 In July, 1879, ^J"- Hartz came to Davenport, where he secured a position as 
 draft clerk in the Citizens National Bank, there remaining until August, 1880, 
 when he became connected with his present line of business in association with 
 Otto Albrecht, who established the enterprise in 1854. Mr. Hartz represented 
 the business upon the road as a traveUng salesman for two and a half years, 
 selling cigars, and later was employed in the house. In 1897 the firm was in- 
 corporated and Mr. Hartz, being admitted to a partnership, was chosen secretarji 
 and treasurer. In the meantime, on the loth of November, 1881, he married 
 Miss Emma, a daughter of Otto Albrecht. The father became president of the 
 new company, with Mrs. Hartz as vice president. On the 26th of February, 
 1904, Mr. Albrecht passed away. He had willed his interest in the business to 
 Theodor Hartz personally, and the latter has since managed the enterprise, mak- 
 ing his wife president and his daughter, Paula Dunker, vice president, while be 
 retains his old official connection with the business as secretary and treasurer. 
 The company owns a well equipped factory and employs about thirty people in 
 the manufacture of various kinds of cigars, which find a ready market in Iowa, 
 Illinois and part of Minnesota and South Dakota. Great care and attention are 
 paid to the excellence of the product and the systematic business methods of the 
 house and the well known reliability of the company have constituted strong ele- 
 ments in its success. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hartz have been bom eleven children of whom ten are 
 yet living: Paula, the wife of WiUiam Dunker; Joa; Hans W. ; Gertrude; Nellie; 
 Emilie; Gesa; Ina; Hildegard; and Emma. One child. Otto Albrecht, died in 
 December, 1897. The family are members of the Ethical Society of Davenport. 
 Mr. Hartz has been a member of the school board for nine years and the cause 
 of education finds in him a warm champion, his labors being effective in advanc- 
 ing the school interests of this city. He is also a member of the Davenport Com- 
 mercial Club and of the Turngemeinde. He exemplifies in his life many of the 
 sterling characteristics of his German ancestry, having the persistent purpose and 
 indefatigable energy which, have ever marked the Teutonic race. His diligence 
 has brought him the success which is now his, while his keen discernment in 
 business affairs enables him to capably control and develop the interests which 
 are under his charge. 
 
 WILLIAM COOKE WADSWORTH. 
 
 William Cooke Wadsworth, deceased, was the organizer of the Citizens Nat- 
 ional Bank and a prominent figure in financial circles in Davenport, but was per- 
 haps even more widely known in the development of extensive mercantile in- 
 terests which constituted an important feature in commercial circles here. He 
 was born June 27, 1826, in Litchfield, Connecticut, and at the usual age entered 
 the public schools there, continuing his studies to the age of eighteen. He then 
 went to New Haven and made his initial step in the business world by becoming 
 connected with a dry-goods enterprise, with which he was associated until 1848. 
 Macon, Georgia, was his next place of residence and he remained there in a 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 69 
 
 similar line of business until 1855, when he came to Davenport. This city was. 
 then comparatively small and of little commercial and industrial importance. 
 Mr. Wadsworth became an active factor in its substantial advancement and in its 
 natural and healthy expansion in the lines of commercial activity. He opened 
 a retail dry-goods store at No. 127 West Second street and such was the success 
 of the original undertaking that he soon afterward established a second store in 
 Rock Island, Illinois. Both enterprises proved profitable from the beginning 
 and in 1861 he opened a wholesale house, conducting the three stores in a suc- 
 cessful manner until 1868. He then disposed of the retail stores and thereafter 
 devoted his entire attention to the large wholesale business at Nos. 109, in and 
 113 East Second street. Untiring and of persistent purpose, full of ambition 
 and of progressive, modern ideas, he carefully formulated his plans and carried 
 them forward to successful completion, building up his enterprise upon sound 
 business principles until it was second to none in the city in the extent and char- 
 acter of the trade enjoyed by the house. At the outset of his career he adopted 
 certain business policies, the value of which were demonstrated in his success. 
 He never made engagements which he did not keep nor incurred obligations which 
 he did not meet ; he regarded no detail as too unimportant to receive his attention 
 and he demanded on the part of his representatives a uniform courtesy and con- 
 sideration for all patrons. He won the allegiance of his employes by his fair and 
 just treatment of them and his recognition of their worth by promotion as op- 
 portunity offered. In the conduct of his business he held to high standards in 
 the personnel of the house, in the line of goods carried and in the relations to 
 the public. Mr. Wadsworth was also interested in various other business enter- 
 prises, many of which profited by the stimulus of his cooperation and the adop- 
 tion of his sound business principles. He became one of the organizers of the 
 Citizens National Bank, was a director for nearly forty years and for two years 
 acted as its president. 
 
 On the 26th of October, 1859, Mr. Wadsworth was married to Miss Anna 
 Mitchell, of Rock Island, and they became parents of four children: William 
 M., Henry T. ; Mary Hall and Walter C, who died in early life. Mr. Wads- 
 worth was preeminently a man of domestic tastes, devoted to his family, and he 
 also held friendship inviolable. He attended the services of the Congregational 
 church. His political allegiance was given to the democracy and to him would 
 have been accorded high political honors had he not continually refused to be- 
 come an active participant in politics as an office holder. Several times he re- 
 fused the candidacy for mayor, although his fellow townsmen urgently requested 
 him to accept the offilce, knowing that he would give to the city a businesslike 
 and progressive administration, free from misrule and the domination of sel- 
 fish interests. He was very firm and positive in his beliefs and unequivocal in 
 the expression of his sentiments, yet he accorded to others the privilege which 
 he reserved to himself of forming and supporting unbiased opinions. He worked 
 harder than any other man to raise money for the new bridge across the river 
 and it was mainly owing to his efforts that this enterprise was carried to a suc- 
 cessful termination. He was a great reader, finding delight in literature and 
 scientific research, and thus his intellectual forces were being continually aug- 
 mented. He educated many young men in his employ to be expert business men 
 
70 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 and when the occasion was timely frequently gave to them friendly and valuable 
 advice. He died at Indianapolis, Indiana, February 12, 1907, when on his way 
 to the south, and Davenport's loss was a great one because of his marked busi- 
 ness enterprise, his public-spirited devotion to the general good and his worth 
 as a man. His record was an honor to the city which honored him and it would 
 be difficult to find a resident of Davenport who was more uniformly beloved. 
 
 JOHN B. FIDLAR. 
 
 The consensus of pubHc opinion accords to John B. Fidlar a prominent posi- 
 tion in the ranks of Davenport's progressive, enterprising and successful business 
 men. While perhaps best known as cashier of the First National Bank, a position 
 which he occupied for seventeen years, he was also associated with various other 
 corporate interests and his colleagues and contemporaries came to know him as 
 a man notable, prompt, energetic and honorable. He was born May 16, 1839, in 
 Hebron, Licking county, Ohio, where he spent the first fifteen years of his Hfe. 
 In 1854 he accompanied his parents on their removal to Delaware, Ohio, where he 
 remained for five years and in the meantime supplemented his public school edu- 
 cation by a two years' course in the Ohio Wesleyan University. On the 7th of 
 April, 1859, he came to Davenport with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel P. 
 Fidlar, entering the business circles of this city as a young man of twenty years. 
 He was first employed as patrol guard on the old bridge here and afterward 
 went to Burlington, where for a year or more he occupied the position of clerk in 
 the old Barrett Souse, which was then the leading hotel in that section of the 
 state. 
 
 After the outbreak of the Civil war Mr. Fidlar, constrained by the spirit of 
 patriotism, offered his services to the government, enlisting on the 14th of August, 
 1862, as a member of Company D, Twenty-fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. For 
 gallant military service he was advanced through successive grades of promotion 
 until he became captain of his company. His war record was one of unflinching 
 bravery and on one occasion he was wounded by a musket ball in his arm, which 
 troubled him to the day of his death. Iowa never sent a more loyal, valiant 
 soldier into the field. He performed an act of gallantry before Vicksburg which 
 alone would entitle him to the military honors which were conferred upon him in 
 his promotion to the~ captaincy. When the Union troops had been disorganized 
 by a fierce fire in front of them and some flanking movements of the enemy and 
 were falling back in a retreat that promised to become a rout he hurled his com- 
 pany against the retreating masses in a fierce bayonet charge, stopped them, held 
 them firm a few minutes and maintained the position so taken until there was 
 time to reform the columns and get into action again, thus saving the day. This 
 incident was characteristic of his record as a soldier and also of the qualities which 
 he displayed in the business world, for he attacked every business problem with 
 vigor and with keen insight recognized the advantages and possibilities of the 
 situation. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 71 
 
 After the war Mr. Fidlar located in Burlington and for a time acted as cash- 
 ier for the American Express Company, while later he was upon the road as ex- 
 press messenger between Burlington and Council Bluffs. On the 4th of January, 
 1871, he returned to Davenport, where he accepted the position of discount clerk 
 in the First National Bank, filling the position acceptably and faithfully for seven 
 years, when he was promoted to cashier, He remained in that position for seven- 
 teen years and then tendered his resignation. His life record was an untarnished 
 one and there was never a thought of anything but straightforward business in 
 all of his connection with the bank. Early in his identification with the institu- 
 tion he made it his purpose to thoroughly master every department of banking 
 and for a long period he was regarded as one of the foremost representatives of 
 financial interests in the city. 
 
 As the years passed Mr. Fidlar extended his efforts into other fields, for he 
 was a man of resourceful business ability, capable of controlling varied interests 
 and at all times proving his worth in his sound opinions relative to commercial 
 and financial affairs. After he retired from the bank he was identified with the 
 insurance interests and was treasurer of the Davenport Safety Deposit Com- 
 pany, of the Register Life and Annuity Company, of the Merchants and Mechanics 
 Building, Loan and Savings Association and a director in all three. 
 
 On the i6th of September, 1868, Mr. Fidlar was married in Burlington to 
 Miss Lovenia Harper, a daughter of WiUiam Harper of that place. Unto this 
 marriage was born a son, William Harper Fidlar, who married Bessie Sloan Alt- 
 man, and died in 1900, leaving a son, John Brainard, who makes his home in 
 Davenport. Mr. Fidlar was a member of Trinity Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and of 
 the various Masonic bodies in this city, being an exemplary representative of the 
 craft. In politics he was a stalwart repubhcan from the time when age conferred 
 upon him the right of franchise, believing firmly in the principles of the party 
 which stood by the Union during the dark days of the Civil war and has always 
 been the party of reform and progress. He belonged to the Grand Army of the 
 Republic and the Loyal Legion. In matters of citizenship he was public-spirited 
 in an eminent degree. His labors were prompted not only by civic pride but by 
 that stronger element of citizenship — the constant, steady determination to bring 
 about the very best conditions of city life for all the people. When the country 
 was engaged in the Civil war he feared not to face the enemy on the field of battle. 
 In the days of peace his influence was as a quiet, steady, moving force, accomplish- 
 ing results. He was honored wherever known and most of all where best known. 
 
 CHRISTIAN MUELLER. 
 
 There is no man among Davenport's honored dead who deserves more promi- 
 nent mention than Christian Mueller, who for many years figured as one of the 
 kading lumber merchants of the city and while conducting an extensive business 
 enterprise found opportunity for active and effective cooperation in many move- 
 ments which have left their impress upon the city's growth and substantial develop- 
 ment. Moreover, the salient qualities of his character were such as made him 
 
72 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 respected and beloved by all who knew him. Born in Holstein, Germany, on the 
 1st of March, 1823, he was sixteen years of age when he was apprenticed to a 
 mercantile concern and thus laid the foundation for his business career in the 
 thorough commercial training which he there received. Wisely utilizing his 
 opportunities and husbanding his resources, in 1844 he was enabled to engage in 
 merchandising on his own account, opening a store in Kiel. While there he also 
 took active interest in athletics and was the instructor in a turners' society. 
 Moreover, he was keenly interested in the vital questions and issues of the day 
 relative to the government policy and, holding decided views concerning many 
 public affairs, during the winter of 1847-8 he organized a company of volunteers 
 to aid the forces operating to secure greater freedom from the oppression of the 
 Danish monarchy. In the latter year he joined some Schleswig-Holstein soldiers 
 and other volunteers and this heroic band attacked a fortified post at Rendsburg, 
 Holstein, which they captured. In the rebellion which followed he was wounded 
 three times and in July, 1850, was taken prisoner, after which he laid for nine 
 months in a hospital in Denmark. After peace had been declared he spent some 
 time recuperating his health and in 1852 he sailed for the United States, deter- 
 mined to enjoy in the new' world the liberty which was denied him in his native 
 land. 
 
 Mr. Mueller reached Davenport in July of that year and soon after his 
 arrival established a vinegar factory on the present site of the Kohrs Packing 
 Company. This was destroyed by fire in 1854 and he lost all he had, but he did 
 not become discouraged and with resolute spirit set to work to retrieve his losses. 
 A few months later he married Elfrieda Claussen, a daughter of Hans Reimer 
 Claussen, and with the added stimulus of having a home of his own to provide 
 for he started again in the business world. 
 
 It was at this time that Mr. Mueller obtained his first experience in connection 
 with the lumber trade, securing a position in a sawmill and thus gaining a knowl- 
 edge of the business which stood him in good stead in later years. He worked 
 for a time in a sawmill in Davenport and afterward operated a flour mill in 
 Lyons, Iowa. On his return to this city, in 1857, he accepted a position as fore- 
 man and salesman with the lumber firm of French & Davis and when that failed 
 in 1858 he was given charge of the disposition of their stock. In i860 he became 
 salesman for several lumber firms and from 1863 until 1868 engaged in the grain 
 business on his own account. He had found the lumber trade congenial, how- 
 ever, and in March of the latter year he purchased the Dessaint interest in the 
 lumber firm of Dessaint & Schricker, while in July, 1883, on the death of Mr. 
 Schricker, he became sole proprietor. On the ist of January, 1895, he associated 
 his three sons, Frank W., Edward C, and William L., with him in the business, 
 which was then continued under the name of Chris Mueller & Sons. He ranked 
 as one of the leading lumber merchants of the west, the firm enjoying a reputa- 
 tion from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The straightforward, honorable business 
 policy which he instituted at the commencement of his career was ever main- 
 tained, and the reliability of the house constituted one of the most potent forces 
 in its continued and growing success. 
 
 The death of Mr. Mueller occurred on the loth of September, 1901, and was 
 the occasion of deep and widespread regret. He was one of the most prominent 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 73 
 
 and most beloved citizens of Davenport, his personal traits of character gaining 
 him a firm hold on the affections of those with whom he was associated. His 
 name was regarded as synonymous with business integrity and enterprise, and 
 in social circles he was ever a welcome guest. He enjoyed association with his 
 old friends but home was never forgotten and his happiest hours were spent at 
 his own fireside. He was one of the founders and the first president of the 
 Davenport Turngemeinde and was looked upon as the father of the organiza- 
 tion. He was also one of the oldest members of the Davenport Schuetzen 
 Gesellschaft. In public affairs relative to the city's growth and improvement he 
 was deeply interested, as was manifest by his tangible support of many movements 
 for the public good. 
 
 FR/*.NK W. MUELLER. 
 
 Frank W. Mueller, the eldest son of Christian and Elfrieda Mueller, was 
 born in Davenport, October i8, 1863. His boyhood days were spent in his 
 father's home, during which time he attended the public schools of the city, while 
 later he enjoyed the advantage of instruction in the Iowa State University, from 
 which he was graduated. His education complete, he became associated with his 
 father in the lumber business and in order to gain comprehensive knowledge 
 thereof passed through every department, thus fitting himself for his present 
 important position. Since his father's death he has been called to the presidency 
 of the Mueller Lumber Company and is thus in control of one of the most ex- 
 tensive and important lumber concerns not only of Davenport but of the middle 
 west. He is likewise the vice president of the Mueller Land & Timber Company 
 and in business affairs his judgment is regarded as most sound. He is a member 
 of the Turners and the Schuetzen societies and is also well known in Masonic 
 circles. 
 
 ED C. MUELLER. 
 
 Ed C. Mueller, associated with his brothers in the Mueller Lumber Company, 
 was born January 8, 1865, in this city, and pursued his education through suc- 
 cessive grades in the public schools until he undertook the mastery of the branches 
 taught in the high school. He afterward attended the Duncan Business College 
 and when his course was completed, like his brothers, became connected with 
 the father's business. All were thoroughly trained in the various departments 
 of the business and the result is that the enterprise has continued to grow under 
 their management since the father's death. From 1886 until 1907 Ed C. Mueller 
 had charge of the manufacturing interests in the summer and was superintendent 
 of the logging in the winter. He thus gained intimate and comprehensive knowl- 
 edge of the business in its operative department and since 1907 has looked after 
 the buying for the Mueller Lumber Company, of which he is now the secretary 
 and treasurer. He also has considerable supervision over the interests of the 
 
74 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Mueller Land & Timber Company, of which he is the president. The latter 
 company has very large interests in Oregon and the scope of both business en- 
 terprises is being gradually extended, while the firm has become widely known 
 throughout the middle portion of the country and even far into the west. 
 
 In 1889 Mr. Mueller was married to Miss Clara Bruhn, a native of Daven- 
 port and a daughter of John Bruhn, one of the old residents of the city. They 
 have two children : Walter, bom July 5, 1896 ; and EHnore, born August 19, 1902. 
 
 W. L. MUELLER. 
 
 W. L. Mueller was born February 21, 1867, and is a son of Christian Mueller, 
 of whom extended mention is made elsewhere in this volume. The public schools 
 afforded him his early educational privileges and he afterward attended Gris- 
 wold College. He then became connected with the lumber business which was 
 founded and conducted by his father, spending the first year on the river and in 
 keeping books. Like his brothers, he passed through every department of the 
 business in order that he might thoroughly acquaint himself with the trade, not 
 only in the management of the financial interests but also in the value of lumber. 
 It was in 1895 that he was admitted to a partnership and since the death of the 
 father the business has been carried on by the sons, W. L. Mueller being now the 
 vice president of the Mueller Lumber Company. He gives his undivided time 
 and attention to the management and development of the buisness and his efforts 
 have constituted an important factor in its expansion and substantial growth. 
 
 In 1893 Mr. Mueller was married to Miss Bernhardine Lennhuis, a native of 
 Davenport and a daughter of Bernhard Lennhuis, one of the old settlers of Scott 
 county. They now have two children, Ben and Annie. Mr. Mueller belongs to 
 the Turners and other societies, in which his social qualities and generous spirit 
 have rendered him popular. 
 
 ALEXANDER FRASER WILLIAMS. 
 
 Alexander Eraser Wilhams, deceased, who stood as a splendid example of the 
 enterprising, thrifty and loyal citizen and a faithful follower of the church, whose 
 life did much to inspire and encourage others and whose memory is cherished 
 in the hearts of all who knew him, was born in Westfield, New Jersey, on the 
 15th of June, 1826. His life record covered sixty-one years, his death occurring 
 in Atlantic, Iowa, December 15, 1887. His parents were Charles Clark Wil- 
 laims and Eliza High Miller, who were married in Westfield, New Jersey, in 
 1818. They became the parents of seven daughters and three sons but only two 
 are now living: William Belden, a resident of Nebraska; and Mrs. Margaret 
 Dougherty, of Iowa. Most of the ancestors of the family were farming people 
 and all bear honorable records as honest, hard-working men and women, living in 
 a quiet, humble way. The Williams branch of the family were Welsh. Nathaniel 
 
\:^:i.^z^ ^::^^-n^ tx^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 77 
 
 Williams, the grandfather of A. F. Williams, had three children : a son who died 
 in early manhood ; a daughter Ann, who became the wife of Willard Barrows, one 
 of Iowa's prominent pioneer residents; and Charles Clark. For a number of 
 years Nathaniel Williams lived in Davenport with his daughter, Mrs. Barrows, 
 and there passed away in 1864, when more than eighty years of age. His mother 
 was of American birth, a daughter of Charles Clark, who served throughout the 
 Revolutionary war. That he must have held rank as an officer is indicated by the 
 fact that he wore a sword, the silver handle of which was afterward melted into 
 six tablespoons, two of which were given to each of his three grandchildren — 
 Samuel Clark, Charles Clark Williams and Betsy Smith. This was about eighty 
 years ago and the spoons are still highly prized by the present generation. 
 
 In the maternal line A. F. Williams comes of English ancestry through his 
 grandfather, Ezra Miller, while his grandmother, Mrs. Mary (High) Miller, was 
 of German descent, her father, John High, having left Germany when a little boy. 
 
 Charles Clark Williams, the father of Alexander Eraser Williams, was a man 
 highly esteemed by. all who knew him because of his upright life and fidelity to 
 manly principles. An earnest Christian, he was for many years an elder in the 
 Presbyterian church in Westfield and in Newark, New Jersey, and for several 
 years was also one of the elders of the First Presbyterian church in Davenport, 
 Iowa, where he died of cholera in 1852. All who knew him felt that he was a 
 martyr to the unselfish care which he bestowed upon the laboring men who were 
 victims of that terrible scourge. He had a most faithful and loving wife, who to 
 her family was a devoted mother, her salient characteristics being such as en- 
 deared her to ajl who knew her. She made her home in Davenport and its vicin- 
 ity for over thirty years and spent the last few years of her life in the home of 
 her daughter in Nebraska, there passing away in 1878. 
 
 Alexander Fraser Williams spent his youthful days on his father's farm near 
 Westfield, New Jersey, and was eleven years of age at the time of the removal 
 of the family to Newark. There he spent several years attending the private 
 schools and academy, and for one year was a student in a good school in Caldwell, 
 New Jersey, so that he obtained a fair education. He was seventeen years of age 
 when in 1843 the family removed to Davenport, Iowa, which was then regarded 
 as the far west. He remained there for four years, assisting his father upon the 
 farm, and also spent several months in making surveying tours through Iowa 
 with his uncle, Willard ' Barrows. He did not find agricultural pursuits con- 
 genial and, believing that he would obtain more pleasure and profit from com- 
 mercial life, in 1847 he entered the dry-goods store of his uncle, Moses Miller, 
 at Racine, Wisconsin. After two years there passed his longing for the east 
 decided him to return to New York city, where he secured a situation in the 
 wholesale hardware store of John C. Tucker, in whose service he remained for 
 three years, acquiring a good knowledge of the business during that period and 
 thus becoming well equipped for the line of work to which he devoted the greater 
 part of his' life. In 1852, receiving a more advantageous business ofifer, he en- 
 tered the employ of Ely, Bow en & McConnell, wholesale dry-goods merchants, 
 conducting business on Broadway, New York. For six years he continued with 
 that firm and during half the time had charge of the white goods department, 
 making purchases for the same In the financial crash of 1858, following the 
 
78 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 widespread panic of the previous year, the New York firm failed and about the 
 same time Mr. Williams received an offer to go into business in Davenport, where 
 his widowed mother and family lived. This influenced him to return to the west. 
 
 On the 17th of February, 1858, Mr. Williams was united in marriage to Miss 
 Frances Mary Robinson, of Chicago, and after spending some two months in the 
 east, purchasing his stock of dry goods, thus combining pleasure with business, 
 he returned with his bride to Davenport and in May, 1858, became the junior 
 partner of the firm of Eldridge & Williams, at No. 123 Brady street. During the 
 succeeding three years the business increased rapidly, necessitating trips to New 
 York and Boston, which Mr. Williams made three or four times each year in or- 
 der to purchase goods in eastern markets. They were enjoying substantial success 
 at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war. Within a few months nearly all 
 business was paralyzed and failures were the order of the day. Eldridge & Wil- 
 liams were among the unfortunate ones and were obliged to succumb to the pres- 
 sure. 
 
 The financial outlook was dark and discouraging but Mr. Williams was of an 
 optimistic nature and believed that the obstacles and difficulties could be over- 
 come by persistent, determined and honorable effort. He desired to take part in the 
 struggle in which his country was engaged, but his only brotlier, Belden Williams, 
 and Frank C. Robinson, his wife's only brother, were among the first to enhst, 
 serving faithfully through the long four years of the war. With those two at 
 the front Mr. Williams felt convinced that his duty must lie at home in the care 
 of his widowed mother and his young wife and child. Accordingly in the fall of 
 1 86 1 he accepted a position with Sickles & Preston, a prominent hardware firm 
 of Davenport, with whom he continued for about four years, two of which he spent 
 upon the road as traveling reprsentative of their wholesale house that had just been 
 established in Chicago. At the end of that time he received an offer from the well 
 known hardware firm of William Blair & Company, of Chicago, bringing him a 
 large advance in salary. He traveled for that firm for four years, at the expira- 
 tion of which time he was quite ready to settle down in the city of his choice — 
 Davenport — where his family had continued to reside during the six years which 
 he had spent upon the road, giving the best powers and strength of his young 
 manhood to the honorable canceling of all of his indebtedness. 
 
 In 1869 Mr. Williams formed a partnership in the wholesale heavy hardware 
 trade with R. Sieg, under the firm style of Sieg & Williams. His comprehensive 
 knowledge of the business naturally made him the buyer for the house and during 
 the eighteen years in which he was connected with the business he contributed 
 largely to the upbuilding of a profitable enterprise which is still continued under 
 the name of the Sieg Iron Company. The firm of Sieg & Williams were extensive 
 jobbers in heavy wagon stock and other manufacturers' hardware, and in addi- 
 tion to his mercantile interests Mr. Williams was a director of the Security Fire 
 Insurance Company, a member of the Board of Trade and was connected with 
 other business organizations. As the years went by he prospered in his undertak- 
 ings, becoming recognized as one of the foremost merchants and leading business 
 men of the city. His name stood as a synonym for commercial integrity, for he 
 never made engagements that he did not fill nor incurred obligations that he did 
 not meet. His methods were progressive and his course won for him the ad- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 79 
 
 miration and respect of his contemporaries and colleagues. Mr. and Mrs. Wil- 
 liams became the parents of four children, namely: Ella, who gave her hand in 
 marriage to J. S. Thompson and now resides in Escondido, California ; Anna, the 
 wife of Dr. J. P. Crawford, whose sketch appears on another page of this work; 
 Frederick Crosby, who passed away in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on the 21st of 
 September, 1894, when twenty-four years of age ; and Joseph Robinson, who died 
 on the 19th of February, 1894, when a youth of eighteen years. 
 
 Mr. Williams passed away at Atlantic, Iowa, December 15, 1887, after a brief 
 illness of ten days. He had for nearly thirty years been intimately associated 
 with the growth and development of Davenport and was deeply interested in 
 everything which promoted its prosperity. He felt a special interest in the Hen- 
 nepin canal project and the building of the Davenport, Iowa & Dakota Rail- 
 road and was one of its directors. His cooperation could always be counted 
 upon to further movements for the public good and he gave of his time and 
 means, as it was possible, to aid in the work of general improvement. While 
 in business in New York he became a member of the Baptist church and for 
 more than three decades was a consistent and active worker in the denomination. 
 He served for a number of years as senior trustee in the Calvary Baptist church 
 of Davenport. While he became known as a prominent and representative busi- 
 ness man, it was his Christian spirit that made him most honored, for he molded 
 his entire life in conformity with the teachings of his Master, ministering to 
 others as the occasion offered and giving freely of his means to the support of 
 the church and charity. He was one of the teachers in the Sunday school, a 
 worker in the Young Men's Christian Association and at the time of his death 
 was taking a most active and helpful interest in the work of erecting a house 
 of worship for the Baptist people, acting as chairman of the building committee. 
 It has been said : "Not the good that comes to us but the good that comes to 
 the world through us is the measure of our success," and judged by this standard 
 
 Alexander Eraser Williams was a most successful man. 
 
 J no-" 
 
 AUGUST PAUSTIAN. 
 
 One of the native sons of Hickory Grove township, whose bountiful harvests 
 sustain the reputation of this section of Iowa as an agricultural center is August 
 Paustian, who was born March 2, 1856, a son of Frederick and Christina (Roehs) 
 Paustian. They were both natives of Holstein, Germany, the former having been 
 bom January 14, 1820, the latter August 28, 1825. In the country of their birth 
 they were reared and married, coming to the United States in 185 1. On their 
 arrival they made their way to Scott county, Iowa, locating upon a farm in 
 Hickory Grove township, which had belonged to Mr. Paustian's father-in-law. 
 He had learned the trade of a mason in the fatherland and this he pursued to 
 some extent in this country in connection with the general farming, to which he 
 devoted himself more and more as it proved a remunerative occupation. In the 
 course of time he became very well-to-do and highly respected among the pioneers 
 of this county, which remained his home until January 27, 1886, when at the age 
 
80 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 of sixty-five years he passed away. His wife, who survived him about fifteen 
 years, died July 21, 1900, when she was seventy-five years of age. They had a 
 family of twelve children, but two died in childhood. The others are: Caroline, 
 the wife of Martin Greenwood, of Cleona township; Fred, who resides in Minne- 
 sota; August, the subject of this sketch; Emma, the wife of Christ Paustian, of 
 Cleona township; Louis, who makes his home in Cedar county, Iowa; Sophia, 
 the wife of William Buhmann, of O'Brien county, Iowa; James, who resides in 
 Hickory Grove township; Charles, also a farmer in Hickory Grove township; 
 Minnie, the wife of Herman Meinert, of Cleona township ; and Bertha, the wife 
 of Henry Paulsen of Muscatine county, Iowa. 
 
 August Paustian has spent all his life in Hickory Grove township and attended 
 the district school near his home. He assisted his father in the cultivation of the 
 fields constituting the homestead until he was married. Accordingly, he went 
 to Cedar county, Iowa, where he remained for three years, at the expiration of 
 that period returning to Hickory Grove township, Scott county. Here he operates 
 a tract of one hundred and sixty acres on section 34 belonging to his father-in- 
 law, but he owns one hundred and fifty-three acres of land on section 19, Liberty 
 township, a landholding of no inconsiderable value. His wife recently bought 
 one hundred and sixty acres on section 33, Hickory Grove township, a farm that 
 was formerly known as the Goetsch homestead, so that in the aggregate Mr. 
 Paustian has a large amount of land under his control. In addition tO' his agri- 
 cultural interest he holds stock in the Farmers Elevator of Walcott, one of the 
 progressive enterprises of that village. 
 
 In 1884 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Paustian and Miss Matilda 
 Lamp, who was bom in Hickory Grove township, April 30, 1863. She is a 
 daughter of Claus H. Lamp, who was one of the prominent farmers of his sec- 
 tion of Scott county but has now retired from active life and lives at 1026 West 
 Fourteenth street, Davenport. He was the parent of seven children: one who 
 died in infancy, Matilda, Caroline, Julius, Gustav, Clara and Adolph. To Mr. 
 and Mrs. Paustian were born eleven children, of whom seven are living, namely: 
 Meta, Wilma, Julius, August, Martha, Hilda and Clarence. Hugo died at the 
 age of six years. Harry was three and a half when he passed away. Alma died 
 when three years old, and Edward was only two months when he died. 
 
 Although other tracts embrace a larger area none express more careful and 
 thorough cultivation of the soil than does that which is Mr. Paustian's. He has 
 not spared industry to make it productive and as he cultivates the fields with in- 
 telligence he knows how to bring from them the largest harvests. 
 
 THOMAS F. HALLIGAN. 
 
 Davenport, the commercial center of Iowa and the home of many extensive 
 wholesale houses, finds one of its prominent representatives in Thomas F. 
 Halligan, president of the Halligan Coflfee Company, an enterprise of large and 
 extensive proportions, in the development of which he has been a most important 
 factor. In commercial affairs he displays marked ability in discriminating be- 
 
'a.£c^ 
 
 ^/ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 83 
 
 tween the essential and non-essential and bringing into close harmony the varied 
 forces that constitute the interests of the enterprise with which he has been 
 associated. He is one of the city's native sons, born October 25, 1855. His 
 father, Patrick Joseph Halligan, was a native of Ireland, born in Summerhill, 
 County Meath, August 31, 1825. He came to the United States as a young man 
 of twenty-four years, settling in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1849. He there re- 
 sided for two years, during which time he was married, on the 27th of October, 
 1850, to Miss Ellen McNally, a native of Clonard, County Kildare, Ireland, 
 who came to the United States in 1850 and died in 1897. In 1851 Patrick J. 
 Halligan and his young wife removed from Paterson, New Jersey, to Peru, 
 Illinois, where for two years he was connected with the gas business. On the 
 17th of August, 1853, he arrived in Davenport and was superintendent of the 
 gas company here from 1858 until 1888, or for a period of thirty years, at the 
 end of which time he retired. He enjoyed in unqualified measure the confidence 
 and trust of those whom he represented and gave to them an efficient and valu- 
 able service, which was indicated in his long connection with the company. He 
 enjoyed, moreover, the unqualified good will and esteem of all with whom he 
 came in contact outside of business relations. He had a strong love for the 
 land of his birth and was a member of the Sarsfield Guards when in Ireland, 
 but was ever a most loyal American, in full sympathy with the republican form 
 of government and the liberal principles for which this country stands. He 
 died in 1893. 
 
 Thomas F. Halligan was the third in a family of six children, all of whom were 
 born in Davenport with the exception of the eldest son, John. In St. Mar- 
 guerite's parochial school Thomas F. Halligan pursued his studies until fifteen 
 years of age, when he accepted a position in a flour and feed store, where he 
 continued for a year. He then became delivery clerk in the grocery store of 
 Morrison & Glaspell and thus obtained his initial knowledge of the business, with 
 which he has been more or less intimately associated since that time. He re- 
 mained with the firm and their successors for five years and in June, 1875, ac- 
 cepted a position with Milton J. Glaspell. On the ist of January, 1884, he en- 
 tered into partnership with Mr. Glaspell in the grocery business at No. 16 East 
 Third street under the firm name of Glaspell & Halligan. They were very suc- 
 cessful, the firm enjoying a growing trade until 1887, when Mr. HalHgan sold 
 his interest and with G. J. Washburn organized the Washburn-Halligan Coffee 
 Company, carrying a large line of teas, coffees and spices. This undertaking 
 also proved profitable from its inception and after five years at their original 
 location the firm in 1892 removed from Third street to larger quarters at No. 
 215 East Second street. On two occasions they suffered losses through fire but 
 with resolute purpose they conducted their interests, the business continuing to 
 prosper and grow until there was a pressing demand for still more commodious 
 quarters. In 1907 the present magnificent building was erected and the busi- 
 ness is now carried on extensively on East Fourth street. This is one of the 
 most complete and attractive wholesale buildings in Davenport, where the whole^ 
 sale trade of this section of the country largely centers. Mr. Washburn retired 
 in 1896 and the business was then reorganized under the name of the Halligan 
 Coffee Company, with Thomas F. Halligan as president, R. F. Miller, vice pres- 
 
84 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 ident, William Lillis, secretary, and Joseph E. Halligan, treasurer. The trade 
 today extends largely over Iowa, Missouri, the Dakotas, Minnesota and Ill- 
 inois. The house sustains an unassailable reputation for the reliability of its 
 business methods, and the spirit of enterprise and industry which dominates every 
 department constitutes the basic element in the development of what is today one 
 of the largest and most important wholesale concerns of the city. 
 
 On the 17th of August, 1886, Mr. Halligan was married to Miss Mary, a 
 daughter of John and Bridget Lillis. Mrs. Halligan was bom in Davenport 
 and by her marriage has become the mother of six children: Gilbert L., Eugene 
 J., Grace, Camilla, Thomas, Francis and Angela. 
 
 Mr. Halligan's social nature finds expression in his membership with the 
 Commercial Club, the Woodmen of the World and the Knights of Columbus, 
 and his standing in business circles is indicated in the fact that he has been 
 elected to the presidency of the Jobbers & Manufacturers Association. He is 
 active in every project concerning the welfare of the city and is a loyal son of 
 Davenport, doing everything in his power to promote her welfare along the 
 lines of substantial and permanent growth and improvement. He is recognized 
 by friends and business associates as a man of high character and sterling qual- 
 ities and his life record exemplifies many traits of character which are well worthy 
 of emulation. 
 
 BERNARD A. HUSCHKE. 
 
 Bernard A. Huschke, who has lived retired at No. 1207 Grand avenue in 
 Davenport for the past twelve years, successfully followed fanning throughout 
 his active business career. He is a native of Germany, his birth having occurred 
 in Prussia on the 12th of September, 1831. He lost his parents, Charles and 
 Margaret Huschke, when still very young. His father held a court offce in 
 Germany and served as an army official for about nineteen years. Mr. Huschke 
 of this review obtained his education in the schools of his native land and there 
 also learned the blacksmith's trade. When a young man of twenty- four years he 
 set sail for the new world, landing at New York on the 7th of October, 1855, after 
 an ocean voyage of sixty-four days. He first located in Cincinnati but, being 
 unable to obtain satisfactory employment, left the city at the end O'f two months 
 and went to Ferdinand, Indiana, where he worked at his trade until the following 
 spring. On leaving the Hoosier state he came to Davenport and here began work 
 at the blacksmith's trade but after a couple of weeks secured employment as a 
 farm hand at a wage of twelve dollars per month. Later he hired out at a 
 salary of one hundred and twenty dollars per year and continued working as a 
 farm hand until the time oi his marriage in 1858. Following that important 
 event in his life he began the operation of a rented farm of eighty acres in 
 Davenport township and at the end of two years purchased the property, making 
 his home thereon for about eight years. On the expiration of that period he 
 sold the place and purchased and located upon a quarter section of land in 
 Pleasant Valley township, to the further cultivation and improvement of which 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY , 35 
 
 be devoted his attention until 1898, making it a rich and productive farming 
 property. In 1898 he disposed of the place and took up his abode in Davenport, 
 bemg incapacitated for further active work because of injuries which he had re- 
 ceived in a runaway accident. He won a gratifying measure of prosperity in the 
 conduct of his agricultural interests and has long been numbered among the sub- 
 stantial and respected citizens of Scott county. 
 
 On the I2th of July, 1858, Mr. Huschke was united in marriage to Miss 
 Barbara Wachter, who was born in Switzerland on the 9th of October, 1839, her 
 father being Frank Wachter, who settled in this county in 1848. ' Unto Mr. and 
 Mrs. Huschke were born twelve children, the record of whom is as follows. 
 Casper, who makes his home in Minnesota, married Miss Theresa Wager and 
 has three children: Beatrice, Genevieve and Herbert. John, living in Iowa, 
 wedded Miss Mary Schmidt, by whom he has six children.. Louisa, the next in 
 order of birth, is at home. Marie gave her hand in marriage to Henry Meyer, 
 of Stuart, Iowa, and is now the mother of four children. Amelia is the wife of 
 Ludwig Schmidt, of Davenport, and has three children : Walter, Gertrude and 
 Lucy. Leo, who wedded Miss Rose Baldwin, is a resident of Washington. 
 Elizabeth, living in Portland, Oregon, is the wife of Benjamin Klotz, by whom 
 she has four children: Rose, Leo, Frank and Anton. The Misses Margaret, 
 Carrie and Amanda Huschke are still under the parental roof. Clara is now in 
 a convent of Dubuque. Constantine, who died at the age of thirty-seven years, 
 had married Miss Lottie Ryan, who is also deceased. The two childreh of this 
 union, Ermentrude and Allen, make their home with our subject. 
 
 Since becoming a naturalized American citizen Mr. Huschke has given his 
 political allegiance to the democratic party. He is a faithful communicant of the 
 Catholic church and also belongs to the German Pioneers Society. Though born 
 across the water and .maintaining a love for his native land, he is yet thoroughly 
 American in spirit and interests and loyal to the institutions of his adopted 
 country. He has now passed the seventy-eighth milestone on life's journey and 
 is well and favorably known throughout the county in which he has resided for 
 more than a half century. 
 
 HENRY VOLLMER. 
 
 Henry Vollmer, long a respected resident and active business man of Daven- 
 port, learned the printer's trade as the initial step in his business career and from 
 a hum.ble position worked his way steadily upward until he gained that success 
 which comes from the capable management of large and important printing in- 
 terests. He was a native of Germany and one of a family of several children. 
 When little more than three years of age he was brought by his parents to the 
 new world, the family home being estabHshed in St. Louis, where the days of 
 his boyhood and youth were passed and his education was acquired. In early 
 manhood he learned the printer's trade, which he followed in St. Louis and 
 nearby towns until 1861, when he came to Davenport. Here he took a position 
 with the German Democrat, being made foreman of the composing room, and for 
 
86 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 almost a score of years he remained on that paper, his long connection therewith 
 being incontrovertible proof of his capability and fidelity in discharging the du- 
 ties that devolved upon him. In 1880 he resigned to engage in business on his 
 own account and purchased an interest with J. M. Buck in a rubber stamp man- 
 ufacturing enterprise. They extended the scope of their activities to include 
 job printing and the partnership relation was maintained for some time, but 
 eventually Mr. Buck sold his interest to A. L. Mossman and the firm of Mossman 
 & Vollmer was formed. Under that style the business was continued until the 
 death of Henry Vollmer, although for about a year prior to his demise his son 
 Emil took his place in the active management of the business. Throughout his 
 life Mr. Vollmer was actuated by laudable ambition and his earnest purpo.se and 
 unfaltering industry constituted a force which won for him a gratifying measure 
 of success. 
 
 In 1863 occurred the marriage of Henry Vollmer and Miss Dorothea Plam- 
 beck, of Davenport, and unto tliem were born seven children : Emil, Henry, 
 Carl, Fred, Arthur, Agnes and Dora. The children have all been provided with 
 good educational privileges, not only in the schools of Davenport but also at 
 Iowa City. Mrs. Vollmer was brought to this city when seven years of age by 
 her parents and her father died three years later. The death of Mr. Vollmer 
 occurred December 12, 1890, and thus passed away a man whose sterling worth 
 was recognized by all who knew him. He belonged to the Turners Society, the 
 Ancient Order of United Workmen and to the Knights of Pythias, and he was 
 also known and honored for his activity and faithfulness in political circles. In 
 1883 he was elected. to the ofiice of county recorder, in which position he served 
 for two terms, retiring in 1887 with the confidence and good will of all con- 
 cerned. He was a man of strict probity and upright character, who at all times 
 and under all circumstances could be depended upon to conserve the iest inter- 
 ests of any movement or measure with which he was connected. He won sub- 
 stantial success in business and more than that he gained the confidence and 
 good will of his fellowmen, leaving to his family the priceless heritage of an 
 untarnished name. 
 
 CLAUS KROEGER. 
 
 Claus Kroeger is numbered among those representative German-American 
 citizens who came to this country from the fatherland and here found the op- 
 portunities for advancement which they sought along business lines. He is 
 numbered among the old German settlers of Scott county and for almost four 
 decades was actively and helpfully identified with its agricultural interests. As 
 the result of energy, perseverance and well directed efforts he is now able to 
 spend the evening of life in retirement, enjoying in well earned rest the fruits of 
 former years of toil. Born in Holstein, Germany, on the, 14th of April, 1829, 
 he is a son of Hans and Lena Kroeger, whose entire lives were spent in the father- 
 land. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 87 
 
 For the educational advantages which Mr. Kroeger enjoyed during the period 
 of his boyhood and youth he is indebted to the common schools of his native 
 country, and he remained under the parental roof until the outbreak of the war 
 of 1848-50 with Denmark, when he joined the German army and served through- 
 out the period of hostilities. Returning home, he remained with his parents 
 until 1854, when he responded to the call of the new world and, bidding adieu 
 to home and fatherland, sailed for the United States, hoping to find better op- 
 portunities for advancement in business than were offered in the old world. He 
 left Germany on the 15th of March and upon arriving in this country came direct 
 to Davenport, which point he reached on the 20th of May, more than two 
 months being consumed by the journey. His first work here was in the capacity 
 of farm hand and thus he labored by the month for about six years. His in- 
 herent characteristic of thrift prompted him to carefully save his earnings and 
 at the expiration of that period, feeling that the capital which he had accumu- 
 lated was suffcient to justify such a step, he established a home of his own by his 
 marriage, on the 21st of August, i860, to Miss Anna Lage, who was born in 
 Germany on the 9th of March, 1839, a daughter of Henry and Anna Lage, old 
 German settlers of Scott county. In 1847, when a little maiden of eight years, 
 she came with her parents to the United States, the family landing at New Or- 
 leans, whence they came up the Mississippi river to St. Louis. After remaining 
 m that city for about six weeks they continued their northward journey until 
 they arrived in Scott county, Iowa, where the father purchased a tract of wild 
 praire land which, by means of untiring industry, indefatigable energy and un- 
 ceasing perseverance, he converted into a highly cultivated farm and which later 
 became the home of our subject. 
 
 After his marriage Mr. Kroeger took up his abode upon the farm in Daven- 
 port township upon which his father-in-law originally located, continuing to de- 
 vote his time and energies to its development for more than thirty years. In the 
 meantime he made a thorough study of agriculture, practiced rotation of crops 
 and carried on his farming interests in a capable and businesslike way that brought 
 most desirable results. Annually his fields yielded rich harvests as a reward for 
 the care and labor bestowed upon them, and his agricultural interests proved a 
 source of gratifying revenue. He purchased a farm in Lyon county, Iowa, which 
 he later sold at a very advantageous price. That his efforts were crowned with 
 a very substantial success is indicated by the fact that in 1893 he was able to 
 retire from further active work. He removed to Davenport, purchasing a home 
 at 1 162 Fourteenth street, where he has since resided, a goodly competence mak- 
 ing it possible for him to enjoy the comforts of life without further recourse 
 to labor. 
 
 With the passing of the years the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kroeger was blessed 
 with six children, as follows : Henry, a progressive farmer operating the old 
 homestead, mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume; Lewis, of Lyon 
 county, Iowa ; Emma, the wife of Henry Goettsch, of Lyon county ; Gustav, also 
 residing in Lyon county; Minnie, the deceased wife of Henry Bolt, of Davenport; 
 and one who died in infancy. Politically Mr. Kroeger is independent and while 
 still active in the world's work held several township offices. He holds member- 
 ship in the German Pioneers Association and also in the Schleswig-Holstein So- 
 
88 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 ciety, and he is widely known throughout Davenport township, where his circle 
 of friends is almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance. He has 
 never had occasion to regret his determination to seek his fortune in this country, 
 for here he found the opportunities which he sought and by earnest, persistent 
 and unfaltering efifort carried himself forward to the goal of success. He has 
 now passed the eighty-first milestone on life's journey and can look back upon a 
 past that has been characterized by honest labor and honorable purposes. 
 
 W. F. PECK, M. D. 
 
 Those best acquainted with the early history of medicine in Iowa will agree 
 that no one man has done more to advance the standing of the profession in the 
 state than Dr. W. F. Peck. Setting a high mark for individual attainment, mak- 
 ing his own name as a surgeon second to none in the west, he was at the same 
 time far-seeing and active in the furtherance of measures for the collective ad- 
 vancement of his calling. He did the effective organizing work and largely in- 
 fluenced the legislation which gave the university its medical department; he 
 was among the foremost in procuring the medical license law and board of medi- 
 cal examiners; his counsels live in the state board of health, State Medical So- 
 ciety and State Orphans' Home ; and Iowa's efficient railroad surgical service, in 
 which work this state was a pioneer, was organized by him. 
 
 Washington Freeman Peck was born in Galen, Wayne county. New York, 
 January 22, 1841. His parents, William H. and Alida (Hawes) Peck, both 
 natives of the Empire state, were, the former of English and Scotch, the latter 
 of Dutch descent. His great-grandfather, Nathan Peck, was a soldier of the 
 Revolutionary war and a descendant of Deacon William Peck, a London mer- 
 chant who, with his wife and son Jeremiah, came to this country on the ship Hec- 
 tor in company with Governor Eaton, John Davenport and other stanch Puri- 
 tans, arriving in Boston in the spring of 1637. The next year Deacon William 
 and his associates founded the New Haven colony, and Jeremiah became the 
 first teacher in the New Haven collegiate school. 
 
 Dr. Peck, though lacking the advantages of a general education, beyond that 
 to be obtained in the common schools, was a tireless student in the school of life. 
 By keenly observing and diligently applying the lessons there learned he accom- 
 plished results beyond those achieved by most college graduates, and the degree 
 of A. M. later conferred on him was exceptionally well eariled. 
 
 He was graduated from Bellevue Hospital Medical College in the spring of 
 1863, with the highest honors of his class, being the first student to matriculate 
 in this the first medical college in the land to successfully combine clinical with 
 didactic teaching. During his three years at medical college he secured, together 
 with lectures from the foremost professional celebrities of the day, three months' 
 service each in the hospitals on Blackwell's and Randall's islands and eighteen 
 months of invaluable experience in the wards of Bellevue. Also, just before 
 graduating, he availed himself of a trip as ship surgeon to Havana and back, 
 and at the close of his Bellevue service entered Lincoln General Hospital, Wash- 
 
•.•«^ VV 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 91 
 
 ington, D. C, as a contract surgeon. Here he did good work and made valuable 
 acquaintances until, weakened by an attack of pneumonia, he was compelled to 
 resign from the very arduous duties of the place in May, 1864. While treating 
 a neglected gunshot wound during his service in Washington he had the mis- 
 fortune to infect his right index finger, resulting in permanent anchylosis. M 
 less courageous man might have been disheartened; but he was thankful to es- 
 cape without the threatened loss of his hand, and the crippled finger learned to 
 do excellent work. 
 
 Returning to the parental home at Clyde in his native county, he allowed him- 
 self only a few weeks for recuperation, then set his face to the west and arrived 
 at Rock Island, June 9, 1864, in his twenty- fourth year and ready to work. This 
 place he had chosen as his prospective field of labor, but after inspecting both 
 towns he was better pleased with Davenport across the river. Here he fitted up 
 an office on Third street near Brady, making a sleeping room of his "sanctum" 
 and taking board at the old "Burtis." By July 2d, as his journal records, he had 
 taken part in a consultation ; had joined the "Hawkeye Club ;" was about to affili- 
 ate with the local Masons, having taken the Master's degree as a student; and 
 was able to write : "My office business up to date has paid my expenses." Thus 
 promptly did he become identified with the community his name was to honor. 
 
 Though barely out of his teens when he began hospital work and study in 
 the great city his journal of that period plainly reveals the traits which marked 
 his character through life. Fully realizing that right success means persistent 
 hard work, together with habits conservative of bodily health and strength, ha 
 chose "Success" as his motto and, yielding to no indulgence, losing no opportunity 
 and sparing no effort, he bent all his energies to attain it. Working early and 
 late in the wards and at study, that he might find time for clinics and such lectures 
 as he selected to attend; never avoiding but rather courting work; planning, 
 even scheming, for additional tasks ; eager for the additional knowledge and train- 
 ing they would afford ; perfecting his hand on every occasion in minor surgical man- 
 ipulations; always ready to assist in, or himself to conduct an operation; losing 
 no opportunity to make post mortem examinations and carefully to note their 
 impressive lessons, he reaped much fuller returns from his student years than 
 if, modestly retiring, or allowing himself to be pushed aside, he had done only 
 the work needed to obtain his diploma. 
 
 Keenly alive to the stirring news and events of the day, both on the field and 
 in the halls of congress, Dr. Peck's deepest interest was still in medical affairs and. 
 medical men. Self-assured but unassuming, he made good use of his almost 
 daily association with the foremost lecturers and surgeons of the land. Such 
 men as J. R. Wood, the Motts and the Flints ; Hamilton, Sayre, Parker and Smith ; 
 Professor Silliman, of Yale, and Drs. Gross and Pancoast, of Philadelphia, took 
 an especial interest in the bright, energetic youth, and he suffered no needless 
 reticence to deprive him of the full advantage of his association with them. He 
 did not neglect social duties, however, exchanged frequent letters with mother, 
 sister and brother ; visited relatives and friends in the city ; heard a sermon when 
 he could ; enjoyed a play now and then, and indulged rarely in a friendly game of 
 whist. 
 
92 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 His student days over and a successful career as a surgeon opening up brightly 
 before him in the west, Dr. Peck returned to his native state at the end of his 
 first year of practice and was united in marriage, September i8, 1865, to Miss 
 Maria Purdy, of Butler, Wayne county. New York, who became his ever effi- 
 cient helper thereafter to the close of his life, and who, with one daughter, Mrs. 
 Henry Vollmer, of Davenport, survives him. Another daughter and an only son 
 died in early youth. 
 
 In 1866 Dr. Peck was made secretary of the Scott County Medical Society, 
 became its president a few years later, and in 1876 was elected to the presi- 
 dency of the State Medical Society, thus rapidly advancing to the front rank of 
 his profession. He became an active member of the American Medical Associa- 
 tion, served as its vice president and was honored with the chairmanship of its 
 surgical section, being also chosen a member of the American Surgical Association, 
 an organization whose membership is limited to one hundred. 
 
 The story of Dr. Peck's surgical and educational work was well and concisely 
 told in an article prepared for the "Biographical History and Portrait Gallery of 
 Scott County, Iowa," 1895, by the late Dr. W. D. Middleton, his first student, 
 his life-long friend and associate, and his worthy successor as dean of the medical 
 faculty of the State University of Iowa. Dr. Middleton writes : 
 
 "To the educational work of the profession Dr. Peck at once addressed him- 
 self with the ardor of an enthusiast, and to him the state of Iowa is indebted for 
 the medical department of its State University an institution which reflects credit 
 on its founder and upon the great state by which it is fostered and supported. In 
 1868 he conceived the idea of building up a medical college in Iowa which would 
 afford facilities for the first-class education of young men desiring to enter the 
 medical profession, and in order that the institution might be established upon a 
 permanent basis, he determined to make it a department of the State University 
 at Iowa City. He first laid his plans before Judge John F. Dillon, now of New 
 York, then a distinguished citizen of Davenport, and secured his hearty coopera- 
 tion. Then, in June of 1869, a comparatively unknown young man, he presented 
 himself before the trustees of the university and proposed the creation of a medi- 
 cal department. He came before the board unheralded but full of the subject 
 with which he had to deal, enthusiastic in his expectations and eloquent in his 
 appeals for liberal treatment of his profession by the officials of what should be 
 a university in fact as well as in name. Surprising as it may seem he carried the 
 board with him, and the preliminary steps were taken toward the establishment 
 of the medical school. In those days, however, the university was poor, and from 
 the day it was founded the medical department was in financial straits. An or- 
 ganization was not effected, or at least perfected, until 1870, and this was ac- 
 complished in the face of difficulties of the most discouraging and perplexing 
 kind. When the organization was finally completed Dr. Peck was made professor 
 of surgery, and became dean of the faculty and the executive head of the de- 
 partment of medicine. Then came the struggle to secure the needed assistance 
 from the State Legislature, to overcome hostility engendered by professional riv- 
 alry, and to carry on at the same time a work which would compel recognition and 
 approval of the project. At another city in the state a medical college had been 
 established at an earlier date, calling itself a department of the State University 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 93 
 
 and with an ambition to be recognized as such. The charter of the university, 
 however, precluded such recognition of an institution not located at Iowa City, 
 and the plan proposed by Dr. Peck was the only feasible proposition for connect- 
 ing a medical course with the university course. Nevertheless new antagonisms 
 and sectional jealousies were aroused to such an extent that at times the advance- 
 ment of the project seemed almost hopeless. Year after year the struggle con- 
 tinued, and the indomitable will power, the high courage and ceaseless effort of 
 Dr. Peck contributed more than anything else to final success. Supported by a 
 loyal and competent faculty he made the medical department an institution which 
 commanded the respect and admiration of all those who were interested in the 
 general upbuilding of the university, and by and by the opposition to it ceased, 
 appropriations for its maintenance were freely made, and its founders realized 
 the full fruition of their hopes." 
 
 In this connection the Hon. John P. Irish, then one of the University board 
 of trustees, now naval officer of customs at the port of San Francisco, who was 
 an active co-worker in the project of the new school, and without whose efficient 
 aid it would probably have failed, writes : 
 
 "The real founder of the medical department of the State University of Iowa 
 was Dr. Peck. The suggestion of the foundation came from myself, * * * 
 I made of its (the University's) interests a specialty in the legislature and se- 
 cured for it the first appropriation that it ever received from the state treasury." 
 In working for this appropriation Mr. Irish had in view, as he says, the es- 
 tablishing of both a legal, and a medical department of the university, rightly rea- 
 soning that through them he would enlist for it the sympathy and support of 
 most of the influential men of the state. 
 
 "Something over fifty thousand dollars" was voted and the law department, 
 under Chancellor Hammond, was started in 1868. Later "the first concrete 
 action" was taken toward the establishing of a medical department when Dr. 
 Peck, Mr. Irish and Professor Gustavus Hinrichs met in Mr. Irish's office to dis- 
 cuss the project. The outlook was not an encouraging one. There was no money 
 in sight, a faculty had to be secured who would serve without pay, and the deter- 
 mined opposition of the Keokuk Medical School had to be met. It proved a 
 strong opposition, both in the legislature and throughout the state, and "the early 
 years (of the department) were passed in storm and tempest." But Dr. Peck 
 was a fighter, and he was ably seconded. From the legislature of 1870 Mr. Irish 
 secured a second appropriation of sixty-three thousand dollars, and by the most 
 strenuous elifort prevented the passage of a proviso that none of it should be 
 used for the medical department. The victory was won; but, as Mr. Irish de- 
 clares: "There would have been no medical school but for Dr. Peck. It was 
 founded in his professional zeal, his enormous capacity for work, his command 
 of the art of persuasion, his sleepless vigilance, his right intuitions and his spirit 
 of sacrifice." 
 
 To quote further from Dr. Middleton's article: 
 
 "Soon after he came to Davenport Dr. Peck was made local surgeon of the 
 Rock Island Railroad Company. At that time the company had no organized 
 medical department, nor is it probable that any such department was connected 
 with a western railroad, if indeed any of the railway corporations of the country 
 
94 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 had gi-ogressed to that extent. The work which came to Dr. Peck, however, as 
 local railway surgeon was well done ; so well that it commended him to the great 
 and constantly growing corporation, and in 1875 he was designated to act as sur- 
 geon-in-chief of the company and to him was assigned the task of organizing its 
 medical and surgical department. To this task he addressed himself with an 
 energy and tenacity of purpose which precluded the possibility of failure, evincing 
 an executive ability of as high character as his professional attainments, and the 
 result was the organization of a medical department of the Rock Island Railway 
 Company, which is today pronounced by competent judges the best and most ef- 
 ficient organization of its kind in the United States. As chief of this department 
 Dr. Peck had on his surgical staff during the later years of his life, nearly one 
 hundred surgeons located at different points on the lines of the railway company, 
 and his personal attention was given to a vast amount of surgical work. His la- 
 bors in this field gained for him wide distinction, and when he summed up the 
 results of his experience and observation in a paper read before the American 
 Medical Association, while acting as chairman of the surgical section of the as- 
 sociation, his paper was published in all the leading medical journals of America 
 and also in the principal medical journals of Europe, translated in numerous for- 
 eign languages. 
 
 "With the extension of his practice, with surgery as his specialty, the character, 
 of the operations successfully performed by Dr. Peck attracted attention and 
 made him famous not only among his professional brethren but among the people 
 at large. As early as 1882 he had successfully performed the operation for the 
 relief of appendicitis. * * * It is not known that Dr. Peck (whose modesty 
 was a distinguishing characteristic) ever made any claim of originality of method 
 in this operation, but the statement of other eminent physicians is to the effect 
 that the operation was the first of the kind performed in the United States. 
 * * * In 1886 he went abroad to find that his fame had preceded him, and that 
 physicians, scientists and public officials in the old world were by no means unfa- 
 miliar with his name and achievements. At this time he spent six months in study 
 and travel on the continent, and in England, Scotland and Ireland ; and in 1890 he 
 again went abroad as a delegate to the International Medical Congress held in Ber- 
 lin, and to the British Medical Association, which met at Birmingham." 
 
 Of Mercy Hospital, Davenport, and Mercy Hospital, Iowa City, Dr. Peck 
 was the honored founder and trusted adviser. Having secured for both the 
 efficient management of the Sisters of Mercy, he served till his death at the head 
 of their medical boards. Of the former institution which, almost equally with 
 the university medical department, stands as a monument to his professional and 
 philanthropic zeal, the story is an interesting one. Almost at once on coming 
 to Davenport he was impressed by the need of some better provision for the sick 
 and the injured, especially among the friendless poor, and he enHsted the aid of 
 prominent citizens — among them John L. Davies and C. S. Watkins, mem- 
 bers of the county board of supervisors, in a movement to secure the establish- 
 ment of a city hospital. They were successful to the extent that the board au» 
 thorized the purchase of a building located at Eighth and Brown streets to be 
 used for the purpose ; but this action was later rescinded. Dr. Peck then sought 
 to induce Father Borlando, head of a Catholic institution at Georgetown, D. C, 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 95 
 
 to establish a Sisters hospital here. Borlando came, but, after due consideration, 
 decided against the project. Soon after, however, the Sisters of Mercy from 
 De Witt proposed to open an asylum here for the insane paupers, then kept in 
 the poor house. Dr. Peck saw his opportunity and offered his gratuitous 
 services, with those of an associate medical board, for the conducting of a gen- 
 eral hospital, thus securing for the city an institution which has now no superior 
 of its kind in the west. At his suggestion it was located on the grounds pur- 
 chased in 1867 by Father Pelamourgues, of blessed memory, for the Sisters of The 
 Immaculate Conception. 
 
 Mr. Watkins, who was one of Dr. Peck's earliest patrons and friends, in 
 Davenport, and who contributes in substance, the above account of the origin of 
 Mercy Hospital, gives also an interesting picture of the man as he knew him. 
 His general conversation and all his energies, writes JNIr. Watkins, were in the 
 line of his profession. He took, or seemed to take, little interest in poHtics, busi- 
 ness or religion. -Without egotism he loved appreciation, but was most concerned 
 to win self -approval. Easy to be imposed on in money matters and giving little 
 thought to personal profit, "I have never in all my experience," says Mr. Watkins, 
 "met with any one so completely and practically a friend of humanity as Dr. 
 Peck." He would pick up deformed children on the streets, advise their parents 
 as to what might be done for them, and care for the little unfortunates, often re- 
 gardless of recompense or expense. The sick and suffering poor, if worthy, al- 
 ways found in him a friend; he would give them his best services freely and 
 seek to lighten their afflictions even when overburdened with troubles of his own.. 
 Although by contact with the world he developed a husk, at it were, which was 
 not always so ea_sily opened, he remained, to all who knew him in those earlier 
 days, "the genial, kind-hearted and truly affectionate Dr. Peck." 
 
 In 1888, over-taxed by the demands of his large practice and his extensive 
 charitable and educational work , his health began to fail, and by the summer of 
 1891 he was obliged to retire from active life. Made professor emeritus of surgery 
 on his resignation from the medical department he had founded, it was hoped he 
 might be long spared to give it his counsel ; but, his health continuing to fail, he died 
 at his home in Davenport, December 12, 1891. 
 
 The writer of this sketch spent some months in Dr. Peck's office when first 
 starting in practice in Davenport, assisting him in caring for the first sufferers of 
 the cholera epidemic of 1873, and enjoyed his friendship thereafter to the close 
 of his life. Having known him thus intimately I do not find the warm words in 
 his praise above quoted to be in any way too strong — he deserved them all. He 
 had his enemies, it is true, and they found in him a good fighter. Determined 
 and courageous but always fair, having engaged in a just cause he spared no one 
 who stood in his way to "success." Though giving little time or thought to gen- 
 eral business matters he yet knew how to bind to him loyal friends who cared 
 for his interests as their own. His power to attract and interest young men 
 especially was phenomenal, and under his inspiring leadership many adopted and 
 followed up the laborious paths which conduct to honor and success in the medi- 
 cal profession. Though always ready with his best services and sympathy for 
 the afflicted he held it right to charge roundly for good work, where there was 
 ability to pay, and he generally made sure of his fees in advance, especially from 
 
96 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 those belonging to the profligate or dead-beat class. With little use for new 
 remedies as a rule, giving comparatively little medicine of any kind, indeed, 
 prescribing only when the indications were plain, and then, for the most part; 
 single drugs, he inspired a confidence and cheer in his patients which were bet- 
 ter than medicine, and which made his very presence in the sickroom curative. 
 He was sometimes accused by those less careful and less courageous than him- 
 self, of cutting ruthlessly for the sake of cutting. No one, I think, could have- 
 been less deserving of this accusation. His first care was always to consider 
 well both the need for and the probable outcome of an operation. These decided 
 in its favor he went ahead fearlessly and did his best. But he would often de- 
 cide against operations which others less considerate and less skilled in diagnosis 
 were quite ready to undertake. Born to, and loving his profession, he strongly 
 opposed any lowering of its ethical standards, and gave the hand of fellowship 
 only to those he esteemed worthy. Too busy to be a great reader (save from the 
 page of living pathology ever open before him), even the medical books and 
 journals — the best of vfhich he kept always about him — would often accumulate 
 unread on his table. Genial socially, loved and respected by all clases, there was 
 yet a certain reserve, amounting almost to hauteur, about him which prevented 
 his becoming the hail-fellow well-met so common in the medical profession. Of 
 medium height and build, his decided step and voice, sharp but kindly blue eye, 
 and commanding presence proclaimed him the leader in any assembly he attended, 
 and he was seldom absent from an important council of his fellows. His short 
 fifty years were crowded full of achievement. May Iowa be blessed with many 
 more such workers. 
 
 Charles Hicklen Preston. 
 
 JENNINGS PRICE CRAWFORD, M. D. 
 
 The life work of Dr. Jennings Price Crawford was of signal service to his 
 f ellowmen in the city in which he long made his home. Not only his professional 
 skill and ability but his social characteristics and his genuine personal worth en- 
 deared him to all who knew him. He was kindly and sympathetic in nature and 
 he wisely used the talents with which he was endowed for the benefit of those with 
 whom he came in contact. His history, therefore, cannot fail to prove of interest 
 to many of our readers. He came of an old New England family, the ancestry 
 being traced back to John Crawford, who left his home in the Scottish highlands 
 and settled in the new world during its early colonization. To the same family 
 belonged Colonel William Crawford, who figured in both the colonial and Revo- 
 lutionary wars, his military service covering thirty years. 
 
 Dr. Crawford was born near Marion, Iowa, August 27, 1855. He and his 
 twin brother. Dr. A. J. Crawford, now deceased but formerly a distinguished phy- 
 sician of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, were the sons of Jennings and Sarah (Price) Craw- 
 ford. In his youthful days Dr. Crawford, of this review, mastered the branches 
 of learning in the public schools of his native county, thus spending a portion of 
 each year in study until he reached the age of seventeen, when he had opportunity 
 
^ d 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 99 
 
 to attend Western College at Western, Iowa, and in that institution completed his 
 literary course. His professional education was acquired in the medical depart- 
 ment of the Iowa State University, from which he was graduated in 1883 on the 
 completion of a four years' course with the valedictory honors of his class. Dur- 
 ing the two vacations he had acted as house physician at Mercy Hospital in Daven- 
 port and thus to his theoretical training added the broad and invaluable experience 
 of hospital practice. The late Dr. W. F. Peck was his preceptor and professor in 
 surgery and, no doubt, he inspired Dr. Crawford with his preference for surgical 
 work as the latter always had the greatest admiration for his teacher, who was a 
 noted surgeon. He took a post-graduate course at Bellevue Hospital College, New 
 York city. 
 
 Opening an office in Davenport in 1883, Dr. Crawford steadily advanced in his 
 chosen field, winning high professional honors that made him regarded as one of 
 the eminent physicians and surgeons of Davenport up to the time of his death. He 
 never ceased to be a student of his profession but throughout his life read broadly 
 and with thoughtful consideration carried his researches into the realms of scien- 
 tific knowledge, doing everything in his power to promote his own efficiency and 
 add to that general knowledge of medicine and surgery which constitutes a source 
 of public health. He stood high in the ranks of his profession, not only in this 
 city but in the state, and was not unknown beyond the borders of Iowa. He held 
 membership in the American Medical Association and frequently attended its 
 meetings. He was also seen in the meetings of the Iowa State Medical Society, 
 the Iowa and Illinois District Medical Association and the Scott County Medical 
 Society. He was a frequent contributor to medical Hterature and one of his last 
 public appearances was for the presentation of a paper which he had prepared on 
 surgery before the Iowa State Medical Society, at Des Moines. The addresses 
 which he delivered in such meetings were frequently published in the leading medi- 
 cal journals, for they were carefully prepared and presented not only the results 
 of his own experience but also of his wide research. He served as a member of 
 the staff of both Mercy and St. Luke's Hospitals and was one of the most active 
 promoters of the interest of those two institutions. His large surgical practice 
 took him to the hospitals almost daily and his skill and ability were of such high 
 order that his death came as a distinct loss to both. He acted as district surgeon 
 for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad and took a prominent part in 
 arranging for the meeting of the Iowa State Medical Society, which was held in 
 Davenport about two years before his death — an important meeting still pleas- 
 antly remembered by the physicians of this vicinity who shared with him in the 
 honors and responsibilities of being the entertainers on that occasion. The Illi- 
 nois Society met in Rock Island at the same time and joint gatherings were fea- 
 tures of their meetings. As his health began to fail Dr. Crawford gradually with- 
 drew from his professional service, for he realized the advance that was being 
 made by the disease which eventually terminated his life. 
 
 In no other environment did Dr. Crawford find the happiness and contentment 
 which came to him in his own home, for he was a man of domestic tastes and his 
 greatest joy was in the companionship of his wife and children. On the 14th of 
 October, 1885, he married Miss A!tina Williams, a daughter of A. F. Williams, who 
 at one time was a member of the Seig Iron Company and prominent in the busi- 
 
100 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 ness circles of Davenport. He died many years ago but is still survived by his 
 widow, who spends the summer seasons in Davenport and the winter months in 
 California, where she has a daughter living. Unto Dr. and Mrs. Crawford were 
 born five children, Frances Louise, Genevieve, Helen, Dorothy and Margaret, the 
 last two being twins. 
 
 Dr. Crawford held membership in the Calvary Baptist church, in which he was 
 an active and loyal worker, being a trustee of the church and superintendent of 
 the Sunday school for many years. He was also one of the charter members of 
 the San Grail Club and belonged to the Masonic fraternity. He was interested in 
 all those movements which had for their object the betterment of mankind and he 
 was also a stalwart champion of projects for the public good, rejoicing in the 
 growth, advancement and welfare of his city. He was so widely known and such 
 was the hold which he had upon the affection of his fellow townsmen that his 
 death, which occurred in 1907, brought a sense of personal bereavement to the 
 large majority of Davenport's citizens. On the Sunday following his demise, in 
 place of the regular lesson in the Sunday school of the Calvary Baptist church, 
 there was held a memorial service in his honor, in which many who had known him 
 long and well testified to his goodness of heart and the honor of his life, which in 
 all of its phases was of such high character as to constitute an example that is well 
 worthy of emulation. 
 
 WILLIAM H. GEHRMANN. 
 
 William H. Gehrmann, starting in business life in America at a salary of eight 
 dollars per month, is today the vice president and general manager of the Kohrs 
 Packing Company of Davenport, in which connection he is active in the control 
 of one of the leading enterprises of the city. His business affairs have been so 
 carefully managed that success has placed him in a prominent position among 
 Davenport's representative men. He was born in Uetersen, Germany, March 
 15, 1858, and is a son of Dietrich and Anna (Dieckman) Gehrmann, also natives 
 of Germany. The father was a manufacturer of chicory, a root treated and used 
 as a substitute for coffee. He was quite a prominent citizen of his native coun- 
 try, in which both he and his wife spent their entire lives. 
 
 William H. Gehrmann was educated in the private schools of his native town 
 and afterward learned bookkeeping, which he followed for two years. In 1875, 
 when a youth of seventeen years, he sailed for America,, making the voyage 
 alone as a passenger on the steamship Schiller. This was the last complete trip 
 which she made, as she was lost at sea on her return trip, being wrecked on the 
 Needles off the English coast. Mr. Gehrmann landed at New York city and 
 soon afterward started for the middle west, going to St. Louis, Missouri, where 
 he secured a place in a grocery store at a salary of eight dollars per month. He 
 afterward was employed in a wholesale grocery house of that city, with which 
 he was connected until 1879, when he went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and entered 
 the training school of the Turners Academy for the training of teachers of 
 gymnastics. Following his graduation in 1880 he returned to St. Louis and ac- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 101 
 
 cepted a position as teacher in the gymnasium of the Toensfeldt Institute and 
 St. Louis Turn Verein. There he continued until the spring of 1887, when he 
 went to Walkerville, Montana, and with the capital he had saved from his earn- 
 ings engaged in the butchering business on his own account. In this undertaking 
 he prospered but in 1895 he sought a broader field of labor in Anaconda, Mon- 
 tana, where he organized the Montana Meat Company in connection with Mar- 
 cus Daly and Conrad Kohrs. In 1898, however, he sold out his interest to his 
 partners and came to Davenport, where he assumed the management of the in- 
 terests of the Kohrs Packing Company, which had been established in 1874 by 
 Henry Kohrs. He is now the vice president and general manager of what is 
 today one of the extensive business concerns of the city, employing about one 
 hundred people. The output of the market is known throughout Iowa, Illinois 
 and Missouri and all points in the south. They do their own killing, dressing 
 and packing and the establishment is under government inspection. Everything 
 is conducted with the strictest regard to sanitation and the excellence of the prod- 
 ucts insures a continuance of a liberal and growing patronage. 
 
 On the 7th of September, 1887, Mr. Gehrmann was united in marriage to 
 Miss Helen Kohrs, a daughter of Henry Kohrs, and they have two sons, Wil- 
 liam C. and Harry John. Fraternally Mr. Gehrmann is connected with the Elks 
 and the Masons and is prominent as a club man in this city. He has taken an 
 active interest in all public affairs as one of the leading representatives of trade 
 interests in Davenport. He also figures in financial circles as a director of the 
 Iowa National Bank. He is prominent among the German-American citizens 
 here as the president of the Davenport Turner Society and is interested in the 
 educational progress of the city, doing effective work in behalf of the public 
 schools as a member of the board of education since 1901. His record has been 
 characterized by continuous progress along every line to which he has directed 
 his activity and most of all he is known as a representative and prominent busi- 
 ness man who accomplishes what he undertakes by reason of well formulated 
 plans and close and unremitting application. 
 
 JXMES FRANCIS PHELPS. 
 
 The history of Davenport and its leading citizens contains no name which 
 awakens a feeling of more sincere respect and honest regard than that of James 
 Francis Phelps, who, in the years of his connection with the city, came to be 
 recognized as an influential factor in business circles and also as one whose ef- 
 forts in other directions were of far-reaching and beneficial import. He was 
 born October 6, 1821, at Schroon, New York. The public school system of 
 that state afforded him his educational privileges and his experiences in youth 
 were those of agricultural life, for he remained upon his father's farm until 
 thirty years of age. Thinking to find broader opportunities in different busi- 
 ness lines, he then removed to West Troy and engaged in the lumber business. 
 From that time until his death he was identified with the lumber trade save for 
 a brief period. He continued to make his home in the Empire state until 1876, 
 
102 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 when he removed to Middlebury, Vermont, settling on a farm with the hope 
 that the experiences of outdoor life might prove beneficial to his health, which 
 had become impaired. The year 1885 witnessed his arrival in Davenport, where 
 he retained his residence until his demise. Since first embarking in the lumber 
 business he retained his interest in the business and became a prominent repre- 
 sentative of the lumber trade in this section of the country. He was a leading 
 stockholder in the Lindsey & Phelps Lumber Company and also in the Cloquet 
 Lumber Company of Cloquet, Minnesota. In business affairs his judgment was 
 sound, his sagacity keen and his enterprise unfailing, and in the years of an 
 active career he won substantial success, his record being that of a man whose 
 course in business affairs measured up at all times to the full standard of honor- 
 able, upright manhood. 
 
 At Schroon, New York, in 1848, Mr. Phelps was united in marriage to 
 Miss Lucina Tyrrell, and unto them was bom a son, A. T. Phelphs, who is now 
 cashier of the National Bank of Watervliet, New York. The wife and mother 
 died April 5, 1853, and on the 20th of December, 1854, Mr. Phelps married Miss 
 Jeanette Finch. 
 
 Mr. Phelps attended and supported the Methodist church. He was a man 
 of high ideals, progressive in citizenship and ready at all times to give loyal 
 support to those projects and movements which are intended for the better- 
 ment of the community. He traveled extensively, finding great pleasure in vis- 
 iting points of scenic and historic interest, especially in his own country. His 
 attachment for America was one of the deep-rooted interests of his life, his love 
 of country being the expression of an unfaltering patriotism. He continued 
 his residence in Davenport until his death, which occurred April 3, 1906, and 
 was the occasion of deep regret to many who knew and honored him. The 
 physical and moral life were intensely vital in him and the ringing response which 
 his character gave to every test made him a man honored and respected wherever 
 known and most of all where best known. While he won for himself a substan- 
 tial and creditable position in business circles, he also applied his knowledge and 
 working powers to wider and more impersonal interests in which the general 
 public was largely the beneficiary. 
 
 RUDOLPH LANGE. 
 
 There are few men who pass from this life that leave behind them among 
 their friends a sense of such uniform sorrow as did Rudolph Lange when he 
 was called to the home beyond. He had for many years been a resident of Dav- 
 enport and his good qualities had endeared him to all with whom he came in 
 contact. He was born in Kassel, Germany, March 7, 1832, and acquired his 
 education in that country, where the period of his minority was spent. He was 
 a young man of twentyrtwo years when in 1854 he bade adieu to the father- 
 land and sailed for the United States, landing at New York, where he remained 
 for a brief period. He then started westward, going first to Pittsburg, where he 
 continued for a time, and later proceeding to Fort Madison, Iowa. Soon after- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 105 
 
 ward he removed to the vicinity of Buriing-ton and while there residing was 
 united in marriage to Miss CaroHne Schlapp, thus laying the foundation for a 
 happy home life. While there residing he established and conducted a grocery 
 store until the latter part of the '60s, when he removed to St. Louis, where he 
 remained until 1870. In the latter year he came to Davenport and soon acquired 
 the interests of Henry Knoepper and George H. Schlapp in the Arsenal Brew- 
 ery in East Davenport. About 1872 the firm of Koehler & Lange was formed 
 and the operation of this brewery was continued by the firm until they sold out 
 in 1896 to the Davenport Malting Company. The business was carefully con- 
 ducted along systematic lines and the enterprise, diligence and close applica- 
 tion of Mr. Lange contributed in large measure to their success. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Lange were born three children : Emil, who is now Hv- 
 ing in Los Angeles, California ; Adelia, the wife of Dr. H. Pape ; and Ella, at 
 home. Mr. Lange erected a fine residence on Fulton avenue, which is occupied 
 his his widow and daughter, and he delighted to dispense its hospitality to his 
 many friends. He was quiet and unostentatious in manner, but those who came 
 within the circle of his friendship found him a genial, courteous and considerate 
 gentleman, while in his own home he exemplified the spirit of an ideal husband 
 and father. He held membership in Damon Lodge, No. 10, K. P., and also in the 
 East Davenport Turner Society. He never courted favor and probably never 
 weighed a single act of his life in the scale of public policy but he had high 
 standing among the business men of the city, and at his death which occurred 
 December 18, 1897, left no enemies. His political allegiance was given to the 
 democracy and he was a public-spirited man in that he endorsed and supported 
 all measures and movements for the general good. 
 
 CHARLES N. VOSS. 
 
 Germany has furnished her full quota to the citizenship of Davenport, and 
 prominent among those who claim the fatherland as the place of their nativity 
 is Charles N. Voss, who with German intelligence and pertinacity has con- 
 ducted his business aiifairs to successful completion, rising from a comparatively 
 humble place to the presidency of the German Savings Bank. He was born in 
 Neustadt, Holstein, Germany, on the 13th of October, 1847, and pursued his 
 education in the public and private, schools of his native town. He made his 
 initial step in the business world in connection with the di'ry-goods trade, in 
 which he continued until coming to America in 1867. Landing at New York 
 city, he made his way to Petersburg, Illinois, where he was employed as clerk 
 in a store until 1869, when he came to Davenport and again secured a position 
 as salesman, entering the service of Kehoe & Carhart, one of the leading dry- 
 goods firms in this city, with which he continued until they retired from business 
 about 1873. The following year he engaged as teller in the Davenport Sav- 
 ings Bank, there remaining until 1880, when he went to Avoca, Iowa, where 
 he followed the milling business, for a few years. In 1883 he assisted in the 
 organization of the Avoca Bank, which succeeded to the banking business of 
 
106 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 J. W. and E. W. Davis, and in this institution Mr. Voss accepted the position of 
 cashier, so continuing until 1891. 
 
 Returning to Davenport in that year, Mr. Voss accepted the cashiership of the 
 Iowa National Bank, with which he continued until the ist of January, 1893, 
 when he became cashier of the German Savings Bank. In 1906, when the Citi- 
 zens National Bank was consolidated with the German Savings Bank, he was 
 elected to the presidency and still remains as the chief executive officer of what 
 is today recognized as one of the strongest and most important financial con- 
 cerns of the city. He is also the president of the German Trust Company, which 
 was promoted and conducted by the stockholders of the German Savings Bank. 
 He is likewise financially interested in various other business enterprises and 
 concerns, which profit by his knowledge and keen discernment, for his judg- 
 men is always sound and his business methods progressive. He is today ac- 
 counted one of the foremost representatives of banking circles in Iowa. 
 
 In 1873 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Voss and Miss Louise Hoerring, 
 a native of Davenport. They have four children: Hertha L., instructor of 
 foreign languages in the State University of Iowa; Otto R., a practicing physi- 
 cian of Walnut, Iowa; Agneta, the wife of Arnold L. Peterson; and Carl H., 
 a graduate of St. John's Military Academy., The family are prominent socially 
 and Mr. Voss is known as one of Davenport's leading citizens, his opinions carry- 
 ing weight in various councils relative to municipal interests and business devel- 
 opment. 
 
 FRED VOLLMER. 
 
 During thirteen years' connection with, the bar of Davenport, Fred Vollmer 
 has made steady progress, recognizing the fact that in law advancement must 
 depend upon individual efifort and merit. He was born in this city, December 
 12, 1874. His father, Henry Vollmer, was a native of Bremen, Germany, and 
 came to the United States in 1853, when three years of age, his parents crossing 
 the Atlantic to America and settling in Davenport. After attaining to years, of 
 maturity, Henry Vollmer became a prominent citizen, both in his commercial 
 connections and in his association with public afifairs. For many years he con- 
 ducted a printing business and the enterprise was one of large and profitable 
 proportions. As a citizen he took active and helpful interest in various measures 
 for the public good and for four years served as county recorder. He married 
 Dora Plambeck and continued a resident of Davenport from 1853 until 1890, 
 when he was called to his final rest. 
 
 Reared in the city of /his nativity, Fred Vollmer at the usual age began his 
 education in the public schools and passed through consecutive grades until he 
 was qualified to enter the Iowa State University. It was in that institution that 
 he prepared for a professional career, being graduated from the law department 
 with the class of 1896. He was then admitted to practice and opened an office 
 in Davenport, where he has since remained. He has always engaged in the 
 general practice of law, keeping well informed on various branches of juris- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 107 
 
 prudence and his continued research and investigation along professional lines 
 has given him rank among the more able and successful lawyers of the city. 
 
 Mr. Vollmer is also active in politics as a supporter of the democratic party 
 and his labors have been an effective force in promoting its success. In 1908 he 
 was elected county attorney, which position he is still filling and neither fear nor 
 favor can swerve him in the faithful performance of his duties. His social 
 relations are with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and outside of 
 fraternal organizations he has many warm friends, having always resided in the 
 city where he yet makes his home. 
 
 CORNELIUS H. MURPHY. 
 
 Cornelius H. Murphy, self-educated and self-made, is now a leading lawyer 
 of the Davenport bar, having a large and representative clientage. He was bom 
 in Wilmington, Delaware, on the 15th of March, 1857. His father, Dennis 
 Murphy, a native of County Cork, Ireland, came to the United States in 1848 
 and for some years was in the employ of Cornelius Vanderbilt. He afterward 
 removed to Wilmington, Delaware, and in 1867 came to Iowa, settling in Dewitt, 
 Clinton county, where he established a grocery store, which he conducted with 
 continuous success for many years. He remained a resident of that city until 
 his death in 1907. He had for about eighteen years survived his wife, who bore 
 the maiden name of Ellen Harkin and was a native of County Donegal, Ireland. 
 
 Cornelius H. Murphy was a youth of ten years when he accompanied his 
 parents on their westward removal to Dewitt, Iowa, where in the public schools 
 he continued his education until he began preparation for the practice of law as 
 a student in the State University, from which he was graduated in the law class 
 of 1889. He had to work^his own way through school, employment on the rail- 
 road giving him funds which enabled him to pursue his education. Laudable 
 ambition, however, prompted him to qualify for a professional career, while de- 
 termination and energy enabled him to set at naught the difficulties and obstacles 
 which barred his path. Following his graduation he entered the office of P. B. 
 Wolfe, at Dewitt, where he remained for a year, after which he spent two years 
 in law practice on the Pacific coast. 
 
 On the expiration of that period Mr. Murphy came to Davenport, where he 
 has since been located, and his success at the bar is the best evidence of his 
 ability. He prepares his cases with great thoroughness and care, is strong in 
 argument and logical in his deductions and as the years have passed he has en- 
 joyed a continually growing practice that has connected him with much of the 
 important litigation tried in the courts of the district. He also figures promi- 
 nently in republican circles, has served as a member of the central committees of 
 the party and his opinions carry weight in its councils. For four years he filled 
 the off-ce of assistant county attorney, but has no desire for political preferment 
 outside the strict path of his profession. He is, however, deeply interested in 
 the political questions of the day and is thoroughly grounded in the principles 
 that divide the two great parties. 
 
108 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 On the 24th of May, 1893, Mr. Murphy was united in marriage to Miss Jessie 
 Webster, a native of Muscatine, Iowa, and a daughter of W. W. and Eliza J. 
 Webster. They are well known in the social circles of the city and Mr. Murphy 
 is a prominent Mason, belonging to Trinity Lodge, A. F. & A. M., while in 
 Zarepath Consistory he has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish 
 Rite. He is now senior warden of the eighteenth degree and he also belongs to 
 Kaaba Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is likewise a past chancellor of Damon 
 Lodge, No. 10, K. P., is a member of the Pythian grand lodge and is serving on 
 the judiciary and other important committees. He is also a stalwart champion 
 of the temperance cause and his influence is ever found on the side of right and 
 progress, reform and advancement. During the years of his residence in Daven- 
 port he has made many friends and is one of the popular as well as one of the 
 leading members of the bar. 
 
 LEVI RICHARD BANNISTER. 
 
 The birth of Levi Richard Bannister occurred in Blair, Nebraska, September 
 2, 1870, his parents being Chester and Johanna Bannister, who were married in 
 Illinois, the native state of the mother, but went to Nebraska to live, being among 
 the pioneer settlers in that state. He was the youngest of their nine children, his 
 brothers and sisters being: Miles, deceased; Cal, living in Nebraska; William, 
 a resident of Kansas; Marion, in Nebraska; La Fayette, deceased; Julia, living 
 in Omaha ; Mary, in Black Hills ; and Bell, in Nebraska. 
 
 At the age of sixteen years Mr. Bannister began to look about him for a' 
 means of livelihood. He went to Kansas but remained in the Jayhawker state 
 for only a short time and then returned to Nebraska. Three years later he re- 
 moved to Scott county, Iowa, where he has ever since resided and where he 
 speedily established a home for himself. Upon his arrival in Iowa' he worked 
 as a farm hand until his marriage in 1900, when he located on the farm where he 
 now resides. It belongs to his wife and is a tract of one hundred and tlwenty 
 acres on section 32, Hickory Grove township. It is a valuable property, being 
 fertile and well improved. Aside from his general farming Mr. Bannister has 
 had great success as a breeder of Scotch shorthorn cattle, and he is a stockholder 
 in the Farmers Elevator Company of Walcott. 
 
 On May 5, 1895, Mr. Bannister married Miss Caroline Magdaline Arp, who 
 was born on the farm they now occupy, August 14, 1861. Her parents were 
 Timm and Bertha (Arp) Arp, both natives of Holstein, Germany, though resident 
 in different towns. They were married across the water and came direct to Daven- 
 port on landing in New Orleans, making the journey up the Mississippi river 
 in 1851. They spent two years in Davenport, the father working at the carpenter 
 trade and among other things assisting in the construction of the First Lutheran 
 church. Upon his removal to the country Mr. Arp took up the new vocation of 
 farming which proved congenial and profitable. Beside the farm now owned 
 by his daughter, he owned another of one hundred and twenty acres adjoining. 
 He has five children as follows : Paul William, of Hickory Grove township, occu- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 109 
 
 pying a neighboring farm to the subject of the sketch; Johannas Adolph, also a 
 neighbor ; Henry Peter, of Glyndon, Minnesota ; Mrs. Bannister ; and Ferdinand 
 Theo, of Tea, South Dakota. Mr. Arp was bom May 23, 1819, and died Septem- 
 ber 21, 1890, and Mrs. Arp was born March 31, 1830, and died March 14, 1899. 
 The union of Mr. and Mrs. Bannister has been blessed by the birth of five chil- 
 dren: Birdie Johanna; William Chester; Carlisle Timm; Catherine Margaret, 
 who died in infancy; and Emil Qifford. 
 
 Mr. Bannister gives a stanch adherence to the policies and principles of 
 democracy. He is now serving his third term as constable, in which capacity 
 he has given most efficient service. Fraternally he is identified with the Eagles 
 and the Modem Woodmen of America in their Walcott camps. Mr. Bannister 
 has many friends and is well regarded, being a public-spirited man, strong in his 
 advocacy of those measures he believes will bring the greatest good to the greatest 
 number. 
 
 HANS KRUSE. 
 
 Among the residents of Davenport who are now living retired, their present 
 comfortable financial position being the direct result of former activity and enter- 
 prise along agricultural lines, is numbered Hans Kruse. He is one of those 
 sturdy, industrious and frugal German citizens who through their untiring 
 efforts, indefatigable energy and strong purpose have lived their lives to good 
 advantage and are entitled to a place among the substantial and representative 
 citizens of Scott county. Born in Holstein, Germany, on the 7th of September, 
 1838, he is a son of Jochira and Anna Kruse. The father, who was a blacksmith 
 by trade, came to the United States with his family in 1854, the ocean voyage 
 requiring fifty-six days. After landing at New York the family did not tarry in 
 the eastern metropolis but came by rail direct to Rock Island, Illinois, and then 
 across the river to Davenport. In this city the father established a blacksmith 
 shop on Fourth street and there followed his trade for about two years. At the 
 expiration of that period he sold out and took up agricultural pursuits as a renter 
 in Davenport township. Later he purchased land in Iowa county and developed 
 a good farm, upon which he and his wife passed their remaining days. His death 
 occurred when he had reached his seventy-third year, while his wife survived un- 
 til ninety-one years of age. In their family were six children: Hans, the subject 
 of this review; Claus, now deceased; Jochim, also deceased; Peter, of Iowa 
 county; Brant, a resident of Alaska; and Lena, the wife of Henry Martin, of 
 Davenport. 
 
 Hans Kruse acquired a good education in the common schools of Germany 
 and was a lad of fifteen years when he accompanied his parents on their emigra- 
 tion to the new world. After his arrival in Scott county he was employed as a 
 farm hand for about four years, at the expiration of which period he went to work 
 on the farm which his father had rented in Davenport township. There he re- 
 mained for about six years and then, on the 12th of November, 1867, established 
 pleasant home relations of his own through his marriage to Miss Ida Hahn, a 
 daughter of Wolfe Hahn, of Davenport township. After their marriage the 
 
110 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 young couple took up their abode on a farm of eighty acres which Mr. Kruse had 
 purchased in Blue Grass township. When it came into his possession it was all 
 wild prairie land, but with characteristic energy he fenced it in, erected a house 
 and began the cultivation of the soil, breaking the sod and transforming the land 
 into fertile and productive fields. With the passing of the years he brought the 
 farm under a high state of cultivation and became so prosperous by reason of 
 the careful conduct of his agricultural interests that he was able eventually to 
 purchase more land in that township. He continued to make his home on that 
 place for twenty years and then purchased a farm in Davenport township, to 
 which he removed, leaving one of his sons to operate the old homestead. He re- 
 mained on the new farm for eleven years, devoting his energies to general farm- 
 ing pursuits with such success that at the end of that time he was able to with- 
 draw from active life and retire from business with a competency sufficient to 
 supply him with all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. He came 
 to Davenport in 1898 and here erected a fine residence on Brown street, where 
 he has since made his home. A farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Davenport 
 township, another of one hundred and twenty acres in Blue Grass township, and 
 valuable town property are the visible evidence of a life of thrift and industry 
 on the part of Mr. Kruse, whose success has come to him as the legitimate and 
 logical result of intelligently applied labor and well directed eflforts. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Kruse were born two sons, namely: Charles, operating 
 his father's farm in Davenport township, who married Katie Rugi, by whom he 
 has two children, Erma and Ella ; and Henry, on the old homestead in Blue Grass 
 township, who married Amelia Rilk and has three children — Hilda, Ella and 
 Norma. The wife and mother, who was born in 1847, passed away on the 3d of 
 April, 1906, her remains being interred at Fairmount cemetery. 
 
 Mr. Kruse, whose residence in Scott county extends over a period of more 
 than a half century, is numbered among the old settlers of this district, where 
 he has gained an extensive circle of warm friends, and he is one of the prominent 
 and honored members of the German Pioneers Association. Since age conferred 
 upon him the right of franchise he has given stalwart support to the men and 
 measures of the democracy but has never sought nor desired public office as a 
 reward for party fealty. He has, however, at all times been most public-spirited 
 in his citizenship and although born across the water, has ever been thoroughly 
 identified with American interests and institutions, while Scott county has no 
 more worthy and representative citizen than this adopted son. 
 
 PROFESSOR JAMES MADISON DE ARMOND. 
 
 No history of educational interests of Davenport would be complete with- 
 out extended reference to the life work of James Madison DeArmond, who for 
 many years was connected with the ward schools of the city as principal. He 
 stood for all that is highest and best in educational work and his aims, his pur- 
 poses and his labors inspired other teachers and pupils, so that the results of his 
 achievements are yet seen in the lives of those with whom he came in contact. 
 
Tct ^- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 113 
 
 leaving the impress of his strong individuality and laudable ambition upon them. 
 A native of Pennsylvania, Professor DeArmond was born in Blair county on 
 the 7th of September, 1846. His grandfather's brother, Michael DeArmond, was 
 a brave soldier of the Revolutionary war, doing active duty with Company B, 
 Fifth Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers. He took part with his company irf 
 the battle of Long Island, August 27, 1776, and also in other important engage- 
 ments. The father was James DeArmond, who for many years followed gen- 
 eral farming in Pennsylvania, leaving that state about 1864. His identification 
 with agricultural interests in Iowa continued until 1871, when he removed to 
 Greenfield, Missouri, where he established his home. There his remaining days 
 were passed, his death occurring in 1885, when he had reached the very venerable 
 age of ninety-five years. His widow survived him and for a long period made 
 her home with Judge DeArmond of Butler, Missouri. She has now passed away. 
 Judge DeArmond, congressman from Missouri, W. W. DeArmond, an attorney 
 of Chicago, and Dr. J. A. DeArmond, of Davenport, were brothers of our subject. 
 Professor James Madison DeArmond was reared upon the old homestead in 
 the Keystone state, early becoming familiar with the duties and labors incident 
 to the development of the fields. He received such education as the common 
 schools aflForded and remained on the home farm until his eighteenth year, and 
 when he left home for the first time he attended college in Williamsport, Penn- 
 sylvania. He had been a student in that institution for a year when his parents 
 removed to Scott county, Iowa, and he accompanied them. He continued his 
 education here and within a year was graduated from the high school of Daven- 
 port. Entering upon educational work, he was appointed principal of public 
 school No. 6, and his success in that field of labor was most marked. He was 
 afterward made principal of school No. 5 and creditably filled that position until 
 he was appointed postmaster of the city by President Cleveland in 1885. He 
 served with distinction in that position, his administration being generally satis- 
 factory to the public, for his efficiency, systematic labors and intelligently directed 
 methods of conducting business made this a model office. On the expiration of 
 his four years' term he retired and for a year thereafter was engaged in no 
 business. He was then again placed on the roll of school superintendents as the 
 head of school No. 3, which position he continued to fill until his death. He 
 held to high ideals in his work, continuously seeking out new methods which 
 would prove of practical value in the conduct and advancement of the schools. 
 He had a great passion for history and made himself authority especially upon 
 the history of his own country, while upon that of foreign lands he was scarcely 
 less versed. In 1874 he became a member of the Iowa State Teachers Associa- 
 tion, of which he served as secretary for a year. He was prominent among the 
 organizers of the Iowa Reading Circle and did much to advance its interests as 
 long as his health permitted. 
 
 In 1869 Professor DeArmond was married to Miss Rachel Scott, a daughter 
 of Colonel Thomas Scott, and they became the parents of four children, who are 
 all now deceased. Professor DeArmond was for many years a member of 
 Trinity Lodge, F. & A. M., and in his Hfe exempHfied the beneficent spirit of 
 the craft, which is based upon mutual helpfulness and brotherly kindness. He 
 was always a stanch democrat in his political faith and undoubtedly would have 
 
114 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 been chosen for the office of mayor had he not been too modest to accept the 
 honor. At all times he rejoiced in Davenport's advancement and cooperated in 
 many movements for its progress. His labors were of a most effective charac- 
 ter, for while he held to high ideals he utilized practical methods in achieving 
 results. During the periods of vacation he did much newspaper work in connec- 
 tion with the Democrat. He attended the Presbyterian church and held member- 
 ship with the Sons of the American Revolution. He always took great interest 
 in young people and performed his professional services with a sense of conscien- 
 tious obligation, reaHzing how important is the training of the young as a prepar- 
 ation for life's work. He knew that he was implanting in the minds of pupils 
 seeds of knowledge and truth which in due time would bear fruit, and he was 
 therefore most careful to give them that which in later life would be most 
 helpful. 
 
 JOHANNES A. ARP. 
 
 Johannes A. Arp, one of the progressive agriculturists of Hickory Grove 
 township, was born in Davenport, November 9, 1855, but removed, with his par- 
 ents, to the farm he now operates shortly after his birth. His father, Timm Arp, 
 was a native of Holstein, Germany, and there married Miss Bertha Arp, also 
 a native of that province. Shortly after their marriage they embarked upon 
 their journey to this country, crossing the ocean by the southern route and land- 
 ing at New Orleans, whence they made their way up the Mississippi to Daven- 
 port, reaching the city some time in 1851. Here Mr. Arp followed his trade 
 of a carpenter for a couple of years, assisting in the construction of several of 
 the more important buildings, among them being the First Lutheran church. 
 Later he engaged in farming in conjunction with his brother Jochim, upon a tract 
 of two hundred and forty acres in Hickory Grove township, which they operated 
 successfully for a number of years. Later they divided the property, half of it 
 falling, in the course of time to the heritage of Johannes A. Arp, the subject 
 of this sketch. In the family were five children : Paul WilUam, a sketch of whose 
 life follows: Johannes A., the subject of this review; Henry Peter, of Glyndon, 
 Minnesota ; Caroline Magdaline, the wife of Levi Richard Bannister, of Hickory 
 Grove township; and Ferdinand Theo, of Tea, South Dakota. 
 
 Johannes A. Arp has passed the greater part of his life upon the land he 
 now cultivates. In his early years he assisted his father in the cultivation of 
 its fields, even during the period when many boys give little thought to the seri- 
 ous responsibilities of life and are devoting all their time to school and lessons. 
 When he married in 1879, he assumed full charge of the farm, which has since 
 been his concern. The improvements which his father and uncle instituted 
 upon the place, he has bettered, while he has, through care and skill, brought the 
 fertility of the soil to its most productive state. He has been an earnest, indus- 
 trious and thrifty farmer and is now in the enjoyment of an income which is 
 a just recompense for his toil. 
 
 In 1 88 1 Mr. Arp married Miss Amelia Puck, likewise a native of Scott 
 county and a daughter of Egger Puck. They have four children : Adolph, Emil, 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 115 
 
 Theo and Gustave. The eldest is residing in South Dakota, but the others are 
 at home. After the death of his wife, Mr. Arp wedded Miss Dora Hansen, who 
 was bom in Schleswig, Germany, October 20, 1872. In 1891 she and a brother, 
 Detlief, and a sister came to Davenport. The former is now a resident of North 
 Dakota, and the latter is Mrs. Thomas Daily, of Davenport. A sister Maggie, 
 who is the wife of John Westphal, of Davenport, and a brother Hans, now of 
 Jackson county, Minnesota, had preceded Mrs. Arp to the United States, as they 
 came in 1883. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Arp was celebrated November 
 6, 1906, and has been blessed with one son, Qifford. 
 
 Mr. Arp has given his unqualified support in political matters to the demo- 
 cratic party but has taken no active part in the public life of his community. He 
 is, however, a man of considerable spirit and is deeply concerned for the welfare 
 of his fellow citizens, whose respect and esteem he enjoys. 
 
 PAUL WILLIAM ARP. 
 
 Paul William Arp, a brother of Johannes A., was born in Davenport, January 
 II, 1853, ^^d was little more than an infant when his parents removed to t|he 
 farm adjoining that on which he now lives. He assisted with the cultivation of 
 the homestead until he was married when he engaged in farming for himself, 
 purchasing the eighty acres of land he now owns. He has instituted all the im- 
 provements which adorn the place and in the cultivation of the fields displays 
 the skill of the husbandman who is born as well as reared to his vocation. While 
 not one of the larger tracts of land in Hickory Grove township, it may compare 
 favorably with any as regards to fertility and the condition in which Mr. Arp 
 maintains his fields and buildings. He is thrifty, industrious and progressive, 
 and in consequence has won a well merited success from his farming. 
 
 In 1903 Mr. Arp was united in marriage tO' Miss Anna Wellendorf, who was 
 born in Prepstei, Holstein, Germany, January 2, 1857. She came to America in 
 1901, reaching Davenport July 7 of that year, and there she joined her brother 
 James Wellendorf, who is a resident of that city. 
 
 Mr. Arp is a representative of the sturdy German race whose unremitting 
 toil has done so much toward developing the resources of Scott county, and of 
 Hickory Grove township in particular to their highest degree. He enjoys the 
 well earned esteem of his associates and fellow agriculturists. He is a democrat 
 in his pohtical preferences. 
 
 COLONEL THOMAS SCOTT. 
 
 Colonel Thomas Scott, one of the most honorable and genial business men 
 and popular residents of Davenport, passed away May 26, 1905. He was born 
 in Lawrence county, Ohio, June 3, 1823, and, removing to Indiana, was there 
 married in 1845. He continued his residence in that state until 1857, when he 
 
116 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 came to Davenport, where he entered the wholesale grocery business as a member 
 of the firm of Ryan, Scott & McCann. Later he engaged in the live stock and 
 commission business and in 1880 removed to Chicago to become a commission 
 merchant in that line at the Union Stock Yards. For seventeen years he suc- 
 cessfully conducted business in that city, after which he returned to Davenport 
 in 1897 and lived retired here until called to his final rest. His success was due 
 to his capable management and indefatigable energy. He was one of the twelve 
 organizers of the First National Bank of this city, which was also the first national 
 bank established in the United States. For years he served as one of the directors 
 of the Davenport Savings Bank and his name was ever an honored one in finan- 
 cial circles and on commercial paper. 
 
 Prominent in public aflFairs, he represented the first ward as alderman for 
 several terms and while a member of the city council exercised his official pre- 
 rogatives in support of many measures and movements for the pubHc good. His 
 political^ allegiance was given to the republican party, which at one time honored 
 him with the nomination for mayor. He stood as a splendid type of American 
 manhood and citizenship, loyal at all times to his honest convictions and to the 
 best interests of the community at large. 
 
 In the family of Colonel and Mrs. Scott were the following children: Mrs. 
 Selinda Hewitt, Mrs. Rachel De Armond, Thomas Winfield, Warren W., Mrs. 
 Cora S. Smith and Charles L. 
 
 JOHN L. ZOECKLER. 
 
 The industrial and commercial history of Davenport would be incomplete 
 were there failure to make prominent reference to John L. Zoeckler, who was 
 the founder of the packing-house interests of this city and the promoter of a 
 business which in the course of years grew to large proportions and constituted 
 not only a source of individual wealth but of public prosperity as well. , Mr. 
 Zoeckler was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, and was sixty-eight years of age 
 at the time of his death, which occurred May 28, 1906. His youthful days were 
 spent in his native city and its public schools afforded him his educational privi- 
 leges. When a young man of twenty-eight years he came to Davenport and 
 from that time forward was associated with business interests here. After a brief 
 period he established a packing house which constituted the nucleus of the pack- 
 ing industry and as the years passed the enterprise grew until the firm name of 
 John L. Zoeckler & Sons became widely known. In the course of years he 
 associated his boys with him in the business but remained as the chief executive 
 head of the enterprise until 1906, when he retired from active life. Some time 
 later the plant was sold to the Kohrs Packing Company. Placing his dependence 
 upon the safe, substantial qualities of energy and wise management, Mr. Zoeckler 
 made steady progress in the business world and his name came to be widely known 
 and honored on commercial paper. His efforts constituted an important element 
 in making Davenport a leading commercial and industrial center of Iowa. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 117 
 
 In early manhood Mr. Zoeckler was wedded to Miss Veronica Orth, by whom 
 he had two sons and two daughters, namely: Charles, Mrs. Julius Brammer, 
 Mrs. John F. Kehrman and John H. The last named died, leaving a widow and 
 children. Following the death of his first wife Mr. Zoeckler was again married, 
 in 1898, his second union being with Miss Anna BraunHck, a daughter of H. G. 
 Braunlick, who is mentioned elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Zoeckler also had 
 several grandchildren, with whom he was ever a favorite because of the interest 
 which he displayed in their joys and sorrows. He was devoted to his family 
 and did everything in his power to promote their happiness. For years he 
 resided at No. 1337 West Second street, where he reared his children, but later 
 removed to Eighth street and Western avenue, where he erected a modern home 
 that he occupied up to the time of his death. He was prominent in local Masonic 
 circles and held several offices in the lodge. He passed away when in Denver, 
 Colorado, his remains being brought back to Davenport for interment. He 
 was a man of genial nature, whose friends were legion, so that his death was 
 widely and deeply deplored in this city, where he had long made his home. To 
 every test his character gave ringing response and in no utterance of his life was 
 there anything equivocal, while in his entire career there was not a single esoteric 
 phase to be found. He dealt justly with all men and even generously and at 
 the same time managed his business affairs so capably that the interests of his 
 family were wisely conserved and to them he left a very substantial competence. 
 
 OTTO DENKMANN. 
 
 Otto Denkmann, who has spent practically his entire life in Scott county and 
 was successfully identified with general agricultural pursuits throughout his active 
 business career, is now living retired in Davenport. He was born in Prussia, 
 Germany, on the 17th of August, 1847, a son of John and Marie Denkmann. 
 In 1847 the mother set sail for the United States with her infant son and reached 
 American shores after an ocean voyage of about nine weeks, landing at New 
 Orleans three days before Christmas. In the Crescent City she joined her hus- 
 band, who had previously emigrated to this country. They made their way up 
 the Mississippi river to St. Louis, where they were compelled to tarry until 
 spring on account of the ice in the river. After arriving in Davenport in the 
 spring of 1848, John Denkmann purchased about one thousand acres of prairie 
 land within nine miles of the city, erected a shanty and there spent the remainder 
 of his life. His widow afterward took up her abode in Davenport and here 
 passed away in her sixty-eighth year. Unto this worthy couple were born eight 
 children, namely: William, who is deceased; Erminie;. Charles, who has also 
 been called to his final rest; Anna, who is the widow of Dr. Brunner and re- 
 sides in Fremont, Nebraska; Julius, living in Davenport township; Frederick, 
 who makes his home in Walcott, Iowa ; Otto, of this review ; and Amelia, the 
 wife of Carl Rocco, of Rock Island. 
 
 Otto Denkmann, whose name initiates this review, was scarcely a year old 
 when brought to Scott county by his parents and he has since continued to reside 
 
118 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 within its borders. In pursuit of an education he attended school at Walcott 
 and after putting aside his text-books turned his attention to farming, which 
 branch of activity claimed his energies throughout his active business career. 
 His farm in Blue Grass township remained his home until he disposed of the 
 property about 1874 and took up his abode in Davenport. He is now living re- 
 tired but still has important financial interests, being a stockholder in the Farm- 
 ers & Mechanics Bank of Davenport and also in the Rock Island Savings Bank. 
 He also owns considerable city property. 
 
 On the I2th of October, 1869, Mr. Denkmann was united in marriage to 
 Miss Helena Paul, whose birth occurred in Holstein, Germany, on the 17th of 
 January, 1850, and who came to Scott county with her parents in 1866. Her 
 father, Christopher Paul, was a prosperous agriculturist of Buffalo township and 
 was likewise prominent in public affairs, serving as justice of the peace and also 
 as assessor. He was the president of the German Insurance Company and was 
 widely recognized as an influential and respected citizen of his community. His 
 demise occurred in 1894, when he had attained the age of seventy-six years, while 
 his wife was fifty- four years old when called to her final rest. Their children 
 were twelve in number, as follows : Margaret, who is deceased ; Anna ; Eggert ; 
 Mrs. Denkmann ; Christ, who has likewise passed away ; Elsie ; Christina ; Louisa ; 
 Johanna; Henry; Wilhelm; and Lewis. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Denkmann have 
 been born seven children, the record of whom is as follows. Theresa, living in 
 Illinois, married William Scranton and is now the mother of five children : Ray- 
 mond, Earl, Etta, Loen and Lillian. Tillie is the widow of Robert Napset and 
 has one daughter, Corinne. Hugo, who resides in Fullerton, Nebraska, wedded 
 Miss Olive Parker and has two children, Dorothy and Perry. Charles, who 
 makes his home in Davenport, married Miss Agnes Courtney. Alma is the wife 
 of G. P. Stebolt, of California. Oscar, living in Davenport, married Miss Ella 
 Bearris and has one son, C. O. Alfreda Denkmann is deceased. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Denkmann is a republican and on that ticket he was 
 elected to the position of trustee in Davenport township. He is a member of 
 the German Shooting Club and also belongs to the Old German Settlers Asso- 
 xiation. The period of his residence in this county now covers more than six 
 decades and he has long been numbered among its successful, respected and rep- 
 resentative citizens. 
 
 DWIGHT G. KREUL, M. D. 
 
 Dr. D wight G. Kreul, a well known and successful medical practitioner of 
 Davenport, was born in Wisconsin on the nth of December, 1870, his parents 
 being John C. and Theresa (Schmidt) Kreul. The father, a native of Saxony, 
 Germany, obtained his education in that country and was a graduate of Prague 
 University. In early manhood he set sail for the United States and after landing 
 on the shores of the new world took up his abode in the state of Wisconsin. 
 There he was actively and successfully engaged in mercantile pursuits through- 
 out the remainder of his life, passing away in 1871. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 121 
 
 Dwight G. Kreul supplemented his preliminary education, obtained in the 
 public schools, by a course of study in the normal school, while subsequently he 
 entered the University of Wisconsin. After completing his more specifically lit- 
 erary education he took up the study of medicine at .Marquette and in 1897 won 
 the degree of M. D. Locating for practice in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he there 
 remained for a year, on the expiration of which period he went to Europe and 
 spent about twelve months in post-graduate work at London and Vienna. On 
 returning to the United States he opened an. office in Davenport, Iowa, and has 
 here been engaged in the general practice of medicine to the present time, his 
 patronage steadily growing in volume and importance as he has demonstrated 
 his ability to cope with the intricate problems which continually confront the 
 physician. 
 
 In 1901 Dr. Kreul was united in marriage to Miss Emma Schmidt, a native 
 of Davenport and a daughter of Robert Schmidt. They are now the parents of 
 two children, Phyllis and Gregor. Dr. Kreul is a worthy member of the Masonic 
 fraternity, exemplifying its teachings in his daily life. Realizing fully the obli- 
 gations that devolve upon him in his professional capacity, he performs all du- 
 ties with a sense of conscientious obligation and has won favorable regard by 
 reason of his skill and his personal worth. 
 
 HENRY C. PLAMBECK. 
 
 Henry C. Plambeck, a retired cigar manufacturer of Davenport, has lived in 
 well earned ease for the past fifteen years. His birth occurred at Preetz, Hol- 
 stein, Germany, on the 28th of April, 1841, his parents being Detlef and Mar- 
 garet (Brooks) Plambeck. The father, who was born in 181 1, was engaged in 
 the shoe and tanning business in Germany, although his ancestors had followed 
 general agricultural pursuits. He likewise served as a soldier in the Danish army, 
 as his country was at that time under Danish rule. In 1852, in company with his 
 wife and children, he set sail for the new world, landing at New Orleans after an 
 ocean voyage of eight weeks. The trip up the Mississippi to Davenport con- 
 sumed four weeks, for the ice in the river impeded the progress of their boat and 
 several stops were necessary. On arriving in this city Detlef Plambeck opened 
 a shoe shop but soon afterward his health became impaired and after lying ill 
 for about two and a half years he passed away in 1855. His widow still sur- 
 vives at the remarkable age of ninety-seven years, her birth having occurred on 
 the 28th of February, 1813. She is the oldest person living in Scott county and has 
 a very wide acquaintance within its borders. She became the mother of seven 
 children, three of whom died in infancy. The others were as follows : Detlefine, 
 who is deceased, as is also her husband, Louis Feid; Henry C, of this review; 
 Dorothea, the widow of Henry Vollmer ; and Minnie, who is the widow of Lud- 
 wig Bruning. 
 
 Henry C. Plambeck did not begin his education until he was a lad of about 
 eight, as he suffered from ill health during the early years of his life. He was 
 eleven years of age at the time he accompanied his parents on their emigration to 
 
122 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 the United States, and for about two months he attended a German school in 
 Davenport but on account of the illness of his father was compelled to abandon 
 his studies and assist in the support of the family. He was first employed as a 
 farm hand, clearing hazel brush at a wage of twenty-five cents per day, and sub- 
 sequently worked in the vicinity of Davenport at various occupations, scorning 
 no employment that would yield him an honest living. In 1855 he began learn- 
 ing the cigar maker's trade and was continuously identified with that line of ac- 
 tivity for four decades or until the time of his retirement in 1895. He was in 
 the service of the Kuhnen Cigar Company for about thirty years, acting in the 
 capacity of foreman for about twenty-three years of that time. At two different 
 intervals he was engaged in business at Davenport as a cigar manufacturer on 
 his own account and also conducted an enterprise of that character in Denver, 
 Colorado, for about a year. When his untiring energy and capable management 
 had brought him a handsome competence he put aside business cares and for the 
 past fifteen years has lived in honorable retirement at Davenport, making his 
 home with his mother. 
 
 Mr. Plambeck belongs to the German Pioneers Society and is also a worthy 
 exemplar of the Masonic fraternity. He has a very wide acquaintance in the 
 county which has been his home for more than a half century and enjoys the 
 respect of all with whom business or social relations have brought him in contact. 
 
 MRS. CATHRINA LAGE. 
 
 Mrs. Cathrina Lage, who resides at No. 1445 West Third street, is the widow 
 of Jochem Lage, who was one of the early German settlers of Scott county, and 
 she also belonged to a family who came here among the pioneers. She was 
 born in Holstein, Germany, August i, 1843, a daughter of Claus and Anna Weise. 
 Her father died when she was very young and her mother married again. In 1852 
 the family emigrated to America and, landing at New Orleans, ascended the Mis- 
 sissippi river to Davenport. Her stepfather remained for a time in Scott county 
 and then removed to Clinton county, Iowa, where he bought a tract of farm land 
 upon which he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. 
 
 Mrs. Lage grew to womanhood in Iowa and became very conversant with 
 agricultural methods, for when she came here in the early days there was much 
 to be done and a large share of the work fell to the daughters of a family. On 
 the 26th of June, 1864, she gave her hand in marriage to Jochem Lage. He was 
 born in Holstein, Germany, October 24, 1838, and was about nine years of age 
 when in 1847 his parents, Henry and Anna Lage sailed for America. Choosing 
 the southern route, they landed at New Orleans, whence they took a boat up the 
 Mississippi river to St. Louis, Missouri. They remained in that city a few months 
 and then came to Davenport. In Qeona township, Scott county, Henry Lage, 
 bought eighty acres of prairie land, on which he built a small house and made 
 other improvements, living there until his death in 1858. 
 
 Jochem Lage continued to live with his parents, assisting his father in the 
 farm work and later assuming some of the responsibilty in the operation of the 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 123 
 
 homestead, until he married. Then he and his wife started housekeeping upon 
 eighty acres of land adjoining the parental place, which had been given to him by 
 his father. He resided there eight years and then he removed to Davenport, 
 where he engaged in the real-estate business, to which he devoted his attention 
 profitably for a number of years. He died January 24, 1892, having witnessed in 
 the forty odd years he had been a resident of Scott county the great development 
 of its agricultural possibilities and participated in the growth of Davenport from 
 villagehood to a flourishing commercial center. 
 
 Mrs. Lage became the mother of nine children, as follows: Henry, who is 
 married and lives in Richmond, Missouri; Laura, who makes her home with her 
 mother; Emma, who is the widow of Amiel Fick and has three children, Laura 
 and the twins, Harry and Hattie ; Otto and Louisa, both at home ; Clara, the wife 
 of Joseph Nadler, of Moline, Illinois ; Hugo, at home ; and two who died in in- 
 fancy. Having experienced many of the hardships of pioneer life in her youth, 
 Mrs. Lage derives added pleasure from the comforts she now enjoys, and from 
 the knowledge that her several children are well established in their respective 
 positions in life. In politics Mr. Lage was a democrat. 
 
 A. W. ELMER, M. D. 
 
 Dr. A. W. Elmer, who since 1886 has engaged in the practice of medicine in 
 Davenport, making a specialty of the treatment of the diseases of the eye, ear, 
 nose and throat, for which he is qualified by thorough study both at home and 
 abroad, was born in Harrisville, Alcona county, Michigan, February 11, 1858. 
 His father, D. J. Elmer, a native of the state of New York, sailed on the Great 
 Lakes and also on the high seas. When young he removed to Michigan and in 
 1868 came to Scott county, Iowa, establishing his home near Big Rock, where 
 he secured a tract of land and engaged in farming for more than a quarter of a 
 century. In 1894, however, he put aside the active work of the fields and re- 
 moved to Onawa, Iowa, where he is now living retired at the age of eighty-four 
 years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Jane Sellick, is also still living. 
 
 Dr. Elmer began his education in the district schools of this county after the 
 removal of the family to Iowa, when he was a lad of ten years. Later he entered 
 Griswold College and was graduated in 1883 with the B. A. degree. Two years 
 he devoted to the study of medicine in the Michigan State University at Ann 
 Arbor, after which he entered the University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 
 1886 on the completion of the medical course. The same year he located for 
 practice in Davenport, where he has since resided and in the intervening years 
 has enjoyed a large and growing patronage which has come to him in recognition 
 of the skill and ability that he has displayed in handling important cases. He 
 manifests conscientious obligation in the discharge of his professional duties, and 
 broad reading has kept him in touch with the advance of the medical fraternity 
 as science has yielded up its secrets for the benefit of mankind. He has always 
 made a specialty of the treatment of diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat 
 and has come to be regarded in Davenport as authority upon those branches. 
 
124 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 He spent the year 1897 in study in Vienna, where he was under the instruction 
 and attended the clinics of some of the most eminent speciaHsts of the old world. 
 In addition to a large private practice he is acting as oculist to the two leading 
 hospitals of Davenport and also for the Rock Island Railroad. 
 
 In 1890 Dr. Elmer was married to Miss Kate Hart, a native of Adrian, Mich- 
 igan, and unto them were born two children, William Hart and Katherine. 
 They have gained many friends in the city where they have resided throughout 
 the period of their married life. Dr. Elmer has little leisure for outside interests 
 and yet is always courteous in manner and kindly in spirit. His attention is 
 largely given to his professional duties, however, and to the end of furthering his 
 knowledge and promoting his efficiency he holds membership in the County, 
 State and American Medical Associations. 
 
 WILLIAM B. MURRAY. 
 
 William B. Murray, a well known and prosperous citizen residing at No. 
 2012 Ripley street in Davenport, has lived retired since 1892 but was formerly 
 actively engaged in general agricultural pursuits and is still the owner of two 
 hundred and thirty acres of fine farming land in Lincoln and Sheridan town- 
 ships. His birth occurred ten miles east of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on the 30th 
 of March, 1834, his parents being George and Esther Murray. The latter 
 passed away in the Keystone state in 1853. George Murray, who followed mer- 
 chandising and railroad contracting while in Pennsylvania, came to Scott county, 
 Iowa, in 1855 and purchased two hundred and forty acres of improved land in 
 Davenport township, the other members of his family joining him soon afterward. 
 He later bought a tract of three hundred and seventy acres near Mount Joy but 
 continued to reside on his original purchase until he took up his abode in Daven- 
 port, where his demise occurred on the ist of May, 1887. His children were ten 
 in number but four of his daughters passed away in Pennsylvania while yet 
 young in years. Those who came to this state were as follows : William B., of 
 this review ; Anna, who is now deceased, as is also her husband, Albert Kratzer ; 
 Thomas, who died in the army; George, who has likewise been called to his final 
 rest; James, a resident of Davenport; and Mary E., who is deceased, as is also 
 her husband, John Hyland. 
 
 William B. Murray obtained his education in the schools of Johnstown and 
 Summerhill, Pennsylvania, and after putting aside his text-books worked for his 
 father in the store and also acted as timekeeper for the railroad men. On coming 
 to this county he turned his attention to farming and after living with his father 
 for a short time took up his abode on a portion of the three hundred and seventy 
 acre tract near Mount Jay, which he broke up and improved. He built a nice 
 residence and there carried on his agricultural interests energetically and success- 
 fully until the time of his retirement from active life in 1892, since which year 
 he has made his home in Davenport. As the years passed and he prospered in 
 his undertakings he added to his landed holdings by additional purchase and also 
 received some property from his father. He is still the owner of two hundred 
 
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 ^ 
 
 
 ^^ 
 
 r^ 
 
 
 /\^^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 127 
 
 and thirty acres of valuable land in Lincoln and Sheridan townships and is 
 likewise a stockholder in the Iowa National Bank and the Davenport Savings 
 Bank. 
 
 On the 30th of October, 1862, Mr. Murray was united in marriage to Miss 
 Carrie Criswell, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of James and Jane 
 Criswell. Her mother passed away in Pennsylvania in 1856 and the following 
 year she accompanied her father on the removal to Scott county. Unto Mr. and 
 Mrs. Murray were born seven children. George, the eldest, who makes his 
 home in Grinnell, Iowa, wedded Miss Eliza Coapley and has four children: 
 Vera, Grace, Elsie and Mabel. Minnie died at the age of six years. James E., 
 who is likewise deceased, married Miss Ida Garner, by whom he had four chil- 
 dren : Walter ; Hazel ; and Martha C. and James E., both of whom have passed 
 away. Albert, who wedded Miss Stella Regnitter, resides in Davenport. Elsie 
 died in 1879, when but two years of age. Frank passed away when only eleven 
 months old. William died in infancy. 
 
 Mr. Murray is a democrat in his political views and has been an active worker 
 in the local ranks of the party. While living on the farm he held nearly all of the 
 township offices, including those of justice of the peace, trustee and school di-s 
 rector. During his two years' term of service as county supervisor the court- 
 house was erected and his name is inscribed on the comer stone of that struc- 
 ture. In the winter of 1894 he was the representative from this district to the 
 general assembly at Des Moines. Public-spirited and loyal to a marked degree, 
 he proved a faithful and efficient incumbent in the various offices to whjch his 
 fellow townsmen called him. He and his wife are consistent members of the 
 English Lutheran church, exemplifying its teachings in their daily lives. In the 
 county where he has now made his home for more than a half century he is very 
 widely and favorably known, for the salient traits of his character are such as 
 have won for him the respect and friendship of all with whom he has come in 
 contact. 
 
 EDWARD F. STROHBEHN, M. D. 
 
 The circumstances which surrounded the birth and early environment of Dr. 
 Edward F. Strohbehn have had little to do with the success which he has at- 
 tained in the medical profession, for he has so used his talents and powers in 
 former years that he has come to be known as one of the foremost physicians 
 and surgeons of eastern Iowa, now practicing in Davenport. Dr. Strohbehn 
 was born in Hamburg, Germany, July 24, 1865, a son of F. William and Louise 
 (Zapf) Strohbehn. The father, who was born in Holstein, Germany, began to 
 learn the shoemaker's trade ere he had completed his education. As was the 
 custom in foreign lands, he served in the Danish army before that province be- 
 came a part of Germany. After serving for three years he went to Hamburg 
 and, after passing a rigid examination, became a citizen of that place. In 1869 
 he emigrated with his family to America and, locating in Davenport, continued 
 working at his trade until the time of his death, which occurred May 6, 1890. 
 
128 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Edward F. Strohbehn was a little lad of six and a half years when he was 
 brought by the parents to Davenport, and in the schools of this city he began his 
 education. Ambitious to acquire a higher education than was afforded by the 
 common schools, he sought and found employment with John Berwald, of 
 Davenport, and from his earnings saved the money that enabled him to pursue 
 a course in the Iowa State University. He then engaged in teaching for a time 
 and in this way earned the capital that enabled him to take up the study of medi- 
 cine in the medical department of the State University. He was graduated 
 from that institution in March, 1891. For a time thereafter he acted as interne 
 in Mercy Hospital of Davenport, while still later he was an assistant in the 
 Iowa State Hospital for the Insane at Mount Pleasant. In the fall of 1891 he 
 went to Vienna, Austria, and there took a post-graduate course in medicine, and 
 subsequent to his return opened an office in Davenport, where he has been suc- 
 cessfully practicing to the present time. During the years that have passed he 
 has displayed marked ability and familiarity with the most modern and advanced 
 methods of the medical profession and has a patronage that is most gratifying. 
 In addition to his private practice he is also medical examiner for the Germania 
 Kranken Verein and the Claus Groth Gilde. 
 
 On the 13th of November, 1895, Dr. Strohbehn was married to Miss Alice 
 Lynde, a daughter of Edward A. and Ophelia D. Lynde, of Sterling, Massa- 
 chusetts. Dr. and Mrs. Strohbehn have six children : Louise, Edward L., Mary 
 Ella, Vallie Davis, Elizabeth and Walter William. The Doctor has attained 
 the thirty-second degree in Masonry and belongs to various medical societies. 
 Of studious nature, he is ever seeking to advance his knowledge along the Hne 
 of his profession and today is recognized as one of the able and successful phy- 
 sicians of the state, and by his labors, his high professional attainments and his 
 sterling characteristics has justified the respect and confidence in which he is held 
 by the medical fraternity and the local public. 
 
 WILLIAM J. MANN. 
 
 William J. Mann, who was for more than a third of , a century actively 
 identified with the industrial interests of Scott county as a carriage builder, has 
 lived retired in Davenport since October, 1906. His birth occurred in Waldeck, 
 Germany, on the 27th of September, 1833, his parents being Jacob and Anna 
 Kathrina Mann, who spent their entire lives in that country. The father fol- 
 lowed farming throughout his active business career. After completing his 
 education William J. Mann turned his attention to the mastery of the wagon 
 maker's trade. In 1851, when a youth of eighteen years, he set sail for the 
 United States, landing at Baltimore, Maryland, on the 9th of May, after an 
 ocean voyage of six weeks. He worked at his trade in Baltimore for about 
 four and a half years and then went to Chicago, Illinois, where he was employed 
 as a wagon maker for one year. In 1856 he came to Davenport and fob" four 
 years worked in a carriage shop on Fourth street. During the next seven years 
 he followed his trade in Muscatine and in 1867 embarked in business on his own 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 129 
 
 account, opening a shop at Walcott, Iowa. Later he also opened an implement 
 store there and conducted the same successfully for a period of thirty-five years, 
 when he sold out and retired to private life. He continued to reside in Wal- 
 cott for about five years after his retirement and on the loth of October, 1906, 
 came to Davenport, now making- his home in the handsome modern residence 
 which he erected at No. 221 1 Ripley street. 
 
 On the 6th of November, 1857, Mr. Mann was united in marriage to Miss 
 Elizabeth Schaeffer, who was born in Germany on the i8th of September, 1838, 
 and whose parents passed away in that country. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mann were 
 born seven children, the record of whom is as follows. Mary, who wedded 
 Charles Yust of Colorado, is now the mother of eight children, namely: Charles, 
 Clara, William, Henry, Dorothy, George, Edward and Carter. William, liv- 
 ing in Minnesota, married Miss Caroline Stoltenberg, by whom he has five 
 children: William, Walter, Myrtle, Nina and Winnie. Amelia, who gave her 
 hand in marriage to Edward Meyer of Hickory Grove township, has five chil- 
 dren : Lillie, Hilda, William, Herbert and Arthur. George, who makes his home 
 in Redfield, South Dakota, wedded Miss Nina Armstrong and has four chil- 
 dren: Eva, Dorothy, Millie and a baby. Louis, living in Osmond, Nebraska, 
 married Miss Agnes Graham, by whom he has two children, Winnie and Lulu. 
 Edward, who resides at Calumet, O'Brien county, Iowa, wedded Miss Tena 
 Benedix and has one son, Randolph. Miss Hilda Mann is at home. The wife 
 and mother was called to her final rest on the 3d of February, 1901, and her 
 loss was sincerely mourned by all who knew her. 
 
 Politically Mr. Mann is independent and while residing in Walcott he served 
 as a school director for about twelve years. He is a well known member of 
 the German Pioneer Association of Scott county, and has now passed the 
 seventy-sixth milestone on life's journey. Coming to the new world in early 
 manhood, he utilized his opportunities to the best advantage and gradually 
 worked his way upward until he gained a place among the prosperous, respected 
 and representative citizens of his community. 
 
 HUGO G. BRAUNLICK. 
 
 The development of musical taste and talent in Davenport was attributable 
 in large degree to Hugo G. Braunlick, who for many years was recognized as 
 one of the leading music teachers of this city. He possessed the love for and 
 ability in the interpretation of the art that is so characteristic of the German 
 people. His birth occurred in Saxony, German, January 16, 1831, and he was 
 a representative of a prominent family there. He studied both forestry and 
 music in Meissen and Dresden and, like the young men of the period, was in- 
 tensely interested in the political situation of the country. The spirit of politi- 
 cal unrest which was felt throughout Europe found expression in Germany in 
 the war of 1848, and Mr. Braunlick, interested in the movemem for the attain- 
 ment of larger liberties for the German people, acted as aide to one of the rev- 
 
130 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 olutionary leaders. Subsequent to this time the family crossed the Atlantic 
 to America and his parents spent their last days in Brooklyn, New York. 
 
 Hugo G. Braunlick, however, continued his westwardly way to Davenport, 
 where he arrived in 1853 and no man took a more active or influential part in 
 developing the early musical tastes of this city than he. For a long period 
 he engaged in teaching music, in which profession he held high rank. At one 
 time he was a contributor to the Democrat, his articles being of a practical 
 nature. As a landscape gardner, in which connection he became widely known, 
 he laid out the grounds of many of the best residences. His training in forestry 
 and his natural artistic talent both well qualified him for work of this charac- 
 ter and his services were in great demand. 
 
 In 1857 Mr. Braunlick was married to Miss Eliza Uchtorf, and unto them 
 were born six children : Dr. H. U., Hugo, Mrs. John L. Zoeckler, Freda, Emily 
 and Mrs. J. C. Gude. 
 
 Mr. Braunlick held membership in the DeBeroit Club and was a leader of 
 the Maennerchor of Davenport for many years. In his youth there were many 
 stirring and thrilling experiences especially in cotmection with his military his- 
 tory, but in later years his life was of a more quiet character and, pursuing the 
 even tenor of his way, with regard at all times for the rights and privileges of 
 others, he commanded the good will and esteem of those with whom he was as- 
 sociated and won for himself many friends among Davenport's leading citizens. 
 
 NICKLAUS JANSEN. 
 
 Nicklaus Jansen, who has lived retired in Davenport for the past eight years, 
 won his competence as an agriculturist and is still the owner of a fine farm of 
 one hundred and twenty acres of land in Aliens Grove township, where he also 
 has a timber tract comprising seven and a half acres. His birth occurred in Hol- 
 stein, Germany, on the 4th of May, 1846. In his youthful days he attended the 
 schools of his native land and after putting aside his text-books began learning 
 the carpenter's trade. In 1867, when a young man of twenty-one years, he set 
 sail for the new world and after landing at New York came direct to Davenport, 
 Iowa. Here he began work at the carpenter's trade but in a short time turned 
 his attention to general agricultural pursuits and was employed as a farm hand 
 for about ten years. On the expiration of that period he purchased and located 
 upon the farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Aliens Grove township 
 which has since remained in his possession. The property was well improved 
 and he made his home thereon for twenty-three years, annually gathering bounte- 
 ous harvests as a reward for the care and labor which he bestowed upon the fields. 
 He next bought a sixty-acre tract of land in Aliens Grove township, on which he 
 resided for two years, at the end of which time he disposed of the place to his 
 son-in-law and took up his abode in Davenport. Here he has lived retired since 
 1902, enjoying in well earned ease the fruits of his former toil. 
 
 On the 13th of February, 1877, Mr. Jansen was united in marriage to Miss 
 Julia Krousa, a native of Holstein, Germany, and a daughter of Henry and 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 131 
 
 Anna (Hensen) Krousa. The father passed away when his daughter Julia 
 was but five years of age and the mother afterward married again, becoming 
 the wife of John Kardell. In 1852 Mrs. Jansen was brought to the United 
 States by her parents, who became early settlers of Davenport. Unto our 
 subject and his wife have been born three children, namely: Alvina, who gave 
 her hand in marriage to Ferd Weisenberg, by whom she has three children- 
 Arnold, Ellis and Orville; Carrie, who married George Thoem, of Davenport, 
 Iowa, and is likewise the mother of three children — Edna, Harry and Leroy; and 
 Celia D., who is still at home. Mr. Jensen has lived in this county for more 
 than four decades and is a well known member of the German Pioneers Associa- 
 tion. The hope that led him to leave his native land and seek a home in America has 
 been more than realized. He found the opportunities he sought and through 
 their wise utilization worked his way steadily upward until he gained a place among 
 the substantial and respected citizens of his community. 
 
 HERMANN D. EHLMANN. 
 
 Hermann D. Ehlmann, residing at No. 1803 Washington street in Davenport, 
 is now living retired, enjoying the fruits of his former toil as an agriculturist. 
 His birth occurred in Hanover, Germany, on the 7th of November, 1827, his 
 parents being Gerhardt and Marguereta Ehlmann, both of whom passed away 
 in the fatherland. After his education had been completed he worked as a 
 farm hand until the time of his emigration to the United States in 1851, land- 
 ing at New Orleans after an ocean voyage of six weeks and two days. From the. 
 Crescent City he made his way to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was married 
 and where he remained for four and a half years, being employed in a tobacco 
 factory. On coming to Davenport, Iowa, in 1856, he first worked in a brick- 
 yard and in fact scorned no employment at which he could earn an honest living. 
 Later in the same year he purchased forty acres of timber land in Montpelier 
 township, Muscatine county, and erected a house thereon, residing on the place 
 for nine years. On the expiration of that period he disposed of the property 
 and for two years devoted his time and energies to the operation of a rented 
 farm in Buffalo township, Scott county. He then purchased and located upon 
 a farm of eighty acres in Fulton township, Muscatine county, and afterward 
 bought two more tracts of similar size in the same township, where he carried 
 on his agricultural interests energetically and successfully for about thirty-five 
 years. Having won a handsome competence by reason of his unremitting in- 
 dustry and capable management, he then put aside the active work of the fields 
 and took up his abode in Davenport, where he has since lived retired. 
 
 On the 25th of August, 1852, in St. Louis, Missouri, Mr. Ehlmann was 
 united in marriage to Miss Anna Catherine Neyhaus, who was bom in Han- 
 over, Germany, on the 4th of February, 1825. Mr. and Mrs. Ehlmann became 
 the parents of five children, the record of whom is as follows. The first born 
 died in infancy. Henry, who is a resident of Oklahoma, first wedded Miss Caro- 
 line Harter, by whom he had three children : Anna, Herman and John. For his 
 
132 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 second wife he chose Miss Margaret Neve and their union has been blessed with 
 two children, Helen and Emma. Margaret Emma Ehlmann gave her hand in 
 marriage to Albert Eourthouse, of Oklahoma, and is now the mother of six 
 children, namely : Theodore, Hugo, August, Lulu, Wanda and Clarence. Emilie, 
 who is the wife of John Hartz, makes her home in Davenport. John D. Ehl- 
 mann has passed away. Mrs. Ehlmann, the wife of our subject, was called to 
 her final rest on the 28th of October, 1893, and Mr. Ehlmann now makes his 
 home with his daughter, Mrs. John Hartz. 
 
 At the polls Mr. Ehlmann casts his ballot in support of the men and measures 
 of the democratic party. The cause of education has ever found in him a stal- 
 wart champion and while residing in Muscatine county he served as a school 
 director of Fulton township for seven years. He is now in the eighty-third 
 year of his age and receives the veneration and respect which should ever be 
 accorded one who has traveled thus far on life's journey and whose career 
 has at all times been upright and honorable. The period of his residence in this 
 part of the state covers more than a half century, and he is well known and highly 
 esteemed as a man who owes his present prosperity entirely to his own well 
 directed labor and indefatigable energy. 
 
 SIMON KOCH. 
 
 Simon Koch, who at the time of his death was the possessor of more business 
 property than almost any other capitalist of Davenport, reached his enviable finan- 
 cial standing through the avenue of indefatigable and honorable business activity, 
 and his life record, therefore, may serve as a splendid example to the ambitious 
 young man who desires to attain success without infringing upon the rights of 
 others. Mr. Koch was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, October 28, 1834, and 
 was in his eighteenth year when he bade adieu to the fatherland and sailed for the 
 United States. He located in Pennsylvania in 1852, retaining his residence in that 
 state for two years, after which he came to Davenport. He made his home in this 
 city for about sixteen years and in that time was married, in 1869, to Miss Eliza- 
 beth Harrison, a daughter of Peter Harrison, who came from England to the new 
 world in 1850 with his father, John Harrison, who established the family home in 
 Scott county. The latter was engaged in farming here and continued to occupy 
 the old homestead place until he was called to his final rest. His son, Peter Har- 
 rison, in response to the country's call for troops, enlisted for service in an Iowa 
 regiment and did active duty at the front until the close of the war, when he 
 returned to Davenport. After a short time, however, he went south to live. 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Koch were bom six children: Mrs. J. Ryan, Lillian, Mat- 
 thias, Otto S., William and Frank. 
 
 Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Koch remained in Davenport until the 
 early '70s, when they removed to Chicago and there Mr. Koch engaged in contract 
 work for the Union Pacific Railroad Company in partnership with the father of P. 
 W. McManus. They were engaged extensively in building bridges and trestles 
 and doing important engineering work. It was through that avenue of business 
 
^?-XK? (H^V 
 
 c^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 135 
 
 that he gained the monetary influence which he held until his death, his success 
 being evidenced in his extensive investments in real estate, which made him the 
 possessor of more down town property than was held by the great majority of cap- 
 italists in this city. He was a man of keen business discernment, seldom, if ever, 
 at fault in a matter of judgment, and his sagacity and enterprise enabled him to 
 win success where others met with failure. He seemed to know just when, where 
 and how to place his invested interests and the rise in realty values consequent on 
 the growth of the city has made his property a constantly increasing source of 
 profit. His political allegiance was given to the democracy and his religious faith 
 was manifest in his membership in the Catholic church. He was generous in his 
 support thereof and was also the patron of many worthy organized charities. 
 
 D. P. PEEKENSCHNEIDER. 
 
 D. P. Peekenschneider, now living retired in Davenport, was in former 
 years actively identified with general agricultural pursuits and is still in pos- 
 session of considerable farming property, owning three hundred and forty-seven 
 acres of valuable land in Cleona township, Scott county, one hundred and sixty 
 acres in Cedar county and one hundred and sixty acres in Cherokee county, Iowa. 
 He was born in Holstein, Germany, on the 26. of September, 1833, his parents be- 
 ing Hans and Elizabeth Peekenschneider. The father, who was engaged in 
 farming on a small scale, served as a soldier in the Danish army. In the year 
 1862 he and his wife crossed the Atlantic to the United States and both passed 
 away in this country. 
 
 D. P. Peekenschneider obtained his education in the fatherland and after 
 leaving school learned the miller's trade. In 1857 he and his brother William 
 embarked on a sailing vessel bound for American shores, landing at New York 
 after an ocean voyage of forty-six days. They made their way at once to 
 Davenport, Iowa, here joining a brother, Charles Peekenschneider, who had 
 come to the new world in 1853. Following his arrival in this county Mr. Peek- 
 enschneider of this review worked as a farm hand for about seven years, en- 
 gaging in threshing, breaking prairie, etc. He then devoted his attention to. 
 the operation of a rented farm in Hickory Grove township for about two 
 years and on the expiration of that period, in 1863, bought a half section of 
 land in Cleona township in association with his two brothers. Half of the land 
 had been broken and there was a small house on the property. The three broth- 
 ers took up their abode thereon and after improving the land divided it and 
 erected the necessary buildings. Our subject there continuously carried on his 
 farming interests until 1909, when he put aside the active work of the fields and 
 came to Davenport, having won a handsome competence through his well di- 
 rected labors as an agriculturist. As he prospered in his undertakings he added 
 to his landed holdings from time to time and is still the owner of three 
 hundred and forty-seven acres in Cleona township, this county, one hundred and 
 sixty acres in Cedar county and a quarter section of land in Cherokee county, 
 this state. 
 
136 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 On the nth of November, 1865, Mr. Peekenschneider was united in mar- 
 riage to Miss Wilhelmina Woolfretz whose birth occurred in Prussia, Germany, 
 on the 25th of November, 1846, and who came to the United States with her 
 mother in 1865, her father having passed away in Germany. Unto Mr. and 
 Mrs. Peekenschneider were born twelve children, namely: Charles, who died 
 at the age of twenty-three years ; Frederick, living in Cleona township, who 
 wedded Miss Emma Mangert, by whom he has nine children— Hertha, Olga, 
 Otto, Herbert, Elsie, Anna, Meta, Fred and William; Herman, who is a resi- 
 dent of Cherokee county, Iowa, and wedded Miss Louisa Moon, by whom he has 
 seven children— Wilhelmina, Hugo, Alma, Edna, Harry, LilHan and Arthur; 
 August, who makes his home in Cedar county and who married Miss Louisa 
 Hansen, by whom he has one child, Adeline; Emma, who died at the age of 
 twenty-four years; Caroline, who passed away when thirty years of age; Detlef, 
 who lives in this county ; Ferdinand, who died when a lad of nine years ; Amelia, 
 who is the wife of Fred Cooper and lives on the old home place ; Robert and 
 Ella, both at home ; and Walter, who died at the age of two years. 
 
 Since becoming a naturalized American citizen Mr. Peekenschneider has ex- 
 ercised his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the demo- 
 cratic party. From 1868 until 1909, or for more than four decades, he acted as 
 treasurer of the school board of Hickory Grove township and in this connection 
 did valuable service for the cause of education. He is widely and favorably 
 known throughout the county which has been his home for more than a half 
 century, having won the warm regard and esteem of all with whom he has come 
 in contact. 
 
 JOSEPH SHOREY. 
 
 Among Davenport's lawyers whose worth is evidenced in the extent and 
 importance of litigated interests entrusted to their care, is numbered Joseph 
 Shorey, who in connection with the Davenport Loan, Building and Savings 
 Association and also in political circles is likewise demonstrating his worth as 
 a man and citizen. He was bom here on the nth of July, 1870. His father, 
 Joseph G. Shorey, a native of Jonesboro, Maine, was born July 24, 1826, and 
 came to Davenport in November, 1855, accompanied by his wife, who bore the 
 maiden name of Abigail Newhall and was a native of Lynn, Massachusetts. 
 There were also two children in the family at that time. The father was a car- 
 penter and worked at his trade for a period, but afterward turned his attention to 
 pumpmaking. He was quite successful and after a continued and prosperous 
 business for a number of years retired from active life and is now enjoying a well 
 earned rest. His life in a manner has been quietly and uneventfully passed, 
 for he has never sought to figure prominently before the public. On the con- 
 trary he concentrated his time and energies upon his business relations until 
 his retirement and has since devoted his attention to those things which afford 
 him interest and recreation. In the family were seven children, four sons and 
 three daughters, but only two are now living, the elder brother being A. O. 
 Shorey. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 137 
 
 Joseph Shorey was the youngest of the family and was educated in the pub- 
 lic schools, pursuing his course until he graduated from the high school with 
 the class of 1889. The following year he entered the University of Iowa and 
 completed the latter course in 1892. For practical experience he then entered 
 the ofiSce of Bills & Hass, with whom he remained for seven years, at the end 
 of which time he establisheid himself in an independent practice, opening his 
 office in August, 1899. He has since secured a good clientage and has made 
 steady progress along professional lines. He has also been officially connected 
 with the Davenport Loan, Building and Savings Association since 1900 as its 
 secretary. This association was organized in 1877 and is one of the oldest and 
 most useful institutions of the character in the city. Mr. Shorey also figures 
 prominently in political circles, giving loyal allegiance to the republican party 
 and taking active interest in local affairs. In 1900 he was elected alderman 
 from the fourth ward but whether in office or out of it he does effective work 
 for general improvement and advancement. 
 
 On the 7th of September, 1898, Mr. Shorey was united in marriage to 
 Miss Henrietta Hapke, a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and unto them have 
 been born two sons, Wilson H., whose birth occurred August i, 1900; and 
 Joseph Robert, born September 2, 1904. Mr. Shorey is connected with the 
 Modern Woodmen of America and while club and fraternal relations have played 
 little part in his hfe, he is recognized as a man of social, genial nature and by 
 his genuine worth has made many a warm friend. 
 
 WILLIAM DE WITT WELLS. 
 
 The world has little use for the misanthropist — he who sees little chance 
 for doing good nor uses his opportunities to benefit his fellowmen. The worth 
 of the individual is determined by the value of his labors as a factor in the 
 world's progress and judged by this standard Professor William DeWitt Wells 
 constituted an important factor in educational advancement, leaving the im- 
 press of his individuality and his ability upon the public-school system of Iowa 
 where his labors were put forth. At the time of his demise he was serving as 
 superintendent of schools in Scott county and, working toward high ideals, was 
 doing much toward promoting the efficiency of the system of public education 
 here. 
 
 A native of Pennsylvania, he was born in Rutland, August 23, 1858, and was 
 a son of Sanford and Jane (DeWitt) Wells. The father was a contractor and 
 bridge builder and at one time engaged in teaching school near Waterloo, Iowa, 
 removing with his family to that place when his son William was but two years 
 of age. He had made his way northward from Missouri, having been driven out 
 of that state by the Confederates, and all through his life W. D. Wells wf>re a 
 scar on his brow caused by a bullet that struck him as he lay in his cradle, the 
 family home being under bombardment there. 
 
 Educated in the schools of East Waterloo, Professor Wells eventually com- 
 pleted the high school course and received his first teacher's certificate in 1874, 
 
138 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 when sixteen years of age. He then engaged to teach school two miles from 
 Cedar Falls and later was identified with the schools of Finchford and Jesup, 
 acting as principal at the latter place for three years save for a term spent in 
 the normal school at Cedar Falls in order that the improvement of his own edu- 
 cation might make him more capable to superintend and direct the education 
 of others. From Jesup he went to Ames, where he was graduated in 1883. The 
 following year Professor Wells came to Scott county and was principal of the 
 schools at LeClaire for four years, during which period he won many warm 
 friends there. In 1888 he went to Grundy Center, where he engaged in teaching 
 for eight years, and in 1897 he came to Davenport to accept the principalship of 
 public school No. 3. In the summer, several years before, he had come to this 
 city as an instructor in the Scott County Normal Institute and his lectures were 
 regarded as among the best delivered by the many strong men who were gathered 
 here in educational work. After three years he was promoted and became prin- 
 cipal of the Davenport high school. In this capacity he found an opportunity 
 to apply his talents, realize his ambitions and exercise his abilities as an educator. 
 Under his guidance the high school as an institution took an enormous stride 
 forward ; education was placed upon an advanced and scientific basis and a better 
 grade of scholarship attained. The development of the high school became a 
 passion with Mr. Wells. With infinite pains, with personal sacrifices, with un- 
 bounded energy and enthusiasm, he devoted himself to his task. Whatever was 
 in him of knowledge, of strength, of peculiar personal fitness, he faithfully and 
 earnestly offered for the advancement of his school. During his tenure of office 
 the new high school was built, and its eminence as an institution of learning is a 
 splendid monument to the brains and genius of Mr. Wells. In 1906 he was 
 elected county superintendent of schools and reelected in 1908. He had re- 
 ceived a life diploma from the state in 1891 and this brought him recognition as 
 one of the foremost educators of Iowa connected with her public-school system. 
 He manifested untiring zeal in his work and his own enthusiasm was an in- 
 spiration to the teachers with whom he was associated. He held to his high stand- 
 ard and while always kind and forbearing, he yet maintained that discipline 
 which would not permit the student to shirk his work, realizing that the greatest 
 kindness which he could show to the pupil was to demand of him conscientious 
 and capable performance of his schoolroom duties. 
 
 On the 30th of March, 1886, in LeQaire, Professor Wells was married to 
 Miss Kate Moore, a daughter of B. F. and Catharine Moore. They became par- 
 ents of eight children : Lois, Leon, Ben, Edvena, DeWitt, Lydia and two who died 
 in infancy. Mr. Well's home was ever one of refinement and culture and con- 
 stituted an attractive place of meeting for the many friends of the family. 
 
 Professor Wells was regarded as one of the most prominent representatives 
 of the Masonic fraternity in Scott county. He was received as an entered ap- 
 prentice in Snow Lodge, No. 44, A. F. & A. M., at LeClaire, January 9, 1885, 
 and on the 6th of February was admitted to fellowcraft, while on the 6th of 
 March he became a Master Mason. In 1892 he took the four degrees of capitu- 
 lar Masonry in Ionic Chapter, No. 100, R. A. M., at Grundy Center, Iowa, and in 
 1896 he was made a member of Ruth Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. 
 He received the degree of the Red Cross in St. Simon of Cyrene Commandery, 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 139 
 
 No. 9, K. T., May 7, 1902, and was knighted in the same order on the 21st of 
 May, receiving the Knight of Malta and St. John of Jerusalem, March 5, 1903. 
 In September of the same year he attained the thirty-second degree of the 
 Scottish Rite and thus was familiar with all branches of Masonry. He served 
 as master of Trinity Lodge in 1892, 1893 and 1894 and he belonged Kaaba Temple 
 of the Mystic Shrine. He was also a member of the Woodmen camp. In 
 church circles he was equally well known, his membership in his later years be- 
 ing with the First Presbyterian church of Davenport, in the work of which he 
 took active and helpful part. He was the first teacher and practically the founder 
 of the Brotherhood Bible class of that church and his influence and aid were given 
 in support of the various projects instituted to promote the growth and extend 
 the influence of the church. Professor Wells' position on any vital question was 
 never an equivocal one. He stood for all that is upright and honorable in man's 
 relations with his fellowmen, and more than that tempered justice with mercy, 
 consideration with kindness, and righteousness with the spirit of charity. Thus 
 his became an honored name because of the qualities which he displayed in his 
 life, and when he passed away, April 25, 1909, his name was inscribed with those 
 who had made the world better for their having lived. 
 
 JAMES H. CLEMENT. 
 
 On the pages of history from the earliest ages have appeared the names of 
 those renowned for personal bravery — men who have dared to face the imple- 
 ments of war in defense of principle or country. Among Davenport's citizens 
 whose military record is such as elicits praise and honor is numbered James H. 
 Clement, a veteran of the Mexican war and for a considerable period a repre- 
 sentative of the United States navy. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 
 in 1 82 1, and spent his early life in the east, becoming connected with the navy, 
 with which he did active duty for a number of years. When the country became 
 involved in war with Mexico he stanchly defended the interests of the Federal 
 government and enlisted from Pennsylvania. He was wounded while in the 
 army but with the spirit of the true soldier again took his place on active duty 
 as soon as his health permitted. 
 
 In 1 87 1 Mr. Clement arrived in Davenport and for many years thereafter 
 held a position on Government Island, although he retired some time before 
 his demise. 
 
 In 1867, in Blackhawk county, Iowa, Mr. Clement was married to Miss Mary 
 A. Dorian, whose father, Robert Dorian, was one of the pioneers of Iowa, com- 
 ing to this state at an early day from Indiana. He was a native of Pennsylvania 
 but was closely identified with the development of the middle west, first in 
 Indiana and afterward in Iowa, where his labors constituted an effective force 
 in supplanting pioneer conditions with the evidences of a modern civilization. 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Qement were born a daughter and son: Caroline, who is 
 now Mrs. W. E. Scott; and William, whd died in 1904. The mother has con- 
 tinued to make her home in Davenport since the death of her husband, which 
 
140 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 occurred on the 24th of September, 1897. He was a self-made man, charitable 
 and public-spirited, and possessed a strong and impressive character. He held 
 membership in the Methodist church and his life was in consistent harmony with 
 his professions. He was devoted to his family and his home and while his 
 chief interests in life centered there, he yet found opportunity to do good to his 
 fellowmen, giving throughout his life many tangible evidences of a helpful,, 
 charitable and benevolent spirit. 
 
 T. w. McClelland. 
 
 In a history of the men whose labors have constituted a salient feature in 
 Davenport's upbuilding and development, mention should be accorded T. W. Mc- 
 Clelland, who, coming to this city in early manhood and empty handed, made 
 steady progress through the long years of an active business^ career and came to 
 be known as one of the most potent forces in Davenport's commercial activity. 
 A native of Pennsylvania, he was born near the city of Pittsburg, July 31, 183 1. 
 His father, Archibald McClelland, was a native of Belfast, Ireland, and became 
 the founder of the family in the new world. The opportunities which T. W. Mc- 
 Clelland received in his youth were somewhat limited, for in his boyhood days he 
 began earning his livelihood by working in a store. He afterward learned the 
 carpenter's trade and for a time engaged in contracting with his father, but the 
 opportunities of the rapidly growing west proved too alluring for him to remain 
 longer in his Pennsylvania home and in 1852 he came to Davenport by way of 
 Cleveland, Ohio. The city was then comparatively small but seemed to have a 
 bright future before it and Mr. McClelland therefore regarded it as a favorable 
 place of location. Here he first worked at his trade but, watchful of opportuni- 
 ties for advancement in business lines, he established, in 1855, the sash, door and 
 blind factory which constituted the nucleus of the extensive business which is 
 still carried on by his son Wilson, under the style of the T. W. McClelland Com- 
 pany. The late John Hornby was his partner for a time but through the greater 
 portion of forty-seven years the business was carried on by Mr. McClelland. Un- 
 der his capable management it developed rapidly and from time to time extensive 
 alterations and additions were made that the plant might be adequate to cope with 
 the demands of the trade. On the organization of the business Mr. McClelland 
 inculcated as its standard thoroughness in workmanship, substantiality in product 
 and reliability in trade relations, and from the inception this business policy has 
 been steadily continued. In his more active days he erected many residences and 
 business buildings in Davenport, a large part of which still stand as monuments 
 to his skill and ability. The reputation which he enjoyed for honest dealing is 
 indicated in the fact that on many occasions the men employing him made no 
 contract whatever, knowing that he could be depended upon to conserve their best 
 interests and welfare, having no trouble at the time of settlement. He built the 
 stockade and the enclosed buildings on Rock Island, in which the Confederate pris- 
 oners were confined during the war. He also erected the First National Bank 
 building, the Parker residence, which is now the home of C. A. Ficke, and in 
 
tkj^UJ.^ 
 
 ■<^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 143 
 
 many other instances gave evidence of his skill in the line of Davenport's archi- 
 tectural development. He was, moreover, one of the original stockholders and 
 directors of the old Citizens National Bank and was interested in a number of 
 Davenport enterprises. His judgments in business matters were always the out- 
 come of careful consideration and his record constitutes an example which inay 
 well be followed by those who wish to attain success through honorable methods. 
 In this city, in 1857, Mr. McClelland was united in marriage to Miss Anna B. 
 Knapp, and here they always maintained their home, its hospitality being greatly 
 enjoyed by their many friends. Throughout the years of his residence here Mr. 
 McClelland took an active interest in all that pertained to the benefit of the city. 
 In early days he did his part as a member of a volunteer fire department and in 
 1869 he was awarded official honors in his election as alderman of the fifth ward. 
 In 1873 he was called to represent the fourth ward in the city council and was 
 again elected in 1874. His death occurred January 26, 1902. A man of quiet 
 and unobtrusive manner, he was nevertheless a fast friend and his course at the 
 same time was characterized by great kindness and courtesy. His was a familiar 
 face in many places where the most interesting men gathered in Davenport and in 
 his demise the community lost one of its most honored and useful citizens, for 
 he was a representative of that group of men whose lives are conspicuous for abil- 
 ity, force of character, integrity and generous aims. Mrs. McQelland is still 
 living in Davenport. 
 
 FRANK J. PETO. 
 
 The name of Frank J. Peto deserves place on the list of Davenport's honored 
 dead because of the fact that he was a reliable and progressive business man, 
 long connected with the wholesale and retail saddlery trade of this city. The 
 growth and development of a community does not depend upon a single individual 
 or even upon a few but upon the aggregate efforts of the many, and by his dili- 
 gence, determination and intelligent effort Frank J. Peto not only won success 
 for himself but also contributed his full share to the work of general advance- 
 ment. He resided for many years at No. 424 West Eighth street. He was one 
 of Davenport's native sons, his parents, Frank J. and Louisa (Dames) Peto, 
 having been early citizens here. In fact the father was one of the first settlers 
 of the town and aided in promoting its early progress. At the usual age Frank 
 J. Peto was sent to the public schools and after putting aside his text-books 
 joined his father in business and was associated with him up to the time of his 
 death. They conducted a wholesale and retail saddlery enterprise and the ex- 
 cellence of their product insured them a ready sale on the market. Moreover, 
 their business methods were such as would bear close investigation and scrutiny, 
 the firm enjoying high reputation for reliability. 
 
 On the i8th of March, 1901, Mr. Peto was united in marriage to Miss Laura 
 Wiese, a daughter of Fred and Christiana (Schnock) Wiese, who, as the name 
 indicates, were of German lineage. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Peto was 
 blessed with two children, Alice E. and Camilla. Mr. Peto was popular and 
 
144 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 prominent in local fraternal organizations, holding membership with the Knights 
 of Pythias, the Modem Woodmen of America and the I. C. M. A. He was a 
 man of even terperament, of social disposition, of genial and kindly nature and 
 at all times was considerate of the rights and privileges of others. These qualities 
 won him high regard and in Davenport, the city of his residence, he had a circle 
 of friends almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances. 
 
 C. A. FICKE. 
 
 C. A. Ficke, a self-made man whose life record constitutes a most creditable 
 chapter in Davenport's history, is enrolled among the eminent representatives of 
 the bar and in various other lines of business activity has given evidence of his 
 quick recognition and utilization of opportunity. Such is the position which he 
 holds in public regard that his opinions are always an influencing factor in the 
 consideration of vital municipal questions. A native of the duchy of Mecklen- 
 burg, Germany, he was born April 21, 1850, in Boitzenburg, his parents being 
 Christopher H. and Elizabeth (Praesent) Ficke. The father was a merchant who 
 in 1852 came to the United States with his family, after which he took up his 
 abode on a farm in Scott county, Iowa. 
 
 C. A. Ficke, but two years of age when the family came to the new world, 
 was reared amid rural surroundings and obtained his early education in the coun- 
 try schools. He found farm work too narrow for his taste and ambition, how- 
 ever, and at the age of twelve years he entered a store in Lowden, Cedar county, 
 where he was employed for a year. Realizing the need of a more comprehensive 
 education than he had already acquired, he entered the public schools of Daven- 
 port at the age of thirteen years and made his expenses by working outside of 
 school hours. Thus he obtained a good English education and by clerking in a 
 dry-goods store and carefully saving his earnings was enabled to pursue a com- 
 mercial course in Bryant & Stratton Business College of this city. Thus fitted 
 by education for important duties in life, he obtained a situation in the United 
 States assessor's office, where he continued until 1869, when he entered the Dav- 
 enport National Bank. There he was promoted through intermediate positions 
 until he became discount clerk. It was his ambition, however, to become a mem- 
 ber of the bar and out of business hours he spent his time in studying and reading 
 law in the office of H. R. Claussen. Resigning his position in the bank in 1876, 
 he entered the New York Law School at Albany, where he pursued the regular 
 course and was graduated with the class of 1877. 
 
 Mr. Ficke afterward spent six months in travel in Europe and on returning 
 to Davenport entered upon active practice. No dreary novitiate awaited him. He 
 was successful from the first, seeming to possess a ready and natural discrimina- 
 tion as to legal problems. Moreover, he prepared his cases with great thorough- 
 ness and care, determining with accuracy the salient features and giving to each 
 point bearing upon his case its due relative prominence. His practice has been 
 of an extensive and important character and he is recognized as one of the lead- 
 ing representatives of the Davenport bar. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 145 
 
 Always interested in public affairs, in which connection his opinions have 
 been regarded as sound and progressive, Mr. Ficke has been honored with numer- 
 ous offices. At one time he was affiliated with the republican party and was 
 "hairman of its county and congressional committees, but a change in his poHtical 
 opinions led him in 1880 to become a strong supporter of Grover Qeveland for 
 the presidency. In 1886 he was elected county attorney for Scott county and in 
 1890, against his protest, was nominated and elected to the mayoralty. When 
 convinced by the public that he was the choice of the people for the office, he bent 
 his energies to the faithful performance of the duties that devolved upon him as 
 the chief executive of the municipality and such was his service that in 1891 he 
 was renominated by acclamation and elected by the largest majority ever re- 
 ceived by any mayor of Davenport. At the close of his second term he declined a 
 third nomination. His was a vigorous, businesslike administration, in which many 
 improvements were secured for the city, including paving, sewer building and the 
 execution of other public projects. 
 
 In addition to his law practice Mr. Ficke is largely interested in loaning money 
 and devotes much of his time to his numerous real-estate interests. He has made 
 most extensive investments and his judgment is seldom, if ever, at fault concerning 
 the value of property. He regards real estate as the safest of all investments and 
 the judicious use he has made of his opportunities in this direction has placed him 
 among Davenport's most successful men. 
 
 On the 24th of March, 1882, Mr. Ficke was united in marriage to Miss Fan- 
 nie Davison, a daughter of Abner Davison, a prominent attorney of this city. 
 They have three children, one of whom is Arthur D., a rising young lawyer asso- 
 ciated with his father in practice. Mr. Ficke is a man of simple habits, devoted 
 to his family and loyal to his friends. He is broad minded and well read — a 
 cultured, genial gentleman who has traveled extensively and with whom associa- 
 tion means expansion and elevation. He is keenly alive to all the vital interests 
 of the times and has never counted as a source of happiness those things which 
 minister merely to self without regard to the duties and obligations of citizenship. 
 
 MRS. IDA HORST. 
 
 Mrs. Ida Horst, who has made her home in the city of Davenport for the past 
 two decades, is the widow of Qaus Horst, who carried on farming and stock- 
 raising in Davenport township and was quite an extensive landowner. Mr. Horst 
 was born in Holstein, Germany, on the 30th of December, 1819, his parents 
 being Hans and Margaret (Goetch) Horst, who spent their entire lives in the 
 fatherland. He obtained his education in the schools of his native land and con- 
 tinued to reside there until 1847, when as a young man of twenty-eight he crossed 
 the Atlantic to the United States, landing at New Orleans in November. He 
 made his way as far up the river as St. Louis and there worked on a dairy farm 
 during the winter, having gained a thorough knowledge of dairying in Germany, 
 In the spring, when the ice in the river had melted, he came to Davenport, Iowa, 
 and here worked at various occupations for a time. In 1850 he purchased eighty 
 
146 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 acres of prairie land in Davenport township, which he broke and on which he 
 erected a dwelling, taking up his abode therein. That farm remained his place 
 of residence throughout the remainder of his life but as time passed by and his 
 financial resources increased, owing to his well directed industry and capable 
 management, he added to his holdings by additional purchase until at his death 
 he was the owner of five hundred and sixty acres of valuable land in Scott 
 county and also had a farm in Lucas county, this state. In addition to cultivating 
 the cereals best adapted to soil and climate he was also engaged in the raising of 
 cattle, which branch of his business added materially to his income. 
 
 On the 17th of May, 1850, Mr. Horst was united in marriage to Miss Ida 
 Hahn, whose birth occurred in Holstein, Germany, on the 20th of February, 
 1828, her parents being Johann and Margaret (Boege) Hahn. She was still 
 young when her father died and her mother afterward married again. In 1847 
 the family emigrated to America, landing at New Orleans, whence they went to 
 St. Louis and then came to Davenport, arriving in this city on the 21st of June 
 of that year. Mrs. Horst went to live with an EnglisTi family and thus learned 
 to talk and read the language. By her marriage she became the mother of seven 
 children, the record of whom is as follows : Louisa, residing in Davenport, is the 
 widow of Herman Voss and has one son, Bernhardt. Adolph, who makes his 
 home in Sheridan township, wedded Miss Alvina Misfeldt and has four chil- 
 dren : Viola, Edna, Albert and Bennie. Therese, who now lives with her mother, 
 is the widow of Henry Horst, whose demise occurred on the 2d of April, 1905. 
 Edward, living in Sheridan township, married Miss Katherine Kahler, by whom 
 he has five children : Herman, Hugo, Emil, Sadie and Elsie. Henry H., who 
 resides in Davenport township, married Miss Amelia Sueverkrubbe and has five 
 children, namely: Martha; Malinda, who is deceased; Herbert; Alfred; and Alma. 
 One child of Claus and Ida (Hahn) Horst died in infancy. Henry was acci- 
 dentally killed when but thirteen years of age. 
 
 Mr. Horst was independent in his political views and held several positions 
 of public trust in Davenport township, including that of road supervisor. His 
 demise, which occurred on the 24th of May, 1881, was the occasion of deep and 
 widespread regret, for he had gained many warm friends during the long period 
 of his residence in this county. His widow continued to reside on the farm until 
 1889, since which time she has made her home in Davenport. She is widely 
 known in Scott county, where she has now lived for more than six decades and 
 throughout this entire period she has enjoyed the respect and esteem of those 
 with whom she has come in contact. 
 
 PHINEAS CURTIS. 
 
 Phineas Curtis is now living retired in Davenport. In every relation of life 
 he has been faithful to the duties that have devolved upon him and he truly de- 
 serves the rest that has now come to him in the evening of his days. He was 
 born in Otsego county. New York, June 10, 1830, and is a son of Daniel and 
 Mehitable (Masters) Curtis. His early American ancestors in the paternal line 
 
'-/^^^/^^'-^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 149 
 
 came from England in 1642 and in the maternal line in 1716, the Masters family- 
 coming from the isle of Guernsey. 
 
 The early boyhood home of Phineas Curtis was near Cherry Valley, New 
 York, and there he lived with his parents until seven years of age, when a re- 
 moval was made to the vicinity of Johnsonville, New York. There he attended 
 select and public schools, making his home there until twenty years of age, when 
 he came to the middle west, his destination being Quincy, Illinois. For three 
 terms he engaged in teaching in the district schools near that city and in 1851 
 arrived in Scott county, Iowa. Here he began teaching in Buffalo township, 
 but after devoting his time to that work for one term he took up the occupation 
 of farming, purchasing a quarter section of land in Aliens Grove township near 
 Donahue. This he purchased for one dollar per acre. It was entirely wild and 
 uncultivated and he built thereon a house, fenced the fields and with character- 
 istic energy began to till the soil. As the years passed his labors brought him 
 good results, transforming the once wild prairie into a highly cultivated farm, 
 upon which he continued to reside until 1890, selling it the following year. He 
 had not been actively engaged in the cultivation of his fields, however, since 1872, 
 for other duties had occupied his attention. While in Aliens Grove township he 
 served as assessor for several years and was also made collector of the money to 
 build schoolhouses. He filled the position of justice of the peace for a long 
 period and when he put aside the duties of general farming in 1872 he purchased 
 a small stock of goods and opened a general store in Donahue. He soon in- 
 creased his stock by extensive purchases in the city wholesale districts and con- 
 ducted the business successfully for ten years. On the expiration of that period 
 he sold out and built tile works at Aliens Grove. For six years he operated the 
 plant there and then disposed of it. In all of his business undertakings he has 
 been successful, carefully managing and controlling his interests until he won 
 thereby a creditable and desirable measure of success that enables him to live 
 retired. For twelve years he served as postmaster of Donahue and was also station 
 agent and express agent on the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad for two years. 
 While serving as postmaster and express agent he never had a report come back 
 to him for correction. In 1890 he took up his abode in Davenport, where he has 
 since made his home, erecting a fine residence here in 1894. He has built a large 
 number of houses in the city and their rental is principally the source of his 
 gratifying income, enabling him to put aside all the active duties of business 
 life. 
 
 On the 27th of February, 1853, Air. Curtis was married to Miss Laura L. 
 Fuller, a daughter of Dennis R. and Lovancia (Bradley) Fuller, of Aliens Grove. 
 She was born in that township November 15, 1837, and it is thought that she 
 was the first white female child born in Scott county. It was indeed at that 
 time a wild pioneer region, into which few settlers had penetrated, although the 
 Indians were still numerous in this part of the state. She lived to witness re- 
 markable changes in the years which covered her life record, extending to the 
 5th of January, 1902, when she was called to her final rest. Unto Mr, and Mrs-. 
 Curtis were born seven children. Enola M., who was born April 19, 1855, was 
 married September 14, 1874, to George P. Maw, of Davenport, and they have 
 five children: Louisa J., born August 8, 1875; Maria C, August 26, 1878; Phin- 
 
150 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 eas J., August lo, 18881 ; Orange S., August 16, 1886; and Grace L., June 10, 
 1889. Lovancia M., the second member of the family, was born October 22, 
 1857, and on the i8th of February, 1878, became the wife of A. A. Fuller, of 
 Davenport, by whom she had three children: Blanche E., born November 23, 
 1880; Laura, born September 5, 1883; and Curtis, February 5, 1887. Dennis 
 D., born January 19, 1862, and now living in Davenport, was married March 
 20, 1891, to Emma Keppe, and they had five children: Madge A., born Sep- 
 tember 29, 1893; Charles D., June 23, 1895; Ned B., April 26, 1897; Ralph D., 
 August 19, 1899; and Frank R., July 12, 1902. Frank R. Curtis, the fourth 
 child of Phineas Curtis, was born February 28, 1864, and was married March 
 15, 1885, to Tillie Madden. They had one son Loraine, who was born 
 November 27, 1887, and lives at Moline, Illinois. Abram B., who was born April 
 4, 1867, at Donahue, Iowa, was married April 4, 1887, to Miss Margaret Mad- 
 den. They have three children: Lovina A., born August 21, 1890; Clarence D., 
 November 14, 1893; and Margery M., July 14, 1897. Lottie M., born January 
 13, 1870, was married October 6, 1889, to John R. Randall, who died July 28, 
 1894, leaving one child. Worth B., who was born December 26, 1890. Ora E., 
 born June 25, 1878, was married June 29, 1898, to G. L. Hostetler, and they 
 live in Des Moines, Iowa. They have two children : Roger H., born October 12, 
 1902; and Helen L., born April 3, 1906. There have been four deaths in the 
 family circle. Lottie, the sixth child of the family, died February 13, 1898, 
 while Mrs. Tillie Curtis, the wife of Frank R. Curtis, passed away April 16, 
 1897, Mrs. Dennis Curtis, April 27, 1907, and A. A. Fuller on the 8th of October, 
 1897. For his second wife Mr. Curtis chose Mary A. (Weed) Davis, a daughter 
 of Hiland and Amanda Weed, of Fayetteville, New York. She was born in 
 Jordan, Onondaga county, New York, and on the 22d of June, 1905, became the 
 wife of Mr. Curtis. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Curtis has been a stalwart republican since the or- 
 ganization of the party and has filled a number of local offices, the duties of 
 which he has discharged with promptness and fidelity. He holds membership 
 in the Christian church, in which he is serving as elder and in its work he takes 
 active and helpful interest, while his entire life has been guided by its principles 
 and teachings. 
 
 GEORGE W. LEAMER. 
 
 George W. Leamer, long connected with agricultural interests, is now living 
 retired in Davenport but is still the owner of eighty acres of fine farm land in 
 LeClaire township. His life of well directed energy and thrift has brought him 
 a creditable measure of success, while his fidelity to upright principles has gained 
 him the respect of his fellowmen. 
 
 Mr. Leamer was born in Cambria county, Pennsylvania, February 14, 1830, 
 and has, therefore, passed the eightieth milestone on life's journey. His parents, 
 George and Mary (Seibers) Leamer, were both natives of Pennsylvania and of 
 German descent. The father was a farmer by occupation and both he and his 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 151 
 
 wife spent their entire lives in the Keystone state. Their son, George W. Learner, 
 pursued his education in the schools of his native county and through the periods 
 of vacation worked with his father on the farm and continued to aid in the 
 cultivation of the fields of the old homestead until he came to the middle west 
 in 1856, settling in LeClaire township, Scott county. More than half a century, 
 has since come and gone and he has witnessed many changes as this district has 
 become thickly settled and all of the improvements and advantages of the older 
 east have been introduced. He was influenced to choose this county as a place 
 of residence from the fact that he had two older brothers living here, one of whom 
 bought the farm for Mr. Learner. After cultivating his land for a year Mr. 
 Leamer returned to Pennsylvania and was married in 1857. Immediately after- 
 ward he started back with his bride, whom he had wedded on the 4th of June. 
 She bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Jane Smiley and was a daughter of 
 William and Jane Smiley, of Pennsylvania. Arriving in Scott county, they 
 began their domestic life upon a farm which was a tract of eighty acres, only 
 partially improved. Mr. Leamer continued to cultivate that farm until 1886 
 and in the interim purchased other land, for he prospered as the years went by 
 and in the course of time acquired a comfortable competence that now enables 
 him to enjoy a well earned rest. His life has been one of diligence and industry 
 and his success has come as the merited reward of earnest, honest labor. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Leamer were born four children. William A., who' lives 
 upon the old homestead, married Anna Shellenberger and they have five chil- 
 dren: Herbert, Lillian, Mildred, Cecil and Duane. Emma is the widow of 
 George Reid. Jennie died at the age of one year. Bertha J. is the wife of L. 
 W. McCowen of Davenport, by whom she has three children : Ethel, Russell and 
 Eugene. Mr. and Mrs. Leamer celebrated their golden wedding in June, 1907. 
 
 Mr. Leamer has served as a school director and has always been a champion 
 of the cause of public education. He has been a lifelong member of the Baptist 
 church, in which he has served as deacon and has ever been loyal to its teachings. 
 His life has been a busy, useful and honorable one and his sterling qualities have 
 gained him the respect and good will of all who know him. 
 
 STEPHEN P. BAWDEN. 
 
 The law has become so complex that it would be difficult for any individual 
 to be equally at home in all departments of practice and, while a lawyer may 
 continue in several fields, it is the tendency of the times to concentrate one's 
 energies upon a special branch. This Stephen P. Bawden does in his attention 
 to probate and title deed branches of law and yet he has won success in other 
 fields and may be termed a general practitioner. 
 
 Mr. Bawden is one of Davenport's native sons and his parents were Stephen 
 and Mary E. (Woodward) Bawden, the former being of English parentage and 
 the latter a native of Pennsylvania. Their removal to the west and settlement 
 at Davenport made this city the scene of the youthful efforts and activities of 
 S. P. Bawden as well as of his later years. Having acquired his literary education 
 
152 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 in the public schools, he continued his studies in preparation for the bar and after 
 his admission to practice in the courts of the state opened an office in Davenport, 
 where he has since remained. His natural predilection tends him toward probate 
 and similar departments of the law and for five years he devoted almost his en- 
 tire time to those branches in the office of Davison & Lane. Inclination and 
 opportunity were thus satisfied and his thoroughness and capability in this 
 branch of the profession have won him deserved success. His two most domi- 
 nant characteristics are determined persistence and thorough and honest exact- 
 ness. In law and especially in real-estate law these traits are of prime importance 
 and guarantee progress. Mr. Bawden has met with good success because of 
 these qualities and is one of the best known of the younger members of the bar 
 in this field of practice. He enjoys the good fellowship of his brethren of the 
 legal fraternity here and all recognize that his advancement has come as the 
 merited and legitimate reward of his efforts and ability. 
 
 MRS. CHRISTINE WIESE. 
 
 Mrs. Christine Wiese, now living in Davenport, where she is widely known 
 and has many friends, is the widow of Peter Wiese, long a resident of Scott 
 county. He served as postmaster of Mount Joy for over thirty years and had a 
 wide acquaintance in the rural districts as well as in the city. He was born in 
 Holstein, Germany, September 4, 1832, and was a son of James and Gretchen 
 Wiese. His father was a shoemaker in Germany and, in accordance with the 
 laws of that country, served in the army. He continued his residence in his 
 native land throughout his entire life. 
 
 In the schools of Germany, Peter Wiese acquired his education, after which 
 he worked as a farm hand in his native country until' 185 1, when, attracted by 
 the opportunities of the new world, he came alone to the United States. He 
 was at that time a young man of about nineteen years. He landed at New 
 Orleans, made his way up the Mississippi river to St. Louis and remained there 
 for a time, owing to the fact that his brother, Claus H. Wiese, was residing 
 there. The next spring, however, Peter Wiese continued on his way to Daven- 
 port and after reaching this city secured employment as a farm hand by the 
 month. Later he purchased a threshing machine and engaged in threshing and 
 farming for about thirteen years. He then went to Mount Joy and took charge 
 of the hotel there, conducting it until it was destroyed by fire on the nth of 
 February, 1896. He continued to live at Mount Joy until his death, which oc- 
 curred on the 6th of December, 1897. He was one of the best known men in 
 that part of the country. He served for over thirty years as postmaster of 
 Mount Joy and was also township clerk of Sheridan township. He likewise 
 held other offices and at all times was loyal to the trust reposed in him, whether 
 in connection with public affairs or otherwise. He took a contract to build forty 
 miles of Milwaukee railroad and successfully executed it. In part payment for 
 his services he took five hundred and sixty acres of land in Pottawattamie 
 county, but later sold that property. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 153 
 
 On the 24th of January, 1859, Mr. Wiese was united in marriage to Miss 
 Christine Pieper. She was bom in Holstein, Germany, April 23, 1840, near the 
 birthplace of her husband, and was a daughter of Henry and Anna Pieper. Her 
 mothed died in Germany but the father afterward came to the United States in 
 1856, accompanied by Mrs. Wiese. They landed at New York and, crossing the 
 country, made their way to Davenport, where Mr. Pieper engaged in shoemak- 
 ing. Later he became proprietor of a hotel at Mount Joy, where he lived until 
 The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Wiese was blessed with seven children. Meta, 
 the wife of John Ploehn, of Davenport, has four children : John H., who married 
 his death on the 27th of October, 1886, when he was seventy-eight years of age. 
 Grace Gilchrist ; Elsie C. ; Carl ; and Camilla. Anna is the wife of Henry Priester, 
 of Davenport, and has three children: Walter C, who married Nora Boecken 
 and has two children, Roma and Allen ; Wilma, who is the wife of Frank Jung- 
 gohan and has four children. Vera, Lula, Carl and Fred ; and Cora. Julius, living 
 at Eldridge, married Anna Goertz and has two children, Elsinda B. and Rollie P. 
 Emil, of Minnesota, married Emma Wellendorf and they have nine children: 
 Rona ; Herle ; Alvin P. ; Thorwald ; Herbert ; Ruth and Rubie, twins ; Ethel ; and 
 Lillian. Henry, living in Eldridge, married Lena Cabel and has three children; 
 Lois, Hazel and Donald. Christian, of Davenport, wedded Tecla Miller and 
 they have two sons, Arnold and Otis. Helena is the wife of Herman Baustan, 
 of Sheridan township, and has one son, Wilbert. 
 
 All through his life, save for the brief period spent in St. Louis, Peter Wiese 
 remained a resident of Scott county after coming to the United States, and the 
 success which he achieved is attributable entirely to his own labors, for his 
 resources were very limited when he crossed the Atlantic. As the years went by 
 his carefully directed labors brought him substantial success, enabling him to leave 
 his family in comfortable financial circumstances. He possessed a genial, social 
 nature and courteous manner, and these qualities were an element in bringing 
 to him the extended circle of friends who through his life enjoyed his com- 
 panionship and since his death have only respect and commendable words for 
 him. 
 
 HENRY F. LEMBKE. 
 
 Although Henry F. Lembke has reached the age of seventy-two years, he is 
 still an active factor in the world's work, being well known in Davenport as a 
 carpenter and contractor, with which business he has long been associated. He 
 was born in Holstein, Germany, November 10, 1837, and is a son of Christian 
 and Margaret Lembke.' The father followed farming in Germany, where he 
 continued to reside until called to his final rest. Amid the quiet environment of 
 the home farm Henry F. Lembke was reared, while in his youth he attended the 
 public schools, there acquiring his education. He learned the carpenter's trade 
 at Kiel, serving a three years' apprenticeship, after which he worked as a journey- 
 man carpenter in different cities for five years. In 1863 he became a member of 
 the Danish army and was engaged in military duty for a year, participating in 
 the war in which Denmark, Prussia and Austria were involved. 
 
154 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 After the war Henry F. Lembke resumed work at his trade, which he followed 
 in Hamburg and other cities until 1865, when he came to the United States, land- 
 ing- at New York. He did not tarry on the Atlantic coast, however, but made 
 his way at once to Davenport, where he arrived on the 12th of March. He again 
 resorted to his trade for a livelihood and has since followed it, being active in 
 the erection of a large number of houses and other buildings in Scott county and 
 also in Ida county. He has ever been recognized as a good workman, his labors 
 standing the test of time, and this has enabled him to keep busily employed as 
 the years have gone by. He erected his own residence about 1891. 
 
 In 1865, soon after coming to Davenport, Mr. Lembke was married to Miss 
 Marie Jensen, who was born in Holstein, Germany, April 27, 1840, a daughter 
 of Jochim and Anna Lena Jensen. They have become parents of seven children : 
 Emil, of Boone, Iowa, who is married and has two children — ^Joseph and a baby; 
 Agnes, the wife of Peter Hargett, of Coon Rapids, Iowa, by whom she has three 
 children — Walter, Clara and Helen; Julius, at home; Rhoda, the wife of Charles 
 Parker, of Waterloo, Iowa ; Anna, who married Fred Warrenton, of Davenport, 
 and has one child, Leon; Matilda, at home; and Anna, who died at the age of 
 two years. 
 
 Mr. Lembke is a member of the Carpenters Union, No. 554, and has held 
 office in that order. He has always been a busy man, working earnestly and per- 
 sistently, and undoubtedly one feature of his progress is the fact that he has 
 always continued in the line of business in which he embarked as a young trades- 
 man, thus gaining comprehensive knowledge of the trade and manifesting marked 
 skill in his work. 
 
 REV. ANTHONY NIERMANN. 
 
 Rev. Anthony Niermann, for over fifty years the revered pastor of St. 
 Joseph's parish, was born in Germany, August 9, 1831, a son of John Henry 
 and Fransica (Witting) Niermann, life-long residents of Germany. He is one 
 of a family of six children, four daughters and two sons. His early studies were 
 pursued in Germany. He was perfected in philosophy and theology, and, ow- 
 ing to the strictness of the examinations, his education was thorough in every 
 respect. 
 
 While he long desired to come to America, Father Niermann remained in 
 Germany until his father's death. In the meanwhile the demand for young 
 German priests was growing, owing to the tide of German emigration which 
 swept over the United States, and when he was ready to come here, he was 
 received into the diocese of Dubuque. Upon his arrivel he continued his studies 
 at a Catholic academy in St. Louis, under Rev. Hennessey, afterward archbishop, 
 and a strong friendship sprung up between the two, which only the death of 
 the latter severed. Father Niermann was ordained at Dubuque by Bishop 
 Clement Smith, and on April 2, 1859, was sent to Davenport. For many 
 years before the building of the church, services were held in the small structure 
 now used as a schoolhouse. The cornerstone of St. Joseph's church was laid 
 
C-S-^-L.t/'^' 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 157 
 
 in 1881. Many changes have taken place since Father Niermann came here to 
 take charge of what is now St. Joseph's parish, but was then a part of the parish 
 of St. Cunegonda. The populous district where the church stands, in the center 
 of the -city, was then on the outskirts. Father Niermann states that he often 
 shot quails and rabbits in his own dooryard. 
 
 This venerable old priest is beloved, and deservedly so, by the people he has 
 labored among so long. Genial and entertaining, he also shows the marks of tlie 
 scholar and churchman. IXiring his whole career in the priesthood, this good 
 man has labored solely for his people in Davenport, never having been assigned 
 to another charge, nor will he be. St. Joseph parish is the child of his heart 
 and brain and nothing but death will separate them. 
 
 FRANZ HAGEMANN. 
 
 For more than forty-two- years Franz Hagemann was continuously in the 
 employ of the Rock Island Railroad Company. He then retired from that busi- 
 ness but as indolence and idleness are. utterly foreign to his nature, he could not 
 be content without some business duties and is now connected with a bakery and 
 confectionery establishment. He has a very extensive acquaintance among rail- 
 road men here and his faithfulness, reliability and freedom from ostentation have 
 ever won for him the respect and good will of those with whom he has been 
 associated. He was bom in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, January 28, 1840, 
 and is a son of Cort and Margaret Hagemann, who spent their entire lives in 
 that country, where the father conducted farming on a small scale. Franz Hage- 
 mann attended school in Germany and there learned the carpenter's trade. He 
 came to the United States in 1867, landing at New York. The favorable reports 
 which he heard concerning business opportunities in America proved irresistibly 
 attractive to him and with the desire of benefiting his financial condition on this 
 side of the Atlantic he sailed for the United States. He did not tarry on the 
 eastern coast, however, but at once made his way into the interior of the country, 
 arriving at Davenport on the 14th of May, 1867, accompanied by his wife and 
 one child. He had two brothers here — Hans, who is now living in California, 
 and Hermann, who is now deceased. 
 
 After reaching Davenport Mr. Hagemann was employed for two weeks at 
 his trade and on the 28th of June, 1867, he entered the employ of the Rock 
 Island Railroad Company as a carpenter in connection with the building of freight 
 cars. He was employed in that way for about three years after which he was 
 transferred to the passenger coach department and on the ist of April, 1883, he 
 was promoted to the position of foreman of that department and so continued 
 for more than twenty-six years, or until the 31st of December, 1909, when he 
 retired. In recognition of his long and faithful service the company gave him 
 a pension. He only worked two places in fifty-four years, being in the service 
 of one employer in Germany for twelve years and through practically his entire 
 residence in Davenport being in the employ of the Rock Island Railroad Com- 
 pany. On his retirement he was presented with a fine gold watch, chain and 
 
158 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 locket by his fellow workmen. He is now engaged in the bakery and confection- 
 ery business and has already made a good start in that line. When he entered 
 the employ of the railroad the line was then being built west to Council Bluffs and 
 was finished about as far as Des Moines. Its president at the time was Mr. 
 Tracey, with Hugh Riddle as vice president, while A. Kimball was superintendent 
 and Tom Twombley acted as master mechanic at this place. 
 
 On the 6th of October, 1865, Mr. Hagemann was married to Miss Johanna 
 Peters, a daughter of Peter Peters, who died in Germany. They have become 
 parents of nine children : Amelia, who is the wife of Louis Schwenke, of Daven- 
 port, and has six children — Ernest, Luella, Lillian, Edna, Walter and Lewis; 
 Mrs. Clara Martin, a widow who has two children, Florence and Loretta; C. 
 A., of Davenport, who married Ella Stramp and has two daughters, Norma and 
 Mildred; Lewis, of Davenport, who married Meta Jeske and has two children, 
 Ruby and Vera; Harry, of Davenport, who wedded Minnie Munike; and four 
 who died in childhood. 
 
 Mr. Hagemann is a member of the Claus Groth Gilde and Germania Kranken 
 Verein. He is a very active man and appears at least ten years younger than his 
 age. Being of a cheerful and friendly disposition, he is well liked by all who 
 come in contact with him. Few men have more intimate knowledge of the early 
 history of the Rock Island railroad and he can relate many interesting incidents 
 concerning the happenings of that period. He has never regretted his deter- 
 mination to seek a home in this country, for he here found good business oppor- 
 tunities. He was not misled by any hope of winning success without earnest 
 and continuous effort but by reason of his diligence and fidelity he worked his 
 way upward and whatever success he has enjoyed has been richly merited. 
 
 WILSON McClelland. 
 
 Wilson McClelland, as the chief executive head of the T. W. McClelland Com- 
 pany, is one of the best known representatives of commercial interests in Daven- 
 port, and his salient qualities as a business man and citizen entitle him to definlx 
 consideration in connection with the city's history. He was born in Davenport, 
 March 28, 1864, a son of T. W. McClelland, for many years one of the most 
 prominent and well known business men and manufacturers of the city, of 
 whom extended mention is made elsewhere in this volume. When he had 
 mastered the branches of learning taught in the public schools here Wilson Mc- 
 Clelland went east and continued his education in the Rensselaer Polytechnic 
 Institute of Troy, New York, from which he was graduated in the class of 
 1886, winning the degree of Civil Engineer. Returning to Davenport, he be- 
 came associated with his father's business, making it his purpose to thoroughly 
 master the same in every particular. He studied the methods of the extensive 
 plant as well as the; financial side of the business, and gained such intimate and 
 accurate knowledge thereof that at his father's death he was enabled to assume 
 control and successfully conduct the extensive and increasing business. On 
 the death of his father he was chosen to the presidency of the T. W. McClelland 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 159 
 
 Company and such is his connection with the business interests of Davenport at 
 the present time. In 1903 the continued growth of the enterprise necessitated 
 the removal to larger quarters, which were found in the large and modern build- 
 ing which the company now occupies on East Third street and which was built 
 especially for the requirements of the business. For several years the company 
 conducted a contracting business in connection with the manufacturing inter- 
 ests, but in recent years that department has been discontinued and attention has 
 been concentrated upon the sash, door and mill work departments, in which the 
 output is now very large. This is in fact one of the leading productive industries 
 of the city, with a plant thoroughly equipped with modern machinery and every 
 accessory to facilitate the work and to make its output of the highest character. 
 A force of one hundred and fifty skilled workmen are employed and the ship- 
 ments cover a wide territory. Mr. McClelland is an extremely busy man, con- 
 nected with a number of financial and manufacturing concerns which profit by 
 his sound judgment and clear, keen discernment. He is a director of the First 
 National Bank and the Davenport Machinery & Foundry Company, is vice presi- 
 dent of the White Lily Manufacturing Company and a financial factor in other 
 enterprises. 
 
 In i8go Mr. McClelland was married to Miss Anna Richardson, a native of 
 Davenport and a daughter of D. N. Richardson. They now have three sons: 
 Thomas Wilson, David Nelson and Robert Richardson. Mr. McClelland is 
 well known as a club man, his narrie being on the membership of the Ousting, 
 Commercial and other clubs, and of the Commercial he was president for two 
 years. Hie also belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and is 
 a member of the school board but takes little active part in politics. Honored 
 and respected by all, there is no man who occupies a more enviable position in 
 the manufacturing and financial circles of this city, not alone by reason of the 
 success which he has achieved but also owing to the straightforward business 
 policy which he has ever followed. It is true that he entered upon a business 
 already established, but in enlarging and controlling this many a man of less 
 resolute spirit would have failed. Mr. McClelland, however, has met the con- 
 ditions of the times and in the further development of his enterprise has given 
 incontrovertible proof of his ability for successful management. 
 
 H. J. HIGH. 
 
 Business enterprise finds a worthy exponent in H. J. High, the president 
 of the Dr. Dicks Malted Stock Food Company, and a member of the Tri-City 
 Mill & Feed Company. In the conduct of business afifairs he manifests much of 
 the spirit of the initiative, seeking out new plans for the conduct of business in- 
 terests and meeting success through that close application which is undeterred 
 by any obstacles or difficulties that may arise. He is equally well known as a 
 local political leader and in various offices has proven his loyaty to those things 
 which are a matter of civic virtue and civic pride. 
 
160 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Mr. High was born in Davenport, July lo, 1864, and is a son of James L. 
 and Sarah (BowHng) High. The mother was a daughter of the late Mayor 
 James M. Bowling, who was one of Davenport's most prominent and honored 
 citizens. James L. High engaged in the livery business in Davenport, establish- 
 ing a barn at No. 114 Harrison street in 1854. For a long period he continued 
 in that department of business but his life's labors were ended in death in 
 October, 1876. 
 
 After benefiting by the instruction afforded in the public schools H. J. High 
 attended Griswold College and his advanced course there well supplemented 
 him for life's practical and responsible duties. He has made good use of his time, 
 his talents and his opportunities since starting in business life and in 1905 he 
 was one of the organizers of Dr. Dick's Malted Stock Food Company, of which 
 he is now the president. This company is engaged in the manufacture of stock 
 food which finds a ready sale on the market, its excellence insuring a liberal pat- 
 ronage. As its chief executive officer, Mr. High displays good business ability 
 and keen foresight, which enables him to formulate business plans and policies 
 in such a manner that substantial results are achieved. Moreover, he is a member 
 of the Tri-City Mill & Feed Company and is taking an active interest in the 
 development and expansion of the business. 
 
 In September, 1892, Mr. High was married to Miss Marie Amould, a daughter 
 of Lewis and Cotilde (Huot) Arnould, both of whom are still living. Her father 
 was one of the early contractors of the city and many substantial structures of 
 Davenport still stand as monuments to his skill and handiwork. 
 
 Mr. High takes a very active interest in politics and is well versed on the 
 leading questions and issues of the day. He has always given his support to the 
 republican party, has served as committeeman from his ward for a number of 
 years and is recognized as one of the local party leaders. On various occasions 
 he was called to public office, the duties of which he has discharged with prompt- 
 ness and fidelity. He was appointed census enumerator in his ward, was city 
 health officer for four and a half years, was bailiff of the district court for two 
 and a half years and is now city milk inspector, while for thirteen years he has 
 occupied this position in connection with the state service. He regards a public 
 office as a public trust — and no trust reposed in H. J. High has ever been be- 
 trayed in the slightest degree. 
 
 GUSTAVE BECKER. 
 
 Attracted by the business opportunities offered by the new world, Gustave 
 Becker, when a young man of twenty-one, crossed the Atlantic and for more 
 than three decades was well known in business circles in Davenport, where his 
 indefatigable energy and wise investment brought him success that placed him 
 among the most prosperous residents of the city. Mr. Becker was born Decem- 
 ber 8, 1848, in Silesia, Germany, a son of Karl and Anna Rosina (Wahnelt) 
 Becker. In the family were two sons and four daughters, the brother of our 
 subject being Charles Becker, while the sisters were Mrs. Louise Herald, Mrs. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 161 
 
 Bertha Gerboth, Mrs. Emily Dittschlag and Mrs. Anna Seller, of Germany. 
 During the early boyhood of their son Gustave the parents removed to Tschi- 
 mare, Germany, where he attended school, being recognized as one of the bright- 
 est pupils in his class, manifesting special aptitude in his studies. When fourteen 
 years of age he and his brother Charles went to Berlin, where they became con- 
 nected with mercantile interests, and in 1869, when Gustave Becker was about 
 twenty-one years of age, he and his brother crossed the Atlantic to America, 
 hoping to benefit their financial condition by the opportunities which they heard 
 could be enjoyed in the new world. For a short time they resided in New York 
 and then made their way westward to Detroit, Michigan. Mr. Becker afterward 
 traveled for a number of years for a wholesale wine, liquor and cigar house 
 and was successful in introducing the products of the house upon the market. 
 On the 1st of March, 1876, he arrived in Davenjort, where he remained until 
 his demise. He was in business in this city for about thirty-one years and his 
 interests were of a character that contributed in large measure to general prog- 
 ress and improvement as well as to individual success. He was for a time as- 
 sociated with others in the ownership and management of the Grand Opera House, 
 holding a third interest. He also held a similar interest for a time in the Burtis 
 Opera House and on the ist of April, 1891, he purchased the property at the 
 corner of Second and Brady streets, which eventually became one of the most 
 valuable corners in the city. He still owned this building at the time of his 
 death and derived therefrom a substantial annual income. At one time he also 
 conducted a high class cafe and delicatessen store but was most widely knovv-n 
 because of his invested interests in real estate. In this he displayed keen and dis- 
 criminating judgment and notable sagacity, making no error of opinion con- 
 cerning the value of realty and its possible rise. 
 
 On the 20th of June, 1872, Mr. Becker was united in marriage to Miss Wil- 
 helmina Ruehle, of Detroit. Her father, John Valentine Ruehle, was a dis- 
 tinguished citizen of Michigan and left the impress of his individuality upon the 
 history of that state as one of its early legislators. Coming to the west, he 
 was closely associated with its pioneer development and drove to Chicago in 
 a two wheeled cart when there were only log houses in that city. His brother, 
 Frederick R. Ruehle, was alderman of Detroit and a prominent factor in its 
 upbuilding. John V. Ruehle acted as water commissioner of the city and was 
 closely associated with many movements, political measures and business projects 
 for the substantial development of the city and state in which he made his home. 
 He had crossed the Atlantic from Baden-Baden, Germany, and was fifty-three 
 days on a sailing vessel ere he reached American shores. He found Indians in 
 Michigan on his arrival there but lived to see a wonderful transformation in 
 the state as the homes of the white settlers replaced the Indian tepees and the 
 work of civilization was carried on by a progressive and enterprising people. 
 His wife, who bore the maiden name of Phoebe Snyder, was a native of Bavaria, 
 Germany. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Becker were born five children, of whom three 
 are living: Oswald, Mrs. Lina Thies and Alice. 
 
 Mr. Becker held a prominent position among the German-American residents 
 of Davenport. He was active in support of the German free schools, belonged 
 to the Davenport Turngemeinde and the Schuetzen Verein. He also held mem- 
 
162 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 bership with the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Benevolent and Protective Order 
 of Elks and the Masonic lodge. He was ever strictly reliable in his business 
 dealings, his commercial integrity standing as an unquestioned fact in his life. 
 His success came to him through the judicious improvement of opportunities 
 which others pass by heedlessly and through unremitting energy and persever- 
 ance, which are always indispensable factors in success. 
 
 TIMM ECKMANN. 
 
 On the list of retired citizens of Davenport may be found the name of Timm 
 Eckmann, whose extensive landed possessions in Scott county supply him with all 
 the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. Born in Holstein, Germany, Jan- 
 uary 30, 1829, his parents were Claus and Abel (Johnson) Eckmann, who were 
 farming people of Germany and spent their entire lives in the fatherland. The 
 son was reared on the home farm and acquired his education in the public schools. 
 He also served in the German army from 1848 until 1850 and two years later de- 
 cided to try his fortune in the new world. 
 
 Landing in New York city, Mr. Eckmann made his way direct to Davenport, 
 reaching his destination on the 7th of July, 1852. His first employment was at 
 farm labor near Davenport, but after a short time he returned to this city and 
 fuund employment in a brickyard, which occupied his attention for a time. He 
 then spent a short time on a steamboat which plied the Mississippi river. Anxious 
 to become more firmly established in business, he opened a saloon which he con- 
 ducted for two years, but at the end of that time, having purchased sixty acres 
 of land in Clinton county, Iowa, he removed to that farm and spent two years in 
 its improvement and cultivation. Farm life did not prove congenial to him, 
 however, and disposing of his property to good advantage, he returned once 
 more to Davenport and spent four years in the employ of P. B. Harvey in a 
 warehouse. During all the years that he had been employed by others, he care- 
 fully saved his earnings, having ever before him the aim of some day engaging 
 in business on his own account in Davenport. He eventually opened a grocery 
 store on the corner of Third and Warren streets and for thirty years was iden- 
 tified with that business. He built up an excellent trade, always studying the 
 demands of his patrons and following honorable methods in his dealings, so that- 
 success attended his labors. In the meantime he invested his profits in Scott 
 county land and now owns three farms of one hundred and sixty acres each in 
 Blue Grass township, and a farm of two hundred acres in Davenport township. 
 Having spent thirty busy and active years in the grocery business, and having 
 acquired a good competence for declining age, Mr. Eckmann felt justified in 
 leading a more quiet life and now rests in ease in a comfortable residence in 
 Davenport, while the store which he established is now conducted by his son. 
 
 It was about five years after his arrival in the new world that Mr. Eckmann 
 was married on the, 6th of July, 1857, to Miss Weipka Keil, a daughter of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Claus Keil, of Germany. Mrs. Eckmann was likewise born in the father- 
 land and emigrated to the new world in the year of her marriage. Two sons 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 165 
 
 have been born of this union but the eldest, Charles, died when a little lad of 
 seven years. The surviving son, George H., wedded Miss Louisa Lemcool and 
 they have one daughter, Nettie. 
 
 Mr. Eckmann belongs to the German Pioneer Society of Scott county. A 
 man of great natural ability, his success from the beginning of his residence in 
 Scott county has been uniform and rapid. Possessing a quick, alert spirit, he 
 eagerly availed himself of every opportunity and now in the evening of life he 
 and his estimable wife are living contented and happy lives in a nice modern 
 home and are surrounded by many warm and admiring friends. 
 
 FRITZ PRIESTER. 
 
 Fritz Priester, who since 1900 has lived retired in his fine home at No. 1102 
 West Fourteenth street in Davenport, was actively engaged in general agricul- 
 tural pursuits throughout his entire business career and is still the owner of 
 three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land in Lincoln township, Scott 
 county. He was born in Holstein, Germany, on the 22d of March, 1844, his 
 parents being Carl and Eliza Priester. The father was a farmer by occupation 
 and also served as a soldier in the Germany army. In 1857, in company with 
 his wife and children, he crossed the Atlantic to the United States, landing at 
 New York, whence he came direct to Davenport, Iowa. He purchased and estab- 
 lished his home on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres of improved land in 
 Lincoln township, which is now in possession of our subject, and there success- 
 fully carried on his agricultural interests until the time of his demise, his death 
 being occasioned by injuries which he received in a runaway accident in 1864. 
 A year afterward his widow went to live with her son Adoloh in Davenport, 
 where she made her home until called to her final rest in 1891, when eighty-three 
 years of age. 
 
 Fritz Priester, who was one of a family of twelve children, received his early 
 education in the schools of his native land and after coming to this country con- 
 tinued his studies throughout one winter season. He early became familiar with 
 the duties and labors which fall to the lot of the agriculturist through the assis- 
 tance which he rendered in the work of the home farm and after his father's 
 death took charge of the place, devoting his time and energies to its further 
 cultivation and improvement throughout the remainder of his active business 
 career. The property still remains in his possession and the other tract of one 
 hundred and sixty acres which he owns in Lincoln township was given to his 
 wife by her father. His place is lacking in none of the conveniences and im- 
 provements of a model farm of the twentieth century and he recently erected 
 thereon a fine residence and substantial barn. It was in 1900 that he put aside 
 the active work of the fields and took up his abode in a residence which he pur- 
 chased at No. 1 102 West Fourteenth street in Davenport, where he has since 
 lived retired in the enjoyment of well earned rest. 
 
 On the 8th of February, 1867, Mr. Priester was united in marriage to Miss 
 Minnie Hacker, whose birth occurred in Mecklenburg, Germany, January 14, 
 
166 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 1849, and who was therefore but three years of age when in 1852 she was brought 
 to the United States by her parents, Christopher and Fredericka Hacker. Af- 
 ter landing in New Orleans Mr. and Mrs. Hacker made their way direct to this 
 county, locating on a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land which 
 the former purchased in Butler township. Subsequently he bought one hundred 
 and sixty acres of land in Lincoln township, where he made his home for a great 
 many years, meeting with a gratifying measure of success in his farming opera- 
 tions. His demise occurred at Eldridge in 1908, when he had attained the age of 
 eighty-seven years, while his wife passed away in Davenport in 1894 at the age 
 of seventy-four years. They had two children who grew to maturity, namely: 
 Mrs. Priester; and Fredericka, the wife of Emil Rohlf, of Eldridge. Unto Mr. 
 and Mrs. Priester have been born nine children, the record of whom is as fol- 
 lows : Laura is now the wife of Gustavus Wellendorf and resides in Minnesota. 
 Herman, an agriculturist of. Sheridan township, wedded Miss Laura Fellener, by 
 whom he has two children, Herbert and Lillian. Adolph, living in Wisconsin, 
 married Miss Sophia Meier and has one son, Arnold. Louisa gave her hand in 
 marriage to Henry Fellener, of Sheridan township, and is now the mother of 
 four children : Fred, Walter, Harvey and Leila. Matilda, living in Lincoln 
 township, is the wife of Julius Greenwald, by whom she has three children — El- 
 mer, Linta and Eleanor. Emil, who resides on the old home farm in Lincoln 
 township, married Miss Louisa Lepten, by whom he had three children, namely: 
 Wilma; Altha, deceased; and Elna. Ferdinand, whose birth occurred on the 
 loth of July, 1880, passed away December 19, 1902. Alma is the wife of August 
 Rauch, of Davenport, Iowa, and has two children. Vera and Mervin. Ella, also 
 living in Davenport, is the wife of William Claussen and has one child, Evelyn. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Priester is a stanch democrat, loyally supporting 
 the men and measures of that party. He has held the office of township trustee 
 and acted as school treasurer for two years, while for nine years he was a school 
 director, ever proving a faithful and capable public official. As a citizen he is 
 public spirited to an eminent degree, deeply interested in the welfare and pros- 
 perity of the county in which he has now resided for more than a half century. 
 His many good qualities are displayed by the friendship which is uniformly ac- 
 corded him by those who know him. 
 
 CLARENCE C. HETZEL, M. D. 
 
 This is preeminently an age of specialization. Comparatively few men in any 
 profession attempt to cover the entire field of practice but give their attention 
 to a particular line, thus gaining skill and ability therein that could not be acquired 
 if time and energy had to be divided with other interests. Dr. Hetzel has in 
 his practice made a specialty of diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat and his 
 broad study and comprehensive understanding have gained for him a skill that 
 is the source of the large practice that is accorded him. He was bom in Avoca, 
 Iowa, May 10, 1877. His father, Fred G. Hetzel, was a native of Wheeling, West 
 Virginia, born June 10, 1846. When a boy he came to Davenport with his father, 
 Charles Hetzel, who engaged in farming on Telegraph road, about six miles 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 167 
 
 from the city, and there reared his family. He brought his farm into a good 
 state of cultivation, erected thereon a substantial residence and become one of 
 the prosperous and respected citizens of the community. It was on the old 
 homestead there that Fred G. Hetzel was reared and after attaining his majority 
 he turned his attention to the grain business. In 1871 he removed to Avoca, 
 where he established a hardware store and has since remained a successful mer- 
 chant in that place. He married Miss Belle Boyd, who was bom at Wilton, Iowa, 
 October 30, 1854, and their family numbers five children, three daughters and 
 two sons. 
 
 Clarence C. Hetzel, the second in order of birth, pursued his education through 
 successive grades in the Avoca schools until he was graduated from the high 
 school in 1895, while later he entered the Iowa State University and completed 
 the medical course by graduation with the class of 1903. He has further qualified 
 for his chosen profession by study in the Polyclinic and in Wills Eye Hospital in 
 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was also for one year in the hospital at Iowa 
 City, where he added to his theoretical knowledge the broad and valuable ex- 
 perience of hospital practice. He established his office in Davenport in 1904 and 
 makes a specialty of diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat. In that depart- 
 ment he is thoroughly qualified and his reading upon the subject has been ex- 
 tensive, bringing him broad and thorough knowledge. He is a member of the 
 American Academy of Ophthalmology, Otology and Laryngology. He also be- 
 longs to the County, State and District Medical Societies. 
 
 Dr. Hetzel was married July 27, 1907, to Miss Alta S. Smith, a native of Har- 
 lan, Iowa. He belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and in 
 all social relations manifests a genial spirit and unfeigned cordiality. In his 
 practice he holds to a high standard of professional ethics and therefore enjoys 
 the respect of his brethren of the medical fraternity as well as of the general public. 
 
 MRS. ELISE OVERDIECK. 
 
 Mrs. Elise Overdieck, occupying one of the fine residences of Davenport, 
 has been a resident of this city for more than a half century, living on the site 
 of her present home since 1854. She is the widow of Gustave Overdieck, who 
 was born in the village of Preetz, Holstein, Germany, January 18, 18 18. His par- 
 ents, Ludarino and Dora Overdieck, spent their entire lives in Germany, the father 
 following merchandising. Gustave Overdieck, reared in his native land, came 
 to the United States in 1848, when about thirty years of age. He landed at 
 New Orleans, whence he made his way northward to Davenport, but, purchas- 
 ing a small tract of land in the vicinity of the city, took up his abode there and 
 resided thereon until 1854. In that year he purchased an acre and a quarter of 
 land in the city and built thereon a house, which was later destroyed by fire. He 
 then erected the present fine residence occupied by his widow. His death oc- 
 curred on the 29th of March, 1877. 
 
 Mr. Overdieck was married in this county to Miss Elise Anderson, a daughter 
 of D. J. and Marie Anderson, who came to Iowa with their family in 1848, 
 
168 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 having previously been residents of Kiel, Germany. The father purchased one 
 hundred and sixty acres of land in Pleasant Valley township. It was nicely 
 improved with substantial buildings and an orchard and as the years passed Mr. 
 Anderson continued to devote his time and energies to the further development 
 of the place. He only Hved for a short time after his arrival, however, nor did 
 his wife survive for very long. Their daughter Elise was born on the i8th 
 of November, 1829, and it was in the spring of 1851 that she gave her hand in 
 marriage to Mr. Overdieck. They became the parents of five children: Harriet, 
 at home; Frederick, who departed this life in 1876; Charlotte, the widow of 
 O. S. McNeil, of Davenport; Ellen, the wife of L. F. Robinson, of Davenport, 
 by whom she has a daughter, Amy; and Albert, at home. Mrs. Overdieck is 
 now one of the esteemed old ladies of Davenport, having passed the eightieth mile- 
 stone on life's journey and fifty-five years of that period has been spent as a resi- 
 dent of this city, while for sixty-one years she has lived in the county. She is 
 therefore familiar with much of its history and relates many interesting inci- 
 dents of the early days before the evidences of pioneer life had been entirely re- 
 placed by the improvements of a modern civilization. 
 
 THIES SINDT. 
 
 After a career characterized by industry and thrift it is the happy lot of 
 Thies Sindt, one of Davenport's retired citizens to spend the evening of Hfe 
 free from pecuniary cares and removed from commercial strivings, amid the 
 comforts and refinements of an attractive home which his former efforts have 
 given to him. Like so many of Scott county's adopted citizens he is a native of 
 Hqlstein, his birth having occurred there November 19, 1824, his parents being 
 Hans and Anna Sindt. The former, a timber overseer, came to the United 
 States in 1854, his son having preceded him by a number of years, but he was 
 permitted to enjoy his new home only for the short period of four years, his 
 death occurring in 1858. 
 
 Thies Sindt obtained his education in the public schools whose excellence so 
 materially adds to Germany's high standing among the nations. Then, in the 
 custom of the country, he set about him to learn a trade, his choice falling upon 
 the tinner's trade. When a little past his majority he decided to cast his for- 
 tunes on this side of the Atlantic and June 21, 1847, he arrived in New Orleans, 
 coming up the Mississippi river to Davenport. Here he speedily secured work in 
 a tinner's shop and continued to follow that occupation until 1854, when he be- 
 came a landholder, buying an eighty acre tract in Davenport township. No easy 
 lot confronted him for the land was unbroken prairie and it was necessary to 
 expend great labor upon it before it could be brought to a cultivable condition. 
 Nothing daunted, Mr. Sindt proceeded to do this and in the following year built 
 a house and went there to live. As opportunity and means presented he bought 
 more land and now owns one hundred and twenty acres in Davenport town- 
 ship, two hundred acres in Benton county, Iowa, and six hundred and forty in 
 Ida county, this state, these making him one of Davenport's extensive property 
 
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 ^ /? c^<f 
 
 /,-^^^^- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 171 
 
 owners. His residence on his Scott county farm extended over nearly half a 
 century, in which time he witnessed most remarkable changes and did his share 
 toward the growth and progress. 
 
 In recognition of his public spirit and trustworthiness Mr. Sindt was made 
 school director and sei-ved so efficiently that he held the office for twenty-five 
 years. He was also a member of the board of supervisors. In 1900 he con- 
 cluded that advanced years justified his giving up active life and he retired and 
 came to Davenport, where he owns a fine home at 1506 South street. 
 
 In February, 1850, in the early days of his life in Davenport, Mr. Sindt was 
 united in marriage to Miss Able Stoltenberg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hans 
 Stoltenberg, German people, who were among Scott county's pioneer settlers. 
 Nine children were born to this union. Henry, deceased, married Trena Horst 
 and was the father of three children, August, Clara and Alma. Minnie is at home. 
 William, residing in Algona, Iowa, married Ella Bey and has two children, 
 Nora and Elsie. Theodore married Anna Brauch and lives in Davenport. He 
 has two children, Howard and Erwin. Meta is at home. Herman B., a resident 
 of Walcott, married Anna Wiese and has a family of five children, Hilda, Velma, 
 Norma, Arnold and Alfred. Lewis E. married Mary Soering and lives on the 
 old homestead. Clara C. married Henry Arp, of Davenport. The youngest 
 child died in infancy. Mrs. Sindt passed to her reward in 1872 at the age of 
 forty-eight years. 
 
 Mr. Sindt's interests are not limited to the supervision of his property. He is 
 a stockholder in the German Savings Bank of Davenport and the Savings Bank 
 of Walcott. Socially he is affiliated with the Society of Old German Settlers. 
 His long life has been its own reward, for now wearing his years with ease and 
 dignity, he has time and means to spend his remaining days in the cultivation 
 of the finer things of life and in the society of children, grandchildren and the 
 friends, of whom he possesses fully his share. 
 
 PRESLEY B. NEBERGALL. 
 
 That the life history of Presley B. Nebergall is the record of success is due 
 to the persistent effort and intelligently directed industry which he displayed 
 through the many years of his connection with agricultural interests in Scott 
 county. He was born in West Virginia, in 1834, and pursued his education in his 
 native state. In 1854, when a young man of twenty years, he came to Scott county 
 with his father, Jacob Nebergall, who settled in Blue Grass township, where he 
 purchased a partially improved farm. Later he bought more land at dififerent times 
 and improved his acreage, devoting his remaining days to general agricultural 
 pursuits. 
 
 After coming to Iowa, Presley B. Nebergall lived with his parents on the home 
 farm and assisted his father in the cultivation and improvement of the fields until 
 his marriage, which was celebrated on the 27th of January, 1859. On that date he 
 wedded Miss Felicity B. Van Bibber, who was also a native of West Virginia. 
 They began their domestic life on a farm of one hundred and twenty acres near 
 
172 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 the home of his father and there Mr. Nebergall continued to cultivate his fields until 
 his Hf e's labors were ended in death on the 22d of September, 1878. He was dili- 
 gent and persevering and, working on persistently year by year, he won that 
 measure of prosperity which always crowns earnest and indefatigable effort. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Nebergall were born six children, but one son, George, died 
 at the age of twenty-two years. The others are: J. F. and Jacob A., both of 
 whom are now residents of Davenport ; Mrs. Eugenia Whittaker, who is living in 
 Grinnell, Iowa ; Edward Lee ; and Mrs. Grace Porter, whose home is in Canada. 
 There are also twelve grandchildren in the family. 
 
 When Mr. Nebergall purchased the home farm he paid thirty-five dollars 
 per acre for it, but with the settlement of the county and owing to the improve- 
 ments placed upon the farm its value increased until Mrs. Nebergall sold it some 
 years after her husband's death for one hundred and twenty-five dollars per acre. 
 Following her husband's demise she resided thereon for fifteen years, or until 
 1893, when she removed to this city and purchased a tract of land within the city 
 limits upon which she has since made her home. It was at that time that she dis- 
 posed of her farm, obtaining therefor a substantial price which places her in com- 
 fortable financial circumstances. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Nebergall was a stalwart democrat, believing that the 
 adoption of the principles of that party would best conserve the interests of good 
 governmeot. He served as president of the school board in his township and was a 
 stanch champion of the cause of public education. He held membership in the Bap- 
 tist church, in which he was a deacon, and at all times was a public-spirited man, 
 active in support of measures that contributed to the social, educational and moral 
 progress of the community. All who knew him respected him for his sterling 
 worth and he left to his family the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. 
 
 JOHN H. J. HAMANN. 
 
 John H. J. Hamann, who has lived retired in Davenport since 1896, was 
 formerly actively and successfully identified with agricultural interests and is still 
 the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Sheridan township. 
 His birth occurred in Schleswig, Germany, on the 5th of October, 1824, his parents 
 being Hans D. and Ida E. Hamann, who spent their entire lives in the fatherland. 
 He acquired his education in the schools of his native land and after putting aside 
 his text-books began farming in association with his father. During the Schles- 
 wig-Holstein wars, from 1848 until 1850, he served as a teamster. In 1857, when 
 a young man of thirty-three years, he determined to establish his home in the new 
 world and set sail for the United States, landing at New York. His brother, 
 Hans Hamann, who had emigrated to this country about 1848, was living in Dav- 
 enport and this fact induced our subject to come direct to Iowa. He immediately 
 went to work for his brother on a farm in Davenport township and for a time 
 was busily employed as a farm hand, being engaged in threshing, etc. Subse- 
 quently he rented a tract of land in Davenport township from his brother, making 
 his home thereon for six years, while during the following eleven years he devoted 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 173 
 
 his time and energies to the cultivation of a rented farm in Sheridan township. 
 On the expiration of that period he had accumulated sufficient capital to enable him 
 to buy land of his own and in 1875 he came into possession of an adjoining 
 farm of 160 acres, taking up his abode thereon. As there were only a few 
 improvements on the property, he erected a house, barns, etc., and soon the 
 place was lacking in none of the equipments and conveniences of a model farm of 
 the twentieth century. He won a gratifying measure of success in the conduct of 
 his agricultural interests and was actively engaged in the work of the fields until 
 1896, when he removed to Davenport, where he has since lived retired. For 
 about fifteen years he served as one of the trustees of the Farmers' Insurance 
 Company. 
 
 On the 17th of April, 1857, just prior to his emigration to America, Mr. 
 Hamann was united in marriage to Miss Louisa H. Grimm, who was born on 
 the 22d of January, 1828, her parents being Hans and Carolina A. Grimm. Unto 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hamann were born seven children. John A., residing in Daven- 
 port, wedded Miss Carolina Wors, by whom he has a daughter, Hilda. Lewis 
 C, who makes his home in Lyon county, married Miss Lena Roheff and has four 
 children: Clara, Grover, Herbert and Ella. Alvina C, who gave her hand in 
 marriage to Hugo Kuehl, of Eldridge, is now the mother of four children : Emil, 
 Hugo, Adelia and Alma. Adelia wedded Otto Dehn, of Lyon county, and also 
 has four children, namely: Lewis, Mello, Herbert and Alma. Henry, who re- 
 sides on the old homestead farm in Sheridan township, married Miss Anna Hintz, 
 by whom he has six children — Alma, Cynthia, Elva, Maletto, Cora and Blanche. 
 Louisa and Meta Hamann have both passed away. 
 
 Since becoming a naturalized American citizen Mr. Hamann has given his 
 political allegiance to the republican party and his fellow townsmen, recognizing 
 his worth and ability, have, called him to several positions of public trust, includ- 
 ing those of school director and road supervisor. He has long been a prominent 
 member of the German Pioneers' association of Scott county and has recently 
 been honored with its presidency. The period of his residence in this county 
 covers more than a half century and he is widely recognized as one of its most, 
 respected and venerable citizens, having now passed the eighty-fifth milestone; 
 on life's journey. He is numbered among those who left the fatherland to 
 identify themselves with American life and institutions, who have pushed their 
 way to the front and who are a credit alike to the land of their birth and that 
 of their adoption. 
 
 WILLIAM STEWARD. 
 
 William Steward, a retired farmer living at No. 1405 LeClaire street in 
 Davenport, has been enjoying well earned rest since the spring of 1889, but for 
 many years previously was actively engaged in general agricultural pursuits and 
 at one time owned 480 acres of rich and productive land in Aliens Grove town- 
 ship. His birth occurred in County Norfolk, England, on December i, 1827, 
 his parents being James and Frances (Green) Steward. The father, a farmer 
 
174 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 and horse trader, died when his son William was but four years of age. The 
 mother's demise occurred in Scott county, Iowa, and her remains were interred 
 at Aliens Grove. 
 
 William Steward attended a private school in England until thirteen years 
 of age and after putting aside his text-books learned the trade of wagon making. 
 In the fall of 1850, when a young man of about twenty-three years, he crossed 
 the Atlantic to the United States in company with his mother and wife, having 
 been married three weeks previously. They reached New York about November 
 20th with one shilling in cash, two good watches, and some silver spoons, which 
 they sold in order to obtain sufficient money to take them to Rochester. There 
 Mr. Steward worked at the carpenter's trade for six years, on the expiration of 
 which period he came to this county, reaching Davenport in the fall of 1857. 
 Here he was employed as a carpenter by Thomas McClellan, his first work 
 being in connection with the construction of what is now the First National 
 Bank. He followed that trade until i860, and his last work as a carpenter was 
 on the county poorhouse in the employ of John Hornby. In i860 he rented a 
 tract of prairie land in Aliens Grove township where the town of Donahue 
 now stands, and all that he possessed on starting out as a farmer was a good 
 team. The man who owned the property built a house thereon and for four 
 years Mr. Steward leased the place, which embraced a quarter section of land. 
 About 1868 he bought the farm and as his financial resources increased he 
 extended its boundaries by additional purchases from time to time until he 
 owned 480 acres of land. He successfully carried on his agricultural interests 
 there for a period of twenty-nine years, or until the spring of 1889, when, having 
 accumulated a handsome competence by reason of his well directed labor and 
 good management, he put aside the work of the fields and has since lived retired 
 in Davenport. 
 
 On the 26th of September, 1850, Mr. Steward was united in marriage to 
 Miss Sarah Taylor, a daughter of George Taylor, who spent his entire life in 
 England. They became the parents of seven children, namely: Sarah, who 
 wedded George Dayton, of Clinton, Iowa, and has three sons — William, John and 
 George; Elizabeth, who gave her hand in marriage to Jeremiah Binford, of Min- 
 nesota, and now has four children — ^Edna, George, Harry and Frank; Fannie, 
 who wedded John Madden and who is now deceased, as is also her husband; 
 George, who has likewise passed away and who had four children by his marriage 
 to Martha Mickelwright ; Christopher, residing in Aliens Grove township, who 
 married Miss Ethel Foster ; Charles, who lives on the old home place and wed- 
 ded Miss Naomi Snyder, by whom he has five children ; and John T., who died 
 when about a year old. The wife and mother passed away on December 29, 
 1901, when sixty-nine years of age, her birth having occurred May 3, 1832. 
 On September 9, 1903, Mr. Steward was again married, his second union being 
 with Mrs. Delilah Burch, the widow of Henry Burch. 
 
 Mr. Steward gives his political allegiance to the republican party and during 
 almost the entire period of his residence in Aliens Grove township he served as 
 either road supervisor or school director, discharging his official duties in a prompt 
 and capable manner. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in 
 the Congregational church, in which he is serving as a deacon. He joined the 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 175 
 
 Ancient Order of United Workmen at Dixon in 1873, now belongs to lodge No. 
 321 at Davenport and has held all the offices. He has now passed the eighty- 
 second milestone on life's journey, and for more than a half century has made 
 his home within the borders of Scott county. Coming to America in early man- 
 hood empty handed and unknown, he faced conditions which would dishearten 
 many a man of less resolute and determined spirit. However, he possessed 
 heroic qualities in his determination to win success and as the years have gone 
 by he has not only carved out a comfortable fortune for himself, but has also 
 made an honored name, his record winning for him the confidence, good will 
 and admiration of those who know him. 
 
 WILLIAM THEOPHILUS. 
 
 William Theophilus, counselor at law of Davenport, was born at Troedyrhiw, 
 in the parish of Llansadwrn, Carmarthenshire, Wales, August 6, 1858, and is a 
 son of Daniel and Margaret Theophilus. His maternal grandmother was a Wil- 
 liams, born in the same village as Roger Williams, the American champion of 
 religious liberty, and came of the same ancestry. 
 
 William Theophilus began his education in the schools of his native land, but 
 in his youthful days left the little rock-ribbed country of Wales and came to the 
 new world with his parents in 1868. The family home was established on a farm 
 near Lime Spring, in Howard county, Iowa, and there he resumed his inter- 
 rupted education. For twenty years he resided there, his time being given to 
 study and teaching, following the latter profession for a number of terms. He 
 received little assistance but laudable ambition prompted him to put forth his 
 efforts along lines demanding intellectual strength and activity, and the wise 
 use of his opportunities has brought him to the creditable position which he now 
 occupied as one of the leading counselors at law at the Davenport bar. After 
 teaching for some time in his early manhood, he was elected clerk of the courts 
 of Howard county in 1882 and was reelected in 1884, serving until January, 1887. 
 During that period he devoted the hours which are usually termed leisure to the 
 study of law, becoming versed in its principles and practice. Through these 
 years his work and worth were leaving their impress upon the public notice and 
 his fellow townsmen manifested appreciation of his value as a citizen in electing 
 him to the state legislature in 1887, so that he served in the twenty-second gen- 
 eral assembly. The previous year he had been the democratic candidate for 
 clerk of the supreme court and, although defeated, ran considerably ahead of his 
 ticket. After serving for about a term in the legislature, he resigned in 1889 
 and removed to Arkansas City, Kansas, where he entered upon the practice of 
 law, being there admitted to the bar. He remained an active member of the 
 profession in that place for nearly five years and there became acquainted with 
 George W. Scott — the beginning of a friendship which has outlasted all changes 
 since. He was elected city attorney of Arkansas City at the time when im- 
 portant litigation was pending concerning the issuance of city bonds for water- 
 works and railways. These cases were tried in the federal courts and in their 
 
176 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 conduct he established a reputation for energy, skill and knowledge of the law, 
 which the intervening years have but solidified. 
 
 Mr. Theophilus became a resident of Davenport in May, 1894, and was here 
 joined the following year by Mr. Scott, at which time the firm of Scott & The- 
 ophilus was formed, the association being maintained until Mr. Scott's election to 
 the office of city attorney in 1898. Mr. Theophilus, also taking prominent part 
 in political work, was elected to the Iowa legislature in 1899 and during his term 
 of office gave careful consideration to the questions which came up for settle- 
 ment in the twenty-eighth general assembly and stanchly advocated those which 
 he believed to be for the benefit of the commonwealth. Retiring from his posi- 
 tion of legislator, he resumed the active practice of law, remaining alone until 
 1905, when he entered into partnership with George W. Scott and Benjamin I. 
 Salinger, under the firm style of Salinger, Scott & Theophilus. Since May, 1909, 
 he has been practicing alone. One of the local newspapers has said of him: 
 "Mr. Theophilus is by nature thoughtful, methodical, exact and technical, a con- 
 struer of the law and a constructive attorney, loving rather the advisory and 
 counseling work of the office, land title, estates and corporation law than tljp 
 court procedure. He is the counselor of many prominent business men and cor- 
 porations and has made for himself an enviable position at the Davenport bar." 
 
 In 1888 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Theophilus and Miss Minnie 
 Agnes Thompson, of Le Roy, Minnesota. Their social acquaintance is large and 
 embraces many of the most prominent people of the state. Mr. Theophilus finds 
 his chief recreation in the meetings of the Davenport Whist Club and also be- 
 longs to the Outing and Commercial Clubs. Fraternally he is connected with 
 the Masons, the Elks and the Knights of Pythias. His standing in the profes- 
 sion is indicated by the fact that he has been honored with the presidency of the 
 Scott County Bar Association, being its chief official at the present time. As a 
 lawyer he perhaps possesses none of those dazzling meteoric qualities which have 
 often riveted the attention of the public for a moment, but there is in his work 
 a substantiality which produces continuity of success and awakens attention by 
 its quiet forcefulness. 
 
 M. F. ROHLFF. 
 
 M. Frederick Rohlff, who has lived retired in Davenport since 1904, was for 
 many years numbered among the active and successful agriculturists of Scott 
 county and is still the owner of two hundred and ninety acres of valuable land 
 in Sheridan township as well as a tract of three hundred and twenty acres in 
 Lyon county, this state. He is one of the worthy pioneer settlers of this county, 
 having continuously made his home here since 1855, and is now the president of 
 the German Pioneers Society. His birth occurred in Holstein, Germany, on the 
 1st of September, 1829, his parents being Asmus and Anna (Litchie) Rohlil, 
 who spent their entire lives in the fatherland. Their children were six in num- 
 ber, namely : Christ and Henry, both of whom passed away in Germany ; M. F., 
 of this review ; John, whose demise also occurred in Germany ; Asmus, who died 
 
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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 179 
 
 in this country ; and James, who was called to his final rest while still a resident 
 of the fatherland. 
 
 M. F. Rohlff attended the schools of his native land in pursuit of an educa- 
 tion. From 1848 until 1850 he participated in the Schleswig-Holstein wars, hold- 
 ing the rank of sergeant. In 1855, when a young man of twenty-six years, he 
 determined to establish his home in the United States and set sail for the new 
 world, eventually landing at New York. Thence he made his way direct to 
 Davenport, Iowa, and here secured employment as a farm laborer, being thus 
 engaged for about a year. On the expiration of that period in 1857, he was 
 married and began the operation of a rented tract of land, giving his attention to 
 its cultivation for two years. At the end of that time he purchased eighty acres 
 of partly improved land in Sheridan township and took up his abode in a small 
 house which stood upon the place. As time passed by he brought the property 
 under a high state of cultivation and improvement and also replaced the original 
 dwelling by a commodious and substantial residence. He likewise added to his 
 landed holdings as his financial resources increased and successfully carried 
 on his agricultural interests until 1904, when he put aside the active work of the 
 fields and bought property in Davenport, where he has since lived retired. He 
 now leases his fine farm of two hundred and ninety acres in Sheridan township, 
 and is also the owner of a half section of land in Lyon county. While living in 
 Sheridan township he acted as agent for the German Fire Insurance Company 
 for about twenty-five years. 
 
 On the 1 2th of April, 1857, Mr. Rohlfif was united in marriage to Miss Ber- 
 tha Schneckloth, who was about ten years old when she came from Germany 
 to this country with her parents, Hans and Celia Schneckloth, who located upon 
 the farm in Sheridan township which later became the homestead place of our 
 subject. Hans Schneckloth lived thereon until called to his final rest at the 
 age of ninety-three years, and his wife was eighty-two years old when she passed 
 away. Mr. and Mrs. Rohlff have become the parents of eight children, the record 
 of whom is as follows : Anna, the eldest, is now the wife of William Halle, of 
 Davenport, and has four children: Julius, Ida, Hattie and Norma. Lena, the 
 wife of Louis Harmon, of Lyon county, Iowa, is now the mother of four chil- 
 dren : Clara, Grover, Ella and Harvey. John, who is a resident of Lyon county, 
 wedded Miss Dora Heintz, by whom he has five children: Minnie, Richard, 
 Edna, Dora and Alma. Clara Rohlff, the next in order of birth, is at home. Hu- 
 ger married Miss Clara Palmer and has two children, Arnold and Linda. Richer 
 lives in Lyon county. Alfred is still under the parental roof. Herman who is 
 engaged in the hardware business with his brother Huger, wedded Miss 
 Clara Willie and has two children, Wilbur and Bernice. In 1907, at the 
 Turner Hall in Davenport, Mr. and Mrs. M. F. Rohlfif and Mr. and Mrs. Claus 
 Schneckloth celebrated their golden wedding and on this happy occasion were 
 gathered together all of their children and grandchildren as well as many promi- 
 nent German-American residents of Scott county. After the supper had been 
 served a dance was held and the occasion proved a very merry one. 
 
 Mr. Rohlff exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures 
 of the republican party and has ably served his fellow townsmen in the capacity 
 of road supervisor. He is a member of the Schleswig-Holstein Society of Scott 
 
180 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 county. Except for the aid of his estimable wife, he owes his present splendid 
 prosperity entirely to his untiring perseverance and excellent business manage- 
 ment, for when he came to the United States he was empty-handed and has since 
 achieved the success which entitles him to a prominent place in the history of the 
 representative and enterprising residents of this county. 
 
 MAJOR MORTON L. MARIAS. 
 
 Major Morton L. Marks, whose title is indicative of faithful and long con- 
 tinued service in the Union army during the Civil war, has for more than four 
 decades been a representative of commercial life in Davenport. A progressive 
 spirit has always been tempered by a safe conservatism, and evenly balanced 
 judgment has constituted the forceful element in the success which has made 
 him one of the leading wholesale merchants of the city. He was born on a farm 
 in New York, his parents being Enoch and Margaret (Welton) Marks. His 
 ancestral history is one of early connection with the settlement of Connec- 
 ticut. It was in that state that his grandfather followed farming in the vicinity 
 of Burlington. Enoch Marks was born in Connecticut in 1803, was reared to 
 agricultural pursuits arid subsequently removed to New York, where he carried 
 on farming, while later he engaged in the real-estate business in Chicago, making 
 his home in the suburb of Oak Park. While there he made some very profitable 
 investments in real estate. He afterward came to Davenport, where he lived 
 retired, passing away in this city at the venerable age of eighty-three years. 
 
 Major Marks was a Httle lad of four years when the family removed to Cam- 
 illus. New York, and his early education, which was there acquired, was com- 
 pleted in the high school at Syracuse, New York. He afterward came to the 
 middle west and lived with a brother on a farm near La Salle, Illinois. He after- 
 ward engaged in teaching school for about three years in Mount Carmel, after 
 which he took up the study of law, devoting about a year to his reading. The 
 outbreak of the Civil war however, caused him to put aside all business and 
 personal interests that he might defend the Union cause and, enlisting in the 
 One Hundred and Twenty-second New York Volunteer Infantry as a private, 
 he went to the front. He was chosen by his company for the position of first 
 lieutenant and was afterward promoted to the captaincy of Company B. Later 
 he was transferred to Company H as its captain and he now has his three com- 
 missions. At the close of the war he was brevetted major in honor of his gal- 
 lant and meritorious service. During most of the time he was on active duty with 
 the Army of the Potomac and served with distinction, participating in various 
 important battles, including the engagements at Antietam, Fredericksburg and 
 Gettysburg. In the winter of 1863-4 he was in Sandusky, Ohio, where his 
 regiment guarded rebel prisoners. While there he became ill but as soon as 
 possible again went south, rejoining his regiment just after the Battle of the 
 Wilderness. He then participated in the engagements at Culpeper Court House, 
 Cold Harbor and Petersburg. When General Early was making his dash through 
 the Shenandoah valley. Major Marks' regiment was sent back and met the enemy 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 181 
 
 at Fort Steven, repulsing the Confederate forces. They then proceeded south- 
 ward as far as Harper's Ferry and took part in the battle of Winchester. Major 
 Marks was in command of his company at that battle and during a charge was 
 wounded and was in the hospital for about thirty days. On the expiration of 
 that period he rejoined his regiment, which took part in the fight at Cedar Creek 
 and later returned to Washington, where the winter was spent. Later Major 
 Marks joined the Army of the Potomac, with which he remained until the close 
 of the war. His regiment then went to Danville, Kentucky, where he served as 
 provost marshal. Subsequently he returned to Washington, where he was hon- 
 orably discharged. He has always maintained pleasant relations with his com- 
 rades who wore the blue through his membership in the Grand Army of the 
 Republic and in the Loyal Legion and he has served as quartermaster commander 
 of the post in this city. 
 
 Removing to Davenport, Major Marks bought out the senior partner in Al- 
 bert & Van Patten's Grocery Company in the year 1867. He organized the pres- 
 ent wholesale grocery company in 1903, became its president and in its manage- 
 ment has met with excellent success, extending its trade interests to embrace a 
 wide territory. Its sales annually reach a large figure and the policy of the 
 house is such as to commend it to the confidence and support of all. 
 
 On the 20th of January, 1869, Major Marks was united in marriage to Miss 
 Helen Sanders, of Yonkers, New York, a daughter of Joseph P. Sanders, who 
 was one of the distinguished members of the Odd Fellows society in the east, 
 attending all the annual meetings for fifty consecutive years. His wife, who 
 bore the maiden name of Elvira Ferguson, is still Hving in New York, at the 
 age of eighty-eight years. Unto Major and Mrs. Marks were born four children: 
 Margaret and James, now deceased; Lewis M., who married Georgia White and 
 has three children, Margaret, Morton and George; and Charles R., of the Se- 
 curity Fire Insurance Company of Davenport, who married Lola Fisher. 
 
 Since coming to Davenport in 1867, Mr. Marks has been closely identified 
 with the business interests of the city and in public affairs has wielded a wide 
 influence, his support always being cast on the side of progress, reform and 
 improvement. He is not only most practical in private business interests 'but in 
 all of his relations to the public and has therefore done good service for the 
 upbuilding and progress of the city. Honored and respected by all, there is no 
 man who occupies a more enviable position in commercial and financial circles 
 in Davenport than Major Morton L. Marks. 
 
 ADOLPH W. HOLLAND. 
 
 Adolph W. Holland, a retired agriculturist of Davenport, where he has made 
 his home for the past seven years, is still the owner of a well-improved and valuable 
 farm of one hundred and fifty-five acres in Winfield township and also has ten 
 acres of land in Aliens Grove township, as well as some town property. His birth 
 occurred in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, on the 28th of August, 1842, his 
 parents being Adolph and Carolina Holland. The father was a furniture maker 
 
182 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 in that country . Having determined to bring his family to the new world, he took 
 passage on a vessel at Hamburg, which reached New York on the 3d of August, 
 1 85 1, after an ocean voyage of seven weeks. It was on the 20th of that month 
 that he arrived in Scott county, Iowa, and here he purchased and located upon 
 a partly improved farm of one hundred and fifty-five acres in Winfield town- 
 ship, being actively engaged in its further cultivation and development until the 
 time of his retirement in 1882. His remaining days were spent in Davenport, 
 where he passed away on the 29th of October, 1888, when seventy-eight years 
 of age. His wife, whose birth occurred in 1818, was called to her final rest in 
 1874. Unto this worthy couple were born two children, namely: Henry, who 
 passed away in 1903 ; and Adolph W., of this review. 
 
 The last named attended the schools of his native land until nine years of age 
 and after coming to this country continued his studies in Scott county for a year 
 and a half. After putting aside his text-books he turned his attention to general 
 agricultural pursuits and the work of the fields claimed his attention throughout, 
 his entire business career. Subsequent to his marriage he rented his father's place 
 in Winfield township, and, inheriting the property at the time of his father's death, 
 there carried on his farming interests continuously and successfully until 1903, 
 when he retired and took up his abode in Davenport. As the years passed he placed 
 many substantial improvements on the farm and it is now a highly developed and 
 valuable property, comprising one hundred and fifty-five acres of land in Winfield 
 township. His is likewise the owner of a tract of ten acres in Aliens Grove 
 township and also has some town property. Through the careful conduct of his 
 agricultural interests he won the competence that now enables him to live retired 
 and he has long been numbered among the substantial, respected and representa- 
 tive citizens of this county. 
 
 On the 25th of February, 1868, Mr. Holland was imited in marriage to Miss 
 Margaret Helkenn, who was born in Holstein, Germany, on the 6th of September, 
 1849, her parents being Henry and Magdalene (Rush) Helkenn. The father, who 
 served in the Schleswig-Holstein wars from 1848 until 1850, brought his family to 
 the United States in 1858 and at once came to Scott county, Iowa. Two years later 
 he purchased a farm of two hundred acres in Sheridan township and forty acres 
 of timber land in Winfield township and throughout the remainder of his life de- 
 voted his energies to agricultural pursuits. His demise occurred on the 9th of 
 September, 1909, when he had attained the venerable age of eighty-eight, years 
 and ten days. His wife, who was a sister of Lieutenant Governor Rush of Iowa, 
 passed away in 1892 when sixty-eight years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Holland are 
 the parents of twelve children. 
 
 Carolina, who gave her hand in marriage to Henry Rheimers, of Long Grove, 
 is/now the mother of eight children, namely: Effie, Louisa, Rudolph, Rosie, Henry, 
 Laura, Adolph and Harry. Ella, residing in Davenport, is the wife of Henry 
 Reichter, by whom she has four children, as follows : Rosie, .who is the wife of 
 Oliver Sampson and has one child, William; Margaret; Henry; and Adolph. 
 Adolph, who wedded Miss Clara Nutting, makes his home in Davenport, Iowa. 
 Amelia is the wife of Claus Hanson, of Long Grove, and has four chil- 
 dren : Adolph, Edna, Nonie and Lester. Laura, who is the wife of Henry 
 F. Dorman, of Big Rock, Scott county, likewise has four children, as follows: 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 183 
 
 Emma, Martha, Albert and Charley. Augusta, the wife of Fritz Hanson, re- 
 sides in Winfield township. Emma is the wife of John Erps, with whom she lives 
 on her father's farm in Winfield township. Frank W., Louis F., Nettie M., 
 LiUie J. and Martha M. Holland are all still under the parental roof. All of 
 these children have been provided with good educational advantages. Mrs. 
 Holland has an interesting photograph showing five generations of her father's 
 family. 
 
 Mr. Holland is independent in his political views and has served as the effi- 
 cient incumbent in various positions of public trust and responsibility. He held 
 most of the township offices and did much to advance the cause of education 
 during his thirty-three years' service as a school director. He hkewise acted as 
 treasurer of the school board and also capably discharged the duties devolving 
 upon him as justice of the peace and township clerk. His religious faith is indi- 
 cated by his membership in the Lutheran church, with which his wife is also 
 affiliated. Fraternally he is identified with the Ancient Order of United Work- 
 men, being receiver of the local lodge. He is likewise a prominent member of 
 the German Pioneers association. He has now made his home in Scott county 
 for more than fifty-eight years and has gained an extensive circle of friends 
 within its borders, his genuine personal worth commending him to the confi- 
 dence and esteem of all with whom he has come in contact. 
 
 ISAAC PETERSBERGER. 
 
 Isaac Petersberger, forceful and resourceful, his broad general education as 
 well as his comprehensive knowledge of the law enabling him to stand in the fore- 
 most ranks of the legal profession in Davenport, was born in Dixon, Illinois, 
 June 28, 1874. His father, Emanuel Petersberger, was a native of Germany 
 and on coming to the United States in 1852 took up his abode in Dixon, where he 
 continued his residence to the time of his death in 1890. He there engaged in 
 merchandising and was recognized as one of the leading representatives of com- 
 mercial interests in that city, winning substantial success in his undertaking. He 
 married Bertha Ochs, a native of Germany, who came to Davenport in her girl- 
 hood days with her father, John Ochs, who was one of this city's oldest and most 
 respected citizens. 
 
 Isaac Petersberger attended the public schools of Dixon until fifteen years of 
 age, when he came tO' Davenport with his widowed mother, continuing his studies 
 in this city. Later he entered the University of Iowa, from which institution 
 he was graduated with the class of 1897, completing both the collegiate and law 
 courses in four years. 
 
 Having determined upon the practice of law as his life work, in 1897 he 
 opened an office in Davenport, where he has since remained, achieving an en- 
 viable success as a representative of the bar. His practice is of an extensive 
 and important character. He is notable among lawyers for the wide research 
 and provident care with which he prepares his cases. At no time has his reading 
 ever been confined to the limitation of the questions at issue. It has gone beyond 
 
184 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 and compassed every contingency and provided not alone for the expected but 
 for the unexpected, which happens in the courts quite as frequently as out of 
 them. His legal learning, his analytical mind and the readiness with which he 
 grasps the points in an argument all combine to make him one of the strong ad- 
 vocates before the bar and he is also regarded as a most safe counselor. 
 
 In 1899 Mr. Petersberger was married to Miss Hattie Goldstein, of Milford, 
 Illinois, and they have two children, Richard and Louise. Mr. Petersberger be- 
 longs to the Masonic fraternity, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks 
 and to other fraternal and social organizations. He has the warm regard of fel- 
 low practitioners and the friendship of many whom he meets in social relations, 
 for his salient qualities as a man and citizen are those which in every land and 
 clime win respect and honor. 
 
 SEVERIN MILLER. 
 
 The life record of Severin Miller seems in harmony with nature's laws, for 
 nature evidently intended that the evening of life should be quietly and restfuUy 
 spent following years of well directed activity. Earnest, indefatigable labor, intel- 
 ligently directed through many years, will always in the end win success and it has 
 been by this means that Severin Miller acquired the competence that now enables 
 him at the age of eighty-six years to live retired. He was born in Prussia, Ger- 
 many, October 17, 1824, and is a son of Bartholomew and Anna Marie Miller, both 
 of whom died in that country. Severin Miller attended school there and learned 
 the machinist's trade under the direction of his father. He was a young man of 
 twenty-two years when in 1846 he came to the United States, landing at New York 
 after a long and tedious voyage of three months on a sailing vessel. He went to 
 Philadelphia, where he secured employment at his trade and subsequently removed 
 westward to St. Louis, where he entered the service of Beard & Brother, safe man- 
 ufacturers, as a machinist. He was thus employed until about 1850, when he 
 came to Davenport but after a brief period he returned to St. Louis, where he 
 resided until 1857. In that year he again came to Davenport and built a shop and 
 dwelling house on a lot at the corner of Gaines and Second streets, which he had 
 purchased in 1852. There he started in business for himself, giving his attention 
 mostly to repair work, doing much work on threshing machines and other farm 
 machinery. He afterward admitted Charles Schaeffer to a partnership but after 
 a short time they dissolved partnership and Mr. Miller continued the business alone 
 until 1875, when he sold out and retired. In the meantime, however, he had ex- 
 tended the scope of his activities to include the manufacture of pumps and had also 
 carried on a foundry business. He wisely used the opportunities that were pre- 
 sented and by his close attention to his business and his honorable methods secured 
 a large trade. 
 
 On the 24th of June, 1862, Mr. Miller was married in Davenport to Miss Chris- 
 tina Baussmann, who was born in Hessen, Germany, in 1835, and died in 1872, leav- 
 ing four children : Cornelia, now the wife of Dr. E. M. Singleton, of Marshalltown, 
 Iowa, by whom she has one daughter, Miriam ; Severin, a resident of San Frafl- 
 
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 'UK /' 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 187 
 
 Cisco; and Julia and Helen, at home. Mr. Miller erected his present residence 
 during war times and has occupied it for more than forty years. It is one of the 
 old landmarks of his section of the city and has ever been a hospitable home, open 
 for the reception of the many friends of the family. 
 
 ARTHUR GLADSTONE BUSH. 
 
 Arthur Gladstone Bush, a member of the law firm of Ely & Bush, has through 
 his varied activities become recognized as one of the leading and influential citi- 
 zens of Davenport. He was born in Concord, now Garner, Hancock county, 
 Iowa, December 21, 1870. His father, Henry H. Bush, was a native of Randolph, 
 Cattaraugus county. New York, born July 2, 1837. He removed to Galva, Illi- 
 nois, just prior to the Civil war and after the outbreak of hostilities was mustered 
 in as captain of Company D of the Seventeenth Illinois Infantry, with which 
 he served for three years, taking an active part in the conflict. At the siege of 
 Vicksburg he was detailed in charge of the Pioneer Corps and at Fort Donelson, 
 in the absence of the colonel, he commanded the regiment with credit and ability. 
 He participated in a number of the hotly contested engagements and never fal- 
 tered in the performance of any duty, his own valor and loyalty inspiring those 
 who served under him. He was mustered out with the rank of captain and with 
 a most creditable military record returned home. Later he studied law in Galva 
 under the direction of A. H. Veeder, an attorney of that city, after which he 
 removed to Concord, Iowa, where he commenced practice in 1869. Until a short 
 time prior to his death he followed his profession and his knowledge of the law 
 and careful preparation of his cases gained him a skill that led to his connection 
 with much of the important litigation tried in the district. During his later years 
 he owned and published the Hancock Signal, which paper he purchased from 
 Senator Hayward. Prominent in the political circles of the state, he represented 
 Hancock county in the general assembly, also filled the offices of referee , in 
 bankruptcy, postmaster and mayor of Concord. He was likewise a member of 
 the county board of supervisors and his efforts did much to hold the county seat 
 at Concord, now Garner. Over the record of his official career there fell no 
 shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil, for in all of his public service he was 
 actuated by a spirit of devotion to the general good that was manifest in many 
 tangible ways. Preeminently a man of affairs, he wielded a wide influence in 
 thought and action. He was a man of strong character and ability and a natural 
 leader, and he devoted his efforts untiringly for the benefit of his town and com- 
 munity. He died September 15, 1895, respected and honored by all who knew 
 him. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Minerva Wright, was a native of 
 Illinois. 
 
 Arthur Gladstone Bush pursued his education in the public schools of Garner 
 until he completed the high-school course. He then engaged in teaching for a 
 year in Hancock county and at the same time studied shorthand and qualified 
 for the position of a court reporter. For five years he acted as district court 
 reporter and during that time became interested in and took up the study of law. 
 
188 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 He afterward attended the State University of Iowa and pursued special work 
 in the Garner Academy. He was graduated from the law department of the 
 former institution in 1895 and, coming to Davenport, formed a partnership with 
 N. D. Ely, who had been his classmate in the university. The court records show 
 that he has had a liberal share of the legal business of the city and that he has 
 been successful in its conduct, winning many verdicts favorable to his clients, to 
 whom his devotion is proverbial. He is a loyal republican but no office seeker, 
 preferring to give his time and energies to his law practice and as a consequence 
 the firm of Ely & Bush is prosperous, with a business that is extensive and of a 
 distinctively representative character. In addition he is a director and secre- 
 tary of the Iowa & Eastern Colorado Land Company and is likewise interested 
 in a number of financial enterprises. 
 
 In August, 1894, Mr. Bush was united in marriage to Miss Eunice Curtis, 
 a native of Clayton county. Her grandfather, T. P. Olmstead, was one of the 
 oldest settlers of the county, arriving there in the early '30s. Unto Mr. and Mrs. 
 Bush have been born two sons, Arthur Curtis and HoUis H. Mr. Bush is a 
 Mason, holding membership in the lodge, chapter and commandery and the Shrine, 
 and in the commandery he is filling the office of generalissimo. He likewise be- 
 longs to Prosperity Lodge, No. 704, I. O. O. F., and is a United States commis- 
 sioner. He is a director of the Young Men's Christian Association of the Ed- 
 wards Congregational church and a teacher of the Bible class. His interests, 
 therefore, are not confined to the material things but have to do with the moral 
 progress of the community, and his own life is an exemplification of his belief 
 that the thing most worth while is character development. Although compara- 
 tively young, he is recognized as a man of mark in Davenport, his ability and 
 well developed powers carrying him into important relations. 
 
 JOHN DANIELS. 
 
 John Daniels was for many years identified with the agricultural interests of 
 Scott county but for the past year he has lived retired in a beautiful home in 
 Davenport. Throughout his career of continued and far-reaching usefulness 
 his duties have been performed with the greatest care, and business interests have 
 been so managed as to win him the confidence of the public and the prosperity 
 which should always attend honorable effort. Mr. Daniels is a native of Eng- 
 land, his birth having occurred in Gloucestershire, on the 18th of April, 1845. 
 His parents, Walter and Elizabeth (Baker) Daniels, were farming people of 
 that country and lived and died there, the father passing away in 1891, when 
 seventy-five years of age, and the mother in 1895, at the same age. 
 
 John Daniels remained in his native country during the period of his boy- 
 hood and youth, assisting his father in the operation of the home farm and in 
 carrying on a butcher shop, which the latter conducted. When twenty-one years 
 old, foreseeing no future in the land of his nativity and having heard and read 
 a great deal about the freedom and the opportunity for advancement in this 
 country, he decided to leave home. Setting sail for the United States, it was in 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 189 
 
 March, 1866, that he landed in New York city, whence he made his way to Dav- 
 enport, where Hved an uncle, James Baker, who was one of the early settlers of 
 this section of the state. Mr. Daniels worked for him during the succeeding sum- 
 mer and later was employed by others at truck gardening until 1870, when he 
 was married and he then rented a tract of land which he cultivated for six years. 
 He was largely engaged in raising sugar cane and also engaged in the dairy 
 business.. In the fall of 1875, having saved a sum of money that justified the 
 purchase of land, he became owner of twenty acres, which at that time was in 
 Davenport township but is now included in the city limits and is known as the 
 West Home addition to the city. This tract was only slightly improved, but Mr. 
 Daniels built a small house containing two rooms, and in this little dwelling he 
 and his family took up their abode. After four years he added to the house and 
 in later years replaced his first dwelling with a more pretentious and modern 
 structure. He was engaged in farming that land until 1883, when he purchased 
 the place known as the Hunter farm, located a mile and a half from the city 
 limits, in Davenport township, this tract comprising eighty acres. Mr. Daniels 
 then took up his abode on that farm but after two years returned to his first 
 tract. In August, 1909, he put aside all business cares and removed to the city, 
 where he occupies a nice home. In former years he led a busy, active and use- 
 ful life and his labors, carefully managed, have brought to him a gratifying 
 reward. 
 
 It was in 1870 that Mr. Daniels was married to Miss Elizabeth Baker, who 
 was likewise born in Gloucestershire, England, a daughter of Thomas and Anna 
 (Fawkes) Baker. The Baker family came to Davenport about 1856 and it was 
 here that the marriage of the daughter occurred. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Daniels 
 have been born two sons and one daughter, namely : Walter, who resides in Dav- 
 enport and wedded Miss Anna Kelling, by whom he has a son and daughter, 
 Robert and Alice; John, who wedded Miss Sarah Kober and who lives on his 
 father's farm on Harrison street, just outside of the city; and Elizabeth, at 
 home. The parents are communicants of the Episcopal church, in which Mr. 
 Daniels has long served as a vestrjrman. Coming to America in early manhood, 
 Mr. Daniels made good use of every opportunity that presented for advancement 
 and today he is surrounded by all the comforts that go to make life worth living. 
 The family home at No. 1415 Farnam street is one of hospitality and good cheer 
 and all who enter its doors are given a cordial welcome. 
 
 IRA R. TABOR. 
 
 Ira R. Tabor, who for eighteen years has been a representative of the Dav- 
 enport bar and now with a large practice is giving proof of his ability in handling 
 the intricate problems of the law, was born* in Jones county, Iowa, September 4, 
 1864. His father, James Tabor, a native of Indiana, came to Davenport in 1849, 
 arriving in this state only a few years after its admission to the Union. He 
 crossed the river on the ice in company with two brothers and went to Jones 
 county, where he took up government land and' there engaged in farming until 
 
190 HISTORY OF. SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 his death on the 7th of April, 1887. In his farming operations he met with suc- 
 cess and became a large landowner, having a section and a half of land. He 
 wisely placed his surplus earnings in the safest of all investments — real estate — 
 and his business enterprise and diligence brought him to a prominent position 
 among the men of affluence of the county. A leading and influential citizen in 
 his community, he held a number of township offices and at all times was loyal 
 to the public trust. He married Miss Margaret Keller, a native of Indiana, in 
 which state the wedding was celebrated. Her birth occurred October 11, 1828, 
 and on the 17th of April, 1899,^ she passed away. 
 
 Ira R. Tabor was the fifth in order of birth in a family of six children. He 
 attended the country schools while spending his youthful days upon the home 
 farm and afterward had the opportunity of continuing his education in the schools 
 of Monmouth, Illinois, and Maquoketa, Iowa. Later he pursued a classical 
 course in the University of Indiana and prepared for a professional career as a 
 law student in the State University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, from which in- 
 stitution he was graduated on the 26th of June, 1891. He then came to Daven- 
 port and entered the law office of J. W. Stewart, to whose practice he succeeded 
 upon the death of Mr. Stewart in 1894. He is well versed in the principles of 
 jurisprudence and is always accurate in their application to the points in litiga- 
 tion. The zeal and earnestness with which he controls his law business, the care- 
 ful regard evinced for his clients' interests and his close and discriminating logic 
 in the discussion of a case before court or jury are elements in the success which 
 has attended him from the beginning. 
 
 Mr. Tabor is active in public affairs but is not an office seeker, preferring to 
 give his attention to the law and to investments. He is, however, well known in 
 the Masonic fraternity, beloning to Trinity Lodge, No. 208, A. F. & A. M. ; Dav- 
 enport Chapter, No. 17, R. A. M. ; St. Simon of Cyrene Commandery, No. 9, 
 K. T. ; Davenport Consistory, No. 4, S. P. R. S. ; and Kaaba Temple, A. A. O. N. 
 M. S. He is likewise affiliated with other societies, whose basic principles are 
 such as win the respect and approval of all who have regard for honorable, up- 
 right manhood. 
 
 BENONI S. BALDWIN. 
 
 Benoni S. Baldwin, a retired contractor and manufacturer of Davenport, 
 whose persistent labor has constituted for him the key that has unlocked the por- 
 tals of success, was born in Harrison county, Ohio, November 8, 1834, and is a 
 son of Joseph D. and Sarah S. (Shields) Baldwin. The father was born in Bucks 
 county, Pennsylvania, in 1801 and removed westward to Ohio about 1828, accom- 
 panied by his wife. He settled in Harrison county and there followed the stone- 
 mason's trade, which he had previously learned in the Keystone state. He died 
 in 1876 and his wife, who was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, in 1808, 
 passed away in 1844. She was the mother of four children: Thomas H., now 
 deceased ; Benoni S. ; George W., who is living in Hopedale, Harrison county, 
 Ohio; and William, a resident of Sheridan, Iowa. 
 
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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 193 
 
 Benoni S. Baldwin was a pupil in the district schools of his native county and 
 therein became familiar with those branches of learning which are necessary to 
 advancement in any line of life as well as to business success. He left school 
 early, however, and in 1851, when a youth of sixteen years, left home in order to 
 learn the carpenter's trade.' He applied himself diligently to the tasks assigned 
 him and became an expert workman. Thinking to find better business opportuni- 
 ties in the new but rapidly growing and developing west, he came to Iowa in 
 1856, arriving at Davenport on the 24th of April of that year. He first began 
 to work at his trade in the employ of others but later felt that his experience and 
 skill justified him in engaging in business on his own account and turned his 
 attention to contracting, in which connection he has erected a large number of 
 buildings. He also assisted in building the old Christian chapel in 1889. Further 
 extending the field of his activities, he bought a half interest in the Davenport 
 Ladder Company and acted as superintendent of the plant for about fourteen 
 years, at the end of which time he sold out to W. C. Hayward and since that time 
 has lived retired. The years brought him substantial success as the reward of per- 
 sistent and indefatigable labor and he is now in possession of a comfortable 
 competence. 
 
 ^t the time of the Civil war Mr. Baldwin put aside business and personal 
 considerations in 1864 and enlisted as a member of Company C, Fourteenth Iowa 
 Infantry. His company was detailed for service at Camp McClellan on guard 
 duty and there Mr. Baldwin remained until mustered out in 1865. He maintains 
 pleasant relations with his old army comrades through his membership in the 
 Grand Army of the Republic- 
 
 On the 6th of December, 1866, Mr. Baldwin was married to Miss Mary A. 
 Jenkins, who was born in Rockingham township, this county, a daughter of Rich- 
 ard R. and Mary (Blackman) Jenkins. Her parents were early settlers here, 
 coming to this county from Canada in 1842. They were farming people and the 
 father took up raw land which he converted into rich and productive fields. 
 Both he and his wife died in Davenport. In their family were eight children: 
 Hiram H., now living in Nebraska ; Mrs. Maria J. Carpenter, who is a widow 
 and lives in South Omaha; Mary A., now Mrs. Baldwin; James, whose home 
 is in South Dakota ; George W., of Minneapolis ; Frank, who is living in Mil- 
 waukee, Wisconsin; Etta, who is the wife of John A. Wheeler and resides in 
 Davenport; and Annie L., deceased. Sarah Eleanor, the only child of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Baldwin, died when but seven months old. They are members of the Old 
 Settlers Society of Scott county, composed of people who came here in 1846 
 or before and have lived here since the admission of the state into the Union. 
 Mr. Baldwin also belongs to the Fremont Club, composed of those who voted 
 for John C. Fremont in 1856. He is now treasurer of that society. He built his 
 present residence about thirty years ago, set out trees and has in other ways 
 adorned the place. He has also built a number of other houses for himself and 
 from his property interests has derived a good income. His has been an active 
 and useful life and his fellow townsmen have naught to say of him except in 
 terms of good will and high regard. Great have been the changes which have 
 occurred during the period of his residence in Iowa. In the decades which have 
 since been added to the centuries he has seen Iowa transformed from a frontier 
 
194 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 state into one of the thickly populated regions of the middle west, leading the 
 entire country in the matter of corn production, in the number and efficiency of 
 its public schools and in other fields of activity of a most creditable nature. Mr. 
 Baldwin has always done his full share of public work as a citizen, giving loyal 
 support to every movement calculated to benefit and upbuild the city and county. 
 
 REV. FRANCIS I. MOFFATT. 
 
 Rev. Francis I. Moffatt is now living retired in Davenport, but for many, 
 years gave his time to the work of the Presbyterian ministry. He now derives 
 his income from a good farm which he owns in Cedar county. He was born 
 in New Castle, Pennsylvania, September 8, 1835, his parents being James and 
 Hannah (Mofifat) Moffatt. So far as the ancestry records show, the family 
 originated in Scotland. Both parents died at New Castle, where the father fol- 
 lowed farming as a life work. They were the parents of seven children, but the 
 only one still living is Francis I., of this review. W. J., a twin brother of our 
 subject, was a minister of the gospel and passed away on the 25th of January, 
 1910. His health became impaired while he was a missionary in Indian Terri- 
 tory and prior to his demise he lived retired at New Castle, Pennsylvania. Hannah 
 K., Sarah J., Mary and Eliza J. are all deceased. Robert T., the youngest, died 
 from the effects of military experience. He was a prisoner at Libby and Ander- 
 sonville for a considerable time during the Civil war and when paroled returned 
 home and died soon afterward. 
 
 Rev. Francis I. Moffatt remained a resident of his native town until about 
 eighteen years of age and then entered the Westminster Collegiate Institute at 
 New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, to supplement the education which he had 
 already acquired in the public schools. The year of his matriculation was 1854 
 and of his graduation, 1857. He there pursued a general course and afterward 
 entered the Western Theological Seminary at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where 
 he studied for the ministry, completing a three years' course by graduation in 
 i860. He was licensed to preach on the 20th of June of that year as a minister 
 of what was then known as the Free Presbyterian church. His first charge was 
 in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, where he remained for 
 about two years. He afterward had charge of different churches in Pennsyl- 
 vania and in 1866 made his way westward to Illinois, where he took charge of 
 the Irish Grove church in Sangamon county near Springfield. In the meantime 
 he had withdrawn from the Free Presbyterian church and entered the regular 
 Presbyterian church on account of its attitude concerning the question of 
 slavery. He remained as pastor of the Irish Grove church for six years, 
 after which he took up his abode at Cornwall, Henry county, Illinois, 
 where he continued in pastoral labors for eleven years. On the expira- 
 tion of that period he became minister of the Red Oak church in Cedar 
 county, Iowa, where he continued, for five years, after which he came to 
 Scott county and took charge of the Summit church in Lincoln township. He 
 lived in the parsonage there for five years, during which time he earnestly and 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 195 
 
 zealously pursued his ministerial labors, after which he retired and removed to 
 the town. He continued to supply the church, however, for about a year, or 
 until they could obtain a regular minister. He also acted as supply in the church 
 at Eldridge. Conscientious, earnest and consecrated in all of his labors, his 
 work in behalf of the church was of a beneficial character with far-reaching 
 effects. Logical and entertaining in address, strong and imfaltering in purpose 
 and actuated at all times by a deep love of humanity, he put forth his efforts in 
 pastorate work and as a preacher labored for the benefit of all mankind, nor was 
 he denied the rich harvest nor the aftermath. 
 
 Rev. Moffatt was married October 12, 1878, to Miss Elizabeth Orr, a daughter 
 of Mathew and Susanna Orr, of Henry county, Illinois. They have become 
 parents of seven children. William, noW living in Oklahoma, married Julia 
 Brown Shillito, and they have one son, Philip J. Florence M. is the wife of 
 William B. Bennett, of Madison, Wisconsin, and they have one child, Florence 
 Louise. John J., now living in Muskogee, Oklahoma, married Hazel Woods and 
 is engaged with his brother William in the real-estate business. Robert T., who 
 married Delia Booth, is living on his father'^ farm. Mary E. and Edwin are 
 at home, and Foster O. died July 31, 1897, at the age of four years. Four. chil- 
 dren of the family were graduated from the Wisconsin University, where they 
 pursued literary and scientific courses. All have been liberally educated and the 
 Moffatt home has ever been one of advanced, intelligent culture, emanating an 
 influence for good that is felt throughout the community. Actuated by the higher 
 purposes of life. Rev. Moffatt has given his attention to a work that has made 
 him a man of far-reaching influence and his precept and example have been 
 factors in promoting righteousness, justice, truth and rnorality among his fel- 
 lowmen. 
 
 WILLIAM G. CABEL. 
 
 William G. Cabel, a retired farmer of German birth, now living in Daven- 
 port, still derives a substantial income from valuable farming property com- 
 prising one hundred acres of rich land in Hickory Grove township. The years were 
 fraught with earnest, persistent labor until a recent date, when he put aside the 
 more active duties of the farm and has since given his time to those pursuits and 
 interests which afford him rest, recreation and entertainment. He was born in 
 Holstein, Germany, June 7, 1838, and is, therefore, in the seventy-second year 
 of his age. His parents were Lewis and Lottie Cabel. The former, a farmer of 
 Germany, came to the United States with his family in 1856, landing, however, 
 at -Quebec, Canada, whence he made his way to Davenport. In the vicinity of 
 the city he rented land and continued farming until his death, both he and his 
 wife passing away in 1863. They were the parents of eight children : Henry and 
 Dora, both deceased ; William G. ; Lottie, who has also passed away ; Lewis, of 
 Chicago; August, deceased; Emma, the widow of Fred Sharlow; and Herman, 
 
 of Davenport. 
 
 William G. Cabel attended school in Germany through the period of his 
 boyhood and youth and when eighteen years of age accompanied his parents on 
 
196 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 their emigration to the new world. He has made farming his life work, his 
 time being devoted to the improvement and development of farming land in 
 Scott county until his enlistment for service in the Civil war on the 13th o£, 
 September, 1861. He became a member of Company I, Twelfth Missouri Infan- 
 try, at Davenport. He enlisted for three years, joining the regiment at St. Louis, 
 where the troops were encamped for two weeks. They then went to Evansville 
 and later to Sedalia, Missouri, after which they proceeded to Springfield, where 
 two weeks were passed. They next spent two months at Raleigh, Missouri, and 
 in January, 1862, started from Raleigh to Springfield, whence they went to 
 Arkansas, soon afterward participating in the. battle of Pea Ridge. Later Mr. 
 Cabel took part in the engagements at Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post and Vicks- 
 burg. At the last named place he was taken ill, was sent home on a furlough 
 and honorably discharged in January, 1864. Subsequently he engaged in team- 
 ing in Davenport for a short time, after which he began farming on his own 
 account. For about twenty years he cultivated rented land and then purchased 
 a farm of one hundred acres in Hickory Grove township, but never made his home 
 thereon. He has been practical, energetic and determined in all that he has 
 undertaken and his success has resulted from capable and careful management. 
 
 On the 2d of December, 1868, William G. Cabel was married to Miss Dorothy 
 Bergerdt, a daughter of Jacob and Christina Bergerdt. Unto them have been 
 born seven children. Augusta is the wife of Charles Detrich, of Liberty town- 
 ship, by whom she has four children ; Hugo, John, Raymond and William. Meta 
 is the wife of Theodore Schroder, of Hickory Grove township, and they have 
 five children : Armil, Minnie, Clarence, Adelia and Helmerdt. Laura and Emma 
 are at home. Henry, living in Hickory Grove township, married Freda Whit- 
 mer and they have two children, Elsie and Robert. William resides in Hickory 
 Grove township. Herman is at home. 
 
 Mr. Cabel is a member of the Old German Settlers Society and is well known 
 among people of his own nationality. His friends, however, are not limited 
 to those of his own race, but include the majority of those with whom business 
 or social relations have brought him in contact. His life has been a busy and 
 useful one and his success is well merited. 
 
 REV. ROBERT NIXON EARHART. 
 
 Rev. Robert Nixon Earhart, a Methodist Episcopal minister of the upper 
 Iowa conference, whose life in its noble purposes and influences was of far- 
 reaching effect for good, was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, a son of David and 
 Catharine (Altman) Earhart. The father was a merchant who continued a 
 resident of Pennsylvania, his native state, until he had reached middle age, when 
 he came to Iowa and settled in Pleasant Valley, where he reared the younger 
 members of his family. 
 
 Robert N. Earhart after pursuing his early education prepared for college 
 in Dubuque, Iowa, and then returned east for further instruction, entering Dick- 
 inson College, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated in the 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 197 
 
 class of 1859. His classical course there gave him broad knowledge that served 
 him well in his life work in later years, enabling him to draw from a rich foun- 
 tain of information to illustrate or explain or elucidate the points which he was 
 attempting to make in his sermons. He pursued his theological course in the 
 Garrett Biblical Institute at Evanston, Illinois, and when he had qualified for 
 holy orders was ordained to the Methodist ministry and joined the upper Iowa 
 conference. Forty-one years were devoted to the work of proclaiming the gospel 
 and in various pastorates he labored earnestly and effectually, speaking with 
 clearness and force to his congregations upon the vital questions of life and its 
 problems in the relations of man to his fellowman and his Maker. Earnest and 
 zealous, his work was of marked influence in the Christian progress of northern 
 Iowa. Becorning ill in his last year, he took up his abode in Davenport, where 
 he spent his remaining days with his family and passed away on the 29th of July, 
 1907, his remains being interred in Oakdale cemetery. 
 
 It was on the 20th of October, 1868, that the Rev. R. N. Earhart was married 
 to Miss Frances Fidlar, who was born in Columbus, Ohio, but has spent the 
 greater part of her life in Davenport. Their only child, Robert F., after at- 
 taining manhood married Darline Scofield and unto them have been born two 
 children, Daniel and Robert Nixon. The father is a graduate of the Northwest- 
 ern University of Evanston, Illinois, and also spent a year in Johns Hopkins 
 University. At the age of thirty-six years he is a professor in the Ohio State 
 University and is a young man of marked intellectual force and high ideals. 
 
 In the passing of Robert Nixon Earhart, Iowa lost one of her most honored 
 citizens and one of the leading representatives of the Methodist ministry. Thor- 
 oughly versed in the history, discipline and doctrine of the church, he took of 
 religion that wider view which places the fundamental truths of Christianity 
 above all else and in his ministry taught Christian charity, patience, kindliness 
 and love — qualities which are the living influences in the world, counteracting 
 the effect of sin, degradation and all wrongdoing. The words of wisdom which 
 he spoke sank deep into many hearts and his memory remains as a blessed bene- 
 diction to all who knew him. 
 
 HERMAN HENRY MEYER. 
 
 Death often removes from our midst those whom we can ill afford to lose, 
 and the sudden demise of Herman Henry Meyer removed from Davenport one 
 who occupied a prominent place in the business circles of the city, sharing in the 
 honor and respect of his associates and colleagues. He was the secretary and 
 treasurer of the Davenport Foundry & Machine Company and instituted this 
 enterprise, which takes rank with the leading productive industries of the city. 
 He was one of those men of substantial character and sterling worth that Ger- 
 many has furnished to Iowa and in his boyhood days he accompanied his parents 
 on their emigration from the fatherland to the new world, arriving in this coun- 
 try in the '50s. For a brief period they made their home in a Wisconsin town 
 and afterward removed to St. Louis, but Herman H. Meyer soon came from that 
 
198 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 city to Davenport. Here he was united in marriage to Miss Lida Lerchen in 
 1865, and they established a home in which domestic fehcity and happiness ever 
 reigned. During eight or ten years Mr. Meyer acted as bookkeeper at the Klam- 
 bach grain depot and on removing from Davenport in 1867 he became a resident 
 of Denver, Colorado, where he secured a position as bookkeeper in the German 
 Savings bank. Subsequently he was a partner in the Handy & Meyer machinery 
 building concern, but eventually returned to this city to organize the Davenport 
 Foundry & Machine Company. From its inception he managed its growing 
 business and its development was attributable in large measure to his enterprise 
 and powers of organization. He continued in business until the time of his 
 death, which occurred when he was fifty-three years of age. He was thus cut 
 off in the prime of his usefulness and his loss was deeply felt in business circles 
 as well as by friends and relatives. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Meyer were born two children : Harry H., who was edu- 
 cated in the State University at Champaign, Illinois ; and a daughter. In Octo- 
 ber, 1892, Mr. Meyer went to Quincy, Illinois, to visit a brother and while there 
 became ill and passed away on the 22d of the month — a life of usefulness and 
 honorable activity being thus ended. 
 
 Mrs. Meyer is a daughter of Charles Lerchen, who came to this city from 
 Wheeling, West Virginia, August 29, 1850, and was engaged in the saddlery 
 business here for many years. He afterward went to Colorado, where he spent 
 his remaining days. Since her husband's death Mrs. Meyer has made her home 
 in Davenport, where she has a wide acquaintance including many warm friends. 
 
 DANIEL GOULD. 
 
 In a review of Davenport's history it becomes evident that Daniel Gould de- 
 serves prominent mention among its builders and promoters. Coming to this 
 city at an early period in its development, he took an active part not only in its 
 material but also in its intellectual and moral progress, and the influence of his 
 character and work is yet felt in the lives of those with whom he was associated, 
 and in the business and intellectual activities which were stimulated through bis 
 labors. He was born at Middletown, near Newport, Rhode Island, in the year 
 1814. His father, George Gould, and his mother, Lydia Shove Gould, were both 
 of English ancestry. The Goulds of Rhode Island came from Dorchester, Eng- 
 land, in 1637, A. D. The old manor house, called "Upway Manor," has been re- 
 placed by a much more modern edifice. The coat of arms of the Gould family is 
 a lion rampant with the insignia "Probitate et Lahore," honesty and labor. Jere- 
 miah Gould and Priscilla Gould were the first ancestors to settle in this country. 
 Daniel, their eldest son, settled at Middletown, Rhode Island, on a farm a portion 
 of which has until recently remained in the possession of the Gould family. He 
 married Wate, daughter of John Coggeshall (first president of the colony), on 
 the i8th of Jvme, 1651. Daniel Gould was a sturdy adherent of the principles of 
 the Friends Society. He had great strength of character, as evidenced by having 
 been one of a company of Quakers (as they were then called in derision) to be 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 201 
 
 scoffed and mocked by a rude mob at Charlestown Ferry. He, with others, re- 
 ceived thirty stripes upon the naked back, was cast into prison and made to He with 
 his bleeding back upon the bare boards. The only crimes of the sufferers were 
 that they "were Friends in their religious belief." This ancestor was gifted in 
 writing both prose and poetry. He traveled as a preacher on "truth's account" in 
 Maryland and Virginia. The extracts from his memoirs are very interesting. 
 
 There were seven generations between this first Daniel Gould and the one of 
 the present sketch, the name being handed down direct except in one generation. 
 The Goulds and their descendants were always landowners in and around the 
 island of Rhode Island. There is an island called Gould in Narragansett bay, 
 which belonged to the family of Goulds one hundred years after the first settle- 
 ment. The parents of Daniel Gould of this sketch removed from Rhode Island 
 to Cranston, Rhode Island, where the son spent his boyhood, assisting his father 
 to carry on a farm. His education consisted in what he could gain at school in the 
 winter months. He attended the Friends school of Providence, Rhode Island, 
 which is still in existence, being carried on in an up-to-date manner. The desire 
 and ambition of Mr. Gould was to become a lawyer. He, however, gave up his 
 own cherished plan in order to assist his parents. He was next to the eldest of 
 eleven children and from early boyhood the one always to be depended upon. 
 Nature had endowed him with a wonderfully robust constitution, else he must 
 otherwise have succumbed to the many accidents which befell him. Born with a 
 happy, buoyant disposition, he was ever the favorite among his comrades, as he 
 was also the trusty friend in after years. 
 
 In 1836 Mr. Gould married Miss Susan L. Baker, who died soon after, in 1837. 
 In 1840 he married Miss Sarah Earle, a daughter of John and Rhoda Earle, of 
 Providence, Rhode Island. Her ancestors were also of English descent and of the 
 Society of Friends and were among the early settlers on the Island of Nantucket. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Gould lived in several of the manufacturing villages near Cranston. 
 Mr. Gould had charge of some of the large stores connected with the mills. Here 
 three of their children were born. Lydia Shove, born in 1843, died four years 
 later. In 1852 Mr. Gould removed with his family to Providence, Rhode Island, 
 where they remained until 1857, when they went west and settled at Davenport 
 Iowa. Their youngest daughter, Lillie, was born here. An old friend, Robert 
 Steare, of Providence, came west at the same time and went into partnership with 
 Mr. Gould in a large carpet and furnishing business at the corner of Perry and 
 Second streets, the building owned by Mr. Dessaint. During the Civil war Mr. 
 Gould put up two stores of his own, adjoining the block on the northeast corner of 
 Brady and Second streets, where he carried on business until he retired in 1881. 
 The partnership between Mr. Gould and Mr. Steare was dissolved after a year's 
 time, Mr. Gould continuing the business alone. Mr. Gould was also a manufac- 
 turer of furniture and owned his own factory on East River street, located next to 
 the woolen mill. 
 
 One of Davenport's most respected and honored citizens, Mr. Gould was re- 
 peatedly urged to take the office of mayor of the city, but what time he could 
 spare from his business was devoted to the school interests. For fifteen years he 
 was a member of the school board — the longest time of service with one exception 
 any member had ever been upon the board. He served both as president and 
 
202 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 director, and as chairman of the building committee he had the satisfaction of 
 planning and overseeing several of the largest school buildings of the city. When 
 he resigned from the board he was presented with a gold headed cane, beautifully 
 engraved — a present from the teachers of the city, by whom he was much re- 
 spected and beloved. He was the only member of the board ever to be thus hon- 
 ored. He was called the Father of the Teachers. His portrait, presented by his 
 daughters to the school board, may be seen in the library of the new high school, 
 where it is hoped it may be an inspiration and example to others. 
 
 Mr. Gould was among the first organizers of the German Savings and Citizens 
 Banks of Davenport. His support and influence were eagerly sought by all new 
 enterprises. After his death, by request, his portrait was presented to these banks 
 and was placed in the reception room of the German Savings Bank. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Gould gave their interest and financial support to the organization of the First 
 Unitarian church of Davenport, but their loyalty to the Friends Society prevented 
 their ever becoming members. Mr. Gould was a good story teller. He entered 
 heartily into the spirit of his anecdotes, which never failed to interest his audience. 
 He and his wife were in sympathy with the early movements of the temperance 
 cause. They both took an active part in the movement for the abolition of slavery, 
 for their hearts were ever open to the cries of the distressed and oppressed. Their 
 thoughts and desires were toward progression in all directions. 
 
 Naturally their children, brought up under such influences, could but follow in 
 the same footsteps. The eldest daughter, Mary Elizabeth, was married to George 
 Wing, of New Bedford. She was finely educated and prepared to become a leader 
 and as such was always acknowledged. At one time she was the president of 
 many of the leading clubs and societies of Davenport, where she made her home 
 for some years. Afterward the family removed to Lincoln, Nebraska, where Mrs. 
 Wing died in 1895. The foundation of the Davenport public library was due in 
 no small measure to her efforts and counsel in its early days. Mr. and Mrs. Wing 
 had five children and all except one are now living. Daniel Gould Wing is the 
 president of the First National Bank of Boston and resides at West Newton, Mas- 
 sachusetts. Alice Earle is not married. She has devoted her life unselfishly to 
 others. Elizabeth Russell married Professor De Witte Bristol Brace, of Lincoln, 
 Nebraska, who filled an eminent position as chemist in the state university. He 
 had attained more than a national reputation in his profession. Thomas Ellwood 
 is a prominent lawyer of New York city. Ellen Maria Gould, the third daughter 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Gould, has devoted her life to philanthropy. Sarah Lydia, 
 the youngest daughter, married Henry E. Lewis, of Claremont, New Hampshire. 
 They settled at Lincoln, Nebraska. They have had six children, four of whom 
 are now living. The eldest son, Harold Gould Lewis, is a graduate of the elec- 
 trica,l engineering department of Columbia University of New York city. The 
 eldest daughter, Edith Larabee, is a graduate of Smith College — a highly gifted 
 young woman with literary talent that has led her to do magazine work and places 
 her on the corps of editors of one of our prominent magazines. Ruth Stewart 
 and Helen Chace are promising young ladies, still occupied with their school work. 
 
 Mr. Gould retired from business in 1881. He was presented with a very hand- 
 some gold watch chain by his employes, many of whom had been with him from 
 youth to manhood. Mr. Gould was greatly surprised and pleased wiith this testi- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 203 
 
 monial of their respect and good wishes. The anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. 
 Gould's golden wedding occurred December 4, 1890, but, owing to Mrs. Gould's 
 feeble condition, it was celebrated very quietly. The last ten years of Mr. Gould's 
 life were devoted to his invalid wife. His attentions were of such a nature that 
 they attracted the observation of the community and remain a lasting monument to 
 the love and devotion of a very noble man to a faithful, devoted wife. Mrs. Gould 
 died April 13, 1897, and was soon followed by her husband, who died August 28, 
 1897. 
 
 WILLIAM JOHNSON. 
 
 William Johnson, who is now living retired in Davenport, was for many 
 years identified with the industrial interests of the city as a carpenter. His birth 
 occurred in Ireland on the 23d of November, 1829, his parents being Thomas 
 and Eleanor Johnson. The father, who was a farmer and weaver by occupation, 
 brought his family to the United States in 1849, locating at Philadelphia, Penn- 
 sylvania, where he worked as a weaver. Four years later, in 1853, he came to 
 Davenport, Iowa, settling on a tract of thirty acres which he purchased near 
 Walcott. The land was all wild prairie but he set resolutely to work, erected 
 a house, fenced the fields and improved the property. He was not long permit- 
 ted to enjoy his new home, however, passing away about a year after his arrival 
 in Scott county. The demise of his wife also occurred about the same time. 
 
 William Johnson obtained his education in the schools of his native land and 
 was a young man of twenty when he accompanied his parents on their emigration 
 to the new world. While in Philadelphia he worked at the weaver's trade but 
 after coming to this county turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits 
 and was thus engaged for about five years. Subsequently he acted as a colpor- 
 teur for the Presbyterian church for about five years, on the expiration of which 
 period, in 1866, he was married and took up his abode in Davenport. He then 
 learned the carpenter's trade and worked at that occupation for many years, 
 erecting a number of houses. When at length, owing to his untiring industry and 
 good business ability, he had accumulated a handsome competence he retired 
 from active life and has since enjoyed the fruits of his former toil in well earned 
 ease. 
 
 On the 28th of March, 1866, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss 
 Elizabeth Steel, who was born in Ireland in 1848, and came to this country about 
 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson became the parents of five children, the record of 
 whom is as follows : Brice, who is a grocer of Davenport, has been twice mar- 
 ried, his first union being with Miss Ruth Hage, by whom he had a daughter, 
 Elizabeth Ruth. For his second wife he chose Miss Rose Lingerfeldt and they 
 had a son who is now deceased. George, living in Davenport, married Miss 
 Elizabeth Blair, by whom he has two children. William R. Johnson is still under 
 the parental roof. Cora follows the profession of school teaching in Davenport. 
 William passed away when about two years of age. 
 
 Mr. Johnson of this review has now attained the venerable age of eighty years 
 and lias lived within the borders of Scott county for more than a half century. 
 
204 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Coming to the United States in early manhood, he found the opportunities which 
 he sought and through their wise utilization won a measure of success that now 
 enables him to spend his declining years in retirement — surrounded by all of 
 the comforts and many of the luxuries that go to make life worth living. 
 
 HENRY CHRISTIAN STRUCK, JR. 
 
 Henry Christian Struck, Jr., whose connection with financial interests in 
 Davenport has been of signal benefit to the city, is now one of the managing 
 board of the Clearing House, and such has been his experience and study in the 
 field of finance that his opinions have in large measure become regarded as author- 
 ity upon financial problems. He is a representative of the progressive type of 
 German citizens who, seeking the opportunities of the new world, have not only 
 won individual advancement but have contributed as well to general progress 
 and improvement. He was born at Seelent, in the province of Schleswig-HolT 
 stein, August 20, 1853, the eldest son in a family of eight children, whose parents 
 were Henry Christian and Johanna Dorathea Sophia (Strellner) Struck. In the 
 year 1855 the father started with his family for the United States, arriving at 
 New Orleans in October. The ensuing winter months were there passed and in 
 May, 1856, they ascended the Mississippi river to Davenport, where they remained 
 for a brief period, after which they took up their abode upon a farm in Cleona 
 township, Scott county. 
 
 On the old homestead there Henry Christian Struck of this review spent his 
 boyhood, acquiring his preliminary education in the district schools, while at the 
 age of twelve years he became a pupil in a private school at Davenport, where 
 he had better opportunities to study German and other languages and also pursue 
 special courses which were not then taught in country schools. He likewise pur- 
 sued special courses in mathematics and civil engineering at Professor Thomp- 
 son's Institute and in order to gain further knowledge bearing directly upon 
 business life he entered Bryant & Stratton Commercial College on November i, 
 1869. He was graduated therefrom May 14, 1870, and on the i8th of May he 
 joined the United States Hydrographical Engineer Corps, with which he was 
 connected until the close of the season, December i, 1870. On the ist of the fol- 
 lowing January he became bookkeeper in the employ of August Steifen, a grain 
 and produce dealer, with whom he remained until Mr. Steffen retired from busi- 
 ness on the 1st of August, 1872. At that time Mr. Struck entered the employ of 
 George Ott & Company, wholesale dealers in sash, doors and blinds, in the ca- 
 pacity of bookkeeper and traveling salesman, filling the position until October i, 
 1875, when at the offer of August Steffen, his former employer, who was then 
 one of the largest stockholders of the Davenport Plow Company, he became 
 bookkeeper for that concern, remaining with the company until January i, 1878, 
 when at the advice of his physician he resigned to seek employment more con- 
 ducive to his health, which had suffered in the close confinement of office work. 
 
 On the 1st of June, 1878, Mr. Struck entered upon an independent venture by 
 purchasing the interest of the junior partner in the hardware business of Werner 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 205 
 
 & Brammer, at No. 309 West Second street. The firm of Werner & Struck main- 
 tamed an existence until January i, 1880, when Henry C. Struck, Sr., purchased 
 Mr. Werner's interest and carried on the business under the firm style of Henry 
 C. Struck & Son until October 25, 1885, at which date the entire business was 
 sold to W. P. Bissell, Mr. Struck, Jr., however, remaining with the new firm until 
 March, 1886. 
 
 Henry C. Struck became connected with city service at the solicitation of his 
 many friends, including a number of the most prominent people of Davenport. 
 They requested him to become a candidate for city collector and on the 7th of 
 April, 1886, he was appointed by the city council to that position, which he con- 
 tinued to fill until January i, 1890. No more capable incumbent has ever occu- 
 pied the office, his efficient service winning the commendation of his colleagues, 
 associates and of the general public. So capably did he discharge his duties that 
 he was nominated and elected to the office of county treasurer in the fall of 1889, 
 assuming the duties of the position on the ist of January following. His effi- 
 ciency during his first term led to reelection and when the votes were counted it 
 was found that he received every vote cast in Cleona township, the place of his 
 boyhood, not a single ballot being cast against him even by the opposition party. 
 He continued in charge of the public exchequer until January i, 1894, when he 
 retired from the office as he had entered it — with the confidence and regard of 
 all concerned. 
 
 In September, 1892, Mr. Struck was prevailed upon to accept the position of 
 cashier and secretary of the Davenport Savings Bank, a position offered him by 
 the bank directors, all of whom were his personal friends and had informed 
 themselves as to his ability as an officer and accountant. His previous training 
 in the city service, as well as in business lines, enabled him to creditably discharge 
 the duties that now devolved upon him and on the 7th of January, 1895, he was 
 elected by the stockholders of the Davenport Savings Bank to the directorate of 
 that institution, and on the organization of the Davenport Clearing House, Sep- 
 tember I, 1895, he was chosen a member of the managing board and has so con- 
 tinued to the present time, covering a period of fifteen years. 
 
 On the I2th of October, 1878, Mr. Struck was married in this city to Miss 
 Johanna Wessel, a daughter of Dr. H. Wessel, Sr., and they became parents of 
 four children, Alice B., Kuno H., Wally and Henry W., but Alice and Wally died 
 in infancy. Kuno H. Struck, born in Davenport, October 4, 1883, was educated 
 in the public schools and was graduated from the high school with valedictorian 
 honors in 1902. He afterward entered the Iowa State University and was grad- 
 uated from the medical department in 1906. He afterward spent a season with 
 his cousin. Dr. Arp of Moline, putting his theoretical knowledge to the practical 
 test. In December, 1906, he began practice in Davenport. While in the uni- 
 versity he had made a specialty of the study of bacteriology and pathology and 
 had also taught in those branches. He is a member of all the various medical 
 societies and of the Turners Society and other social organizations. 
 
 Politically H. C. Struck is a democrat, supporting the party since casting his 
 first presidential ballot for Samuel J. Tilden. He belongs to the Davenport 
 Turner Society, which he joined April ir, 1872, and on the ist of January, 1897, 
 he received a diploma as honorary member in recognition of his twenty-five 
 
206 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 years' connection therewith. On the ist of May, 1892, he became a Master 
 Mason of Fraternal Lodge, No. 221, A. F. & A. M., and for ten years filled the 
 office of treasurer. As a financier he has always counseled a safe and conserva- 
 tive policy rather than that progressiveness which tends toward risk, and his 
 clear insight and sound judgment have constituted valuable factors in the solution 
 of various problems which are continually arising in financial circles. A man of 
 well balanced capacities and powers, correctly judging life's contacts and experi- 
 ences, his ability has carried him into important public relations and the simple 
 weight of his character has won him the honor and respect of all with whom he 
 has been associated. 
 
 WILLIAM C. SCHAEFER. 
 
 Prominent among those who gain a livelihood from the rich soil of Scott county 
 may be mentioned William C. Schaef er, who owns ninety acres of land in Daven- 
 port township, where he resides, and one hundred and fifty- four acres in Pleasant 
 Valley township, besides other farm and city property. As the name indicates, he 
 is of German birth, his parents being Edward and Mary (Bishop) Schaefer, who 
 were pioneer settlers of Scott county. The former was born in Germany in 1810 
 and came to the United States when a young man, alone. He spent one year 
 thereafter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and then sought a location in Scott county. 
 He bought forty acres of raw land on the Jersey Ridge road on Duck creek but 
 prior to making the purchase he had built a crude dwelling in the midst of the wil- 
 derness. This house stood on the land which he later bought. It was about this 
 time that he wedded Miss Mary Bishop and they began their domestic life in the 
 pioneer home which Mr. Schaefer had prepared. Mrs. Schaefer had come to the 
 new world with her parents when she was a young girl. To them were born four 
 sons : William C, Fred, Charles and Edward. The two last named are deceased, 
 the former passing away when but fourteen years of age, while the latter was 
 thirty-six years of age at the time of his demise. 
 
 When the parents settled in their new home they began work in earnest, toiling 
 from early morning until late at night. It was a long and strenuous task that was 
 presented to them but they met it with a steady, unwavering resolution that was 
 chara:cteristic of the early pioneer settlers. From a wilderness the father con- 
 verted his land into richly cultivated fields and as the time passed and his sons grew 
 in years and strength they rendered valuable assistance to him in caring for his 
 crops, through the sale of which he added to his financial resources and was able 
 from time to time to increase his land holdings. He accumulated two hundred and 
 eighty acres of fine land and in course of years replaced his pioneer home with a 
 more pretentious and modern dwelling. At the time of his death, which occurred 
 March 3, 1900, he left to each of his two living sons a good farm and left his widow 
 in comfortable circumstances as well. She still survives at the advanced age of 
 eighty years. As she looks about her she sees few of the settlers that came here 
 in pioneer times but she has many warm friends among the younger generations 
 
--':-'\' 'AR LZ s 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 209 
 
 who through their kindly interest and affection help to brighten her path in her 
 declining years. 
 
 William C. Schaefer, the elder son, was born on the home farm on Duck creek, 
 February 3, 1854, and in his boyhood and youth shared with the other members of 
 the family in the privations and struggles that surround the early settlers in a new 
 country. He attended the district schools of the neighborhood and later the Ger- 
 man school in Davenport. He has made farming his life work and his home place, 
 which he inherited from his father's estate, comprises ninety acres, this being lo- 
 cated in Davenport township. He also owns five acres across the road from his 
 home and one hundred and fifty-four acres in Pleasant Valley township, while he 
 likewise has city property in Davenport. He carries on general farming and 
 stock raising, his specialty being Poland China hogs and shorthorn cattle. 
 
 Mr. Schaefer was married April 17, 1879, to Miss Emma Kurtzfeldt, a daughter' 
 of Mr. and Mrs. John Kurtzfeldt. She was born in Davenport township, her people 
 being among the early settlers of this section. Six children grace the home of Mr. 
 and Mrs. Schaefer : May, Edward, Adolph, Charles, Delia, and Lillian. All are at 
 home with the exception of the eldest daughter. May, the wife of William Bertram, 
 who operates her father's farm in Pleasant Valley township. She is the mother of 
 four children, Harold, Esther, Earl and Lucile. 
 
 Mr. Schaefer can well remember when he was a boy how this district appeared. 
 Much of the land was still unclaimed, the homes of the settlers were widely scat- 
 tered and many of the present thriving towns and villages Were then unheard 
 of. As the years have passed he has seen this section of the county develop 
 into a rich farming center, dotted here and there with modern and attractive 
 homes, and he can take a just pride in what has been accomplished, for he has 
 been an important factor in bringing this about. Today he stands crowned with 
 honors and success, and his honesty of purpose, his clean record and his devo- 
 tion to all that is manly and upright has gained for him many warm friends. 
 
 JOHN HEINZ. 
 
 Allegiance to a high standard of commercial ethics and intelligent appre- 
 ciation for and improvement of opportunity have gained for John Heinz a credit- 
 able position in the ranks of Davenport's leading business men. Bom in this 
 city on the 19th of March, i860, he is a son of Bonaventura and Margeretha 
 (Trenkenshuh) Heinz, the former a native of Baden, Germany, and the latter 
 of Bavaria. The father came to the United States in 1845 and took up his abode 
 in St. Louis. Soon afterward he enlisted for service in the Mexican war and 
 following the close of hostilities returned to St. Louis, where he remained until 
 1855, when he made his way up the river to Davenport on the Golden Era. From 
 that time until he retired, at an advanced age, he was connected with river trans- 
 portation and was also wharf master for a number of years. He was likewise 
 active in public afifairs and was influential among all classes. He came to be 
 known as a rhan whose word could be implicitly relied upon and his keen insight 
 made his judgment such as awakened public confidence. His death occurred in 
 
210 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 1901, when he had reached the age of seventy-two years. In St. Louis he mar- 
 ried Margeretha Trenkenshuh and their children were: Fred; Carrie, who died 
 in 1901 as the result of an operation; Henry, who is now the publisher of the 
 Muscatine (Iowa) Journal; and John, of this review. 
 
 The last named was a public school student and then became associated in 
 various lines of business with his brother Fred. In 1885 he was appointed United 
 States gauger, which office he still fills, twenty-five years' service in this capacity 
 standing as incontrovertible proof of his trustworthiness and ability. He has 
 embraced his opportunities for the attainment of success through active connec- 
 tion with various business concerns and is now a director of the Farmers & Me- 
 chanics Bank, a member of the firm of L. M. Fisher, and also is successfully en- 
 gaged in the loan business. Whatever he undertakes he carries forward to suc- 
 cessful completion, brooking no obstacles that can be overcome by determined 
 purpose. 
 
 In June, 1886, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Heinz and Miss Emma 
 Kruse, a native of Davenport and a daughter of John Kruse, who was well 
 known in the transfer business here. Their two children, Cora I. and Grace C, 
 are yet at home. Mr. Heinz belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of 
 Elks and to the Knights of Pythias fraternity and is a trustee of the Davenport 
 Turnverein. He was also one of the firemen of this city in the old days of the 
 volunteer department and is a popular and well known member of the Veteran 
 Volunteer Firemen's Association, the Schuetzen Verein, the Davenport Boat Club 
 and the Pastime Club. At all times he has stood for progressive methods in 
 municipal affairs, manifesting a deep interest in those projects which are a 
 matter of civic virtue and civic pride. 
 
 JACOB JOHANNSEN. 
 
 Jacob Johannsen, who in the years of an active business life followed farm- 
 ing but is now living retired in Davenport, has demonstrated in his life record 
 that success is not a matter of genius, as held by some, but is rather the outcome 
 of clear judgment, experience and intelligently directed industry. He was born 
 in Holstein, Germany, February 6, 1836, and is a son of Jacob and Margarethe 
 Johannsen, who spent their entire lives in their native country. The subject of 
 this review attended school in Germany and through the periods of vacation 
 worked on the home farm. The favorable reports which he heard concerning 
 America and its opportunities led him to the belief that no country held out as 
 great inducement, and accordingly he made arrangements to cross the Atlantic. 
 Bidding adieu to home and friends, he landed at New York on the 25th of May, 
 1857, but did not tarry on the eastern coast. He at once made his way into the 
 interior of the country, arriving in Davenport on the.ist of June. His lack of 
 financial resources made it imperative that he at once seek employment and he 
 began work as a farm hand, spending five years in that way. He was then mar- 
 ried and rented land until his industry and economy enabled him to secure capital 
 sufficient to purchase a farm. In 1868 he bought eighty acres in Davenport town- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 211 
 
 ship, to which he removed. The farm was improved and he at once began its 
 further development and cultivation, making his home thereon until 1880. In 
 the meantime he had added to the place and retained the ownership thereof until 
 1885, when he sold. He had retired in 1880, however, and in that year took 
 up his abode in Davenport, where he has since lived, enjoying a well earned rest. 
 On the 17th of March, 1862, Mr. Johannsen was married to Miss Dora Hein, 
 a daughter of Henry and Catherine Hein, who were natives of Germany. Mr. 
 Johannsen is a member of the German Pioneers association. For more than a 
 half century he has lived in this county and has therefore witnessed much of 
 its growth and progress as the work of development has been carried forward 
 by the enterprising and progressive class of people who came here to enjoy the 
 natural advantages offered. Working resolutely and persistently day after day, 
 Jacob Johannsen at length became the possessor of a comfortable competence 
 that now supplies him with all of the comforts and some of the luxuries of life. 
 He has never had occasion to regret his determination to come to the new world, 
 for he found good opportunities here and in their improvement reached a place 
 among the substantial citizens of Scott county. 
 
 MRS. ANNE H. HAGEN. 
 
 Germany has furnished to Davenport a large percentage of her citizens and 
 among the number is Mrs. Anne H. Hagen, who, however, has lived in Scott 
 county since her girlhood days. She is the widow of Herman Hagen, who was 
 bom in Holstein, Germany, December 5, 1861. He was a son of Jacob and 
 Magdalene (Neimier) Hagen, who came from Germany to Scott county in 
 1868, with their family of seven children, and settled in Sheridan township. For 
 many years the father devoted his time and energies to general farming and be- 
 came recognized as one of the representative agriculturists of the community. 
 He died in March, 1894, while his wife, surviving him for two years, passed away 
 in 1896. They celebrated their golden wedding, having been married in 1844. 
 
 Herman Hagen was the youngest of their seven children and was but six 
 years of age at the time the family crossed the Atlantic to the new world. He 
 pursued his education in the district schools of Sheridan township and in Dun- 
 can's Business College in Davenport. The periods of vacation had been de- 
 voted to the work of the fields and when he put aside his text-books he resumed 
 farming, which he followed throughout the remainder of his life. He contin- 
 ued to assist in the cultivation of the old homestead until about thirty years of 
 age, when his father retired and he took charge of the farm. In 1896 he pur- 
 chased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Sheridan township and removed 
 to that farm, upon which he made his home until March, 1906, when he be- 
 came a resident of Davenport. He was not long permitted to enjoy his city 
 home, however, for his death occurred on the nth of the following month. 
 
 It was on the 30th of January, 1892, that Mr. Hagen was united in marriage 
 to Miss Anne H. Wiese, a daughter of John and Catherine Wiese, of Scott 
 county. Mrs. Hagen was born in Germany and was brought to this county by 
 
212 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 her father during her early girlhood, her mother having previously died in Ger- 
 many, when Mrs. Hagen was but seven years of age. Her father then made 
 arrangements to seek a home in the new world and started for America accom- 
 panied by his three children : Dorothy, who is now the wife of Lewis Specht and 
 Hves in O'Brien county, Iowa; Mrs. Hagen; and Emily, the widow of Christ 
 Misfeldt, of Durant, Iowa. The father engaged in farming to some extent in 
 this country. He had been a cigar maker in Germany and had served in the 
 army. He died in 1907. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hagen were born four children, Hilda, Lillian, Magda- 
 lene and Norma, but the last named is now deceased. Herman Hagen was a 
 member of the German Lutheran church and a man of upright life and sterling 
 qualities, honored and respected by all who knew him. He served as school di- 
 rector while living on the farm and in other local offices, the duties of which 
 he ever discharged with promptness and fidelity. Coming to Scott county when 
 but six years of age, he practically spent his entire life here and his stanchest 
 friends were numbered among those who knew him from his boyhood, a fact in- 
 dicative of a well ordered and well spent life. 
 
 MATHIAS PROUDFOOT. 
 
 Mathias Proudfoot was for many years identified with the agricultural inter- 
 ests of Scott county but is now living retired, having in former years accumulated 
 a good farming property of two hundred and forty acres, lying in Lincoln, Le 
 Claire and Davenport townships. He is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Cam- 
 bria county. May 24, 1834, and is second in order of birth in a family of seven 
 children, whose parents were Richard J. and Rebecca Proudfoot. In 1861 the 
 father removed with his family, numbering wife and several children, to Scott 
 county and located a farm in Lincoln township, this tract now being owned by our 
 subject. The father erected a good house and outbuildings on the place and in 
 due time had his fields in a cultivable condition, each year harvesting good crops. 
 The farm continued to be his home throughout his remaining years. Both parents 
 lived to be eighty years old and were highly respected in the community. Three 
 of their children died in infancy, while the others are : Richard, who has also de- 
 parted this life; Mathias, of this review; Eliza, the wife of Thomas Douglass 
 and a resident of Wyoming, Iowa; and Emeline, the wife of J. W. Baker. 
 
 Mathias Proudfoot was reared in the Keystone state and acquired his education 
 in the public schools. In his early manhood he learned the carpenter's trade, 
 which he followed for a time in the east. In 1861, when a young man of twenty- 
 six years, he came with his parents to Scott county and became identified with 
 farming. His father purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land, which con- 
 stitutes a portion of his present acreage, and after this came into his possession he 
 added one hundred and twenty acres more, so that he now owns altogether two 
 hundred and forty acres, located in Lincoln, LeClaire and Davenport townships. 
 For many years he gave his entire time to the operation of this land and has 
 become a very successful man. He recently put aside business cares and makes 
 
/'V-. //r/ ////.'/,_ 
 
 V ' fr/J ; r f 
 
CI I /u no 
 
 y /'-Cifr 
 
 -//rc4 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 215 
 
 his home with his sister Mrs. Baker. However, he still owns his land, which he 
 rents. 
 
 Mr. Proudfoot was married in May, 1884, to Miss Eliza Walker, a daughter of 
 Mr. and Mrs. WiUiam Walker, of Scott county. Her death occurred ten years 
 later. Mr. Proudfoot votes with the republican party but is not active in public 
 affairs. He has led a busy, energetic and useful life and his labors have been 
 rewarded by a competency that enables him to withdraw from active business. 
 
 CAPTAIN ALVAH O. DAY. 
 
 One of the best known representatives of the shipping interests on the Missis- 
 sippi river is Captain Alvah O. Day, of Davenport, who has gained a wide 
 acquaintance as commander of river vessels plying between St. Paul and St. 
 Louis. He is the owner of two steamboats, the B. Hershie and the Everett. He 
 was born near Rochester, Dodge county, Minnesota, August i, 1866, and is a 
 son of Lewis and Pauline (Henry) Day. The father was a native of Deerfield, 
 Ohio, born September 9, 1837. His people had gone to that state from Deerfield, 
 ^Massachusetts, and the town of Deerfield, Ohio, was nam'ed by them in honor of 
 their old home. Captain Day's father retained his residence there until about 
 i860, when he removed with his family to Winnebago county, Wisconsin, where 
 he purchased land and began farming. At the outbreak of the Civil war, how- 
 ever, he put aside all business and personal considerations, enlisting as a private 
 in the Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, with which he served throughout the 
 war, his meritorious conduct on the field of battle and his unfaltering valor win- 
 ning him promotion to the rank of lieutenant. It was about 1864 that the Day 
 family removed to Minnesota and from the government entered land near Roches- 
 ter. At the close of the war the father joined his family there and continued to 
 make his home in that locality until 1871, when he came to Scott county, set- 
 tling at Le Claire. He was also a steamboat man and purchased one of the first 
 boats that floated down the Wisconsin river. He used it in the navigation of 
 Mississippi waters and was one of the early steamboat captains of this section, 
 making his first trip down the river in 1859. The family continued ta reside at 
 Le Qaire until 1892. On the 24th of March of that year the mother passed 
 away, being then forty-eight years of age, her birth having occurred in Medina 
 county, Ohio, in 1844. After her death Lewis Day retired and made his home 
 with his son Alvah. They were the parents of six children : Alvah O. ; Lewis, 
 who is living in Rock Island, Illinois; George, whose home is in San Francisco, 
 California; Alice, the wife of William Kingsbury, of Wyoming; and Zoe and 
 Emma, both deceased. 
 
 Captain Day of this review was only about five years old when the family 
 removed from Minnesota to Iowa, so that his early education was acquired in the 
 public schools of Le Qaire. He afterward attended Port Byron College, while 
 his training in navigation was received from, his father. He obtained his license 
 as master pilot at the age of twenty-one years and has since followed the river, 
 being today one of the oldest and best known river men in Scott county. He 
 
216 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 has not only worked his way upward in positions of increased responsibility, 
 serving as captain for a long period, but has also advanced along material lines, 
 being now the owner of two steamboats, the B. Hershie and the Everett, both 
 of which are stanch river crafts and are liberally patronized by the carrying trade. 
 
 Captain Day was married November i6, 1892, to Miss Winifred Davenport, 
 a daughter of James H. and Savilla (Reynolds) Davenport, of Scott county. 
 Mrs. Day was born in Le Claire, Iowa. Her father was the first white child 
 born in Scott county, his natal day being May 4, 1838. His death occurred 
 April 7, 1905. His parents, Adrian L. and Harriet (Lane) Davenport, were 
 among the first settlers in this part of the state and took an active part in the 
 work of pioneer development and improvement, as the rich natural resources 
 of the state were utilized in the eififort to plant the seeds of civilization and prog- 
 ress here. Captain and Mrs. Day have two sons : Lewis, born January 23, 
 1894; and Davenport, born November 4, 1898. 
 
 Captain Day is well known in fraternal circles, holding membership with the 
 Modern Woodmen, the Knights of Pythias and the Masons. In the Masonic 
 order he has taken the degrees of the Scottish Rite. He is also connected with 
 the Sons of Veterans and in religious faith is an Episcopalian, belonging to 
 Grace cathedral. Having practically spent his entire life in this county, Captain 
 Day is widely and favorably known, and is recognized as a man of his word 
 who, without sham or pretense in any particular, stands fearlessly in support 
 of what he believes to be right, manifesting a spirit of utmost. honor and integ- 
 rity in his business affairs as well as in his social relations. 
 
 B. W. GARTSIDE. 
 
 B. W. Gartside, who since 1889 has been vice president of the T. W. McClel- 
 land Company, while his identification with the business dates from 1878, was 
 born in New Jersey, a son of Benjamin and Caroline (Measey) Gartside. In 
 his childhood days he accompanied his parents to Davenport and the public 
 schools afforded him his literary education. He afterward studied architecture 
 and in 1878 became connected with the T. W. McClelland Company, which at 
 that time in addition to mill work was conducting an extensive business as con- 
 tractors, architects and designers. Mr. Gartside took charge of the architectural 
 and designing department but of recent years, owing to the increase of their 
 business along other lines, the company has given up the other branches and is 
 now giving undivided attention to the mill work. In 1889 Mr. Gartside was 
 elected to the vice presidency of the company and as the second officer is doing 
 much to shape the policy of the house and extend its business connections. He 
 is a man of unfaltering enterprise and keen discernment, laboring earnestly to se- 
 cure that success which is the goal of all laudable endeavor. 
 
 In 1882 occurred the marriage of B. W. Gartside and Miss Emma Van Home, 
 a native of Galesburg, Illinois. They have one son, Benjamin W., Jr., a young 
 man of promise who is now with the Bettendorf Company. He studied archi- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 217 
 
 tecture and was for some years connected with the McClelland Company, and in 
 the field of his chosen labor he is making substantial progress. 
 
 Mr. Gartside holds membership in the Commercial and Outing Clubs. In 
 manner he is unassuming, free from ostentation and display, yet the genuine 
 worth of his character is manifest to all who have business or social relations 
 with him. He places a correct valuation upon life and its opportunities, recog- 
 nizes the obUgations and duties of citizenship and manifests his interest in the 
 welfare of Davenport by active and substantial cooperation in various move- 
 ments for the general good. 
 
 J. B. MORGAN, D. D. S. 
 
 Dr. J. B. Morgan, who enjoys the distinction of being the oldest practitioner 
 in dentistry in Davenport, was also one of the first of Iowa's sons to go to the 
 support of the Union when the great struggle between the north and south was 
 inaugurated. He was born in Erie county, Pennsylvania, July 6, 1839. His 
 father, James B. Morgan, was a native of England and came to the United 
 States when about eighteen years of age. He settled in Pennsylvania and there 
 married Miss Margaret C. Boyd, who in her girlhood days had left Ireland, her 
 native country, and had become a resident of the Keystone state. When Dr. 
 Morgan was but six months old his father died and the mother afterward mar- 
 ried again. In 1844 she came to Iowa, settling in Delaware county, where she 
 continued to make her home until the time of her removal to Dakota a few years 
 prior to her demise. 
 
 Dr. J. B. Morgan, who was but five years of age when brought to Iowa, was 
 reared upon the home farm in Delaware county and after mastering the branches 
 of learning taught in the district schools attended Lenox College at Hopkinton. 
 When the first call for troops was issued by President Lincoln he made quick 
 response, enlisting on the 20th of April, 1861, as a member of Company I, First 
 Iowa Infantry. On the expiration of his term of service he was honorably dis- 
 charged August 21, 1861, but soon reenlisted, becoming a private of Company 
 K, Twelfth Iowa Infantry, on the 7th of September. On the 25th of November 
 of the same year he was promoted to the rank of first sergeant. Later he was 
 discharged and reenlisted as a veteran volunteer of Company K, Twelfth Iowa 
 Infantry, February 17, 1864, and on the 5th of February, 1865, he was promoted 
 to the rank of first lieutenant of that company, with which he remained until his 
 military service was ended in March, 1866. The First Iowa Infantry was the 
 only three months' regiment that went from this state. It was organized at 
 Camp Elsworth, Keokuk, and left Iowa, June 12, 1861, being assigned to duty 
 along the Hannibal & St. Joe Railroad from Hannibal to Mason City. The 
 troops were there relieved in order to join General Lyon at Boonville, and an 
 advance was made on Springfield, Missouri, from June 2^ to July 5. Dr. Mor- 
 gan participated in the action at Forsyth, Missouri, on the 22d of July and at 
 Dug Springs, August 2, followed by the battle of Wilson's Creek on the loth of 
 August. 
 
218 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 The Twelfth Iowa Infantry, his second regiment, was organized at Dubuque 
 and mustered into service November 25, 1861. They moved to St. Louis, Novem- 
 ber 28, and were on duty at Benton Barracks until January 27, 1862. Proceeding 
 to Cairo, Illinois, they thence went to Smithland, Kentucky, and were on duty 
 with the First Brigade, Second Division of the District of West Tennessee, from 
 February until April, 1862 ; with the Union Brigade, District of Corinth, Depart- 
 ment of Tennessee, to December, 1862; First Brigade, District of Corinth, Six- 
 teenth Army Corps, of the Tennessee, to January, 1863 ; Third Brigade, Third 
 Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, April to December, 1863 ; Third Brigade, 
 First Division, right wing Sixteenth Army Corps, to November, 1864; Third 
 Brigade, First Division, detachment Sixteenth Corps, to February, 1865 ; Third 
 Brigade, First Division, Sixteenth Corps, Army of the Gulf, service; expedition 
 up Tennessee river, February 5-6, 1862 ; capture of Fort Henry, Tennessee, 
 February 6; Fort Donelson, Tennessee, February 13-16; duty at Fort Donel- 
 son until March 12; moved to Pittsburg Landing, March 12-21 ; battle of Shiloh, 
 April 6-7; advance and siege of Corinth, Mississippi, April 26 to May 30; pur- 
 suit to Brownsville, May 31 to June 12; duty at Corinth until December 18;. 
 battle of Corinth, October 3-4; pursuit to Ripley, October 5-12; ordered to Daven- 
 port, Iowa, December 18; defense of Jackson, Tennessee, December 20, 1862, to 
 January 4, 1863 ; moved to Davenport, Iowa, January 4-7, and on duty there 
 until March 27th; thence to Duck Port, Louisiana, April 9-14; movement on 
 Bruensburg and turning Grand Gulf, May 2-12; Jackson, May 14; Big Black 
 river. May 17; siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, May 18- July 4; assault on Vicks- 
 burg, May 19-22 ; surrender of Vicksburg, July 4 ; advance on Jackson, July 
 S-io; siege of Jackson, July 10-15; Brandon, July 19-20; camp at Big Black 
 river until November expedition to Brownsville, October 16; moved to Mem- 
 phis, November 7-12; on general duty to January, 1864; moved to Vicksburg, 
 Mississippi, February 1-6; expedition to Canton, February 25-March 4; on 
 veteran's furlough, March and April; moved to Memphis, April 28-May 2; 
 Smith's expedition through Mississippi, June 16- July 18; Pontotoc, July 11; 
 Harrisburg, July 13; Tupelo, July 14-15; Old Town Creek, July 15; expedition 
 to Oxford, July 31-August 23; Tallahatchie river, August 7-9; Abbeville and 
 Oxford, August 12; Hurricane, August 13-14; College Hill, August 21-22; 
 Abbeville, August 23 ; moved to Duvall's Blufif, September i ; pursuit of Price 
 through Missouri, September 7-November 15; moved to Nashville, Tennessee, 
 November 23-December i ; battle of Nashville, December 15-16; pursuit of Hood 
 to the Tennessee river, December 17-30; duty at Clifton, Tennessee, and East- 
 port, Mississippi, until February 7, 1865 ; moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, 
 February 7-22; thence to Dauphine Island, Alabama, March 7-8; siege of Span- 
 ish Fort and Fort Blakely, March 25-April 8 ; Fort Blakely, April 9 ; capture of 
 Mobile, April 12; march to Montgomery, April 13-25; duty there until May 12; 
 moved to Selma, May 12, and duty there and district of the Talladega until De- 
 cember; and detached at Selma for duty in the organization of the Freedman's 
 Bureau. 
 
 Such in brief is the history of Dr. Morgan's connection with the Union army 
 but it tells little of the long, hard marches, the difficult sieges and the long and 
 weary waiting in winter quarters. All the experiences meted out to the soldier 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 219 
 
 were his, but never did he falter in the performance of any duty and from first 
 to last was at the front valiantly defending- the Union cause. 
 
 Upon leaving the army Dr. Morgan returned to the pursuits of civil life. 
 In the fall of 1866 he began attending lectures at Rush Medical College, of Chi- 
 cago, with the intention of making the practice of medicine his profession. After 
 attending one course of lectures he decided to take up the study of dentistry and 
 accordingly entered the Philadelphia Dental College, from which he was grad- 
 uated in 1868. The same year he came to Davenport, which has since been the 
 scene of his professional activities. On the ist of June, 1869, he purchased the 
 office and practice of Dr. Gunckle, and the forty years of his labors here make 
 him the oldest dentist in the three cities which are linked by common interests. 
 He is not only the dean of the profession but has remained throughout the years 
 a foremost representative in all that indicates progress and capability. Reading, 
 research and study have kept him in touch with the onward march of the pro- 
 fession, his methods of practice today being utterly dissimilar to those which 
 were in vogue when he started out four decades ago. His office is equipped with 
 the latest appliances and at all times he has enjoyed the highest regard of his 
 fellow practitioners as well as the general public. 
 
 On the 28th of September, 1871, Dr. Morgan was united in marriage to 
 Miss Minnie C. Harris, a native of Sag Harbor, New York. He has long been 
 a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, of the Loyal Legion and of the 
 Union Veterans Union, thus maintaining pleasant relations with his old army 
 comrades. He is indeed a wonderful man for his age, faithful, cheerful and 
 vigorous, as fond of a fishing trip or outing as many a one of fewer years and 
 enjoying hfe with the full zest of his juniors. He stands high both profession- 
 ally and socially and in citizenship is as loyal to his county as he was when he 
 followed the old flag on southern battlefields. 
 
 ANDREW WASHINGTON BOWMAN, M. D. 
 
 Dr. Andrew Washington Bowman, who in the years of his connection with 
 the medical fraternity of Davenport was one of the city's most busy, capable, 
 successful and respected practitioners, was born in Andalusia, Rock Island county, 
 Illinois, in January, 1847. His father, Edward H. Bowman, was also a physician 
 and, locating in Rock Island county in 1843, became a prominent representative 
 of the medical fraternity there, enjoying a large and growing practice for many 
 years. He filled the office of circuit clerk of that county and served with dis- 
 tinction as an army surgeon throughout the Civil war. He also spent several 
 years in mining in California following the discovery of gold on the Pacific 
 coast, and for a considerable period was Indian agent in the Indian Territory. 
 
 After completing his literary education Dr. Andrew W. Bowman traveled 
 through California and Mexico before deciding upon the calling or profession 
 which he wished to make his life work. When in Mexico an epidemic of small- 
 pox broke out where he was staying and thus he had an opportunity of using 
 the knowledge of medicine he had obtained in connection with his father's prac- 
 
220 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 tice. He treated several hundred cases with success and received numerous in- 
 ducements to remain, but he had decided to become a physician and follow the 
 profession in the United States, for he did not naturally like the surroundings 
 and environment of a Mexican home. He then entered Ann Arbor for a course 
 in medicine and afterward studied in the Rush Medical College, from which 
 he was graduated with honors in the class of 1878. In 1880 he came to Daven- 
 port and almost immediately was accorded an extensive practice, which grew 
 with the passing years until he was one of the city's most busy and respected 
 physicians. He was very careful in the diagnosis of a case and in the applica- 
 tion of remedial agencies. Moreover, he was familiar with the component parts 
 of the human body and every phase of anatomy and his conscientious performance 
 of duty marked an improved epoch in the standard of medical service in this 
 city. 
 
 On the nth of August, 1879, Dr. Bowman was married, to Miss Marie Max- 
 well, a daughter of the late Dr. A. S. Maxwell, a former resident of Daven- 
 port. He was a long-time member of the Masonic fraternity, the beneficent 
 principles of which he exemplified in his life, finding ample opportunity to dem- 
 onstrate his belief in the brotherhood of man. He died July 16, 1906, at the age 
 of fifty-nine years, and a useful career was thus brought to a close. His friendly 
 and courteous spirit and his kindly disposition had made him esteemed by all 
 •who knew him and most of all where he was best known. 
 
 M. L. SIEBENGARTNER. 
 
 Among the German citizens of the little village of Bettendorf who have 
 proved that though America is not their native land it commands from them 
 the most effective loyalty is M. L. Siebengartner, a retired farmer. He owns 
 five acres within the boundaries of the town, this constituting his place of resi- 
 dence, and other real estate here. He was born in Bavaria, Germany, Septem- 
 ber 19, 1840, a son of Marcus and Theresa (Shoenmaier) Siebengartner, 
 both of whom spent all their lives in their native country. 
 
 Mr. Siebengartner was well advanced in years before he sought a home in 
 America. After having, received the fundamental education provided by the 
 public schools of the fatherland he attended college at Naunten, Germany, there- 
 after devoting himself to agricultural pursuits in the vicinity of his birthplace. 
 It was not until the 28th of July, 1884, that he reached Davenport, having brought 
 his family to the United States with him, and there he found work as a team- 
 ster. Three years later he removed to Bettendorf, where he rented a tract of 
 land and later bought the place on which he now lives. He has cultivated the 
 soil with profit to himself and has intimately identified himself with public in- 
 terests for he is a man of progressive ideas and large public spirit so that every 
 enterprise which is calculated to advance the welfare and better the conditions 
 of the community has received his support. 
 
 While living in Germany, October 2, 1865, Mr. Siebengartner married Miss 
 Francise Hrabmaer and they have had seven children. Barbara, who married 
 
/ et'-e / 1 cjci y-t 1 1 e 7'- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 223 
 
 George Weinzell and lives in Germany, has five children, George, Max, Mary, 
 Anna and Joe. Michael, a business man of Chicago, Illinois, married Allenia 
 Dipple and they have four children, Elizabeth, Max, Alma and Clara. Marcus 
 was ordained a priest of the Catholic church at Regensburg, Bavaria, and is now 
 a professor of theology in a Catholic academy in his native land. Francise mar- 
 ried John Holzner and lives at Bettendorf . Frank C. has remained at home and 
 has followed in the footsteps of his father as regards interest in public affairs, 
 being identified with some of the more important organizations of the village. 
 He is vice president of the Bettendorf Savings Bank, is commissioner of the 
 streets, assessor, secretary of the Bettendorf fire department, and treasurer of 
 school board. Louis M. lives at home and assumes the management of the 
 farm. Emma married Michael Flashman, a farmer of Davenport township. 
 
 Mr. Siebengartner was one of the men who was instrumental in building the 
 Catholic church of the village. It was erected in 1901, with Father Dr. George 
 Ginglinger as pastor. There were only ten Catholic families there at the time, 
 most of them German, but the little congregation has prospered largely through 
 Mr. Siebengartner's efforts, for besides contributing to its support he has under- 
 taken to care for the church. He was also one of the first of the councilmen of 
 the village and served three terms as treasurer of the school board. His inter- 
 est in educational matters is especially keen, for, being a product of the German 
 schools which enjoy an international reputation for their excellence, he is anx- 
 ious to raise the standard of the local institutions of learning as high as possible. 
 In the quarter of a century in which he has lived here his influence has been 
 felt in many ways and, being wholly worthy, he enjoys the utmost confidence 
 of those who have watched his life from day to day. 
 
 WILLIAM WATTS. 
 
 William Watts, who in former years was prominently connected with building 
 operations in Davenport, conducting an extensive business as a contractor, is 
 now living retired. Like many of the residents of the city of an older generation, 
 he is of foreign birth, the place of his nativity being Norfolkshire, England, and 
 his natal day the 31st of August, 1837. He has, therefore, passed the seventy- 
 second milestone on life's journey. His parents, Robert and Matilda (Gower) 
 Watts, came to the United States in 1848, landing in New York, after which they 
 made their way westward by the canal to Buffalo and took up their abode upon 
 a farm near that city. 
 
 William Watts had begun his education in the schools of his native country 
 at the time the family crossed the Atlantic to the new world and continued his 
 studies in the Empire state. He resided upon the home farm in the vicinity of 
 Buffalo until 1856, when, at the age of nineteen years, he left home, believing that 
 he would have better opportunities to more quickly secure a competence in the 
 middle west. He then left the Empire state and came to Scott county, Iowa, 
 where his brother, Robert J. Watts, was then living, having arrived here in the 
 spring of that year, while William Watts established his home in Davenport in 
 
224 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 the fall of 1856. He had learned the wagon maker's trade in the east and after 
 coming to the west began work at the carpenter's trade, being first employed on 
 a house on Lucust street between Brady and Main streets, which is still stand- 
 ing. He was afterward employed in the shops of the Rock Island Railroad 
 Company as coach builder for about fourteen years and has also aided in the 
 construction of a large number of buildings in Davenport, including the Metro- 
 politan hall. During the panic of 1857, he went south to Memphis, Tennessee, 
 where he remained for a year, and during the period of the Civil war he assisted 
 in building Camp McClelland. He has built about twenty houses for himself 
 and also many others, and his business as a speculative builder has proven very 
 profitable. He still owns considerable property, from which he derives a sub- 
 stantial annual income. His investments have ever been judiciously made, while 
 the evidences of his handiwork have secured to him a liberal patronage as a gen- 
 eral contractor. 
 
 On the 6th of June, 1859, ^r. Watts was united in marriage to Miss Ma- 
 tilda Parsonage and unto them were born seven children: Sidney, who is living 
 in Benton county, Iowa, married Hattie Southerland and they have four chil- 
 dren : Guy, Ray, Jessie and Hazel. Mary, the second of the family, is deceased. 
 Emma is the widow of D. M. West, who was an attorney of Council Bluffs, and 
 she now lives with her father. Anna L. is also at home. William A., of Dav- 
 enport, married Lillian De Foy and they have three children: Margaret, Helen 
 and Clement. James E., of Mason City, married Helen Johnson. Jessie G. com- 
 pletes the family. The wife and mother, who was born in December, 1839, died 
 on the 26th of March, 1879. 
 
 Mr. Watts has been a republican since age conferred upon him the right of 
 franchise, never faltering in his allegiance to the party because he believes its 
 platform to contain the best principles of good government. 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. His 
 interests are thoroughly identified with those of Davenport 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. A man of 
 great natural ability, his success in business from the beginning of his residence 
 here has been uniform and rapid. He has persevered in the pursuit of a per- 
 sistent purpose and has gained a most satisfactory reward. 
 
 CLAUS HELL. 
 
 Claus Hell, a retired agriculturist residing in Davenport, has made his home 
 at No. 705 West Sixth street for the past thirty-six years. For many years he 
 was actively identified with general agricultural pursuits and is still the owner 
 of a tract of two hundred acres of fine farm land, eighty acres of which lies 
 in Cleona township, Scott county, and one hundred and twenty acres in 
 Cedar county. His birth occurred in Holstein, Germany, on the 17th 
 of June, 1837, his parents being John and Anna Hell, who spent their entire 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 225 
 
 lives in that country. The father was a laborer and also engaged in farming on 
 a small scale. 
 
 Glaus' Hell obtained his education in the schools of his native land and after 
 putting aside his text-books worked as a farm hand for about a year. In 1854, 
 when a youth of seventeen years, he set sail for the new world in company with 
 his brother John, landing at New York after an ocean voyage of fifty-two days. 
 Another brother, Moses Hell, had emigrated to the United States the previous 
 year and had established his home in Davenport, Iowa. Mr. Hell of this re- 
 view therefore made his way at once to this city and, securing employment as a 
 farm laborer, thus worked for about two years. Then he and his brother 
 John purchased ten steers and broke prairie for various agriculturists of the 
 community for about six years. On the expiration of that period, in 1862, the 
 two brothers. bought one hundred and six:ty acres of prairie land in Cleona town- 
 ship, broke it up and erected a small house thereon. They lived together for 
 about a year and then divided the farm and conducted their interests separately. 
 Glaus Hell was married in 1865 and continued to reside on his place of eighty 
 acres until 1869, when he purchased and located upon a tract of fourteen acres 
 of improved land in Davenport township near the city of Davenport., At the 
 end of five years he disposed of the property and took up his abode in his pres- 
 ent home at No. 705 West Sixth street in Davenport, where he has lived contin- 
 uously since 1874. He won a gratifying and commendable degree of prosperity 
 in the conduct of his agricultural interests and is now enabled to spend his re- 
 maining days in well earned ease without recourse to further labor. As above 
 stated, his holdings include two hundred acres of highly improved and valuable 
 land, which, though lying in both, Scott and Cedar counties, is all in one body. 
 
 On the 7th of February, 1865, Mr. Hell was united in marriage to Miss Kath- 
 rina Schmaucher, a daughter of Jasper and Minnie Schmaucher, both of whom 
 passed away in Germany. Mr. Hell has resided with the borders of Scott county 
 for fifty-six years and is a valued member of the German Pioneers Society. Ar- 
 riving in the United States with no capital save a stout heart and willing hands, 
 he realized the fact that while in this country labor is unhampered by caste or 
 class it is only by unfaltering diligence, guided by sound judgment, that success 
 can be secured. Through the exercise of these qualities he made steady progress 
 and is now one of the substantial and respected citizens of his community. 
 
 KASPER WACHTER. 
 
 Kasper Wachter, who has lived retired in Davenport since 1887, was for- 
 merly actively and successfully identified with agricultural interests in this 
 county. He was born in Mels, Switzerland, a little town at the foot of the moun- 
 tains of which he still has a picture. His birth occurred on the 4th of August, 
 1834, his parents being Frank and Barbara Wachter. The father, who was a 
 farmer by occupation, brought his family to the United States in 1845, reach- 
 ing New York a month after leaving the land of the Alps. The journey from 
 
226 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 the Empire state to Iowa likewise consumed about a month, the family traveling 
 via the lakes to Chicago and thence to Davenport, Scott county, by prairie 
 schooner. After arriving here Frank Wachter purchased eighty acres of prairie 
 land near the present site of the poorhouse and also bought an old log cabin at 
 Rockingham, which he moved to his farm and in which he took up his abode. 
 In 1852 he remodeled the dwelling and continued to reside therein until called to 
 his final rest in 1856, when fifty-four years of age. His wife, whom he survived 
 for a decade, passed away in 1846. Their children were seven in number, namely: 
 Antone, who died in California; Frank, a resident of Wisconsin; Anna, whose 
 demise occurred in 1849; Kasper, of this review; Joseph, who lives in Kentucky; 
 Barbara, the wife of Bernhard Huskey, of Davenport ; and Amanda, who passed 
 away in 1868. 
 
 Kasper Wachter, who was a lad of eleven years when he accompanied his 
 parents on their emigration to the new world, attended school in Davenport for a 
 time but his advantages in this direction were somewhat limited. He studied 
 under' the preceptorship of Father Pelamourgues, an early priest of the com- 
 munity. After putting aside his text-books he was busily engaged in farm work 
 until October, 1861, when he enhsted in the Union army, joining Company 
 G, Tenth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, at Black River Falls, Wisconsin. The 
 regiment was equipped at Milwaukee, camped there for a time and subsequently 
 marched all the way to Huntsville, Alabama, arriving at that place in the month 
 of May. Mr. Wachter participated in the battles of Perryville, Kentucky, and 
 Stone River and in the latter engagement was shot through the left shoulder, 
 thus sustaining an injury which necessitated his removal to the regiment hos- 
 pital. He was later transferred to a hospital near Cincinnati and when he had 
 recovered was sent back to his regiment at Murfreesboro, where he was hon- 
 orably discharged in May, 1863. After returning to Scott county he once more 
 turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits and following his marriage, 
 which was celebrated in 1864, he took up his abode on a farm of one hundred 
 and fifty acres on Lost Grove road, to the operation of which he devoted his 
 energies throughout the remainder of his active business career. In 1887 he dis- 
 posed of the property and has since lived retired in Davenport, having won 
 a competence that enables him to spend his declining years in well earned ease 
 without recourse to further labor. 
 
 Mr. Wachter has been married twice. On the 31st of May, 1864, he wedded 
 Mrs. Elizabeth Freund, the widow of Paul Freund, and their union was blessed 
 with seven children, the record of whom is as follows. Carrie, who is the widow 
 of Jacob Gittion, has three children, namely: Lillian, Leonard and Francis. 
 Katherine is the wife of Rudolph Shepler, of Davenport, by whom she has four 
 children; Clara, Agnes, Aloysius and Bernice. Kasper L. Wachter has passed 
 away. Antone, who resides in Davenport, wedded Miss Clara Court and has 
 one child, Marie. Edward makes his home in Davenport. The other two chil- 
 dren of the family died in early Hfe. The wife and mother was called to her 
 final rest on the 8th of December, 1899, and on the nth of May, I90i,-Mr. 
 Wachter was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Emma Wilson, 
 whose parents were Noah and Leah Rudy, of Pennsylvania. Her first husband, 
 Seth Wilson, of New York, died in 1894. By him she had two children, namely: 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 227 
 
 Clara, living in Pasadena, California ; and Luella, who married Frank Ruefer, of 
 Davenport, and has four children: Gertrude, Georgia, Marie and Raymond. 
 
 Politically Mr. Wachter is a stanch advocate of the democratic party and 
 while living on the farm he capably served his fellow townsmen in the capacity 
 of road supervisor and also as a school director. In religious faith he is a 
 Catholic. He has now passed the seventy-fifth milestone on life's journey and 
 receives the veneration and respect which should always be accorded one who 
 has traveled thus far on this earthly pilgrimage and whose career has ever been 
 upright and honorable. He is widely and favorably known throughout the 
 county which has remained his home for almost two-thirds of a century and of 
 the growth and development of which he has been an interested witness. 
 
 EDWARD J. DOUGHERTY. 
 
 In the development of the natural resources of Iowa and in the promotion 
 of business interests which have had much to do with the upbuilding and ad- 
 vancement of Davenport and the state at large, Edward J. Dougherty took ac- 
 tive and prominent part and came to be recognized as most influential in the pro- 
 motion of business interests, as a leader in financial circles and as a promoter of 
 various mining projects. The extent and importance of his work well entitled 
 him to rank with the representative residents of this city. Mr. Dougherty was 
 born in County Tipperary, Ireland, March 17, 1846, a son of William Dougherty, 
 who in 185 1 bade adieu to the Emerald isle and with his family sailed for the. new 
 world. Becoming a resident of Davenport, he started the first brickyard in this 
 city. Two years later he established his family upon a farm on the Utica road 
 and there Edward J. Dougherty remained until twenty-six years of age, his 
 youthful experiences being those that usually fall to the lot of the farm lad. He 
 acquired his education in the public schools and through the summer months 
 worked in the fields. 
 
 Two years before leaving the old homestead Edward J. Dougherty was mar- 
 ried to Miss Alice E. Glynn, whose father was a prominent farmer of Long 
 Grove. After leaving the old home place Mr. Dougherty and his family resided on 
 a farm in Sheridan township until 1888, when he purchased the old Brownlie 
 farm on Brady street. There he made his hom.e until he removed to this city 
 and took up his residence in the old Dr. J. L. Reed homestead at No. 1504 Main 
 street. He was one of the organizers of the Farmers & Mechanics Savings 
 Bank and at the time of his death was a director and the chairman of the execu- 
 tive committee of the bank. The extent and variety of his business interests 
 and connections made him one of the most prominent residents of Scott county. 
 His labors contributed in large and substantial measure to public progress and 
 improvement and he well deserves mention with those who have been the real 
 upbuilders of this section of the state. He promoted the Davenport and South- 
 ern Railroad and was its first president, continuing in that office until his demise. 
 He promoted and financed the Guaranty Mutual Life Insurance Company, be- 
 coming one of its directors, and was chairman of its executive committee. He 
 
228 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 was also the president of the Scott County Coal Mining Company, the president 
 of Schick's Express & Storage Company, president of the Silvis Coal Mining- 
 Company of Carbon Cliff, Illinois, and a director of the Norris Coal Mining 
 Company. As his financial resources increased he made extensive investment 
 in realty and became one of the largest landowners of the county, holding title 
 to twelve hundred and thirty acres in Princeton township, one hundred and sixty- 
 two acres in Butler township, two hundred acres in Sheridan township and one 
 hundred and sixty acres in Lincoln township. He also had extensive holdings 
 in the Dakotas and Nebraska, together with much real estate in Davenport. 
 Whatever he undertook he carried forward to successful completion and his 
 business affairs were ever of a constructive nature, contributing to the general 
 growth and prosperity of the community. He was a man of strong character, 
 of domestic virtues and of moral and religious spirit. He was widely known as 
 an efficient pubhc official, serving for several terms as supervisor during his res- 
 idence in Sheridan township. In religious faith he was a Catholic and gave gen- 
 erously to the support of the church and its charities. He stood as a splendid 
 example of the type of self-made man. Reared in the growing west, he saw 
 and improved the advantages which Iowa afforded her citizens and in the estab- 
 lishment and conduct of important business interests he became recognized as 
 one of the foremost men of Scott county, his labors being of far-reaching and 
 beneficial effect in relation to public welfare and at the same time constituting a 
 source of substantial individual profit. 
 
 WILLIAM S. CHENOWETH. 
 
 For a period of over forty-one years William S. Chenoweth has been a resi- 
 dent of Davenport and through intelligently directed activity in his chosen field 
 of labor, came to be recognized as one of the most prominent representatives of 
 the Aetna Fire Insurance Company of Connecticut. He is today one of the 
 oldest insurance men in the state, but is now living retired, his success in former 
 years enabling him to enjoy many of the comforts of life without recourse to 
 further labor. He has passed his eighty-fourth milestone on life's journey. 
 During twenty-eight years and a half he averaged twenty-five thousand miles a 
 year on the road for the Aetna Insurance Company. 
 
 His birth occurred in New Castle, Pennsylvania, September 26, 1825, his 
 parents being Arthur and Rebecca (Reynolds) Chenoweth. His father was one 
 of the early settlers of Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, and named this county 
 before his death, which occurred over eighty-two years ago, and the family has 
 long been represented in that state. He had previously lived near Harper's 
 Ferry, Virginia, when he removed to Pennsylvania. 
 
 William S. Chenoweth was educated in the schools of his native city, and in 
 the year 1844 sought the opportunities of the middle west, first establishing his 
 home near La Harpe, Illinois. He afterward lived at different points in that 
 state and was associated with different lines of business until eventually he 
 turned his attention to insurance. He is today one of the oldest insurance men 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 231 
 
 in the state of Iowa and one of the best known in the western and southern 
 states. The rebelUon destroyed the large insurance business of the Aetna Fire 
 Insurance Company in southern states and nearly forty years ago he was sent 
 by the Aetna Insurance Company to open up the insurance business for this 
 company in the different southern states. It was a hard place to travel then, as 
 the railroads were put in bad condition by the war. He entered this field in a 
 humble way, but gradually advanced as he proved his usefulness and worth in 
 this field. He thoroughly familiarized himself with every phase of the insur- 
 ance business and with firm belief in its value, to the insured as well as the 
 members of the company promoting insurance, he was enabled to build up an 
 extensive clientage and secure a business, the volume of which brought him, in 
 the course of years, to a prominent position among the insurance men of the 
 state, securing for him at the same time a substantial financial reward for his 
 labors. 
 
 On the 17th of April, 1851, Mr. Chenoweth was united in marriage to Miss 
 Caroline Webster Painter. Her father, like Mr. Chenoweth's, had come to the 
 middle west in the hope of bettering his fortune. Mr. and Mrs. Chenoweth can 
 both remember spending the day together at her home over seventy-four years 
 ago, when she was five and he was ten years of age. By this marriage there were 
 bom four children: Alice, the oldest, is living at home. Mary P. became the 
 wife of J. B. Johnson, who for twenty-eight years was an attorney of Des 
 Moines and is now living in Oklahoma City. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have three 
 children: Arthur, who is married and has a son, Donald; Hazel, the wife of 
 John H. Fowler, by whom she has one son, William H. ; and Ernest C, at home. 
 Louise, the third member of the family, died in childhood. Henrietta B., the 
 youngest of the family, is the wife of Oren Bradshaw Waite, a minister of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, and they have two daughters. Marguerite and 
 Dorothy. 
 
 Sixty-three years ago Mr. Chenoweth joined the ranks of the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows and has since maintained active membership in that 
 fraternity, heartily endorsing the beneficent principles which constitute its basic 
 elements. He has always been a generous contributor to the churches and his 
 influence has ever been on the side of justice, truth and right. His political 
 allegiance was given to the whig party in early manhood, and in 1844 he heard 
 Henry Clay make a speech from the steps of the old Planters House in St. 
 Louis. He joined the republican party on its organization and has since been 
 one of its stalwart advocates. 
 
 He has lived in the Mississippi valley for fifty-three years, and his life record 
 covers almost eight-five years, so that he has been a witness of many events 
 which to the great majority are matters of history. He can remember the 
 building of the early railroads in this section of the country and of being in 
 Chicago Ihe day the books were opened to sell stock in the first Chicago rail- 
 road (the Chicago & Galena Railroad) and the day when the emigrants to the 
 west traveled in the old moving wagons. Chicago then had fourteen thousand 
 inhabitants. Many of the homes in this section of the country were log cabins 
 and sod houses and there were vast tracts of land yet unclaimed and unculti- 
 vated. 
 
232 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Mr. Chenoweth has lived to witness the remarkable changes which have 
 occurred and has always maintained a deep interest in the work of progress 
 that has brought Illinois and Iowa to their present advanced position. It is 
 these places that the greater part of his life has been passed in and he has 
 always felt that he made a wise move when he came to this section of the coun- 
 try, rich in its natural resources and affording boundless opportunities to the 
 early settlers as well as to the later day residents. While his able managed in- 
 dividual interests have brought to him success, he has always contributed in no 
 small degree toward promoting general progress through the course of years. 
 
 JOSEPH N. GREENE. 
 
 There are many admirable traits of character exemplified in the life of Joseph 
 N. Greene, who is now one of the patriarchal citizens of Davenport, having 
 reached the age of eighty-four years. Much of his life was devoted to the art 
 of photography but since 1894 he has lived retired. A native of Pennsylvania, 
 Joseph N. Greene was born in Clearfield county, March 6, 1826, and is a son of 
 Isaac and Elizabeth (Liebengood) Greene. The father was a carpenter by 
 trade and during the latter part of his life engaged in boat building on the canal 
 at Blairsville, to which place he removed with his family soon after the birth of 
 his son Joseph. The latter there resided until about 1862 and acquired his edu- 
 cation in the public schools of that town. He now has in his possession a pic- 
 ture of the old log school building which was erected in 1830 and was used as a 
 church and place of public meetings as well as for educational purposes. His 
 father built the first house in Blairsville and the family were closely associated 
 with the development and progress of the town. Both the father and mother 
 died there, the former passing away at the age of fifty years, while the latter, 
 long surviving him, reached the very advanced age of ninety-four years. Her 
 parents were among the first settlers of western Pennsylvania and as pioneer 
 residents aided in planting the seeds of civilization in a virgin soil. 
 
 Joseph N. Greene, who was the fourth in a family of nine children, after 
 pursuing his education in the schools of Blairsville, learned the trade of boat 
 making under his father and followed it until after his father's death. He built 
 a boat for himself about 1848 and used it on the canal there. In 1861 he organ- 
 ized a company at Blairsville for service in the Civil war, for his patriotic spirit 
 was aroused by the attempt of the south to overthrow the Union. The organi- 
 zation became known as Company I of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteer 
 Infantry. They enlisted at Blairsville and went into camp at Harrisburg, Penn- 
 sylvania, Mr. Greene being elected captain of the company. They remained in 
 Harrisburg for about four months and then proceeded to Washington, D. C, 
 joining the Army of the Potomac. Mr. Greene was in^ a number of skirmishes 
 up to the time when he was honorably discharged on account of ill health in 1863. 
 
 Returning to Pennsylvania, he established his home in Allegheny, where he 
 turned his attention to photography. In 1865 he removed to Geneseo, Illinois, 
 and conducted a photograph gallery there until 1879, after which he went to 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 233 
 
 Morrison and later to Sterling, Illinois, where he remained for two years. On 
 the expiration of that period he came to Davenport and since 1894 has continu- 
 ously lived retired. During his active connection with the photographic art he 
 ■kept in touch with all the modern processes of taking pictures and, with keen 
 appreciation for the effects of light and shade as well as for pose, he produced 
 excellent work that gained for him a liberal patronage and made his business a 
 profitable venture. 
 
 "X)n the 13th of November, 1862, Mr. Greene was married in Davenport to 
 Miss Susan Brown, a daughter of Squire James and Mary (Donley) Brown. 
 Mrs. Greene was born in Pennsylvania and in her infancy was brought to Scott 
 county, Iowa. Her father first came to this county in the fall of 1844 and the 
 mother brought their children the following spring to the new home which he 
 had prepared. Mr. Brown rented a farm on Duck Creek, which he occupied for 
 two years and then purchased an adjoining tract of land of one hundred and 
 sixty acres, where he made his home for some time. Eventually he sold that 
 property, however, and removed nearer Davenport, where he bought another 
 farm, residing thereon until the death of his wife about 1882. He then retired 
 from active life and took up his abode in the city. He was not only a prominent 
 agriculturist but also took an active part in public affairs, serving as justice of 
 the peace of Pleasant Valley township for a long period, during which time his 
 fair and impartial decisions won him high encomiums. He was also school 
 director and held other offices in the township. He gave his political support to 
 the democracy and his allegiance to the Catholic church, in the faith of which he 
 died in 1893 at the age of eighty-six years. His wife had passed away at the age 
 of seventy-four years. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Greene were born eight children: Carrie, who is a Sister 
 of Mercy in the Mercy Convent at St. Louis; Josephine, who is the wife of W. A. 
 Craft, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and has two children, Dora and Gertrude; 
 !/Vgnes, Pius and Lourde, all now deceased ; Mattie, the wife of James Shelby, of 
 Davenport, and the mother of eight children: — Harold, Hugh, Hildegard, 
 Jerome, Lourde, Barthela, Monica and Regina; Gertrude, the wife of Albert 
 Osterman, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Isaac, at home. Mr. Greene has 
 belonged to a large number of fraternal orders but is not affiliated with any at 
 the present time. He is a prominent member of the Catholic church and his 
 life has been in harmony with the teachings thereof. For eighty-four years he 
 has traveled life's journey, faithfully performing the duties that each day has 
 brought, and his trustworthiness, his energy and his reliability have gained him 
 the high and favorable regard of all with whom he has been associated. 
 
 FRANK W. MUNDT. 
 
 Frank W. Mundt is numbered among those who in the opening years of the 
 Civil war offered their services to the government and for three years were en- 
 gaged in active military duty. He is now living retired in Davenport and is 
 numbered among the worthy citizens that Germany has furnished to this state. 
 
234 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 His birth occurred in the city of Mecklenburg, October i6, 1834, and his par- 
 ents, who were also natives of that country, spent their entire lives there. 
 
 Frank W. Mundt acquired his education in the schools of Germany and was 
 a young man of about twenty years when he made the voyage to the new world, 
 landing at New Orleans. He thence proceeded up the Mississippi river to Dav- 
 enport and, unafraid of hard work, immediately sought employment that would 
 enable him to meet his expenses and make a good start in life. He was epi- 
 ployed at different kinds of labor both in town and on the farms. At the time of 
 the Civil war, however, he put aside all business and personal considerations and 
 in September, 1861, at San Francisco, California, enlisted as a member of Com- 
 pany K, Second Cavalry Volunteers. They went across the plains to Salt 
 Lake and were engaged in fighting the Indians most of the time until mustered 
 out at Salt Lake City, October 8, 1864, after which Mr. Mundt returned, to 
 Davenport. 
 
 It was on the 30th of September, 1868, that Mr. Mundt was united in mar- 
 riage to Miss Anna Pahl, who was born in Holstein, Germany, a daughter of 
 Claus and Marie Pahl. Her parents died in the fatherland and she came alone 
 to the United States in 1866. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mundt have been born ten 
 children: Emma, the wife of John Brooks of Portland, Oregon, by whom she 
 has three children — ^Dorothy, William and Selma; Anna, the wife of Robert 
 Armil of Davenport, by whom she has seven children — Bessie, Etta, Earl, Ruth, 
 Paul, Robert and Marie ; William, of this city, who wedded Nellie I. Oschaugh- 
 nessy, now deceased, by whom he had two children — ^Julia and Alfred; Louisa, 
 the wife of Louis Eckhardt, sherifif of Scott county, and the mother of two chil- 
 dren — Louisa and Herbert; Selma and Frank, at home; Freda, the wife of Fred 
 Volz of Davenport and the mother of two children — Margaret and Marie; and 
 Paula, Emil and Alfred, all at home. 
 
 Mr. Mundt is a member of the Grand Army Post at Davenport and takes 
 pleasure in the camp fires. He is widely known in this city, where he has long 
 made his home and where he stands as an excellent type of the German-Ameri- 
 can citizens who have done so much for Davenport's improvement and up- 
 building. 
 
 J. W. BETTENDORF. 
 
 As some one has expressed it, "To know Davenport is to know Bettendorf." 
 In other words, the name of Bettendorf is inseparably interwoven with the history 
 of the city, its commercial enterprise and business development, through almost a 
 quarter of a century. The student of biography must inevitably reach the conclu- 
 sion that the mass of men seem content to remain in the position in which they 
 are placed by birth, experience and environment. Laudable ambition, ready 
 adaptability and the capacity for hard work are essential elements of success and 
 in none of these requirements has J. W. Bettendorf been found lacking. It is not 
 a matter of marvel, therefore, that he occupies a prominent position among the 
 real builders of this city and the eminence to which he has attained is due to the 
 fact that he possesses the ability to recognize the opportune moment and to cor- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 237 
 
 rectly appraise the value of a situation and determine its possible outcome. It is 
 these qualities which have led him, in association with his brother, to enter upon 
 the great work of establishing the mammoth enterprise that is now conducted under 
 the name of the Bettendorf 'Axle Company, and as secretary, treasurer and man- 
 ager of the company he is giving his attention to constructive effort and executive 
 ability along lines that have produced what is uniformly conceded to be the most 
 important industrial concern of this city. 
 
 A native of Leavenworth, Kansas, Mr. Bettendorf was born October lo, 1864. 
 His father, M. Bettendorf, a native of Germany, came to America when eighteen 
 years of age, taking up his abode at Mendota, Illinois. He was a school teacher 
 by profession and followed that pursuit in Illinois but subsequent to his removal 
 to Sedalia, Missouri, conducted a grocery business and general store. Later he 
 became a resident of Leavenworth, Kansas, and engaged in clerking for the gov- 
 ernment at Fort Leavenworth. He is now living retired in the town of Bettendorf, 
 a suburb of Davenport and the location of the extensive works which his sons 
 have developed. He married Catharine Reck, also a native of Germany, and they 
 became parents of a daughter and three sons, but only two of the family are now 
 living, the elder brother being W. P. Bettendorf, president of the Bettendorf Axle 
 Company. 
 
 J. W. Bettendorf, the third child and second son, was nine years of age when 
 the family left Kansas and became residents of Peru, Illinois, where he remained 
 until he attained his majority. His education was largely acquired in the schools 
 of Peru and when eighteen years of age he secured " a situation in the plow 
 works of that place. His initial service was that of a machinist, while 
 later he became foreman of the assembling department. In 1886 he came to Dav- 
 enport, where in connection with his brother he organized the Bettendorf Metal 
 Wheel Company. For two years he worked as a machinist and then became su- 
 perintendent of the plant. In 1890 he went to Springfield, Ohio, as manager of 
 the branch of the business at that place, but in the fall of 1893 returned to Daven- 
 port and in association with W. P. Bettendorf turned his attention to the manu- 
 facture of steel gear wagons. In January, 1895, their interests were incorporated 
 under the name of Bettendorf Axle Company, with J. W. Bettendorf as secretary. 
 Something of the extent and prominence of the business is indicated in a humor- 
 ous reply recently made to a Davenport man in Pittsburg. When asked where he 
 was from and telling the city of his residence the inquirer said, "Oh, yes, Daven- 
 port — ^that is near Bettendorf, isn't it?" This indicates how widely the town of 
 Bettendorf — ^and the town is practically the great Bettendorf works — is known. 
 The volume of its business has made the name a familiar one to the iron trade, not 
 only of America but of Europe. J. W. Bettendorf continued to serve as secretary 
 and manager of the company from 1899 until 1906, when he was also elected 
 
 treasurer. 
 
 In 1888 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Bettendorf and Miss Elizabeth 
 Ohl, a daughter of George and Sibilla Ohl. They have two sons, Edwin J. and 
 William E., aged respectively twenty and seven years. Mr. Bettendorf is one of 
 the charter members of the Elks lodge and is prominent in the social life of the 
 city, while in all those things which pertain to the city's substantial growth and 
 progress he is deeply and actively interested. Many measures which are of strictly 
 
238 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 impersonal character have received his endorsement and' cooperation and the city 
 has been benefited thereby. In this age of marked industry and activity he has 
 made for himself an honored name but it is not his success alone that entitles him 
 to the high regard of his friends. He has never allowed the accumulation of 
 wealth to affect in any way his manner toward those less fortunate, and entrance 
 to his circle of friends is gained by character worth and not by material posses- 
 sions. His associates know him as a most genial and kindly gentleman and while 
 his business relations have brought him the acquaintance of many men distin- 
 guished in commercial circles, he holds as his most priceless treasure the friendship 
 and respect of his fellow townsmen, among whom he has now resided for almost a 
 quarter of a century. 
 
 GEORGE W. VALENTINE. 
 
 George W. Valentine, long and favorably known in the business circles of 
 Davenport, where he is conducting an extensive contracting business as a mem- 
 ber of the firm of Garstang & Valentine, bricklayers, was born at Buffalo, New 
 York, July 8, 1834, and is a son of William and Katherine (Mee) Valentine. 
 The father was a bricklayer in the east and the mother died during the residence 
 of the family in that part of the country. The father came to Davenport after 
 the arrival of his son George here and spent his last days in this city. 
 
 George W. Valentine pursued his education in the public schools of Buffalo 
 and afterward learned the bricklayer's trade under the direction of his father. 
 Noting the rapid improvement and settlement of the middle west and believing 
 that it would offer a good field of labor for one in his line of work, he came to 
 Davenport alone in 1856, when a young man of but twenty-two years of age. 
 Here he began work at his trade and has since been connected with this line of 
 business. He aided in building the old Methodist church, was employed on the 
 construction of the First National Bank, also of the Burtis Opera House, the 
 Kimball Hotel and a large number of other buildings. About thirty years ago 
 he formed a partnership with Frank Garstang and during this period they have 
 been awarded contracts for the erection of many large and important buildings 
 in the city. They sustain an unassailable reputation because of the excellent 
 workmanship which is done under their supervision and because of their un- 
 faltering fidelity to the terms of a contract. Their patronage is now extensive 
 and the business has long been conducted upon a profitable basis. 
 
 On the 4th of June, 1857, Mr. Valentine was united.in marriage to Miss Mary 
 Snow, a daughter of William and Louisa (Clark) Show. She was born in 
 Chautauqua county, New York, and came to Scott county, Iowa, in 1856. For 
 fifty-three years, therefore, Mr. and Mrs. Valentine have traveled life's journey 
 together and as time passed on their marriage was blessed with five children: 
 Leon, who married Anna Russell and has one daughter, Mary ; Carrie, the wife 
 of Joseph O. Bradney, of Belmont, New York; Martha, the wife of William 
 Davis, of Livingston, Montana, by whom she has three children — Leon, Marion 
 and Carrie; George, of Evanston, Illinois, who married Lottie Wells and has 
 three children— Wells W., George S. and Mary; and Ella, who died at the age 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 239 
 
 of fourteen months. The parents began their domestic life in the same house in 
 which they still reside. 
 
 Mr. Valentine and his wife are members of the Unitarian church. In mat- 
 ters of citizenship he has always been interested and his support has been given 
 to those projects and measures which he has deemed of importance and of vital 
 significance to the community. He has ever favored progress and improvement 
 and those qualities have been manifest in his own life. His reliability in business 
 and his fidelity in other relations have won for him a creditable standing in public 
 regard. 
 
 RIGHT REV. THEODORE X. -AIORRISON, D. D. 
 
 The Right Rev. Theodore N. Morrison, Episcopal bishop of Iowa, was born 
 in Ottawa, Illinois, February i8, 1850. His father, Theodore Morrison, a native 
 of Pennsylvania, was brought to Illinois in 1835 by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. 
 John Morrison, who settled at Tremont. Theodore Morrison, Sr., became a rep- 
 resentative of the Episcopal ministry, being ordained by Bishop Chase in 1848, 
 after which he labored for many years in Aurora, Jacksonville and Bloomington, 
 Illinois. A life consecrated to this holy calling was closed in 1888 when, at the 
 age of sixty-two years, he passed away. In early manhood he had wedded Anna 
 Eliza Howland, a native of New York and a daughter of Allen A. Howland, M. 
 D., who settled in Ottawa, Illinois, in 1832. 
 
 Bishop ]\Iorrison, whose name introduces this review, was the eldest in a 
 family of three sons and two daughters. In his youthful days he attended the 
 public schools of Jacksonville and in 1870 was graduated from the Illinois Col- 
 lege of that city, having completed the literary and scientific courses. Determin- 
 ing to devote his life to the ministry, he entered the General Seminary of New 
 York city and in 1873 was made deacon. The same year he took charge of St. 
 Paul's Episcopal church in Pekin, lUinios, and in 1875 was advanced to the 
 priesthood. In 1876 he became rector of the Church of the Epiphany in Chicago, 
 where he remained until February, 1899, or for a period of almost twenty-three 
 years. His work there was characterized by continuous growth in the various 
 lines of church activity and the Epiphany became one of the strong churches in 
 Chicago. His parishioners were loath to part with him yet rejoiced in the honor 
 that was conferred upon him when on February 22, 1899, he was consecrated 
 bishop of Iowa. He then came to Davenport, where he has since resided, care- 
 fully guiding the destinies of the churches under his direction with the same zeal 
 and earnestness which he manifested when in charge of the Church of the Epi- 
 phany in Chicago. He holds the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Illinois Col- 
 lege and from General Seminary, and the degree of S. T. D. from the Western 
 Theological Seminary. 
 
 On the 28th of October, 1879, Dr. Morrison was married to Miss Sarah B. 
 Swazey. a daughter of the Rev. Arthur Swazey, for many years pastor of the 
 Third Presbyterian church of Chicago, and the first editor of The Interior. Dr. 
 and Mrs. Morrison have six children, namely: Rev. Cameron S., who resides in 
 
240 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 the state of Washington; Mrs. Zay B. Curtis, living in Little Rock, Arkansas; 
 Nevin S. ; Arthur S.; Theodore N.; and Sarah. 
 
 Dr. Morrison is a man of strong executive ability, marked ecclesiastical force 
 and with that broad general culture which makes him the peer not only of the 
 leading representatives of the clergy but also of those men whose thought is 
 given to the solution of problems of grave import to mankind. Transcending 
 every other interest in his life, however, is the work to which he has been devoted 
 from early manhood and, conscientiously and zealously utilizing and consecrat- 
 ing the powers with which nature endowed him, his labors have come to be rec- 
 ognized as a strong force in the development of the Episcopal church in the 
 middle west. 
 
 HANS J. EHLERT. 
 
 Ernest, persistent labor is the secret of the success which constitutes the 
 crowning feature of the business record of Hans J. Ehlert, who for many years 
 diligently engaged in gardening and in the nursery business. He was born near 
 Dannewerk, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, April 4, 1839. His parents, Chris- 
 tian and Anna Ehlert, both died in Germany. They were farming people of that 
 country and owned a fine tract of land there. Their son Hans still has a picture 
 of the old home and also the church and churchyard in which his parents He 
 buried. He acquired his education in the schools of his native land, was reared 
 to the occupation of farming and followed that pursuit during his residence in 
 the fatherland. He owned two hundred acres of land there, which he sold on 
 coming to America, the year 1881 witnessing his arrival in New York. He made 
 his way direct to Davenport, where lived his uncle, Jens Peter Stebold. His 
 first work here was for a Mr. Putnam, whom he served as gardener, and to that 
 business he continued to devote his energies for many years. He also served as 
 sexton of the West Davenport cemetery for nearly seven years and made many 
 improvements while there, employing the art of the landscape gardener to make 
 it a beautiful silent city. In the spring of 1899 he erected his present fine resi- 
 dence, which he has since occupied. 
 
 Mr. Ehlert was married on the 2d of May, 1861, to Miss Christina Harmsen, 
 a native of Germany, who was born May 24, 1836, and died January 23, 1889. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Ehlert became the parents of nine children but the irst two died 
 in infancy. The others were : Anna, the wife of Hans Anderson, of Springfield, 
 Missouri, and the mother of two children — Nelson and Christ; John, of Daven- 
 port, who married Leona Peterson and has two children — Flora and Irma; 
 Christ, of Davenport, who wedded Laura Peters, who died, leaving two chil- 
 dren — Ella and Minnie — after which he wedded Mary Jens; Marie, at home; 
 Chrissie, the wife of William Murray, of Batesville, Arkansas, by whom she has 
 one child — Gladys; Julius, at home; and Henry, who died at the age of nine 
 years. 
 
 Mr. Ehlert is a prominent member of Davenport Lodge, No. 50, K. P., in 
 which he has been honored with all of the offices. His diligent life, enterprising 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 241 
 
 spirit and reliable business methods have constituted the chief features in a suc- 
 cess which is as honorable as it is desirable. For many years he carried on gar- 
 dening and the nursery business until his labors brought him a substantial suc- 
 cess, permitting of his present retirement from business cares. 
 
 HEINRICH and CARL MATTHEY, M. D. 
 
 The interests and life history of Drs. Heinrich and Carl Matthey are so in- 
 separably associated that it would be impossible to record the career of one 
 without giving extended mention of the other. Twin brothers, they are natives 
 of Prussia, born on the 20th of October, 1852. Their parents were Heinrich and 
 Emilie (Kuntz) Matthey. The father was one of the German patriots of 1848 
 and was active in the revolution of that year, but was not destined to go to the 
 front, for they were captured and disarmed ere they took part in active military 
 service. Heinrich Matthey was a man of education, and it was that he might 
 enjoy the benefits of a more liberal government that were denied him in his native 
 country that he sought a home in the new world. Settling in Davenport, he 
 engaged in literary work, being for many years the editor and publisher of the 
 Sternah Banner, which he established in 1876. He still makes his home in 
 this city, and is one of its most respected and honored German residents. 
 
 The brothers, Drs. Heinrich and Carl Matthey, acquired their preliminary 
 education in Germany, where they resided with their parents until twenty-one 
 years of age, at which time the family came to the United States, first settling 
 in Milwaukee. Heinrich Matthey accompanied his parents, for he had already 
 finished his elementary education, and had adopted journalism as his profession. 
 With that field of labor he was connected until 1882. Dr. Carl Matthey elected 
 to remain in Germany until he had finished his education. The family home 
 was maintained in Milwaukee from 1873 until 1876, when a removal was made 
 to Davenport. Dr.. Heinrich Matthey was associated with his father for some 
 time on the Sternan Banner, and in 1880 went to Sterling, Illinois, where he 
 published the Sterling Beobachter, which he conducted successfully for two 
 years. He then sold out and went to Germany to study medicine, pursuing a 
 course in medicine and surgery in Leipsic and in Wuerzburg Universities, being 
 graduated from the latter with the class of 1887. In the meantime Dr. Carl 
 Matthey had studied at the universities in Munich, Marburg and Zurich, being 
 graduated from the university in the last named place in 1880. He then came 
 to America and opened an ofifice in Davenport. Dr. Heinrich Matthey returned 
 to Davenport in 1887 and for two years practiced alone, but in 1889 the brothers 
 formed a partnership and have since been associated in the practice of medicine 
 and surgery. They have made continuous progress in their chosen field of labor, 
 becoming more firmly established each year and increasing as well the scope, 
 extent and value of their professional practice. They have always remained 
 close and discriminating students and by research and investigation have kept 
 in touch with the marvelous advance in knowledge, methods, appliances and 
 mechanical auxiliaries made in the past few years. At times they have gone 
 
242 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 abroad to visit the best and most progressive hospitals of Europe, and while at 
 home new distinctions, new work, and new public duties in their profession have 
 been theirs, finding them ready to give their best efforts and meet in 
 full each duty that has devolved upon them. Their practice is now extensive 
 and the profession as well as the public accords them high rank as distinguished 
 physicians and surgeons. Both hold membership in the Scott County, the Iowa 
 and Illinois Central District, the Iowa State and American Medical Associations. 
 They are also serving on the staff of Mercy and St. Luke's Hospitals. 
 
 In 1882 Dr. Carl Matthey was married to Miss Meta StefFen, a daughter of 
 August Steffen, Sr., and to them have been born two sons and a daughter. In 
 1890 Dr. Heinrich Matthey wedded Miss Hilda Mueller, a daughter of Chris 
 Mueller, and they now have two children. The families are prominent socially 
 and the brothers are identified with several clubs and social organizations. Dr. 
 Heinrich Matthey belongs to the Commercial Club and is much interested in its 
 success. He is also a member of the park commission, and by appointment of 
 the governor has served as a member of the state board of health for eight years. 
 Dr. Carl Matthey was a member of the school board for two terms, or six 
 years, and both are interested in promoting the best interests of good govern- 
 ment and municipal improvement, yet are without personal ambition for office. 
 In the positions to which they have been called, however, they have done excel- 
 lent work for public benefit, their service being marked by many tangible evi- 
 dences of their devotion to the general good. Although born across the water, 
 they stand as a splendid type of American manhood and citizenship, and are 
 neglectful of no opportunity to advance the public welfare, while their deepest 
 interests, their ambitions, and their natural inclinations are bound up in their 
 profession, in which they are honored, and in which they have achieved enviable 
 distinction. 
 
 CAPTAIN W. A. BLAIR. 
 
 Prompted always by the laudable ambition of eventually attaining success, 
 Captain W. A. Blair, as the result of his energy and capability, has gradually 
 advanced in business circles until he is today one of the best known of the river 
 men in the Mississippi valley. He has for a number of years been president of 
 the Carnival City Packet Company. For thirty-two years he has been con- 
 nected with the shipping and passenger service and has been an interested 
 witness of the changes which have constituted features in the history of 
 shipping on this great natural highway. Few, if any, are more competent to 
 speak authoritatively upon the subject for practically throughout his entire 
 business career Captain Blair has been actively connected with marine interests, 
 conforming his business to changing conditions and utilizing the various oppor- 
 tunities offered for success. 
 
 He was born in Galena, Illinois, November 17, 1856. His father. Andrew 
 Blair, a native of Ireland, came to America when fifteen years of age and in 
 this country wedded Margaret A. Henry, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, who 
 is now living in Davenport. Captain Blair is the eldest of seven children, four 
 
-X- 
 
 a^rr^ll^ 
 
 n- 
 
HISTORY Of SCOTT COUNTY 245 
 
 sons and three daughters. His boyhood days were spent in and around Galena 
 and the aptitude which he displayed in the acquirement of an education enabled 
 him, at the age of eighteen years, to secure a teacher's certificate. He then 
 engaged in teaching in and near Princeton, Iowa, following that profession for 
 nine terms. During the last four terms he taught only in the winter months, 
 while the summer seasons were spent on the Mississippi river, and thus he en- 
 tered the department of labor which was to claim the major portion of his at- 
 tention throughout the remainder of his active life. 
 
 When twenty-one years of age he secured the position of clerk on the tow- 
 boat Le Claire Belle, of which ex-Governor Van Sant was part owner and man- 
 ager. He spent four seasons in the employ of Governor Van Sant, by which 
 time he had thoroughly learned the river, so that he was granted a pilot's and 
 master's, license to navigate the river between St. Louis and St. Paul. It was 
 at that time that Captain Blair joined Captain Van Sant in a partnership under 
 the name of the Le Claire Navigation Company. This was in 1882. They be- 
 came actively engaged in towing logs and lumber and at one time operated seven 
 boats, while Mr. Van Sant owned also four other boats independent of the 
 company's interests. Thus together they handled one-fifth of the output of logs 
 at Beef Slough in its palmy days. Their iausiness grew to extensive and profit- 
 able proportions, and they were regarded as one of the most reliable, capable 
 and enterprising firms connected with river interests. The decline of the log- 
 ging business, due to the exhaustion of the supply of pine, induced Captain Blair 
 to sell his stock in the towboats at a sacrifice. 
 
 He then turned his attention to the local packet business and organized the 
 Carnival City Packet Company in 1892, its board of directors consisting of Cap- 
 tain August Reimers, L. M. Fisher, F. W. Smith, M. L. Marks and Captain 
 W. A. Blair. There has been but one change in the board since the organiza- 
 tion, that occurring in the winter of 1908, when G. M. Bechtel was elected to fill 
 the vacancy caused by the death of Captain August Reimers. In the intervening 
 years the company has owned and operated nine different boats, plying between 
 Davenport and Burlington, Keokuk and Burlington, and Keokuk and Quincy. 
 They now own and operate the following river craft : the Columbia, Helen Blair, 
 Wenona and Keokuk and the Black Hawk, a new boat. The business has steadily 
 grown, and they now handle about one hundred and twenty-five thousand pas- 
 sengers and fifteen thousand tons of freight annually. They have had two losses 
 by fire but never a mishap resulting in the loss of a single passenger. Captain Blair 
 during the thirty-two years' experience has never had occasion to use a life pre- 
 server. He is regarded as one of the most careful and reliable river captains, giving 
 frequent and thorough inspection to his vessels in every department, his long and 
 practical experience enabling him to correctly judge of the worth and substan- 
 tiality of each part of the boat and also of the value of the services of the men 
 who are in charge. 
 
 In 1882 Captain Blair was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Bard, a 
 daughter of Richard and Phebe Bard, of Le Claire, Iowa. They have two sons 
 and a daughter : George W., Gertrude Helen and Burdette. 
 
 Captain Blair is a member of the Masonic fraternity in Davenport and has 
 always been much interested in public affairs of the city, giving active and loyal 
 
246 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 support to every project and movement which he deems of value in upholding 
 civic virtue and civic pride. For more than a half century he has witnessed 
 the growth and progress of this and other cities along the river and has been a 
 factor in the business activity which has promoted the commercial and industrial 
 progress. His chosen life work has brought him a wide acquaintance among 
 leading business men and wherever known he is highly esteemed, winning the 
 respect and admiration of his fellowmen by reason of his fidelity to high and 
 honorable principles. 
 
 O. C. ROGERS, M. D. 
 
 Dr. O. C. Rogers, engaged in the practice of medicine in Davenport since 
 1892, was born in Pennsylvania on the nth of February, i860. His father, Wil- 
 liam Rogers, was likewise a native of the Keystone state and a representative of 
 the medical profession. He visited Scott county in the '50s, carefully looked 
 over the situation and then returned to the east. The memory of the pleasing 
 western country, however, remained with him and at length proved an irresistible 
 attraction, so that in 1862 he returned with his family and took up his abode in 
 this county. He continued to practice in Slopertown until the early '80s, when 
 he removed to Pleasant Valley, where he remained for two years and then came 
 to Davenport, passing away in this city in 1892. He married Sarah Coiiklin, 
 also a native of Pennsylvania. 
 
 The country schools afforded Dr. Rogers his early educational privileges, 
 while later he had the benefit of instruction in the Davenport high school. De- 
 siring a professional career, he studied medicine in the oiifice of Dr. H. L. Baw- 
 den, of Davenport, who directed his preHminary reading, while subsequently he 
 attended the Iowa State University. He next entered the Creighton College at 
 Omaha, from which he was graduated, and when seven years had been devoted 
 to practice at Pleasant Valley, Iowa, he removed to Davenport in 1892 and has 
 since been engaged in general practice in this city. 
 
 In 1889 Dr. Rogers was married to Miss Mary B. Finefield, a native of Iowa, 
 and unto them have been born two children. Bertha and William. Having spent 
 practically his entire life in this county, Dr. Rogers is well known and has made 
 many friends during the years of his residence in Davenport. 
 
 S. H. MOORHEAD. 
 
 It is seldom that an individual wins distinction in more than one line of busi- 
 ness or has time to devote himself to more than one line of activity. An excep- 
 tion to this rule, however, is found in the life record of S. H. Moorhead, who 
 not only is identified with various lines of business in Buffalo, but is also a well 
 known and influential figure in financial and political circles of the community. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 247 
 
 Scott county, Iowa, numbers him among her native sons, his birth occurring 
 in Buffalo township on the 28th of October, 1861, a son of H. C. and Mary 
 Moorhead. The former came to Scott county in 1835, from Zanesville, Ohio, 
 and here purchased what was then known as the Campbell place, consisting of 
 three hundred and twelve acres of land in Buffalo township, just west of the 
 village of Buffalo. There he reared his family and spent his remaining days. 
 Our subject was one of a family of four sons and two daughters born unto Mr. 
 and Mrs. H. C. Moorhead, and of this number three sons and two daughters 
 lived to reach mature years. The brother, William Moorhead, who still survives, 
 makes his home on a portion of the old homestead, while one sister, Mrs. D. B. 
 Morehouse, of Davenport, is now deceased. 
 
 On his father's farm S. H. Moorhead was reared to manhood; acquiring his 
 education in the public schools of Buffalo, and devoting the time not given to 
 his text-books to the work of the fields, early becoming familiar with the tasks 
 that fall to the lot of the farm lad. Amid the busy activities of the farm he 
 learned many lessons concerning the value of industry, integrity and persever- 
 ance — lessons which served as an excellent foundation stone upon which to build 
 his future business success. After leaving school he devoted several years to 
 the occupation to which he had been reared, engaging as a farm hand, and then, 
 on the ist of September, 1886, in connection with his brother-in-law, Mr. Dor- 
 man, started his present lumber business. In 1889 he purchased his brother- 
 in-law's interest in the business and has since conducted the enterprise alone. 
 He does a general business in lumber and building materials, having an exten- 
 sive trade, not only throughout Buffalo township, but also in several Illinois 
 towns lying across the river. A man of excellent business ability and wise 
 sagacity, he has made a close study of the demands of the trade and has ever 
 kept in close touch with the lumber market, so that he not only knows where 
 and when to purchase, but also how to sell to the best advantage, and has be- 
 come a well known and prominent figure in lumber circles of Scott county. 
 
 Mr. Moorhead has also found time to direct his attention to other business 
 channels and has dealt considerably in real estate. He is the owner of a section 
 of land in Canada and also owns a part of the old homestead farm, upon which 
 his brother William resides. In April, 1909, he became the prime mover in the 
 organization of the Buffalo Savings Bank and was elected its first president, in 
 which office he is still incumbent. This bank has already become an important 
 factor in financial circles, taking its place among the safe and reliable moneyed 
 institutions of the community, and much of its rapid progress and success is due 
 to the well directed efforts of its president, whose reputation for integrity and 
 honesty in all business dealings is universally conceded. He is thoroughly identi- 
 fied with its interests and is doing everything in his power to increase its in- 
 fluence and standing in the locality. 
 
 In June, 1891, in Buffalo, Mr. Moorhead was united in marriage to Miss 
 Amelia Dorman, a daughter of Henry Dorman, of Buffalo, and this union has 
 been blessed with one daughter. Flora, who is at present a student in the Daven- 
 port high school. 
 
 The religious connection of Mr. Moorhead is indicated by the fact that he 
 was baptized in the faith of the Episcopal church, while fraternally he holds 
 
248 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 membership in Banner Lodge, No. i6, K. P., and in Buffalo Camp of Modern 
 Woodmen of America. Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise, he 
 has given stalwart allegiance to the republican party and has been called by his 
 fellow citizens to fill various local offices, including that of councilman. He has 
 also served as a member of the school board, the cause of education ever finding 
 in him a stanch advocate. Preeminently a man of business, his efforts in con- 
 nection with various enterprises have served as potent factors in stimulating ac- 
 tivity along those lines, and he justly deserves a foremost place among the sub- 
 stantial, influential and representative citizens of Buffalo township, within whose 
 borders his entire life has been spent and where he is respected, trusted and ad- 
 mired by an extensive circle of warm friends. 
 
 ESEK STEERE BALLORD. 
 
 One of the most prominent of the older generation of the citizens of Daven- 
 port is Esek Steere Ballord, who for upward of half a century has been con- 
 nected with the business life here. During that time he conducted a drug store 
 at one locality, although the firm name was changed several times, but more 
 than that he has identified himself with those interests that are calculated to 
 promote the intellectual and moral advancement of his fellow citizens. He is 
 a descendant of a family for many years associated with the history of this 
 country. The first of his name to settle upon American shores was William 
 Ballard, from whom were descended in direct line Nathaniel, William, Zaccheus 
 and Lynde, who was the grandfather of our subject. His son John was one 
 of the first graduates from Colgate University and became a minister of the 
 Baptist church. He wedded Miss Augusta Maria Oilman, who was descended 
 from colonial ancestors, for Moses Oilman came from England in 1635, settling 
 in what is now known as Hingham, Massachusetts. 
 
 Esek Steere Ballord was born in Bloomfield, Connecticut, July 26, 1830, and 
 received his education at Bacon Academy. Later he went to Hartford, where 
 he learned the drug business. Having attained a certain efficiency in what was 
 to be his vocation he went to New York city, where he became an apothecary 
 for a charitable institution. After two years' experience there lie went to Cleve- 
 land, Ohio, but remained only two years before he continued his western jour- 
 ney and came to Davenport. Here he engaged in the drug business, with which 
 he was connected for forty-five years, dispensing healing medicines and other 
 sundries at the same place throughout that period. The name was first Taylor 
 & Ballord, but was later changed to E. S. Ballord & Company, by the admis^ 
 sion of his cousin John W. Ballard. E. S. Ballord retired from the company 
 in 1903, when it was continued by John W. Ballard and his son Harry in the 
 firm name of Ballard Drug & Dental Company. Upon retiring from active 
 participation in the business, Mr. Ballord devoted himself to farming, for the 
 estate he owns in Davenport is one of the largest in the city. It embraces six 
 acres and is known as the Birches. There are in all thirty varieties of trees 
 planted upon the grounds to enhance their beauty, many of them having been 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 249 
 
 brought from Connecticut. While he never spared any means to advance his 
 own prosperity, Mr. Ballord has found time to devote to other matters, for 
 during a long period of years he occupied the position of trustee of the C. C. 
 Cook Home for the Friendless and for a number of years was the president, 
 vice president and director of the Davenport National Bank. 
 
 On September 4, 1862, Mr. Ballord was united in marriage to Miss Frances 
 Webb, a daughter of Zerah Webb and a descendant in the eighth generation 
 of Christopher Webb, of Braintree, Massachusetts. She is also a descendant in 
 the seventh generation of Henry Adams, of Braintree and Quincy, Massachu- 
 setts, who was the ancestor of the two presidents, John and John Quincy 
 Adams, and also of Samuel Adams. Five children have been born to Mr. and 
 Mrs. Ballord. Katharin Augusta is the wife of Leon M. Allen, passenger traffic 
 manager of the Rock Island system, and they live in Kenilworth. Illinois. They 
 have three children, Leon, Priscilla and Francis. Bessie W. is a graduate of 
 Wellesley College of the class of 1887. She has traveled widely abroad, but 
 makes her home in Davenport. Belle became the wife of Jenness B. Richardson, 
 who is manager of the Davenport Democrat. They have one son, David Nel- 
 son. John Oilman married Marie Cooper Adams, and they have a son, John 
 Adams. Webb Rysee wedded Gertrude Jones, of San Francisco, and is a grad- 
 uate of the Webb Naval Academy, but completed his education in Glasgow, 
 Scotland. He is a naval architect by profession, and is now manager of the 
 Canon Lumber Company of Everett, Washington. 
 
 The family are members of the Baptist church, in the work of which, they 
 take an active interest. Mr. Ballord belongs to the Iowa Sons of the Revolu- 
 tion and of the Colonial Wars. He was one of the founders of the Runnemede 
 and a member of the New England Historical Society of Boston. With his 
 daughter, Bessie W., he is a life member in the Davenport Academy of Science. 
 He also took out a life membership certificate in the American Sunday School 
 Union, as he was fully in sympathy with the principles which lay at the bot- 
 tom of this organization. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons, be- 
 longing to Trinity Lodge, No. 208. Mrs. Ballord belongs to the Mayflower and 
 Colonial Dames through her descent from Governor William Bradford and 
 John Alden and takes an active part both in the work of the local society and 
 in the national body. Her daughters Katharin and Belle are also members of 
 Colonial Dames. One of the more prominent families of Davenport, Mr. Bal- 
 lord's home at 226 East Locust street, is frequently the scene of congenial gath- 
 erings of friends, in whose midst Mrs. Ballord shows that she is a hostess of 
 charming qualities. 
 
 EDWARD MEYER. 
 
 Among the leading men of his part of Scott county must be numbered 
 Edward Meyer, who was born in Davenport township, September 19, 1859, his 
 parents being Hans and Cecelia (Stoltenberg) Meyer, natives of Holstein, Ger- 
 many. Both of them came to America in 1847, she in company with her parents 
 
250 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 and he alone. They were married in Davenport and lived on a farm in Daven- 
 port township until 1867, when they moved into Blue Grass township, only a 
 short distance from the city, the father engaging in farming there. In 1897 he 
 died at the age of seventy-seven, and upon the consequent breaking up of the 
 home, the mother returned to Davenport, living there until 1904, in which year 
 she entered into her heavenly rest. This estimable couple were the parents of 
 seven children: Matilda, wife of Hans Hansen, of Davenport; Martha MoUie, 
 unmarried, residing in Davenport; Adelia, wife of William Koberg, of this 
 county; William of Blue Grass township; Caroline, wife of William F. Frye, 
 of this county; Theresa, wife of Fred Rehder, of Lake Park, Iowa; and the 
 subject of the sketch who is the fifth in order of birth. 
 
 Edward Meyer resided under the parental roof in Davenport and Blue Grass 
 township, assisting his father and becoming well grounded in the manifold 
 branches of the agricultural science. In 1886 he deemed it expedient to make 
 himself more independent and took possession of the farm upon which he still 
 resides. This valuable property consists of two hundred and twenty-five acres 
 and is located on sections 22 and 14. It is exceptionally well improved and 
 adorned with an attractive residence. Mr. Meyer engages successfully in gen- 
 eral farming, stock-raising and dairying. As additional interests, he is a director 
 in the Farmers' Savings Bank of Walcott and the Farmers' Elevator Company 
 of the same place. 
 
 On the 24th of February, 1886, Mr. Meyer was united in marriage to Miss 
 Amelia Mann. Mrs. Meyer was born April 15, 1864, and is the daughter of 
 William and Elizabeth (Schaffer) Mann, both of them natives of Waldeck, 
 Germany. The mother is deceased, the father now residing in Davenport. A 
 family of five children brightens the home of Mr. and Mrs. Meyer, these being 
 by name: Lilly, Hilda, William F., Herbert H., Arthur E., all of whom reside 
 still with their parents. They also lost a daughter, Adelia, who died at the age 
 of ten years. 
 
 Mr. Meyer is a loyal democrat and at present holds the office of township 
 assessor in which capacity he has served for two terms. He has also been a 
 member of the school board for twelve years. He is progressive both in the 
 management of his own affairs and in his ideas for the advancement of the 
 community in which he lives, which is only another fashion of saying that he is 
 a valuable citizen. 
 
 CHARLES FRANCIS. 
 
 Charles Francis, who in the practice of his profession, that of civil engineering, 
 has traveled extensively, thus gaining a comprehensive knowledge of the country 
 and at the same time giving proof of his ability in his chosen field of labor, was 
 born in Lowell, Massachusetts, August 10, 1842. His father, James B. Francis, 
 was a native of Oxford, England, born on the isth of May, 1815. He came to 
 the United States in 1833 when a youth of eighteen years and after studying 
 hydraulic engineering followed that profession with headquarters in Lowell, Mass- 
 
cu/t 
 
 A^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 253 
 
 achusetts, for fifty-five years. He was a man of keen intellect and brilliant 
 attainments, who became very eminent in his profession. Without prestige or 
 influence to aid him at the outset of his career, as the result of his earnest study 
 and notable ability, he came to rank with the foremost representatives of engineer- 
 ing in New England, his-opinions upon professional subjects largely being accepted 
 as authority. His superior skill also won him that financial success which is the 
 legitimate goal of all business endeavor. He died in 1892, his wife surviving him 
 until 1904. In her maidenhood she was Miss S. W. Brownell, a native of Wal- 
 tham, Massachusetts, born in 181 7. 
 
 Re&red in his native city Charles Francis pursued his studies until he had com- 
 pleted a course in the Lowell high school, after which he entered Harvard in i860 
 and was graduated with the class of 1864. In the meantime, however, he served 
 his country as a soldier of the Union Army, enlisting in 1861 in the Forty-fourth 
 Massachusetts Regiment. He was assigned to Company F, with which he con- 
 tinued for one year, when he was honorably discharged. After leaving college he 
 entered the Lowell Machine Shop and learned the trade, for he had decided to 
 follow his father's profession and determined to qualify therefor by actual prac- 
 tice as well as by theory. He afterward had the invaluable advantage of several 
 years' experience and business training with his father. His first public work of 
 importance was assisting in the construction of a dam in the Connecticut river at 
 Turners Falls, and later was engaged on the building of the Provincetown dike. 
 He afterward went to Chicago, where he remained until the time of the great fire 
 of 1871, when he removed to California and did much work on the Pacific coast, 
 principally in the construction of mining ditches and other work relative to the 
 development of mining interests. He remained there for nine years, after which 
 he went to Mexico and was connected with the Mexican Central Railroad from 
 1879 until 1883. He then returned to Lowell and was again associated with his 
 father until 1889. 
 
 In that year Mr. Francis came to Davenport under government appointment as 
 engineer in charge of the dam at the Rock Island Arsenal. On the completion of 
 that work he decided to make Davenport his home and has never had occasion to 
 regret his determination to remain here. He has done much work of importance 
 in this city along professional lines and has also taken an active and helpful part in 
 public affairs. He has practiced here as a construction engineer, in which capacity 
 many contracts have been awarded him, and for eight or nine years he has been 
 working on the development of the water power in this city. He was for seven 
 years a member of the state board of health and from 1891 until 1892 was com- 
 missioner of public works. His professional and public services have alike been 
 of an important character and have constituted elements in the city's advancement 
 and improvement. 
 
 In 1869 Mr. Francis was united in marriage to Miss S. C. Crosby, a native of 
 Lowell, Massachusetts, and unto them has been born a daughter, Fanny C. Mr. 
 Francis is a member of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has attained high rank, 
 being connected with the Knights Templar and the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. 
 He is also a member of the Contemporary Club. The consensus of public opinion 
 regarding Mr. Francis is of most favorable character. Davenport feels that she 
 gained a valuable addition to her citizens when he determined to make his home 
 
254 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 here. His public-spirited devotion to the city .has been manifest in many tangi- 
 ble and practical ways and his work has been of far-reaching and beneficial effect. 
 In his profession, stimulated by the example of his father, he has long since passed 
 beyond the ranks of the many and stands among the successful few. 
 
 GEORGE LUEDERS. 
 
 No history of Liberty township would be complete without mention of 
 George Lueders, the present mayor of the town of New Liberty, who is well 
 known in financial circles as the cashier of the German Savings Bank. He 
 claims Germany as the place of his nativity, his birth occurring in Holstein on 
 the 30th of January, 1861. A son of Michael and Lena (Brade) Lueders, the 
 parents were both born in Holstein, Germany, the former on the 4th of March, 
 1828, and the latter on November 12, 1831. They came to the United States 
 in 1875, making their way direct to Davenport, Iowa, where they resided until 
 1887, and then came to New Liberty. The father had been a musician, playing 
 in a band in both the old country and after coming to Iowa, and was thus en- 
 gaged until he entered the hotel and saloon business, with which he was con- 
 nected for some time. Later he withdrew from active life and returned to 
 Davenport, where he spent his remaining days in retirement. He passed away 
 on the nth of January, 1899, while his widow died November 3, 1909, having 
 made her home with our subject for several years. They were the parents of 
 four children, namely: John, a resident of Madison, Wisconsin; Christ, whose 
 death occurred in California about ten years ago ; Lena, the wife of H. B. Arp, 
 of West Liberty; and George, of this review. 
 
 George Lueders was a lad of fourteen years when he came with his parents 
 to America, and his education, which had been begun in the schools of the 
 fatherland, was completed in the common schools of Davenport. After laying 
 aside his text-books he was engaged as a farm hand for a few years, and then 
 for ten years assisted his father in his hotel and saloon business in New Liberty. 
 At the expiration of that period he inaugurated a live stock, lumber and farm 
 implement business at this place, becoming an extensive dealer in those com- 
 modities, in which connection he continued until he became identified with the 
 banking business in 1905. In that year the German Savings Bank of New 
 Liberty was organized, with W. Treimer, president, J. C. Bolte, vice-presi- 
 dent, and Mr. Lueders as cashier and general manager, which office he has 
 held since its inceptiori. The bank was capitalized for ten thousand dollars, 
 while its annual statement for 1909 shows deposits amounting to more than 
 one hundred and sixty thousand dollars. Its safe, conservative policy recom- 
 mends it to the judgment of the public, and has made it one of the sound and 
 reliable moneyed institutions of the township. Its steady and rapid develop- 
 ment has been due in no small measure to the efforts of Mr. Lueders, who in 
 the capacity of cashier has proven a most capable official who, through his 
 ability and fidelity to the interests of the house, has won the esteem and confi- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 255 
 
 dence of his fellow officers, and by his unfailing courtesy and promptness in 
 the discharge of his duties has become popular with the patrons of the bank. 
 
 It was on the 24th of October, 1889, that Mr. Lueders was united in mar- 
 riage to Miss Alvina Roehlk, a native of Scott county, born on the 24th of June, 
 1871. She is a daughter of Hans and Bertha (Giese) Roehlk, who were both 
 born in Holstein, Germany, but now make their home in New Liberty. Fra- 
 ternally Mr. Lueders is identified with the Knights of Pythias lodge at Bennett, 
 and also holds membership in the camp of the Modern Woodmen of America 
 at New Liberty, being an active and exemplary member of both organizations. 
 Politically he exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and meas- 
 ures of the republican party, and has served as justice of the peace for the past 
 five years. At the incorporation of the town of New Liberty, which occurred 
 in 1909, his fellow townsmen manifested their regard for him in electing him 
 mayor, in which office he is now the incumbent. In the discharge of his duties 
 in that capacity he is proving a worthy official, justifying the trust reposed in 
 him by his fellow citizens and fulfilling every obligation that devolves upon hifti 
 with the same spirit of thoroughness and fidelity that characterizes his business 
 career. A man of resourceful ability, constantly watchful of opportunities, he 
 has seized legitimate advantages as they have arisen and has never hesitated to 
 take a forward step when the way was open. Fortunate in possessing ability 
 and character that inspired confidence, the simple weight of his character and 
 ability has brought him into positions of trust and responsibility, and he ranks 
 high among the well known and valued citizens of Liberty township. 
 
 CLAUS ECKMANN. 
 
 The life history of Claus Eckmann is that of a self-made man who, diligent 
 and persevering, worked his way steadily upward from a humble financial posi- 
 tion until he was able to spend his last days in retirement in Davenport, where 
 as a respected and worthy citizen he lived until called to his final rest on the 
 I2th of April, 1902. He was born in Holstein, Germany, February 12, 1827, 
 and was a son of Claus Eckmann, Sr. Both of his parents died in the father- 
 land, where the subject of this review spent his youth, acquiring his education 
 and learning the cabinetmaker's trade. He afterward served in the Schleswig- 
 Holstein war in 1848-50. He continued his residence in Germany until about 
 1862, when he came to the United States with his wife and two children, for 
 he had been married in the meantime to Miss Catherine Pahl, a daughter of 
 Glaus Pahl, of Germany. Mrs. Eckmann was born December 24, 1831. 
 
 On crossing the Atlantic to America, Mr. Eckmann came direct to Davenport 
 with his family and for a time worked at the cooper's trade. About 1876, how- 
 ever, he purchased a dairy farm near the mile racing track and lived thereon 
 for many years, successfully conducting business as a dairyman and general 
 agriculturist. From time to time he bought other land, which he rented, and this 
 added materially to his income. At length he retired and took up his abode in 
 Davenport in 1892, living there for about ten years ere called to his final rest. 
 
256 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Eckmann were born seven children. William, who was 
 a graduate of the State University and became a practicing physician of Man- 
 ning, Iowa, died in 1892. Margaret died while the parents were crossing the 
 Atlantic to the new world. Emma is the wife of Henry Schwenck, of Lyon 
 county, Iowa. Alvina and Bertha were twins and the latter is now deceased, 
 while the former is the wife of Charles L. Haller, of Oklahoma city. Carl has 
 also passed away, and Clara C. completes the family. 
 
 The death of the father occurred April 12, 1902, while his wife survived 
 until June 18, 1904. He was a member of the German Odd Fellows lodge, in 
 which he held office, and was also a member of the Schleswig-Holstein Society. 
 His life was well spent, his diligence and industry bringing to him a substantial 
 measure of success, while his business probity gained him the respect and con- 
 fidence of all with whom he was associated. 
 
 EDGAR H. RYAN. 
 
 Edgar H. Ryan, although he is now retired from manufacturing interests, 
 with which he was long identified, is still financially concerned in many impor- 
 tant business enterprises which have direct bearing upon the progress and com- 
 mercial development of Davenport. His industry and keen perception have 
 enabled him to make his way steadily to the foremost ranks of the city's dis- 
 tinguished and honored business men, in which connection he is justly entitled 
 to definite mention in the annals of Iowa. He was born in Warren county, 
 Indiana, January 13, 1851. His father, Edgar Ryan, Sr., was a native of Ohio, 
 his birth having occurred near Columbus on the loth of June, 1820. When a 
 young man he went to Indiana, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising, 
 in which undertaking he was quite successful. In the fall of 1855 he came to 
 Davenport, where the following year he was joined by his wife and children, 
 the family home being since maintained here. The father engaged in the whole- 
 sale grocery business in the old Burrows & Prettyman block on the river, under 
 the firm name of Ryan & McCarn. During a flood, while working to remove 
 his goods to a place of safety, he contracted a severe cold which resulted in 
 his death in June, 1857. Although the period of his residence here was of com- 
 paratively short duration, during that time he gained the good will and respect 
 of his neighbors and business associates and had every promise of a successful 
 career. He was married in Ohio to Miss Celinda Osbom, a native of Colum- 
 bus, Ohio, who died in January, 1895. She had been a resident of Davenport 
 for many years and following her husband's death had carefully reared her 
 family of five sons. 
 
 Edgar H. Ryan, the youngest of the family, was but five years of age when 
 the mother and her children joined the husband and father in this city. Here 
 he was educated in the public schools and at the age of twenty-one years be- 
 came a recognized factor in the business circles of this city as proprietor of a 
 hat, furnishing goods and fur store at Second and Main streets. There he 
 remained until 1885, when he withdrew from that field of labor to engage in the 
 
^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 259 
 
 gfrain business and for eleven years was a partner in the Bosch-Ryan Grain 
 Company. He next turned his attention to manufacturing interests, engaging 
 in the manufacture of Portland cement at lola, Kansas, with the principal office 
 of the company at Davenport. After a successful and active business career in 
 this field he retired in January, 1906, but still has many financial interests and 
 investments, including farm lands in Nebraska, Minnesota and Kansas, and 
 large land holdings in Mexico, the supervision of which makes him a busy man. 
 In 1888 he erected the Ryan building, now known as the South Putnam build- 
 ing. He has long been interested in Davenport real estate, becoming a member 
 of the Davenport Real Estate Company, and has laid out many additions and 
 done much to improve the city. He is also interested in banks and industrial 
 concerns and his sound judgment constitutes a valuable feature in the pros- 
 perous control of these undertakings. Opportunities which others pass by heed- 
 lessly he recognizes and utilizes and his intelligent and well directed activity 
 have brought him prominently to the front in relation to the business life of 
 the city whereon Davenport's growth and development rest. He is now the 
 secretary and treasurer of the Davenport Real Estate & Town Lot Company, 
 which has laid out Park Lawn in its first, second and third additions, also the 
 valuable tract north of Central Park and Cook's Home addition. For fifteen 
 years he was the secretary and treasurer of the Davenport Safety Deposit 
 Company. 
 
 In June, 1873, Mr. Ryan was married to Miss Ella Coleman, a daughter of 
 Thomas Coleman, a prominent banker of La Fayette, Indiana, and they have 
 one child, Julia. The family home is a fine residence on Brady street. Mr. 
 Ryan has lived to witness remarkable changes in the city, which was a small 
 town of comparatively little industrial or commercial importance at the time of 
 his arrival here. His father's home was on Seventh and Brown streets and the 
 business center was largely along the river. Taking his place in commercial 
 circles when he attained his majority, Mr. Ryan's activities have since been 
 of a nature that have contributed in substantial measure to the city's business 
 and financial growth as well as his individual prosperity. Fraternally he is con- 
 nected with the Masons, attaining the Knight Templar degree in the comman- 
 dery, and he is also a member of the Mystic Shrine. Politics have little interest 
 for him, for he has always preferred to concentrate his energies upon his busi- 
 ness and by industry, close application and determination he has become one 
 of the foremost citizens of Davenport. 
 
 M. J. TOBIN. 
 
 Since 1852, or for a period of fifty-seven years, M. J. Tobin has been closely 
 identified with the agricultural interests of Scott county and his possessions, now 
 embracing five hundred and sixty acres in Winfield township, make him one of 
 the substantial citizens of eastern Iowa. He was bom in Kilkenny, Ireland, in 
 183s, a son of Richard and Mary (Cody) Tobin, who emigrated with their 
 family to the new world in 1852, in which year they settled in Scott county. 
 
260 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 They made the journey from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to this district by boat, 
 and in Winfield township the father entered one hundred and sixty acres of 
 raw land, which he broke with ox-teams, in due time making it a cultivable prop- 
 erty, continuing his work as a farmer throughout his entire business career. He 
 passed away in 1897, having reached a very advanced age. He was one of the 
 influential and valued citizens of Scott county and at his death the community 
 mourned the loss of one whom it had come to love and honor. 
 
 M. J. Tobin was a youth of seventeen years when he accompanied his 
 parents to the new world. When they located on the farm in Winfield town- 
 ship the son rendered valuable assistance in the work of developing and improv- 
 ing the tract on which substantial buildings were erected. When starting out in 
 life on his own account he chose the occupation to which he had been reared and 
 the original farm is now in his possession, and the additional purchases he has 
 made finds him today the owner of five hundred and sixty acres. All this is 
 well improved land and the first buildings which were put upon the farm have 
 been replaced with those of more modern type, so that the farm is now one of 
 the valuable properties in eastern Iowa. In connection with general farming 
 Mr. Tobin has also given much attention to the raising of stock, making a spe- 
 cialty of cattle, and through this means he has greatly augmented his financial 
 resources. 
 
 Mr. Tobin has been married twice. He first wedded Miss Anna Moore, their 
 marriage ceremony being performed in St. Ann's Catholic church at Long 
 Grove. Four children were born of this union : Richard, Mary Ellen, Sarah and 
 Margaret. For his second wife Mr. Tobin chose Mary Doyle, and there are 
 four sons of this marriage: Martin, Thomas, John and Arthur. He has given 
 all his children good educational advantages, the sons having attended St. Am- 
 brose College, while the daughters were educated in a Catholic convent. 
 
 Mr. Tobin has been a life-long democrat and for six years served as trustee 
 of Winfield township. He is a communicant of St. Ann's church. Public- 
 spirited in an eminent degree, no pioneer of Scott county is deserving of more 
 prominent mention in a history of this character than is Mr. Tobin. In him 
 are embodied the virtues of the early pioneers — the steadfast purpose, rugged 
 integrity and religious zeal — virtues to which the splendid civilization of this 
 great state is indebted for its wonderful development and its glorious progress. 
 He has led a busy, active and useful life and now, at the age of seventy-five 
 years, he stands crowned with honors and years, one of the most respected pio- 
 neer citizens of Scott county and Winfield township. 
 
 JOHN B. CROUCH, M. D. 
 
 Dr. John B. Crouch, one of the successful representatives of the medical 
 profession in Eldridge, was born in Davenport in 1880. His father, Fred 
 Crouch, is a member of the Walsh Construction Company, who are among the 
 prominent contractors of that city. There Dr. Crouch spent his childhood and 
 youth, attending the common schools, in which he derived his early education, 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 261 
 
 and then entering the high school where he prepared for the college course that 
 should fit him for the medical profession. He spent two years at the Iowa Col- 
 lege at Grinnell ; one year in the medical department of the State University ; and 
 then transferred his credits to the Northwestern University Medical School at 
 Chicago, from which he was graduated with the class of 1905. He immediately 
 engaged in his professional labors, and after about two months' experience, suc- 
 ceeded Dr. Kemmerer, who had long been known as one of the oldest practi- 
 tioners of Eldridge. The four years of his residence here have been productive 
 of large returns; he has built up a large and remunerative practice; and has 
 gained the respect and confidence of his patients and colleagues, while the drug 
 store, which he has conducted in conjunction with his professional duties, is 
 one of the thriving business concerns of the village. He is a man who by na- 
 ture and training is especially adapted for general practice, although he is at 
 the same time a deep student, which has enabled him to 'become almost a spe- 
 cialist in those fields of his art which appeal most strongly to him. In diagnosis 
 he is careful and thorough, as a practitioner he is painstaking, while his per- 
 sonality, his enthusiasm and his cheerfulness make him ever welcome in a sick 
 room. 
 
 Dr. Crouch belongs to several of the college fraternal organizations, for he 
 was ever a man to make stanch friends, and as a member of the County and 
 American Medical Associations keeps well informed upon the progress in his 
 profession and the interests with which his co-workers are concerned. In 1905 
 in Davenport was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Crouch and Miss Martha 
 Frances Ballard, whose parents are residents of that city. One daughter, Rhoda 
 Bliss, now about one year old, has been born to the couple. 
 
 HENRY ROHWER. 
 
 The agricultural interests of this state were formerly well represented by 
 Henry Rohwer, who gave many years of his life to the tilling of the soil. He 
 is now living retired, however, in Davenport, having passed the seventy-fourth 
 milestone on life's journey, so that he is well entitled to the rest that has been 
 vouchsafed him. A great majority of Davenport's German citizens came from 
 Schleswig-Holstein, which province was also the birthplace of Henry Rohwer, 
 whose natal day was June 4, 1835. His father was Jochim Rohwer. His mother 
 died during his early childhood, which was spent in Germany. After attending 
 the public schools he began learning the shoemaker's trade, and in 1857 came to 
 the United States, for he had heard favorable reports concerning America and 
 its opportunities and hoped to acquire a comfortable competence more rapidly 
 in this country than he could expect to do on the other side of the Atlantic. 
 Bidding adieu to home and friends, he sailed alone for the western world, land- 
 ing at New York, after which he made his way to Davenport. He at first 
 worked at his trade in this city, being engaged in shoemaking until 1862, when 
 he crossed the plains to California with teams. It required three months to 
 make the trip even at that day. He remained for two and a half years on the 
 
262 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Pacific coast and then returned to the east by way of the Isthmus of Panama, 
 eventually landing at New York city. From that point he continued across the 
 country to Davenport, where he again engaged in shoemaking until 1882. He 
 next turned his attention to farming in Iowa, investing in eighty acres, upon 
 which he took up his abode. The work of tilling the soil then engaged his at- 
 tention and he made his home thereon until 1906, carefully cultivating his crops 
 and gathering large harvests. He then sold out and returned to Davenport, 
 where he has since made his home. 
 
 In politics Mr. Rohwer has always been a stalwart republican and he served 
 as township trustee for six years and also as school director in Crystal town- 
 ship. 
 
 Mr. Rohwer has been married twice. On the 17th of August, 1865, he 
 wedded Miss Catherine Barofsky, who died in 1885. They were the parents 
 of eight children. Julius, living in Ida Grove, Iowa, married Emma Vogt and 
 they have seven children. Gustave, now located in Moline, married Emma Corth 
 and has seven children. Theodore, whose home is in Schleswig, Crawford 
 county, Iowa, is married and has seven children. Henry is married and is lo- 
 cated in Seattle, Washington. Amanda is the wife of Fred Fick, of Ida county, 
 Iowa, and has one son. The other children died in infancy with the exception 
 of George, who passed away at the age of twenty-two years. For his second 
 wife Mr. Rohwer chose Whipke Stelk, whom he wedded in April, 1887. She 
 was the widow of John Stelk and by her former marriage had four children: 
 Anna, the wife of R. A. Madison, of Ottumwa county, Iowa, by whom she has 
 one child; Emma, the wife of Rudolph Meinert, of Davenport, by whom she 
 has one child; John, at home; and Charles, who married Gusta Weis and lives 
 in Virginia. 
 
 Mr. Rohwer belongs to the association known as the Old German Pioneers, 
 Coming to the new world soon after attaining his majority, he readily adapted 
 himself to changed conditions, made haste to master the language of -the people 
 and acquaint himself with American customs and habits. In all of his business 
 life he has displayed the energy and perseverance characteristic of the German 
 people and, improving the opportunities which to him seemed to point to suc- 
 cess, he eventually reached a position among the men of affluence in Scott county 
 and is now numbered among the substantial citizens of Davenport, where he 
 makes his home, his leisure being devoted to those pursuits which afford him 
 recreation and interest. 
 
 HENRY C. COOK. 
 
 One of the well cultivated farms of Sheridan township is that of ninety 
 acres belonging to Henry C. Cook, one of the sturdy sons of the fatherland 
 who did so much toward developing the fertility of Scott county in the early 
 years of its settlement. He was born in Holstein, Germany, September 17, 
 1840, a son of Hans and Kathryn Cook. The father was engaged in agricul- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 263 
 
 tural pursuits in the old country, but in the hope of bettering his own fortunes 
 and of providing larger opportunities for his children, he with his family emi- 
 grated to the United States in 1847. They disembarked at New York, whence 
 they came west to Chicago, completing their journey to Iowa by wagon. Upon 
 reaching Scott county, Mr. Cook entered four hundred acres of prairie land, 
 but he was not permitted to enjoy his new property, for he died thirteen days 
 after arriving here, and his claim, made out in his name in Washington, D. C., 
 was paid for by his friend, Nicholas Rusch, who later married his widow. 
 
 Mr. Rusch became a prominent factor in the public life of Scott county. He 
 was born in Holstein, Germany, February 16, 1822, and received a good educa- 
 tion in the land of his birth, for after leaving the elementary school at Marne, 
 he entered the gymnasium at Meldorf, later attended the Segeberg Seminary, 
 and finally became a student in the University of Kiel, where he specialized in 
 theology. He afterward taught as a private tutor in Holstein. He came to this 
 country on the same ship with Mr. Cook, expecting to teach here. After Mr. 
 Cook's death he assumed the management of the farm, making all the improve- 
 ments and bringing it to a high state of fertility, and there he lived until after 
 the inauguration of the Civil war. He was a successful farmer, and also pos- 
 sessed the personality that made him a man in whom the people placed the ut- 
 most confidence. He was an ardent republican in his political sympathies, and 
 upon that party's ticket was elected to various township offices. In 1859 he was 
 the choice of his district for state senator, and although he served only until 
 i860, he was concerned with some important legislation. In that year the re- 
 publican party elected him lieutenant governor of Iowa, at the same time that 
 Mr. Kirkwood was elected governor, and he held that position until 1862, when 
 he resigned to accept the appointment as commissioner of immigration, which 
 was made by Governor Kirkwood. Mr. Rusch had his headquarters in New 
 York city for ten months, and then as immigration had fallen off on account 
 of the war, he returned to Iowa and was appointed assistant quartermaster, with 
 the rank of captain, for the troops of this state. During the course of the war 
 he went to Vicksburg, Mississippi, was made chief quartermaster of the Iowa 
 troops there and died there September 22, 1864, while in active service. He 
 was a man of great force of character and left his impress upon the affairs of 
 his time and locality, bequeathing to the generation who followed him a record 
 for public service and patriotism which should be inspiring. Educational in- 
 terests in Scott county were also furthered by him, for he donated the land for 
 and helped build the first school in his neighborhood. 
 
 Mr. Rusch became the father of three children, namely: Emily, who is the 
 wife of J. E. Meyers, of Davenport; Minnie, who was the wife of Joseph Keck, 
 formerly of Washington, Iowa, but now like his wife deceased; and Gustav C, 
 a prominent farmer of Sheridan township, thus county. His wife, who had 
 previously married Hans Cook, had six children by her first union, as follows: 
 Louisa, who married Henry Berg, now deceased, but formerly a resident of 
 Davenport; Augusta, who married Henry Landt, of Tama county, Iowa; Julia, 
 who is the widow of Cornelius Axelson and lives in Mississippi; Henry C, 
 whose name introduces this review; Eliza, the wife of Martin Banthen, of 
 Durant, Iowa ; and Agnes, who married Jens Lorenzen, of Davenport. 
 
264 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Henry C. Cook received his early education in Germany before his parents 
 emigrated to this country, for he was about seven years of age when they 
 started upon their journey, and after he came to Scott county he attended the 
 district school near his home in Sheridan township, where he completed his 
 training for the responsibilities of manhood. He was early initiated into the 
 methods of cultivating the soil, and in the years that he has been a resident 
 of this county has lived upon this same farm. He assisted his stepfather in 
 operating it during the lifetime of the latter, and then, after his death he as- 
 sumed the full charge of it. In the period, amounting now to almost half a 
 century, that the place has been under his control, he has worked earnestly and 
 diligently to make it one of the most productive tracts of land in his vicinity, 
 and as enterprise and determination have been salient features in his success, 
 he is well deserving of the comfortable income which his labors have brought 
 him. 
 
 On the 6th of October, 1869, Mr. Cook was married to Miss Kathryn Emise, 
 a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. August Emise, who were among the early German 
 settlers of Scott county. Both are now deceased. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Cook 
 have been born three children. Carl F., who is engaged in the telephone busi- 
 ness in Eldridge, Iowa, wedded Miss Eliza Peterson and they had one child who 
 died in infancy. Harry and Carrie are both at home, and the latter is a grad- 
 uate of Brown's Business College, of Davenport. 
 
 Mr. Cook has served as trustee of Sheridan township and has filled other 
 offices within the gift of the people, with the same carefulness and honor that 
 has distinguished his private life, and the fact that many of his closest friends 
 are those who have known him from boyhood is an evidence that his life has 
 been directed in accordance with high principles of manhood and citizenship. 
 
 OTTO CLAUSEN. 
 
 Davenport has always acknowledged her indebtedness to her German- 
 American citizens for much of her progress in the fields of commerce and in- 
 dustry, and prominent among those who have been leaders in manufacturing 
 circles was numbered Otto Clausen, for many years general manager of the 
 H. F. Brammer Manufacturing Company. He was bom June 14, 1850, in 
 Schonhorst, Kirchspiel Brugga, near Kiel, a son of Claus and Johanna (Car- 
 stens) Clausen. His father was the oldest son of Claus Clausen, teacher in Ox- 
 boll on the island Alsen. The mother of Otto Clausen was a daughter of Jo- 
 hann Carstens, teacher at Michaelis Donn, north Ditmarsch. 
 
 Mr. Clausen's childhood was spent in Dollerup, Kirchspiel, Grundshoff, An- 
 geln, Boel Angeln, and at Atzeballig, near Augustenburg, he being confirmed 
 at the latter place. On the ist of May, 1869, when nineteen years of age, he 
 sailed for America, landing at Montreal. He arrived in Davenport on the ist 
 of June, his choice of a location being influenced by the fact that he had a dis- 
 tant relative, Emil Geisler, living here. After spending some time here he 
 went to St. Louis by steamboat and later journeyed to Memphis, Tennessee. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 267 
 
 There he accepted a position as bookkeeper in a private hospital (St. Joseph's 
 Infirmary), working during the day and attending the commercial college at 
 night in order that he might learn the English language and become qualified 
 for active work in commercial and industrial circles, for in the schools of his 
 native country he had acquired a good education in his mother tongue. Later 
 he became clerk in the Central Hotel at Memphis, there remaining for seven 
 years. When he had saved enough of his earnings he returned to Europe in 
 1872 and brought his parents, sisters and one brother to the new world with 
 him, the family settling in Memphis. The following year yellow fever broke 
 out in that city and Mr. Clausen volunteered as a nurse, taking care of many 
 who were afflicted by that dread disease — a heroic act for which he deserved high 
 praise. In 1876 he started his own grocery business, which he conducted with 
 success until 1885. 
 
 On the 20th of January, 1880, Mr. Clausen was married to Adele Geisler, 
 who was a daughter of Emil and Sophia (Halkins) Geisler and who died July 
 4, 1886. There were two children by that marriage, one of whom died in in- 
 fancy, while the other, Adele, is now the wife of H. W. Hubers of Davenport 
 and has one child, Marjorie Del. Mr. Clausen continued in business in Mem- 
 phis until 1886, when he came to this city and purchased the present home of 
 the family. On the nth of August, 1887, he married Eveline Steinberg, a 
 daughter of Louis W. and Anna Wilhelmina (Hagen) Steinberg. By this union 
 there was born a son, who died in infancy. In 1888 Mr. Clausen accepted the 
 position of bookkeeper and treasurer of the H. F. Brammer Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, and in 1895 became its general manager. He remained the executive head 
 of the enterprise until 1901, when he retired from the active control of the 
 business and throughout his remaining days enjoyed the fruits of his former 
 toil in well earned retirement. 
 
 Mr. Clausen was a member of the Turner Society and had a very extensive 
 acquaintance among the German-American residents of this city. He won a 
 creditable position in business circles, was ever charitable, brave and fearless in 
 the face of danger, trustworthy in the performance of duty and diligent in the 
 accomplishment of every task which he undertook. These qualities gained him 
 a firm hold on the affections of his fellow townsmen, so that his memory is 
 cherished by all who knew him. He loved his home and was a most kind and 
 loving father and husband. His death occurred on the 30th of April, 1905, 
 at his southern home, Ottonia Park, Santa Rosa county, Florida. His remains 
 were brought to Davenport for interment. 
 
 OTTO KLUG. 
 
 Otto Klug, a capitalist, who during the years of his residence in Davenport 
 largely obtained his income from real estate investments and continued through 
 the period of his life as one of the influential and honored citizens here, was 
 born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, August i, 1822. His life record covered 
 the intervening years to the 25th of May, 1899, when he was called to his final 
 
268 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 rest. Educated in the public schools of his native country, he remained there 
 through the great revolutionary struggle of 1848, in which he took an active 
 part. In 1849, the revolutionists being frustrated in their plans to secure greater 
 political liberty and privileges, Mr. Klug determined to come to America, where 
 he might enjoy the fruits of independence denied him in his native country. 
 He therefore crossed the Atlantic to America and established his home in Daven- 
 port. In Germany he had been engaged in the dry-goods business and upon 
 coming to this city he opened a store on Front street, stocked in part with 
 goods which he had brought over from Hamburg. Two years later he removed 
 to a store on Second street, where he continued a profitable and growing busi- 
 ness until 1868, when he sold out to Christian Toerring and retired from mer- 
 chandising, finding that his real estate and other interests demanded the greater 
 part of his time. He had as the years went by made investment in property 
 until his holdings were such as to claim the greater part of his attention in their 
 successful management and control. He was seldom if ever at fault in mat- 
 ters of business judgment and hence his labors and his investments brought him 
 success which was substantial as well as creditable. He owned several large 
 business blocks beside valuable residences and unimproved property in this city 
 and at the time of his death he was also the secretary of the Davenport Plate 
 Glass Insurance Company, of which he was the founder and one of the direc- 
 tors. He was also one of the founders of the Scott County Savings Bank and 
 a director until called to his final rest. 
 
 On the 14th of August, 1852, Mr. Klug was married to Miss Fredericka 
 Schricker, who came to America in 1849, landing in St. Louis, and coming to 
 Davenport in 1851. Their children are: Clara, now the wife of H. F. Petersen; 
 Agnes, the wife of William Haase; Lillie, at home; Thekla, the wife of Robert 
 Wagner; Otto; Elfrieda, at home; and Henrietta, who died at the age of nine 
 years. After residing in America for forty years Mr. Klug returned with his 
 family to visit his native town in Germany. He was greatly interested therein, 
 but while he always maintained a deep love for the fatherland he was still more 
 strongly attached to the land of his adoption, for it was here that he won his 
 success, while in his social relations he gained a circle of friends that bound him 
 closely to this country. He was, moreover, in sympathy with its form of gov- 
 ernment and eagerly and enthusiastically championed the salient features in the 
 American republic. His first trip to the new world was made on a sailing ves- 
 sel, from which he landed at New Orleans, and then came up the river to Daven- 
 port. In the forty years that elapsed before he again went to Germany, there 
 had been marvelous changes made in marine transportation, and he crossed the 
 Atlantic in one of the ocean greyhounds which brought him to his destination 
 in a few days. 
 
 Mr. Klug was always closely identified with the growth of Davenport, and 
 his cooperation could always be counted upon to further any measure for the 
 general good. For six years he served on the board of education, and for ten 
 years represented his ward in the city council, being several times elected alder- 
 man. He was a member of the volunteer fire department for sixteen years, and 
 at one time was its chief. He was also treasurer of the first German free 
 school, which he organized in 1853, acting as custodian of its funds until his 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 269 
 
 demise. He belonged to the Schleswig-Holstein Kampfgenossen Verein and was 
 its vice president until he departed this life. He was also a member of the 
 Turners Society and had he lived for another year would have received a diploma 
 which the Turners give to all who work for their interests for a quarter of a 
 century. An expert marksman, he belonged to the Davenport Shooting Club 
 and was recognized as king of the association, having been winner in many 
 contests. 
 
 While Mr. Klug took an active part in public affairs, his best traits of char- 
 acter were reserved for his own fireside, and the allurements of club and social 
 life were not sufficient to dim for him the joys of the family circle. He was 
 most devoted to the welfare of his wife and children, and erected in Davenport 
 one of the finest homes in this city, standing on the bluff and overlooking the 
 river and surrounding country. He also purchased an attractive country home 
 where he planted fine orchards and vineyards, taking great pride in his agricul- 
 tural and horticultural interests there. He was one of the best known men in 
 the city and had a large circle of admiring friends. His strong character im- 
 pressed itself upon all with whom he was associated and the honesty of his 
 motives was never called into question. He lived to see the hopes that brought 
 him to the new world more than realized and while he won notable success here, 
 he also belonged to that class of citizens who gave of their labor for the benefit 
 of their adopted country. He lingers in the minds of his fellow citizens as one 
 of Davenport's most prominent and honored residents. 
 
 JAMES H. MARRIOTT. 
 
 An enterprising and progressive business man of Long Grove is James H. 
 Marriott, who was born in Newmarket, Maryland, in 1857, and is a son of Au- 
 gustus Marriott, who was engaged in the shoe business in that city. There he 
 received his early education and lived until the approach of manhood, when 
 he removed to the advancing west. For a time he resided in Newman, Illinois, 
 and subsequently located in Eldridge, Iowa, where he was engaged in the paint- 
 ing business. 
 
 In 1887 he came to Long Grove as a clerk for George W. Curtis. After 
 two years' experience there, in which he proved that he was endowed with con- 
 siderable business acumen, he was taken into partnership by his employer, and 
 together they conducted the general store for a number of years. Mr. Marriott 
 finally purchased Mr. Curtis' interest. After conducting the store for a num- 
 ber of years by himself he reorganized a company, incorporating it under the 
 name of Marriott, Wolf & Briceland. During the two years of its existence, 
 they have built up a large and profitable mercantile establishment, filling a long- 
 felt need in the community of Long Grove. Mr. Marriott is its president and 
 manager, so that to his ability and progressive spirit is due the large and up-to- 
 date line of general merchandise to be found upon its counters and shelves. He 
 makes every effort to satisfy the wants of his patrons and has, in consequence, 
 met with a generous support from them. In 1890, with others, he organized 
 
270 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 the Long Grove Creamery Company, of which he is the president. It has a 
 capacity of from one thousand to two thousand pounds of butter each day and 
 employs a large number of men. The product of the creamery finds a ready 
 market in Davenport and Chicago. 
 
 Since 1900 Mr. Marriott has been the postmaster of Long Grove, fulfilling 
 his duties with the care and abiUty which has characterized his operations in 
 the mercantile world. Whenever he has occasion to exercise his right of fran- 
 chise he casts his vote for the candidate of the republican party, feeling in great- 
 est sympathy with its principles. He has ever been distinguished by a desire to 
 promote the welfare of his fellow citizens, whose unqualified respect he enjoys. 
 
 KARL VOLLMER, M. D. 
 
 Davenport, his native city, numbers among her honored and successful 
 physicians Dr. Karl VoUmer, who by reason of his ability and thorough training 
 has attained foremost rank among the representatives of the medical profes- 
 sion in this city. Born on the 20th of November, 1869, he is a son of Henry 
 and Dorothea (Plambeck) VoUmer, extended mention of whom is made on an- 
 other page of this volume, and a brother of Henry Vollmer, attorney and coun- 
 sellor of this city. 
 
 In the public schools of Davenport Dr. Vollmer acquired his preliminary edu- 
 cation and later, deciding upon the practice of medicine as his life work, became 
 a student under the direction of Surgeon-in-Chief Peck, of the Rock Island Rail- 
 way, and was the last one to study under that well known physician, who was 
 recognized as one of the best medical practitioners of his day. Under his guid- 
 ance Dr. Vollmer became imbued with the importance of his profession and also 
 its beauty, mystery and unselfishness, and it was his ambition to follow in the 
 footsteps of him who was his principal inspiration. With this end in view he 
 entered the medical department of the Iowa State University, from which he 
 was graduated in 1892, and then went abroad, spending a season at the Alle- 
 gemeine Krankenhause in Vienna in post-graduate work. This was followed 
 by a season as assistant in the Royal Opthalmic Hospital in London, after 
 which he returned to Davenport, and in the fall of 1893, thus well equipped, 
 entered upon the practice of his profession in this city. His study abroad had 
 been confined principally to the eye, ear, nose and throat, and along this line he 
 has since continued to specialize, his office in the Schmidt building being thor- 
 oughly equipped with every modern and up-to-date accessory for carrying on 
 this branch of the medical profession. In 1906 he again went abroad and sup- 
 plemented his former study by work at Warzburg University. He keeps in 
 close touch with his professional brethren through his membership in the Na- 
 tional, State and County Medical Societies, and the high place which he occupies 
 in medical circles is indicated by the fact that in 1907 he was elected to the 
 presidency of the latter organization. 
 
 It was in 1897 that Dr. Vollmer was united in marriage in Davenport to 
 Miss Paula Koehler, a daughter of Henry and Ottilie Koehler, mention of whom 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 271 
 
 will be found elsewhere in this volume. This union has been blessed by the 
 birth of one son, born on the 20th of October, 1902, who is the life and light 
 of the household. The family reside in an attractive home at No. 817 West 
 Seventh street, and are very prominent in the social circles of the community. 
 Dr. Vollmer is on the staff of Mercy and St. Luke's Hospitals, and with a 
 large private practice demanding his time and talents, he has little time for 
 the amenities of life, yet he takes time to keep up his interest in things municipal 
 and social and gives hearty support to the democratic party, while he is a mem- 
 ber of the Commercial Club, the Outing Club, the Davenport Turn Verein and 
 many local social societies of lesser note. His principal interest, however, is in 
 his profession, the duties of which he performs in a conscientious and thorough 
 manner, fully realizing the heavy responsibilities that rest upon him in the con- 
 duct of his chosen calling. Davenport has watched with interest his rapid and 
 substantial rise and this city, in which he was reared and which has been the 
 center of his efforts and activities, recognizes him as one of her most valuable 
 citizens and an honor to his profession. 
 
 WILLIAM DE LAP. 
 
 William De Lap, who, since 1908, has served as mayor of Buffalo, is also 
 successfully engaged in the real estate and insurance business at that place. He 
 was born in Millville, Wisconsin, November 14, 1857, a son of Elijah and 
 Amanda (Swain) De Lap, both of whom were natives of Steuben county, New 
 York, the former born in 1818 and the latter in 1821. The father, who was a 
 physician, came to Buffalo in 1870 and engaged in practice here until the time 
 of his death, being numbered among the representatives of homeopathy. The 
 mother still survives and makes her home with a daughter, Mrs. A. N. Darman. 
 
 William De Lap accompanied his parents on their removal to Scott county 
 and his education was acquired in the schools of Buffalo. After putting aside 
 his text-books he engaged in farming and also did a general teaming business 
 for several years, but for the past few years he has engaged in the real estate 
 and insurance business. He is demonstrating his ability in these lines, is fa- 
 miliar with the values of property in this section, so that he can buy and sell 
 advantageously, and also writes a large number of insurance policies each year. 
 He is also a stockholder in the Buffalo Savings Bank. 
 
 In addition to his business interests Mr. De Lap is also giving of his time to 
 community affairs, having in 1908 been elected mayor of Buffalo. He is quali- 
 fied to fill the office to the satisfaction of the people and with credit to himself 
 as has been demonstrated in the past year. He ever advocates a movement 
 which he believes will promote the interests of the community and in many 
 ways manifests "his public spirit. 
 
 Mr. De Lap is a republican in his political views and for some years served 
 as a member of the city council. His fraternal relations are with Banner Lodge, 
 No. 16, K. P., at Buffalo. He possesses unusual will power, undaunted tenacity 
 and a high order of business talent, and is affable and approachable, always 
 
272 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 glad to receive suggestions from any one along lines of advancement for the 
 general good, so that no man of Buffalo is held in higher esteem than is Mr. 
 De Lap. 
 
 In his family are three children: Mamie, who died in infancy; Sadie, who 
 is the wife of John Murer, of Buffalo township; and Williard, who married 
 Daisy Oard, of Jamestown, this county, and resides in Buffalo. 
 
 ROBERT M. ABBOTT. 
 
 Among the older citizens of Davenport who have retired from the active pur- 
 suits of business must be numbered Robert M. Abbott, who was for many years 
 prominent as a grain and produce merchant. He is a descendant of one of the 
 earliest families to settle in America. The first of his name to cross the ocean 
 were George and Hannah (Chandler) Abbott, who settled in this country in 1640. 
 They were natives of Yorkshire and Puritans in their religious, faith and upon 
 reaching Massachusetts located in Andover, where their house was a garrison 
 during the early Indian troubles. Indeed, George Abbott became one of the im- 
 portant members of the little colony in those days and a monument was erected 
 in his memory as is recorded in the annals of Andover. His son William mar- 
 ried Elizabeth Geary, from whom was descended Philip Abbott, who was born 
 April 3, 1699. He married Abigail Bickford and died in 1748, having been a 
 participant in the struggles of the colonists. His son John enjoyed the distinction 
 of having erected the first dwelling house in Wilkes Barre, Luzerne county Penn- 
 sylvania. It was erected in 1769 and was standing uritil 1812. There he was 
 killed during the Indian troubles. He wedded Alice Fuller and of their union 
 was born Stephen Abbott, the grandfather of our subject. He served in the 
 war of the revolution and after its close returned to the estate his father had 
 procured, where he followed the vocation of a farmer. He married Abigail 
 Searls, July 14, 1799, and of their union was born John Abbott, the father of 
 our subject. His birth occurred at the opening of the nineteenth century. Like 
 his father he was a farmer and as he gained a success in his life's work he be- 
 came a financier and a man prominent in his locality. He married Hannah Court- 
 right in early manhood and died November 23, i860. 
 
 Robert M. Abbott, having as his heritage the record of ancestors who had 
 become prominent in Wilkes Barre, was born in that city, June 17, 1837. He 
 received his early education in the place of his birth, which remained his home 
 for several years after the death of his father. He engaged in agriculture, in 
 which he attained proficiency, and about 1865 came to Iowa, locating in Daven- 
 port. Here he became connected with the grain business but after two years 
 embarked in the hardware business, in which he remained for some time with 
 Mr. Collamer. He then returned to the grain and produce business, to which he 
 gave his attention until advancing years and a large competence suggested to 
 him the feasibility of retiring from active life. During the years in which he 
 was engaged in mercantile pursuits he evinced a keen appreciation of the value 
 of grain and the operations upon the stock market, but, while he was never at 
 
1/ 
 
 (L£H^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 275 
 
 a loss to profit by opportunity for bettering himself, the record of his dealings 
 was never marred by any act which he might desire to keep hidden. His home 
 is now at 1026 Brady street, where guests are made welcome and hospitably 
 entertained. 
 
 On the 29th of December, 1864, Mr. Abbott was united in marriage to Miss 
 Caroline Courtright. Like her husband she is a descendant of colonial ancestors. 
 In the annals of Harlem the first member of the family bore the name of Se- 
 bastian Van Kortryck. He had come toi this country from West Flanders, Hol- 
 land, his people having gone there fi-om Belgium in the seventeenth century. 
 He was a man of wealth and social position and his descendants became promi- 
 nent in the New Amsterdam colony. His son was known as Jan Bastian Van 
 Kortryck, who in the course of years was the father of Hendrick Jans Van Kort- 
 ryck. His son Cornelius wedded Christiana Rosencrans, and of their union was 
 bom Benjamin Courtright, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Abbott. He married 
 Catherine* Cuddebeck, and of their union was born John Courtright. He mar- 
 ried Alice Abbott, nee Fuller, and became the father of Cornelius Courtright, 
 the father of Mrs. Abbott. He in turn married Harriet Bailey, among whose 
 children was Caroline Courtright, who on December 29, 1864, married Mr. Ab- 
 bott and became the mother of three children. John Howard, was long known 
 as one of the best young men in Davenport, where he was engaged in different 
 pursuits. Recently, however, he has taken up his residence in Kansas City, 
 where he is now engaged in the real estate business. Carrie Helene makes her 
 home with her parents. She belongs to the Colonial Dames and takes an active 
 part in the affairs of the society, while Mrs. Abbott belongs to the Daughters of 
 the American Revolution and also' to the Colonial Dames. Robert Bruce is now 
 in St. Paul, where for the past ten years he has been connected with a large 
 department store. 
 
 Mr. Abbott has always been prominent in the public affairs of Davenport 
 and many of the improvements of the city are the result of his suggestion or 
 active work. In consequence he enjoys a large reputation besides the satisfac- 
 tion of knowing that his sons profit by his example and are well advanced along 
 the road to useful and successful lives. 
 
 LOUIS SCHROEDER. 
 
 Louis Schroeder, who is living retired at No. 1557 Prairie street, in Daven- 
 port, followed farming in this county for many years, and through the careful 
 conduct of his agricultural interests won the competence that now enables him 
 to spend the evening of life in the enjoyment of well earned rest. He was born 
 in Germany on the i6th of April, 1839, his parents being Anton and Martha 
 Schroeder, both of whom passed away in the fatherland. 
 
 Louis Schroeder spent his youthful days in the acquirement of an education 
 and when his text-books had been laid aside he learned the stonemason's trade, 
 following that occupation in Germany until the time of his emigration to the 
 new world in 1867. He was accompanied on the voyage by his wife and one 
 
276 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 child and after landing at New York made his way at once to Davenport, Iowa, 
 where he secured employment at his trade. A short time afterward, however, 
 he turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits and was actively engaged 
 in the operation of a rented farm in Davenport township for seven years, on the 
 expiration of which period he purchased a small tract of land in the same town- 
 ship, devoting his time and energies to its cultivation for thirteen years. At the 
 end of that time he traded the property for sixty-six and a half acres of fine 
 farming land on the Jersey Ridge road, where he likewise carried on his agri- 
 cultural interests energetically and successfully for about thirteen years. He 
 then sold the place and bought his present property on Prairie street in Daven- 
 port, where he has since lived retired without recourse to further labor. 
 
 On the 14th of February, 1866, Mr. Schroeder was united in marriage to 
 Miss Lena Miller, by whom he had six children, namely: Louisa, who wedded 
 Henry Leonard, of Rock Island, Illinois, and has one child — Charles; August, 
 who follows farming near Walcott, Iowa, and who is married and has eight 
 children; William, who wedded Miss Mary Seaman and resides in Davenport; 
 Emma; Edward, at home; and Albert, living in Davenport, who is married and 
 has one child. The wife and mother was called to her final rest on the 30th of 
 November, 1909, when she had attained the age of seventy-two years, six 
 months and nine days. 
 
 Mr. Schroeder has made his home in Scott county for more than four de- 
 cades and is widely recognized as one of its substantial and esteemed citizens. 
 The hope that led him to leave his native land and seek a home in America has 
 been more than realized. He found the opportunities he sought, which, by the 
 way, are always open to the ambitious, energetic man — and making the best of 
 these he has steadily worked his way upward. 
 
 JOHN BANGERT. 
 
 Among the successful and representative agriculturists of Cleona township 
 who claim Germany as the place of their nativity, is John Bangert, whose birth 
 occurred in Hesse-Darmstadt on the 12th of November, 1852. His parents 
 were Henry and Marie (Wanda) Bangert, also natives of the father- 
 land, whose entire lives were spent in that country. The father was a 
 distiller by trade, being engaged in that line of activity for twenty-one years. 
 John Bangert, of this review, was the second in order of birth in a family of 
 six children, he and a sister Mary being the only ones of that number to come 
 to this country. 
 
 In the common schools of Germany John Bangert acquired a good educa- 
 tion and remained under the parental roof until fifteen years of age, when he 
 came alone to America. Here he joined an uncle, John Wanda, who resided in 
 Muscatine county, Iowa, near Blue Grass, with whom he continued to make 
 his home until twenty-one years of age. On attaining his majority he took up 
 agricultural pursuits on his own account and for four years operated a farm 
 belonging to his aunt in Muscatine county. At the expiration of that period he 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 277 
 
 came to Scott county, where he rented a farm in Bufifalo township for two years. 
 He then returned to Muscatine county and there engaged in farming in the 
 capacity of renter until about eleven years ago, when he purchased his present 
 farm, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres located on the northwest quar- 
 ter of section 34, Cleona township. He has since directed his efforts toward 
 the further development of this farm, which under his wise and careful man- 
 agement has been brought to a high state of cultivation, it being one of the well 
 improved properties of the township. He practices rotation of crops, has made 
 a thorough study of the cereals best adapted to the soil and climate and the 
 proper cultivation of the same, and is systematic, methodical and progressive in 
 his methods, so that with the passing of the years he has won a most gratifying 
 measure of success in agricultural lines. 
 
 Mr. Bangert laid the foundation for a happy home life by his marriage, Oc- 
 tober 23, 1879, to Miss Katharine Shulte, who was born in Buffalo township, 
 Scott county, Iowa, on the ist of May, 1858, and is a daughter of Henry and 
 Marie (Gaass) Shulte, both natives of Germany. The parents came to New 
 York in 1850 and were there married, after which they removed to Cleveland, 
 Ohio, and thence to Davenport. The father died at the age of sixty-eight years, 
 his death occurring on the ocean while on a trip back to the fatherland, while 
 the mother survived for several years, passing away when eighty-three years 
 of age. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bangert were born six children, namely: August, 
 of Cleona township ; Marie, the wife of Henry Bierkamp of Cedar county ; Anna, 
 who married Henry Lehms of Muscatine county; Clara, the wife of Hugo 
 Schneckloth, a resident of Muscatine county; and Henry and Lena, both at 
 home. 
 
 Politically Mr. Bangert has given stalwart support to the democratic party 
 since age conferred upon him the right of franchise, but he has never been an 
 aspirant for public office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon the con- 
 duct of his business affairs. He is public-spirited in his citizenship, however, 
 and although born across the waters is thoroughly identified with the interests 
 of his adopted country and is numbered among her loyal, representative and sub- 
 stantial citizens. 
 
 PETER N. JACOBSEN. 
 
 Few among the older German settlers of Davenport enjoy a larger number 
 of friends and a more universal respect than does Peter N. Jacobsen, who, after 
 a life of diligence and well repaid toil, is living in retirement at 1823 Division 
 street. He was bom in Eckernfoerder, Germany, March 24, 1833, a son of 
 Claus and Dorothy (Miller) Jacobsen. His paternal grandfather, Peter Jacob- 
 sen, was one of the very wealthy and prominent men in his section of Germany 
 and served in the war with Russia. He married Miss Anna Maria Jochensen 
 from Kollebig, Germany. Claus Jacobsen, a miller by trade, never left the land 
 of his birth. He was the father of thirteen children, of whom Peter N. is the 
 eldest and the only one who came to this country besides his youngest sister. 
 
278 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 There is but one other survivor of this large family, a daughter, living in Ger- 
 many. 
 
 Peter N. Jacobsen received all of his education in the land of his birth, for 
 he attended a private school near his home. In early life he learned the mil- 
 ler's trade, later becoming an overseer who traveled through the country super- 
 intending factories for different concerns. He went to Schube, Germany, where 
 he remained for a time; from there to Pretsch; thence to Oldenburg, and then 
 to Wohedurst. He removed finally to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he re- 
 mained until he returned home to enter the German army. After his period of 
 service, in 1857, he sailed for America, making his way immediately to Daven- 
 port after landing upon our shores. First he worked as a farm hand and then 
 rented land in this county, finally buying eighty acres in Princeton township. 
 His life having been for so long devoted to milling, he shortly afterward took 
 charge of the Rush mill, which he operated and then rented. In i860 he sold 
 his property and came to Davenport, where he secured a mill, which he conducted 
 for several years. This he also sold and embarked in the saloon business, to 
 which he devoted his attention until his son was old enough to assume its re- 
 sponsibilities. He then retired from active life and has since devoted himself 
 entirely to matters which were calculated to advance the interests of his com- 
 patriots in this county. 
 
 Mr. Jacobsen has been twice married. In 1857 he wedded Miss Anna Goetz 
 and to them were born seven children : Charley F. ; Dora L. ; Peter N., deceased ; 
 Anna; Peter N., Jr.; Claus; and Henry. Mrs. Jacobsen died in 1885, and sub- 
 sequently Mr. Jacobsen wedded Mrs. Paulina Heunger. She had a daughter, 
 Anna, who became the wife of one of Mr. Jacobsen's sons. 
 
 Mr. Jacobsen has always been very active in the public affairs and has been 
 prominent in the numerous organizations which have been formed by his com- 
 patriots for social or beneficent reasons. He belongs to the Northwest Daven- 
 port Relief Society, Noto Themp Society and its relief corps, the Davenport 
 Singing Society (Liedertael), the German Relief, the German Pioneer Society, 
 of which he is vice president, the German School Society, and the German and 
 American Alliance. 
 
 A. P. DOE. 
 
 It has been urged, and with some reason, that the spirit of commercialism 
 is rife in America to the exclusion of the humanitarian recognition of the ob- 
 ligations which the individual owes to his fellowmen. To this general rule there 
 are, however, many notable exceptions and such a one is found in the life record 
 of A. P. Doe, no less esteemed for his success and prominence than for his hearty 
 and helpful cooperation in lines of public work that have constituted a bene- 
 ficial factor in the city's development and for his earnest and efficient work for 
 the Orphans Home. His life history had its beginning at Windham, Maine, 
 March 31, 1837. His father, Charles Doe, was born in the same house and 
 comes of a family of English origin, connected, however, with American in- 
 
^:^-ll- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY ' 281 
 
 terests since 1636, when the first representative of the family came to the United 
 States, arriving at Gloucester, Massachusetts. Through succeeding generations 
 the family was represented in New England and A. P. Doe spent his youthful 
 days in the Pine Tree state, there acquired his education and afterward learned 
 the machinist's trade, becoming a skilled mechanic. Subsequently he removed 
 to Meriden, Connecticut, where he was engaged in the manufacture of rifles 
 during the period of the Civil war. 
 
 The opportunities of the west, however, attracted him and in 1866 he arrived 
 in Davenport, where he became identified with the business interests of the city 
 as a wholesale shoe merchant. For thirty-five years he continued in that line 
 of trade, enjoying not only a successful patronage but also an unassailable; rep- 
 utation for business enterprise and commercial integrity. His careful manage- 
 ment resulted in continual development of the business along substantial lines 
 until the trade of the house was represented by a large figure annually. Mr. 
 Doe continued in that field of activity until 1901, when he retired. In the mean- 
 time he had become closely associated with financial interests as one of the or- 
 ganizers of the Iowa National Bank, of which he served as vice president until 
 1901, when he was elected to the presidency and so continues. He was also one 
 of the organizers of the Scott County Savings Bank and a member of its direc- 
 torate for a quarter of a century. His business judgment has always been re- 
 garded as sound, his keen insight enabling him to correctly solve the intricate 
 problems of commerce and finance. 
 
 In 1864 Mr. Doe was married to Miss Julia M. Bryant, a native of Windsor, 
 Maine, and unto them was born a daughter, Alice M., now the wife of George 
 B. Butterfield, a banker of Norfolk, Nebraska. The death of Mrs. Doe occurred 
 in March, 1905, and was the occasion of deep regret to many friends, for her 
 estimable qualities had endeared her to those with whom she was associated. 
 
 Mr. Doe is well known in Masonic circles, having joined the local lodge at 
 Bethlehem, Maine, in 1858, since which time he has been an exemplary rep- 
 resentative of the fraternity. He has filled the chairs in the blue lodge and chap- 
 ter at Davenport and has taken the degrees of the Knight Templar commandery 
 and of the Mystic Shrine. While his' business interests have been of considerable 
 extent and importance, he has always found time and opportunity for coopera- 
 tion in public measures, has done effective service for the city as a progressive 
 member of the council, has several times served as a member of the school board 
 and was president of the board of trustees of the Orphans Home for ten years. 
 If one were to attempt to characterize the life of A. P. Doe outside of his bus- 
 iness connection it might perhaps be best done in saying that he is a lover of 
 children and the practical manifestation of this has been found in many specific 
 instances, but none of greater magnitude than his work with the Orphans Home, 
 which he was instrumental in establishing. He was a member of the legislature 
 at the time the matter was brought up before the general assembly and from the 
 inception of the home to the present he has been one of the most active factors 
 in its upbuilding. At the beginning a single room constituted the home and at 
 times light and heat were scarce, but through the unflagging energy of Mr. Doe 
 and his associates the immense establishment known as the Orphans Home 
 has been developed to what it now is. He is particularly interested in the 
 manual training department, which is being developed along lines that point to 
 
282 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 perfection. His great love for the child and his recognition of its possibilities 
 have permitted him to do service that is of inestimable value to the state, as 
 well as to the city, in surrounding the young with such environment as shall 
 develop honorable manhood and womanhood and thus reclaim them from lives 
 of wrongdoing, into which want or idleness and lack of education might have 
 driven them. 
 
 Mr. Doe was elected to the legislature, in which he served with the same spirit 
 of loyalty that has ever characterized his performance of the duties devolving 
 upon him. He does not court notoriety but manifests a justifiable pride in 
 Davenport and its stability, feeling that no city can boast of more solid financial 
 conditions and, although he disclaims special credit therefor, it is but just to say 
 that this condition is due in no small measure to his efforts. Such in brief is 
 the history of Mr. Doe. While he has made a success in business, there has 
 come to him no greater satisfaction than that which has arrived out of the work 
 that he has done for the Orphans Home. 
 
 ERNEST S. CARL. 
 
 From a long line of German architects and builders there came to Daven- 
 port a man, who was to be a builder of sound institutions and of enduring busi- 
 ness confidence. For more than forty years and particularly during the quarter 
 century that he acted as cashier of the Citizens National Bank, E. S. Carl was 
 acknowledged one of the leading representatives of that fine integrity which was 
 preparing the city for a permanent greatness. 
 
 Ernest S. Carl was born January 4, 1842, in Coburg, Germany, where he 
 received a thorough, practical education. At the age of sixteen, in 1858, after 
 the death of his mother, he sailed for New York, remaining there only a few 
 months before he came straight to Davenport. In i860, after some months' 
 employment in the general store of his brother-in-law, August Steffen, he 
 started for California by way of the Isthmus of Panama, but on the steamer 
 met John E. Lovejoy, United States consul to Callao, Peru, with whom he 
 engaged as assistant secretary. A few months later he became assistant to 
 Dr. Charles F. Winslow, of Boston, the American consul to Paita, Peru, where 
 he remained two years till Dr. Winslow's resignation. These years in South 
 America, during which Mr. Carl not only learned Spanish, but completely mas- 
 tered the English language so that ever after he seemed as much an American 
 as any of his fellow citizens, were a broadening influence in his whole life. 
 
 In 1863 Mr. Carl returned to Davenport, erected a warehouse at 224 West 
 Front street and entered the grain business. In 1868 he accepted the position 
 of teller in the Davenport National Bank, where he demonstrated his true talent 
 for banking. In 1870 he became assistant cashier of the First National Bank, 
 and finally, in 1875, ^t the age of thirty- three, he was appointed cashier of the 
 Citizens National Bank. It was in this last position, which he held till failing 
 health compelled him to retire in 1899, that Mr. Carl became known not only 
 as one of the ablest bankers in the state but as a helpful public servant, whose 
 kindly aid was bestowed without reserve upon all who sought. His adminis- 
 trative qualities won the bank fame for its sound and rapid progress, and his 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 283 
 
 broad human qualities brought a varied and enthusiastic patronage. He inau- 
 gurated the system of currency distribution by which Davenport has become a 
 financial center for the smaller country banks that formerly looked to Chicago; 
 and, during his term of office, the Citizens National Bank became the leading 
 banking institution in Iowa. 
 
 In 1861 Mr. Carl married Miss Sarah Marckley, who had removed in 1851 
 with her parents, William H. and Harriet (Allison) Marckley, from their home 
 in Alexandria, Virginia, to Davenport. Mr. Marckley was a contractor and 
 builder, whose work became a substantial improvement to the city in the early 
 days. Mrs. Carl, like her husband, was a person of generous instincts and an 
 agreeable, social nature. Her incessant charities, quietly performed, made her 
 known to rich and poor alike ; and her unbounded hospitality, together with Mr. 
 Carl's, in the beautiful residence at Sixth and Perry streets, has left happy 
 memories throughout the city. 
 
 After a year spent in Colorado seeking health, Mr. Carl returned to Daven- 
 port for a short visit, and on October 15, 1900, was stricken dead in the very 
 bank where he had spent the best years of his life. Five months later, on the 
 24th of March, 1901, Mrs. Carl answered the same call. There are left only 
 the daughter, Mrs. Rosa Oberholtzer, and her son, Ernest Carl Oberholtzer. 
 
 Mr. Carl's activities were by no means confined to banking. He was a pub- 
 lic-spirited citizen, believing in Davenport and its people and supporting all 
 measures for its best progress. He was one of the founders of the Phoenix 
 Milling Company and of many other successful enterprises, an ardent and effec- 
 tive promoter of the Hennepin canal, a friend of the Davenport Academy of 
 Sciences, .a director of the Oakdale cemetery, and though a member of no 
 church yet a supporter of many. He was a Turner, an Odd Fellow, a Mason and 
 a member of several intimately social clubs. Next to his home and friends, 
 which were his chief delight throughout life, his greatest pleasure was music, 
 of which he was always a lover and patron. Mr. Carl, in brief, was not only 
 one of the most trusted but one of the most beloved men in Davenport. 
 
 J. P. OBERLEITNER. 
 
 In the years, amounting to almost a quarter of a century, that J. P. Ober- 
 leitner has been connected with the life of Liberty township, he has proved him- 
 self a public-spirited and valuable citizen. As manager of the H. O. Seiffert 
 Lumber Company's branch here, he has been instrumental in advancing the 
 business activity of the recently established village of New Liberty in whose 
 welfare he has taken an active interest. This man of industry, energy and 
 enterprise was born in Kaltenkirchen, Holstein, Germany, August 17, i86g, 
 and is a son of Christian H. and EHzabeth (Schmidt) Oberleitner, both natives 
 of the same province as their son. In 1876 they came to the United States, 
 coming directly to Davenport which remained their home until they moved to 
 New Liberty. Here the mother passed away, in January, 1902, when she was 
 seventy-five years old, and here the father still lives, pursuing the carpenter's 
 trade, to which his whole life has been devoted. A daughter, Catherine, was 
 born to him and his wife, and she has passed away. 
 
284 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 J. P. Oberleitner, the only son, was about seven years of age when his 
 parents settled in Davenport, where he attended the public schools, in which he 
 received a good education, and in that city also learned the carpenter's trade. 
 About twenty-three years ago he came to Liberty township, which has since 
 been his home and the scene of his labors. He was accounted a good workman, 
 and a good man of business, who had developed the power to guide others 
 during the years in which he had worked here. These were the very qualities 
 for which the H. O. Seiffert Company sought when they opened a branch of 
 their Davenport house here. The company are extensive dealers in lumber, 
 coal, builders' hardware, bricks, tile and sun-proof paints, so that a wide field 
 of operations demanded a manager of pronounced ability. Such a one they 
 believed they had discovered in Mr. Oberleitner, and in the last seven years, 
 during which he has filled that position, there has never been any indication that 
 their judgment was at fault. Mr. Oberleitner has proved that he was the man 
 for the place, and has conducted the interests of his employers here with profit. 
 At the same time he has advanced the welfare of the little community in 
 which he lives, for when the establishment of a bank here was agitated he be- 
 came one of the organizers and is still one of the directors of the German 
 Savings Bank of New Liberty. 
 
 On the 8th of July, 1893, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Oberleitner 
 and Miss Lizzie Arp, who was born in Davenport, July 23, 1870. Her parents, 
 Heinrich and Trina (Bock) Arp, were natives of Probstei, but after coming to 
 this country settled in Davenport, whence they moved to New Liberty, which 
 is now their home. Mr. Oberleitner is a democrat in his political affiliations, 
 and upon that party's ticket was elected to the position of township clerk, in 
 which capacity he is now serving his second term. When the village of New 
 Liberty was organized in August, 1909, he was also elected its clerk, as the 
 record of his work in the township warranted the placing of additional respon- 
 sibilities upon his shoulders. 
 
 JOHN T. NOEL. 
 
 John T. Noel possesses the distinction of being the oldest living man born 
 in Scott county, his birth having occurred in Davenport on the 27th of November, 
 1837. His father, Adam Noel, was a native of Pennsylvania, who, upon coming 
 to the west, lived for a short time in Rock Island, and then in 1835 removed to 
 Davenport. The mother, who before her marriage was Susanna Lindsey, was 
 also a native of Pennsylvania and is still living at the advanced age of ninety- 
 four years. Upon coming to Davenport Adam Noel bought the property upon 
 which Mercy Hospital now stands and also entered a tract of land where Central 
 park is now located, which is known as Noel's addition to the city. He was a 
 progressive, public-spirited man, prominent in the life of the budding city, and 
 first in every movement which had to do with its advancement. This good 
 citizen passed on to his reward in 1872. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 285 
 
 John T. Noel was educated in the subscription schools, which were an in- 
 stitution of the early days. He did not remain in Davenport but desiring to 
 engage in agricultural pursuits took possession of a tract of land in Winfield 
 township in 1856, which his father had purchased in 1855. Ninety acres of this 
 was broken ground and the remainder Mr. Noel proceeded to put under culti- 
 vation by means of ox-teams. From that day to this he has continually im- 
 proved his farm and has added to it from time to time until he now possesses 
 five hundred and seventeen acres of most desirable property. He engaged 
 throughout his active years in general farming but a few years ago retired for 
 the enjoyment of a well earned leisure. It is a comment on the progress ot the 
 county that until 1861 Mr. Noel conveyed all his crops to the Davenport mattcet 
 by team. 
 
 In i860 in Winfield township, Mr. Noel was united in marriage to Miss 
 Mary McGuire, a native of the state of New York. To this marriage eleven 
 children were bom, nine of whom are living. They are Joseph, of Winfield 
 township; Celia, now Mrs. Navin, of Seattle, Washington; Stella, the wife of 
 Mickel Wright; John T., of Butler township; WilHam, of Winfield township; 
 Rosalie, now Mrs. Doyle, of Davenport; Naomi and Elmer, both of whom are 
 located in Sea;ttle; and Edward, on the home farm. Mr. Noel has twenty-three 
 grandchildren. 
 
 The household are devoted members of St. Ann's Catholic church, whose 
 edifice Mr. Noel assisted in building. He is a stanch adherent of the democratic 
 party, to which he has given a long and unfaltering loyalty. He has filled several 
 public trusts among them that of township trustee. Noel's Statiorj, the junction 
 of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway and the Chicago, Milwaukee 
 and St. Paul was named in compliment to him. Like his father he is a man 
 designed by nature to play a prominent part among his fellowmen, and he 
 enjoys the respect of the community to whose prosperity he has materially 
 contributed. 
 
 IRA BURCH. 
 
 Though more than two decades have passed since Ira Burch was called to 
 his final rest, he is still remembered by many of Scott county's older residents 
 as a prominent agriculturist and extensive landowner as well as a man of genu- 
 ine personal worth. His birth occurred in Rensselaer county. New York, on the 
 28th of January, 1819, his parents being James and Aurelia Burch, who were 
 farming people of that county. He obtained his education in the district schools 
 of his home locality and after putting aside his tex:t-books assisted his father in 
 the work of the fields, thus early becoming familiar with the duties and labors 
 that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. About the year 1855 he journeyed west- 
 ward in company with his wife, locating in Hickory Grove township, Scott 
 county, Iowa, where he purchased some partly improved land. The work of 
 farming claimed his attention throughout his entire business career and as he 
 prospered in his undertakings he added to his landholdings by additional 
 
286 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 purchase from time to time until he had accumulated considerable property in 
 Scott and other counties. His demise occurred on the loth of February, 1889, 
 and thus the community lost one of its most substantial, enterprising and re- 
 spected citizens. 
 
 Mr. Burch was married twice. By his first wife, who bore the maiden name 
 of Katherine Deyoe, he had five children, as follows : Esther, the deceased wife 
 of John E. Dempster, by whom she had three children — Emma, Mary and John; 
 LeRoy, who is likewise deceased and who wedded Miss JuHa Roberts, by whom 
 he had three children — Nellie, Leslie and Essie ; Daniel D., who is a resident of 
 California; and Abbie and Mary, both of whom have passed away. On the 
 19th of February, 1873, Mr. Burch was again married, his second union being 
 with Miss Cynthia C. Curtis, a native of Rensselaer county, New York. Unto 
 them were born four children, two of whom died in infancy, Robert and Irene. 
 Ira C, who makes his home in Davenport, wedded Miss Laura Klein and has 
 two children, Ira W. and Beatrice C. Hettie May gave her hand in marriage 
 to Edward U. Meyer, of Davenport and is now the mother of three children, 
 namely: Irene C, Robert B. and Shelton E. 
 
 Mrs. Burch has won a host of warm friends during the long period of her 
 residence in this county and now resides at No. 744 East Thirteenth street in 
 Davenport. 
 
 JOSEPH FRANKLIN PORTER. 
 
 Few of the citizens of Davenport represent larger business interests nor have 
 devoted a greater number of years to developing resources of communities, than 
 Joseph Franklin Porter, who is the president of several of the public service 
 companies in this city. He was born in Harrison county, Iowa, June 27, 1863, 
 and is a son of F. J. and Lucy (Francis) Porter, the former a native of New 
 York, the later of Ohio. F. J. Porter came to Iowa in 1857, devoting himself 
 assiduously to agricultural pursuits for a number of years. He has now retired 
 from active farm life, however, and, with his wife, lives in the enjoyment of 
 many comforts in the village of Woodbine. He has identified himself closely 
 with the interests of his community and is president of the Peoples Savings 
 Bank of that town. Eleven children were born to him and his wife. Ten of 
 these grew to maturity and nine are still living. 
 
 J. F. Porter was reared on a farm and received his first introduction into 
 the world of letters while a pupil at the district school at Biggler's Grove, Har- 
 rison county, Iowa. Later he attended the high school at Logan, going from 
 there to the State College at Ames, from which institution he was graduated 
 as a civil engineer in the class of 1884. For some time after the completion of 
 his college course, Mr. Porter engaged as cashier of a bank at Woodbine. In 
 1885 he decided to engage in engineering pursuits and went to Des Moines, 
 Iowa, where he became interested in electricity and its application to the needs 
 of man, and where he acquired some practical experience in electric lighting. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 289 
 
 During his stay in Des Moines he held the position of oiler and general utility 
 man, starting with a salary of twenty dollars per month. After six months 
 experience in the Des Moines station, he went to Appleton, Wisconsin, where 
 he worked on the installation of an electric lighting plant. In the spring of 1886 
 he went to Chicago in the employ of the representatives of the Edison interests, 
 and from there went to Abeline, Kansas, where he spent the winter of 1886-7. 
 In the spring of 1887 he removed to St. Louis as foreman for a contractor for 
 the Edison Company, which remained in business until the fall of 1887, when 
 it moved its headquarters to Kansas City. When the company for which he 
 was employed moved to Kansas City, Mr. Porter decided to engage in the elec- 
 tric construction business for himself, in which business he continued until the 
 fall of 1889, when he sold his construction company to the Edison Company 
 and went to New York to enter the employ of the Edison Company as depart- 
 ment manager. 
 
 In the summer of 1890 Mr. Porter was sent to Salem, Mississippi, as su- 
 perintendent of construction of the Naumnkeag Street Railway, the construction 
 of which was one of the largest contracts which the Edison Company had at 
 that time. On the completion of his contract with the Edison Company, Mr. 
 Porter returned to New York to enter in the street railway supply business in 
 partnership with J. G. White. After operating the New York office for some 
 time it was decided to move to the manufacturing plant at Allegheny, Penn- 
 sylvania, where the business is now conducted as a Westinghouse interest. In 
 the fall of 1892 Mr. Porter, together with Mr. White, secured a contract for 
 the equipment of the Kansas City Elevated Railroad, which road at that time 
 was independent of the other railways of Kansas City and operated between the 
 business district of Kansas City and the smaller cities on the Kansas side. After 
 completing the contract on the Kansas City elevated, Mr. Porter moved to 
 Alton, Illinois, for the purpose of developing the street railway, gas, electric 
 light and power business of that locality, which property, in 1893, consisted of 
 a small horse and dummy line and an inefificient gas and electric plant. The 
 work of developing these properties occupied Mr. Porter's attention for thir- 
 teen years, at the end of which time he had a street railway of sixty-three miles 
 reaching from Alton to Edwardsville, Granite City, Madison, Venice, East St. 
 Louis and intermediate points and an efficient gas and electric plant. As evi- 
 dence of the fact, it was taken over by the East St. Louis & Suburban system 
 at five million dollars. 
 
 On the 1st of May, 1906, Mr. Porter removed to Davenport as president of 
 the Tri-City Railway & Light Company and its subsidiary companies, which 
 are the Peoples Light Company, Davenport Gas & Electric Company, Tri-City 
 Railway Company, Peoples Power Company of Rock Island and Moline, and 
 the Moline, East Moline & Watertown Railway Company. Since the spring of 
 igo6 the above mentioned properties have been extensively developed, because 
 of the confidence which the bankers have in the community, as proven by the 
 increase of earnings under the existing management. His has been the kind of 
 enterprise which has been the making of the west and which is still active 
 in obtaining illimitable resources from the fields, the mountains and the air. 
 He has never hesitated before obstacles but has regarded disappointment and 
 
290 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 discouragements as merely stepping-stones to larger opportunity to exert his 
 talents. 
 
 In 1888 Mr. Porter was united in marriage to Miss Jennie R. Henderson, 
 a daughter of Robert and Polly Henderson, of Monticello, Iowa. Of the six 
 children born to the couple, five are living, namely: Clyde H., Dugald G., Mar- 
 gory, Joseph F. and Ralph E. The family are members of the Congregational 
 church. 
 
 Mr. Porter gives his support to the republican party. He has had little time 
 to devote to public concerns but is a member of several organizations of a fra- 
 ternal and social nature and others which are calculated to advance his interests 
 in a business way. He is a member of Fraternal Lodge, No. 221, A. F. & A. M., 
 and is a thirty-second degree Mason and member of Kaaba Temple, Nobles of 
 the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member. of Davenport Lodge, No. 293, B. P. 
 O. E., and local camp of Mo.dern Woodmen. Of the semi-professional asso- 
 ciations he belongs to the Engineering Club of St. Louis and American In- 
 stitute of Electrical Engineers. He is also a member of the Rock Island Ar- 
 senal Golf Club, Davenport Commercial Club, Rock Island Qub, Moline Club, 
 Automobile Club of America and the American Academy of Political and Social 
 Sciences. The number and varied character of these organizations exhibit the 
 extent of his interests and the manner in which he keeps abreast of the times 
 and the questions that occupy the minds and attention of his fellow citizens. 
 
 JOHN F. ROTH. 
 
 John F. Roth is one of Scott county's native sons and has always been loyal 
 to her interests and her welfare. He is a prominent farmer of Rockingham town- 
 ship, where he owns one hundred acres of rich and well cultivated land. His 
 birth occurred in Buffalo township, September 14, 1862, his parents being Peter 
 and Julia (Fischer) Roth, who were early settlers of this part of the state. 
 The father came to Scott county when a boy of fourteen years and he and his 
 wife lived here until called to their final rest, Mr. Roth passing away when about 
 seventy-three years of age. In their family were seven children: Frank, of 
 Muscatine county; Anna, the wife of Charles- Winn, of Muscatine county; Mary, 
 the widow of Mr. Comstock, of Cambridge, Illinois ; John F., the subject of this 
 sketch; Ferdinand, a resident of Rock Island; Edward, living in Bufifalo town- 
 ship; and Minnie, who lives in Illinois. 
 
 John F. Roth, who has been a lifelong resident of Scott county, acquired his 
 education in the district schools and afterward learned the trade of a stationary 
 engineer. Later he removed to Davenport, where he lived for several years, 
 following that line of business. In 1897, however, he resolved to make a change 
 and bought his present homestead, upon which he has made numerous im- 
 provements. Here he carries on general agricultural pursuits with good results. 
 His fields bring forth rich harvests as the reward of his energy and labor and 
 the place presents a neat and attractive appearance, which is the result of the 
 earnest efforts and unfaltering diligence of the owner. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 291 
 
 On the 2ist of February, 1888, Mr. Roth was united in marriage to Miss 
 Lucinda Garner, a daughter of PhilHp and Susan Garner, who previously lived 
 upon the farm now occupied by Mr. Roth. Her father was born in Huntingdon 
 county, Pennsylvania, May 15, 1829, and was there reared. On coming to 
 Scott county in 1865 he settled in Lincoln township, where he purchased one 
 hundred and sixty acres of land. His time and energies were devoted to the 
 further improvement of that place during the eight years in which he resided 
 thereon. Later he removed to Rockingham township, where he bought an im- 
 proved tract of land of two hundred acres, making his home there until his 
 death, which occurred on the nth of November, 1897. In early life he had 
 learned and followed the carpenter's trade, but after coming to Scott county 
 devoted his attention to general farming and was very careful in the manage- 
 ment of his place and won substantial results as the reward of his industry. In 
 Blair county, Pennsylvania, he married Miss Susan Acker, who was bom in 
 that county, April 5, 1832, and died on the ist of August, 1895. In his political 
 views Mr. Garner was an earnest republican but never held or desired public 
 office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs. Both 
 he and his wife held membership in the Reformed church while in Pennsylvania 
 and after coming to Scott county joined the Lutheran church. In their family 
 were six children, of whom four are yet living: Annetta, the wife of John 
 Jacobs, a resident of Rockingham township; Belle, who is the widow of R. S. 
 Garner and lives in Rockingham township; Mrs. Roth; and Harry, who makes 
 his home with his sister, Mrs. Roth. The two children of the family now de- 
 ceased are Frank, who died at the age of twelve years, and Arilla, who passed 
 away at the age of eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Roth have no children of their 
 own but have reared an adopted daughter, May. Their home is a most hospit- 
 able one, ever open for the reception of their many friends. Both have long 
 been residents of the county, for Mrs. Roth arrived here in her girlhood days 
 and Mr. Roth has always resided within the borders of the county. In business 
 he is reliable and is developing his place along lines of modern scientific farming 
 and practicing the rotation of crops and other methods which have produced 
 substantial results in the agricultural development of the county. 
 
 AUGUST H. LAMP. 
 
 August H. Lamp, a prominent agriculturist and leading citizen of Sheridan 
 township, there owns and resides upon a valuable farm of two hundred and 
 forty acres, which has remained his place of abode from his birth to the present 
 time. He was born on the 28th of June, 1863, and is a representative of one of 
 the old and prominent German-American families of Scott county, his parents 
 being Asmus H. and Whipke (Kindt) Lamp. A sketch of the father, who is 
 now Hving retired in Davenport, appears on another page of this volume. 
 
 In bis youthful days August H. Lamp attended the district schools in the 
 acquirement of an education and subsequently pursued a course at Duncan's 
 .Business College of Davenport. He early became familiar with the duties and 
 
292 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist and has devoted his time and ener- 
 gies to the work of farming throughout his entire business career, now owning 
 a tract of two hundred and forty acres of well improved and productive land in 
 Sheridan township. In addition to raising the cereals best adapted to soil and 
 climate, he is also engaged in feeding stock and both branches of his business 
 return to him a gratifying annual income. A man of enterprise and excellent 
 executive ability, he has likewise put forth his energies in other directions and 
 is now one of the directors of the Eldridge Savings Bank and the president of 
 the Farmers Elevator Company. The latter concern has ninety-seven local 
 stockholders and was organized about a year ago with a capital stock of ten 
 thousand dollars. Its officers are as follows: August H. Lamp, president; Gus 
 Schneckloth, vice president; Julius Weise, secretary; and Joseph McDowell, 
 treasurer. Mr. Lamp also acts as appraiser for the German Insurance Company 
 of Scott county and is widely recognized as one of the prosperous, progressive 
 and influential citizens of his community. 
 
 On the 22d of February, 1888, Mr. Lamp was joined in wedlock to Miss 
 Mary Fellener, a daughter of Henry and Margaret (Gertz) Fellener, who were 
 early settlers of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Lamp now have four children, 
 namely : Henry, Hilda, Frank and Francis, all of whom are still under the parental 
 roof. They have been provided with liberal educational advantages. 
 
 Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Lamp has sup- 
 ported the men and measures of the republican party, believing that its principles 
 are most conductive to good government. His fellow townsmen, recognizing 
 his worth and ability, have called him to various positions of public trust and 
 he is now serving as a trustee of Sheridan township and likewise as president 
 of the school board. He has also acted as the efficient incumbent in the office 
 of road supervisor. Fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias, 
 belonging to lodge No. 118 at Eldridge, Iowa. His entire life has been passed 
 here and he is widely recognized as a straightforward and reliable business man 
 and an enterprising, progressive citizen, who well merits the esteem that is 
 universally accorded him. 
 
 ALONZO BRYSON. 
 
 Alonzo Bryson, who since March, 1903, has served in the office of postmaster 
 at Davenport, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 23d of July, 1840, his parents 
 being Isaac and Jane (Kerr) Bryson, who were natives of Washington county, 
 Pennsylvania, and Ohio respectively. When a youth the father removed to 
 Ohio with his parents and spent the remainder of his life in that state and in 
 Kentucky. Throughout his entire business career he was actively engaged as 
 a captain and pilot. His demise occurred in Lawrence county, Ohio, in 1899, 
 when he had attained the age of seventy-five years. 
 
 Alonzo Bryson obtained his education in the public schools of Cincinnati, 
 Ohio, and Newport, Kentucky, likewise attended a private institution of learn- 
 ing and later pursued a course of study in a commercial school. In 1856 he 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 293 
 
 became identified with river pursuits, and with the exception of a period of two 
 or three years, followed steamboating continuously until 1876. In that year 
 he came to Davenport as agent of the St. Louis Sz; St. Paul Packet Company, 
 acting in that capacity until 1890, when he turned his attention to the coal and 
 grain business. He was thus successfully engaged in mercantile pursuits until 
 1897, when he was elected county recorder and for a period of six years capably 
 discharged the duties devolving upon him in that connection. In March, 1903, 
 he was appointed postmaster and in this office has likewise made a most credit- 
 able record, his efficiency and trustworthiness being widely acknowledged. 
 
 In October, 1861, Mr. Bryson was united in marriage to Miss Valeria M. 
 Wright, a native of Ohio. Their children are four in number, as follows : Elmer 
 E., who is a resident of Omaha, Nebraska ; Robert H., who makes his home in 
 Indianapolis, and is serving as postmaster there; May V., the wife of James J. 
 Duffy, of St. Louis; and Pearl M., at home. 
 
 Mr. Bryson is a valued member of the Commercial and other clubs, and in 
 1903 served as president of the Business Association of Davenport. The period 
 of his residence in Davenport now covers a third of a century and he is a 
 most public-spirited and loyal citizen, giving his cooperation to every movement 
 or measure which tends to promote the general welfare. In manner courteous 
 and genial, he wins good will and kindly regard wherever he goes, and the circle 
 of his friends is almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances. 
 
 L. G. EGGER. 
 
 L. G. Egger, a button manufacturer of Buffalo, his native city, is the pro- 
 prietor of the largest manufacturing plant in Buffalo township and occupies an 
 important place in industrial circles of the community. His natal day was the 
 28th of February, 1884, his parents being M. and Mary (Willi) Egger, both 
 natives of Switzerland, where the latter was born in 1845. The father came to 
 Buffalo in 1877 and here engaged in the cooperage business for some time. In 
 his family were seven sons and four daughters, of whom one brother of our 
 subject is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Minnesota and another is a farmer 
 residing in Colorado. The sisters are: Elizabeth, the deceased wife of Frank 
 Moss, of Davenport; Anna, who married C. E. Reed, of Rock Island; Mary,, 
 residing in Buffalo; and Bessie, deceased. 
 
 Reared to manhood in the city of his nativity, L. G. Egger attended the pub- 
 lic schools in the acquirement of his education, gaining a good knowledge of 
 the various branches of English learning. The period of his boyhood was de- 
 voted to the duties of the school-room, the pleasures of the playground, and 
 the tasks assigned to him by parental authority. Upon the completion of his- 
 education in 1903, he entered the button manufacturing business in connection 
 with his father, and in this line of activity has been most successful. With 
 the passing of the years this enterprise has flourished, its business steadily but 
 rapidly increasing in volume and importance until today it is the largest manu- 
 facturing industry in Buffalo. The plant which is owned by Mr. Egger is the 
 
294 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUiMTY 
 
 largest in the township, twenty-two machines being in operation, and it is the 
 only finishing plant in Buffalo. The factory turns out two hundred gross of 
 finished and four hundred gross of unfinished product per day, the latter being 
 taken to Muscatine for the finishing process. Most of the mussel shells from 
 which the buttons are made are secured in the Illinois river, although a large 
 number are found in the Mississippi near Buffalo. A man of keen discrimina- 
 tion and sound judgment, Mr. Egger's excellent business ability and good man- 
 agement have brought to the concern of which he is the head a large degree of 
 success, and he is today recognized as one of the enterprising, progressive and 
 representative business men of the township. 
 
 The religious views of Mr. Egger are indicated in his membership in the 
 Buffalo parish Catholic church, while politically he casts his ballot in behalf of 
 the best candidate of either party at the polls, although he has never desired nor 
 sought to take any active part in politics. Having passed his entire life in Buf- 
 falo, covering a period of twenty-five years, he has become widely known 
 throughout the community, where his circle of friends is almost coextensive 
 with the circle of his acquaintances. A young man, he possesses the enterprising 
 spirit of the west, which has been the dominant factor in producing the wonder- 
 ful development of this section of the country. Brooking no obstacles that 
 honest effort can overcome, he has steadily worked his way upward in the busi- 
 ness world until, having left the ranks of the many, he has already won a place 
 among the successful few. 
 
 DAVID N. RICHARDSON. 
 
 David N. Richardson was born in Orange, Vermont, March 19, 1832. He 
 was reared on a farm and completed his education by two terms at an academy. 
 He taught school when eighteen years of age and later entered a printing office 
 in Illinois, where he learned the trade. In 1854 he came to Davenport, Iowa, 
 where, in company with James T. Hildreth and George R. West, he purchased 
 the democratic newspaper establishment and began the publication of the Daily 
 Iowa State Democrat. Here for nearly forty years Mr. Richardson was en- 
 gaged in conducting one of the foremost newspapers of Iowa. He was for 
 many years a regent of the State University and was untiring in his efforts to 
 make that the foremost educational institution in the state. He was also one of 
 the original members of the state commission to plan and erect the Iowa Sol- 
 diers' Monument, serving until the work was completed. During the period of 
 eighteen years, in which Mr. Richardson was a regent of the State Univer- 
 sity, he was one of its most intelligent and effective promoters. It was an often 
 expressed desire of his to live to see our State University equal to any in 
 America. That institution never had a more devoted friend or more useful 
 officer. 
 
 Mr. Richardson was a graceful and accomplished writer and one of the ablest 
 of Iowa editors. He became an extensive traveler in foreign countries and his 
 letters descriptive of the lands and cities visited were of absorbing interest. His 
 
X^.Tt^C^LC/ia^S. 
 
 u 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 297 
 
 acquaintance with the public men of Iowa was very wide, and although he was a 
 life-long democrat and an active and influential leader in his party for more than 
 forty years, he won and retained the confidence and personal friendship of his 
 political opponents everywhere. He died on the 4th of July, 1898. 
 
 CHRISTINA WIESE. 
 
 The student of history doesn't carry his investigation far into the records 
 of Scott county without learning that the German element in its citizenship has 
 played a most important part in its upbuilding and progress. One of the repre- 
 sentatives of the Teutonic race, Fritz Wiese long resided in Davenport, where 
 for more than a quarter of a century he was connected with the livery business. 
 He was born in Holstein, Germany, June 17, 1838, a son of Max and Lucy 
 Wiese. At the usual age he entered school in his native country and when 
 fourteen years of age came to the United States with his parents, who settled 
 in Moline, Illinois. From that time forth Fritz Wiese was dependent upon his 
 own resources. He secured employment with the Deere works as a blacksmith, 
 being one of the first engaged for the shop. In time the business was developed 
 into the great enterprise known as the Deere Plow Works. Mr. Wiese con- 
 tinued to live at Moline for about three years, at the end of which time his 
 parents purchased a farm in Rock Island county and he took up his abode there. 
 His parents remained occupants of the old home place until called to their 
 final rest. 
 
 On the 2d of January, 1863, Mr. Wiese was married and continued to live 
 on the old farm in Illinois for about five years, after which he made his home in 
 the vicinity of Rock Island until 1868. He then purchased a farm near Mount 
 Joy, where he made his home for seven years, and on the expiration of that 
 period he rented his land and took up his abode in Mount Joy. He turned his 
 attention to the cattle business at Davenport and later engaged in the livery 
 business, which he continued for about thirty years, at the end of which time 
 he retired, turning over the business to his son. His remaining days were 
 spent in the enjo)mient of well earned rest, his death occurring February 17, 
 1898. 
 
 It was on the 2d of January, 1863, that Mr. Wiese was united in marriage to 
 Miss Christina Schnack. She was born near Kiel, Germany, June 24, 1840, a 
 daughter of James and Christina Schnack. Mrs. Wiese came to the United 
 States with her brother John and an aunt in i860, landing in New York, after 
 which she made her way westward to Davenport. Here she was married and 
 became the mother of five children. Lewis, of Davenport, who is now conduct- 
 ing the livery business and is serving as alderman from the fourth ward, mar- 
 ried Bertha Springmier and has three children: Fred and Henry, twins; and 
 Lillie. Laura is the widow of Frank Peto and has two children, Ellis and Cam- 
 ello; with whom she resides in Davenport. Emil, of this city, wedded Bertha 
 Ruge, who died, leaving one child, Thelma. Alvina is the wife of Frank Bey, of 
 Davenport, and has five children: Alvin, Clarence, Frank, Lawrence and Ray- 
 
298 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 mond. Anna is the widow of William Brandt and has three children: Lucile, 
 Lillie and Isabelle. 
 
 Mr. Wiese was a member of the Turner Society and the German Shooting 
 Society. He was a man of liberal and generous spirit who gave freely of his 
 means to advance worthy public movements and at the same time rendered aid 
 in many individual cases. His good qualities were numerous and won for him a 
 circle of friends almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances. 
 
 LOUIS GOLLNITZ. 
 
 Louis GoUnitz, a well known farmer of Liberty township, was born in Meck- 
 lenburg, Germany, July 16, 1868, a son of Fritz and Sophia (Frunt) GoUnitz. 
 They spent their entire lives in the land of their birth and died when their son 
 Louis was about twelve years of age. Six children were born to them. One 
 died in infancy and the other five came to America about 1882. They were: 
 Ricka, who became the wife of Fritz Benning of Davenport ; Fritz, who died in 
 Davenport in February, 1909, at the age of fifty-nine years, leaving two sons 
 and two daughters; Chris, a resident of Davenport; Louis, the subject of this 
 sketch ; and Ida, who became the wife of Ernest Loraine, of Davenport. 
 
 Louis GoUnitz, who was about twelve years of age when he was left an 
 orphan, remained for two more years in the fatherland, where he received his 
 education. At the age of fourteen he and his brothers and sisters embarked 
 upon their journey to America. They came directly to Scott county, where 
 Louis GoUnitz obtained work upon a farm. After he had worked for others for 
 about nine years, gaining experience in agriculture and familiarity with the 
 customs and language of this country, he married and came to live upon the 
 land where he now resides. It is a tract of one hundred and sixty acres be- 
 longing to his wife and is situated on section 31, Liberty township. Here he 
 pursues general farming, winning a well deserved success from his labors. H'e 
 has brought his farm to a high state of cultivation and has instituted many subr 
 stantial improvements. 
 
 On the 24th of February, 1894, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. GoU- 
 nitz and Miss Meta Arp, who was born in Davenport township, Scott county, 
 October 15, 1871, her parents being Claus and Doris (Sienknecht) Arp. Her 
 father was born in Holstein, Germany, August 23, 1827, while her mother was 
 born near the city of Kiel, September 2, 1832. They came to this country about 
 fifty years ago, settling in Davenport, where they were married April 14, 1868. 
 Mr. Arp bought a large amount of land, which was procured at a low price in 
 those days, owning at one time five good farms, which amounted to seven hun- 
 dred and forty acres. This property was the result of his own labors, for he 
 came to America a poor boy, and it indicates with what success he operated his 
 farm in the vicinity of Davenport. About fifteen years ago he felt he was 
 justified in retiring from active life and, accordingly, took up his residence in 
 Davenport, which is still his home. Mr. and Mrs. Arp are the parents of seven 
 children: Theodore, who lives in Colorado; Hannes, who lives near West Lib- 
 erty; Minnie, the wife of Julius Kuelper, of Walcott; Herman, who resides 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 299 
 
 in Stockton, Muscatine county, Iowa; Meta, now Mrs. Gollnitz; Otto, who re- 
 sides on the homestead near Davenport; and Delia, who lives with her parents. 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Gollnitz have been born two children, Ray and Edna. 
 
 The early life of Mr. Gollnitz was one of many hardships and privations, 
 but from his struggles he learned the lesson of industry and making the best 
 use of his opportunities. In consequence he has attained a well earned suc- 
 cess in his field of occupation and one of which he may be pardonably proud. 
 Indeed, he deserves to be numbered among the numerous citizens of this land 
 who wear with distinction the title of a self-made man. 
 
 ZEBULON HENRY WICKS. 
 
 Zebulon Henry Wicks, whose identification with the Davenport Woolen 
 Mills as traveling representative brought him a wide acquaintance, was highly 
 esteemed wherever known for the possession of those sterling traits of charac- 
 ter which constitute the chief forces in honorable manhood. He was born in 
 Bristol, England, September 22, 1828. His father, Dr. Zebulon Wicks, gave 
 his attention to the practice of medicine and after the arrival of his son and 
 namesake in this country, he crossed the Atlantic and established his home at 
 Morristown, Ohio. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Letitia Lashley, 
 was also a native of England. 
 
 Reared in a home surrounded by culture and affluence, Zebulon H. Wicks 
 was afforded liberal educational advantages, supplementing his early instruction 
 by study at St. Mellow, France. He took a very active part in politics in his 
 native land and assisted in putting Charles Reed in parliament. He was pre- 
 eminently a man of affairs and one who wielded a wide influence. His interest 
 in America led him to come to the new world on a visit in 1873, and he was so 
 pleased with the country that he decided to remain and established his home 
 in Davenport. He immediately became connected with the Davenport Woolen 
 Mills, first as bookkeeper and later as traveling salesman. In that connection he 
 did valuable service for the enterprise throughout his remaining days. He was 
 not only a business man of keen discernment and undaunted enterprise, but 
 possessed genial, friendly qualities which made him very, popular with the many 
 patrons whom he secured. 
 
 At St. Catherine's, Hampshire, England, in 1853, Mr. Wicks was married 
 to Miss Theresa Burden, a daughter of Robert and Nancy (Hartnell) Burden, 
 of Hampshire. Her father was a landowner and was also a Methodist preacher, 
 proclaiming the gospel in a small chapel, of which he was the owner. In the 
 family of Mr. and Mrs. Wicks were ten children, of whom five are now living: 
 Mrs. Theresa L. Godwin; Alfred H., a resident of Detroit; Sidney H., who is 
 living in St. Paul, Minnesota; Archibald, a resident of Murphysboro, Illinois; 
 and Clarence H., who is employed on Government Island here. 
 
 Mr. Wicks' study of the political issues, situation and conditions of the coun- 
 try led him to give stalwart allegiance to the republican party. He was an 
 active and devoted member of the Baptist church, a public-spirited citizen, and 
 
300 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 a patron of various benevolent institutions which Davenport maintains. Fra- 
 ternally he was connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the 
 Royal Arch Masons. A man of broad and liberal culture, he placed correct 
 valuation upon life and its opportunities. His career was marked by continuous 
 progress and characterized by the esteem which was uniformly tendered him 
 to the time of his death, which occurred February 17, 1896. 
 
 MILTON R. PARKHURST. 
 
 Milton R. Parkhurst, in former years a merchant of Davenport, belongs to 
 that class of prominent, enterprising and far-sighted business men to whom the 
 commercial upbuilding of the city is rightly attributed. Throughout his entire 
 life he has been identified with manufacturing and mercantile interests in this 
 county. 
 
 He was bom at Le Claire, Iowa, a son of Waldo- and Liddie Emeline (Rus- 
 sell) Parkhurst, who were among the early settlers of that place. The father 
 was born at Milford, Massachusetts, September 28, 1812, attended the school 
 there but at an early age was compelled to put aside his text-books because of 
 his father's death, whereby there devolved upon him the necessity of aiding in 
 support of the family. He went to New York city when very young and there 
 secured a situation as clerk in a dry-goods store, which constituted his business 
 training. In 1838 he came to the middle west, making his way to the territory 
 of Iowa, and after looking over the field to some extent settled at Le Qaire, 
 where he opened a general store. He there conducted a successful mercantile 
 enterprise for over forty years and in early days he did quite a business in killing 
 hogs and shipping the pork down the Mississippi river by steamer to St. Louis. 
 He was, moreover, one of the leading men of the town, active and efficient in 
 promoting the various interests which were of vital significance to the commu- 
 nity. He held a number of offices, serving as justice of the peace for several 
 years, acting as postmaster during the '503 and serving as a member and trustee 
 of the school board for a number of years. He belonged to the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows and to the Presbyterian church of Le Claire and thus 
 sought to promote the fraternal and Christian spirit of the community. In 1881 
 he retired from active business life and removed to Davenport, where he made 
 his home with his two children until his death, on the 21st of March, 1881. His 
 wife was born at Sodus Point, New York, in 1820. Her father, Nehemiah Rus- 
 sell, came west about 1840 and settled on a farm in Clinton county, Iowa, just 
 across the line from Scott county. The parents of Milton R. Parkhurst were 
 married in Qinton county in 1841. Mrs. Parkhurst had been one of the early 
 school teachers of Scott county, having taught first in Pleasant Valley township 
 and later at Le Claire. She was a lady of strong intellectual development and 
 of many attractive characteristics. She died December 14, 1890, and is still sur- 
 vived by her two children, Milton R. and Mary E., both of whom are now resi- 
 dents of Davenport. 
 
yi£iU>f fu^^^y^u/6 i a/m4t^fAAA/) 
 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 303 
 
 Milton R. Parkhurst attended school at Le Claire and later continued his 
 studies in Cornell College at Mount Vernon, Iowa. He then returned to Le 
 Claire and taught school for a number of years. Later he was employed as 
 bookkeeper by a Le Claire firm but, embracing every opportunity for advance- 
 ment in business lines, he subsequently became a stockholder and secretary of the 
 Le Claire Milling & Manufacturing Company. He was also engaged in the river 
 business for a number of years and then, seeking the broader field of labor 
 offered by the city, he came to Davenport in 1874. In East Davenport he estab- 
 lished a retail grocery business, which he conducted successfully for about thirty 
 years, after which he was in the same line of business on Brady street for two 
 years and then sold out. The passing years had chronicled his success, which 
 increasing as time passed on, had made him one of the men of affluence of the 
 community. He has made several trips to Seattle, Washington, where he has 
 business interests. His judgment is sound, his insight keen, and the success 
 which has attended his efforts has been the logical result of intelligently directed 
 thrift and enterprise. 
 
 Mr. Parkhurst aside from commercial connections has been prominent in the 
 community. He was four times elected alderman from the sixth ward on the 
 republican ticket and supported many reforms and progressive measures while a 
 member of the council. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, in which he has 
 taken the degrees of the lodge, chapter, commandery and Mystic Shrine. He is 
 also a member of the Congregational church, in which he has held a number of 
 offices, including that of deacon, trustee and member of the board. 
 
 His sister, Mary E. Parkhurst, also a native of Le Qaire, attended school 
 there and afterward engaged successfully in teaching for a number of years at 
 school No. I in Le Claire township, at Princeton and in the town of Le Claire. 
 She came to Davenport in 1880 and was of great assistance to her brother in his 
 business. She also had charge of the Blue Grass, Downey, Lone Tree and Zion 
 Baptist churches as pastor and was also assistant pastor of the Temple Baptist 
 church of Seattle, Washington, from October, 1908, until April, 1909, Rev. 
 George Robert Cairns being pastor. At present she is assistant pastor of the 
 Calvary Baptist church of Davenport, Iowa. She is also an interesting writer 
 both in prose and poetry and has contributed many articles to the local papers 
 regarding church work and eastern travels, and was also the author of the sketch 
 of Le Claire, which was recently published in the Davenport Democrat for the 
 Half Century Democrat. 
 
 FERDINAND HAAK. 
 
 If the prosperity of the city be measured by the enterprise of some of its 
 more important manufacturing concerns Davenport owes no little of its reputa- 
 tion as being the home of successful business men to Ferdinand Haak, who is 
 president of one of the largest cigar factories west of the Mississippi. The 
 enviable position he holds has been entirely the work of his own hands and 
 brain, being a patent example of the value of industry, economy and wise fore- 
 
304 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 sight. He was born in 1845 at Elmshorn, about four miles from Hamburg, 
 Germany, a son of Carsten and Lesette (Oldendorf ) Haak. The father brought 
 his family to America in 1857 and selected Scott county, Iowa, as a place of 
 residence. He bought considerable land here and farmed with profit until his 
 death, which occurred in 1888. 
 
 Ferdinand Haak was about twelve years of age when his family came to the 
 United States. He h3.d attended the schools of his native land and after he 
 came to Scott county was enrolled as a pupil in the public schools of Davenport. 
 For a number of years he worked upon the home farm and then decided to start 
 in life for himself as a cigarmaker. He served an apprenticeship for about four 
 years, in that time becoming a most efficient workman, and then secured a posi- 
 tion as foreman in a factory, but although he enjoyed the confidence of his em- 
 ployers he was not satisfied for he was ambitious to make a name for himself. 
 Accordingly; in 1870, he opened a factory of his own, and although he began 
 business in a small way, through concentration of his powers, business acumen 
 and determination to succeed he has built it up so that now it is one of the 
 largest in the west. He has won from it a most gratifying income. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Haak was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Kohrdt, and of 
 their union have been born seven children: Minnie, now the wife of Charles 
 Meyer; Pauline, who became the wife of Gene Gruenewald and has one child; 
 John, who is in business with his father, and is married and has three children, 
 John, Ferdinand and Minna; Richard, who is also in business with his father, 
 and has two daughters, Irma and Elsie ; Edna and Elsie, who are living at home ; 
 and Theckla, who is the wife of Frank Hetzl, of Sioux City, Iowa. Mr. Haak 
 belongs to the Turners and is one of the directors of the Iowa National Bank. 
 Shortly after his arrival in this country he enlisted in Company B, Eighth Iowa 
 Infantry, but saw only one year's service on the field of battle. It, however, 
 was sufficient to attach him closely to the government, so that he is an interested 
 spectator of all national interests. His home is at 824 West Vine street, where 
 he and his wife extend a gracious hospitality to all guests. 
 
 CLAUS J. B. HANSEN. 
 
 The strong characteristics of the German race, industry, frugality and per- 
 serverance, are conspicuous in the life history of Claus J. B. Hansen, a farmer 
 of Winfield township. He was born in Detmarchen, Germany, August 3, 1864, 
 and is a son of Peter and Margaretta Hansen. The father was a laborer in the 
 old country, but after Claus Hansen had come to America, he and another of 
 his sons came here and for many years he was actively engaged in farming in 
 Scott county, Iowa. 
 
 Claus J. B. Hansen attended the public schools of Germany in his boyhood, 
 thereby obtaining a fair education in his native tongue, and when he put aside 
 his text-books he worked by the month as a farm hand. Stories of the oppor- 
 tunities that awaited the ambitious and industrious young man in America had 
 reached him, however, and by 1881 he could no longer resist the call of the 
 
HISTORY DF SCOTT COUNTY 305 
 
 new world, so he joined a party of friends and embarked upon the voyage to 
 the United States. He landed at New York, April 6, 1881, and coming direct to 
 Scott county, Iowa, reached Davenport April 9. 
 
 Although he could not speak English Mr. Hansen lost no time in securing 
 employment, but the day after his arrival, at 3 p. m., he started to work as a 
 farm hand near Donahue. He was employed at that kind of labor for six years, 
 at the end of which tithe he joined his father and brother Fred, who had come 
 to the county and had rented land on the banks of the Wapsipinicon. They re- 
 mained at that location for five years and then removed to a farm near Eld- 
 ridge, which they also rented and on which they lived for four years. Another 
 change was then made to a place near Donahue, where Claus Hansen lived for 
 two years, or until he was married, when he engaged in farming for himself. 
 For one year he lived on a rented farm near Donahue and then for two years 
 lived on another place in the same locality, after which, as the result of his 
 well directed economy, he bought the land on which he now lives from Bartley 
 Schwackle. It is a tract of eighty-four* and twenty-seven hundredth acres, 
 which Mr. Hansen has greatly improved, tiling the fields, erecting new buildings 
 and in other ways making it thoroughly modern and in keeping with the pro- 
 gressive spirit of the times. He carries on general farming, in which he has met 
 with success, for he brings to his work intense energy intelligently directed. 
 
 It was on the 15th of February, 1898, Mr. Hansen was united in marriage to 
 Miss Emily Holland, a daughter of Adolph Holland, of Davenport, a sketch of 
 whom appears elsewhere in this volume. Four children have been born to the 
 couple, namely: Adolph, Edna, Nonie and Lester, all of whom are at home. 
 
 Mr. Hansen belongs to the Court of Honor of Long Grove, in which organi- 
 zation he has a large number of friends, although these are not limited to its 
 membership, for he possesses those sterling traits of character which command 
 respect in every part of the world. His principles in life and business are wise 
 and well worthy of emulation, for what he now owns he has gained through 
 his own labor and by honorable and straightforward methods. 
 
 WILLIAM S. COLLINS. 
 
 William Sheridan Collins came to Scott county, Iowa, from New York, 
 in August, 1838. He was born February 15, 1806, at Litchfield, Connecticut, 
 a son of David and Jerusha (Wright) Collins. David Collins became a mer- 
 chant of New York and at one time a member of congress. In 1826 William 
 S. Collins went from Connecticut to Albany, New York, where he learned and 
 followed the carpenter's trade. He was married there in 1831 to Miss Orphia 
 Jackson and unto them were born two children, Miles A. and Orphia L. The 
 latter became the wife of Newton J. Field arid had one son Newton Miles 
 Field, who was killed in a railway accident. 
 
 Orphia Jackson, the first wife of William S. Collins died in 1836 and Mr. 
 Collins was influenced to come to Iowa by the fact that his brother Lucius Col- 
 lins was a farmer of this state, living near the Summit. William S. Collins was 
 
306 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 a contractor and carpenter in Davenport and erected a large number of busi- 
 ness blocks, including the former McManus building at Second and Main streets, 
 the Perry and Mcintosh blocks, the old Baptist church at Sixth and Main, and 
 the brick residence at Fifth and Rock Island streets. A number of the struc- 
 tures which show forth his handiwork are still standing. He became recognized 
 as one of the leading contractors and builders of this part of the state and did 
 much in promoting the substantial improvements of this district. In 1842 he 
 married Eliza Dillion, and they had three children, of whom two died in in- 
 fancy, while the other, Chester Worthington Collins is a banker of Brooklyn, 
 New York. The mother, who was born in the Empire state in 1823, passed away 
 in 1846. For his third wife Mr. Collins chose Mrs. Eleanor Bird, who was 
 born in New York city in 181 5 and was the widow of William Bird. There were 
 two children of this marriage namely: Sarah Ella, now the widow of Watson 
 Graham, who died in Davenport; and McManus W., of Denver, Colorado. The 
 third wife of William S. Collins has also passed away. 
 
 William S. Collins was one of the charter members of the Edwards Con- 
 gregational church and its first clerk. He donated money for the erection of 
 the church and took an active part in the organization of the first Sunday school. 
 His political allegiance was given to the whig party until its dissolution, when 
 he joined the ranks of the new republican party. He served as alderman of 
 Davenport from the third ward from 1846 to 1849, and from the iifth ward in 
 1859. He also was trustee of the poor. He was a very earnest and zealous 
 worker in the organization known as the Sons of Temperance for twenty years, 
 and from 1848 until his death on August 9, 1887, he was an exemplary repre- 
 sentative of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 
 
 MILES A. COLLINS. 
 
 One of Scott county's pioneer farmers was Miles Augustus Collins, who 
 lead an industrious and prosperous life in the live stock business. Mr. Collins 
 was born in Albany, New York, September i, 1832. When but four years old 
 his mother, Orphia (Jackson) Collins, died, and he went to live with his grand- 
 father, David Collins, upon a farm at Blanford, Massachusetts, and was there 
 reared, early becoming familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of 
 the agriculturist. Following his grandfather's death he took charge of the home 
 farm at Blanford, Massachusetts, there remaining until 1854, when he sought a 
 home in the middle west and came to Scott county, Iowa, where he worked at 
 the carpenter's trade with his father for a year. He then engaged in farming. 
 He also established one of the first cheese factories in Scott county. His life 
 was a busy and useful one. At diflferent times he owned several farms in Scott 
 county and was quite successful in his dealings in real estate. In i860 he pur- 
 chased the farm just north of town upon which he spent his remaining days, his 
 death there occurring June 5, 1908. He was diligent and enterprising, making 
 good use of his opportunities, and as time passed on he won a creditable measure 
 of prosperity. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 307 
 
 It was on the isth of June, 1870, that Mr. Collins was united in marriage to 
 Mrs. Amy George Wilson, the widow of George Wilson and the daughter of 
 William George and Nancy (Reed) George. William George was a native of, 
 and formerly lived in Columbiana county, Ohio, whence he removed with his 
 family in 1853 to Scott county and settled near Big Rock, Iowa. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Collins became the parents of six children: Mina Rusha, who 
 is now a teacher of English in the high school at St. Louis, Missouri ; Vera Elva, 
 who is the wife of Fred A. Garrison, field secretary of the Young Men's Chris- 
 tian Association for Arkansas and Oklahoma; Eleanor Harriet, at home; Miles 
 William ; Amy George, the wife of William C. Rowse, a professor of engineering 
 in the State University at Madison, Wisconsin; and Ruth Elizabeth, who is a 
 pupil in the Grinnell Iowa College. . All of the children are graduates of that 
 college, and Miles is a graduate of the University of Chicago law department, 
 having received the degree of Doctor of Laws. Mina was also a student of the 
 University of Chicago, where she pursued post-graduate work in English. 
 
 DETLEF PETERSEN. 
 
 Detlef Petersen, the owner of a well improved and valuable farm of one 
 hundred and sixty acres in Sheridan township, is numbered among the worthy 
 pioneer settlers of Scott county, having made his home within its borders for 
 more than a half century. His birth occurred in Holstein, Germany, on the 
 19th of September, 1834, his parents being Henry and Margaret Petersen. The 
 father passed away in that country but the mother later took up her abode in 
 the United States and spent her remaining days in this county. 
 
 Detlef Petersen spent the first twenty-three years of his life in the land of 
 his nativity and in 1857 crossed the Atlantic to the United States, wishing to 
 test the truth of the many favorable reports which he had heard concerning 
 the advantages of the new world. After landing in New York he made his 
 way direct to Davenport, Scott county, Iowa, having friends here. He first 
 worked in this county as a farm laborer but later rented land and about 1870 
 had accumulated sufficient capital to enable him to purchase a farm of his own, 
 coming into possession of eighty acres of his present home place in Sheridan 
 township. He has erected all of the buildings and made all of the improve- 
 ments which are now seen upon the property and likewise planted the trees, 
 of which he has many fine specimens. The one tree which was on the property 
 when he first located thereon is still standing. Wishing to extend the' boun- 
 daries of his farm, he bought an adjoining tract of eighty acres, so that his 
 holdings now embrace one hundred and sixty acres of rich and arable land. His 
 labors as an agriculturist are capably conducted and the fields annually yield 
 golden harvests in return for the care which he bestows upon them. 
 
 Mr. Petersen has been twice married. In 1862 he wedded Miss Louise Har- 
 man, who passed away twenty years later. Their children were five in number, 
 namely: Henry and William, both of whom are at home; Elizabeth, the wife of 
 Carl Koch, of Eldridge, Iowa; and Laura and Emma, who are also at home. 
 
308 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 On the 27th of June, 1886, Mr. Petersen was again married, his second union 
 being with Miss Hannah Johnson, by whom he has one child, Walborg, at 
 home. 
 
 At the polls Mr. Petersen casts his ballot in support of the men and meas- 
 ures of the democratic party and has capably served his fellow townsmen as a 
 school director and also in the position of road supervisor. He has never had 
 occasion to regret his determination to come to America, for in this country 
 he has found the opportunities which he sought and through their utilization has 
 worked his way upward, his life indicating what may be accomplished by de- 
 termination and well directed energy. He has now passed the seventy-fifth mile- 
 stone on life's journey and receives the respect and veneration which should 
 always be accorded one who has traveled thus far on this earthly pilgrimage and 
 whose career has ever been upright and honorable. 
 
 J. SIEWERT WEBER, M. D., PH. G. 
 
 Dr. J. Siewert Weber, one of the builders, promoters and owners of the Dav- 
 enport Hospital, whose skill in surgery as well as in the general practice of med- 
 icine has brought him more than local fame, was born in Fond du Lac, Wiscon- 
 sin, April II, 1877. His father, John G. Weber, was a native of Germany and 
 when a young man came to the United States. After two years spent in New 
 York he removed westward to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in 1848, and there con- 
 tinued his residence until called to his final rest in 1906 when sixty-six years of 
 age. He married Agnes Carstensen, a native of Heligoland, who passed away 
 in 1878. 
 
 Dr. Weber was only three years of age at the time of his mother's death but 
 it was his good fortune to be entrusted to the guidance of his aunt, Miss Catha- 
 rine Carstensen, in whom he found the sympathy of a foster mother. His 
 youthful days were spent in his native city, where he acquired his early educa- 
 tion in the public schools, while his collegiate course was pursued in Drake Uni- 
 versity and from that institution he was graduated on the completion of a phar- 
 maceutical course. He then took up the study of medicine in Rush Medical Col- 
 lege, of the University of Chicago, and was graduated in 1901, after which he 
 spent six months in original research along the lines of bacteriology and path- 
 ology before he engaged in active practice. He afterward became associate sur- 
 geon at the hospital of the Illinos Steel Works at Joliet, Illinois, and this brought 
 him broad experience in surgical practice. 
 
 In 1902 Dr. Weber came to Davenport, opening an office for general practice. 
 He has, however, made surgery his specialty, has devoted much study to it and 
 has had much success in difficult and unusual cases. He is thoroughly conver- 
 sant with the subject of anatomy and the component parts of the human body 
 and the onslaughts made upon it by disease. Moreover, his touch is characterized 
 by tenderness as well as precision, and, calm and well poised, he is thoroughly 
 qualified for the difficult work which he undertakes. His office is of a most 
 modern character, supplied with all the latest improved appliances and instru- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 311 
 
 ments necessary for the work which he has undertaken. In connection with Dr. 
 C. E. Glynn he organized and built the Davenport Hospital that he might better 
 handle and care for surgical and medical cases, giving to them the best attention 
 possible in an establishment especially equipped therefor, and he is now surgeon 
 in that hospital. He belongs to the County, State and National Medical Asso- 
 ciations and the Second District Medical Society, and is also a member of the 
 University Alliance. Dr. Weber is a member of the Bureau of Medical Legis- 
 lation of the American Medical Association. 
 
 In 1903 Dr. Weber was married to Miss Rhoda Mae Thomas, a native of Des 
 Moines who at the time of her marriage was a student of the Iowa State Normal 
 College at Cedar Falls, Iowa. They have two daughters, Kathryn Lucile and 
 Florence Elizabeth. 
 
 Dr. Weber is connected with several fraternal organizations and those who 
 meet him socially find him a pleasant, genial gentleman, while those who come 
 in contact with him professionally know him as a sympathetic, capable practi- 
 tioner, able and conscientious in the performance of his duty and at the same 
 time closely conforming in his practice to the highest standard of professional 
 ethics. 
 
 THOMAS MARTINDALE. 
 
 In the death of Thomas Martindale, Long Grove and Scott county lost one 
 of the pioneer settlers. While he never sought to figure prominently in public 
 life, his neighbors and friends knew him as a man of worth, industrious and 
 enterprising, and at all times reliable. He was born in Hutton, Yorkshire, Eng- 
 land, December 16, 1832, a son of Thomas and Jane Martindale, who spent 
 their entire lives in England, as did all their children with the exception of 
 Thomas and Matthew E. The latter came to the new world and died in 
 Canada. 
 
 Thomas Martindale acquired his education in the schools of Hutton and 
 there learned the blacksmith's trade under the direction of his father. He left 
 England at the age of twenty-two years in company with his brother Matthew 
 and they sailed on the same ship on which his future wife was a pas-enger. 
 Landing at New York, they made their way to Oswego, New York, in which 
 locality Thomas Martindale remained for about three weeks but could not se- 
 cure work and therefore went to Canada to join his brother, who was a shoe- 
 maker. He remained in the Dominion for about two years, after which he came 
 to Davenport and secured employment with John Suiter, an Englishman, who 
 was conducting a blacksmith shop. For a year Mr. Martindale remained in his 
 employ, after which he was married and removed to a farm at Slopertown, 
 about seven miles from Davenport. He purchased forty acres of land only 
 partially improved but at once started to break the prairie with ox-teams and 
 soon the track of the plow was seen across his fields, indicating that the work 
 of improvement had been begun. Later they removed to a farm of eighty acres, 
 which they rented about three miles from Davenport, and subsequently took up 
 
312 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 their abode in the city, where Mr. Martindale secured work at his. trade. In 
 1863 they removed to Long Grove and purchased the tract of land of four 
 acres upon which Mrs. Martindale now resides. There was an old black- 
 smith shop on the place and a house had also been built but it has since been 
 greatly enlarged and improved, Mr. Martindale at once began work in the 
 shop and continued to work at his trade for about thirty-eight years. In 1900 
 he built a new shop and he continued actively in business until 1902, after which 
 he practically retired. He secured the diploma and first prize at the Mount 
 Joy fair in 1900 for having the best shod horse. He was always regarded as an 
 expert workman in his line and because of this and his honorable business 
 methods he was accorded a liberal patronage and made a good living. 
 
 On the 26th of March, 1857, Mr. Martindale was united in marriage to 
 Miss Mary A. Barnby, who survives him. They became the parents of seven 
 children, namely; Mary Jane, the eldest, is the wife of David Hardie, of Pier- 
 son, Woodbury county, Iowa. They have three children, Clara, Ethel and 
 Jeneva. Anna Elizabeth became the wife of Samuel Dennett and died leaving 
 one son, LeRoy. Minnie M. is the wife of George Curtis, of Long Grove, who 
 is mentioned elsewhere in this work. They have seven children, Raymond, Bes- 
 sie, LeRoy, Edith, Harold, Margaret and Robert. John W. died at the age of 
 seventeen months. Thomas is also deceased. Albert W. is a resident of An- 
 ders, Nebraska. He wedded Libbie Riley and they have seven children, Melvin, 
 Lester, Esther, Ruth, Thomas, Aline and Alice, the last two being twins. Ira 
 George Martindale is still at home. 
 
 The death of Mr. Martindale, which occurred February 8, 19 10, was occa- 
 sioned by a paralytic stroke, and he was laid to rest in Long Grove cemetery. 
 His residence in the county, covering more than a half century, made him famil- 
 iar with the records and events which are to others a matter of history but were 
 to him matters of personal knowledge or experience. He could relate many 
 interesting incidents of the early days and his reminiscences often had to do 
 with events that figured in the history of the county. He was widely known 
 and respected and there was much that was commendable in his active and well 
 spent life. 
 
 C. R. SPINK. 
 
 Prominent among Davenport's builders is C. R. Spink, who occupies a posi- 
 tion of distinction as one of the leading architects of the city. Prompted by 
 laudable ambition, his enterprise augmented by thorough practical training, he 
 has so utilized his talents and directed his efforts that success has followed and 
 at the same time the public has been a large indirect beneficiary, in that his 
 labors have added much to the improvement and adornment of the city. 
 
 Mr. Spink was born in Davenport, August 8, 1869. His father, Henry Spink, 
 was a native of Hull, England, and crossing the Atlantic to the United States 
 in 1849, established his home in Clinton county, Iowa, where he lived for two 
 years. In 1851 he removed to Davenport, where he made his home until 1897. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 313 
 
 He was a painter by trade and although a man who never sought to figure promi- 
 nently in public life, yet commanded the respect and confidence of his friends 
 and neighbors by fidelity to honorable, upright principles. His wife, who bore 
 the maiden name of Emily Rebecca Godwin, was a native of London, England. 
 
 C. R. Spink at the usual age entered the public schools and when his more 
 specifically literary course was completed he studied architecture in the Uni- 
 versity of Illinois, from which institution he was graduated with the class of 
 1901. After spending a year in the offices of leading architects in Chicago, he 
 returned to his native city and entered upon the active practice of his profes- 
 sion. He thoroughly qualified for this business by learning the carpenter's 
 and machinist's trades, acquainting himself with both the theory and practice 
 His ability is pronounced and has won for him a success which is most de- 
 sirable and practical. He has erected many of the most beautiful homes of Dav- 
 enport, including the palatial residence of W. P. Bettendorf. His handiwork 
 is seen in many buildings of a public character and as an architect and builder 
 he occupies a prominent position. 
 
 On the 26th of December, 1906, Mr. Spink was married to Miss Harriet 
 Dennis, a native of Princeton, Scott county, Iowa, and a daughter of J. D. Den- 
 nis of that place. They now have one child, Harriet Elizabeth, who was born 
 December 8, 1908. 
 
 In his fraternal relations Mr. Spink is an Odd Fellow and is also connected 
 with the Woodmen of the World. He enjoys the companionship of a large 
 circle of friends but allows no outside interest to interfere with the faithful exe- 
 cution of his contracts in the conduct of a business which has constantly de- 
 veloped in extent and importance. 
 
 JOHN G. DUTCHER. 
 
 John G. Dutcher is a worthy representative of one of the oldest and most 
 prominent families of Scott county and has been identified with its farming in- 
 terests throughout a long period. The family originated in Holland, whence 
 the first of the name emigrated to New York in 1632. There are still many of 
 the name living in and near Otsego county, that state, and a number are promi- 
 nent representatives of the various professions. There is in possession of the 
 Dutcher family a will signed by Ruloof Dutcher, bearing date January 17, 1736, 
 and also copies of land transfers as far back as the year 1757. 
 
 John G. Dutcher of this review was born in Otsego county. New York, 
 in 1846, a son of D. C. and Laney E. (Wagner) Dutcher, both of whom were 
 natives of the same place, the former born in November, 1830, and the latter 
 in August, 1832. The parents journeyed west in December, 1854, first settling 
 in Rock Island, Illinois, where they spent a few years, while in April, 1858, they 
 continued their journey just across the state line into Scott county, Iowa. Here 
 the father purchased a tract of land, which is now owned by two of his 
 sons. 
 
314 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 John G. Dutcher was a little lad of eight years when he was brought from 
 his native state to the west and was twelve 3'ears of age when the family home 
 was established in Scott county. He was educated in the distiict schools of Buf- 
 falo township and completed his studies in a business college of Davenport. Dur- 
 ing the periods of vacation he was trained in the duties that usually fall to the 
 farm lad and thus as his age and strength increased he became more and more 
 familiar with the methods of agriculture. After putting aside his text-books he 
 took entire charge of the home farm for his father, who was an invalid, and the 
 place is now owned by himself and his brother J. E. They likewise own large 
 tracts of timber land in Arkansas and farm lands in various other sections. 
 For many years Mr. Dutcher was busily employed at farm labor but is now 
 leaving the active work to others, while he merely superintends his invested in- 
 terests. His excellent business ability has been manifest in many ways and 
 today he is classed with the representative and substantial residents of Scott 
 county. In addition to his landed possessions he is also a stockholder in the 
 Savings Bank at Buffalo, of which he is acting as vice president. 
 
 Mr. Dutcher was united in marriage to Miss Josephine Marsdorph, who still 
 survives. He is a democrat in his political views and in 1892 was elected .to 
 the board of county supervisors, serving six years, while in 1906 he was once 
 more elected and is now serving his second term. He is a Mason, belonging to 
 lodge No. 37, at Davenport; to Banner Lodge, No. 16, Knights of Pythias at 
 Buffalo; Davenport Lodge, No. 7, I. O. O. F. ; and to the Woodmen of the 
 World. 
 
 J. E. Dutcher, the brother, makes his home on the same farm and together 
 they are managing their extensive interests. He wedded Miss Mary Mitch, a 
 daughter of Frederick Mitch, of Peoria, Illinois. Their union has been blessed 
 with one son and two daughters: Charles E., who operates the farm for his 
 father and uncle; Nancy, the wife of Richard Tarbit, of Syracuse, New York; 
 and Laney, at home. 
 
 AUGUST F. MARTZAHN. 
 
 August F. Martzahn, the president and manager of the Davenport Slaughter 
 & Rendering Company, is one of the prosperous citizens of this city, which was 
 his birthplace and has since been his home. His father, Fred Martzahn, was 
 born in Mecklenburg, Germany, and with his parents came to this country 
 when a young man. He was a carpenter by trade and after landing at New 
 Orleans made his way slowly up the Mississippi river to Scott county, where 
 the family were numbered among the early German settlers. Fred Martzahn 
 took an active part in local affairs of Scott county and, feeling in sympathy with 
 the views advocated by Lincoln and having come under the spell of his per- 
 sonality, exerted great influence in the campaign preceding the election of the 
 martyred president. He married Miss Elizabeth Beyer and of their union were 
 born six children: Emma, August F., Amelia, Frank, Ella and Dora. Amelia 
 has passed away and Frank is a dairyman in Davenport. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 315 
 
 It was on the 26th of January, 1861, that August F. Martzahn was born. 
 He attended the common schools of Davenport and also received a good busi- 
 ness training. After his school days were over he learned the butcher's trade, 
 to which he has since devoted his energies for the last thirty-three years. He 
 was but eighteen years of age when he opened his first shop at 1701 West Third 
 street. It was very small and Mr. Martzahn himself waited upon his custo- 
 mers. Later as he attained success and saw opportunity, he organized the pres- 
 ent company, being the sole owner at the beginning, but later he made it a stock 
 concern, himself holding the position of president and general manager. It 
 is the only firm of its kind in the city of Davenport and is one of the large 
 houses in this section of the state. The plant has a capacity of twenty-five head 
 of cattle, thirty hogs and ten calves, the company makes a specialty of rendering 
 and dealing in hides. In the ten years of its existence it has become one of the 
 substantial and profitable business houses here for it has been operated upon 
 sound principles and the quality of their goods has secured the trade of a large 
 percentage of the population. 
 
 On the i6th of October, 1884, Mr. Martzahn was united in marriage to 
 Miss Minnie Schmidt, a daughter of Carl and Sophia (Moeller) Schmidt. One 
 son, Carl, has been born to them. He completed the course of study in the 
 grammar schools, was graduated from the high school and then attended Brown 
 College. He is now a bookkeeper in the employ of the government, working at 
 the Arsenal. Mr. Martzahn belongs to several of the Masonic bodies here and 
 is also a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He occupies a comfortable 
 home at 1620 West Third street, where he is most hospitable in entertaining his 
 many , friends. 
 
 JOHN SCHLICHTING. 
 
 John Schlichting, who with good results has tilled his farm in Liberty town- 
 ship, was born thereon December i, 1874, a son of John and Anna (Stark) 
 Schlichting, who were born in Holstein, Germany, the former February 14, 
 1830, and the latter August i, 1833. They came to the United States in June, 
 1865 and made their way to Scott county and were married in Davenport. For 
 the first year after his arrival Mr. Schlichting worked as a laborer in the city, 
 but the following spring engaged in farming for himself near Plainview. Later 
 he came to Liberty township, where he bought the place on which his son John 
 is now residing. It remained his home until the spring of 1894, when, having 
 reaped large harvests and secured a generous income, he retired from active 
 life and moved to New Liberty. There his death occurred December 30, 1901. 
 His wife survived him several years, or until February 20, 1907, when she also 
 passed away. Mr. Schlichting had come here a poor man, but through indus- 
 try and frugality had secured not only the farm previously mentioned but an- 
 other tract of one hundred and sixty acres, just north of the village of New 
 Liberty, and a third farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Cedar county. 
 Three children were born to him and his wife: Mrs. Ida Hensen, who is a 
 
316 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 widow living in Walcott; Dora, who is the wife of Gus Lamp, of New Liberty; 
 and John, who is the subject of this sketch. 
 
 John Schlichting was reared upon the farm he now occupies, and here has 
 always made his home. He attended the district schools of Liberty township, 
 in which he derived a fair training in the rudimentary branches of English edu- 
 cation. From his childhood days he did his full share of the chores and work 
 upon the farm and as soon as he was able assisted in the tilling of the fields. 
 When his father desired to retire from active life he was entrusted with the 
 operation of the home place, which is a tract of two hundred and forty acres 
 lying upon section 30. Mr. Schlichting, Sr., had already put in the greater 
 number of improvements, but these have been increased in the years of his 
 son's occupation, and the cultivation of the soil has also been improved, so that 
 the place is one of the valuable farm properties in Liberty township. 
 
 It was November 20, 1901, that Mr. Schlichting was married to Miss Ma- 
 tilda Misfeldt, who was born in Butler township, Scott county. May 12, 1882, 
 and is a daughter of Fred and Catherine (Koch) Misfeldt, both of whom were 
 natives of Holstein, Germany. They came to America in 1865, taking up their 
 residence in this county, where Mr. Misfeldt engaged in farming. He won a 
 well deserved success and passed away September 19, 1908, at sixty-eight years 
 of age, for he was born January 22, 1840. His widow now resides in New Lib- 
 erty. Three children have been born to Mr. Schlichting and his wife, Ella Anna 
 Catherine, Elmer Fredrich, Johann and Lawrence John Henry. Mr. Schlich- 
 ting is one of the substantial farmers of his locality, winning a large return in his 
 cultivation of the fields and enjoying the respect of his fellow citizens. 
 
 CHRIS TOERRING. 
 
 Chris Toerring, now deceased, well deserves mention among those whose 
 labors have constituted a source of the city's pride and improvement, for as one 
 of the park commissioners he did for Davenport a work the value of which can- 
 not be overestimated. He stood at all times for that which is best in civic af- 
 fairs and was one of the most efficient officers that Davenport has ever had. 
 As the name indicates, he was a representative of the Danish race, which has 
 furnished to Iowa a proportion of its worthy residents. He was a native of 
 Denmark and when he had acquired a good practical education in the schools 
 of his native country he obtained business experience along mercantile lines there. 
 In the year 1861 he came to America, attracted by the broader opportunities 
 offered on this side the Atlantic. The tales which he heard proved so enticing 
 that he resolved that he would benefit by the advantages here offered and yet 
 he was not deceived by any false hope of gaining wealth without labor. He 
 accepted a position with the Jens Lorenzen Crockery Company, with which he 
 remained for four years, and then became connected with the dry-goods busi- 
 ness as a salesman in the employ of the firm of Herzberg & Company. In 1867 
 he purchased the store of Otto Klug, Sr., an establishment that stood on the 
 present site of the store occupied by Silberstein Brothers. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 319 
 
 In the same year Mr. Toerring was united in marriage to Miss Dorothea 
 Burmeister, of this city, who still survives him. They never had any children of 
 their own but adopted two nephews, sons-of his brother, and to these two boys, 
 Frederick, of St. Louis, and Chris, of Philadelphia, they gave all the care, love 
 and attention that would have been bestowed upon children of their own. 
 
 Mr. Toerring was a prominent Mason, his membership being in Fraternal 
 Lodge, A. F. & A. M., in which he was honored with all of the offices, includ- 
 ing that of master. He likewise belonged to the Davenport Turngemeinde and 
 for a number of years held the office of first speaker of that soci^ety. He was 
 also a member of the Schuetzen Society of Davenport. It was in his connection 
 with municipal affairs, however, that he was most prominently known and his 
 course was characterized by such loyalty and practical service that it won for 
 him the honor and respect of all. From 1871 until 1875 he held the office of 
 city treasurer. On the organization of the park commission he became one of 
 its members and it was in this connection that he did his greatest work for 
 Davenport, devoting much of his time to the establishment and beautifying of 
 the public parks. He saw what might be accomplished along those lines and 
 with high ideals labored to improve the park system in such a manner that it 
 would remain for years to come as the most attractive feature of the municipal 
 life. The death of Mr. Toerring occurred in 1898. He had never had occasion 
 to regret his determination to seek a home in the new world, for here he had 
 not only found improved and good business opportunities but had also gained a 
 large circle of warm friends that made his residence here of a most pleasant 
 character. 
 
 JOHN GRANT ROBERTSON. 
 
 The student of history cannot carry his investigations far into the records of 
 Scott county without learning that the Robertsons have long been a well known 
 and honored family here. In 1844 a colony of Scotchmen, headed by Mrs. 
 Robertson, a grandmother of him whose name introduces this review, left their 
 old homes on the banks of the Clyde and started for America. In the party 
 were four families, the Robertsons, John Pollock and his family, John Grieve 
 and his family, and H. M. Thomson and his family. Mrs. Robertson was ac- 
 companied by her son John, the father of our subject, and four daughters, who 
 were respectively the wives of the three gentlemen mentioned above. It was the 
 custom then in Scotland to bind the younger members of the family out as ap- 
 prentices, and in order to keep her children all together Mrs. Robertson planned 
 the emigration to the new world. They sailed for New Orleans, thence made 
 their way up the Mississippi river and landed at Long Grove, Scott county, 
 Iowa, where each family took up forty acres of prairie land that up to that time 
 had always been in possession of the government. This was two years before 
 the admission of the state into the Union. 
 
 John Robertson, the father of John Grant Robertson, lived with Mr. Pol- 
 lock until he was married, on the 22d of December, 1849, to Miss Mary Ann 
 Neal. He and his bride then took up their abode in the house which he had 
 
320 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 built and he added to his original forty acres, buying other land as his financial 
 resources afforded until he became the owner of a good farm, well improved. 
 Within the boundaries of the place were comprised one hundred and forty acres, 
 to the further cultivation of which he earnestly devoted his efforts so that rich 
 crops were annually gathered. The farm is still the property of his widow and 
 is now being operated by his son and namesake. John Robertson was a member 
 of the Presbyterian church in Scotland. On coming to this county they found 
 that there was no congregation of the denomination in their neighborhood and 
 he was one of those who organized a little church which held its services in the 
 schoolhouse or in different private homes. He always remained loyal to his 
 belief, and it was characteristic of Mr. Robertson that he was ever a firm de- 
 fender of the right as he understood it. He served as school director and in 
 other local offices, but his time and energies were mostly given to general farm- 
 ing. His wife was born about seven miles from Edinburgh, Scotland, April 
 4, 1824, and was a daughter of William and Elizabeth Neal. Her father was a 
 stone-mason by trade and followed that pursuit in Scotland until 1832, when 
 with his family he sailed for the new world, landing at Montreal, Canada. They 
 lived in several places in that country but the father died soon after coming to 
 the new world. Her brother, who was also a stone-mason by trade, then took 
 charge of the family and in 1847 they came to Long Grove, Iowa, where Mrs. 
 Robertson has since made her home. She is now living with her son William 
 M., a prosperous farmer and stockman of Winfield township. She is the mother 
 of eight children: Elizabeth, the wife of Robert Johnson, of Long Grove, by 
 whom she has two children, Anna and Grant ; Jennie, who is the wife of Andrew 
 Thompson, of Nebraska, and has three children, Mary, Myrtle and John; John, 
 who died at the age of two years; James, of Davenport, who married Eliza- 
 beth Gilmore and has five children. Bertha, Ollie, Mary, Harry and Daisy ; Anna, 
 who lives with her mother and is the wife of Frank O'Conner, their children 
 being four in number, Frank, John, Charles and Roderic ; WilHam M., a farmer 
 and stockman, of Winfield township, who owns and cultivates one hundred and 
 ten acres of fine farm land and makes a specialty of raising Poland China hogs ; 
 John Grant, of this review; and one who died in infancy. 
 
 The birth of John Grant Robertson occurred January 19, 1870, on the old 
 homestead farm on which he yet makes his home. He is indebted to the public- 
 school system of the county for the educational privileges which he enjoyed 
 and to a business college of Davenport, so that he was thus well qualified for the 
 practical and responsible duties which have devolved upon him since starting 
 in business. Since putting aside his text-books he has continuously engaged in 
 farming and, following the father's retirement, he and his brother William took 
 charge of the old homestead, which they continued to cultivate together until 
 1902, when his brother William purchased his present farm, and John G. Rob- 
 ertson has since managed the home place alone: He carries on general agri- 
 cultural pursuits and makes a specialty of the raising of shorthorn cattle and 
 Poland China hogs. He is diligent and persevering in business, allowing no 
 obstacle to bar his path if it can be overcome by earnest and persistent effort. 
 
 On the 2d of April, 1896, Mr. Robertson was married to Miss Alma Klop- 
 penburg, a daughter of Herman and Elizabeth Kloppenburg, who were early 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 321 
 
 settlers of Butler township and are now living at Long Grove. Upon their 
 former farm in Butler township Mrs. Robertson was born and reared. She has 
 become the mother of three children : Winnie, Earl and Lucille, all at home. 
 
 Both Mr. and Mrs. Robertson are consistent members of the Christian 
 church of Long Grove and take an active and helpful part in its work. Mr. Rob- 
 ertson has served as deacon and was also church treasurer. He filled the office 
 of school director for a number of years and the cause of education finds in 
 him a stalwart champion. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows, his membership being in the lodge at Long Grove, of which he has served 
 as secretary and in other offices. He also belongs to Grove Camp, No. 6197, 
 M. W. A., and both he and his wife are members of the Court of Honor of 
 Long Grove. They are highly esteemed in these different organizations and 
 have an extensive circle of friends throughout the county, winning the regard 
 which is ever accorded in recognition of sterling worth and upright principles. 
 
 JOHN LENSCH. 
 
 It seems to have been the fate of Holstein, Germany to have lost more than 
 her share of good citizens to the United States and among this number is John 
 Lensch, one of Scott county's pioneers. He was born January 29, 1835, his 
 parents being Claus and Magdalina Lensch, both of whom lived and died in 
 the fatherland. His, school days were passed in Germany and even before he 
 severed home ties he had some practical training as a farmer. 
 
 In 1857 when a very little past his majority Mr. Lensch became imbued 
 with the prevalent idea that greater opportunity awaited him across the water 
 and he took passage for America, landing in New York and coming from that 
 city to Davenport. His first employment was in a brickyard, but country life, 
 which he had previously enjoyed, appealing to him, he secured work on a farm 
 and subsequently rented land in Lincoln township which he managed on his 
 own account. In 1862 he became one of Scott county's property holders through 
 the purchase of eighty acres of improved land. After about two years he sold 
 that place and bought another eighty acres in Lincoln township, upon which he 
 made his home for ten years. Again Mr. Lensch disposed of his land and be- 
 came the proprietor of a larger tract of two hundred acres in Sheridan town- 
 ship, near the town of Eldridge. There he and his family made their home for 
 the twenty years between 1876 and 1896, but at the end of this time he decided 
 to give up active life and retire to enjoy a greater leisure than the preceding 
 years had permitted him. He was then among Scott county's considerable prop- 
 erty holders, owning four hundred acres of splendid land. 
 
 The joyous Christmas-tide has an unusual significance for Mr. and Mrs. 
 Lensch for it was upon that day in 1865 that they united their hands and for- 
 tunes in marriage. Mrs. Lensch was before her marriage Miss Dora Schnor, 
 a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Schnor, German citizens who lived through- 
 out life in their native country. Mrs. Lensch who was born September 20, 
 1832, came to America alone in 1865 — the year of her marriage. The following 
 
322 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 six children were born of this union: Mollie, Laura, Matie and Hattie, all de- 
 ceased; Gustav, of Sheridan township, who married Meta Misfeldt and is the 
 father of four children, Nora, Lettie, Anna, and John; and John, a resident of 
 Sheridan township, who married Clara Brockmann and has five children, Mar- 
 tha, Amiel, Leona, Raymond and Edna. It is thus apparent that Mr. and Mrs. 
 Lensch are abundantly entitled to the pleasant roles of grandfather and grand- 
 mother. 
 
 The fact that Mr. Lensch has abandoned the strenuous life of an active agri- 
 culturist is by no means indicative that he is no longer a real factor in the life 
 of his community. Taking a keen and intelligent interest in public affairs and a 
 student of those questions which pertain to the acquisition of the greatest good 
 for the greatest number, he constitutes in himself an admirable citizen, as well 
 as one to whom consideration is due for his past progressive agricultural achieve- 
 ments. 
 
 LORENZO SCHRICKER. 
 
 In a review of Davenport's history it becomes evident that Lorenzo Schricker 
 deserves mention among those who were her builders and promoters. Taking 
 advantage of the natural resources offered by the country, he planned and pro- 
 moted business enterprises of far-reaching effect and benefit. With keen in- 
 sight he foresaw the possibilities of trade, utilized the opportunities which were 
 afforded by existing conditions and as the years passed on developed and ex- 
 panded his commercial and manufacturing interests until he occupied a conspic- 
 uous place among the leading lumbermen of the middle west and also in finan- 
 cial and other business circles into which he directed his energies. Many impor- 
 tant public and private concerns were stimulated by his activities and he stood 
 as a high type of the business man whose record is conclusive proof of the fact 
 that success and an honored name may be won simultaneously. 
 
 From the days of his early manhood the life of Lorenzo Schricker was one 
 of hard work, of close application and of intense energy. He was born Novem- 
 ber 12, 1825, in Bavaria, Germany, a son of Christian and Eva Schricker. He 
 attended school at Weisdorf, later the polytechnic school of Nuremberg and 
 completed his education in the School of Agriculture and Industry at Hof. He 
 afterward served a four years' apprenticeship in a dry-goods store and later was 
 engaged as bookkeeper by a railroad company at a salary of twelve dollars per 
 month. When he was but nineteen years of age he took a contract to build a 
 railroad and thus in early manhood he gave proof of the elemental strength of 
 his character, which was to carry him into important relations in later years. 
 
 America — the land of promise — attracted him. Hearing and heeding the 
 call of the western world, he sailed for the United States in the spring of 1848 
 and, settling in Cincinnati, Ohio, there engaged in the confectionery business 
 until the succeeding fall, when he removed to St. Louis, where he was engaged 
 in the dry-goods trade until the fall of 1849. He then returned to Germany and 
 upon again coming to America was accompanied by his mother, three sisters and 
 a brother, his father having previously joined him in St. Louis. The year 1850 
 
iP^'^'' y^ 
 
 ^^i,^ if^^e^l^^^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 325 
 
 witnessed the arrival of Lorenzo Schricker in Davenport. He became con- 
 nected with the commercial interests of the city as the senior partner of the firm 
 of Schricker & Uibeleisen, proprietors of a general store. The following year 
 he entered into partnership in the same line of business with his brother-in-law, 
 John Schmidt, and when that association was dissolved he established a store of 
 his own and also entered the field of banking. Every undertaking was crowned 
 with success, for he appHed himself with untiring energy to the management and 
 control of his business interests and won public confidence and patronage 
 through the most honorable business methods. His fellow townsmen in 1858 
 elected him city treasurer — the only public office he ever held — and after two 
 years' service he retired from the position. In 1864 he formed a partnership 
 with L. C. Dessaint in the business of lumber manufacturing, the firm purchas- 
 ing the mill at the foot of Scott street. In 1868 Mr. Dessaint was succeeded by 
 Christian Mueller and the firm of Schricker & Mueller was in existence until 
 the death of the senior partner. Mr. Schricker became widely known as a rep- 
 resentative of the lumber industry of the middle west. Noting and utilizing 
 opportunities which others passed by heedlessly, his trade interests expanded to 
 mammoth proportions and he came to be recognized as an authority upon ques- 
 tions of moment to lumbermen. He was the originator of the lumber manufac- 
 turers' combinations in the logging business on the Mississippi river. Previous 
 to 1870 the manufacturers bought their log supplies as best they could — every 
 man for himself — at the mouths of the Black, Wisconsin, Chippewa and St. 
 Croix rivers. Mr. Schricker, in company with Mr. Weyerhauser, of Rock Is- 
 land, spent two years in conjointly purchasing extensive supplies and found their 
 cooperation so profitable that they easily induced other sawmill proprietors in 
 the three cities to unite with them. The result was the organization of the 
 Upper Mississippi Logging Company in 1871, at a meeting of the manufacturers 
 held at the old Burtis House in Davenport, with Mr. Schricker as president of 
 the company. The great logging works at Beef Slough were built by this asso- 
 ciation. Lumber interests received added stimulus and impetus from this organ- 
 ization, with which Mr. Schricker continued until 1874, when he withdrew in 
 order to devote his undivided time and attention to the extensive tracts of pine 
 lands in Wisconsin, which he had purchased, and to his manufacturing and finan- 
 cial interests in Davenport. In 1864 he had become an active factor in banking 
 circles in this city, being a stockholder and director in several banks and also 
 vice president of the First National Bank for years. The most of his time for 
 six years previous to his death was spent in the pineries of Wisconsin and there 
 was one period of two years in which he did not pass a fortnight altogether in 
 his home at Davenport. His business methods were in some respects unique 
 and peculiar. He kept no books but carried notes, agreements, data and every- 
 thing pertaining to his private affairs in a large wallet in his coat pocket and 
 thus at any time he could make immediate reference to a paper for information 
 or if any business matter was under discussion. One day, in the heart of the 
 Chippewa pineries, a prominent lumberman met him and as they were traveling 
 through the woods the man said: "Mr. Schricker, that note of mine is a little 
 overdue, but I will attend to it as soon as I get home. Just send me the whole 
 amount of interest due when you are back in Davenport and I will pay the 
 
326 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 interest and principal." Mr. Schricker replied: "O, I can fix that right here," 
 and, seating himself on a log, he took out his wallet, selected the note, calculated 
 the interest to the very day and then and there received the cEeck for the amount, 
 which the next day was presented to and paid at the bank of Eau Claire. 
 
 Mr. Schricker was three times married. He first wedded Mary Hansen. 
 Their children were: August, deceased; William E., a banker at La Conner, 
 Washington; Ottilie, whose first husband was Major Steflfen, later Steffen 
 Pascha, adjutant general to the sultan. He died in Constantinople and his 
 widow became the wife of Admiral Von Pietruski, who died in Pola, Austria. 
 For his second wife Mr. Schricker chose Sophia Kahl, and their children were : 
 Richard, now in Davenport; Laelius, deceased; and Harriet, whose husband was 
 a naval oflScer, Korvettenkapitan Frank Dvorak, who until recently resided in 
 Pola, Austria, but is at present living at Hietzing, Vienna, Austria. For his 
 third wife Mr. Schricker chose Johanna Matthes. There was only one child, 
 Selma, by that marriage. The mother, who was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 
 1841, died April 2, 1898. For many years Mr. Schricker resided with his family 
 at No. 714 Farnam street, but for two years previous to his death he occupied 
 a palatial home on the Heights, just west of the junction of De Soto and Mar- 
 quette streets. He passed away on the 12th of July, 1883, leaving a handsome 
 estate, consisting of bank stock, notes, mortgages, Wisconsin pine lands and coal 
 lands in Clearfield and Cambria counties, Pennsylvania. Resolutions of respect 
 and sympathy were passed by various companies with which he was connected, 
 all expressive of the deep regret felt at the passing of Mr. Schricker. For a 
 third of a century he had been a resident of Davenport. Coming to the city 
 during its formative period, he introduced into its business circles a progressive 
 element that bore fruit not only in the attainment of personal success but also 
 in the stimulus given to business interests throughout the city. Strong in his 
 ability to plan and perform, strong in his honor and good name, his worth was 
 widely acknowledged. In the contests which are invariably a feature of business 
 life men often bear the marks and scars of the battle, but Mr. Schricker stood in 
 his later years, as he did in his early manhood, for all that was loyal in citizen- 
 ship, progressive and honorable in business and straightforward in every trans- 
 action. He was a man of marked individuality and notable force of character, 
 his strongly marked traits being such as awakened for him the respect and admir- 
 ation of all and gained for him the friendship of many. 
 
 MRS. MARIA SCHMIDT. 
 
 Among Davenport's prominent citizens must be numbered Mrs. Maria 
 Schmidt, who represents one of the oldest and best known German families in 
 the city, and in fact throughout Scott county. She was born in Germany, De- 
 cember 30, 1847, her parents being Frederick and Elsie (Brandt) Weiss, the 
 former of whom was the proprietor of a paint shop in that country. In 1850 
 Mr. Weiss brought his family to America, landing at New Orleans and making 
 the rest of the journey to Davenport up the broad waters of the Mississippi. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 327 
 
 As soon as possible he established himself in his old business, his location being 
 upon Second street, and he continued thus actively engaged until January 21, 
 1879, when he passed away, his wife having preceded him in 1853. They were 
 the parents of three children. Katherine is the widow of Theodore Petersen 
 and makes her home in Davenport. Henry, the third in order of birth, met his 
 death while hunting in Scott county. May 17, 1867. 
 
 Mrs. Schmidt received her education in the Davenport schools and grew to 
 womanhood here. When about twenty-six years of age she went to California 
 and it was while in the west that her marriage took place. The man to whom 
 she gave her hand was Carl Theodore Marx Schmidt, their union being cele- 
 brated September 20, 1883, at Paradise Valley, Humboldt county, Nevada. Mr. 
 Schmidt was a native of Germany, born in Mecklenburg, August 31, 1844, and 
 he came to the United States after having served the usual time in the Ger- 
 man army. After some experience as a sailor, he went to California in 1865 
 and for twenty years was employed in the gold and silver mines of California 
 and Nevada. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt continued to reside in the far west for a number of 
 years after their marriage, but in October, 1892, they located in Davenport and 
 for about five years he had charge of the Davenport Outing Club. He subse- 
 quently had charge of various buildings in the city, among them being the Peter- 
 sen. Mr. Schmidt was Lutheran in faith and fraternally was identified with the 
 Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He died May 18, 1903, and was interred 
 in Fairmont cemetery. 
 
 Mrs. Schmidt is the mother of two children. The elder, Carl F., was born 
 in 1884 and is now a prominent plumber, his business being located at the corner 
 of Twenty-Second and Brown streets. He was united in marriage to Miss Anna 
 Deher, and they have a daughter, Louise Marie. The younger son, Theodore 
 George, was born February 5, 1888, and lives at home. The brothers are well 
 known and popular members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, belong- 
 ing to Davenport Lodge, No. 7. Not only is Mrs. Schmidt a valuable member 
 of society, but she has accomplished the even finer service of motherhood and 
 has reared her sons to good citizenship. 
 
 PETER STOLTENBERG. 
 
 The agricultural interests of Scott county find a worthy and successful repre- 
 sentative in Peter Stoltenberg, who owns and operates a fine farm of one hun- 
 dred and forty acres in Sheridan township. His birth occurred in Holstein, 
 Germany, on the 12th of November, 1854, his parents being Martin and Cather- 
 ine Stoltenberg. About 1863 the father embarked on the voyage to the new 
 world with his wife and children and after landing at New York made his way 
 to Illinois, where he was actively engaged in the operation of a rented farm 
 of eighty acres for about ten years. On the expiration of that period he came 
 to Scott county, Iowa, and here also became identified with general agricultural 
 pursuits as a renter. He has continuously made his home in this county to the 
 
328 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 present time and is now a well known and respected resident of Eldridge. His 
 wife was called to her final rest in 1907, when she had attained the age of sev- 
 enty-six years. Their children were five in number, namely: Lena, the widow 
 of Hans Schneckloth; Peter, of this review; Henry, living in Eldridge, Iowa; 
 George, who is a resident of Davenport; and Theodore, of Sheridan township. 
 
 Peter Stoltenberg began his education in the schools of his native land and 
 afterward continued his studies in Illinois, being a lad of but nine years when 
 he accompanied his parents on their emigration to the United States. After 
 putting aside his text-books he turned his attention to general agricultural pur- 
 suits and has since been successfully identified with farming interests, being 
 now the owner of one hundred and forty acres of rich and productive land in 
 Sheridan township, Scott county, Iowa. He has a handsome and commodious 
 residence and the neat and thrifty appearance of his farm indicates the super- 
 vision of a practical and progressive owner. 
 
 On the 7th of February, 1885, Mr. Stoltenberg was united in marriage to 
 Miss Emma Meier, a daughter of Henry and Lena (Weise) Meier, who were 
 early settlers of Scott county. They were natives of Hanover and Holstein, 
 Germany, respectively. Henry Meier, who was brought to this country by his 
 parents when about ten years of age, was the owner of the present home farm 
 of our subject before it came into the latter's possession. He was also promi- 
 nent in public affairs and held a number of official positions- in Sheridan town- 
 ship, including that of school director. He passed away in 1884 when fifty- 
 nine years of age, while the demise of his wife occurred in 1906, when she 
 was sixty-one years old. They reared a family of four children, as follows: 
 Mrs. Stoltenberg; Henry, who resides at Long Grove; Augusta, the wife of 
 August Lefrantz, of Eldridge; and Edward, living in Sheridan township. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Stoltenberg are likewise the parents of four children, namely: Ma- 
 linda, who is the wife of Henry Hinze, of Sheridan township, and has a son, 
 Harold; and Viola, Albert and Henry, all at home. Both Mr. and Mrs. Stol- 
 tenberg have a wide and favorable acquaintance throughout the community, hav- 
 ing ever displayed those sterling traits of character which in every land and 
 clime awaken admiration and regard. 
 
 WALTER M. BALLUFF. 
 
 Among the younger representatives of Davenport's legal fraternity is num- 
 bered Walter M. Balluff, who, however, in the years of his connection with the 
 bar in this city has made substantial progress, augmenting his ability by thor- 
 ough study and research, and working his way upward by merit. He was born 
 in Scott county, September 18, 1880, a son of August A. and Josephine E. 
 Ballufif, the former a native of this county and the latter of Muscatine county, 
 Iowa. 
 
 Spending his boyhood days under the parental roof, Walter M. Balluff pur- 
 sued his education in the public schools of Davenport, continuing his studies 
 through consecutive grades until he was graduated from the high school with 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 329 
 
 the class of 1899. Reflection concerning the business world and the various op- 
 portunities therein offered along many lines of industrial, commercial and pro- 
 fessional activities, led him to the determination to make the practice of law 
 his life work and to this end he entered the State University, wherein he com- 
 pleted the law course in 1901. Following his graduation he was admitted to 
 the bar and for practical. experience entered the ofBce of Cook & Dodge, with 
 whom he remained as assistant until 1906, when he was admitted to the firm. 
 Since the ist of June, 1909, the firm has been Cook & Balluff. In no profes- 
 sion does advancement depend more largely upon individual merit and with the 
 realization of the fact that his labor must constitute the foundation upon which 
 to build success, he devotes himself with great earnestness to the preparation 
 of his cases and in their presentation leaves no point undefended that he can 
 fortify by the citation of precedent or law principle. 
 
 Mr. Balluff in his political allegiance is a democrat, and his social relations 
 are with the Elks and the Knights of Columbus. 
 
 WILLIAM I. VANDERVEER, M. D. 
 
 Dr. William I. Vanderveer, a well known and efficient practitioner of Blue 
 Grass, also figures prominently in the financial circles of the city as president 
 of the Blue Grass Savings Bank, in which position he has been incumbent since 
 its inception. His birth occurred in Rock Island county, Illinois, on the nth of 
 July, 1859, his parents being John and Delilah (Aikens) Vanderveer, both na- 
 tives of Darke county, Ohio, where the former was born in 1823 and the latter 
 in 1824. They came west to Rock Island county, Illinois, some time during the 
 '50s, locating on a farm where they made their home during the remainder of 
 their Hves. 
 
 In the district schools of his native county Dr. Vanderveer acquired a good 
 knowledge of the various branches of English learffing and during the periods 
 of vacation assisted his father in the work of the home farm. Occasionally he 
 was employed in a store at Andalusia, Illinois, and later benefited by study at 
 the Iowa State University, attending that institution during the school year of 
 1891-92. The following year he went to St. Louis and entered the Homeopathic 
 Medical College of Missouri, from which he was graduated on the 23d of March, 
 1893. His father had passed away in November, 1892, and therefore, upon 
 leaving school, he returned home to care for his mother. In the fall of 1894, 
 however, he came to Blue Grass, where he opened an office for the practice of 
 his profession and has been thus engaged to the present time. He is naturally 
 well fitted for his chosen life work, possessing those traits of personality so nec- 
 essary to the successful physician, while his training has been thorough and 
 comprehensive, and he is ever extending his knowledge by broad reading, re- 
 search and experience. He keeps in close touch with what is going on in the 
 medical world and is thorough and faithful in the discharge of his professional 
 duties, fully realizing the obUgations and responsibilities that rest upon him in 
 his chosen calling. 
 
330 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Although Dr. Vanderveer gives the greater portion of his attention to his 
 profession, nevertheless he has found time to devote to other Hnes of activity 
 and was the prime mover in the organization of the Blue Grass Savings Bank, 
 being elected its first president in 190 1. He has since continued in that office, 
 in which capacity he has manifested excellent administrative ability and execu- 
 tive control. The safe conservative policy which he has inaugurated commends 
 itself to the judgment of all and has secured to the bank with which he is con- 
 nected a very extensive and representative patronage and has placed it among 
 the reliable moneyed institutions of the community. 
 
 It was in 1895 that Dr. Vanderveer was united in marriage to Miss Agnes 
 Jakeman, a daughter of Frank Jakeman, of Blue Grass township, and unto 
 this union has been born one son, Raymond, whose birth occurred on the 21st 
 of November, 1901. Mrs. Vanderveer is a member of the Presbyterian church 
 and a most estimable lady, being held in high regard and esteem throughout the 
 community. 
 
 The Doctor gives his political allegiance to the republican party in all na- 
 tional matters, but where local issues are at stake casts his ballot in behalf of 
 the best man regardless of party ties. He has never been an aspirant for public 
 office, preferring to devote himself entirely to the conduct of business and the 
 performance of professional duties, with the result that today he stands high in 
 the financial and medical circles of the county, his success being due entirely to 
 his own unaided efforts and well directed energies. 
 
 DIEDRICH BUSCH. 
 
 Investigation into the history of Davenport indicates that the Teutonic race 
 has constituted an important element in her citizenship and among the promi- 
 nent representatives of the fatherland was Diedrich Busch, whose life of well 
 directed labor and honesty in all business connections won him the unqualified 
 respect and confidence of his fellowmen. He was born in Hamminkeln, Des- 
 seldorf, Prussia, February i, 1827, and was reared in a household where the 
 parents realized that the best thing they could give their children was a knowl- 
 edge of the value of industry, perseverance and economy. He was therefore 
 taught to work when a member of his father's household and was apprenticed 
 to the shoemaker's trade, which he followed during the greater part of his ac- 
 tive life. He learned the trade well, closely applied himself to the conduct of 
 the business, and in turn it rendered him independent of labor in his later years. 
 The business opportunities of the fatherland did not appeal to his ambitious 
 nature for he believed that better advantages could be found on this side the 
 Atlantic, and therefore in 1853 he made arrangements to seek a home in America, 
 landing at New York on the 3d of July. Soon afterward he made his way 
 westward to Davenport and later returned to Germany in order to bring his 
 parents to the new world, for whom he carefully provided throughout the re- 
 mainder of their days. He again visited his native land in 1873. 
 
^t^' 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 333 
 
 Mr. Busch was married in this country in early manhood but his first wife 
 died over forty-six years ago, leaving a daughter, Louise, who died at the age 
 of twenty-two years. She was an accomplished artist, who painted largely in 
 oil. Following the demise of his first wife, Mr. Busch wedded Miss Emma 
 Balcke, on the 19th of January, 1866. She is a daughter of the Rev. Henry 
 Balcke, at one time a prominent minister of the German Methodist Episcopal 
 church. In his later years he retired from the work of the ministry and for a 
 long period made his home with Mrs. Busch, passing away at the venerable age 
 of eighty-eight years. 
 
 In 1883 Mr. Busch retired from active life, giving up all business interests 
 aside from those necessary for the management of his property. He had in- 
 vested quite extensively in East Davenport real estate through the days of his 
 early residence here and had engaged largely in the building of residences and 
 stores. In this and other ways he assisted materially in work which promoted 
 the development of that section of the city. His own home was a fine resi- 
 dence on Eddy street which he erected and which is still occupied by Mrs. Busch. 
 She is an active member of the German Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Mr. Busch was a kind-hearted, liberal man and his attitude toward the public 
 was that of a benefactor for his labors were an effective element in promoting 
 many interests that largely benefited the city. His history, too, is an indication 
 of what can be accomplished when one has the will to dare and to do. He 
 recognized the fact that in America labor is king and, bending his energies 
 toward the task of earning a living and providing for a future, he at length 
 became possessed of a handsome competence that enabled him at his death to 
 leave his widow in comfortable, financial circumstances. He passed away on 
 the 13th of September, 1893. 
 
 MRS. KATHRYN DIEDRICH. 
 
 For fifteen years Mrs. Kathryn Diedrich operated a large tract of fine, arable 
 land in Sheridan township, continuing the work begun by her husband, the late 
 Frederick Diedrich. She was born in Props ter, Holstein, Germany, November 
 6, 1840. Her parents, Peter and Margaret Dettmer, were also natives of the 
 fatherland and spent all their lives in the old country. A son, Peter Dettmer, 
 and Mrs. Diedrich, however, came to the United States in 1864. They landed 
 in New York and shortly afterward came to Scott county, Iowa, for they had 
 an uncle living in Davenport. On the 22d of February, 1866, she gave her hand 
 in marriage to Frederick Diedrich, who, like herself was a native of Germany. 
 He had, however, been a resident of Scott county, for a much longer time, for 
 he had come with his parents, Frederick and Wilhelmina Diedrich, in early 
 manhood. They were among the early German settlers of this county, and after 
 their arrival here bought the one hundred and sixty acres of land on which Mrs. 
 Diedrich lived after her marriage. 
 
 This farm was the home of Frederick Diedrich throughout the greater part 
 of his life. He assisted his father in tilling its soil and later assumed the full 
 
334 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 responsibilities of its operation. While not one of the largest in its vicinity, it 
 was very productive, is well improved and especially adapted to general farm- 
 ing, which he pursued. His death occurred in 1895, when he was well advanced 
 in years, for his natal day was March 20, 1837. 
 
 Twelve children had been born to Mr. and Mrs. Diedrich. William has 
 passed away. Minnie is the wife of Orval Goodwin, of Cass county, Iowa, and 
 the children born to them are Etta and Eva deceased, Bert, Nettie, Ruby, Har- 
 vey and Leona. Henry, a resident of Davenport, wedded Miss Thressa Klaus 
 and they have two sons, Edward and Lester. Emma became the wife of George 
 Kloppenburg and they have three children, Mabel E., Clarence S. and Leroy V. 
 MoUie is the wife of Paul Lohrmann of Watertown, Illinois, and they had 
 six children — Viola; Anna; Katie; Raymond, deceased; Bernice and Minnie. 
 Mary became the wife of Willis Hopson of Illinois. Louis and Lillian are at 
 home, and Anna, Frederick, Adolph and William have passed away. Mrs. Died- 
 rich has sold her farm and now is staying with her daughter Mrs. Kloppenburg. 
 In the many years that she managed the farm interests, she proved herself to be 
 a woman of no inconsiderable business ability, able to conserve as well as im- 
 prove, the property entrusted to her hands. 
 
 CHARLES BECKER. 
 
 Charles Becker, who is engaged in the retail liquor business at the corner 
 of Fourth and Harrison streets, is the last member of his branch of this old Ger- 
 man family in America. He was born September 29, 1850, in Kraschen, Pro- 
 vinz Silesia, Germany, and is a son of Carl and Anna Rosina (Wahnelt) Becker. 
 His father, a commission merchant, was a self-made man and one who achieved 
 prosperity and the confidence of his neighbors. He had a family of seven chil- 
 dren, of whom the subject of this sketch was the third in order of birth. 
 
 Charles Becker received his education in Germany's excellent public schools 
 and when eighteen years of age followed the example set by so many of his 
 associates and came across the sea. He landed in New York and in a short 
 time went to Detroit, where he secured a business footing in the cigar trade. 
 Ten years later, in the spring of 1879, he came to Davenport and entered into 
 business with his brother Gustav. This association was later dissolved and 
 Mr. Becker removed to Sigourney, Iowa, where he engaged in the dry-goods 
 business for three years and then returned to Davenport. He then secured a 
 position as traveling salesman and was on the road for several years for a 
 Davenport dry-goods house. Following this he and his brother undertook the 
 management of the Turner Hall, which they conducted successfully for three 
 years. They also managed the Burtis Opera House, which was Davenport's 
 largest theater up to the year 1896. The death of Gustav Becker occurred Aug- 
 ust 26, 1908. After his experience as a manager, Charles Becker enjoyed a 
 short retirement and then went on the road again. For seven years he remained 
 in the capacity of traveling man but abandoned this in 1903 to open up the re- 
 tail liquor store which he has ever since carried on. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 335 
 
 On October 31, 1871, Mr. Becker was united in marriage to Christine Mar- 
 tens, and seven children have blessed this union : Bertha, who is employed as a 
 dentist's assistant; Amelia, at home; Charles, who died when eight years of 
 age; Fritz, at home; Gustav, who died when two years of age; and Anna and 
 Carl, at home. Mr. Becker has many friends and enjoys pleasant social affilia- 
 tions as a Turner and an Elk. 
 
 OTTO FORTH. 
 
 Otto Forth had had considerable experience as a farmer before he finally 
 bought his place in Liberty township, on which he has lived for the past sixteen 
 years. As he has gained large returns from its cultivation he has had no rea- 
 son to regret the purchase of it. He was born near Coblenz, Germany, April 
 15, 1854, a son of Carl and Elizabeth (Bassack) Forth, both natives of Prus- 
 sia, the father's birth having occurred in the city of Berlin. In the fall of 
 1855 they came to America, settling first in Hampton, IlHnois. They remained 
 there for about five years and then came to Iowa, locating in CHnton county. 
 There the father secured a section of land in Olive township, upon which he 
 engaged in farming with such large profits that he was able to buy in addi- 
 tion three quarters of a section in Minnesota. Shortly before his death he re- 
 tired from active life, taking up his residence in Davenport, which was his 
 home during the remaining years allotted to him. He was twice married, having 
 by his first wife, who was the mother of our subject, four children and by his 
 second eight. 
 
 Otto Forth, who was but a little over a year old when his parents came to 
 this country and about six years old when they removed to Iowa, has spent the 
 greater part of his life in this state. His mother died when he was nine years 
 of age, but he continued to live upon the homestead in Clinton county until he 
 reached man's estate. He went first to Davenport, where he secured work as a 
 laborer for four years, and then removed to the northwest part of the state, 
 where for one year he worked at his trade of a carpenter. He was not satis- 
 fied with the prospects there, however, and returned to Davenport. In that 
 city he secured employment with an ice company during the summer and during 
 the winter in the packing business of John Suglers. In this way three years 
 were spent, at the end of which period he returned to the homestead in Clin- 
 ton county, which he farmed for two years. He then returned to Scott county, 
 becoming a tenant on a farm near Flainview, which he conducted for five years. 
 While this experience was not wholly without profit he went to Cedar county and 
 upon a tract of rented land two miles west of the village of New Liberty, en- 
 gaged in farming for five years. Then, in 1893, he purchased the place which 
 he now owns. It comprises one hundred and sixty acres on section 11, Liberty 
 township. It is a rich and arable tract, well adapted to diversified farming which 
 Mr. Forth pursues thereon. He has made a number of improvements upon the 
 place, has brought the fertility of the soil to its highest productive power and 
 
336 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 as his industry is the measure of his success he is one of the prosperous farmers 
 of his locahty. 
 
 In early manhood in 1879, Mr. Forth was united in marriage to Miss Ernestine 
 Magiber, who was born in Holstein, Germany, November 5, i860. At the age of 
 twelve she came to this country with her parents, Fred and Dora (Brady) 
 Magiber, who settled in Davenport, which remained their home until their death. 
 Seven girls were born to them. Mr. and Mrs. Forth have had fifteen children: 
 Adella, Alfred, Carl, Martha, Lizzie, Rudolph, Otto, Jr., Rosa, Bertha, Leo and 
 Fred, and four who died in infancy. The eldest is the wife of John Smallifield, 
 of South Dakota, which is also the place of residence of the third child, Carl. 
 
 By hard work Mr. Forth has proved his right to be numbered among the 
 more prosperous farmers of Liberty township and, in as much as his good for- 
 tune is the result of his own efforts, there is no bitterness attached to it but, in- 
 stead, he has the general approbation of those who have watched his progress. 
 
 CLAUS ARF. 
 
 Among the early German pioneers of Scott county is Claus Arp, who has re- 
 tired from farming, which he pursued so profitably in Davenport township for 
 upwards of forty years, and has taken up his residence in the city of Daven- 
 port. In that time he put to the test the fine qualities of the German race, 
 achieved distinction and identified himself closely with the local interests, so that 
 his influence, ever exerted for the betterment of the conditions surrounding his 
 fellowmen, was felt throughout the township. 
 
 He was born in Holstein, Germany, August 23, 1827, a son of Detlef and 
 Abel Arp, who -died in the land of their birth. There Mr. Arp grew to man- 
 hood and attended schools. He also learned the weaver's trade and, having at- 
 tained the age of manhood, was enrolled as a soldier in the army of the father- 
 land. During his two and a half years of service he participated in the war with 
 Denmark during 1849 ^nd 1850 holding an ofiice equivalent to that of sergeant in 
 the American army. 
 
 In 1851 Mr. Arp came to the United States. Landing at New Orleans, he 
 came up the Mississippi river to Davenport, which he reached November 14, 
 of that year. A brother had previously come here, so that he was not utterly 
 a stranger in the new country. Immediately after his arrival he began to work 
 for a farmer, receiving one hundred dollars a year. After two years' experi- 
 ence with that employer, he and his brother Henry bought eighty acres of un- 
 cultivated land in Davenport township. His sister had come from Germany 
 about that time so that it was a little family of three that took up their residence 
 upon this first piece of property Mr. Arp owned. For about five years they 
 operated it in conjunction, the duties of housekeeping devolving upon the sister, 
 and then divided the place. Thereupon Mr. Arp bought eighty acres of land 
 in Davenport township, which he traded later for one hundred and forty acres 
 there. It remained his home for the thirty-five years he was actively engaged 
 in agricultural pursuits and constitutes what is now known as the Arp home- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 337 
 
 stead. He had, however, during that time bought considerable other property 
 in the township, for he had won a pronounced success in the cultivation of 
 the soil, at one time owning seven hundred and fifty acres of land in Scott and 
 Cedar counties, Iowa. Thus he felt justified in relinquishing the responsibilities 
 of life and in 1894 he took up his residence in Davenport, where he owns some 
 valuable property. 
 
 It was on the 14th of April, 1868, that Mr. Arp married Dora Sienknecht, 
 a daughter of Henry and Lena Sienknecht. They have had seven children. 
 Theodore is in Denver, Colorado, Hannes married Lena Luders. They live 
 in Scott county and have two children. Alma and Theodore. Minnie became 
 the wife of Julius Kuelper and they have three children, Vera, Alice and Lil- 
 lian. Herman married Theresa Oldenburg and lives in Cleona township. They 
 have one daughter, Hulda. Meta became the wife of Louis Goellnitz of Lib- 
 erty township. They have two children, Roy and Edna. Otto lives in Daven- 
 port township on a farm. He married Mary Hien and they have three sons, 
 Elmer, Theodore and Clarence. Adela is at home. 
 
 Having become a naturalized citizen of this republic, Mr. Arp identified him- 
 self closely with the best interests of his community, for during the period 
 in which he was a resident of Davenport he served as school director and treas- 
 urer of the school board for about twenty years and also acted as road super- 
 visor. He is a member of German Lodge, No. 37, I. O. O. F., of Davenport, 
 also of the Verein Schleswig-Holstein, which is composed of veterans of the 
 German war of 1848-50, and the German Old Settlers Society. Quietly and 
 unostentatiously he pursued the calling he chose as his vocation and with pa- 
 tience and hard work gained a competence which entitles him to be numbered 
 among the successful men of the county. 
 
 WILLIAM F. BOWSER, M. D. 
 
 In no profession is there demanded a more thorough knowledge of scientific 
 principles than that of medicine. The successful practitioner must also possess a 
 kindly, sunny nature, physical endurance and a clear intellect. Possessing all 
 these requisites. Dr. William F. Bowser has in the few years in which he has been 
 located in Blue Grass built up a lucrative practice that is increasing as the months 
 and years go by. He was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, May 21, 1873, 
 a son of Frank S. and Anna (Davidson) Bowser, who were likewise natives of 
 Armstrong county, the former born in 1843 ^^^ the latter in 1852. The father 
 is at present postmaster at Buffalo, Iowa. 
 
 Like the majority of men who enter professional circles. Dr. Bowser was 
 reared to farm life. He began his education in the schools of his native • county 
 and being but a youth at the time the family located in Muscatine county, Iowa, 
 he also attended school in the latter place, completing the high-school course in 
 Muscatine by graduation with the class of 1893. He then entered Parsons College 
 at Fairfield, Iowa, and after completing a four years' course was graduated from' 
 that institution in 1898 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Having decided upon 
 
338 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 the practice of medicine as a life work, in 1898 he began teaching in the schools 
 of Muscatine county that he might earn the necessary funds to enter a medical 
 college. He was thus engaged until 1905, but in the meantime, in the fall of 1899, 
 he entered the Iowa State University and also read medicine with several leading 
 physicians at and near his home. He was graduated from the university in 1905 
 and shortly afterward, on the 30th of August of that year, began practice in Buf- 
 falo and Blue Grass, but since 1907 has confined his attention to his office in the 
 latter village. He is meeting with merited success and his practice is increasing 
 as time passes. , 
 
 Dr. Bowser was married November 14, 1906, to Miss Mary Lucinda Moor- 
 head, a daughter of M. E. Moorhead, of Blue Grass township. The Doctor is a 
 republican in his political views but the demands of his practice leave him little 
 time for active participation in public affairs. He belongs to Banner Lodge, No. 
 16, Knights of Pythias, to the Modern Brotherhood of America at Buffalo and to 
 the Modern Woodman camp at Blue Grass, while in the line of his profession he 
 is a member of the American Medical Association, the Iowa State Medical Asso- 
 ciation and the Scott County Medical Association. Both he and his wife are mem- 
 bers of the Presbyterian church at Blue Grass. 
 
 GEORGE MENGEL. 
 
 George Mengel, in early manhood recognizing the value of close application, 
 unfaltering purpose and indefatigable energy, has utilized those qualities in the 
 attainment of the responsible position which he now occupies in business circles 
 — a position that has made him one of the successful business men of Daven- 
 port. He is today the president of the Tri-City Plate Ice & Cold Storage Com- 
 pany and has been identified with a number of other interests which have been 
 factors in the city's commercial growth. 
 
 He was born in Schwabsburg, Germany, a country that for centuries through 
 the emigration of its sons has planted the seeds of civilization in all parts of 
 the world. His natal day was March i, 1848. His parents were Jacob and 
 Anna (Maurer) Mengel, the former a cooper by trade, who also controlled a 
 vineyard and engaged in the cultivation of grapes for the purpose of winemak- 
 ing. He was a man of prominence in his community, active in public affairs as 
 well as in business life. He reared a large family and his five sons came to the 
 new world while the five daughters remained in the fatherland. 
 
 George Mengel was educated in the schools of Germany and came to the 
 United States in 1865, when a young man of seventeen years. He first estab- 
 lished his home in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he was connected with the brew- 
 ing business: But the climate there did not agree with him and he went to Wis- 
 consin and subsequently removed to Chicago, where he acted as superintendent 
 of a malt house for about three years, but on the expiration of that period he went 
 to Omaha, where he also spent three years. He next became a resident of Fort 
 Dodge, Iowa, where he remained for two years, and then came to Davenport, pur- 
 chasing the Littig Brewery on West Fifth street and thus entering the business cir- 
 

HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 341 
 
 cles of this city. He conducted it until the consoUdation of the brewing interests of 
 Davenport, after which he became vice president and general manager of the 
 Davenport Malting & Brewing Company, continuing as the second executive of- 
 ficer until about three years ago. He was one of the prime movers of the con- 
 solidation of the brewing interests of Davenport and has stood as a leading 
 representative of that branch of business in this city. After disposing of his 
 interests in the Davenport Malting & Brewing Company he organized the Tri- 
 City Plate Ice & Cold Storage Company, of which he has since been president. 
 This has become one of the important industrial and commercial enterprises of 
 Davenport, with an extensive patronage and a volume of business that places it 
 among the leading trade concerns of the city. He was one of the originators 
 of the Davenport Water Power Company, was one of the organizers of the 
 Davenport Grain & Malting Company, and was one of the first directors of the 
 Farmers & Mechanics Savings Bank. 
 
 In 1869 Mr. Mengel was married to Miss Anna Buettner, a daughter of Gott- 
 lieb Buettner, who came from Prussia, Germany. Unto Mr. and Mrs.. Mengel 
 were bom two children, George and Anna, but both are now deceased. 
 
 Mr. Mengel gives his political support to the democratic party and keeps 
 well informed on the questions of the day. He is a member of the Turner So- 
 ciety and an honorary member of the Schuetzen Verein Society. He is an Odd 
 Fellow in his fraternal relations and is in hearty sympathy with the principles 
 of the order. He also belongs to the German Relief Society and therein gives 
 manifestation of his humanitarian principles which prompt him to go to the as- 
 sistance of those in need and to extend a helping hand whenever the occasion 
 demands. He has never regretted his determination to come to the new world 
 for in this land of constantly widening opportunity, where effort is unham- 
 pered by caste or class, he has made steady progress until he has reached a 
 gratifying place among the most successful business men of his adopted city. 
 
 HEINRICH WIESE. 
 
 Heinrich Wiese, a well known and prosperous agriculturist of Davenport 
 township, is the owner of an excellent farm comprising one hundred and sixty 
 acres of rich and productive land. His birth occurred in Holstein, Germany, 
 on the 25th of January, 1838, his parents being James and Katherine Wiese. 
 The father was a weaver by trade and followed that occupation in his native 
 land. In 1859, in company with his wife and children, he set sail for the United 
 States and after crossing the ocean landed at New Orleans, Louisiana, whence 
 he made his way up the Mississippi river to Davenport, Iowa, arriving here in the 
 month of June. Subsequently he devoted his attention to the operation of rented 
 land in Clinton county, this state, where the demise of his wife occurred. Later 
 he removed to Carroll county, Iowa, and there made his home with a son until 
 called to his final rest. Unto him and his wife were born three children, as 
 follows : Heinrich, of this review ; Claus, living in Minnesota ; and James, who 
 is a resident of Carroll county, Iowa. 
 
342 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Heinrich Wiese, who obtained his education in the schools of the fatherland, 
 was a young man of twenty-one when he accompanied his parents on their emi- 
 gration to the new world in 1859, since which time he has been a resident of 
 Scott county, Iowa. He first secured employment as a farm hand and later 
 rented the place of one hundred and sixty acres in Davenport township which 
 he now owns but which was then in the possession of a Mr. Hershel. About the 
 year 1878 he purchased the property, erected a commodious and attractive resi- 
 dence and has made many other substantial improvements on the place, so that 
 it is now lacking in none of the conveniences and accessories of a model farm of 
 the twentieth century. As the years have passed by he has won a gratifying meas- 
 ure of success in the conduct of his agricultural interests and has long been 
 numbered among the prosperous and respected citizens of the community. 
 
 On the 15th of March, 1865, Mr. Wiese was united in marriage to Miss Mar- 
 garet Arp, a native of Holstein, Germany, who was but three years of age when 
 brought to this country by her parents, Peter and Dora Arp, the family home 
 being established in Scott county, Iowa. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wiese have been 
 born seven children, the record of whom is as follows: Herman, who is a resi- 
 dent of Linn county and wedded Miss Emma Kirby, by whom he has two chil- 
 dren. Hazel and Erma; Gustaf, likewise of Linn county, Iowa, who married 
 Miss Emma Paustian and has three children, Henry, Arnold and Louisa; Julius, 
 who makes his home in Muscatine county, Iowa, and wedded Miss Freda Tah, 
 by whom he has a son, Raymond ; Otto, who is at home ; Rudolph, who is a resi- 
 dent of Sheridan township and has one son by his marriage to Miss Kobaugh; 
 and Dora and Hugo, who are yet under the parental rooi. 
 
 Mr. Wiese is a stanch democrat in his political views and has capably served 
 as a school director and also in the office of road supervisor. The period of his 
 residence in this county now covers a half century and he is therefore widely 
 and favorably known within its borders. The hope that led him to leave his na- 
 tive land and seek a home in America has been more than realized. He found 
 the opportunities he sought, which, by the way, are always open to the ambitious, 
 energetic man, and, making the best of these, he has steadily worked his way 
 upward. 
 
 HUGH BRICELAND. 
 
 Hugh Briceland, a retired farmer living at 1923 Harrison street, is one of 
 Davenport's estimable citizens, a man who possesses hosts of friends and the 
 confidence of all those with whom he comes in contact. He is a Scotchman 
 by birth, having been born January 26, 1834, in the city of Glasgow, his par- 
 ents being Hugh and Anna (Leach) Briceland. The father was a merchant, 
 who played a prominent part in the life of the city where he made his home. 
 Hugh Briceland as a lad did not enjoy good health and physicians advised a 
 change of climate, suggesting America. The wisdom of their counsel has 
 amply proved itself for he is living and enjoying health at an advanced age. He 
 landed at New Orleans and came up the river to Davenport in 1846 in company 
 with a friend, Davy Hardy, who became prominent in this city. Mr. Briceland 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 343 
 
 secured employment with the farmers near Davenport, at first gaining little re- 
 muneration aside from his board. By the exercise of thrift and the natural 
 industry with which he was endowed, he made himself independent and later 
 purchased a farm where by employing advanced methods of agriculture he 
 gained a signal success. About twelve years ago he sold this property and went 
 to Eldridge, where he lived for six years. About four years ago he came to 
 Davenport which he had chosen for a permanent home and where he is now en- 
 joying a well earned retirement, surrounded by family and friends. 
 
 On October 21, 1862, Mr. Briceland was married to Anna Emeis, a daughter 
 of Dr. August Julius and Charlotte (Peters) Emeis. Her father was a physician 
 who came from Germany and was among the pioneer settlers of this county. 
 Eight children were born to this marriage, namely: Mary, who married George 
 M. Madden and died leaving two children, Bessie and Lottie; Lena, who is the 
 wife of Edward Blythe and has two daughters, Carrie and Josie, the former 
 now Mrs. O. Parmell, who has given three great-grandchildren to Mr, Brice- 
 land. Harry, who married Miss Nellie Neil and has four children, Neil B., 
 Harold, Hugh and Jack; Ella and Fannie, both deceased; Hugo, who married 
 Miss Alice Yokum; Frank G, a bookkeeper and real-estate man; and George 
 W., a resident of Wichita, Kansas. 
 
 Mr. Briceland has been honored by election to the presidency of the Pioneer 
 Society. He is a man of strong personality and sterling worth and his interest- 
 ing family is a credit to him as well as to the community. Starting out in life 
 for himself empty-handed, his success has been won through his own unaided 
 efforts and he deserves to be classed with the self-made men of the city. He has 
 lived peaceably with his fellowmen, having never had a lawsuit, and he is honored 
 and respected by all who know him. 
 
 GUSTAV ECKERMANN. 
 
 Among the German citizens of Davenport perhaps few hold so prominent a 
 place in the hearts of all as does Gustav Eckermann. For a quarter of a century 
 he was connected with the agricultural interests here, achieving success in his 
 vocation as a representative of the best farmers, but it is as a man of hospitable 
 instincts that he will be best remembered by the citizens of Davenport township. 
 
 He was born in Germany, March 16, 1832, a son of Claus Eckermann, who 
 came to this country and died here. He attended school in Germany, where he 
 learned the carpenter's trade and then, in 1852, came to the United States. He 
 landed at New Orleans and came up the Mississippi to Davenport. He found 
 employment on a farm across the river in Illinois but after three months' experi- 
 ence came back to Davenport, where he worked at the carpenter's trade for about 
 fourteen years, in that time assisting in building many of the prominent residences 
 here. As the result of his savings, he was then able to buy forty acres of land in 
 Davenport township, on which he lived for about twenty-five years. As he con- 
 ducted a salon and dance hall there, his place was the scene of many social events 
 among the Germans and was generally regarded as their place of meeting in that 
 
344 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 locality. Indeed, it was there that Mr. Eckermann and his wife celebrated their 
 silver wedding. The anniversary was attended by over two hundred relatives and 
 friends and lasted all day, with plenty to eat and drink. The celebration was con- 
 cluded by a dance in the hall and everyone present enjoyed a most delightful day. 
 While Mr. Eckermann made a wide reputation for himself as a host, he was not 
 neglectful of his private concerns but in the course of years became the owner of 
 ninety-two acres of farm land in Lincoln township, eighty acres in Butler town- 
 ship, and, when he retired from active life in 1892 and took up his residence in 
 Davenport, he bought the property where he lives. 
 
 At Moline, Illinois, November 21, 1854, was celebrated Mr. Eckermann's mar- 
 riage to Miss Eliza Grantz, a daughter of August Magdalena Grantz. They had 
 come from Germany to Scott county in 1852, but after remaining a few years in 
 Le Claire township removed to Moline, lUinois, which remained their home until 
 their death. Of their family, the first three children died in infancy. The 
 others are : Clara, who married Fred Schseffer, lives in Davenport and is the 
 mother of three children, Eliza, Harry and Minnie. Gustav, Jr., of Lincoln town- 
 ship, married Bertha Weise and they have four children, Minnie, Hugo, Valentine 
 and Harold. Laura is the wife of Henry Lage, of Pleasant Valley township, and 
 the mother of four children, Clara, Harry, Lillie and Herbert. Elizabeth married 
 Alex Schaf er, of Pleasant Valley township, and has three sons, Ernest, Waldo and 
 Leroy. Hugo married Adelia Metzen and they have two children, Eleanor and 
 Raymond. They live on a farm in this county. Otto married Emma Kraftmyer 
 and lives in Davenport, where he is rearing two daughters, Clara and Helen. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Eckermann celebrated their golden wedding, which, however, was at- 
 tended only by their children, grandchildren and near relatives as the death of 
 Mrs. Eckermann's mother prevented their inviting any of their numerous friends. 
 
 While Mr. Eckermann was living in Davenport township he was elected road 
 supervisor, serving for two years. His life record and the long period during 
 which he has been identified with the interests of the county has secured his mem- 
 bership in the German Pioneer Association, of which he was president in 1908 and 
 on whose board of directors he has served for sometime. An exponent of the best 
 traits of character belonging distinctively to his nation, a man whose citizenship 
 compares favorably with the best of the native Americans, Mr. Eckermann enjoys 
 the friendship of a large number of people in Davenport and in the township where 
 he was so widely known. 
 
 HENRY KLINDT. 
 
 Among the citizens of Davenport who are enjoying a well earned rest after 
 many years of profitable labor is Henry Klindt, one of the prominent Germans 
 of the city. He came to this country with little money but with the determina- 
 tion to get ahead, grateful at the outset to receive work of any kind. Endowed 
 with the characteristics which belong in sO' high degree to the members of his 
 nation, he has won a pronounced success from everything he has attempted. 
 At present he is residing at No. 834 Marquette street, Davenport. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 347 
 
 He was bom in the village of Fiefbergen, Holstein, Germany, October 8, 
 1839, a son of Thies and Wiepke (Mundt) Klindt. After he had received his 
 education in his native land Henry Klindt came to this country, arriving here 
 in the spring of 1856. As a farm boy he started to work in Scott county, but was 
 willing to perform any job that came in his way. In the winter he worked in 
 Dayton but tlien went back to the country, where he found employment in a 
 sawmill. He also did teaming for a time until the outbreak of the Civil war. 
 
 Notwithstanding the fact that he was of foreign birth, Mr. Klindt enlisted 
 in the Missouri artillery under Captain Feninghouse, becoming a member of 
 the First Missouri Flying Battery. Throughout the course of the war he served 
 as a private with great distinction and at its close was honorably discharged. 
 When the Union no longer needed his support, he returned to Davenport, where 
 he engaged in teaming. Later he opened a grain and feed store, this being his 
 first business venture. He gained from it the success he anticipated and then 
 engaged in operating the Eagle brewery, belonging to J. Lange & Company. To 
 it he devoted his entire time until 1891, when he sold his interest in that concern. 
 He is now president of the Malt & Grain Company, of which he was one of the 
 organizers. 
 
 Mr. Klindt was united in marriage to Miss Catherina Schnoor, May 9, 1863. 
 One son, George, has been bom to them. He married Miss Julia Hahn, and they 
 have a daughter. Norma. Mr. Klindt is one of the active members of the local 
 lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and belongs tO' the German So- 
 ciety of Turners, and to the German Pioneer Society. He was also a member 
 of the old fire company in 1858. The record of his life is a most gratifying 
 evidence of the large returns which may be gained from hard work, determina- 
 tion and unassailable courage. He never spared himself during the years of his 
 early life and now, having won a large competence, enjoys a well deserved rest. The 
 amiable qualities of his personality have also won recognition and he is ac- 
 counted a stanch friend of many. 
 
 CHRIS MARTI. 
 
 Among the citizens of Scott county who have put aside the heavier respon- 
 sibilities of life and are living in the enjoyment of a well deserved rest is Chris 
 Marti, for a long period actively identified with the best agricultural interests of 
 Winfield township, where he owns two hundred and forty acres of land. A man 
 of conspicuous success in his private affairs, he was honored by the citizens of 
 his locality, for on several occasions he was chosen their representative to the 
 general assembly at Des Moines, there exerting his influence consistently in be- 
 half of the best interests of his constituents. His public record was without 
 shadow, as his private life is without dishonor, the mere fact that he has served 
 continuously since 1872 as secretary of the school board being indicative of the 
 esteem in which he is held in his locality. 
 
 A native of Switzerland, Chris Marti was bom May 27, 1845, his parents 
 being Bartholome and Anna Barbara (Slagel) Marti. The former was born 
 
348 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 in February, 1820, in the same country as his son, and there learned the trade of 
 a cabinetmaker, following that occupation until he was called to serve in the 
 army of 1848. In 1852 he emigrated with his family to America, and after 
 landing at New Orleans ascended the Mississippi to Scott county, which he reached 
 in April. For the first two years after his arrival he worked at his trade and 
 then bought one hundred acres of prairie land in Winfield township, for which 
 he paid a dollar and a quarter an acre. He built thereon a small house, prepared 
 the fields for cultivation and there Hved until the fall of 1855, when he sold it 
 and removed to Davenport, there working at his carpenter's trade during the 
 winter. The following spring he resumed farming, purchasing eighty acres 
 of land from a Mr. Clawsen, who was a lawyer of this county. The tract was 
 situated on section 28, Winfield township, and only ten acres of it had been 
 broken. With the assistance of his son Chris, Mr. Marti broke the remaining 
 acres, fenced his fields and improved the place which remained his home until 
 1898, when he came to live with his son on the farm the latter now occupies. 
 In the meantime, however, he had invested in considerable real estate as his in- 
 come justified the purchase of land, and at one time owned two hundred and 
 forty acres. The last two years of his life were passed at the home of his son, 
 and there he died December 3, 1900. Although not a native of this country, 
 he was loyal to its ideals, ever giving the best of his labor to the development 
 of the state in which he lived and having been elected to the office of school di- 
 rector on the republican ticket, served his township faithfully in that capacity. 
 His wife had preceded him to the grave by some years, for she passed away in 
 1893 when seventy-one years of age. She was the mother of five children, as 
 follows : Margaret, the wife of Jacob Engler, a retired farmer of Minden, Pot- 
 tawattamie county, Iowa; Chris, the subject of this sketch; Christina, the wife 
 of William Murrison, of Sheridan township, Scott county; Bartley, who died in 
 1887; and John M., who is living upon the old homestead in Winfield township. 
 Chris Marti had attended school in Switzerland for three months before the 
 removal of the family to America and after arriving in Scott county was en- 
 rolled as a pupil in the district schools near his home. Not all of his time was 
 given to the preparation of lessons, however, for he assisted his father in break- 
 ing the land and improving the farm he had purchased and later in cultivating 
 the fields, so that, at the age of twenty-two years, he was well prepared to 
 engage in farming on his own account. Upon leaving the parental roof, with the 
 assistance of his father he bought a tract of one hundred acres on section 16, 
 Sheridan township, which had been broken but on which no buildings had been 
 erected. Mr. Marti made whatever improvements were necessary and lived 
 thereon until 1869, when he disposed of that place and bought of his father the 
 farm on section 33 on which he now lives. He continued the improvements 
 which had been begun, and as the result of his care and diligence was soon reap- 
 ing annually large harvests that netted him a comfortable income. Later ho 
 purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land adjoining the homestead, making 
 a total of two hundred and forty acres he owns in Scott county. He owns 
 twenty acres in Aliens Grove township, while another indication of his pros- 
 perity is afforded by the fact that he is a director of the Long Grove Bank. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 349 
 
 He has now retired from active participation in the cultivation of his fields, hav- 
 ing rented his land to his sons, who are carrying on the work. 
 
 While the extent of these landholdings affords a palpable evidence of Mr. 
 Marti's skill as a farmer and the good judgment which has distinguished his 
 business operations, an even greater indication of his success in the world's 
 work is seen in the high regard in which he is held by the men in whose midst 
 he has lived and who were pleased to bestow upon him many marks of their 
 approval. He served as clerk of Winfield township for four years, in 1872 was 
 elected secretary of the school board of the independent district of Winfield, an 
 oifice he has filled continuously to the present, and in 1889 was elected to the 
 twenty-third general assembly at Des Moines, Iowa. He was reelected to the 
 twenty-fourth assembly, did not serve in the twenty-fifth, but returned to the 
 twenty-sixth. He also served in the call session summoned by Governor Drake. 
 In 1898 he was nominated upon the democratic ticket for state senator but was 
 defeated by W. E. Hayward. He always remained true to what he believed 
 to be for the interests of his constituent's and in accord with his owa ideals of 
 honor and uprightness, and the record of his public acts is one of which any 
 man might be proud. , 
 
 Mr. Marti has been twice married. On the 13th of December, 1866, he 
 wedded Miss Ellen Madden, who was born in Liverpool, England, August 16, 
 1847, and was brought to this country by her parents, John and Ellen Madden, 
 in 1850. Of this union there were four children, George D., the eldest, now re- 
 siding in Austin, Minnesota, married first Miss Emma Clapp, by whom he 
 had a daughter. Vera. Mrs. Emma Marti died in July, 1900, and he later mar- 
 ried Miss Evelyn Williamson. Howard B. lives with his father. John S. also 
 lives upon part of his father's farm. He wedded Miss Mary A. Neil, and they 
 have two daughters, Jennie and Helen. Delbert C, a resident of Winfield 
 township, married Miss Dorothea Hendricksen and unto them has been bom 
 a daughter. Myrtle. On the 5th of December, 1888, Mr. Marti was called to 
 mourn the death of his wife, who had been a faithful helpmate and companion 
 for more than twenty years and was laid to rest at Long Grove. On October 
 22, 1890, he married again, his second wife having been Miss Anie B. Thompson, 
 a daughter of Hugh M. and Jennie (Robinson) Thompson, who had come to 
 Long Grove, Scott county, from England, in 1844, among the early settlers of 
 the state. They were of Scotch descent. The father became closely identified 
 with the interests of his locality and was generally known as the Hon. H. M. 
 Thompson, for he served in the general assembly at Des Moines and was ap- 
 pointed superintendent of the agricultural department of the Iowa State College 
 at Ames. He passed away in 1887, but his widow is still living at the venerable 
 age of ninety-five years and makes her home with Mr. Marti. Two daughters 
 have been bom to Mr. Marti's second union, namely: Nellie, who is attending 
 the high school in Davenport, and Anie T., who is at home. 
 
 Mr. Marti voted for Governor Cummins the first time he was the candidate 
 for state executive and has since voted with the republican party. Fraternally 
 he belongs to the Long Grove Camp of the Woodmen of the World and to the 
 Modern Brotherhood of America at Eldridge, while he maintains intimate as- 
 sociation with his fellow agriculturists through his membership in the Sheridan 
 
350 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Grange. His religious support is given to the Christian church of Long Grove, 
 of which he is trustee. The saUent traits of his character are energy, perse- 
 verance and the capacity to work, united with high ideals of honorable man- 
 hood and progressive citizenship. He has been true to all trusts imposed upon 
 him, and now in the evening of life may well enjoy the rest he so well deserves, 
 assured of the respect, good will and esteem of the citizens of Winfield town- 
 ship, in whose midst the most of his years have been spent. 
 
 JACOB IRA CROOK. 
 
 Jacob I. Crook was connected with what has become one of the most important 
 laundry concerns in Iowa, being associated in this with his two sons, Lester J. and 
 Rolland W. Crook, who are the principal factors in the business, which is con- 
 ducted under the name of Crook Brothers on East Third street. Mr. Crook was 
 born in Steuben county, New York, July ii, 1836. He enlisted in the United 
 States army on the i6th of August, 1861, and was a member of Company A of the 
 Forty-seventh Illinois Infantry. He served three years as private and was hon- 
 orably discharged in 1864, reentered the army at Hartford, Connecticut, February 
 8, 1865, in the capacity of sergeant, and was honorably discharged after the close 
 of the war, on the 7th of February, 1866. 
 
 On the 1st of November, 1864, at Peoria, Illinois, Mr. Crook was united in 
 marriage to Miss Louisa H. Stringer. To this union four children were born, 
 two sons and two daughters. After locating with his family in Davenport, Mr. 
 Crook was engaged in various business pursuits. One of the daughters, Olive L., 
 was born in Peoria county, Illinois, June 6, 1866, and on the 27th of November, 
 1897, at Dubuque, Iowa, was married to David N. Albaugh. One son, Jacob Ira, 
 was born to this union. They reside in Davenport. Martha J., whose birth 
 occurred in Atkinson, Illinois, February 16, 1871, was married at Davenport, 
 Iowa, on the 30th of January, 1890, to Alonzo S. Collins. They live in Buffalo, 
 New York, and have one son, Alonzo WilUam. 
 
 Lester J., the eldest son, was born in Henry county, Illinois, March 16, 1868. 
 He acquired his education in the public schools and in his early manhood was 
 employed as a clerk in a dry-goods establishment. He then abandoned that posi- 
 tion and entered the emplqy of the firm which formerly conducted the laundry of 
 which he is now one of the proprietors. He was first employed as driver on the 
 delivery wagon for this concern. From the beginning he seemed alert to every 
 point by which he might learn more concerning the laundry business and this alert- 
 ness, coupled with his generosity of service, was soon noted by his employers and 
 in a short time he was put in charge as manager of the laundry. He was not long 
 in proving himself capable of handling the affairs of this concern in managing its 
 financial interests and in directing the labors of the employes over whom he had 
 supervision. Although when he took charge the business was one of insignifi- 
 cance, Mr. Crook soon built up the trade and eventually purchased a half interest. 
 Wishing to become more firmly established in trade circles, he then found a man 
 to purchase the other half interest in the concern, the latter acting as a silent part- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 351 
 
 ner. Still later Mr. Crook induced his brother, RoUand W., who was a photog- 
 rapher, to purchase the interest of the silent partner. The two then set to work 
 to make theirs an important industry. They rebuilt the plant of twenty-two by 
 seventy-five feet of room to their present quarters of twenty thousand feet of 
 work space, using both floors and equipping the plant with modern machinery. 
 They now have an outfit for doing first-class work, the earning capacity being 
 second to none in the state. The business is located at No. 221 East Third street 
 and is conducted under the name of Crook Brothers. Their patronage is not only 
 drawn from Davenport but extends to other districts within a radius of one hun- 
 dred miles, and their laundry is now one of the largest in the state. 
 
 Lester J. Crook was married at Rock Island, on the 29th of September, 1893, 
 to Miss Katharine C. Scott. One daughter, Louisa K., was born to this union. 
 Mr. Crook belongs to the Knights of Pythias, the Elks and the Red Men and is 
 popular with his brethren in these various societies. 
 
 RoUand W. Crook was born in "Atkinson, Illinois, on the 4th of October, 1873. 
 He acquired his education in the public schools and when but a lad entered the 
 employ of Frank Hastings, the photographer, remaining in that line of activity 
 until he entered the laundry business. On the 3d of June, 1907, at Davenport, he 
 was married to Miss Dorothy K. Eberly. His fraternal relations are with the 
 Masons and the Elks. The brothers are alert, enterprising men, putting forth 
 every endeavor to make today find them further advanced than yesterday and 
 their constant progression rapidly brings them toward the wished for goal. They 
 take an active part in the city's welfare and have become recognized as prominent 
 business men of Davenport. 
 
 ED S. BOWMAN, M. D. 
 
 Dr. Ed S. Bowman, who established the county hospital of Scott county and 
 is a successful general practitioner who continuously augments his knowledge 
 and efficiency by study and investigation along the lines of medical science, was 
 bom in Andalusia, Illinois, October 14, 1868. His father, Ed H. Bowman, 
 was a native of Rock Island county, Illinois, and a son of Dr. E. H. Bowman, 
 of Rock Island county. The father still resides in the place of his nativity, where 
 he is largely engaged in real-estate business. He married Ellen Sumet,- also 
 a native of Rock Island county. 
 
 Passing through the consecutive grades of the public schools. Dr. E. S. 
 Bowman of this review eventually became a high school student in Rock Island 
 and received his early business training in the office of his father, who was at 
 that time clefk of the circuit court. Subsequently he engaged in journalism on 
 the Rock Island Argus for two years and then went to Bennett, Iowa, where he 
 clerked in the drug store of an uncle. Dr. S. C. Bowman. At the same time he 
 studied medicine and, becoming convinced that the practice of medicine and sur- 
 gery would prove a congenial vocation, he entered the State University of Iowa, 
 where he spent three years and was graduated in 1893. He then joined his uncle, 
 Dr. A. W. Bowman, in Davenport, and at his death continued his practice. 
 
352 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 He continually reads and studies along those lines that will promote his efficiency 
 and that his practice has given uniform satisfaction is indicated in his constantly 
 increasing patronage. He belongs to the Scott County Medical Society, the 
 Iowa State Medical Society, the National Medical Association and the Iowa 
 & Illinois Medical Society, of which he was secretary for a number of years. 
 
 Dr. Bowman takes active interest in politics and is a stalwart republican. 
 The Bowman family on the whole have been interested in political questions 
 and activities and thus Dr. Bowman's record is in keeping with that of others 
 of the name. In 1898 he became county physician of Scott county and thus 
 served until 1904, during which time he established the county hospital, which 
 has developed from modest proportions into an important institution, doing 
 excellent work in conserving the public health. He also assisted in the organiza- 
 tion of the Visiting Nurses Association, secured the present city ambulance and 
 instituted many other improvements that are of great benefit to Davenport from 
 the health standpoint. In 1897 he wa:s appointed United States examiner and 
 still holds that office. 
 
 It was also in 1897 that Dr. Bowman was married to Miss Evelyn Stan- 
 ton, a native of Rock Island, and they have one daughter, Beulah, who was 
 bom March 4, 1901. Dr. Bowman is prominent in Masonry, having attained 
 the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. He is also a leading representa- 
 tive of the Knights of Pythias, a charter member of Columbian Lodge and 
 brigade surgeon of the Iowa Brigade of the uniformed rank, Knights of Py- 
 thias. He likewise holds membership with the Benevolent and Protective Order 
 of Elks, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Foresters. In his life 
 work he has put into practice his belief that earnest labor and thorough appli- 
 cation are the fundamentals of success and he possesses in a high degree the 
 confidence of a large clientele. 
 
 LOUIS P. BEST. 
 
 The promotion which follows skilled labor and close application brought 
 Louis P. Best to a position where upon him devolved administrative direction and 
 executive control in connection with a number of the most important industrial 
 and financial enterprises of Davenport. His abilities, at all times adequate to 
 the demands made upon him, enabled him to so direct interests with which he 
 was concerned as to win most substantial results, and at length by reason of the 
 success to which he attained he was enabled to put aside business cares and is 
 now practically retired. He is, however, still financially interested in some en- 
 terprises in which he was formerly a member, with active voice in management. 
 He was born in Germany on the 7th of April, 1848, and acquired his education 
 largely in the schools of Stuttgart and Berlin. Coming to the United States 
 in 1869 as a young man of twenty-one years, he landed at New York, where he 
 spent five years, being first employed as a chemist with the Brunjes & Ockers- 
 hausen Sugar Refining Company, while subsequently he was identified with 
 the importing business. In 1874 he made his way to Davenport, being called 
 
oc ^ y ■ yh'^-^^^ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 355 
 
 to this city to take charge of the works of the Glucose Manufacturing Company. 
 He then bought an interest in the business and, increasing his holdings therein, 
 was for a considerable period one of the chief stockholders. In an official ca- 
 pacity he was active in its management and control, taking important part in 
 formulating the policy and plans whereby the business became one of the lead- 
 ing enterprises of eastern Iowa. When he became connected therewith the 
 business was in its infancy but was reorganized in the fall of 1874, Mr. Best 
 acting as general manager from that time until his retirement, on the ist of 
 January, 1898. To his knowledge and skill as a chemist were added excellent 
 executive ability and keen discrimination. As his powers became recognized Mr. 
 Best's cooperation was sought along various other lines and at one time he was 
 president of the Davenport Machinery & Foundry Company, of which he is 
 still a director. He is also a member of the Bettendorf 'Axle Company and 
 served as its treasurer until obliged to resign that position on account of ill 
 health, after which he traveled in Europe for two years, being greatly benefited 
 by his sojourn abroad. While connected with the glucose trade he built a new 
 glucose factory at Granite City, Illinois, which he afterward sold. He was for- 
 merly interested in the Hawkeye Electric Company and was a director of the 
 Citizens National Bank. 
 
 While Mr. Best established his place as one of the foremost representatives 
 of business interests in Davenport, he did not fail to heed the call of citizenship 
 and, in fact, has taken active part in furthering many progressive public projects. 
 For six years he served on the school board and for four years was its presi- 
 dent, in which connection he was active in holding to a high standard the sys- 
 tem of public instruction in the city, bringing to bear in the discharge, of his 
 duties the same businesslike qualities which have characterized his conduct 
 of individual interests. 
 
 In 1871 Mr. Best was united in marriage to Miss Louise Heck, the wedding 
 being celebrated in London, England. Their only child, Rudolph, resides in 
 Fort Scott, Kansas. For his second wife Mr. Best chose Miss Krause and to them 
 have been born a son and daughter, Louis and Margaret. The family residence 
 is situated on Ripley street and the evidences of cultured and refined taste, as 
 well as of wealth, make it most attractive to the many friends of the family. 
 The wise use of time, talents and opportunity has brought Mr. Best to his 
 present enviable position with a name that has remained untarnished through 
 all the years of his connection with commercial interests. 
 
 JAMES R. THOMSON. 
 
 Unfaltering perseverance and unabating energy have brought James R. Thom- 
 son a gratifying measure of success and he is now classed with the highly re- 
 spected and progressive farmers of Winfield township, where he owns two hun- 
 dred and forty acres in the farm upon which he now resides, which is the old 
 homestead, on sections 25 and 26, about a half mile northeast of Long Grove. 
 
356 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 It was upon this farm and in this county that he was born, March 19, 1854, 
 his parents being Hon. Hugh M. and Jean (Robertson) Thomson, both of whom 
 were natives of Scotland. The father, who was born July 4, 1812, was a son 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Thomson, who spent their entire lives in the land of 
 hills and heather. Hugh M. Thomson acquired his education in his native country 
 and in his early manhood had the friendship and patronage of a nobleman who 
 took great interest in him and obtained for him a position on the police force 
 in Liverpool, England. Later he was promoted to police inspector, occupying 
 that position until he came to the United States in 1844. He landed at New 
 Orleans after a voyage of nine weeks and then came up the Mississippi river 
 to Davenport, where he landed in the month of June. He was accompanied by 
 his wife and five children and he made the trip to the new world in order to 
 keep the family together, believing that he would receive a more adequate re- 
 muneration for his labor in this country. Three families had emigrated to- 
 gether. Mr. Thomson took up forty acres of land as did each of the others — 
 John Grieve, John Pollock and John Robertson. The forty acres which Mr. 
 Thomson secured is now a part of the J. G. Robertson place in Winfield town- 
 ship. It was all open prairie then and his land was too low to build a house thereon, 
 so that he soon afterward entered eighty acres more in Winfield township. 
 Upon the latter tract he erected a log cabin and the families of John Pollock, 
 John Robertson and Mr. Thomson all occupied it. Mr. Thomson lived there 
 for about seven years, after which he entered the farm upon which his son 
 James now resides. In the intervening years he had experienced all the hard- 
 ships and privations of pioneer life but now the country was beginning to be 
 settled and he was offered six hundred dollars for his eighty acre tract, so that 
 he sold it, considering this a good price for the property. He then made invest- 
 ment in three hundred and twenty acres of land on sections 25 and 26, Winfield 
 township, for which he paid a dollar and a quarter per acre and then had two 
 hundred dollars remaining from the sale price of his former farm. He built his 
 house and from time to time added to the improvements upon the farm, which 
 under his careful direction was transferred into a productive tract of land, 
 annually yielding him generous harvests. He lived upon the place all his life 
 but later sold eighty acres of the original tract. He carried on general farming 
 and was very progressive in his methods. He was one of the first to introduce 
 shorthorn cattle into the county, buying stock of that class about 1857. He was 
 also prominent in community affairs and held nearly all of the township offices, 
 including that of justice of the peace, township trustee and school director. He 
 was also president of the school board at one time and still higher official honors 
 were conferred upon him, for in 1863 he was elected to represent his district 
 in the state legislature and thus served until 1866. He was chosen to the office 
 on the republican ticket and later he was appointed superintendent of the Agri- 
 cultural Farm at Ames, Iowa, remaining in charge for four years. He then 
 returned to Scott county and his fellow townsmen desirous of again benefiting 
 by his official service elected him a member of the board of county supervisors 
 in 1879. He filled the position for about a year and a half, after which he with- 
 drew from public life and concentrated his energies upon his farming interests. 
 Over the record of his official career there falls no shadow of wrong or sus- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 357 
 
 picion of evil. He was always loyal to the interests entrusted to his care and 
 progressive in his support of beneficial public measures. He held membership 
 in the Odd Fellows lodge while in Liverpool but took no active part in lodge 
 affairs while in Iowa. He and his wife held membership in the Presbyterian 
 church in Scotland but as there was no congregation of their denomination near 
 their home in Scott county they attended the Christian church. The death of 
 Mr. Thomson occurred March i, 1887, and his remains were interred in the 
 Long Grove cemetery. His wife, who was born June 20, 1814, is still living in 
 Scott county. 
 
 In their family were nine children: M. L., of Hewins, Kansas; Jean, the 
 wife of Gavin Long, of Brooklyn, Iowa; John R., who is mayor of Earlham, 
 Iowa ; Elizabeth, who became the wife of A. W. Brownlee, and is now deceased ; 
 Agnes, who became the wife of Herman Ficke, of Davenport, but died in 1907; 
 Andrew L., a resident of Stuart, Nebraska; Annie, the wife of Chris Marti 
 of Scott county; Hugh M., who makes his home in Moville, Iowa; and James 
 R., of this review. 
 
 James R. Thomson has always lived in the county which is yet his home and 
 the place is therefore endeared to him by the memories of boyhood as well as the 
 associations of later years. He acquired his education in the district schools 
 and the Agricultural College at Ames, after which he returned to the old home- 
 stead and has since engaged in general farming, assuming the management of 
 the farm in 1885. He is first vice president of the Stockman's. Bank of Long 
 Grove. 
 
 On the 30th of September, 1891, Mr. Thomson was married to Miss Emma 
 Evans, who was born in Butler township and is a daughter of John and Clarinda 
 (Baughman) Evans. Her father was born in Pennsylvania and became one 
 of the early settlers of this county, arriving here when fourteen years of age. 
 He is still living, at the age of sixty-six years, but his wife, who was born in 
 Winfield township, this county, passed away in June, 1906. In their family 
 were six children: Dr. S. J. Evans, who is a resident of Davenport; Bert E., 
 making his home in Long Grove; Mrs. Thomson; Effie, the wife of Charles 
 Clapp, of Sheridan township ; George, who died in March, 1904 ; and Lottie, also 
 living in Sheridan township. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Thomson has been born one son, Frank Evans, whose 
 natal day was December 7, 1893, and who is now a high-school pupil in Daven- 
 port. Mr. Thomson strongly advocates higher education and is a stalwart sup- 
 porter of the public-school system. He has served for four years as a school 
 director and he takes an active part in politics as a supporter of the republican 
 party. He has been committeeman for his township on the county central com- 
 mittee for twenty years and does all in his power to further the interests and 
 promote the success of the republican party in this county. He holds membership 
 with the Modern Woodmen of America at Long Grove and has attained high 
 rank in Masonry, his membership being in De Witt Lodge, No. 34, F. & A. M. ; 
 Kilwinning Chapter No. 56, R. A. M., also of De Witt; St. Simon's Cyrene 
 Commandery, No. 9, K. T., of Davenport; and Kaaba Temple of the Mystic 
 Shrine. His life is in harmony with the beneficent teachings of the craft which 
 is based upon mutual helpfulness and brotherly kindness. He enjoys in large 
 
358 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 measure the high regard of his brethren of the Masonic fraternity and, moreover, 
 has the warm esteem of his fellow citizens throughout his part of the county. 
 He is a worthy representative of one of the oldest pioneer families, and for more 
 than a half century the name of Thomson has been associated with all that is 
 progressive and commendable in citizenship as well as in business life. 
 
 RAY R. KULP, M. D. 
 
 Dr. Ray R. Kulp entered upon the practice of medicine at Davenport in July, 
 1905, as a member of the firm of Kulp, Kulp & Kulp, his associates being his 
 father, Dr. John H. Kulp, and his brother, Dr. Oliver W. Kulp. Since the death 
 of Dr. John H. Klilp, which occurred in March, 1906, the sons have taken care of 
 the extensive practice of their father and have already gained enviable recogni- 
 tion among the skilled and able members of the medical profession. 
 
 Dr. Ray R. Kulp of this review is numbered among the worthy native sons 
 of Scott county, his birth having occurred in Davenport on the 2d of March, 1879. 
 His father. Dr. John H. Kulp, was born in Sherman, Summit county, Ohio, on 
 the 2ist of June, 1849. He obtained his literary education in the Mennonite Acad- 
 emy at Wadsworth, Ohio, and in 1869 came to Iowa, taking up the study of medi; 
 cine in the medical department of the University of Iowa, which institution con- 
 ferred upon him the degree of M. D. in 1872. He had studied under the direction 
 of Professor Robertson, of Muscatine, Iowa, who was professor of the theory 
 and practice of medicine in the University of Iowa. Prior to his graduation he 
 entered the State Hospital for the Insane at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, as apothe- 
 cary and hospital clerk and after receiving his degree he was appointed second 
 assistant physician of that institution, which position he held for two and a half 
 years, when he was made first assistant. He likewise spent one season at post 
 graduate work in Bellevue Hospital of New York city. 
 
 In January, 1874, Dr. John H. Kulp opened an office at Davenport, Iowa, 
 continuing a successful and prominent practitioner of medicine here until the time 
 of his demise. He gradually began specializing in nervous and mental diseases 
 and diseases of women and eventually devoted his attention exclusively to those 
 branches. For more than twenty years he acted as trustee of Mount Pleasant 
 Hospital, was a member of the consulting board of St. Luke's Hospital and served 
 as alienist of the insane department at Mercy Hospital. He was likewise surgeon 
 for the BurHngton, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad. For two terms he acted 
 as president of the Scott County Medical Society, while in the Iowa and Illinois 
 Central District Medical Society he was also elected to that responsible position, 
 serving for one term. 
 
 On the 24th of September, 1873, Dr. John H. Kulp was joined in wedlock to 
 Miss Mary E. Cauffman, of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, by whom he had two sons : 
 Oliver W., who was born July 4, 1874 ; and Ray Ranney, of this review. Both 
 have followed in the professional footsteps of their father. John H. Kulp was 
 a republican in his political views, while fraternally he was identified with the 
 Masons and the Knights of Pythias. He was a man of splendid physique, digni- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 359 
 
 fied and prepossessing, and when he was called to his final rest his professional 
 brethren felt that they had lost one of their most distinguished representatives. 
 
 Dr. Ray R. Kulp, whose name initiates this review, spent his youthful days as 
 a student in the public schools, being graduated from the high school at Daven- 
 port in 1899. Entering the medical department of the University of Iowa, he was 
 graduated from that institution in 1904 and subsequently spent a year as house 
 physician of Mercy Hospital in this city. In July, 1905, he began the practice of 
 his profession in partnership with his father and brother and after the death of 
 the former was for a time associated with his brother. He is now enjoying a very 
 extensive and gratifying patronage. He acts as official anaesthetizer at Mercy 
 Hospital, and keeps in close touch with the progress that is being continually made 
 by the medical fraternity through his membership in the County, State and 
 National medical societies and the Iowa and Illinois Central District Medical 
 Society. 
 
 In 1906 Dr. Kulp was united in marriage to Miss Bessie G. Piatt, a native of 
 Davenport and a daughter of Benjamin F. Piatt, who was formerly a resident of 
 this city but now makes his home in Minneapolis. Dr. Kulp belongs to the Phi 
 Rho Sigma, having joined the Phi Rho Sigma and the Tau Delta Tau fraternities 
 at college. He is well known and popular socially, while in professional circles 
 he has won a measure of success which many an older practitioner might well envy. 
 
 CHARLES H. WENZEL. 
 
 Charles H. Wenzel, who conducts a business in farm implements in addition 
 to the cultivation of his fields in Liberty township, was born in Hampshire town- 
 ship, Clinton county, Iowa, December 28, 1862, his parents being Fred and Mary 
 (Smith) Wenzel. They were both natives of Prussia, where they grew to ma- 
 turity and were married, and in i860 started upon their journey to America. 
 In December, of that year, they reached Iowa, locating in Clinton county, where 
 the father secured a large farm, which Mr. Wenzel operated until his death. It 
 occurred in 1905, when he was seventy years of age. His widow is still living 
 on the homestead. They were the parents of six children: Charles H., who is 
 the subject of this sketch; August, who is a partner with his brother Charles 
 in the implement business; Bertha, who became the wife of Hans Hagge, of 
 Clinton, Clinton county, Iowa ; Annie, who is the wife of R. C. Hultz, of Boone, 
 Iowa ; Augusta, who married Nicholas Schwartz, of Clinton county ; and Minnie, 
 who is the wife of John Wascher and lives upon the homestead in CUnton 
 county. 
 
 Charles H. Wenzel was reared upon the homestead in Clinton county and 
 in the district schools of Hampshire township attained a good education. Until 
 he was thirty he worked with his father upon the farm and then started out in- 
 dependently. At first he was engaged in the implement business, which he con- 
 ducted in conjunction with a saloon in Low Moor, Clinton county, for about 
 seven years. About four years ago he came to Liberty township, Scott county, 
 where he continued to sell farm implements and also engaged in agricultural 
 
360 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 pursuits upon the tract of land on which he now Hves and which belongs to his 
 wife. It embraces two hundred and forty acres, lying upon sections i8 and 19, 
 and is one of the rich farms of this township. He pursues a general line of 
 agriculture and is now accounted one of the successful men of his locality. 
 
 In 1907 Mr. Wenzel wedded Mrs. Anna Arp, the widow of Johannes Arp 
 and a daughter of Fred and Catherine (Koch) Misfeldt. They were both born 
 in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, the former January 22, 1823, and the latter 
 March 7, 1843. I^ their native province they were married and there two of 
 their children were born. In 1865 they crossed the Atlantic and came directly 
 to Scott county, where Mr. Misfeldt engaged in farming. Here he died Sep- 
 tember 19, 1908, and his widow is now living in New Liberty. Twelve chil- 
 dren were born to them, eight of whom are now living. Their daughter Anna 
 was born in Butler township, Scott county, March 10, 1872, and in 1892 gave 
 her hand in marriage to Johannes Arp, who was born in Lincoln township, Scott 
 county, August 2, 1868. He was a son of Deitlef and Bertha (Weis) Arp, 
 both of whom were natives of Germany. They came to this country after having 
 reached their maturity, were married here and took up their residence in Scott 
 county, where Mr. Arp engaged in farming. Eight children were born to them, 
 but two only grew to maturity : Johannes and Adolph, the latter living upon the 
 homestead in Lincoln township. Johannes Arp remained with his parents until 
 his marriage, when he bought the farm of two hundred and forty acres on 
 which Mr. and Mrs. Wenzel are now living. All the improvements are the 
 result of his labors with the exception of the dwelling house which his widow 
 built about two years ago. In addition to this place he owned two hundred and 
 forty acres on section 6, of Liberty township, and was accounted one of the 
 most prosperous and influential men in his locality. He was a democrat in his 
 political views, and upon that party's ticket had been elected justice of the 
 peace, in which capacity he served for seven years. He was later chosen town- 
 ship clerk — an office he held at the time of his death. He passed away in 
 Liberty township, August 30, 1906, and by his demise the community lost one 
 of its valued citizens. Six children had been born to him and his wife: Hilda, 
 Harry, Louis, Raymond, Elsie and Herman. Louis died at the age of four 
 years and four months, but the other children are living with their mother. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs-. Wenzel are the parents of one son, Fred. While his cultiva- 
 tion of the soil has brought him a generous income his implement business is 
 also profitable and supplies a long-felt want in this community. The implements 
 which he sells are of high grade and he makes every effort to satisfy the wants 
 of his customers, who find him always a man of honorable intentions and acts. 
 
 JOHN BRUHN. 
 
 A life of industry, crowned with success, enabled John Bruhn to spend his 
 last years in honorable retirement, enjoying the fruits of his former toil. He 
 was indeed a self-made man and in his youth met many hardships and difficulties, 
 but gradually he worked his way up until he won prosperity as the reward of 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 363 
 
 his diligence. He was born at Liitjenburg, Holstein, Germany, in 1827, and 
 in early life learned the butcher's trade. He was twenty-one years of age when 
 in 1848 he joined the army, serving as a soldier throughout the Schleswig-Hol- 
 stein war against Denmark. In 1852 he determined to come to America and 
 left Hamburg in a sailing vessel, which reached New Orleans after a voyage of 
 thirteen weeks. In company with several traveling companions he went up the 
 Mississippi river to St. Louis, and as he had no money began looking for em- 
 ployment. He did not succeed in his search for work there and so went to 
 Bunker Hill with a countryman, Louis Jansen, who was likewise a butcher by 
 trade and who' had a brother who was engaged in the tailoring business in 
 Bunker Hill. The two young men eagerly accepted any work which they could 
 secure. They worked on farms, on the railroad and also as bricklayers' help- 
 ers. Their wages were very small — ^not more than fifty cents a day. At the 
 end of two weeks their fingers were so sore that they were compelled to give 
 up work for a time. When they did somewhat recuperate, a prominent Scotch- 
 man of Bunker Hill, who was hostile to the resident Irish butcher, asked them 
 if they would not establish a butcher shop there. They said they would like 
 to, but did not have the necessary money, so the Scotchman supplied them with 
 capital, a horse and wagon and equipped a small shop for them, so that the new 
 business was begun. It was in June, 1853, that they opened their shop and 
 they remained together until November, making quite a little money. In the 
 latter month Mr. Jansen came to Davenport with four hundred dollars, while 
 Mr. Bruhn remained at Bunker Hill until January, 1854. He then came to Dav- 
 enport at the request of Mr. Jansen, who had secured employment with Chris- 
 tian Hannemann, an uncle of Louis and Charles Hansen. Mr. Bruhn and Mr. 
 Jansen bought out the business of Mr. Hannemann, and were so successful in 
 its conduct that in 1855 Mr. Jansen sailed for Germany with four thousand 
 dollars. 
 
 Mr. Bruhn, then left alone, discontinued the butchering business and began 
 buying hogs for Mr. Graham and was becoming properous when Mr. Graham 
 failed. Mr. Bruhn, with two other men, had signed a note of twenty-eight thou- 
 sand dollars for his employer and when Mr. Graham went into bankruptcy all 
 of Mr. Bruhn's hard earned savings were taken to meet the note. In 1857 
 Mr. Jansen returned to America, for Germany was no longer to his liking. He 
 had already expended half of his capital, but with the remainder he and Mr. 
 Bruhn again established themselves in the butchering business with renewed zeal. 
 They prospered and in 1858 went to California, but times were bad and they 
 remained in the Golden state for only about six months. On returning to Dav- 
 enport, Mr. Bruhn became associated with two Americans in the live-stock busi- 
 ness, shipping to Chicago, but the undertaking was unsuccessful and at the end 
 of a year he had lost nearly all of his capital of five thousand dollars. This was 
 in i860. 
 
 In the fall of that year Mr. Bruhn made the acquaintance of the young lady, 
 Miss Maria Lohmann, who became his wife on the 19th of April, 1861. At 
 that time he had no more money than was necessafy to begin housekeeping. 
 However, he had the friendship of a Mr. Sellen, who established Mr. Bruhn in 
 the butchering business and hence again he started in that line with Diedrich 
 
364 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Eckhardt as his partner. They soon, had a liberal patronage and became pros- 
 perous. After about two years Mr. Bruhn disposed of his interest to Mr. Jan- 
 sen and turned his attention to the live-stock business, making shipments to Chi- 
 cago. In 1864 he purchased a house on Third street, near the Turner hall, and 
 took up his abode there in May, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Bruhn at that time had 
 two children and four were added to the family while they maintained their 
 residence on Third street. In 1874 they removed to the Bluff, where until 1896 
 they occupied a large dwelling. During that period their four daughters were 
 married and the sons removed to the west. 
 
 The decade between 1880 and 1890 was devoted by Mr. Bruhn to dealing in 
 farm lands, and purchasing a farm for himself on Mud creek, he there engaged 
 in feeding stock during the winter seasons. In May he led the cattle out to 
 pasture and in the following fall shipped them to Chicago. The farm, com- 
 prising two hundred acres, he sold to W. Kardel in 1893, and during the re- 
 mainder of his life lived practically retired. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Bruhn traveled life's journey happily together for forty-six 
 years, their mutual love and confidence increasing as time went by. Mr. Bruhn 
 had reached his eightieth year when he was called to his final rest and a life of 
 usefulness and activity was thus ended, when, in 1907, he passed away. He 
 never had occasion to regret his determination to seek a home in the new world, 
 for here he found the opportunities which were offered and in their improve- 
 ment he worked his way upward. In all of his business affairs he was thoroughly 
 reliable and in his social relations manifested the sterling qualities of the true 
 gentleman. 
 
 CHARLES F. EMLER. 
 
 Charles F. Emler, well known in financial circles as the efficient cashier of 
 the Farmers Savings Bank of Walcott, serving in this capacity since its incep- 
 tion, has also taken a prominent part in public affairs of the community and is 
 recognized as one of the substantial and representative citizens of the com- 
 munity. One of Scott county's native sons, he was born in Rockingham on the 
 7th of January, i860, a son of George W. and Hannah (Griffith) Emler. The 
 father's birth occurred in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, June 5, 1809, and he 
 came to Iowa, locating in Davenport, in April, 1855, having made his way down 
 the Ohio river and up the Mississippi. He was a millwright by occupation and 
 followed that trade until 1863, when he took up farming in Qeona township. 
 His wife was also a native of Bedford county, Pennsylvania, where she was 
 born on the 23d of February, 1819, and in the Keystone state in 1839 gave her 
 hand in marriage to Mr. Emler. 
 
 No event of special importance came to vary the routine of life for Charles 
 F. Emler during the period of his boyhood and youth, which was spent under 
 the parental roof. He acquired his education in the public schools of Durant 
 and after laying aside his text-books became identified with railroad interests 
 as telegraph operator for the Rock Island Railroad, in which capacity he served 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 365 
 
 for about twenty-five years. In 1884 he came to Walcott, arriving here on the 
 9th of January, and was first employed as operator and later as agent, and the 
 long period of his service with this company is ample proof of the capable and 
 faithful manner in which he discharged his duties. On the loth of February, 
 1904, he severed his connection with railroad interests to take charge of the 
 organization of the Farmers Savings Bank of Walcott, of which he was one of 
 the principal founders. It was organized on the ist of April, 1904, with a 
 capital of twenty-five thousand dollars, and he was appointed its first cashier, in 
 which capacity he has continuously served to the present time. He has made 
 an excellent record during the meantime, being accurate, prompt and faithful in 
 the discharge of his duties, while he is always genial and courteous with all who 
 have business with the house, qualities which have made him popular alike with 
 the patrons and the officials of the bank. His efforts in behalf of the institution 
 have been potent elements in insuring its growth and progress and it stands today 
 as one of the safe and reliable financial organizations of his section of the 
 county. 
 
 In 1886 Mr. Emler was united in marriage to Miss Eibe Wohlenberg, a daugh- 
 ter of Jacob Wohlenberg, of Walcott, and unto their union have been born five 
 children, Edith I., Sewel H., Lucy E., Alice M., and C. Franklin. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Emler is identified with Walcott Lodge, No. 312, Knights 
 of Pythias, and also with Walcott Lodge, No. 22, Modern Brotherhood, in the 
 affairs of which organizations he takes a deep and active interest. Politically 
 he gives stalwart support to the democracy and has served as township clerk 
 for two terms. He was the first treasurer and recorder of the town of Wal- 
 cott, and has ever taken a helpful interest in community affairs, his influence 
 being on the side of improvement, reform and progress. Thoroughly identified 
 with the interests of Walcott, the city has benefited by his efforts in her behalf, 
 and he is classed among her foremost representatives. 
 
 PASQUALE PUCCINELLI. 
 
 Pasquale PuccinelH, whose demise occurred on the 21st of April, 1906, was 
 for twelve years prior to his death prominently identified with the business in; 
 terests of Davenport in connection with a macaroni factory. He was born in 
 Italy in 1845, his parents being Alexander and Annie Marie (Battiala) Puc- 
 cinelH. He obtained his education in the schools of his native land and in early 
 manhood crossed the Atlantic to the United States, coming direct to Daven- 
 port, Iowa. On arriving in this city he entered the service of the Chicago, Rock 
 Island & Pacific Railway Company and eventually was made foreman. About 
 the year 1894 he commenced working in a macaroni factory and was connected 
 with that enterprise until his demise. He was honored and respected by all 
 who knew him. 
 
 On the 28th of January, 1880, Mr. PuccinelH was joined in wedlock to Miss 
 Mary Burns, a daughter of Bernard and Margaret (O'Hare) Burns, natives of 
 Ireland. The father, who crossed the ocean to America when a young man. 
 
366 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 became a prosperous business man and influential citizen of Chillicothe, Ohio. 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Puccinelli were born four children, namely: Nora, who is 
 deceased; Margaret, residing at home, who has taken a course in music and 
 is now engaged in teaching the art ; Francis, likewise at home ; and Edward, de- 
 ceased. Mrs. Puccinelli has gained an extensive circle of friends in this city 
 during the long period of her residence here, having won the kindly regard and 
 esteem of all with whom she has come in contact. 
 
 W. P. BETTENDORF. 
 
 Through the inherent force of his own character, his strong determination 
 and his close application to the duties that have devolved upon him, combined 
 with the development of his native powers along the lines of invention, W. P. 
 Bettendorf has won distinction and honors in his native land. He is today presi- 
 dent of the Bettendorf Axle Company, controlling the most important industrial 
 enterprise of Davenport, and the extent of his business has made him one of the 
 best known men of the state. He was born in Mendota, Illinois, July i, 1857, 
 and is the eldest of four children, whose parents were M. and Catharine (Reck) 
 Bettendorf, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father was a young 
 man of eighteen years when he crossed the Atlantic to America and took up 
 his abode in Mendota, Illinois, where he engaged in school teaching. Later he 
 removed to Missouri, and, settling at Sedalia, there established a grocery store. 
 He was afterward employed as a government clerk at Fort Leavenworth, Kan- 
 sas, and is now living retired in Bettendorf, the town which is the home of the 
 great enterprise that was established and is being conducted by his sons. Of the 
 family of four children, the only two living are W. P. and J. W., who are part- 
 ners in the conduct of a business which in extent and magnitude has no equal 
 in Davenport. 
 
 W. P. Bettendorf accompanied his parents on their removal to Missouri and 
 to Kansas and in these states acquired the greater part of his education. He at- 
 tended for a time the St. Mary's Mission School, which was an Indian school 
 in the latter state. In 1870 he began providing for his own support as a mes- 
 senger boy at Humboldt, Kansas, and about 1872 he accepted a clerkship in the 
 hardware store of A. L. Shepard at Peru, Illinois. He filled that position for 
 two years, after which he became an apprentice to the machinist's trade with 
 the Peru Plow Company. This was more in accordance with the natural bent 
 of his nature and he served his full term of indenture, becoming an expert 
 workman. Later he left Peru and entered the employ of the Moline Plow Com- 
 pany, with which he remained for ten months, at the end of which time he ac- 
 cepted the position of foreman of the fitting department of the Parlin & Oren- 
 dorff Company at Canton, Illinois, manufacturers of plows and agricultural im- 
 plements. Not only did he faithfully execute the tasks assigned him but unlike 
 many workmen — and they are of the class who never progress — ^he gave active 
 attention to every duty and thought out along original lines until as the result 
 of experiment and research he invented, in 1878, the first power lift sulky plow. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 369 
 
 He was still in the employ of the Peru Plow Company at that time. His in- 
 vention was adopted by most of the plow manufacturing plants. After leaving 
 Canton, Illinois, in 1882, he returned to Peru to accept the superintendency of 
 the establishment in which he had served his apprenticeship and while thus con- 
 nected he invented the Bettendorf metal wheel, together with the necessary 
 machinery for its manufacture. He then granted a shop right to the Peru Plow 
 Company and as the metal wheel branch of the business soon assumed large pro- 
 portions it was decided to change the name of the company to the Peru Plow 
 & Wheel Company. This company, however, was slow to increase its capacity 
 for the inanufacture of metal wheels, the demand for which was constantly in- 
 creasing, and Mr. Bettendorf therefore saw the necessity of looking around for 
 other interests that would undertake the manufacture on a greater scale, keep- 
 ing up with the market demand. He made the acquaintance of E. P. Lynch, 
 who was president of the Eagle Manufacturing Company at Davenport, and 
 they entered into negotiations which resulted in the establishment of a wheel 
 manufacturing plant in this city. Therefore in 1886 the two brothers, W. P. 
 and T. W. Bettendorf, came to Davenport and undertook the manufacture of 
 metal wheels, in which particular line they continued with substantial success 
 until 1899. In that year the Bettendorf Metal Wheel Company was incorporated 
 and there was established an enterprise which is today the largest manufacturing 
 concern in Davenport. Being of an inventive turn of mind, W. P. Bettendorf 
 was constantly on the alert for opportunities to improve their output and to fur- 
 ther the use of metal wheels and steel construction for farm equipment. He 
 therefore developed a steel gear for farm wagons in 1892 and the manufacture 
 of this was at once undertaken. He severed his connection with the Bettendorf 
 Metal Wheel Company and after three years' experimental work resigned and 
 built necessary machinery for the manufacture of steel gears. This machinery 
 was sold to the International Harvester Company in 1905 but the Davenport 
 company stih manufactures for the former corporation. In addition to the 
 manufacture of steel wagon gears, the company manufactures steel car trucks 
 and steel underframes for cars as well as complete cars. The Bettendorf Axle 
 Company was organized and incorporated January i, 1895, with W. P. Betten- 
 dorf as the president. The history of the development of this enterprise con- 
 stitutes a most important chapter in the business annals of Davenport. From 
 the beginning the business has continually grown and such is the success of the 
 company that in the year 1909 the plant was increased in size threefold. Its 
 equipment is of the most modern character and eight hundred employes are 
 continually busy in turning out the output, which covers a wide range of iron 
 manufacture, Mr. Bettendorf of this review has in large measure been a potent 
 force in the development and success of the business. The two brothers, how- 
 ever, work together in utmost harmony, the talents of each being such as well 
 qualify them for the conduct of the especial interests under their charge. 
 
 In January, 1895, their interests were incorporated under the name of the 
 Bettendorf Axle Company, with J. W. Bettendorf as secretary. The business 
 factory and main offices were then located on First street, between Ripley and 
 Scott, and there, on the 28th of January, 1902, they suffered heavy losses 
 through fire. In May of the same year a second disastrous fire occurred, destroy- 
 
370 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 ing their plant, and as the business was constantly increasing it was decided to 
 locate elsewhere. At length they determined to establish their plant at the town 
 of Gilbert, now Bettendorf, about three miles east of Davenport. Here they 
 are controlling the largest manufacturing establishment of the kind in the west 
 and perhaps in the entire country, employment being given to eight hundred men. 
 Recently they have made extensive additions to the plant through the erection 
 of a foundry four hundred and thirty-six by four hundred and forty feet, each 
 of its departments being larger than the average completed foundry. No pro- 
 vision for the economical handling of the immense volume of work done in the 
 building — the avoidance of congestion and the delay that attends upon it — has 
 been overlooked. The buildings are heated by steam and every regard has been 
 paid to the comfort of the employes, for whom in a large separate building com- 
 modious lockers and lavatories have been established. There are two regenera- 
 tive open-hearth basic steel furnaces, having a capacity of twenty-five tons of 
 heat, with an output daily of about one hundred tons of finished steel castings, 
 which the company use in the steel car construction. They have also recently 
 built an erection shop two hundred and forty-six by seven hundred feet, with a 
 further extension fourteen hundred by two hundred and fifty-six feet, giving 
 the building a total length of two thousand and one hundred feet. The entire 
 amount of ground covered by the foundry and erection shop and the buildings 
 for the storage of materials is forty-two hundred feet, or about four-fifths of a 
 mile in length, along the Davenport, Rock Island & Northwestern tracks. Their 
 grounds comprise two hundred forty-seven acres and there is nothing lacking in 
 the equipment of this extensive plant, every modern device being employed that 
 will facilitate the work or improve the character of the output. Something of 
 the growth of the business is indicated in the fact that in 1909 the plant was in- 
 creased to three times its original size. The seventy acres of ground that the 
 company's shops and tracks occupy were originally laid out with a thought to 
 the additions that have recently been made. Careful consideration was given 
 to locating the buildings and the tracks laid to and from them so as to handle 
 the material quickly and at the lowest cost. From the great piles of steel at the 
 east of the shop locomotive cranes carry the material to the east end of the 
 shop, where other traveling cranes reach down powerful magnets, take up the 
 immense bars that would defy the lifting strength of many men, and carry 
 them to various machines, until they issue from the west end of the shop in 
 the Bettendorf steel car, underframes and trucks, which have been pronounced 
 by railroad men generally as the finest cars of the kind ever produced. 
 
 In 1879 occurred the marriage of W. P. Bettendorf and Miss Mary Wort- 
 man, of Peru, Illinois, a daughter of John and Etta Wortman. They became 
 parents of two children, Etta and Henry, but the mother and both the children 
 have passed away, Mrs. Bettendorf dying in August, 1901. In 1908 Mr. Bet- 
 tendorf was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Elizabeth Staby. 
 Mr. Bettendorf is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks 
 but the extent and importance of his business interests leaves him little leisure 
 for activity in fraternal circles. He stands today as a splendid exatnple of what 
 may be accomplished when one has determination and energy. Opportunities 
 that others have passed by heedlessly he has noted and improved. Modest 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 371 
 
 and unostentatious in demeanor, he is nevertheless spoken of in terms of ad- 
 miration and respect, for his life work has been so varied in its scope, so hon- 
 orable in its purposes and so far reaching in its effects that it has become an 
 integral part of the history of Davenport. In all of his business career he has 
 held to high standards and should he at once retire from business the extent and 
 importance of his activities thus far would leave the indelible impress of his 
 individuality upon the history of the state. 
 
 HENRY H. HORST. 
 
 Henry H. Horst, a prominent and representative agriculturist of Scott county, 
 owns a fine farm of one hundred and seventy-seven and a half acres in Daven- 
 port and Sheridan townships and devotes his energies to the work of farming 
 and threshing with gratifying results. He was born on the 31st of October, 
 1867, and the place on which he now resides has been his home from his birth 
 to the present time. 
 
 His parents, Claus and Ida (Hahn) Horst, were both natives of Germany, 
 the former being born on the 30th of December, 1819, and the latter on the 
 20th of February, 1828. Hans and Margaret (Goetch) Horst, the paternal 
 grandparents, both passed away in Germany. Claus Horst, the father of our 
 subject, obtained his education in the schools of his native land and was a young 
 man of twenty-eight when in 1847 he crossed the Atlantic to the United States. 
 After landing at New Orleans he made his way up the Mississippi river as far 
 as St. Louis and there spent the winter. The following spring witnessed his 
 arrival in Scott county, Iowa, and here he was employed at breaking prairie, 
 etc., receiving a wage of ten dollars per month. In 1850 he was married and 
 purchased a tract of eighty acres of prairie land in Davenport township, which 
 is now in possession of his son Henry and on which he built a small house. As 
 the years passed by he brought the farm under a high state of cultivation and 
 improvement and gradually added to his landed holdings by additional pur- 
 chase from time to time until at his death he owned five hundred and sixty acres 
 of rich and productive land. In 1880 he went to New York city for medical 
 treatment, as his health had been broken down by his many years of unremitting 
 toil, but died in the eastern metropolis on the 24th of May, 1881. His remains 
 were interred at Davenport, where his widow has made her home since 1889. 
 The latter, a daughter of John and Margaret Hahn, lost her father in 1845. Her 
 mother afterward married again, becoming the wife of Oswald Maas, with whom 
 she came to Scott county in the year 1847. A sketch of Mrs. Ida Horst appears 
 on another page of this volume. She was the mother of six children, as follows : 
 Louisa M., who is the widow of Herman Voss; Adolph J., living in Sheridan 
 township; Theresa A. C, the widow of Henry Horst; Edward N., who is a 
 resident of Sheridan township ; Henry H., of this review ; and one who died in 
 
 infancy. 
 
 Henry H. Horst acquired his early education in the district schools and 
 later pursued a course of study in the business college at Davenport. Since 
 
372 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 putting aside his text-books he has devoted his attention to the work of farming 
 and for the past fifteen years has also been engaged in threshing, meeting with 
 a well merited and creditable measure of success in his undertakings. His 
 home farm comprises one hundred and seventy-seven and a half acres in Daven- 
 port and Sheridan townships and he is likewise the owner of a quarter section 
 of land in Dakota. 
 
 On the 25th of February, 1891, Mr. Horst was united in marriage to Miss 
 Emily Sueverkriiebbe, a native of Germany and a daughter of Qaus and Kath- 
 erine (Ames) Sueverkriiebbe, who crossed the Atlantic to the United States 
 and took up their abode in Scott county in 1881. The father still survives and 
 is a worthy and respected resident here, but the mother was called to her final 
 rest on the 29th of April, 1904. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Horst have been born 
 five children, namely: Martha, Herbert, Alfred, Elmer and Malinda, all of 
 whom are at home with exception of Malinda who is deceased. 
 
 Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Horst has given 
 his political allegiance to the men and measures of the republican .party. The 
 cause of education has ever found in him a stalwart champion and he has served 
 as president of the school board since 1893. His entire life has been passed 
 in this county, where he is now widely known, and the fact that many of his 
 warmest friends are those with whom he has been acquainted since his boy- 
 hood days indicates that his career has always been upright and honorable. 
 
 CHARLES L. SCHIELE. 
 
 The fourteen hundred acres of excellent farm land in Cedar county, Iowa, and 
 the fine town residence on Main street, Davenport, are an indication of the success 
 which attended the agricultural operations of Charles L. Schiele. He has been 
 closely identified with the public affairs and although America is but the country 
 of his adoption, he was one of those who offered his life in suppport of the Union 
 during the years of the great struggle between the north and south. 
 
 Mr. Schiele was born in Prussia, Germany, December 16, 1840, a son of Carl 
 and Wilhelmina (Waltenburg) Schiele. The father, who was born in 181 1, 
 served in the German army and followed the baker's trade in his native land. In 
 1854 he started upon his journey to the United States with his family, disembark- 
 ing at New Orleans. They traveled up the Mississippi river to Davenport, where 
 they landed June 20, 1854, and then went to Muscatine county, Iowa, almost imme- 
 diately for Mr. Schiele had friends there who persuaded him to buy eighty acres 
 of timber land. With the help of his sons he built thereon a log cabin, which 
 remained the family home for several years. Later he bought eighty acres more 
 and again eighty acres in the same township, upon which he lived until his death 
 in 1887. After his demise the mother lived with her son Otto until her death 
 in 1907 when she was ninety-four years of age. They were the parents of five 
 children : Charles L. ; Frederick, deceased ; Wilhelmina, deceased ; Julius, who lives 
 on the old homestead in Montpelier township, Muscatine county ; and Otto, who 
 lives near Durant in Cedar county. 
 
• HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 373 
 
 Charles L. Schiele attended the public schools of Germany before the family 
 came to this country. Being but fourteen years of age, however, at the time of 
 their arrival, he was enrolled as a pupil in the public schools of Muscatine county, 
 but during the progress of the Civil war he decided to join the forces of the north. 
 Accordingly, in the fall of 1864, he enlisted in Company C, Second Tennessee In- 
 fantry, at St. Louis, Missouri, whence he went to Nashville, Tennessee, participat- 
 ing in the famous battle there. Then he went to Franklin Crossroads, where he 
 became infected with typhoid fever and was sent back to the hospital at Nashville. 
 He remained there several months and, having recovered, was discharged May 10, 
 1865. Thereupon he returned to his home, where he remained until 1869. 
 
 In the meantime, Mr. Schiele and his brother rented one hundred and sixty 
 acres of land' from their father, which they operated until about 1867, when Mr. 
 Schiele bought a wild tract of equal area in Farmington to\ynship. Cedar county. 
 The year 1868 he spent in breaking it and preparing it for cultivation, and in 1869 
 he married, built a house upon his land and took up his residence there. It re- 
 mained his home for thirty-six years, but in the meantime, as the result of his 
 unceasing labor and his economy, he had accumulated the fourteen hundred acres 
 which he still owns. While this is the record of the success he gained in his pri- 
 vate life it affords no indication of the respect and confidence he has won from 
 his fellow citizens, who have witnessed his advancement. They elected him on the 
 democratic ticket as county supervisor and assessor and he also served as justice 
 of the peace for sixteen years. After his removal to Davenport in the spring of 
 1907, he was elected trustee of the city, holding the position to the present. 
 
 -On the 1st of June, 1869, Mr. Schiele wedded Miss Elizabeth Barneck, who 
 was born in Germany and is a daughter of Moritz and Elizabeth Barneck, of Mus- 
 catine county. They have become the parents of six children. Charles, the eld- 
 est, married Emma Miller and lives in Cedar county. They have two children, 
 Carl and Helen. Gustavus, who lives upon the old home place in Cedar county, 
 married Bertha Clawson and they have three sons, Otto, Richard and John. Mor- 
 ris resides in Chicago, Illinois. Richard is deceased. Rudolph married Stella 
 Carl and lives in Cedar county. Clara E. lives with her parents. 
 
 Faithful in the performance of his duties and endowed with the noble qualities 
 of honesty and integrity, Mr. Schiele deserves the high regard in which he is held 
 by those with whom he has come in contact. His success in his vocation redounds 
 to the agricultural prosperity of the state of Iowa, while his life record is a high 
 tribute to the citizenship of Davenport. 
 
 HENRY SINDT. 
 
 Few men have won a more marked success from years of persistent cultiva- 
 tion of the soil than has Henry Sindt, who owns two hundred and forty acres 
 of fine farm land in Hickory Grove township but has now retired from active 
 life and lives in Davenport. He was bom in Holstein, Germany, March 29, 
 1821, a son of Hans and Anna Sindt. He received his education in the public 
 schools of his native land and when he reached manhood rendered the military 
 
374 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 service exacted of all German born males. He served in the Holstein war 
 with Denmark and at the expiration of his period of enlistment he came to the 
 United States. 
 
 It was in 1851 that Mr. Sindt landed at New Orleans, where he took a 
 boat upon the Mississippi river to St. Louis. There he remained two days 
 and then reembarked upon the river and came to Davenport. Twelve weeks 
 had elapsed from the time he left the old country until he reached his destina- 
 tion. Upon his arrival here he secured work as a farm laborer, but after a 
 little experience he decided to rent land and himself obtain the compensation 
 for his own toil. He was industrious and thrifty, besides being ambitious, and 
 in 1856 he was able to buy one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land in Hick- 
 ory Grove township. He built a house thereon, to which he brought his wife, 
 and it remained his home until 1894, when he retired from the active pursuits 
 of farming. In the course of years, however, he had invested heavily in land 
 until he owned three hundred and twenty acres at one time. Fifteen years ago 
 he bought the excellent town property where he now makes his home and has 
 since lived in the enjoyment of a well earned rest. 
 
 Shortly after his arrival in this country Mr. Sindt was united in marriage 
 to Miss Bertha Weisi, June 26, 1852. She, like her husband, is a native of Hol- 
 stein, Germany, where she was born in January, 1823. ■ Seven children were 
 born to them. Johannes, who is living in Lyon county, Iowa, married Katie 
 Klindt, and they have three children: Hugo, Theodore and Carolina. Heinrich, 
 also a resident of Lyon county, married Miss Augusta Baldt, and they have 
 four children: Hugo, Herbert, Amanda and Malona. Celia became the wife of 
 Henry Klindt, of Scott county, and they have three children: Albert, Meta and 
 Henry. Emma is the wife of Henry Lage, and they have seven children : Theo- 
 dore, Laura, Mary, Hattie, Anna, Emma and Lura. Alvina is the wife of Theo- 
 dore Meyer, of Hickory Grove township, and has become the mother of six 
 children : Emil, Alma, Grover, Martha, Frank and Stella. Edward, a farmer 
 of Hickory Grove township, wedded Miss Bertha Croft, and they have three 
 children. Gustave, residing in California, married Miss Helena Kroft, and they 
 have two daughters. 
 
 In the half century or more of his residence in Scott county, Mr. Sindt 
 took an active part in local affairs, serving as school director and road super- 
 visor for long periods. He was faithful in the performance of his duties and 
 gained the good will of his fellow citizens. 
 
 PATRICK T. WALSH. 
 
 Who does not know and like Patrick T. Walsh? The root of the uniform 
 regard in which he is held is found in his own life, sterling traits of character 
 winning him the confidence and good will of the rich, his kindliness and charity 
 the friendship and gratitude of the poor. Perhaps the real test of a man is 
 found in his relation to his employes. The opportunity of overbearance and 
 for strict and inconsiderate regulations is his as well as the opportunity for the 
 
< 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 377 
 
 exercise of a spirit of fraternal appreciation and helpfulness. In this Patrick 
 T. Walsh has chosen the better part and no greater loyalty is to be anywhere 
 found than is manifest toward him by his employes from the humblest to the 
 highest. In the business world he is known as the head of ten construction 
 companies operating throughout the entire country on various lines of construc- 
 tion work. Wealth and success have crowned him in his later years, but his 
 early experiences brought him want and hardships. It is this perhaps that has 
 made him sympathetic and helpful toward those who are undergoing a struggle 
 similar to that which he experienced. 
 
 Davenport is proud to number him as a citizen and as a native son. He 
 was here born March 17, 1855, his parents being John and Mary (Burns) Walsh, 
 both of whom were natives of County Clare, Ireland. The father came to this 
 city from the old country in 1848, having crossed the Atlantic on a sailing vessel 
 which was six weeks in completing that voyage. He landed at New Orleans 
 and made his way up the Mississippi river to Davenport. Both he and his wife 
 were members of the Catholic church. His death occurred in 1887, when he 
 was seventy-seven years of age. In their family were eight children, of whom 
 only two are now living, the sister being Margaret, the wife of John Cody, 
 of Davenport. 
 
 The surviving son, Patrick T. Walsh, was educated in Father Pelamorgour's 
 Catholic school and when eleven years of age began work in the French and 
 Davies sawmill, where he spent two summers in packing shingles and later car- 
 ried water on the big cut in west Davenport for one summer. He next became 
 an apprenticed stonecutter on the Rock Island arsenal. He remained at the ar- 
 senal for eleven years and then occurred a circumstance which forced him to 
 seek other employment. It was in the '80s that the stonecutters of Davenport 
 and vicinity determined to make a stand for eight hours per day and Mr. Walsh 
 became a leader among his fellow workmen. The men succeeded at last in win- 
 ning that for which they were contesting, but Mr. Walsh at the end of the time 
 was labeled as an agitator and was forced to seek other employment. It was 
 this that eventually led him into the construction business. He had not planned 
 to enter the field but, when losing his position . at Rock Island, he turned his at- 
 tention to any work that he could find, doing such minor and unpretentious 
 jobs as digging cellars, running drains, digging sewers and street work generally. 
 Gradually he extended his efforts and in the course of years has built up one 
 of the notable successes of the country. To the opportunity then presented there 
 was supplemented the sterling character of the man of pluck, that quality which 
 scales barriers and wins victories on every field of human endeavor. Gradually 
 his business extended, and it was not long before he had gained a foothold in 
 the construction field. To him was awarded a contract for a "fill" on the Chi- 
 cago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad at Galva, Illinois, and since that time he 
 has had many gangs of steam-shovel men at work. It has ever been char- 
 acteristic of Mr. Walsh that he has promoted his men as they have shown capa- 
 bility and fidelity, and many who entered his service as shovel men have become 
 high-class superintendents and master mechanics. Among the things in which 
 he takes especial delight is the substantial advance made by his faithful subor- 
 dinates. He has awakened unfaltering support by his belief in his men, has 
 
378 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 constantly spoken to them words of encouragement and appreciation and the 
 men on their part give to him the utmost fidehty and the best service of which 
 they are capable. Possibly it is owing to this factor that the Walsh Construction 
 Company can afford to give better terms than many of its competitors. Zeal 
 and loyalty count in a construction proposition as well as in other walks. The 
 growth of the business has continued year by year until interests are conducted 
 under ten separate corporations, of all of which Mr. Walsh is the president, and 
 every one of the various adjuncts has grown up under his fostering care and 
 careful guidance. The relationship which exists in a well ordered family only 
 adequately reflects the harmony and understanding that dwells in this great or- 
 ganization, which is doubtless the keynote to its big success. At the present 
 these construction companies are engaged in building railroads from coast to 
 coast. Mr. Walsh has been awarded many contracts for the erection of build- 
 ings, the one in which he takes special pride being the Sacred Heart Catholic 
 Cathedral of Davenport, Iowa. There are a few industries of Davenport of 
 any importance that have not felt the stimulus of his cooperation and have 
 benefited by his assistance and counsel. He is also connected with the Scott 
 County Bank and three other banking institutions. 
 
 On the 1st of June, 1881, Mr. Walsh was married to Miss Catherine Beecher, 
 and they have five living children : Mary, the wife of E. J. Walsh ; Thomas, who 
 is with his father in business; Katherine, Gertrude and Edward, at home. He 
 and his family are members of the Catholic church. 
 
 It is known that Mr. Walsh favors every project for the public good and 
 cooperates liberally and influentially in support of movements that have been of 
 the utmost benefit to the city. He is of a kindly nature, of genial and jovial 
 disposition, and like many self-made men is easy to approach and displays 
 thoughtful consideration of others. His life experiences have made him a phil- 
 osopher. A trade- magazine comments on this phase of his life in the following 
 words : "He is simple and unaffected in manner yet deep and profound in his 
 conclusions on important topics. Speaking of gaining success in life, he said 
 success can be classified as that quality which prompts the average individual 
 to 'move up' as he enters the crowded street car of life. 'About the entrance the 
 crowd huddles together and the congestion is being gradually added to by the 
 incoming passengers,' said Mr. Walsh. 'Finally some one gets aboard whose 
 disposition and temperament is to "move up" where there is more room, and, 
 while he bumps some of the passengers and gets jostled himself, he reaches the 
 place where there is more room and a. better atmosphere and really makes it 
 more satisfactory for the crowd he passed on his way to comfort.' How true 
 this is." 
 
 The same paper in commenting upon other features in his life history says: 
 "The example set by the Walsh Construction Company in providing so generously 
 for its employes has set a standard which other companies have had approxi- 
 mately to reach, so that a benefit has been conferred upon the whole line of the 
 dirt-moving contingent. Treating men with consideration for their needs and 
 supplying them with the best that is going is a big factor in maintaining efficiency, 
 and with a force working at a high pitch results obtained are often a subject of 
 wonderment even to those interested. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 379 
 
 "Mr. Walsh has put many a discouraged man on his feet and he has given 
 the hand of recognition to the forlorn which gave them a new start in life. 
 His influence has been shown in encouraging a civic pride in Davenport and 
 many of the city's developments owe a great deal to his timely interest and broad 
 generosity." 
 
 DAVID J. CLAPP. 
 
 The agricultural interests of Scott county find a worthy representative in David 
 J. Clapp, who owns and operates a fine tract of two hundred acres of arable land in 
 Sheridan township, near the village of Eldridge. He is well known in his locality, 
 where he has spent his entire life and is a worthy son of one of the pioneers of 
 this section of the state, for his father, Charles F. Clapp, came to Scott county in 
 1854. He was born in Fulton county, Illinois, February 28, 1838, his parents 
 being Spencer and Tilma (Bond) Clapp. The Clapp family came originally from 
 Europe, being established on American soil many years ago by three brothers, 
 from whom all of the name in this country are descended. In 1869 a reunion was 
 held in Massachusetts and it was then discovered that there were more than twelve 
 hundred members of the family here, many of whom left their eastern home and 
 are now numbered among the early settlers of the middle west. 
 
 Spencer Clapp, the grandfather of David J. Clapp, and his father, Selah Clapp, 
 came west as far as Ohio in 1820, settling in Portage county, where the latter 
 bought a farm, which is still in the, possession of his descendants. There Spencer 
 Clapp grew to manhood, learning the shoemaker's trade, and there he was married 
 and lived until 1837, when he and his wife and his brother-in-law, Seldon Bond, 
 went by wagon to Fulton county, Illinois. There he secured one hundred and 
 sixty acres of government land and Mr. Bond three hundred and twenty, for which 
 they paid one dollar and a quarter an acre. Upon it they built a house, made other 
 improvements and hved until 1839, when Mr. Clapp was called to Ohio by the ill- 
 ness of his father. Upon the latter's death he sold his property in Fulton county, 
 Illinois, and operated the old homestead in Portage county, Ohio, until 1854, when 
 he came to Scott county, Iowa, taking up his residence in Davenport. There, on 
 Locust street, near Brady, he built a house, which by the way is still standing, and 
 rented ten acres near where Central Park is now situated, which he planted in 
 corn. The next year he rented forty acres more, agreeing to give Dr. Hall, the 
 landlord, two-fifths of the crops. For the next three years he hved in Davenport, 
 in which time he sold the house he had built first, put up another on a lot he had 
 purchased on Main street, and then traded that for forty acres in Sheridan town- 
 ship. After moving his family to the farm, putting up a house and establishing 
 his home there, it was discovered that the title to the land was defective, and they 
 lost their property. They kept the house, however, for with thirty-two yoke of 
 cattle and the assistance of friends and neighbors Mr. Clapp moved it into the 
 road. There he and his family lived for about a year. 
 
 Charles F. Clapp, who had accompanied his father upon his several removals, 
 married about that time and his first home was that house standing in the middle 
 
380 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 of the road. He had been able to get two crops from the land before the 
 mortgage was foreclosed. Later, in 1863, he bought forty acres from Mr. Hartzel, 
 built thereon a house, and then as he was drafted into the army he sold his place 
 for twelve hundred dollars. He was not called into service, however, and with 
 his money he bought eighty acres of land in Sheridan township, which is now 
 included in the farm of his son, D. J. Clapp. He engaged in other real-estate 
 transactions, buying finally one hundred and sixty acres of land in Sheridan town- 
 ship, on which he lived until 1896, when he retired from active life. He is now 
 living in Davenport but still retains his interest in agricultural pursuits, as he owns 
 two hundred and forty acres in that township. 
 
 On Christmas day, i860, Mr. Clapp wedded Miss Elizabeth Knouse, who was 
 born near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, January 28, 1842. Her parents were David 
 and Mary (Stump) Knouse, who came to Scott county in 1850. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Clapp have had nine children, namely : Samuel, who is living at Aredale, Iowa, and 
 is the father of six children ; Anna, who married L. B. Guy, of Davenport, and has 
 three children; Emma, the deceased wife of George Marti; Bertha, the deceased 
 wife of Milton Drenter ; Seldon, who resides in St. Joseph, Missouri, and is the 
 father of two sons; David J. and Charles S., who are twins, the former being 
 mentioned below and the latter living upon the old home place in Sheridan town- 
 ship ; Archie, who is a physician of Muscatine, Iowa ; and Nellie, who is living with 
 her parents. Mr. Clapp served as road supervisor and as school director for about 
 ten years, and fraternally is identified with the Ancient Order of United Workmen 
 and with the Modern Woodmen of America. In 1854 he joined the Christian 
 church of Davenport and is now the oldest member of the congregation. He was 
 treasurer of the church for a number of years, and wherever he is known he is 
 respected as a man of sterling integrity and noble life. 
 
 David J. Clapp, whose name stands at the head of this review, was born upon 
 the farm whose fields he now cultivates, June 11, 1874, and has spent his entire 
 life in the vicinity of his birthplace. When of suitable age he was enrolled as a 
 pupil of the public school of district No. i, of which he is now a director, and 
 later attended school in Davenport. The following three winters he went to busi- 
 ness college, while in the summer he devoted himself to agriculture, which has 
 always been his vocation. He is a young man imbued with progressive ideas, one 
 who knows the value of industry and perseverance, and through the aid of these 
 qualities and a good business judgment he has been able to make his farming 
 profitable. He also owns in conjunction with his brother, Charles S., twenty acres 
 of timber land on the Wapsipinicon river, this county. Mr. Clapp wedded, Decem- 
 ber I, 1896, Miss Jennie Neil, a daughter of James Neil and a relative of Chris 
 Marti. The latter is one of the well known citizens of Scott county, and was for 
 a long period identified with the agricultural interests of Winfield township. He 
 was a native of Switzerland and was about seven years of age when in 1852 he 
 accompanied his father upon the journey to the new world. At the age of twenty- 
 two he started to make his own way in the world as a farmer, and to this end pro- 
 cured some unimproved land in Sheridan township. Later he bought the two hun- 
 dred and forty acres he still owns in Winfield township. He was successful in 
 his undertakings and, having rented his farm to his sons, enjoys a well earned 
 rest. He was also a conspicuous figure in the public affairs of this county, for in 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 381 
 
 addition to filling several of the minor offices he was elected to the general assem- 
 bly at Des Moines, sitting in the twenty-third, twenty-fourth and twenty-sixth ses- 
 sions, and in the call session summoned by Governor Drake. He received the nom- 
 ination on the democratic ticket in 1898 for state senator but was not elected. 
 However, the fact he has held the office of secretary of the school board continu- 
 ously since 1872, is an indication of the confidence the people place in him. He 
 is a man of sterling integrity, one who has ever proved true to the trust of his 
 constituents and has ever acted as he believed right. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Clapp are the parents of one son, Neil, who was born September 
 12, 1900. Politically Mr. Clapp allies himself with the republican party and has 
 served the township for the past eight years as a member of the school board. 
 Fraternally he is identified with several organizations. He belongs to the Long 
 Grove lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is serving as noble 
 grand, while he is a member and banker of the camp of the Woodmen of the World 
 of Long Grove. He also belongs to the Modern Brotherhood of America, holding 
 membership in the lodge at Eldridge. He gives his allegiance in religious matters 
 to the Christian church of Long Grove, of which he is a deacon and in the work of 
 which he is very active. Endowed by nature with a strong intellectual force, 
 prompted by a laudable ambition to succeed in his occupation, and unafraid of 
 hard, persevering work, he has already made substantial progress in his life work, 
 and there is every reason for him to look forward to a bright and successful future. 
 
 JOHN H. SIEVERS. 
 
 One of the important agriculturists and stock men of Liberty township is 
 John H. Sievers, who was born in Schleswig, Germany, January 29, 1853, his 
 parents being Henry and Annie (Francen) Sievers. The father died in the land 
 of his birth, but the mother came to America and here passed her last years, dy- 
 ing about eight years ago. Four children were born to them : John H., the 
 subject of this sketch ; Annie, the wife of Peter Frederick, of Holstein, Iowa ; 
 Hans ; and Katie, the wife of Peter Pawser, of Manning, Iowa. 
 
 John H. Sievers came to this country alone in 1873 after he had obtained 
 his education in his native land and served the required term in the army. He 
 made his way directly to Davenport and here for the first two weeks after his 
 arrival worked as a laborer on the streets. Then he found employment upon a 
 farm and after two years' experience, in which he gained a practical acquaintance 
 with our language and customs, he rented forty acres of land and began to 
 raise corn. Four years later he married and then leased sixty acres of his 
 father-in-law in Liberty township, where he lived for another period of four 
 years. Then he bought one hundred and sixty acres near New Liberty, upon 
 which he toiled most assiduously for sixteen years, at the end of that time pur- 
 chasing the four hundred and five acres upon which he now resides. Later he 1 
 bought two hundred and eighty acres adjoining the home place, bringing his 
 land holdings in Liberty township up to a total of eight hundred and forty-one 
 acres. On this property there are three distinct sets of buildings, the character 
 
382 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 of those upon the home place being especially fine for he has remodeled the out- 
 buildings and a few years ago erected a large stone house of fourteen rooms. 
 One hundred and sixty acres of his land Mr. Sievers rents, but the balance is 
 planted in grain or is used as pasture land for his stock, for he feeds annually 
 large numbers of steers and hogs, which he ships to the more important markets. 
 When the German Savings Bank was organized in New Liberty Mr. Sievers 
 was one of its promoters and became a director, but now he only owns stock 
 in the concern. Nevertheless, he is' one of the most prosperous of the farmers 
 in his locality and enjoys the high esteem of his fellowmen. 
 
 In 1879 Mr. Sievers was united in marriage to Miss Anna Earnhardt, who 
 was born in Clinton county, Iowa, November 28, 1858. Her parents, John and 
 Mary Earnhardt, were both natives of Schleswig-Holstein, but they came to 
 this country in the early '50s and passed the remainder of their lives here. Four 
 children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sievers, namely: Willie, Charles, 
 Hugo and Nellie. The eldest wedded Miss Frieda Hochmuth, of Liberty town- 
 ship, but the others are at home. 
 
 Industry and frugality have been among the leading characteristics of Mr. 
 Sievers and have been largely accountable, for his success. He has spared no 
 effort to make his farm the most productive of any in his locality nor to obtain 
 the highest grade of stock possible. He is progressive as well as energetic, so 
 that the Round Grove stock farm, which is the name he has bestowed upon his 
 place, is one of the most modern and thoroughly up-to-date establishments of 
 its kind in this section of the state. 
 
 EMIL N. J. GEISLER. 
 
 In the beautiful semi-tropical and sunny land of southern California Emil 
 N. J. Geisler is now spending the evening of life, but for many years was so 
 closely and prominently associated with the growth and progress of Davenport 
 and of Scott county as to render his history and integral chapter in the annals 
 of this part of the state. 
 
 He has passed the eighty-second milestone on life's journey, having been born 
 on the nth of April, 1828, in Lunden, Dithmarschen, Schleswig-Holstein, Ger- 
 many, in which country his father engaged in teaching. After his confirmation 
 the son completed his studies at a university and then became a private teacher. 
 In 1848 he enlisted for service in the war in which Germany was then involved 
 and served as sergeant until the close of hostilities in 1851. Soon afterward he 
 started for the United States to enjoy the liberties offered in the land of the 
 free. He landed at New Orleans in June, 1852, and then came northward from 
 the Crescent city to Davenport, which was then a small town of comparatively 
 little commercial and industrial importance. He therefore accepted whatever 
 work offered itself and was at different times employed at farming, in clerking 
 and in private teaching. 
 
 The years thus passed until 1857, during which time Mr. Geisler saved 
 enough money with which to enter the grocery business on his own account. 
 
=:mil. geisle! 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 385 
 
 For seven years he conducted his store with good success, and in 1864 he sold 
 the business and invested in a vineyard in West Davenport. He also gave his 
 attention to the contracting business, building and selling houses, and his efforts 
 as a speculative builder materially increased his financial resources. In 1875 
 he invested in farm lands. and in company with several others laid out the now 
 flourishing town of Marne. In all of his business affairs his efforts were so uni- 
 formly and capably directed that prosperity attended him and at the same time 
 his efforts were of a character that promoted the welfare of the community as 
 well as his individual success. In 1904 he removed to Coronado, California, where 
 he now lives. 
 
 Aside from business affairs Mr. Geisler was active in many ways whereby 
 Davenport's interests were promoted. He assisted in bringing into existence the 
 German free school and for many years was its president. He was also active 
 in the erection of the Davenport Crematorium and served as its vice president. 
 He became an enthusiastic member of the Academy of Science and his efforts 
 in its behalf largely promoted its interests. He also joined the Turner Society 
 and was ever an influential factor among the German people of this city. He 
 has been made honorary member of various organizations, these societies being 
 proud to have his name upon their membership roll. 
 
 Mr. Geisler was married in Davenport on the 24th of December, 1855, to 
 Miss Sophia Halkins, and in 1905 they celebrated their golden wedding in Co- 
 ronado, California, their family, at that time consisting of a daughter and grand- 
 daughter, being present. Of their four children, two died in infancy, while one 
 daughter, Adele, who became the wife of Otto Clausen, died in 1886. Mr. 
 Geisler makes his home with his other daughter, Mrs. J. Clausen, his wife hav- 
 ing passed away on the 15th of March, 1908. 
 
 While now eighty-two years of age Mr. Geisler possesses uncommon vigor 
 and activity for one of his years and in 1909 he made a trip to his old home in 
 Germany, traveling all alone. Throughout his life he has been a man of friendly 
 spirit, of hospitable disposition, and has ever looked upon the bright side, and 
 because of his sterling qualities of manhood as well as his business activity and 
 public spirit, he has won a host of friends who entertain for him the highest honor 
 and respect. 
 
 THOMAS DOUGHERTY. 
 
 Thomas Dougherty, president of Schick's Express & Transfer Company of 
 Davenport, is numbered among the native sons of Scott county and his life 
 history is familiar to his fellow citizens, who have watched his development 
 from boyhood days. He is lacking in none of those qualities which constitute 
 the resourceful and successful business man and in his present position of ex- 
 ecutive control is proving that his administration accomplishes the utmost for the 
 interests invested. 
 
 Mr. Dougherty was born in Scott county, October 30, 1865, and his educa- 
 tion was acquired in St. AmbYose school and in the Davenport Business College. 
 
386 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUInITY 
 
 He became collector for the Schick's Express & Transfer Company in 1903 and 
 bent every effort toward familiarizing himself with and mastering the business 
 in order that he might be qualified for enlarged duties when the opportunity 
 came for advancement. In 1905, when the company was reorganized, he be- 
 came president and manager and has since carefully and successfully controlled 
 the interests of the business. On the 22d of September, 1904, Mr. Dougherty 
 was married to Miss Eula Carmichael, a native of Davenport and a daughter 
 of Henry Carmichael, one of the old residents of this city who has long been 
 associated with the Boston Store. Mr. Dougherty belongs to the Benevolent 
 and Protective Order of Elks and to the Woodmen of the World, and is well 
 known socially in this city, where the greater part of his life has been passed. 
 
 GEORGE AND DAVID NUGENT. 
 
 Among the many earnest men who are daily proving the fertility of the soil 
 of Blue Grass township, are George and David Nugent, who in conjunction own 
 and operate the farm upon which they live. Natives of this county, they were 
 born in 1858 and 1861, respectively, being the sons of John and M. J. Nugent. 
 The father was born in Ireland in 1821, and in 1848, at the beginning of the hard 
 times which oppressed his native isle for the next few years, came to the United 
 States. First he settled in New Jersey, where he lived for about five years, and 
 then in 1853 came to Scott county, Iowa. During the first two years after his 
 arrival he worked on various farms in Blue Grass township, and then, in 1855, 
 having married he bought the place on which his two sons are living today. It 
 remained his home for the next sixteen years of his life, and though his death 
 occurred in 1878, he had lived long enough to obtain some idea of the progress 
 which would transform the appearance of the country in the course of years. He 
 and his wife were the parents of five children, those besides the subjects of this 
 sketch being Thomas, who is also a resident of Blue Grass township ; James, who 
 lives in Casey, Iowa ; and Mary, who is the. wife of Charles Plett, of Muscatine, 
 Iowa. 
 
 Natives of this county, George and David Nugent have passed their entire lives 
 within its confines. They were pupils in the public schools of their locality and the 
 education they received was supplemented by practical training in f arrn work, which 
 they acquired under the guidance of their father. Indeed, as they were both 
 young when they were deprived of his love and care, they had to early assume 
 responsibilities which in many cases fall to the lot of men. The place which had 
 been associated with memories of childhood and which they had come to know 
 thoroughly through the passage of years, has remained their home to the present. 
 It is a rich and arable tract, is well improved and cultivated with a skill that be- 
 speaks the character of the born husbandman. They have been sparing of neither 
 industry nor expense to bring their place to a productive state and may feel justly 
 recompensed by the size of the harvest and the consequent generous income that 
 falls to their share annually. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 387 
 
 In early manhood George Nugent wedded Miss Ella Fridley, but she died two 
 years after her marriage, while David Nugent has never married. They have 
 steadfastly given their support to the republican party, in the years that they have 
 been able to exercise their right of franchise, but though interested have taken 
 little part in local affairs. George, however, served one term as trustee of the 
 township but has never desired further evidence of the respect and good opinion 
 of his fellow citizens. Industrious and excellent managers, both George and 
 David Nugent may be pardoned a moderate pride in their achievements, for in 
 addition to maintaining the home place in a good condition they have been able to 
 purchase one hundred and sixty acres in Yuma county, Colorado. 
 
 HERMAN H. FRYE. 
 
 During his active life Herman H. Frye was one of the more prosperous 
 farmers of this county, and when advancing years and a large income sug- 
 gested the wisdom of retiring he took up his residence in Davenport, where his 
 death occurred November 2, 1903. One of the early German settlers of this sec- 
 tion of Iowa, he had been born in what was known as Klein Dreele, Hanover, 
 Germany, February 4, 1830, a son of Bernard and Adeline (Brockman) Frye. 
 
 At the age of sixteen, in 1846, he came to the United States alone, and 
 having chosen the southern route for crossing the ocean, landed at New Orleans. 
 He spent the winter in that city and in the spring ascended the Mississippi to 
 St. Louis, Missouri, which remained his home for the next decade. There, in 
 1856, he was married and shortly afterward, in the same year, came to Daven- 
 port, opening a brickyard, which he operated for about a year. Then he traded 
 it for one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land in Sheridan township, Scott 
 county, on which he built a house, broke his land and prepared it for cultivation, 
 deriving from his labors a rich return that placed him among the most success- 
 ful agriculturists of this section. As the years brought their full measure of 
 success, he invested extensively in land, until at his death he was in possession 
 of about one thousand acres besides some town property. He had been among 
 the first to settle in the county, which has proved to be so rich agriculturally, 
 and witnessing its development he also participated in its improvement and his 
 name appears upon the roll of those who rendered their fellowmen substantial 
 and invaluable service. 
 
 While living in St. Louis, on the 14th of March, 1856, Mr. Frye was united 
 in marriage to Miss Louisa Rier, a daughter of WilHam and Maria (Gran- 
 naman) Rier. She had been born in Nordhammen, Westphalia, Germany, 
 April 28, 1834, and came to this country in her young womanhood, although her 
 parents remained in the fatherland. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Frye. George D., living upon the old homestead, wedded Miss Thrissa Stutt, 
 now deceased, and they had four children: Hermanza, who became the wife of 
 Julius F. Rochau, of Oklahoma, and has one child, Blanch Louise; George D., 
 Jr. ; Blanch, the wife of Henry Olliver, of CaUfornia ; and Harry. William F. 
 resides in Hickory Grove township. In his young manhood he married Miss 
 
388 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Carolina Meyer and they have eight children: Wilbert, Alfred, Arnold, Carl, 
 Elsie, Frances, Norman Scott and Adelia. The eldest, Wilbert, married Miss 
 Hilda Hahn and lives at Independence, Iowa. Charles, the third of the Frye 
 family, married Miss Emma Lamp and lives at Seattle, Washington. Emma 
 is deceased. Frank F. married Miss Augusta Lamp and lives in Seattle, Wash- 
 ington. They have one child, Marion. Louisa and Alfred are deceased; Julia 
 is at home. Elizabeth M. became the wife of H. C. Lage, of Davenport. The 
 youngest died in infancy. 
 
 Not only was Mr. Frye one of the prosperous farmers of Scott county, but 
 he was also intimately connected with its public life and prominent in such 
 enterprises as were calculated to develop the interests and promote the welfare 
 of the community in which he lived. He served as county supervisor for a con- 
 siderable period and was a school director. He assisted in the organization of 
 the German Fire Insurance Company of Scott county, of which he was treas- 
 urer for a number of years, and was a member of the German Pioneer Associa- 
 tion. In 1889 he retiredT from active life and removed to Davenport, where the 
 last years of his life were past in comfort and with the knowledge that the 
 past had been well spent. 
 
 JACOB HUGH HARRISON. 
 
 The business progress of Davenport has not been conserved by one or two 
 individuals but has resulted from the combined efforts of a large number of 
 business men whose activity has been the source of the city's commercial ad- 
 vancement and improvement. In this connection Jacob Hugh Harrison deserves 
 more than passing notice, for to the time of his death he was recognized as one 
 of the foremost representatives of mercantile interests in Davenport. He was- 
 born in Carrollton, Kentucky, Decenjber 25, 1840, and was a son of William 
 Henry Harrison, a cousin of President Harrison of the same name. The father 
 was a native of Prince William county, Virginia, born in 1810. He had two 
 brothers, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington Harrison, and they were 
 sons of John and Elizabeth (Harris) Harrison, the latter a daughter of John 
 Harris and the former a son of Obadiah Harrison, a native of Virginia. Wil- 
 liam Henry Harrison, reared and educated in the south, was married to Miss 
 Eleanor Moore Mimich, a daughter of Richard and Sarah (Lester) Mimich and 
 a granddaughter of John and Elizabeth Mimich, who were natives of Maryland. 
 It will thus be seen that Jacob H. Harrison was a representative of some of the 
 oldest southern families. He was one of ten children, five of whom reached years 
 . of maturity, namely : Mary ; Richard ; Mrs. Sarah Hayden ; Jacob ; and Charles 
 Emery, who is living in Davenport. 
 
 When he was thirteen years of age and still attending school Jacob Hugh 
 Harrison entered the drug store of his uncle at Carrollton, Kentucky, and under 
 his direction thoroughly learned the business. His educational opportunities 
 were those afforded by the schools and academy of his native city. All through 
 life, however, he remained a student and broad reader and accumulated a large 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 391 
 
 and valuable library, with the contents of which he was thoroughly familiar. 
 The business pursuit to which he was reared he made his life work. In 1861 
 he and his brother Richard purchased the business of their deceased uncle and 
 conducted the store until the following year, when Richard Harrison died. The 
 subject of this review then carried on the business alone until 1867, when he dis- 
 posed of his interests in Kentucky and came to Davenport. Here he at once 
 became engaged in the retail drug business, becoming at first connected with 
 the firm of Harrison & Stark, while later he was senior partner of the firm of 
 Harrison & Holman. The latter firm was located in the Hill block at the corner 
 of Third and Brady streets, but this was destroyed by fire on the night of Feb- 
 ruary 22, 1876. In the fall of 1878 Mr. Harrison again established a business, 
 which under the name of Harrison's Pharmacy was for fourteen years located 
 at No. 305 Brady street. He then removed to No. 312 Brady street, where he 
 remained for eight years, or until the time of his retirement from active mer- 
 cantile life, disposing of his store to L. P. Carstens in January, 1901. Soon after 
 Mr. Harrison and Mr. Holman established their store on Brady street, follow- 
 ing the fire, Mr. Harrison admitted his brother Charles to a partnership in the 
 business. They afterward had a store erected purposely for them near the site 
 on which the business is still carried on, and later Mr. Harrison built a store 
 which is still utilized for the business. Altogether he established six different 
 stores, which he continued to own and manage until his death. For forty years 
 he had been closely associated with the drug trade as proprietor, and even prior 
 to that time had been an employe in that field of labor. He enjoyed the reputa- 
 tion of being the most competent druggist in the state of Iowa, having intimate 
 knowledge of all the drugs and medicinal remedies which he handled, knowing 
 fully their properties and the results which might be attained by their use. 
 
 On the i6th, of May, 1865, Mr. 'Harrison was united in marriage to Miss 
 Frances Elizabeth McCallister, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was a 
 daughter of Dr. William R. McCallister, formerly a physician of Troy, Ten- 
 nessee, now deceased. The McCallisters were of Scotch lineage. The marriage 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison took place at Carrollton, Kentucky, and was the first 
 Protestant church wedding celebrated in that town. Her paternal grandfather, 
 Dr. Charles McCallister, married EHzabeth Clark, of Baltimore. The mother of 
 Mrs. Harrison was Frances Elizabeth Sims Reader, whose uncle was the author 
 of the Sims Theory, while her great-uncle was the father-in-law of President 
 Harrison. Mrs. Harrison was born in Cincinnati but was reared in Tennessee. 
 By her marriage she became the mother of nine children : Minnie Ingaloe, who 
 was born February '26, 1866, is now the wife of Oscar P. Judd, of Reno, Nevada, 
 Mary Eleanor, who was born May 11, 1868, is the wife of W. H. Snyder, of 
 Davenport; Cora Sims, who was born July 21, 1870, is the wife of George H. 
 Schaflfer, of Fort Madison, Iowa; William Henry, who was born March i, 1872, 
 died when only two weeks old ; Juliana was born April 26, 1873 ; Sarah Hay den 
 was born September 3, 1875 ; Edward Reader was born July 14, 1879 ; Wilfred 
 Hugh and Frances Elizabeth, twins, were born July i, 1882. The former wedded 
 Miss Mary Gibbons, of St. Paul, and the latter is the wife of Bert G. Powell. 
 There are now five grandchildren in the family. Mr. Harrison was a man of 
 considerable literary ability and was the author of a number of poems of more 
 
392 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 than ordinary merit. His reading covered a wide range and made him well in- 
 formed concerning a variety of subjects. At the time of his marriage he joined 
 the Methodist church and remained a consistent representative thereof until 
 his death, his earnest Christian faith being the permeating influence in an hon- 
 orable, upright life. His public spirit was manifest in his active support of 
 many measures for the public good and Davenport gained a valuable citizen 
 when he established his home within her borders. 
 
 HENRICH SPETH. 
 
 Henrich Speth, a retired agriculturist, has made his home in Davenport since 
 1893 and is the owner of the property on which he resides. His birth occurred in 
 Holstein, Germany, on the 12th of August, 1832, his parents being Eben and Antya 
 (Arp) Speth. The father spent his entire life in the fatherland, but the mother 
 came to this country and died in Iowa. Their children were five in number, 
 namely : Elsbie and Katherina, both of whom are now deceased ; Claus, living in 
 Germany ; Henrich, of this review ; and Lena, who has also passed away. 
 
 Henrich Speth, who obtained his education in Germany, spent the first twenty- 
 two years of his life in that country and in 1854 crossed the ocean to the United 
 States, landing at New Orleans. Thence he made his way up the Mississippi river 
 to Davenport, Iowa, arriving here in the month of September. ' He first secured 
 employment on a flat boat but soon afterward became identified with agricultural 
 interests as a farm hand, being thus engaged for several years. Subsequently he 
 devoted his attention to the cultivation of rented land and broke prairie. In 1863 
 he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of improved land in Cleona township 
 and the following year bought an adjoining tract of forty acres, but never lived 
 thereon. He leased his property for a number of years and did not take up his 
 abode upon his first purchase until 1869. He had been married in 1859 ^^'^ ^^ 
 sided on the Miller farm in Blue Grass township until 1869, when he established 
 his home on his farm in Cleona township, erecting a commodious and substantial 
 residence and otherwise improving the place. At the end of about six years he 
 put aside the active work of the fields and removed to Durant, Iowa, where he 
 lived retired for eighteen years. On the expiration of that period, in 1893, he 
 came to Davenport and has here since continued to reside. He is a stockholder 
 in the Durant Savings Bank and is well known and highly esteemed as one of the 
 prosperous and representative citizens of his community. 
 
 On the 29th of December, 1859, Mr. Speth was united in marriage to Miss 
 Bertha Nissen, a daughter of John and Maria Nissen. The mother passed away 
 in Germany and the father afterward came to the United States, landing at New 
 York in 1852. Mrs. Speth lived with an uncle at Jersey City for about four years 
 and then came to Scott county, Iowa, with her father. The latter's demise oc- 
 curred in 187s while he was enroute to Germany on a visit. Mrs. Speth was one 
 of a family of four children, two of whom died in Germany. The other, Christina, 
 who gave her hand in marriage to Fritz F. Gerken, is also now deceased. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 393 
 
 Politically Mr. Speth is a stanch advocate of the democratic party. While liv- 
 ing in Durant he served as a member of the council and proved a faithful and 
 capable public official. He belongs to the Old German Settlers Association and is 
 a valued member thereof. Germany has furnished to the United States many 
 bright, enterprising young men who have left the fatherland to enter the business 
 circles of this country with its more progressive methods, livelier competition and 
 advancement more quickly secured. Mr. Speth found the opportunity he sought 
 in the freedom and appreciation of the growing country. Though born across the 
 water, he is thoroughly American in thought and feeling, and is patriotic and sin- 
 cere in his love for the stars and stripes. His career is identified with the history 
 of Scott county, where he has acquired a competence and where he is an honored 
 and respected citizen. He has now passed the seventy-seventh milestone on this 
 earthly pilgrimage and his life has ever been such that he can look back over the 
 past without regret and forward to the future without fear. 
 
 HUGO G. SCHAEFER. 
 
 For a number of years Hugo G. Schaefer was a resident of Sheridan township, 
 where he farmed for ten years, but for the last decade and more he has been a 
 resident of the city of Davenport. A native of this county, he was born in Pleasant 
 Valley township, his parents being WiUiam and Lena (Houseman) Schssfer, who 
 were born' in Germany and shortly after their marriage emigrated to America. 
 They came to Scott county almost immediately and here the father rented land for 
 a time. Later he purchased one hundred and thirty acres in Pleasant Valley 
 township, and after a residence of about seven years thereon bought another farm 
 of one hundred and twenty acres in Davenport township. On it he lived during 
 the remainder of his active life, improving it and operating it with a marked suc- 
 cess. He had, however, in the course of years invested heavily in real estate, so 
 that at the time of his death he was in the possession of four hundred and sixty 
 acres. He was an eager participant in the public life of his township, having 
 served as road commissioner for a long period and was a member of the Old Ger- 
 man Settlers Society. The last years of his life were spent in Davenport and 
 there he passed away December 5, 1908, in the seventy-fifth year of his age. His 
 widow still survives. They were the parents of the following children : William, 
 who is engaged in farming in Pleasant Valley township ; Richard, an agriculturist 
 of Davenport township ; Alexander, who also resides in Pleasant Valley township ; 
 Hugo, in city of Davenport; Otto, of Pleasant Valley township ; Albert, a resident 
 of Davenport township ; Meta, who is the wife of WilHam Carsen, of Davenport ; 
 Emil, who died at the age of fourteen years ; and two who died in infancy. 
 
 Hugo G. Schaefer has spent a large part of his life in Scott county. As soon 
 as he was of suitable age he became a pupil in the district school near his home, 
 later attending a German school and a business college. At the age of fifteen he 
 put aside his text-books, left the farm and came to Davenport, that he might begin 
 his business career. For the first four years he was clerk in a store and then se- 
 cured a position as traveling salesman, in this capacity becoming familiar with the 
 
394 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 greater part of the south and west. In 1894 he opened a general store in Dixon, 
 this county, which he conducted profitably during the next two J^ears, but as his 
 health had failed he was compelled to sell his interests and so turned to agriculture. 
 He was not a man, however, to confine his work to one field if he saw other oppor- 
 tunities for advancement. As a result several industries and enterprises in Scott 
 county received his support. 
 
 On the 30th of April, 1895, Mr. Schaefer wedded Miss Adele Hagedorn, a 
 daughter of Christian and Mary (Schlotfeldt) Hagedorn, who are old German 
 settlers of Scott county. One son, Clarence A., has been born to the couple. Mr. 
 Schaefer is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge, of the Fraternal Order of 
 Eagles and of the Turner Society. His energies have never been exerted sel- 
 fishly but always in such a manner that his fellow citizens profited from them. 
 
 HANS SOENKE. 
 
 Among the old residents of Scott county who are now living in retirement in 
 Davenport, Hans Soenke is numbered. He was formerly engaged in farming 
 and still owns valuable and extensive lands in the state. He was born in Hol- 
 stein, Germany, January 31, 1836, a son of Hans and Christina (Jacobs) Soenke. 
 The father emigrated with his family to the new world in 1853, and, landing at 
 New York city, made his way direct to St. Louis, whence he went up the river 
 about a hundred miles, where lived some friends, with whom the Soenke family 
 remained for a few months. The father then sought a location and, deciding 
 upon Iowa as a suitable place to settle, he rented land in Hickory Grove town- 
 ship, Scott county, where he spent the first winter and then removed to Blue 
 Grass township, living there for four years, and then operated a farm in Hickory 
 Grove township. He next leased four hundred and eighty acres in Blue Grass 
 township, this being divided into two farms, which lay about three miles apart. 
 This was all prairie but Mr. Soenke at once began to place the fields under cul- 
 tivation, having fenced the place and erected a house. In course of years he 
 purchased this land and carried on farming on an extensive scale until his de- 
 mise. His family numbered eight children: Mary, deceased; Anna, who became 
 the wife of Fred Hanson but is now deceased ; Peter, who has also passed away ; 
 Hans, of this review ; Christina, the wife of John Foucht, a resident of Musca- 
 tine county, this state; John, deceased; Margaret, who became the wife of 
 J. Brothers and has also departed this life; and Katherine, the deceased wife 
 of Henry Timm. Both the parents died many years ago. The father, who was 
 born August 8, 1803, died in 1881 on the seventy-eighth anniversary of his birth. 
 The mother, who was likewise born in 1803, passed away in 1863. 
 
 Hans Soenke, whose name introduces this review, was a youth of seventeen 
 years when he accompanied his parents on their trip to the new world. After 
 their arrival here, he located with them in Scott county, where he found em- 
 ployment during the harvesting season. While thus engaged he had the mis- 
 fortune to lose his right arm. When the father rented a farm the son assisted 
 him in his work and accompanied him on his various removals after coming to 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 395 
 
 Scott county, assisting in the work of the different farms. After the father's 
 demise, Mr. Soenke took charge of the place and made it his home until 1898, 
 since which time he has lived retired in Davenport. He still retains possession 
 of the farm of two hundred and forty acres in Blue Grass township and owns 
 a similar amount in Clay county, this state. This is all valuable land and sup- 
 plies him with a good competency, which enables him to enjoy all the comforts 
 and many of the luxuries of Hfe. 
 
 Mr. Soenke was married December 20, 1865, to Miss Anna Inbeck, a daugh- 
 ter of John and Augustina Margaret Inbeck, whose parents located in Davenport 
 in 1863. They have become the parents of the following named. Christina is 
 the deceased wife of Louis Koechert, who lives on Mr. Soenke's farm in Clay 
 county. She was the mother of a daughter and two sons, Ida, Albert, and Her- 
 man. Hans, the next member of the family, wedded Helen Puck but is .now 
 deceased. Henry, who lives on the homestead place in Blue Grass township, 
 wedded Miss Minnie Sulk and they have two children, Karma and a baby. Wil- 
 helmina is the wife of Henry Faurback and they reside in Cleona township, Scott 
 county. They have five children, Fred, Mary Ann, Elmer, Ida and Loyd. Agnes 
 Soenke is the wife of William Ruge, of Walcott, Iowa, and is the mother of 
 five children, Walter, Clarence, Hans, Etta and Boeta. Ida, the sixth mernber 
 of the family, is with her parents. Herman, the youngest, wedded Ella Dean 
 and they have a daughter, Erma. 
 
 While still a resident of Blue Grass township, Mr. Soenke served as school 
 director for a number of years and was formerly on the directorate of the Wal- 
 cott Savings Bank and the Walcott Creamery Company and he still is a stock- 
 holder in these two concerns. He has been treasurer of the German Mutual 
 Fire Insurance Company of Walcott since 1882. In former years his life was 
 one of continuous activity, in which was accorded due recognition of labor, and 
 today he is numbered among the substantial citizens of Davenport and Scott 
 county. His interests have at all times been thoroughly identified with those of 
 Scott 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 won- 
 derful development. He is a member of the German Pioneers Association and 
 in politics is a democrat. 
 
 ALLEN R. BOUDINOT. 
 
 Allen R. Boudinot, a civil engineer of Davenport, who is also acting as county 
 drainage engineer, has been accorded a gratifying patronage in this connection in 
 recognition of his superior ability and knowledge. His birth occurred in Marion 
 county, Iowa, his parents being H. Raymond and Ella J. Boudinot. He attended 
 the schools of his native county but most of his education was obtained in the city 
 of his adoption, where he located at the age of ten years. After attending the Dav- 
 enport high school he became enrolled as a student in the Iowa State College at 
 Ames, being graduated therefrom as a civil engineer in the year 1905. 
 
396 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Stibsequently Mr. Boudinot spent about two years in Chicago as an employe 
 of the American Bridge Company but on the expiration of that period returned 
 to Davenport and has since practiced his profession here. His rapid and substan- 
 tial rise in his caUing is attributable to the thoroughness with which he has mas- 
 tered everything bearing upon the subject of civil engineering, combined with his 
 unwearied industry and his professional integrity. 
 
 On the 26th of September, 1906, Mr. Boudinot was united in marriage to Miss 
 Luverna Walston, a daughter of William and Sarah (Waite) Walston, who were 
 numbered among the pioneer settlers of Jones county, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Boudinot are now the parents of two children, William W. and Donald J. 
 
 ROBERT KRAUSE. 
 
 The activities of today become the history of tomorrow, and thus it is that 
 the name of Robert Krause is enrolled among those who have left their impress 
 upon the annals of Davenport through the part which they have taken in de- 
 veloping the industrial, commercial and financial projects of the city. Progres- 
 sive in business, his initiative spirit and constructive measures enabled him to es- 
 tablish one of Davenport's leading industries in founding and promoting the 
 Krause Shirt Company. He came to be known, moreover, in financial circles 
 as vice president of the Citizens Savings Bank, and he belonged to that class of 
 men who have proven the value of the German element in our American citi- 
 zenship. He was born in Walkenreid, in the province of Brunswick, Germany, 
 November 13, 1834, a son of Conrad Behrend and Francisca (Osthaus) Krause. 
 In the mind of the father the idea of establishing a home in America at length 
 took firm hold. He was a man of culture and education and the belief that the 
 United States would present greater opportunities for his children led him to 
 sever his association with the land of his birth and come with his family to the 
 new world. 
 
 Robert Krause was but fourteen years of age at the time of this change of 
 residence. Landing in New York, they proceeded by way of Buffalo to Cleve- 
 land, Ohio, and afterward to Mansfield, Ohio, where they lived for about twelve 
 years, and eventually came to Davenport. Robert Krause had begun his edu- 
 cation in the schools of the fatherland and continued his studies in Ohio, at 
 length becoming a pupil in Kenyon College, his course there completing his edu- 
 cation. Early in life he manifested splendid commercial talent. He came to 
 Davenport with his brother William and identified himself with the interests of 
 the city, at length founding and promoting the Krause Shirt Company, which 
 was and is one of Davenport's leading industries and was carried on by him 
 with entire success. He, was one of the promoters of the glucose industry here 
 and later became a factor in financial circles as the vice president of the Citizens 
 Bank, to which he gave the benefit of his services for thirty years. In fact, he 
 was thoroughly identified with many business projects in this city and thus be- 
 came one of its foremost builders. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 399 
 
 On New Year's day of i860 Mr. Krause was united in marriage to Miss 
 Louise Steinhelber, a daughter of Ezekiel and Wilhelmina Steinhelber, who be- 
 came pioneer residents of this city and were of great assistance in advising and 
 befriending many of the early German residents of Scott county. Mr. Stein- 
 helber engaged in the real-estate business here, also conducted a hotel, was the 
 owner of the first ice house and also of the first livery stable. Later he invested 
 in farm lands until he became the owner of eight hundred acres in Scott county, 
 upon which he spent the last thirty years of his life, save for a brief period 
 of five and a half months which were passed in California for the benefit of 
 his health. He was practically empty handed when he came to the United 
 States but his carefully directed business efforts and wise investments brought 
 him substantial success, making him one of the men of affluence of the county. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Krause were born two daughters. Emelia V. is the de- 
 ceased wife of Paul Karlowa, by whom she had three children, namely: Robert 
 Krause, Carolyn and Clara. The second daughter, Clara L., is the wife of L. P. 
 Best, of Davenport, and has two children, Louis Phillip and Gretchen. 
 
 The death of Mr. Krause occurred July 5, 1900. Mrs. Krause still survives 
 and resides at No. 527 West Eighth street. He was a man of genial nature, and 
 though he preferred a home life to clubs and social organizations, he was never- 
 theless a valued and interested member of the Turner Society and also of the 
 Schuetzen Verein. Long a resident of Davenport, all who knew him recognized 
 the soundness of his business principles and the value of his activities as factors 
 in the upbuilding of the city. Well descended and well bred, he manifested 
 throughout his life those sterling traits of character which in every land and 
 clime awaken confidence and regard. While he attained a prominent position 
 in commercial and industrial circles, the most envious could not grudge him his 
 success, so worthily was it won and so honorably used. 
 
 P. A. BEND'IXEN, M. D. 
 
 Dr. P. A. Bendixen, a successful and progressive young medical practitioner 
 of Davenport, has followed his profession here since January, 1907, having made 
 a specialty of surgery. He was born in this city on the 8th of October, 1881, his 
 parents being Peter and Catherine (Beenk) Bendixen, both of whom are na- 
 tives of Germany. They were married, however, in Davenport, the father mak- 
 ing his way to this city in 1872. He was a cabinet maker by trade but secured 
 a position as foreman in the Davenport Plough Works, acting in that capacity 
 for a number of years. Subsequently he took up his abode in Gladbrook, Iowa, 
 where he has been successfully engaged in the furniture business to the present 
 time. Unto him and his wife were born three children but the two daughters 
 
 died in infancy. 
 
 P. A. Bendixen, who was the youngest child in his father's family, obtained 
 his education in the public schools of Gladbrook and after being graduated from 
 the high school he entered the Chicago University, completing the scientific 
 course at that institution in 1902. Having determined upon the practice of 
 
400 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 medicine as a life work, he became enrolled as a student at Rush Medical Col- 
 lege and in 1905 the degree of M. D. was conferred upon him. He then had 
 charge of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Hospital in Chicago until 1906, 
 when he went to Europe and for eight months pursued post graduate work at 
 Berlin, Paris and Vienna, devoting special attention to the study of surgery, 
 of which branch of practice he has since made a specialty. In January, 1907, he 
 opened an office in Davenport, Iowa, and this city has since remained the scene 
 of his professional labors. That he keeps in touch with the profession in its 
 advancement, experimentation and experience is indicated through his mem- 
 bership with the Scott County Medical Society, the Iowa State Medical Society, 
 the American Medical Association, the Iowa and Illinois Central District Medical 
 Society, the Iowa Union Medical Society, the Second District Medical Society, 
 the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Surgical Association and the American 
 Association of Railway Surgeons. He acts as surgeon for the Chicago, Mil- 
 waukee & St. Paul Railroad and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad 
 and also for a number of manufacturing concerns and is examiner for the 
 Northwestern Insurance Company. 
 
 In October, 1907, Dr. Bendixen was united in marriage to Miss Jane Elspeth 
 Shuler, a native of Rapids City, Illinois. They now have a daughter, Jane 
 Elspeth, whose birth occurred on the 23d of September, 1908. 
 
 Dr. Bendixen belongs to Davenport Lodge, No. 37, A. F. & A. M. ; Davenport 
 Chapter, No. 16, R. A. M. ; Zarephath Consistory, No. 4; and Kaaba Temple, 
 A. A. O. N. M. S. ; and is likewise a valued and popular member of the Daven- 
 port Commercial Club and the Davenport Outing Club. While yet a young 
 man, he has already attained a creditable position in professional circles, and 
 the salient characteristics of his manhood are such as have brought him the 
 warm regard of those with whom he has been otherwise associated. 
 
 FRITZ KUELPER. 
 
 Fritz Kuelper, one of the old German settlers of Sheridan township, lives 
 upon an excellent farm of eighty acres which he owns, and despite his advanc- 
 ing years continues to retain the responsibility of its cultivation. He was born 
 in Mecklenburg, Germany, November 24, 1828, his parents being Mr. and Mrs. 
 Christ Kuelper, both natives of the fatherland. The father was a farmer in the 
 old country and about 1853 decided to try his fortune in America. Accordingly 
 in that year he and his family embarked upon the long ocean voyage, and, after 
 having landed in New York, came directly to Iowa. In Davenport Mr. Kuelper 
 found employment and later rented land in Blue Grass township, where he 
 devoted himself to farming. In his family were five children: Henry, who is 
 deceased; Fritz, the subject of this review; Marie, who became the wife of Wil- 
 Ham Orth, of Rock Island, Illinois; Minnie, deceased; and Christ, who is resid- 
 ing in Belle Plain, Iowa. 
 
 Fritz Kuelper was about twenty-five years of age when he came to this 
 country, so that he had previously obtained his education and had some experi- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 401 
 
 ence in the struggles of life. After his arrival in Scott county he found work 
 in Davenport and upon the farms surrounding the city. Later he rented land, 
 and, as the result of his savings, in 1879 bought the eighty acres on which he 
 now lives. Some improvements had already been made upon it at the time of 
 purchase, but these Mr. Kuelper carried forward, erecting fine barns, granaries 
 and other buildings, and remodeling those already standing. He found the 
 soil best adapted to general farming and to such he has devoted his attention, 
 gaining in the course of years a well merited success. 
 
 After he had firmly established himself in this new country, Mr. Kuelper 
 married Miss Dorothy Harder, a native of Germany. Their union was cele- 
 brated in December, 1866, and was blessed with eight children. Meta be- 
 came the wife of William Oldenburg, of Lester, Iowa, and they have five chil- 
 dren, Stella, Linda, Esther, Wilbur and Amanda. Julius, a resident of Wal- 
 cott, Iowa, wedded Miss Minnie Arp, and they have three children. Vera, Alice 
 and Lillian. Emma became the wife of Herman Weise, of Rock Rapids, Iowa, 
 and they have two daughters. Hazel and Alma. Amanda is at home. Frank 
 married Miss Amanda Detrick and lives in Davenport. Edward is at home. 
 Emelia became the wife of Otto Schwab, and they have two sons, Harland 
 and Russell. Theodore died in infancy. Mrs. Kuelper has also passed away, 
 her death having occurred July 28, 1898, when she was fifty-six years of age. 
 
 Mr. Kuelper is a member of the German Old Settlers Society, and while 
 he has always been interested in local affairs has not in any sense of the word 
 been an aspirant for political office, although he filled satisfactorily the position 
 of road supervisor for a period of years. He has spent his life quietly and un- 
 ostentatiously, performing each day's tasks as they came and winning in return 
 for industry and diligence an income that makes the higher enjoyment of life 
 possible. 
 
 JESSE R. PORTER, M. D. 
 
 Davenport numbers among her well known and prominent physicians Dr. Jesse 
 R. Porter, who during his residence in this city, which extends over a period of 
 about thirteen years, has built up a large and lucrative practice which is constantly 
 growing in volume and importance. The Porter family has longJbeen represented 
 in America, having come to this country from the north of Ireland in 1645, owing 
 to the unsettled and troubled condition of that country at that time. 
 
 His father. Dr. Joseph Porter, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, and came 
 to Scott county in 1854, locating in Blue Grass township, where he continued to 
 practice his profession until the time of his demise. He had acquired his medical 
 training in the State University of Ohio, at Columbus,, and had come west for the 
 purpose of opening an office but because of ill health was compelled to give up that 
 plan, being engaged as a surveyor for several years. Later, however, he followed 
 his profession in Blue Grass, where he practiced for thirty-nine years, and accord- 
 ing to length of time was the oldest practitioner, with one exception in this county 
 at the time of his death. He also took an active part in community affairs, being 
 prominent and influential in local republican ranks, serving in various public offi- 
 
402 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 ces. He also represented his district in the state legislature during the period 
 of the Civil war and was at all times prominently identified with the interests of the 
 community in which he resided. The mother of our subject was born on a sailing 
 vessel en route from Hamburg to New York, and, after a short time spent in 
 Pennsylvania, came with her parents to Scott county, about 1850, where she gave 
 her hand in marriage to Dr. Joseph Porter. They became the parents of seven 
 sons and one daughter, three sons beside our subject being now engaged in the 
 practice of medicine in Iowa, namely : Leroy V., of Bondurant ; and Clarence M. 
 and Charles E., both practicing in Menlo. 
 
 Jesse R. Porter, whose birth occurred in Blue Grass township on the 20th of 
 January, 1870, was reared under the parental roof and at the usual age was sent 
 as a pupil to the public schools, completing his preliminary education by his grad- 
 uation from high school. He then pursued a collegiate course at Drake Univer- 
 sity, after which he was engaged in teaching school for two years With the 
 money thus acquired he was able to take a course of study in the medical depart- 
 ment of Drake University, from which he was graduated with the class of 1897, 
 with the M. D, degree. He at once located in Davenport and has since continued 
 here in the practice of his profession. From the start he has been most successful, 
 becoming well known throughout the city as a conscientious and efficient physician 
 and surgeon, and the extensive practice which has been awarded him is both grati- 
 fying and remunerative. He keeps in close touch with what is going on in the 
 medical world through his membership in the Iowa State and Scott County Medi- 
 cal Societies and has ever remained a close student of the fundamental principles 
 of medicine, anything which tends to form the key to the mystery which we call 
 life being of special interest to him. In addition to a most gratifying private 
 practice he is also acting as examiner for the Washington Life Insurance Company 
 of New York. 
 
 Although Dr. Porter has never taken an active part in the public affairs of 
 Davenport, nevertheless he is public-spirited in his citizenship and gives stalwart 
 support to the principles of the republican party. Fraternally he is identified with 
 the Masonic body and is a most exemplary and valued member of that organiza- 
 tion. During his residence in this city he has become well known and honored 
 because of his excellent attainment in the line of his profession, and his fidelity to 
 all principles of honorable and upright manhood has gained him the respect, confi- 
 dence and good will of all with whom he has come in contact in both professional 
 and private relations. 
 
 CHARLES KEPPE. 
 
 When Charles Keppe first came to Scott county, it was before it had given full 
 evidence of the prosperity which has since distinguished it as an agricultural cen- 
 ter and before Davenport had developed beyond village Hfe. Indeed, one of the 
 vivid memories of his youth, in connection with this locality, is the sight of Mr. 
 Fulton and Antoine LeQaire pushing on wheelbarrows the first two loads of dirt 
 which had been dug preparatory to the construction of the first railroad in this 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 403 
 
 state. For many years he engaged in farming successfully upon a large tract of 
 land in Sheridan township, but has now retired from active life and makes his 
 home in Davenport. 
 
 Mr. Keppe was born at Neustadt-bei-Magdeburg, Germany, August i, 1839, ^ 
 son of Andrew and Elizabeth (Hepfner) Keppe. The former was born in the 
 fatherland in 1797 and could remember many incidents connected with Napoleon's 
 German war and in particular the excitement contingent upon his defeat of 1813. 
 On the 1st of September, 1852, he and his family embarked at Hamburg for the 
 voyage to America. Two months later, on the ist of November, they touched at 
 New Orleans, and then continued on their way to Davenport, which they reached 
 on the i8th of the month, for their progress up the Mississippi was very slow on 
 account of the ice. From the time they left Germany until they arrived here they 
 had not landed. It had been a long and tedious trip, throughout which, both for 
 his future reference and for the enlightenment of his sons, Mr. Keppe kept a diary 
 in which the weather and the incidents of passage were set down. In the old 
 country he had been a farmer, and when he came to Scott county, after spending 
 one year in Davenport, he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Sheridan 
 township, which had been partly improved and for which he paid forty dollars an 
 acre. There the mother died May 25, 1858, in the thirty-eighth year of her age, 
 and there the father resided for twenty-five years, or until he retired from active 
 life and removed to Davenport, where he died at the age of eighty-four. The old 
 homestead has descended to his grandson, Henry Keppe. 
 
 Charles Keppe has lived in Scott county since he was about thirteen years of 
 age. He had attended the schools of Germany for five years before the family 
 came to this country, and after they located here he had three months' training in 
 the district schools of Blue Grass township. Until 1861 he remained with his 
 father upon the farm, and then, during the course of the Civil war, worked at the 
 butcher's trade in Davenport in the employ of Henry Kohrs and Heller Brothers. 
 After his marriage he bought one hundred acres of improved land in Sheridan 
 township, upon which he lived until 1895, when he returned to Davenport to 
 occupy the fine residence he had built there. As the years brought him large re- 
 turns for his labor, he invested extensively in real estate until now he has six hun- 
 dred and forty acres of fine arable land in the township which was for so long his 
 home. He also owns two valuable pieces of town property, on one of which he 
 lives. 
 
 On the 9th of October, 1867, Mr. Keppe was married to Miss Wilhelmina 
 Richard, a daughter of Christian and Dorothy Richard. She was born in Ger- 
 many, May 18, 1847, and came to America with her parents in 1854. Her life 
 was brought to a close April 20, 1904. The four children who were born to Mr. 
 and Mrs. Keppe have also passed away and all are buried in the cemetery at Oak- 
 dale. Charles, the eldest of the family, married Miss Minnie Wonder, of Daven- 
 port, and left one daughter, Elsie. Emma became the wife of Dennis Curtis, of 
 Davenport, and is survived by five children: Madge, Charles, Nettie, Ralph and 
 Frank. Adeline died unmarried at the age of twenty-five years. Agnes lived to 
 be seven years old. 
 
 During the many years Mr. Keppe was a resident of Sheridan township, he 
 was intimately identified with its public life. He was a republican in his political 
 
404 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 views and upon that party's ticket was elected to all of the various offices within 
 the gift of the people. He belongs to the association of the old German settlers 
 and is a man highly esteemed by those who have come into contact with him in 
 public or private life, for honesty and integrity ever marked his acts. 
 
 LOUIS WILLIAM STEINBERG. 
 
 Louis William Steinberg was born on the 3d of November, 1822, in Miin- 
 den, Hanover, Germany. He came to America with his parents at the age of 
 ten years and landed at Baltimore, where he received his schooling and later 
 went to Cincinnati, Ohio, there following the trade of a tailor and cutter. In 
 1848 he married Anna Wilhelmine Hagen, who was born in Cuxhaven, Germany, 
 on the 25th of March, 1822. Being left an orphan at a tender age, she was 
 reared in the family of Dr. Ronneberg, of Hamburg. At the age of eighteen 
 she came to America as companion to Mrs. Jackson, a relative of the celebrated 
 statesman. General Andrew Jackson. They landed at New Orleans after being 
 at sea nine weeks, making the voyage in a sail boat. In 1852 Mr. and Mrs. 
 Steinberg came to Davenport, where they resided for nearly fifty years. 
 
 L. W. Steinberg was one of the first and most active members of the Maen- 
 nerchor of this city. He was also a member of Scott Lodge of the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows and was one of a committee of two to translate the con- 
 stitution into the German language for the use of the lodge. Though quiet and 
 retiring in his habits, he was passionately fond of music and flowers, and many 
 there were who enjoyed the hospitality of his home, with its beautiful rose garden. 
 He died November 5, 1895, missed and mourned by all who knew him. His 
 wife, who survived him for ten years, passed away on the 23d of October, 1905, 
 at the age of eighty-three years, honored and revered by all relatives and a host 
 of friends. Five daughters are left to cherish the memory of a loving father 
 and devoted mother. They are as follows: Pauline, the wife of E. H. Schmidt; 
 Bertha, the widow of G. A. Doellinger; Cornelia, the widow of Ed James; Eve- 
 line, the widow of Otto Clausen; and Miss Tillie Steinberg. All are residents 
 of Davenport. 
 
 CHARLES MURRAY. 
 
 Charles Murray, one of the prominent and highly respected farmers of Daven- 
 port township, was born in Scotland, April 8, 1850, and is a son of Charles and 
 Barbara Murray. In the year 1856 the parents brought their family to the United 
 States, landing at Philadelphia, whence they made their way to Scott county, Iowa, 
 influenced in their choice of a destination by the fact that the father had a brother, 
 George Murray, living in this locality. On reaching Scott county he rented land 
 from his brother George until his savings were sufficient to enable him to purchase 
 a farm, and in time he became the owner of two farms in Hickory Grove township. 
 
..' 
 
 d^l^yl^ 
 
 'vi^O-^yy 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 407 
 
 He afterward sold those properties and bought the farm upon which his son 
 Charles now resides. At one time it comprised three hundred and twenty acres 
 of fine land, highly improved, and the parents made their home upon this place 
 until they were called to their final rest, the father passing away at the age of 
 seventy-five years, while the mother was seventy years of age at the time of her 
 death. 
 
 Charles Murray, who was one of a family of nine children, has lived in Scott 
 county from the age of six years. He had begun his education in the schools of 
 Scotland, but the greater part of his technical knowledge was received in the public 
 schools of this county. He was trained in the work of the fields under the direc- 
 tion of his father and early became familiar with all the duties and labors that fall 
 to the lot of the agriculturist as he plows his land and cultivates and harvests his 
 crops. Throughout his entire Ufe Mr. Murray has carried on general farming and 
 stock-raising, making a specialty of Poland China hogs and red polled cattle. He 
 now owns eighty acres of arable land and his careful cultivation of his fields 
 enables him to gather rich harvests annually. 
 
 In November, 1872, Mr. Murray was united in marriage to Miss Christina 
 Rigg, a daughter of William and Mary Rigg, of Sheridan township, and they have 
 become parents of five children : William C, Margaret, Louisa, Edward and Elsie. 
 All are yet at home with the exception of the elder son, William, who is living in 
 Lincoln township. He married Lillie Clay and has two children. Clay C. and 
 Clyde. 
 
 Mr. Murray has always been a champion of the cause of education and is now 
 serving as president of the school board. He has also acted for several years as 
 school director, has been road supervisor and township trustee and in these various 
 offices has discharged his duties with promptness and fidelity. He attends the 
 Presbyterian church and holds membership with the Mystic Toilers of Davenport. 
 A resident of the county for more than half a century, he is well known here, many 
 of his stanchest friends being those with whom he has been acquainted from boy- 
 hood, a fact which indicates a well spent and honorable life. Moreover, he has 
 been an interested witness of events which have shaped the history of the county 
 and on many occasions has given his support to movements for the public good. 
 
 OLIVER W. KULP, M. D. 
 
 Dr. Oliver W. Kulp, physician and surgeon of Davenport, his native city, was 
 born July 4, 1874, the son of Dr. John H. Kulp, who was a native of Sherman, 
 Summit county, Ohio, born on the 21st of June, 1849. John H. Kulp obtained his 
 literary education in the Mennonite Academy at Wadsworth, Ohio, and in 1869 
 came to Iowa, taking up the study of medicine in the medical department of the 
 University of Iowa, which institution conferred upon him the degree of M. D. in 
 1872. He had studied under the direction of Professor Robertson, of Muscatine, 
 Iowa, who was professor of the theory and practice of medicine in the University 
 of Iowa. Prior to his graduation he entered the State Hospital for the Insane at 
 Mount Pleasant, Iowa, as apothecary and hospital clerk and after receiving his 
 
408 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 degree he was appointed second assistant physician of that institution, which posi- 
 tion he held for two and a half years, when he was made first assistant. He like- 
 wise spent one season at post-graduate work in Bellevue Hospital of New York 
 city and in 1874 opened an office at Davenport, Iowa, continuing a successful and 
 prominent practitioner of medicine here until the time of his demise. He gradu- 
 ually began specializing in nervous and mental diseases and diseases of women and 
 eventually devoted his attention exclusively to those branches. For more than 
 twenty years he acted as trustee of Mount Pleasant Hospital, was a member of the 
 consulting board of St. Luke's Hospital and served as alienist of the insane depart- 
 ment at Mercy Hospital. He was likewise surgeon for the Burlington, Cedar 
 Rapids & Northern Railroad. For two terms he acted as president of the Scott 
 County Medical Society, while in the Iowa and Illinois Central District Medical 
 Society he was also elected to that responsible position, serving for one term. 
 
 On the 24th of September, 1873, Dr. John H. Kulp was joined in wedlock to 
 Miss Mary E. Cauffman, of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, by whom he had two sons: 
 Oliver W., of this review; and Ray Ranney, who is mentioned elsewhere in this 
 work. Both have followed in the professional footsteps of their father. John H. 
 Kulp was a republican in his political views, while fraternally he was identified 
 with the Masons and the Knights of Pythias. 
 
 Oliver W. Kulp was educated in the public schools, wherein he continued his 
 course until graduating from the high school. He then entered upon the study of 
 medicine in the Iowa State University and was graduated in the class of 1896, 
 after which he entered his father's office and practiced as his partner until the out- 
 break of the Spanish-American war, when he enlisted as a private of Company B, 
 Fiftieth Iowa Infantry, with which he served until stricken with swamp fever. 
 He still remained an active member of the National Guard, holding the rank of 
 captain until February 10, 1910, when he resigned Since his return home he has 
 devoted his attention to his practice. He is also vice president of the Tri City 
 Concrete Company. He takes a deep interest in public aiifairs but is not an office 
 seeker. His political support is given to the republican party where national issues 
 are involved but at local elections he casts an independent ballot. 
 
 In 1902 Dr. Kulp wedded Miss May Bettendorf, a daughter of W. P. Betten- 
 dorf, and they have one son, John William. Dr. Kulp is identified with the Be- 
 nevolent and Protective Order of Elks and with other fraternal societies. 
 
 HENRY DIEHN, SR. 
 
 Henry Diehn, Sr., the vice president of the Davenport Cigar Box Company, 
 one of the flourishing industries of the city, was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, 
 June 6, 1837, and is a son of John and Margaret Diehn. He received his education 
 in the public schools of his native land, later finding employment in the brickyards 
 there. In 1868 he determined to try the opportunities for advancement said to be 
 found here and accordingly sailed for America. He landed at New York, came 
 almost immediately to Davenport, where the first employment he was able to secure 
 was in a brewery. He worked there five years and then became connected with 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 409 
 
 Moeller's cigar box factory, in which he learned the business thoroughly. He was 
 ever eager to better his fortunes and establish himself securely in the commercial 
 world, and accordingly, about 1884, he and two friends, George Krabenhoflfer and 
 Christ Neimand, organized the Davenport Cigar Box Company, with a factory on 
 Western avenue. A year and a half later Mr. Neimand sold his interests to The- 
 odore Krabenhoffer and retired, and in 1896 the present company was incorpo- 
 rated with other stockholders and local capital. From the beginning it has been 
 a prosperous concern, doing each year an amount of business in excess of that of 
 the preceding year and fully justifying Mr. Diehn's confidence in his ability, his 
 sagacity and in his power to wrest from circumstances surrounding him the means 
 for advancement, for he has been largely instrumental in its success. 
 
 Before he came to the United States Mr. Diehn wedded Miss Fredrica Vick- 
 bolt, whose birth occurred October 24, 1840. She passed away July 26, 1907, and 
 is survived by five of her six children, Christ, employed in the box factory, married 
 Miss Emma Timming, and they have one son, Jiilius. Mary became the wife of 
 Herman Goetsch and they have three children, Arthur, Herbert and Ella. Henry, 
 Jr., foreman in the factory, married Miss Louise Schraeder and they have a daugh- 
 ter, Leona. August, a resident of Ottumwa county, Iowa, was married to Miss 
 Charlotte Schoffenburg and is the father of three children, Verona, Barnhart and 
 August. Herman, who lives in Davenport, wedded Miss Dora Ehlers. Louisa is, 
 deceased. 
 
 While Mr. Diehn has been most closely identified with the concern of which he 
 is vice president and which he was active in promoting from the beginning, he has 
 not been blind to the business opportunities aflforded by other firms, but has become 
 a stockholder in the Farmers Bank and in the Independent Brewing Company. He 
 has always been active in the commercial affairs of Davenport, although of recent 
 years he has taken less part than in the past. He came to the city with the deter- 
 mination to make a place for himself and despite competitors may feel gratified 
 with the success the past has brought him. 
 
 RT. REV. JAMES DAVIS, D. D. 
 
 The Right Rev. James Davis, bishop of Iowa, was born in November, 1852, in 
 County Kilkenny, Ireland, a son of James and Margaret Davis, who were devoted 
 to their church and their children were reared in a strong religious atmosphere. 
 The eldest, Thomas, who died October 4, 1904, entered the religious order of the 
 Carmelites and rose to the rank of provincial in Ireland. Richard is an esteemed 
 Catholic priest of Louisville, Kentucky. Three sisters are connected with religious 
 orders, one being Superior of Sacred Heart convent at Sag Harbor, Long Island. 
 Another, St. Sebastian, is a member of the same order at Befie, France, and a 
 third. Sister Constance, is Superior of the Immaculate Conception Academy at 
 Newport, Kentucky. 
 
 The early religious instruction of Bishop Davis was received under the direc- 
 tion of the very Rev. F. Fogarly, P. P., at Donemagin. He began his studies for 
 the church at Mt. Carmelite College, Knocktopher, under the direction of the Car- 
 
410 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 melite Fathers. After completing his classical courses, he entered St. Patrick's 
 Ecclesiastical College in Carlow, where he completed his theological course. His 
 ordination to the priesthood took place June 21, 1878, the Right Rev. Bishop 
 Welch, of the diocese of Kildare and Longhlain, officiating. 
 
 Soon thereafter he came to the United States and entered upon his clerical 
 duties in Iowa, he having been adopted by the Right Rev. Bishop Hennessey, of 
 Dubuque, during the time he was studying in Carlow. After a short period spent 
 at the cathedral in Dubuque, Bishop Davis was assigned to St. Peter's church at 
 Windham, Iowa, where he remained for two years. He was then at St. Mary's 
 church at Oxford, Iowa, for four years, and it was while he was there that the 
 original diocese of Dubuque, then embracing the whole state, was divided and Dav- 
 enport made the see city of the new diocese. The Right Rev. McMullen, D. D., 
 was the first bishop, he being succeeded by the Right Rev. A. Cosgrove, who in 
 1884 assigned Father Davis to St. Michael's church at Holbrook, Iowa. There 
 he was given full opportunity to demonstrate his ability as an organizer and upon 
 the resignation of the Very Rev. A. Trevis of Cathedral, Father Davis was ap- 
 pointed in November, 1889, to preside over the Cathedral congregation at Daven- 
 port. From the beginning he faced hard work, the erection of the Sacred Heart 
 church. He brought to bear his magnificent powers of organization, worked un- 
 ceasingly with faithful zeal, and had the satisfaction of participating in its dedica- 
 tion. After six years of remarkable work. Father Davis was appointed to the office 
 of vicar general made vacant by the death of the Very Rev. A. Trevis, December 
 18, 1895. In the years that followed he continued to labor faithfully for his 
 church and the people under his charge, and November 30, 1904, he was conse- 
 crated bishop to succeed Bishop Cosgrove. 
 
 Probably there is no dignitary of the church in Amwica who is more univer- 
 sally honored and beloved, irrespective of religious beliefs, than Bishop Davis. 
 Learned, experienced and sympathetic, he not only is laboring for the good of his 
 own people but to advance Davenport and Iowa and to maintain the highest pos- 
 sible standard of morality. 
 
 D. J. McCarthy, m. d. 
 
 Dr. D. J. McCarthy, one of the leading members of the medical fraternity 
 in Davenport, has here been engaged in general practice since December, 1900, 
 making a specialty of surgery. His birth occurred in South Groveland, Mas- 
 sachusetts, on the i8th of March, 1874, his parents being Philip and Cecilia 
 (Duffy) McCarthy, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Massachu- 
 setts. The father is still a resident of the old Bay state. 
 
 D. J. McCarthy supplemented his preliminary education, obtained in the 
 public schools of his native state, by a course in Holy Cross College of Worces- 
 ter, Massachusetts. Subsequently he entered Georgetown University at Wash- 
 ington, D. C, where he received the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Master 
 of Arts, while in 1899 the degree of M. D. was conferred upon him. In addi- 
 tion to this very thorough collegiate work he was a believer, as he is still, in the 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 413 
 
 doctrine of a sound mind in a sound body; and to this end he became a leader 
 on the athletic field, leading the varsity baseball nine in its now famous victo- 
 ries against the eastern college teams, and being otherwise prominent in athletic 
 circles. After leaving college he served on the university medical staff at 
 Georgetown and the hospital staff at Providence hospital, in Washington, which 
 is known as one of the strongest and most thorough hospitals in the United 
 States. In December, 1900, he located for practice at Davenport, Iowa, and 
 has here since remained, being now widely recognized as one of the most promi- 
 nent representatives of his profession in this 'city. He makes a specialty of sur- 
 gery and in this branch of practice has established an enviable reputation. He 
 keeps in touch with the onward march of the profession through his member- 
 ship in the various medical societies, and is a member of the board of Mercy 
 Hospital and of St. Luke's Hospital. He is also visiting physician to St. Vin- 
 cent's Orphanage and Immaculate Conception Academy. The splendid prac- 
 tice which he now enjoys has come to him in recognition of his skill and abiUty 
 in the field of labor which he has chosen as a life work. 
 
 Fraternally Dr. McCarthy is identified with the Knights of Columbus and 
 the Knights of Father Mathew. He is a man of marked individuality, of 
 strong character and stalwart purpose, who in citizenship and professional 
 circles and in private life commands the respect of all with whom he has been 
 brought in contact. 
 
 WILLIAM M. SMITH. 
 
 To William M. Smith, Civil war veteran and survivor of some of its fiercest 
 conflicts, Scott county pioneer, and formerly one of Davenport's foremost busi- 
 ness men, must be accorded a prominent place on the list of her retired citizens; 
 After a well spent, industrious life, it is his happy fate to enjoy the peace and 
 leisure of retirement in his declining years. 
 
 He was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, February 25, 1837, and 
 is of German descent, his parents, Daniel and Barbara (Weinkle) Smith, being 
 by birth subjects of the German emperor. The father was educated in the Ger- 
 man schools, learned the trade of a blacksmith and entered the German army, 
 where he served for the prescribed time. When still a young man he became a 
 citizen of the United States, locating in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, 
 where he followed his trade until 1854, when he brought his family to Scott 
 county, Iowa. In Davenport he engaged in blacksmithing for several years, and 
 both he and his wife died in this city. 
 
 William M. Smith received his education in the schools of the county in which 
 he was born and after the family's removal to Iowa worked in sawmills until 
 the breaking out of the Rebellion. In 1862 he enlisted in Company C, Twentieth 
 Iowa Infantry, his service continuing until the close of the war. Joining the regi- 
 ment at Clinton, Iowa, he went into camp with it at Camp McClellan for a short 
 time. It was then ordered to St. Louis, Missouri, and after remaining there for 
 a time, was in active service in that state. It subsequently participated in a number 
 
414 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 of engagements, among them Prairie Grove, Arkansas; Vicksburg and Fort 
 Blakeley. He was mustered out at the close of the war at Mobile, Alabama. 
 
 During the trying reconstruction period Mr. Smith came back to Davenport 
 and established himself in business as a manufacturer of vinegar. In partner- 
 ship with Edward Fay, he opened a store on Front street, deahng in wrapping 
 paper and grocery sundries, and they continued together until 1882, in which year 
 the partnership was dissolved and Mr. Smith organized the Amazon Vinegar & 
 Pickling Company, a local company with a capital stock of thirty thousand dol- 
 lars. For four years our subject acted as business manager, but in 1886 he sev- 
 ered his connection with the company and bought three hundred and twenty acres 
 of farm land in Butler township, where he lived and engaged in agriculture until 
 1901, when he retired from active life and returned to Davenport. 
 
 In August, 1863, Mr. Smith married Miss Clara Goetch, a daughter of Herman 
 Goetch, one of Davenport's pioneers. Thirteen children were born of the union, 
 seven of them being deceased. Those living are: W. H. Smith, of Davenport, 
 his wife having been before her marriage Miss Anna Miller ; Hilda, who married 
 Matthew Schnell, of Chicago; Gustave, a resident of Rock Island; Ella, the wife 
 of John Jeske, of Davenport ; Arthur, who is married and living in Davenport ; 
 and Freda, who married Henry Toppendorf, of Rock Island. 
 
 The social is not wanting from Mr. Smith's nature and he is identified with 
 several organizations, among them the Legion of Honor and the Knights of 
 Pythias lodge No. 10, of Davenport. A self-made man, he has a successful life 
 to look back upon. 
 
 J. P. VAN PATTEN. 
 
 J. P. Van Patten, vice president of the First National Bank and president of 
 the grocery firm of J. P. Van Patten & Company, occupies a prominent posi- 
 tion in financial and commercial circles in Davenport. Said one who knew 
 him well — himself a commanding factor in the business world — "His word is 
 as good as his bond; he is the soul of honor and the better one knows him the 
 greater the respect and the warmer the friendship." He was born in Jordan, 
 New York, September 24, 1833. His father, John Van Patten, a native of Schen- 
 ectady, New York, was born in 1786, while the mother, Mrs. EHzabeth Van Pat- 
 ten, whose family name was also the same, was born in 1796. The Van Patten 
 family is of Holland Dutch stock and was established in Schenectady in i66i. 
 John Van Patten was an architect by profession and attained prominence in 
 that field in New York city. In 1834 he removed to the west, establishing his 
 home at Centerville, St. Joseph county, Michigan, where he lived for a short time 
 and then went to Fawn River, in the same county. There he practiced his pro- 
 fession and erected a number of public buildings, his death occurring at Fawn 
 River in 1840. 
 
 J. P. Van Patten was the youngest in a family of four children. His eldest 
 sister married C. C. Alvord, of Fawn River, and went to reside in Davenport, 
 Iowa, in the late '30s. Following the death of the father, the family decided to 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 415 
 
 make Davenport their home. The mother was accompanied by her three sons : 
 Philip, then sixteen years of age; Nelson, aged eleven years; and John P., nine 
 years of age. They left Fawn River and made the journey to Davenport in a 
 prairie schooner, traveling through Chicago, then a town of seven thousand in- 
 habitants. They reached the Mississippi river at Albany, Illinois, crossed on the 
 ice and arrived in Davenport, November i6, 1842. That season was a record 
 breaker for ice, which did not float down the river until the 7th of April. In the 
 spring of 1843 J- ?■ Van Patten secured employment on the farm of Mr. Alvord, 
 his sister's father-in-law, where he worked for his board. He remained there 
 almost a year, working hard and obtaining what meager education he could. In 
 1844 his mother decided to go east and J. P. Van Patten accompanied her to 
 Canandaigua, New York. They proceeded down the Mississippi by steamboat, 
 thence up the Ohio and by canal crossed the state of Ohio to Lake Erie, where 
 they took boat to Buffalo and thence continued on their way to Canandaigua by 
 canal. These trips at that time were full of interest and adventure to a young 
 boy whose experiences in life were thus far Hmited. He remained in the east for 
 four years and during three years of that time was a student in the Canandaigua 
 Academy, after which he engaged in clerking for a year in a book store. But 
 the west was attractive to him and he determined to return to Davenport, going 
 by steamer from Buffalo to Chicago, by canal to Peru and by steamer to Daven- 
 port. His brother-in-law, C. C. Alvord, had a farm near Long Grove, Scott 
 county, and Mr. Van Patten worked on that farm until the 12th of August, 1848. 
 He then put aside the labors of the field and again came to the city, where for 
 three years he engaged in clerking for B. Sandford, a grocer and druggist on Front 
 street. That his services were satisfactory and that his reliabihty was a pro- 
 nounced feature in his service is indicated in the fact that in 185 1 he was ad- 
 mitted to a partnership. With renewed purpose he bent his energies toward the 
 expansion and development of the business and hi's labors were a potent ele- 
 ment in its growth. In 1854 Mr. Sandford retired from the firm, selling his in- 
 terest to C. C. Alvord, and the firm style of Alvord & Van Patten was then as- 
 sumed and was so continued until 1867. In that year the senior partner sold out 
 to Morton L. Marks and the firm became Van Patten & Marks, wholesale gro- 
 cers. They conducted a prosperous and growing business until 1903, when the 
 partnership was discontinued and Mr. Van Patten reorganized the busi- 
 ness as a corporation under the style of J. P. Van Patten & Sons, three of his 
 sons, John N., Edward H. and Alfred Schuyler, becoming associated with him in 
 the ownership and conduct of the enterprise. This is today one of the leading 
 houses of its character in Davenport. Mr. Van Patten has come to be recognized 
 as one of the representative merchants here and a business man of pronounced 
 ability, whose activities are further evidenced in his service as vice president of 
 the First National Bank. 
 
 While his life has been a busy and useful one and from an early age he has 
 been dependent upon his own resources, so that unfaltering industry and ready 
 adaptability have constituted the foundation of his success, yet he has found 
 time and opportunity for cooperation in public affairs and has long been an active 
 and influential factor in politics. He is a loyal republican but not an office seeker. 
 He has been a delegate to county and state conventions on many occasions and 
 
416 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 his counsel and advice have been many times sought and often heeded. He has re- 
 fused the nomination for mayor and other positions of high preferment, but 
 for many years has been treasurer of the republican county central committee 
 and in a private capacity has done everything possible to promote the growth 
 and insure the success of the party. Every movement for the benefit of the city 
 receives his endorsement and his cooperation is of a practical character that has 
 led to substantial results. 
 
 In 1859 Mr. Van Patten was married to Miss Dorothy Hartzell, a daughter of 
 the Rev. Jonas Hartzell of Ohio. Their children are as follows : Mrs. Florence 
 Sweeney ; Elizabeth, who died at the age of eighteen years ; Mrs. Marion Harper, 
 also deceased; Alice, now the wife of Dr. W. L. Allen; John N. ; Alfred; and 
 Philip. 
 
 The life and labors of J. P. Van Patten should be a source of inspiration to 
 the young. Through difficulties and disadvantages of which one who has not 
 had similar experiences can form little idea, he has steadily worked his way 
 upward until he stands today as one of Davenport's foremost citizens. He is a 
 man of resolute purpose and when one avenue of opportunity has seemed closed 
 he has sought out other paths to success and has eventually reached his objective 
 point. He is today one of the most honored as well as one of the 'most prosper- 
 ous merchants and business men of Davenport. 
 
 J. H. HASS. 
 
 One of the native sons of Davenport, who has risen to a position of honor and 
 respect not only in this city but throughout the state, holds the responsible offices 
 of vice president and cashier of the Scott County National Bank. His father, 
 Detlef Hass, was born in northern Germany and came to the United States in 
 1852. As he had chosen the southern route, he landed at New Orleans and 
 ascended the Mississippi river to Davenport, where he engaged in the building 
 and contracting business. Having won a pronounced success from his operations, 
 he retired from active life in 1886, and in September, ten years later, passed 
 away. His wife, who was Miss Margarita Schroeder in her maidenhood, had 
 died many years before, for she passed away in 1859. They were married in 
 Germany, where their eldest child, Louisa, was born. She is now Mrs. Stibolt. 
 
 J. H. Hass, the only son, was born October 14, 1854. He attended the public 
 schools of the city and, having completed the education they afforded, in 1872 
 entered the law office of Bills & Block, with whom he remained two years. He 
 was not destined for the legal profession, however, and at the end of that time, 
 in 1874, became assistant bookkeeper in the Citizens National Bank, and to bank- 
 ing and kindred fields of activities Mr. Hass has since devoted all his energies. 
 After ten years' experience in the employ of the Citizens National, on the ist 
 of December, 1883, when the Scott County Savings Bank was organized, he was 
 put in charge of the concern, being then the only employe. He has, in the sub- 
 sequent years, been closely identified with the institution, having proved his effi- 
 ciency in every position attd contributed in no small degree toward making the 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 417 
 
 concern the splendid financial institution it is today. In 1884, after only a year's 
 experience, he was made cashier, and in 1908 was made second vice president. 
 When the Iowa National Bank was organized he was made a director, which 
 position he still holds. Previously he was connected with P. T. Walsh in the 
 establishment of the Walsh Construction Company, of which he is treasurer. 
 Mr. Hass is a man in whom others intuitively place confidence and upon whose 
 judgment they are willing to rely. 
 
 In September, 1881, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Hass and Miss Emma 
 E. Hanssen, a daughter of Louis Hanssen, one of the old and respected pioneers 
 of Davenport. Two children have been born to them. Leon H., now a student 
 at Yale College; and Clara Louise, attending the high school of Davenport. 
 Since 1884, Mr. Hass has been a member of lodge No. 37, A. F. & A. M., and 
 also of Zarephath Consistory. He is a member of the executive committee of 
 the savings banks section of the American Bankers Association and as there 
 are only nine in this body and they chosen from the whole United States, he may 
 be pardonably proud of this distinction which his coworkers have placed upon 
 him. Politically he is a democrat of the Cleveland type, but he is not an office 
 seeker, for his private interests make him a busy man and leave little time for 
 other concerns, and yet, in reviewing the record of his life, his fellow citizens 
 have profited by his work and the standard of manhood has been raised by his 
 endeavors. Personally he is endowed with those characteristics which make a 
 man always welcome among his associates, and he is one of the active members 
 of the Outing Club. In religious matters he finds the tenets of the Unitarian 
 church in accord with the breadth of his views. 
 
 TIMOTHY A. MURPHY. 
 
 Timothy A". Murphy, engaged in the general practice of law and also in 
 charge of a large collection business in Davenport, was born in Marengo, Iowa, 
 March 30, 1862, and is a son of Jeremiah H. and Mary A. (Green) Murphy. 
 The father was a native of Massachusetts and, as the name indicates, is descended 
 from Irish ancestry, while the mother is of English birth and parentage. 
 
 The public schools of Davenport aflForded Timothy A. Murphy his early edu- 
 cational privileges, his studies being pursued through consecutive grades until he 
 had completed the work of the high school. He then took a collegiate course in 
 the Iowa State University and was admitted to practice law in 1888 before the 
 supreme court in Des Moines. He had prepared for examination as a law student 
 in his father's office, the' firm being then ElHs, Murphy & Gould. When Jere- 
 miah H. Murphy was elected to congress the firm became Gould & Murphy, 
 with Timothy A. Murphy as the junior partner. This association was maintained 
 until the death of Mr. Gould, when William A. White became a member of the 
 firm and was thus associated until 1892, when Mr. Murphy formed a partner- 
 ship with Louis G. Susemihl under the firm name of Murphy & Susemihl. Mr. 
 Murphy is now attorney for R. G. Dun & Company and in addition to conducting 
 a general practice does a large collecting business. He is also a director in the 
 
418 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 German Savings Bank and his interests are of a varied character, making him a 
 man of affairs. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Murphy is a democrat and has served as United 
 States commissioner of the second congressional district. He is always conversant 
 with the vital principles and questions of the day and able to support his position 
 by intelligent argument, yet political interests are but a side issue in his life, as 
 he prefers to concentrate his time and energies upon the profession of the law and 
 the other business affairs to which he has directed his attention. Endowed by 
 nature with strong intellect, he has made wise use of his time and talents and he 
 is granted a creditable position among Davenport's representative men. 
 
 E. B. HAYWARD. 
 
 Among those who have come from eastern districts to Scott county to be- 
 come identified with its business interests may be numbered Major E. B. Hay- 
 ward, who is well known as a successful lumber manufacturer of Davenport. 
 His success in all his undertakings has been so marked that his methods are of 
 interest to the commercial world, and investigation into his history shows that 
 he has based his business principles and actions upon strict adherence to the rules 
 which govern economy, industry and unswerving integrity. 
 
 Born in Essex county. New York, October 25, 1842, he comes of a family 
 that has long lived in the eastern states and has also been prominent in military 
 circles. Tracing the ancestry back through four generations in the paternal line, 
 we come to the • great-grandparents, Ephraim and Phoebe (Dickerson) Hay- 
 ward. The former was born in New Jersey in 1760 and served in Washing- 
 ton's army throughout the Revolutionary war. He passed away at EUenburg, 
 New York, in 1849, when he had reached the very advanced age of eighty-nine 
 years. His family included David Hayward, the grandfather of our subject, 
 who was born in July, 1790, and was married to Miss Lucretia Chapman. David 
 Hayward was a prominent lumberman of Essex county. The father, William 
 J. Hayward, was born in 1813. He engaged in merchandising and also followed 
 the occupation of farming and the lumber business, becoming a very success- 
 ful man. His wife bore the maiden name of Betsy Leland and was a grand- 
 daughter of Thomas Leland, one of the Lexington Minute Men. In 1876 Mr. 
 and Mrs. Hayward left the east and removed to Davenport, spending their re- 
 maining years in this city. 
 
 E. B. Hayward was reared under the parental roof and acquired his educa- 
 tion in the schools of Essex county. He enlisted there as a member of the 
 Fifth New York Cavalry in 1861 for service in the Civil war. He became a 
 private but was promoted to captain and later to brevet major in the Army of 
 the Potomac. He served faithfully and valiantly for four years, after which he 
 received an honorable discharge. 
 
 Following his return from the field of battle, Mr. Hayward engaged in 
 business in New York for one year and subsequently removed with his family 
 to Wisconsin, where he spent two years. He still sought another field, in 
 
a' 
 
 "a^c 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 421 
 
 which to give scope to his activity and accordingly made a permanent location 
 in April, 1869, at Davenport. He here engaged in the lumber business with 
 the firm of Lindsay & Phelps Company, while later he assisted in organizing 
 the Eagle Lumber Company and Hayward Timber Company of Arkansas, the 
 Hayward Lumber Company of Texas and the State Lumber Company of Van- 
 couver, British Columbia. He seems well fitted for leadership in this line and 
 has made a close study of the lumber trade in all its branches. He is now 
 doing business along this line in Davenport, being numbered among the ic- 
 cessful merchants in this particular branch in this city. 
 
 Mr. Hayward was married on the 7th of April, 1864, to Miss Ellen Phelps, 
 a daughter of Elihu and Margaret (Cruickshank) Phelps. They have one 
 daughter and one son, Elmer Leland, who wedded Miss May Pierce, by whom 
 he has one daughter. Lulu ; and Ellen I., who married W. H. Kimball and has 
 two children, Herbert H. and William P. 
 
 Mr. Hayward is an active member of St. John Methodist Episcopal church, 
 having been chairman of the building committee during the construction of 
 the church and parsonage on the corner of Fourteenth and Brady streets. Mr. 
 Hayward is not given to participation to any great extent with fraternal orders, 
 the only society to which he belongs being that of the Loyal Legion. He is, 
 however, a thorough business man with a talent for leading, which is one of the 
 highest attributes of man and a necessity in these days of close competition. 
 
 CHARLES F. HETZEL. 
 
 Charles F, Hetzel by a career of honor and usefulness has left an indelible 
 impress on the history of Blue Grass township. This estimable gentleman, now 
 deceased, was born in the province of Baden, Germany, August 19, 1907. Early 
 in life he came to the United States, landing in New York, October 27, 1830. In 
 that city he met his wife-to-be, Regina Bayha, a native of Stuttgart, Wurtemberg, 
 whose birth occurred February 4, 1812. They were married in New York July 
 21, 1834, and for some time resided there. In 1837 they removed to Wheeling, 
 West Virginia, where they lived for the next fourteen years. On September 15, 
 185 1, they came to Scott county, Iowa, of which they had heard favorable reports, 
 and were so entirely satisfied with what they found that it became their permanent 
 home and that of the most of their children. Mr. Hetzel became quite an exten- 
 sive landowner, purchasing three hundred and twenty acres of land in Blue Grass 
 township and eighty in Rockingham. 
 
 They were the parents of eleven children. Five of them have never married 
 but live together on the old homestead. They are Rosina C, Minnie R., Anna B., 
 Regina S. and Henry A. Charles L. married Anna Albright and lives in Daven- 
 port ; John C. is a resident of Harlan, Iowa ; George D. went west and is a citizen 
 of Grand Island, Nebraska ; Frederick G. makes his home in Avoca, Iowa ; and 
 Mary E. is the widow of Frank Haller of Davenport. One is deceased. Only 
 the three youngest children, Anna B., Henry A. and Regina S. were born in Scott 
 county, the others having first seen the light of day in Wheeling, West Virginia. 
 
422 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Mr. Hetzel was a man who took a lively interest in current events and gave 
 an intelligent consideration to all such problems as effected the public welfare. 
 He served for a number of years as justice of the peace. In Wheeling he was 
 pleasantly affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He and his 
 family were all members of the Lutheran church, in which they were recognized 
 as faithful, sincere and efficient members. Their home is one of the finest and 
 most substantial country residences in the locality and was constructed from 
 brick made on the farm. On June 5, 1886, Mr. Hetzel passed to his reward, his 
 widow following August 12, 1891. They will long hold an enviable place in the 
 history and memory of Scott county. They celebrated their golden wedding 
 at the old homestead in 1884, at which time all the children and grandchildren 
 were present. 
 
 ASMUS H. LAMP. 
 
 To few of the European nations which have contributed to the citizenship of 
 this country do we owe more than to the German. Successful in business, its 
 sons have also achieved distinction in agriculture, for the stable qualities of in- 
 dustry and frugality, which are dominant in their makeup, prove to be the char- 
 acteristics which win the largest returns from the cultivation of the soil. Among 
 the Germans who have settled in this county and whose worth have contributed 
 so large a share to the general prosperity of this section of Iowa is Asmus- H. 
 Lamp, who retired from active life some years ago and now lives in Davenport. 
 
 He was born January 18, 1836, a son of Claus and Celia (Gutch) Lamp. The 
 father was a carpenter in Germany, but about 1847 decided to come to this coun- 
 try. The family landed at New Orleans on Christmas day, after having spent 
 twelve weeks and four days in crossing the Atlantic. They traveled up the Mis- 
 sissippi river the day following their arrival and when they reached St. Louis 
 spent the rest of the winter there. In the- early spring they continued their 
 journey to Davenport, where on Fouth street the father bought a lot and erected 
 a house. That remained the home of the family for some years while he worked 
 at his carpenter trade. Later he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in 
 Davenport township near the northwest corner, for which he paid one hundred 
 and forty dollars as it was all raw land. After having erected a house Asmus 
 Lamp and his brother lived there during the summer, but closed the place in the 
 winter, bringing the cattle to town, where the sons attended school. In this 
 manner several years passed, during which time the father continued to do car- 
 pentering in the town, but finally, the land having been well cultivated, the family 
 moved to the farm, on which they resided until the death of the mother at the age 
 of seventy. Thereafter the father lived with his children until his death at the 
 age of ninety- four years. They had four children : Trena, the deceased wife of 
 Henry Stoltenberg, also deceased; Asmus H., the subject of this sketch; Claus 
 H., of Davenport ; and Peter, of Port Arthur, Texas. 
 
 Asmus H. Lamp had attended school in Germany before he came to this coun- 
 try and after he reached Davenport he spent a few winters in the schools. The 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 423 
 
 most of his life has been devoted to farming. For more than thirty years he 
 lived upon the first farm of one hundred and sixty acres his father had bought 
 in Sheridan township. It had been procured from John Van Patten, who entered 
 it from the government. The first year after it came into possession of the 
 Lamp family Asmus broke it and the next year, that of 1858, he married and 
 took up his permanent residence upon it. As he gained large returns from his 
 labors he bought other land so that now he owns four farms in Scott county: 
 one in Hickory Grove township ; three in Sheridan township, one of one hundred 
 and sixty acres, the other two contiguous comprising three hundred and sixty 
 acres — two hundred and one hundred and sixty acres respectively — aggregating a 
 total of six hundred and eighty acres. He also owns the valuable town property 
 where he lives, having bought it about 1888, when he retired from active life. In 
 that year he gave his homestead to one of his sons and, moving to the town, bought 
 stock in the Davenport Elevator Company, in which he worked for some time. 
 Later when the buildings were torn down and a new company organized Mr. 
 Lamp became its president. The concern has about thirty elevators operated in 
 several states. He is also a stockholder in the German Savings Bank, the Union 
 Savings Bank and the Scott Couhty Bank of Davenport, besides being interested 
 in sawmills in Louisiana and cement works in Kansas. As these large interests 
 and the income of which they are productive are the result of his own efforts they 
 certainly bespeak a life record that is most gratifying. 
 
 In April, 1858, Mr. Lamp married Miss Wipke Klindt, a daughter of Hans 
 and Dora Klindt. At the age of twenty she came to the United States. Four 
 children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lamp. Minnie married Lon Seaman 
 and passed away, leaving four children, Melinda, Nellie, Arthur and Frank. 
 Anna became the wife of Charles Frye and they live in Seattle, Washington, 
 where he is in the wholesale meat packing business. August married Miss Mary 
 Fulner. They live near Eldridge, this county, and have four children, Henry, 
 Hilda, Frank and Francis. Augusta is the wife of Frank Frye, of Seattle, Wash- 
 ington, who is engaged in the wholesale meat business, and they have one daughter, 
 Marian. 
 
 Mr. Lamp has ' consistently given his support to the republican party but 
 has himself taken no part in local affairs. Indeed, aside from looking 
 after his various interests he holds little intercourse with the world of busi- 
 ness, for having passed the allotted age of three score years and ten he feels he is 
 justified in enjoying the results of his previous labor. 
 
 JOSEF A. LE CLAIRE. 
 
 Josef A. Le Claire, since 1885 a representative of fire insurance in Davenport 
 and also prominent and active in political circles, was born in St. Charles county, 
 Missouri, October 15, 1833. His father, Francis Le Claire was a native of St. 
 Joseph, Michigan. His father was Francois Le Claire, a brother of Antoine Le 
 Claire. When a young man he removed to St. Charles county, Missouri, and 
 became one of the first pilots on the Mississippi river, running between St. Louis 
 
424 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 and Galena. At length, however, he abandoned the water and spent the latter 
 part of his life on a farm. He was born in 1793 and lived to the age of seventy- 
 five years, passing away in 1868. He married Eulalie Manval, a native of Por- 
 tage des Sioux, where her girlhood days were passed. She was his second wife 
 and by the first union was born a daughter and two sons. 
 
 Josef A. Le Claire was the youngest child of the family. On the 21st of Oc- 
 tober, 1841, he came with his half brother, Henry, to Davenport to live with 
 Antoine Le Claire and here attended school. He also looked after the business 
 interests of Antoine Le Claire until the latter's death in 1861. The following 
 year Josef Le Claire went to the west, traveling extensively throughout that sec- 
 tion of the country. Since 1885 he has been engaged in the insurance business in 
 Davenport and has one of the leading and most successful agencies of the city, 
 writing a large amount of insurance annually. He has always taken an active 
 interest in public affairs and has filled a number of offices, to which he has been 
 called by the vote of his fellow townsmen. In the early '60s he served as alder- 
 man of the fifth ward and in 1871 he was elected marshal and collector for the 
 city and served seven years as county recorder. He was also elected magistrate 
 and filled that position for several terms and has figured prominently in official 
 circles of the city, while his public service has brought him a wide acquaintance. 
 Few men have more intimate knowledge of Davenport and her history through a 
 period of sixty-eight years than Josef A. Le Claire, who arrived here in 1841 
 and through the intervening years has been an interested witness of all the great 
 changes that have occurred. 
 
 HENRY RUNGE. 
 
 Henry Runge is conducting a well established undertaking business at No. 
 824 West Third street in Davenport. The high quality of goods he handles and 
 his moderate prices have built up a good trade and made this concern one of 
 the best known in the city. Mr. Runge is a native of Davenport, born June 7, 
 1861, of the marriage of Martin L. and Wilhelmina (ScHwartz) Runge, in 
 whose family were nine children, but only two sons and one daughter now sur- 
 vive. The father emigrated from his native land, Germany, to the United States 
 at an early day, the trip being made in a sail boat, which required fourteen weeks 
 to cross the Atlantic. Arriving in the new world after his long and wearisome 
 voyage, he spent a short time in Chicago, Illinois, whence he made his way to 
 Davenport, where lived a half-brother of Mrs. Runge. He was first engaged in 
 the packing business in this city but afterward worked in the old Davis mill, 
 where he continued throughout his business career. Both he and his wife have 
 passed away. 
 
 Henry Runge was reared under the parental roof and was given the advantage 
 of a common-school education. After completing his studies he took up the task 
 of learning the upholsterer's trade and at the same time attended a night school 
 in order that he might have a better education to meet the responsibilities of a 
 business career. After learning his trade he worked at the same for twenty 
 
BUILDING OF HENRY ETTNGE 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 427 
 
 years. He then went to Des Moines and pursued a course in embalming that 
 he might engage in the undertaking business on his own account. Subsequently 
 he returned to Davenport and in October, 1895, organized the firm of Weiss & 
 Runge. The partnership continued for but a brief period, however, for in the 
 following December Mr. Runge sold his interest to his partner and in February, 
 1896, engaged in business alone, since which time he has conducted a successful 
 enterprise. He possesses excellent business ability, undertands thoroughly the 
 art of embalming, and this, coupled with a prompt response to all calls made 
 upon him, has gained for him an extensive patronage. The business is now con- 
 ducted in a large, modern, two-story brick structure known as the Runge build- 
 ing, which was erected in 1902, and here Mr. Runge keeps on hand a good line 
 of burial caskets and supplies and can meet all demands made upon him. 
 
 Mr. Runge was married in May, 1883, to Miss Emma Tess, who passed away 
 a few years later. There is a daughter and son of this marriage : Augusta, now 
 the wife of John Olsen, a city fireman of Davenport, by whom she has a daughter, 
 Anita; and Louis F., who is his father's assistant in business. Mr. Runge was 
 married a second time on the 9th of October, 1891, Christina M. Juergensen be- 
 coming his wife. There are five children by this union : Edna, who is a high- 
 school graduate ; Martin L. ; Henry, who has passed away ; Harry H. ; and Henri- 
 etta. 
 
 The family belong to the Lutheran church, while Mr. Runge's fraternal con- 
 nections are with the Turners, Elks, Eagles, Knights of Pythias, Modern Brother- 
 hood of America, the Germania Society, Claus Groth Gilde, Teutonia and the Odd 
 Fellows, in all of which he is a valued member. In the midst of a busy life he 
 always finds time for courtesy, and an opportunity to give audience to his friends, 
 and all with whom he is brought in contact have for him high regard. 
 
 PETER ARP. 
 
 Peter Arp, a retired German farmer who has taken up his residence in Daven- 
 port, was born in Holstein, Germany, February 5, 1830, a son of Peter and Wipke 
 Arp, both of whom spent their entire lives in the fatherland. The father was a 
 tailorby trade. Peter Arp was about twenty years of age when he decided to 
 come to America, the fame of whose opportunities had pierced the most remote 
 corners of his native land. He disembarked at New Orleans after crossing the 
 ocean and then took a boat up the Mississippi to Davenport. It was two months, 
 however, before he reached his destination as quantities of ice in the river im- 
 peded their progress. 
 
 On the 9th of March, 1850, Mr. Arp landed in Davenport, where a sister 
 was already living, she having come to this country in 1847. After his advent Mr. 
 Arp obtained work in a brickyard and later secured employment upon a farm, by 
 the month. He was industrious and frugal and after the expiration of a few 
 years he was able to buy one hundred and twenty acres of prairie land in Sheri- 
 dan township. In 1853 he married and that he and his wife might have a home 
 he bought an old dwelling which he moved to his land, making it serve as a resi- 
 
428 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 dence for a couple of years, or until he was able to put up a better structure. 
 The land he had secured was in its pristine state and Mr. Arp had to break the 
 soil before he could plant his grain. Nevertheless, it proved a valuable property 
 for during the five years it was his place of residence it made him gratifying re- 
 turns for his labors. When it was well improved he traded it for one hundred 
 and sixty-five acres in Winfield township, about twelve miles from Davenport on 
 the Dubuque road. It had a small house upon it and had been partly improved, 
 but Mr. Arp brought it up to a higher state of cultivation and sold it after four 
 years. He then returned to Sheridan township, where he owned a tract of 
 fifty acres and rented some land from Benjamin Barr, on which they lived for a 
 year. At the end of that time he removed to his fifty acre tract, added another 
 fifty, built a house and made it his home for the next twenty-six years, or during 
 the remainder of the time he was engaged in the active pursuit of farming. Dur- 
 ing that period, however, he bought land as he was able and at one time owned 
 more than half a section, and in addition to being successful he was also a con- 
 spicuous figure in the public life of Sheridan township, enjoying the good will 
 of his associates. In October, 1892, he removed to Davenport. 
 
 On the 2d of September, 1853, Mr. Arp wedded Miss Minnie Fellener, a 
 daughter of Earnhardt and Fredrica Fellener. She had come to this country 
 from Germany when about nineteen years of age. Seven children were born 
 unto the couple. Charles, now deceased, married Kathryn Roenfeldt and they 
 had two children, Minnie and Charles. Emma became the wife of Henry Jar- 
 chow, "of Davenport, and they have two sons, Edward and William. Henry mar- 
 ried Miss Louisa Petersen and lives in Minnesota, where he is rearing his two 
 children, Mary and Paul. William married Miss Elizabeth Soil and lives upon 
 the father's farm. They have two children, Walter and Viola. John married 
 Miss Bertha Wiese and lives on the old homestead in Sheridan township. They 
 have four children, Ella, Alfred, Elmer and Edward. Elizabeth became the wife 
 of Henry Soil, of Davenport, and they have two children, Hugo and Edna. The 
 other died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Arp celebrated their golden wedding on 
 the 2d of September, 1903. 
 
 When he became a citizen of this country Mr. Arp decided to give his sup- 
 port to the democratic party and has since been stanch in his allegiance to it, 
 being elected upon its ticket to the office of trustee of Sheridan township. So- 
 cially he is a member of the German Society and with his wife is a member 
 of the Lutheran church, in whose faith he has conscientiously reared his children 
 
 JOSEPH C. METZGER. 
 
 Joseph C. Metzger is the genial proprietor of a hotel in Buflfalo and is one 
 of the most enterprising and wide-awake business men of the village. He was 
 born in Buffalo, July 23, 1875, a son of Christian and Mary Metzger, both of 
 whom were natives of Germany, the former born in Baden on the loth of August, 
 1829, while the latter claims Hohenzollern as the place of her nativity, and she 
 was born in 1831. The father was a youth of thirteen years when he emigrated to 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 429 
 
 the United States and established his home in Baltimore, Maryland, where he 
 learned and followed the cooper's trade. Later he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where 
 he was married, and in 1855 he and his wife came west, spending two years in 
 Rock Island, Illinois. Subsequently, in 1857, they crossed the border into Iowa, 
 establishing their home in Bufifalo, where the father engaged in the cooperage 
 business for many years. 
 
 Joseph C. Metzger is one of a family of eight sons and three daughters, six 
 of whom are deceased. Those having passed away are : Mary, John Christian, 
 Joseph, Adolf, Otilda, and one who died in infancy. Those living are : Fred, a 
 cigar manufacturer, of Quincy, Illinois; Henry, a resident of Denver, Colorado; 
 Theodore, of Blue Grass, Scott county ; and Catherine, the wife of Joseph Mohr, 
 also of Blue Grass. Joseph C. at the usual age entered the public schools of 
 Buffalo and completed his education in the Davenport schools. After putting 
 aside his text-books he went to Chicago, in May, 1893, remaining in the metrop- 
 olis four years. In March, 1897, desirous of visiting the land of his ancestors, he 
 set sail for Germany, spending several months in that country. Returning once 
 more to Buffalo, he engaged in business pursuits here in the latter part of 1897. 
 In 1904 he built a modern brick residence and two years later, in 1906, purchased 
 the hotel adjoining his residence property and has since conducted the same. He 
 conducts his hostelry in the most modern and up-to-date style, is continually look- 
 ing after the comforts and welfare of his guests and is popular with the traveling 
 public. 
 
 Mr. Metzger was married in 1900 to Miss Sadie Gold, a daughter of Pres- 
 ton Gold, of Buffalo. They have a daughter. Marguerite, who attends school in 
 Davenport. Mr. Metzger is a director of the Buffalo Savings Bank. He is a 
 communicant of St. Peter's Catholic church, while his fraternal relations are with 
 Banner Lodg, No. 16, K. P., and with lodge No. 235, Fraternal Order of Eagles, 
 at Davenport. Mr. and Mrs. Metzger are well known in Buffalo, for they have 
 spent their entire lives here and their social qualities have won them many 
 friends. 
 
 W. G. NOTH. 
 
 W. G. Noth, who has been the capable incumbent in the office of city treasurer 
 of Davenport since 1906, was born in this city on the 13th of May, 1870, his 
 parents being John and Wilhelmina (Keis) Noth, the former a native of Ger- 
 many and the latter of Quincy, Illinois. It was late in the '40s that John Noth 
 crossed the Atlantic to the United States, locating in Quincy, Illinois, while in 
 1869 he accompanied his father, George W. Noth, to Davenport, Iowa. The lat- 
 ter here established Noth's Brewery and thus became one of the pioneer repre- 
 sentatives of brewing interests in this part of the state. John Noth, who had been 
 in charge of the brewery, abandoned that line of activity after his father's demise 
 and turned his attention to the grain business, with which he is still successfully 
 identified. He is highly respected as a prosperous business man and substantial 
 citizen and both he and his wife are well known and esteemed throughout Daven- 
 port, having now resided here for a period of forty years. 
 
430 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 W. G. Noth, who was the eldest in a family of six children, supplemented 
 his preliminary education by a course in the Davenport high school. After put- 
 ting aside his text-books he entered the service of the Citizens National Bank 
 and continued with that financial institution for eight years. He was then made 
 deputy county treasurer and capably served in that position for four years, after 
 which he was elected to the office of county clerk, discharging the duties devolving 
 upon him in that connection for two years. In 1906 he was elected city treasurer 
 and still remains in that position, proving by his able administration of the af- 
 fairs of the office that the confidence and trust reposed in him by his constituents 
 was not misplaced. He is a popular and unassuming young man and has won 
 an extensive circle of warm friends in the city where his entire life has been spent. 
 
 WILLIAM GARDNER SMITH. 
 
 William Gardner Smith during the years of his manhood in Davenport was 
 a familiar figure in those circles where the intelligent and interesting men of 
 the city were wont to gather. He was long closely associated with commercial 
 interests here and sustained an unassailable reputation, owing to the fact that 
 he never made engagements that he did not keep nor incur obligations that he 
 did not meet. He enjoyed to the fullest extent the respect of his contemporaries 
 and associates. 
 
 Mr. Smith was born in this city, July 19, 1861, a son of Mr. and Mrs. A. J. 
 Smith, long prominent and honored residents here. After attending the schools 
 of Davnport and acquiring therein a good English education, well fitting him 
 for life's practical and responsible duties, he went to North Dakota, but after 
 a year returned home and accepted the position of bookkeeper with the firm of 
 Smith & McCullough, furniture dealers, his father being the senior member. 
 This was one of the oldest and best established houses of the city and after the 
 death of Mr. McCullough William G. Smith entered into partnership relations 
 with his father, the enterprise being then conducted under the firm name of A. 
 J. Smith & Son. Following the father's death in 1898 the business was incor- 
 porated and William G. Smith remained at its head, occupied with the interests 
 of successful management, until 1901, when his health failed and he disposed 
 of the store. He was a man of good business judgment, very accurate, system- 
 atic and methodical, and his enterprise led him to continually broaden the scope 
 of his activities and thereby increase his usefulness. A short time prior to his 
 death he aided in organizing and establishing the E. W. Gates Lumber Company. 
 With keen sagacity he saw and utilized opportunities that others passed by heed- 
 lessly and in his entire business career he exemplified the truth of the old adage 
 that "honesty is the best policy." 
 
 On the nth of November, 1887, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Cora Scott, 
 a daughter of Colonel and Mrs. Thomas Scott, of Davenport. The marriage of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Smith was blessed with one child, Eugene Gardner, who is at home 
 with his mother. 
 
WILLIAM G. SMITH 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 433 
 
 Mr. Smith was an active member of the Business Men's Association of Daven- 
 port and cooperated in all its various projects for the benefit of the city and the 
 extension of its trade relations. He likewise belonged to the Irrawaddy Canoe 
 Club and was always a popular factor in the outings of that organization. His 
 genial manner, unfailing courtesy and ready adaptability won him many friends, 
 while his enterprise in business circles gained him high standing among the 
 prominent representatives of commercial and industrial interests of Davenport. 
 
 HENRY L. HOLLAND. 
 
 Henry L. Holland was for many years one of the respected and worthy citi- 
 zens of Scott county and, though he has now passed away, he is yet remembered 
 by many who knew him and who prized his friendship. He was born in Meck- 
 lenburg, Germany, November 24, 1840, and was a son of Adolph and Carolina 
 (Schutz) Holland. The family came to the United States in 1851, landing at New 
 York, whence they made their way direct to Scott county, casting in their lot 
 with its early settlers. They remained for two weeks in Davenport and then took 
 up their abode in Winfield township, the father purchasing the farm upon which 
 Mrs. Henry L. Holland now resides. He at first bought one hundred and fifty-five 
 acres of land and energetically began its development and improvement. For a 
 long period he successfully carried on general agricultural pursuits but at length 
 retired from active business life. His death occurred in Davenport and his wife 
 died while a patient in Mercy Hospital. 
 
 Henry L. Holland spent his entire life from the age of eleven years in this 
 county and was reared to the work of the farm, early becoming familiar with 
 the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He had attended 
 school in Germany and had learned to talk English there, having been provided 
 with liberal educational advantages. After coming to the United States he spent 
 two years as a pupil in the high school in Davenport and a good education thus 
 quahfied him for the careful and successful conduct of business interests. He 
 remained upon the home farm all his life and after his father's retirement took 
 charge of the business, continuing to cultivate and manage the farm until his 
 own demise. 
 
 Mr. Holland was united in marriage April 30, 1871, to Miss Sophia Meewes, 
 who was bom in Ransberg, Schleswig, Germany, September 26, 1852, a daughter 
 of George and Anna (Krahm) Meewes. Her mother died when Mrs. Holland was 
 but nine months old and she then lived with an aunt until fourteen years of age, 
 when she came to the United States in company with a friend. Her father had 
 previously crossed the Atlantic and had become the owner of a farm in Butler 
 township, this county. Later he sold that property and removed to Liberty town- 
 ship, where he became the owner of three hundred and forty acres of rich and 
 productive land. There he made his home until his death, which occurred in 1890. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Holland were born three children : Henry F., Walter W. 
 and Hilda, all of whom are at home with their mother. The death of the husband 
 and father occurred October 16, 1903, and it was the occasion of deep and wide- 
 
434 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 spread regret not only to his immediate family but also to many friends. He was 
 an enterprising and progressive citizen, public-spirited in all of his relations to 
 the community at large. He served as a trustee and school director, holding the 
 latter office for sixteen consecutive years. He also served as constable and as 
 road supervisor and in the discharge of his duties was ever prompt and faithful. 
 His political allegiance was given to the republican party and he was a member 
 of the Turners Society of Eldridge. He wisely used the talents with which na- 
 ture endowed him and in the conduct of his business affairs won a reputation as 
 an honorable, upright man and at the same time gained a substantial measure of 
 success. 
 
 LOUIS MAACK. 
 
 Louis Maack, the present mayor of Walcott and the secretary of the firm of 
 Stockdale & Dietz Company, is one of Scott county's native sons, his birth having 
 occurred in Davenport on the 30th of June, 1873. He is a son of John and Doro- 
 thea (Rump) Maack, both natives of Germany, the father having been born in 
 Mecklenburg, in 1825, while the mother's birth occurred November 23, 1838. 
 They were married in the fatherland and came to America in 1866, locating in 
 Davenport, where the father was engaged principally in the lumber business. 
 He passed away on the 6th of January, 1902, but his wife still survives at the 
 advanced age of seventy-one years. 
 
 In the public schools of Davenport Louis Maack acquired his early education 
 and he later pursued a course of study in the Tri-City Business College, from 
 \vhich institution he was graduated in 1893. In September of that year he came 
 to Walcott and accepted a position as bookkeeper for the Stockdale & Dietz 
 Company. He was diligent, capable and faithful in the conduct of his duties and 
 that his efforts were appreciated by his employers is indicated by the fact that in 
 1901 he was appointed secretary of the firm at Harris, Iowa. There his ability 
 and true worth were soon recognized and in 1901 he was appointed to serve out 
 an unexpired term as mayor of that city. In 1902 he was regularly elected to 
 that office and no better proof of the excellence of his service in that capacity can 
 be offered than his reelection as chief executive in 1904. In that year he returned 
 to Walcott, at which time the Stockdale & Dietz Company, which had been or- 
 ganized in 1857, was incorporated with Mr. Maack as secretary, in which capacity 
 he has since served. This is one of the important enterprises of the town and 
 his well directed efforts and intelligently applied labors in its behalf have been no 
 small force in its continuous and steady growth. He is today one of the pros- 
 perous and influential citizens of Walcott, and his success indicates clearly the 
 business ability which he has displayed and the honest methods which have ever 
 been his. 
 
 It was in 1897 that Mr. Maack was united in marriage to Miss Tillie Benne- 
 witz, a daughter of Louis Bennewitz, of whom extended mention is made else- 
 where in this volume. Unto this union has been born one son, Roland, who is at 
 home and is the light and life of the household. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 435 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Maack holds membership with Walcott Lodge, No. 312, K. 
 P., and is likewise connected with the Odd Fellows Lodge of Lake Park, Iowa. 
 Politically he has given stalwart support to the principles of democracy since age 
 conferred upon him the right of franchise, and on that ticket in 1908 was elected 
 to the office of mayor. He at once bent his energies to the performance of his 
 official duties with the same thoroughness that has ever characterized his business 
 career. He has never allowed partisanship to influence him but has given Wal- 
 cott a businesslike, progressive and beneficial administration, in which he has 
 inaugurated various needed reforms and improvements, nor has he failed to 
 check those movements which he deems inimical to the best interests of the city. 
 
 W. F. FIDLAR. 
 
 That W. F. Fidlar occupies a conspicuous and honorable position in commer- 
 cial circles in Davenport is due entirely to his own efforts. At the outset of his 
 career he realized that energy and determination constitute indispensable factors 
 in success and therefore putting forth strenuous and intelligently directed effort 
 he has reached the prominent place which he now occupies in business circles as 
 senior partner of the firm of Fidlar & Chambers. 
 
 A native of Ohio, Mr. Fidlar was born in Hebron, Licking county, on the 30th 
 of August, 1841. His father, Samuel P. Fidlar, was a native of Pennsylvania 
 and at an early day removed to Ohio. In 1859 he came to Davenport and was 
 United States mail agent on the Mississippi in the early '60s, his time being thus 
 occupied until his Hfe's labors were ended in death in 1864. He had married 
 Maria M. Moore, who survived him until 1891. 
 
 While spending his youthful days under the parental roof in Ohio, W. F. 
 Fidlar there acquired his education and on coming to Davenport, when in his 
 eighteenth year, he entered the employ of Luse, Lane & Company, bookbinders 
 and printers, under whose direction he learned the trade. He remained with the 
 house when the business was taken over by the firm of Griggs, Watson & Day, 
 remaining with the latter firm as an employe until 1868, when the business was 
 reorganized and he entered into partnership relations as a member of the firm of 
 Day, Egbert & Fidlar. In 1880 a change in partnership led to the adoption of the 
 name of Egbert, Fidlar & Chambers and on the death of Mr. Egbert the firm 
 became Fidlar & Chambers. The success of Mr. Fidlar is due undoubtedly in 
 part to the fact that he has always continued in the same line in which he embarked 
 as a young tradesman, concentrating his energies upon this particular field, so that 
 he soon gained intimate and comprehensive knowledge of the business in every de- 
 partment and was therefore able to intelligently direct any phase of the enter- 
 prise. Under his capable management the business has become one of Daven- 
 port's most successful industrial enterprises, with a patronage of large and profit- 
 able proportions. 
 
 Mr. Fidlar is not a politician in the commonly accepted sense of the term but 
 at all times manifests that deep interest in public questions which every American 
 citizen should display, and has served as alderman of his ward. He is a very 
 
436 HISTORY OF SGOTT COUNTY 
 
 prominent Mason and much respected in the fraternity. He became a member 
 of Davenport Lodge' in 1864, has always been most loyal to the teachings of the 
 order and when the Masonic Temple was erected he was made one of its first 
 directors. He has taken all the degrees up to the thirty-third and has filled the 
 various chairs in the blue lodge, chapter and commandery. He is a man of high 
 character, exemplifying in his life the beneficent spirit of the craft and is held in 
 highest respect socially and in a business way, for the policy which he pursues 
 has always been in harmony with high commercial ideals. In the conduct of his 
 business he has ever felt that the output of the house should be its best adver- 
 tisement and therefore has maintained the highest standard of excellence in 
 product. Close application and energy have enabled him to overcome all diffi- 
 culties and obstacles in his path and his capable utilization of opportunity and 
 coordination of forces have brought him into important relations with the busi- 
 ness interests of his adopted city. 
 
 HENRY THUENEN. 
 
 Henry Thuenen, occupying a position of distinction as a representative of 
 the Davenport bar, has spent his entire life in this city, where his birth occurred 
 July 9, 1868. His father, Henry Thuenen, as the name indicates, was a native 
 of Germany. He was born in Prussia, May 19, 1832, and came to Davenport in 
 1855, when a young man of twenty-three years. The following year he was mar- 
 ried to Miss Elizabeth Busch, who was born in Germany, June 30, 1829, and died 
 on the 23d of February, 1907. Henry Thuenen, St., was a wagon maker and 
 blacksmith and after working for a time at his trade in the employ of others, 
 engaged in business for himself and in the course of years earned a comfortable 
 competence which now enables him to live retired. His family numbered twelve 
 children, of whom four daughters and two sons lived to years of maturity. 
 These are all yet living in Davenport. 
 
 Entering the public schools at the usual age, Henry Thuenen continued his 
 education through successive grades until he was graduated from the high school 
 of Davenport with the class of 1887. He determined to concentrate his efforts 
 upon professional interests and to this end became a law student in the office and 
 under the direction of Judge French. His thorough preliminary reading was 
 followed by admission to the bar in October, 1890, after successfully passing 
 the required examinations before the supreme court. He has since engaged in 
 practice and his ability and learning have carried him into important relations 
 with the legal profession in Davenport. His mind is analytical and logical in 
 its turn and his thorough preparation of his cases and his correct application of 
 legal principles have constituted him one of the most forceful factors at the 
 Davenport bar. He has also figured actively in political circles, serving for 
 three years as alderman from the sixth ward, his election occurring in 1895. In 
 1899 he was chosen to represent his district in the lower house of the twenty- 
 eighth general assembly but resigned at the adjournment of the session in order 
 to accept the office of city attorney, which position he filled most creditably and 
 
HENKY THUENEN, JR. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 439 
 
 faithfully for six years. He is now concentrating his energies solely upon his 
 professional duties but still takes the interest in politics which every good citi- 
 zen should feel and keeps thoroughly informed concerning the questions and is- 
 sues of the day. 
 
 In 1892 Mr. Thuenen was married to Miss Emma Neumiller, a native of 
 Davenport and a daughter of Joseph and Marie Neumiller. The six children of 
 this marriage are Joseph H., Harold F., Henry W., Millie, Helen and Edna. 
 
 Mr. Thuenen is identified with the Masonic fraternity, the Benevolent and 
 Protective Order of Elks and other societies, the basic principles of which find 
 exemplification in his life. In a profession where progress depends entirely upon 
 individual merit, he has worked his way steadily upward and in the twenty 
 years of his connection with the law his efforts have been of an important char- 
 acter, indicative of his ability and his unfaltering devotion to the interests of 
 his clients. 
 
 LUDWIG W. SCHMIDT. 
 
 Prominent among Scott county's esteemed and substantial citizens is Ludwig 
 W. Schmidt. He holds the splendid farm upon which he is now living in especial 
 affection, for it was here that he was born, May 26, 1857. As his name indicates, 
 Mr. Schmidt is of German origin, his father being Carl F. Schmidt, of Schleswig- 
 Holstein, born April 30, 1828. His grandfather, Fritz Schmidt, was a German 
 school teacher, who in the year 1848 came to America with his five sons of whom 
 Carl was next to the eldest. With the idea of engaging in farming they settled in 
 Blue Grass township on land which they purchased from the government, and 
 proceeded to enjoy success in the land of their adoption. This property is still in 
 the possession of the family, Richard Schmidt at the present time residing upon 
 it. When twenty-six years of age Carl Schmidt left the parental abode and took 
 possession of a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, upon which his son Ludwig 
 was born and which he afterward possessed. In 1855 he married Miss Sophie 
 Moeller and Ludwig is the eldest of the five children born to them. His brothers 
 are Benjamin L. and Franz L. Schmidt, and his sisters Mrs. August F. Martz- 
 hahn and Mrs. John Kohrs, all four of whom reside in Davenport. The father 
 died in 1886, but his wife survives him and makes her home with one of her 
 daughters in Davenport. 
 
 When Ludwig Schmidt was about nine years of age his father removed from 
 his farm to the vicinity of Davenport, where in the public schools he with the 
 other children received their education. Upon leaving school he entered upon 
 a life of usefulness by assisting his father, who at that time was conducting a vine- 
 yard. After his marriage he took possession of his father's homestead and is 
 still living amid the associations of his early boyhood. 
 
 When twenty-three years of age Mr. Schmidt was united in marriage to Miss 
 Emma Martzhahn, a daughter of Fritz Martzhahn, of Scott county. Their union 
 has been blessed by the birth of eight children : Fritz C, aged twenty-seven, still at 
 home; Louisa, aged twenty-five; Bruno L. and Ella, twins, twenty-three years 
 
440 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 of age ; Sophie, the wife of George Wichmann, of Davenport ; Alfreda, aged six- 
 teen ; Benno F., aged fourteen ; and Minnie, aged twelve. 
 
 Mr. Schmidt is a public-spirited citizen who enjoys the confidence of his fel- 
 lowmen. He has done efficient public service, having been president of the school 
 board and is now treasurer of the school board of Blue Grass township. Besides 
 his agricultural interests he is a director of the Davenport Slaughtering & Ren- 
 dering Company ; a stockholder in the Blue Grass Savings Bank and the Home Sav- 
 ings Bank of Davenport, and is connected with his brothers' business, the Schmidt 
 Brothers Ice Shipping Company, of Davenport. 
 
 WILLIE M. MOELLER. 
 
 Willie M. Moeller is one of those citizens of Cleona township who have re- 
 mained true to the locality throughout the entire course of their lives. He was 
 born October 6, 1875, upon the homestead where he still resides and is thus bound 
 to it by stronger ties than fall to the lot of many men. His parents, Henry and 
 Caroline (Feuerbach) Moeller, at the time of their relinquishment of the farm, 
 removed to Walcott, where they still reside. The management of the farm now 
 devolves upon our subject and his keeping in touch with the latest in scientific 
 agricultural investigation has been productive of the most satisfactory results. 
 The Moeller property consists of one hundred and ninety-six acres on section 
 25, Cleona township, on the Hickory Grove township line. The subject of the 
 sketch has been very successful in the breeding of shorthorn polled Durham cat- 
 tle, of which he owns about one hundred head. 
 
 Mr. Moeller received his early education in the schools of his district and 
 gained a practical training by assisting his father in the manifold duties which 
 every well improved farm presents. Later he engaged in school teaching, pro- 
 perly directing the course of the young idea. He is well and favorably known in 
 the community in which he has lived for something over thirty years. He is the 
 eldest in a family of seven children, and one of these, his brother Ferdinand, is 
 associated with him in the cultivation of the estate. 
 
 EDWARD AND THEODORE BRUS. 
 
 One of the extensive farms in Buffalo township is that cultivated by Edward 
 and Theodore Brus, sons of Jacob Brus, who was one of the prosperous German 
 farmers of Scott county. He was born in Prussia, November 29, 1829, and was 
 about eighteen years of age when he came to America with his father, John H. 
 Brus, for his mother, who was Miss Mary Schluter in her maidenhood, had died 
 in the old country. Jacob Brus reached Scott county about 1850 and with his 
 father engaged in farming. The latter died in 1879. In 1861 Jacob Brus began 
 farming for himself. He was married on the 7th of January, that year, to Miss 
 Eliza J. Robinson, a daughter of John H. and Mary E. (Oswald) Robinson, 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 441 
 
 and they became the parents of eleven children : John H. ; Anna M. ; Charley H. ; 
 Rosa A. ; Willie ; Edward T. ; Ella E. ; Ida J. ; Flora M., who died in 1878 ; Theo- 
 dore J.; and Lena E. 
 
 In his agricultural pursuits the father was especially successful for he owned 
 five hundred and sixty acres in Buffalo township and three hundred and twenty 
 in Blue Grass township, making over eight hundred acres which were under his 
 control. He was one of the most enterprising as well as successful men in his 
 locality and his influence was widely felt in the township for he served most 
 efficiently as trustee and school director and was also supervisor of the county. 
 He resigned the heavier responsibilities of his life even before his death, many of 
 which have been assumed most ably by his sons, Edward and Theodore. 
 
 Edward and Theodore Brus, native sons of Scott county, are by their daily 
 life and the return they win from their labor upholding the reputation for pros- 
 perity enjoyed by this section of Iowa. With their sister Miss Ella they live 
 upon the extensive tract of five hundred and sixty acres in Buffalo township. 
 Keeping the example of their father before them, they have continued in his foot- 
 steps, enlarged the number of improvements upon the farm and increased its cul- 
 tivation, so that it is one of the excellent farms of the whole township, not only 
 in size but in the fertility of the soil. Both are members of Banner Lodge, No. 
 16, Knights of Pythias, and Theodore is also connected with the Modern Wood- 
 men. They are democrats in their political sympathies, interested in local af- 
 fairs, though not aspirants for official preferment. Edward, however, has been 
 a member of the school board for a number of years. 
 
 MRS. HATTIE STICHTER. 
 
 Mrs. Hattie Stichter, who throughout the period of her married life has lived 
 in Princeton township, where since her husband's death she has continued to 
 make her home, was bom in Germany, September 27, 1846. Her father, Andrew 
 Walter, was also a native of that country, born in 1801. After arriving at years 
 of maturity he was united in marriage to Miss Ina Schoenhanken and they spent 
 their entire lives in Germany, where the father was a gardener and fruit grower. 
 In accordance with the laws of the country, he also served for three years in the 
 German army. Both he and his wife are now deceased. 
 
 Mrs. Stichter remained in Germany through the period of her girlhood and in 
 June, 1865, when a young lady of eighteen years, crossed the Atlantic to America, 
 landing in New York. After a few days spent in that city she continued on her 
 way to Chicago and from that point proceeded to Clinton, Iowa, where for two 
 years she worked for her brother. At the end of that time, on the ist of Sep- 
 tember, 1867, she gave her hand in marriage to John Stichter. He, too, was of 
 German birth, his natal day being May 6, 1829. On crossing the Atlantic he 
 landed at New York and for many years was a respected and worthy citizen of 
 Scott county, where he engaged in farming, making his home in Princeton town- 
 ship, where he secured one hundred and seventy-four acres of land. As the years 
 
442 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 passed by he converted the tract into rich and productive fields, making his farm 
 a valuable property, from which he annually gathered good harvests. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Stichter were born eight children. Annie, who was born 
 March 5, 1874, is the wife of Henry Graham, a resident of Pfinceton township, 
 where he follows farming. They have three children: Elmer, Ward and Louis 
 Graham. Frank Stichter, who was born December 18, 1875, married Nellie 
 Schaffer and is also engaged in farming in Princeton township. Edward, who 
 was born October 15, 1877, is a Mason and resides in Le Oaire. He wedded 
 Ella Morey, and they have one child living, Lela ; and one child deceased, Louis 
 Frank. Andrew Stichter, born March 4, 1879, married Tracy Bissick and re- 
 sides in Le Claire. Henry, born December 20, 1881, and living in Le Claire, 
 where he is engaged in teaming, married Lila Sweeney and has two children, 
 Henry and Flora. Louis, who was born April 20, 1883, resides with his mother 
 on the home farm, which he now operates for her. Katie, born August 20, 1884, 
 is the wife of Floyd Bickle and they have one child, Louis. They reside in Prince- 
 ton township and Mr. Bickle is pathmaster of the township. May, born July 24, 
 1 888, is yet at home with her mother. 
 
 Mr. Stichter was a republican in his political views and always exercised his 
 right of franchise in support of the men and measures of that party but never 
 sought nor desired office, as he preferred to concentrate his energies upon his 
 farming interests. He attended the German Lutheran church and his life was 
 an upright, honorable one, winning him the respect and good will of all with 
 whom he was associated. For a great many years he was identified with the Inde- 
 pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He died January 29, 1891, and many friends 
 as well as his immediate family felt deep regret over his loss. His widow, one 
 son and a daughter yet remain upon the old homestead farm, while the other 
 children are all married and have gone to homes of their own. 
 
 HENRY STOLTENBERG. 
 
 Among the enterprising, progressive and successful farmers of Qeona town- 
 ship, who have also taken an active and influential part in community affairs, 
 is numbered Henry Stoltenberg, one of Scott county's native sons, his birth oc- 
 curring in Davenport township on the 4th of January, 1856. His parents, Hans and 
 Eliza (Wiese) Stoltenberg, were both natives of Holstein, Germany, the for- 
 mer's birth there occurring on the 20th of September, 1828. The father came 
 to America with his parents when about eighteen years of age, the family home 
 being established in Scott county. Here the grandfather of our subject secured 
 enough land at the purchase price of one dollar and a quarter per acre to give each 
 of his fourteen children a tract of eighty acres. Upon his farm Hans Stolten- 
 berg located and continued to follow the occupation of farming until about 
 twenty-five years ago, when he retired from active business, and has since 
 made his home in Davenport. His business career was one of continuous activ- 
 ity, in which was accorded due recognition of honest labor and that he was suc- 
 cessful in his undertaking is indicated by the fact that at the time of his retire- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 445 
 
 ment he was the owner of fifteen hundred acres of valuable land, all in Scott 
 county, constituting him one of the extensive property owners of the locality. 
 He has since divided this property among his children. 
 
 Soon after his arrival in the new world, in 1853, Hans Stoltenberg was united 
 in marriage in Davenport to Eliza Wiese, who passed away in 1873 at the age of 
 forty-eight years. Later he wedded Elsabel Hass, also a native of Germany, 
 and they traveled life's journey happily together for twenty-nine years, or until 
 her death, which occurred in 1902. In their family were eight children, namely : 
 Minnie, the wife of William H. Petersen, of Central Park; Henry, of this review; 
 William, residing in western Iowa ; Theresa, the wife of Herman D. Moeller, of 
 Worthington, Minnesota ; Laura, who passed away at the age of ten years ; Louis, 
 of Lake Park, Iowa ; Edward, who makes his home in Blue Grass township ; and 
 CarHe, the wife of W. F. Mann, of Lake Benton, Minnesota. 
 
 'Amid the busy activities of rural life Henry Stoltenberg spent the period of 
 his boyhood and youth, attending the district schools in the acquirement of his 
 education, and when not busy with his text-books assisted in the work of the 
 fields. Here he early learned lessons concerning the value of industry, energy and 
 integrity, and these lessons, combined with the thorough and comprehensive 
 practical experience which he received, formed an excellent foundation stone 
 upon which to rear a future successful career. He remained with his parents 
 until twenty-one years of age, when, seeking to enter the buiness world, he took 
 up agricultural pursuits on his own account as a renter upon one of his father's 
 farms. He was thus engaged for three years, at the expiration of which period 
 he took a trip to the Pacific coast, spending two years in sight-seeing in the far 
 west. Returning home he again took up farming on the place which he had 
 previously operated in the capacity of renter and here has continued to make his 
 home to the present time. It is a highly cultivated farm of three hundred and 
 twenty acres, located on sections 35 and 36, Cleona township, and contains twa 
 sets of good buildings, one of which is occupied by his son, Rudolph. Mr. Stol- 
 tenberg has devoted considerable time to the improvement of this farm, erecting 
 good modern buildings and equipping the place with all of the accessories and 
 conveniences known to facilitating farm labor, so that today it is one of the 
 most highly improved and valuable farms of the township. He carries on gen- 
 eral farming and stock raising, and both branches of his business are proving 
 gratifying sources of remuneration. As he has prospered he has been able to 
 add to his real estate holdings and is now the owner of five hundred and twenty- 
 eight acres of land in Dickinson county aside from his home place, which prop- 
 erty has been in his possession for the past twelve years and is an additional 
 source of revenue. 
 
 It was on the 4th of December, 1883, that Mr. Stoltenberg was united in 
 marriage to Miss Matilda Specht, who was born in Walcott, Scott county, on 
 the 17th of August, 1864, and is a daughter of William and Dorothea (Schap- 
 per) Specht. Her father was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, on the i rth 
 of August, 1835, and the mother's birth occurred in Hanover, Germany, on the 
 4th of May, 1841. They were married in Scott county and made their home on 
 a farm near Walcott, where their remaining years were spent, he passing away 
 on the isth of January, 1885, and she on the nth of March, 1908. On coming 
 
446 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 to this county they were both employed on the same farm until their marriage 
 and then located on a rented farm, which Mr. Specht operated until he was able 
 to buy a place. So successful was he in his farming operation that at his death 
 he owned one hundred and sixty acres of land in Qeona township and also a farm 
 of the same size in Blue Grass township. In his family were two children, 
 namely: Louis, of Hartley, Iowa; and Matilda, the wife of our subject. Eight 
 children came to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Stoltenberg, namely : Rudolph, 
 carrying on farming on one of his father's farms near the old homestead ; Emil, 
 Harry, Lillie and Luella, all at home ; Walter, who was born on the 30th of April, 
 1893, and passed away February 27, 1894; and Mabel and Leona, who are also 
 yet under the parental roof. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Stoltenberg holds membership with the Walcott Lodge, No. 
 312, K. P., while politically he gives stalwart support to the republican party. 
 That he stands high in the regard of the community and enjoys the respect, con- 
 fidence and trust of his f ellowmen is indicated in the fact that he has been called 
 to positions of importance and honor, having been elected township assessor of 
 ■Qeona township in the fall of 1890, occupying that position for seven years. In 
 the fall of 1898 he was elected township clerk, serving in that capacity for two 
 years, while for one term, from 1903 until 1906, he acted as county supervisor. 
 For twenty-two years he was secretary of the Cleona township schools, and for 
 eleven years served as director of district No. 7, the cause of education finding 
 in him a stalwart champion. In every instance he entered upon his official duties 
 with the same spirit of thoroughness and diligence that characterized him in the 
 conduct of his business affairs, and met the responsibilities that rested upon him 
 in his official capacity in a way that not only brought honor to himself but reflected 
 credit upon his constituents. Public-spirited in citizenship, his devotion to the 
 public good has ever remained unquestioned, and Cleona township has profited 
 by his efforts in her behalf and numbers him among her most valued and re- 
 spected citizens. 
 
 WALTER H. PETERSEN. 
 
 Although one of the younger members of the Davenport bar, Walter H. Pe- 
 tersen has made a creditable record as one whose ability enables him to success- 
 fully cope with the intricate problems of jurisprudence and to meet in forensic 
 combat those who have long been established in practice. He was born in Daven- 
 port, October 6, 1877, ^"d is a son of Max D. ancl Caroline (Runge) Petersen, 
 by whom excellent educational privileges were afforded him. After passing 
 through consecutive grades in the public schools to his graduation from the high 
 school with the class of 1895, he pursued an academic course in the State Uni- 
 versity and afterward entered the law school of the same institution, from which 
 he was graduated with the Bachelor of Law degree in the class of 1901. He fur- 
 ther prepared for his profession in the Harvard Law School at Cambridge, Mas- 
 sachusetts, where he won his diploma in 1902. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 447 
 
 In October of the same year Mr. Petersen opened an office in Davenport and 
 soon formed a partnership with Victor L. Littig, under the firm style of Littig 
 & Petersen. Subsequently he was associated with W. M. Chamberlin and the 
 firm of Chamberlin & Petersen enjoyed a growing practice until June 15, 1907, 
 when they severed their interests and Mr. Petersen has since practiced alone. 
 Success has attended him and he credits any such favors of fortune to the 
 habits of careful preparation, study of his cases from the side of law and evidence, 
 the arrangement of the points of argument and strict attention to business. He 
 possesses, moreover, superior oratorical ability, his fine voice giving power to 
 his natural eloquence and thus he has won the reputation of being remarkably 
 successful with juries and a skillful cross examiner. He is a young man of high 
 ideals in his profession and in the seven years of his practice in Davenport has 
 made steady progress. He is seldom, if ever, at fault in the application of a legal 
 principle and his careful analysis enables him to readily determine the salient 
 points in the case and to give relative value to each point in his argument before 
 court or jury. 
 
 On the loth of June, 1903, Mr. Petersen was married to Miss Mary Cass, 
 a native of Chicago. He belongs to the Commercial Club and to various social 
 organizations, including the Rock Island, the Outing, Automobile and Arsenal 
 Golf Clubs — associations which indicate much of the nature of his interests and 
 recreation. He is also identified with business organizations and he attends the 
 Episcopal church. In his political views he is a pronounced republican and has 
 done much active campaign work. He does with all of his might and with a 
 sense of conscientious obligation whatever his hand finds to do' and is a social, 
 genial, generous man, enthusiastically devoted to the interests of his native city 
 and taking a share in all of its business and social Hfe. 
 
 JOHN ARP. 
 
 John Arp, who is engaged in general farming in Winfield township, owning 
 one hundred and sixty acres of productive land on section 36, started out in busi- 
 ness as a farm hand and was employed at breaking prairie. Gradually he has 
 won success, however, and is now in comfortable financial circumstances. He 
 was born in Holstein, Germany, October 19, 1838, and is a son of Peter and 
 Wipke Arp. The father was a tailor in Germany and served with the army of 
 that country, participating in the Napoleonic war. He remained a resident of 
 Germany until after several of his children sought homes in the new world. 
 The first of the family to come to the United States was his daughter Anna, 
 who married Henry Bushna, and worked for Antoine LeClaire. Later his sons, 
 Henry and Peter Arp, sought a home in the new world and in 1855 the father 
 with the others of the family crossed the briny deep, landing at Galveston, Texas, 
 whence they made their way to New Orleans and from that point up the Missis- 
 sippi river to Davenport, being about three weeks in ascending the stream. The 
 father never engaged in business after coming to the United States and both he 
 and his wife died in this county 
 
448 • HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 John Arp acquired his education in the schools of Germany and was a youth 
 of seventeen years at the time of the emigration. After arriving in Scott county 
 he secured employment as a farm hand and at breaking prairie, so that he soon 
 became familiar with the arduous task of bringing land under cultivation for the 
 first time. In 1862 he began farming on his own account, renting a place in 
 Winfield township from Henry Armil, constituting a part of the farm which is 
 now his property. Later he bought eighty acres of land from Mr. Dow and sub- 
 sequently purchased eighty acres from Mr. Armil, so that his holdings comprise 
 a quarter section, which is a valuable and productive property. He has made 
 all of the extensive improvements upon the place and the farm is lacking in none 
 of the equipments and accessories usually found on a model farm of the twen- 
 tieth century. Year by year he carefully tilled the fields but at a more recent 
 date practically retired from farm work, employing others to till and cultivate 
 the soil and harvest the crops, although he gives general supervision to all the 
 work that is carried on. 
 
 On the 2d of May, 1864, Mr. Arp was united in marriage to Miss Sophia 
 D. Vogt, a daughter of Carl W. and Mary Vogt, of Davenport, who came from 
 Germany to Scott county in 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Arp have become the parents 
 of four children: Mary, the wife of William Fellener, by whom she has seven 
 children — ^Anna, Alice, Nettie, Hattie, Helen, William and Mamie; Wilhelmina, 
 the wife of William Mohr, of Sheridan township, by whom she has four children 
 — ^Anna, Alfred, Elmer and Wilbert; Anna, the wife of Henry Gertz, of Eld- 
 ridge, by whom she has two sons, Harvey and Darwin; and Johannes, at home, 
 who wedded Rose Bluhm, by whom he has two daughters, Thelma and Corinne. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Arp hold membership in the Lutheran church and are well known 
 in this community, where he has lived for fifty-five years, while his wife has been 
 a resident of Scott county for forty-six years. His life has been one of untiring 
 diligence, crowned with success and, though his start in life was a humble one, 
 he has come to be recognized as one of the substantial, worthy and respected 
 farmers of Winfield township. 
 
 JOHN H. BRUS. 
 
 One of the enterprising farmers of Buffalo township is John H. Brus, who 
 was bom in Muscatine county, Iowa, and is a son of Rudolph and Adelheid 
 (Bockhorst) Brus. The father was born in Holland, July 19, 1838, and at the 
 age of eight, in 1846, he came with his parents to this country. Like so many 
 of their compatriots the family landed at New Orleans, thence made their way 
 by boat up the Mississippi river to St. Louis, where they disembarked and spent 
 six months, so that it was not until the spring of 1847 that they reached Scott 
 county. Here in Blue Grass township, Theodore Brus, the paternal grandfather, 
 bought a farm, which has remained in the possession of his descendants to the 
 present and is the home of a grandson Theodore and his mother. On that place 
 Rudolph Brus grew to young manhood, witnessing and participating in the de- 
 velopment of the county, which was rapidly progressing during those years. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 449 
 
 In 1864, in Davenport he wedded Miss Adelheid Bockhorst, who was bom in 
 Prussia, Germany, in 1843, and is a daughter of Henry Bockhorst, who had come 
 to this country and taken up his residence in Scott county, Iowa. In 1874 Mr. 
 Brus purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land upon the Hne between Blue 
 Grass and Hickory Grove townships. That farm remained his home throughout 
 the rest of his life and is now the residence of his widow and their two sons, 
 Frank and Bernard, and their daughter. Rudolph Brus died in 1892, and with 
 his demise. Blue Grass township lost one of its valued citizens and successful 
 agriculturists. 
 
 John H. Brus was reared upon the farm his father had bought. He was en- 
 rolled as a pupil in the public schools of his district, although no more time than 
 was necessary was devoted to the preparation of lessons, for there was always 
 labor to be accomplished around the home. He lived with his family, operating 
 the place after the death of his father until 1900, when, having married, he was 
 desirous of establishing a home of his own. Accordingly he went to Hickory 
 Grove township, where he rented property, and then, after two years' experience, 
 came to Buffalo township, where he purchased the fine farm he and his wife own 
 and which has been their home since. He has cultivated the soil with skill and 
 profit and is rapidly rising to a position of importance among the men engaged 
 in a similar occupation. 
 
 It was in 1900 that Mr. Brus was united in marriage to Miss Lena Brus, a 
 daughter of Jacob Brus, from whom the young couple acquired their home. They 
 have become the parents of five children, namely: Adeline, Raymond, Velma, 
 Walter and Marie. 
 
 Since old enough to exercise the franchise right of an American citizen, Mr. 
 Brus has adhered to the principles of the republican party, and on its ticket was 
 elected to membership on the school board, which he still holds. While he was 
 still a resident of Blue Grass township he was also identified with public interests, 
 for then he served as road supervisor. A member of the Catholic faith, he be- 
 longs to the congregation of St. Joseph's in the city of Davenport. Having ful- 
 filled the pubhc trust imposed upon him with credit to himself and the satisfac- 
 tion of his fellow citizens, Mr. Brus enjoys the respect of those associated with 
 him in occupation, while the success which has come to him has won their admir- 
 ation. 
 
 A'. E. WALSH. 
 
 Prominent among the energetic, farsighted and successful business men of 
 Davenport is A. E. Walsh, whose ability has been demonstrated both in connec- 
 tion with the profession of the law and in the establishment and control of im- 
 portant financial interests. He is now best known to the general public as the vice 
 president of the Citizens Trust & Savings Bank. His birth occurred in Clinton, 
 Iowa, January 24, 1874. His father, Anthony Walsh, a native of Ireland, came 
 to the United States in 1852 and settled in Davenport, where for a few years he 
 was connected with the law offices of Judge Grant. He afterward removed to 
 Clinton county, where he engaged in farming for a few years and then took up 
 
450 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 his abode in the city of Clinton in order to provide his children with better educa- 
 tional facilities. There he turned his attention to merchandising and for many 
 years has been numbered among the progressive and prosperous business men of 
 that place. He married Josephine Carroll, who was born in Ireland and in her 
 girlhood days accompanied her parents when they settled in Le Claire, this 
 county. 
 
 Spending his boyhood days under the parental roof, A. E. Walsh was edu- 
 cated in the public schools of Clinton and after completing his more specifically 
 literary course took up the study of law in the University of Iowa, from which 
 he was graduated in the class of 1896. There were six children in the family, all 
 of whom became lawyers. They maintain an office, although they are men of 
 many affairs and do nothing in law practice except corporation work. They are 
 men in whom the initiative spirit is strong, leading to the establishment and oper- 
 ation of successful business ventures, and in 1906 they assisted in organizing the 
 Citizens Trust & Savings Bank, of which E. C. Walsh is the president, A. E. 
 Walsh vice president, W. T. Brownlie cashier and C. J. Calnan assistant cashier. 
 
 A. E. Walsh is also prominent in fraternal and club circles. He is lecturer of 
 the Knights of Columbus, treasurer of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and dep- 
 uty high chief ranger of the Foresters. He also belongs to the Commercial Club 
 of Davenport and to the Davenport Outing Qub and takes active interest as a 
 cooperant factor in many projects and movements which are instituted for the 
 benefit of the city and the development of its business connections. 
 
 STUTELEY P. STAGEY. 
 
 Stuteley P. Stacey was numbered among the early settlers of Scott county, 
 where he arrived in 1850. Only four years before had the state been admitted 
 to the Union and, while settlements had been made along the Mississippi and in 
 central Iowa, there were still great undeveloped and unimproved districts in 
 western Iowa. Mr. Stacey was bom June 19, 1822, at West Point, New York, 
 and pursued his education there, retaining his residence in the east until about 
 twenty-eight years of age, when he came to this county and established his home 
 in Pleasant Valley township. There he purchased a farm of one hundred and 
 twenty acres and brought his fields under a high state of cultivation, 
 carefully carrying on his work as the years passed by. He studied the 
 soil, understood the requirements of different grains and by the careful rota- 
 tion and care of his crops succeeded in gathering good harvests each year. The 
 greater part of his life was given to general farming and upon his original home- 
 stead he resided for thirty-eight years, or until 1888, when he sold the property 
 to Mr. Hess. 
 
 While residing upon the farm Mr. Stacey served for a long period as asses- 
 sor of his township. He was also a member of ^the school board and was inter- 
 ested in all measures and movements for the benefit of the community. 
 
 Mr. Stacey was united in marriage to Miss Agnes Van Epps, who came to this 
 county with her father, Charles Van Epps, from Schenectady county. New York, 
 
STTTKLEY 1'. STACEY 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 453 
 
 where she was born. They arrived in 1853 but the father was not long permitted 
 to enjoy his new home, for a year afterward he passed away. His widow, how- 
 ever, survived for many years and was long a resident of Scott county. Unto 
 Mr. and Mrs. Stacey were born three children, but all died in infancy. Mrs. 
 Stacey has spent the greater part of her life in Scott county and since her hus- 
 band's death has made her home in Davenport. She enjoys a wide acquaintance 
 and has a large circle of warm friends. She has long been an earnest champion 
 of the cause of temperance and is an active worker in the Women's Christian 
 Temperance Union. 
 
 Mr. Stacey was a devoted member and loyal supporter of the Methodist 
 church and his life conformed to its teachings. For forty years he was an ex- 
 emplary member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and in politics he 
 was a republican from the organization of the party. His life was character- 
 ized by a worthy charity that prompted him ever to extend a helping hand to the 
 poor and needy. He died May 21, i88g, and thus closed a life record that in all 
 of its relations measured up to the full standard of upright, honorable manhood. 
 While he never sought to figure prominently in public affairs, he never neglected 
 the performance of his daily duties, nor was he ever inconsiderate or forgetful 
 of the rights and privileges of others. On the contrary, he was always willing to 
 aid a fellow traveler on life's journey and his life record was crowned with the 
 memory of many good deeds as well as unassailable honor and integrity in 
 business affairs. 
 
 JAMES PAUSTIAN. 
 
 James Paustian, a successful farmer of Hickory Grove township, is one of 
 its native sons, for here his birth occurred October 25, 1863. His parents, Fred- 
 erick and Christian (Roehs) Paustian, were natives of the fatherland, the former 
 having been born in Holstein, January 14, 1820, the latter in the same province, 
 August 25, 1825. In the place of their birth they were reared to maturity and 
 were there married, coming to this country in 1851 shortly after their union. 
 They settled on a farm in Scott county, Iowa, where Mr. Paustian devoted himself 
 assiduously to tilling the soil, although for the first years, in conjunction with it, 
 he followed his trade as a mason to some extent. As the years passed he became 
 a prosperous man, who enjoyed the respect of his fellow citizens and especially 
 of those pioneers of Scott county who had watched his labors in the early days. 
 He died January 27, 1885, while his wife survived until July 21, 1900. They 
 were both well advanced in age when their lives were ended. 
 
 Twelve children were bom to them, ten of whom now survive, namely : Caro- 
 line, who is the wife of Martin Greenwood, of Cleona township; Fred, who 
 resides in Minnesota ; August, of Hickory Grove township ; Emma, the wife of 
 Christ Paustian, of Cleona township ; Louis, who resides in Cedar county, Iowa ; 
 Sophii, the wife of William Buhmann, of Bryan, Ohio; James, subject of this 
 sketch;' Charles, a farmer of Hickory Grove township; Minnie, the wife of Her- 
 
454 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 man Meinert, of Cleona township; and Bertha, the wife of Henry Paulsen, of 
 Muscatine county, Iowa. 
 
 As well as being his birthplace Hickory Grove township has also been the 
 home of James Paustian throughout life. In the district schools here he received 
 his early education and at the same time he was fitted for the responsibilities of 
 life practically through the assistance he rendered his father in the operation of 
 the homestead. Upon the death of the latter, when James Paustian was twenty- 
 one year of age, he and his brother assumed the management of the paternal 
 farm, which they conducted for the next four years. At the expiration of that 
 period, they severed their partnership and James Paustian came to the place on 
 which he now lives. It is a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, the southeast 
 quarter of section 19, Hickory Grove township. Here he pursues general farm- 
 ing, raising a quantity of stock for the market in addition. While these occu- 
 pations demand a great deal of his time and thought, he is also interested as a 
 stockholder in the Farmers Elevator at Walcott and has been able to render effi- 
 cient service to his fellow citizens, for during a period of three years he was 
 school director. 
 
 On the 27th of February, 1895, Mr. Paustian was united in marriage to Miss 
 Anna Martens, who was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, September 6, 1874. 
 Upon the 24th of October, 1881, she and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fritz Mar- 
 tens, came to Scott county, which has since been their home. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Paustian have eight children: Minnie C, Sophia M., Bernhard P., Caroline A'., 
 Walter E., Harry F., Bertha D. and Edna A. 
 
 Mr. Paustian belongs to the lodge of the Knights of Pythias at Walcott, tak- 
 ing a vital interest in its affairs. The improvements upon his farm and the con- 
 dition of the fields, rather than their extent, evince his skill as a farmer, and he 
 has the respect and good will of those who are associated with him. 
 
 W. R. MAINES. 
 
 W. R. Maines, for fifteen years a member of the Davenport bar and now 
 serving as justice of the peace, to which position he was elected in 1906, was bom 
 in Ashland, Kentucky, May 10, 1874. His father, P. M. Maines, was a native 
 of Pennsylvania and when a young man went to Kentucky, being employed as a 
 steamboat engineer during his residence there. In 1875 he came to Iowa and 
 after one year spent in Clinton removed to Le Claire, Scott county, where he 
 resided for a few years. He then took up his abode in Princeton, this county, 
 later coming to Davenport, where he continued as a steamboat engineer until his 
 death in February, 1909. He was a well known river man, having a wide ac- 
 quaintance from St. Paul to New Orleans, being on the river in the palmy and 
 exciting days of steamboating when the Mississippi was the principal means of 
 travel from north to south and the vessels which plied its waters were well termed 
 floating palaces. He married Nannie E. Gray, a native of Virginia. 
 
 Brought to Iowa when but a year old, W. R. Maines largely pursued his edu- 
 cation in the public schools of Princeton and completed his more specifically lit- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 455 
 
 erary course in Cornell College, at Mount Vernon, Iowa. Wishing to make the 
 practice of law his life work, he began reading in the office of W. M. Chamberlin, 
 and later entered the State University at Iowa City, where he spent one year. 
 In 1895 he was admitted to the bar and immediately afterward opened an office in 
 Davenport, where he has since remained. For five years he engaged in practice 
 with Fred VoUmer, under the firm style of Maines & Vollmer, but since that time 
 has been alone. In 1906 he was elected justice of the peace and now presides in 
 fair and impartial manner over the justice court in addition to attending to the 
 duties of his law practice. Earnest application and unflagging diligence have 
 constituted the basis of his progress and success. He chose as a life work a pro- 
 fession in which advancement depends entirely upon individual effort and, realiz- 
 ing this fact, has labored intelligently and persistently to attain the creditable 
 position which he now occupies as a strong representative of the Davenport bar. 
 Mr. Maines has always been an active politician but not an office seeker. He 
 belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and is a Past Worthy 
 President of the local aerie of Eagles. He is likewise connected with the Knights 
 of Pythias, the Improved Order of Red Men, the Woodmen of the World, the 
 Order of Owls and Knights of the Maccabees. In 1903 he married Louise A. 
 Koch, a native of Rock Island and a daughter of Anthony Koch of that city. 
 
 FREDERICK LAMBACH, M. D. 
 
 ■fs. 
 
 Dr. Frederick Lambach, commissioner of insanity for Scott county and one 
 of the successful and well known members of the medical fraternity of Daven- 
 port, was born in Le Claire, Iowa, April 4, 1866. He represents one of the old 
 pioneer families of this part of the state. His father, Frederick Lambach, was 
 born in Germany and in 1848, when a young man, came to the new world with 
 his sister Elnora. They made their way to Scott county, where their two broth- 
 ers, Christian and Henry, had already preceded them, being located in Le Claire. 
 Two other brothers, Charles and Francis, afterward came and likewise settled 
 in Le Claire, where all engaged in farming. Frederick Lambach, Sr., was an 
 engineer and master builder, as was his father before him, and in fact the family 
 have been connected with building and engineering projects for generations. 
 Frederick Lambach continued to engage in business along that line for a number 
 of years and in 1870 turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits in 
 Princeton township. He was identified with farming until 1894, when he retired 
 and took up his abode in Davenport, where he passed away in 1895 at the age of 
 seventy-one years. In politics he was a republican but the honors and emolu- 
 ments of office had no attraction for him. Well known, he was also uniformly 
 respected, for his life was the exemplification of those principles and characteris- 
 tics which in every land and clime command regard. His wife, who bore the 
 maiden name of Sophia Puis, was a native of Mecklenburg, Germany. Her 
 father, Christian Puis, settled in Blue Grass in 1850, and in this state she gave her 
 hand in marriage to Mr. Lambach. Her death occurred in 1900, when she had 
 
456 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 reached the age of sixty-one years. In the family were four children, Ida, Gus- 
 tav. Frederick and Robert, but the last named died at the age of thirteen years. 
 
 To the public school system Dr. Lambach is indebted for his early educational 
 privileges. He attended the country schools of Princeton township and after- 
 ward entered the Davenport high school, from which he was graduated with the 
 class of 1884. He had already determined upon the practice of medicine as his 
 life work and in the same year matriculated in the University of Pennsylvania, 
 from which he was graduated in 1887. He then spent one year in St. Mary's 
 Hospital in Philadelphia and the broad and varied experience of hospital prac- 
 tice well qualified him for the onerous duties which devolved upon him when he 
 took up the private practice of medicine in Le Claire. There he remained for 
 nine years and in 1897 came to Davenport, where he has since resided. His 
 ability is evidenced in the liberal patronage accorded him, for he now has a good 
 general practice. He served as county coroner from 1897 until 1908 and was 
 again called to office on the death of the late Dr. Middleton, being appointed as 
 successor in the position of commissioner of insanity. He keeps in touch with 
 the progress of the medical fraternity through his membership in the County, 
 State and National Medical Societies. 
 
 In 1888 Dr. Lambach was married to Miss Anna 'Allen, a representative of a 
 leading New Jersey family and of Revolutionary stock. Dr. and Mrs. Lambach 
 have one son, Carl H. Fraternally the Doctor is connected with Trinity Lodge, 
 A. F. & A. M., and Davenport Chapter, R. A. M. He is also a popular member 
 of the Shooting Club and other societies and has those traits of character which 
 readily win friends, while his genuine worth enables him to retain the high regard 
 that is at once tendered him. He has worked earnestly to secure the success that 
 is his, becoming worthy of a liberal patronage by comprehensive study and con- 
 scientious performance of every professional duty. 
 
 FRITZ BERNICK. 
 
 Fritz Bernick is successfully engaged in farming in Buffalo township and is 
 well known as a raiser of Scotch shorthorn cattle, to which line of business he 
 gives much of his time. A farm in Blue Grass township, Scott county, was the 
 place of his nativity, his natal day being December 29, 1857. His father, Moritz 
 Bernick, was born in Germany, November 24, 1818. He was married in that 
 country to Miss Catherine E. Reckler, who was born July 26, 1826, the wedding 
 ceremony being performed in the year 1846. They began their domestic life in 
 the land of their birth and there remained until 1857, when, the father believing 
 he could provide a better living for himself and family in the new world, they 
 set sail for America and upon their arrival here at once made their way to Scott 
 county, Iowa. The father rented land of a Mr. Newcomb in Blue Grass town- 
 ship and continued its operation until 1866, when he purchased a tract of land 
 in Muscatine county, this state, to which he removed. He was very successful 
 in his farming operations and became a prominent and influential citizen of that 
 section of the state. There are four living members of the family, those beside 
 
FKIl'Z J!El;XI( l\ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 459 
 
 our subject being: Moritz, a farmer of Muscatine county; Adolf, who lives in 
 Cedar county, Iowa; and Elizabeth, the wife of Charles Sheelie, a resident of 
 Davenport. 
 
 Fritz Bernick' was reared on the farm in Blue Grass township to the age of 
 nine years, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to their newly ac- 
 quired tract of land in Muscatine county, and it was in the district schools of the 
 latter place that he acquired his early education, completing his studies in Daven- 
 port in 1871. On putting aside his text-books he returned to the home farm in 
 Muscatine county and for a decade worked for his father. During this time he 
 gained an intimate knowledge of the best methods of farming so that when he 
 started out independently he was well qualified for carrying on a successful 
 business. 
 
 In 1881 he established a home of his own by his marriage to Miss Melinda 
 . Harsch, a daughter of Emanuel Harsch, who was born in Wurtemburg, Ger- 
 many, November 7, 1823, and located in Scott county in 1852. He still owns a 
 farm in Buffalo township, which is operated by Mr. Bernick, and he makes his 
 home with his daughter and her husband. 
 
 Mr. Bernick prior to his marriage had made arrangements to farm his 
 father-in-law's place and immediately after that important event in his life he 
 took up his abode thereon. He has since purchased land in the same neighbor- 
 hood and altogether has under his supervision two hundred and eighty acres, 
 most of which is under cultivation but a portion of the land is devoted to pastur- 
 age, for he is engaged in breeding and raising Scotch shorthorn cattle, making a 
 specialty of this branch of business. Mr. Bernick also owns a section of land 
 in Kansas, buying this in 1886, and he likewise owns a section in Canada. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Bernick has been blessed with five sons and 
 one daughter, namely: Fritz, who is an electrical engineer in the employ of the 
 Ames Electric Company at Ames, Iowa; Emanuel H., who is in Downey, this 
 state ; and Benjamin H., Henry H., Charlie and Lulu M., all at home. 
 
 Mr. Bernick is a democrat and takes an active interest in public affairs. In 
 1906 he was elected justice of the peace, while for the past ten years he has 
 served as township trustee and school director. He is also a stockholder in the 
 Blue Grass Savings Bank. 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 Scott county. His interests are thoroughly 
 identified with those of his county and at all times he is ready to lend his aid 
 and cooperation to any movement calculated to benefit this section of the coun- 
 try or advance its wonderful development. 
 
 JAMES G. MADDEN. 
 
 James G. Madden is recognized as one of the capable and enterprising business 
 men of Scott county, now engaged in buying and selling stock in partnership with 
 the Brownlee brothers. All his life has been devoted to farming and stock-rais- 
 ing and he has labored diligently and earnestly to attain the success which is 
 
460 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 now his, making him recognized as one of the substantial residents of Winfield 
 township. 
 
 It was in that township that his birth occurred May i8, 1858, his parents being 
 John and Ellen (Spencer) Madden, who were early settlers here and were long 
 numbered among the highly respected residents of the county. The father was 
 born in Wigton, Cumberland, England, August 8, 1817, and at the age of sixteen 
 years became apprenticed to a boot and shoemaker of Liverpool, serving for a 
 seven years' term. It was the custom in those days for the parents to pay to have 
 their sons instructed in a trade and such were the terms of Mr. Madden's appren- 
 ticeship. After he had completed the term of service he began business on his 
 own account in Liverpool, having a store near the famous Royal theater in that 
 city. There he made a specialty of furnishing "leather wear" for actors and 
 actresses. He made everything in the line of leather goods used by the pro- 
 fession and in that way became acquainted with all the eminent players and sing- 
 ers of that period — the '40s. He knew Charles Kean, Ellen Tree, Macready Cres- 
 wick, Phelps, Anderson and Mrs. Warner among the actors, and Adelaide Kem- 
 ble, Jenny Lind, Persiam, Grise, Mario, Rubini, Sontag, Henry Phillips, Lablache 
 and Clara Novilio among the singers. He was acquainted with the stage man- 
 agers of the Theater Royal and was often behind the scenes on big nights. His 
 reminiscences of those days and of the famous players and singers were most in- 
 teresting, for he had met many of them personally and could relate many 
 anecdotes concerning them. Moreover, he was an excellent critic of both acting 
 and singing. In February, 1843, John Madden wedded Miss Ellen Spencer, of 
 Liverpool, who had almost as extended an acquaintance with the people on the 
 stage as her husband. 
 
 In the spring of 1850 Mr. Madden carried out the plan that he had cherished 
 for some time of coming to the United States and investing his savings in a good 
 farm. He landed at New Orleans on the 20th of April, accompanied by his wife 
 and children, and proceeded at once up the river, arriving at Davenport ten days 
 later. He then purchased the farm in Winfield township, two miles west of Long 
 Grove, which he occupied until his death. He took out his first naturalization 
 papers immediately after his arrival here and in May, 1855, received his second 
 papers, and on that day was elected township clerk. He had already won the 
 high regard and esteem of his neighbors, who expressed their confidence in and 
 regard for him by choosing him for public office. From that time forward, he was 
 almost continuously in township or county offices and for more than twenty years 
 was a school director. In business he was an energetic, progressive man, in his 
 relations with his fellowmen was kind and charitable and a benevolent spirit 
 prompted him to give generous aid to the poor and needy. He was one of the 
 founders of the Scott County Agricultural Society, which holds its fairs at Mount 
 Joy, served as a director of the society for four years and as its secretary for three 
 years. His first wife died in January, 1881, and in February, 1882, Mr. Madden 
 wedded Mrs. Rebecca L. Greer. There were eleven children of the first marriage, 
 eight of whom were living at the time of the father's death, but all have now 
 passed away with the exception of Mrs. Greer, James G. Madden of this review 
 and George M. The death of Mr. Madden, in September, 1884, was occasioned by 
 an accident. He was driving home from Donahue when it was thought his horse 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 461 
 
 became frightened, reared, turned and ran, going westward until it came to the 
 house of Henry Madden, brother of the deceased, where it entered the yard. The 
 family recognized the horse and, fearing an accident, started out to investigate, 
 finding Mr. Madden lying dead at the side of the road. His demise was the oc- 
 casion of very deep and widespread regret, for he was held in high esteem by 
 all who knew him. He was a member of the Eastern Iowa and Central Illi- 
 nois Bee Keepers Association and in that organization he made many friends 
 and, in fact, won high regard wherever he went. 
 
 James G. Madden, whose name introduces this review, has spent his entire 
 life in Winfield township and at the usual age entered the public schools, where- 
 in he pursued his education. His school days over, he remained at home until 
 his marriage, after which he rented the farm from his father, who, retiring from 
 active business life, yet continued to live upon the old homestead, he and his wife 
 occupying a part of the house. For four years after his father's death James 
 G. Madden continued to rent the farm from the other heirs and then purchased 
 the place, comprising two hundred and forty acres of rich and productive land. 
 He devoted his' energies to its further cultivation until the holiday season of 1909, 
 when he removed to his present home in Long Grove, which he purchased from 
 W. T. Brownlee. During the greater part of his life he has carried on general 
 agricultural pursuits, but is now concentrating his energies upon the business of 
 stock buying in partnership with the Brownlee brothers. In this undertaking he 
 is meeting with excellent success. He is also one of the stockholders of the 
 Stockmens Bank of Long Grove and is serving on its advisory board. 
 
 On the 15th of February, 1881, Mr. Madden was married to Miss Maria 
 Whistler, a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Taylor) Whistler. Her father 
 was born in the county of Norfolk, England, September 30, 1813, became a farmer 
 of that country and was married in England in September, 1845. In December, 
 1854, he came with his family to the United States, landing at New York, whence 
 he made his way direct to Scott county, where he resided continuously until his 
 death. At that time there were two children in the family, Sarah Ann and Chris- 
 topher. On reaching Iowa Mr. Whistler settled in Buffalo township, where he 
 purchased eighty acres of prairie land, on which he built a house, making it his 
 home for a number of years. He then sold out in 1865 and invested in eighty 
 acres in Aliens Grove township. Upon that farm both he and his wife spent 
 their remaining days, Mrs. Whistler passing away June 9, 1883, at the age of 
 fifty-three years, while Mr. Whistler died February 21, 1891. In their family 
 were five children : Sarah Ann, deceased ; Christopher S., who is living in Dona- 
 hue; Mrs. Jane E. Maw, of Donahue; Mrs. Madden; and Mrs. AHce Jackson, 
 of Nebraska. At the time of the death of Mr. Whistler one of the local papers 
 said: "In the death of Mr. Whistler the community has lost a good neighbor 
 and true friend, who retained his trust in God's holy word and was a faithful 
 believer to the end." His daughter Maria was bom in Buffalo township, this 
 county, October 7, 1857, and by her marriage to Mr. Madden has become the 
 mother of three children. The eldest, Raymond J., who was born February 12, 
 1882, married Anna Johnson and has a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in 
 Winfield township, whereon he resides with his wife and two sons, Ralph J. and 
 Clyde R. Emery C. Madden, who was bom December 2T, 1883, married Amanda 
 
462 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Elmergreen and lives upon the old home place. Nellie M., bom July 21, 1894, 
 died in infancy and was buried in the Long Grove cemetery. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Madden have a wide acquaintance in Long Grove and through- 
 out the county, and their many good traits of heart and mind have won for them 
 the friendship and regard of all with whom they have been associated. The 
 hospitality of the best homes is cordially extended to them and they are well 
 worthy of mention in the history of the county where they have always lived. 
 
 CARL F. HASS. 
 
 In the quarter of a century in which Carl F. Hass has been a member of the 
 Davenport bar his constantly expanding powers have brought him distinction and 
 honors. He is now senior partner of the law firm of Hass & Hamann, whose cli- 
 entage is surpassed by none in extent or in the nature of the litigated interests in- 
 volved. Like many of Davenport's most prominent and forceful citizens, Carl 
 F. Hass was a native of Germany, his birth having occurred in Lutjenburg, Hol- 
 stein, on the 3d of April, 1857. He spent the first seven years of his life in that 
 country and in 1864 came to America with his father, John F. Hass, who was 
 born in Lutjenburg in 1823. He had there married Dorothea Buhman and ere 
 crossing the Atlantic their family numbered a daughter and son. A number of 
 their German neighbors accompanied them, so that there was quite a little colony 
 that left the fatherland for the United States. John F. Hass was a shoemaker 
 and followed his trade industriously until 1885, when he retired from active busi- 
 ness life, spending fourteen years in the enjoyment of well earned rest, after 
 which he was called to his final home in 1899. His widow still survives, as do 
 the daughter and son, the former being Mrs. Caroline Stieger, of this city. 
 
 After coming to Davenport with his parents Carl F. Hass entered the public 
 schools, graduated at a comparatively early age and began clerking in a mercan- 
 tile establishment. He determined, however, to obtain a thorough business edu- 
 cation and to this end attended the Montague & Lillibridge Business College. In 
 1874 he became a clerk in the law office of Bills & Block and utilized his leisure 
 hours for the study of law, being admitted to the bar in 1882. He remained with 
 the firm, however, until January i, 1883, when he entered the office of W. J. 
 Birchard, clerk of the district and circuit courts, as his deputy, there continuing 
 until April i, 1884. On that date he returned to the office in which he had for- 
 merly been a student and clerk, there remaining until the dissolution of the firm, 
 when he was admitted to partnership relations by Mr. Bills, the new firm of 
 Bills & Hass maintaining a continuous existence until the death of the senior part- 
 ner in 1897. Mr. Hass was then alone in practice two years, or until the 31st of 
 July, 1899, when he was joined by A. W. Hamann in forming the present firm 
 of Hass & Hamann. The trend of his mind is analytical, logical and inductive. 
 He readily sees the relation of cause and efifect, his application of legal principles 
 is seldom, if ever, at fault and his legal opinion and statements are seldom ques- 
 tioned seriously. His legal practice is directed more particularly to the settle- 
 ment and management of estates. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 463 
 
 In 1883 Mr. Hass was married to Miss Minnie M. Wriedt, a native of Scott 
 county and a daughter of Claus and Anna (Behrens) Wriedt. Mr. Hass belongs 
 to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Turners Society. He is 
 interested in the problems of politics but not in the active work of the party to the 
 extent of giving much time to effort for the election of its candidates. However, 
 he is not unmindful of the gravity of many municipal problems and the weight of 
 his influence is cast on the side of reform, improvement and continuous progres- 
 sion. He has been characterized as "quiet, reflective, reticent ; a doer rather than 
 a talker, direct and lucid in conversation ; steady, sure and safe." Such an ex- 
 pression from those who have long known him is perhaps the best summary of his 
 character. 
 
 BEN HARVEY SCHMIDT, M. D. 
 
 With determined and commendable purpose to reach a worthy place in the 
 medical profession in his native city. Dr. B. H. Schmidt entered upon active 
 practice in Davenport' in 1898, since which time his course has been marked by a 
 steady progression that has won him an extensive clientele in the tri-cities. He 
 was born in Davenport, June 15, 1875, and is the youngest of the six living chil- 
 dren of Hugo and Zella (Koehler) Schmidt, who were natives of the province 
 of Westphalia, in Germany. They came to America in their childhood days and 
 were niarried in Davenport. In the maternal line the ancestry of the family is 
 traced back to the beginning of the seventeenth century. The father figured for 
 a number of years as one of the leading and distinguished bankers and merchants 
 of this city. He was at dififerent times connected as cashier with the Citizens 
 and First National Banks, on which his personality left a deep and lasting bene- 
 ficial impress. Later he became the owner and manager of an extensive cracker 
 business and continued in that line until his death, which was occasioned by an 
 accident. His children are all yet residents of this city. 
 
 Dr. Schmidt, whose name introduces this review, pursued his literary course 
 in the public schools of Davenport, passing through the grammar grades to the 
 high school. He early determined to become a physician and, with this end in 
 view, when fifteen years of age entered the office of Dr. Hageboeck as a student. 
 Subsequently he matriculated in Rush Medical College at Chicago and was grad- 
 uated therefrom with the class of 1897, after which he went to pursue 
 post-graduate work in Vienna and Berlin. In the latter part of the year 1898 he 
 returned to America and opened an office in Davenport. From the beginning his 
 success was assured because he had in him those qualities which overcame all 
 difficulties and obstacles and pressed steadily forward to the goal. Added to a 
 thorough preparatory training he had a natural adaptability and his energy and 
 industry were moreover numbered among his chief characteristics. Under Mayor 
 Waldo Becker he was made city physician in 1901 and served until 1903. This 
 entailed membership in the board of health and constituted him adviser thereto. 
 Smallpox becoming epidemic in Davenport during his term of office, his skill as a 
 physician and as an official received rigorous test and the result redounded 
 
464 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 greatly to his credit. He has always devoted his attention to the general prac- 
 tice of medicine and surgery, having many patrons in the tri-cities,' while his pro- 
 fessional service is constantly increasing in volume and importance. Progress 
 is the keynote of his life and through close study and earnest purpose he has 
 made continuous advance. He is very careful in the diagnosis of his cases and 
 in the application of remedial agencies and thus he has come to be recognized as 
 one of the most reliable physicians of Davenport. Aside from an extensive pri- 
 vate practice he is examining and consulting physician to the Germania Life, 
 Pacific Mutual, Danish Brotherhood and Merchants of Burlington insurance 
 companies and contract physician to the Mutual Manufacturers Accident Asso- 
 ciation. 
 
 In 1899 Dr. Schmidt was married to Miss Helen Reith, a native of this city 
 and the daughter of Henry Reith, who came from Germany in the '60s. They 
 now have one child, Kurt, who was born March 16, 1904. 
 
 Dr. Schmidt belongs to the Knights of Pythias society and Woodmen of 
 America, in both of which he is examining physician. He is likewise connected 
 with the Turner Society, the German Free School, the Ethical Society, the Shoot- 
 ing Association, the Arsenal Golf and the Schuetzen Clubs, all of which indicate 
 the nature of his interests and his recreation. He likewise belongs to the County, 
 State and National Medical Associations and is interested in every onward step 
 made by the profession in the effort to secure for man a key to that complex 
 mystery which we call life. His deep interest, his ambition and his natural in- 
 clination are bound up in his profession, to which he is an honor and in which he 
 has achieved distinction. 
 
 HENRY KAHLER. 
 
 Henry Kahler, who is now living retired at No. 422 Marquette street in 
 Davenport, was in former years prominently identified with building interests 
 as a carpenter and contractor and his labors in this connection contributed ma- 
 terially to the growth and development of the city. His birth occurred in Hol- 
 stein, Germany, on the 20th of June, 1834, his parents being Hans and Charlotta 
 Kahler. The. father, who was a laborer and also engaged in farming on a small 
 scale, participated in the Schleswig-Holstein wars from 1848 to 1850. In 1855, 
 in company with his wife and children, he embarked on a sailing vessel bound 
 for American shores and landed at Galveston, Texas, after an ocean voyage of 
 about eight weeks. They remained in Galveston for only two days and then 
 boarded a cattle ship for New Orleans, whence they took passage on a boat which 
 brought them to Davenport on the 26th of June, 1855. Hans Kahler continued 
 to reside in this city throughout the remainder of his life, passing away on the 
 1st of April, 1900, when he had attained the venerable age of ninety-four years. 
 The period of his residence here covered almost forty-five years and he became 
 well known and highly esteemed as a substantial and representative citizen. The 
 demise of his wife had occurred soon after their arrival in Davenport. Their 
 children were six in number, as follows: Henry, of this review; Charles F., a 
 

 5i 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 467 
 
 retired agriculturist residing in Davenport; Dora, who is deceased; Mary, the 
 wife of John Hill, of Davenport; Louisa, who has also passed away; and August, 
 who makes his home in Ottumwa. 
 
 Henry Kahler spent the first twenty years of his life in the land of his na- 
 tivity, turning his attention to farm work after he had completed his education. 
 In 1854 he crossed the Atlantic to the United States in company with friends, 
 landing at New Orleans, Louisiana. He then made his way up the Mississippi 
 river to Davenport, stopping for a few days at St. Louis while enroute. After 
 arriving in this county he secured employment as a farm hand during the har- 
 vest season but as his wages were only eleven dollars per month, he soon aban- 
 doned the position and began learning the carpenter's trade. To that occupation 
 he devoted his time and energies throughout his active business career and many 
 evidences of his skill as a builder are seen in the residences of Davenport and 
 vicinity. In 1862 he journeyed westward to California, where he remained for 
 two years, working at his trade and also in a quartz mill. On returning to this 
 city he enlisted for service in the Union army, joining Company C, Fourteenth 
 Iowa Volunteer Infantry, in August, 1864. He did detail duty around Daven- 
 port until the close of hostilities and was honorably discharged on the 14th of 
 May, 1865. On once more taking up the pursuits of civil life he resumed his 
 business as a carpenter and contractor and thus remained an active and success- 
 ful representative of building interests until the time of his retirement. 
 
 On the 5th of May, 1866, Mr. Kahler was united in marriage to Miss Julia 
 Beyer, who was bom in Rock Island county, Illinois, on the 2d of November, 
 1846, and was a representative of one of, the oldest families in Scott county. 
 Her father, William Beyer, who was a native of Hildesheim, Germany, emigrated 
 to the United States in 1845 and ten years later located on a farm in Hickory 
 Grove township, Scott county, Iowa, where he made his home until the time of 
 his death. In the fall of 1878 he was awakened one night by the glare and crack- 
 lingof fire and found his bam in a mass of flames. He entered the burning build- 
 ing in an attempt to save at least a few of his horses and on leaving the barn one 
 of the horses stepped on him, pinning him to the ground and breaking one of 
 his legs. He managed to escape from the barn but died after several months of 
 suffering, passing away in 1879, when sixty-five years of age. Mrs. Henrietta 
 Beyer, who survived her husband for many years, was called to her final rest on 
 the 2d of May, 1907, her demise occurring in Davenport. Unto Mr. and Mrs. 
 Kahler were born ten children, the record of whom is as follows. Amelia, whose 
 birth occurred May 26, 1867, gave her hand in marriage to Richard Calkins, of 
 Davenport. Charles, who was born in 1868, passed away in 1894. Minnie, whose 
 natal day was May 4, 1871, wedded Herman Bergert and has a son, Harold, 
 who was born on the i6th of November, 1895. Henrietta, whose birth occurred 
 in 1873, was called to her final rest in 1892. Louie, who was bom April 10, 
 187s, is a resident of Davenport. By his marriage to Miss Margaret Malone 
 he has four children, namely: Henrietta, LeRoy, Edna and Vesta. Henry, 
 whose birth occurred in 1876, died in the year 1881. Qara, who first opened 
 her eyes to the light of day on the 22d of August, 1878, is the wife of Otto Hasse, 
 of Davenport. Paula, born February 12, 1883, wedded Charles Nutting, of Rock 
 Island, Illinois. Ella, who was bom June 9, 1885, married Otto Bath of Daven- 
 
468 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 port and has a daughter, Loretta. Leander, whose natal day was November 
 15, 1887, lives in Davenport. Mrs. Julia Kahler, the mother of these children, 
 passed away on the 28th of February, 1909, and' her demise was the occasion of 
 deep and widespread regret. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Kahler is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
 lows and he still maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades through 
 his membership in August Wentz Post, G. A. R. He also belongs to the old vol- 
 unteer fire department and is a well known member of the German Pioneers 
 Association. He is widely and favorably known throughout the community 
 which has been his home for more than a half century, having won the un- 
 quahfied confidence and regard of all with whom business or social relations have 
 brought him in contact. The hope that led him to leave his native land and 
 seek a home in America has been more than realized, for through the wise utili- 
 zation of his opportunities he has steadily worked his way upward and has won 
 a competence that now enables him to spend his remaining days in well earned 
 ease, surrounded by all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. 
 
 WILLIAM M. LILLIS. 
 
 William M. Lillis, who throughout the period of his connection with business 
 affairs of Davenport has been a representative of commercial interests, is now 
 secretary of the Halligan Coffee Company, an enterprise of large and growing 
 proportions which owes its success in no small degree to the business discern- 
 ment, energy and acumen of Mr. Lillis. 
 
 William M. Lillis is one of Davenport's native sons. His father, John Lillis, 
 was born in county Clare, Ireland, June 10, 1834, and in 1845 came to America 
 with his father, Martin Lillis, who in that year emigrated with his family to 
 Canada. There he remained for several years, during which period John Lillis 
 was a pupil in the Canadian schools. In 1850 the family home was established 
 in Scott county, Martin Lillis settling on a farm at Long Grove upon the Wapsip- 
 inicon river. He became not only a diligent and industrious farmer but also a 
 highly respected citizen. He was a man of strong character, who fearlessly 
 advocated whatever he believed to be right, while in his business affairs his ac- 
 tivity was such that he contributed to general prosperity as well as to individual 
 success. He died in 1888. 
 
 His son, John Lillis, determined to follow merchandising and established a 
 grocery and dry-goods store in Davenport. As the years passed he won pros- 
 perity, carefully directing his busihess affairs and closely studying the needs 
 and wishes of the public, so that he was able to anticipate and meet the wants of 
 his patrons. He was a man of unswerving honesty, whose success was never 
 won at the cost of another's advancement and wrherever known he was esteemed 
 and respected. In politics an ardent democrat, he was one of the small but en- 
 thusiastic band that kept the party alive during the troublous period of the Civil 
 war. He was in fact recognized as one of the leaders of the democracy in Daven- 
 port and was called to several local offices, serving as city clerk for two terms 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 469 
 
 and also as alderman. He was a devoted churchman yet was not aggressive in 
 his religious views, according to others the right of personal opinion which he 
 reserved for himself. He died in January, 1896. His wife, who in her maiden- 
 hood was Bridget P. Grace, was a native of Kilkenny, Ireland, and in her girl- 
 hood days came to the United States with her parents. Her mother died in Buf- 
 falo, New York, while the family were en route to their destination in the middle 
 west. Her father, James Grace, settled in Rock Island, Illinois, and his daughter 
 Bridget was reared in the Mississippi valley. She became a devoted wife and 
 mother and spared no effort in preparing her children for places of usefulness in 
 society. She died in 1892. Unto Mr. and Mrs. John Lillis there were born four 
 children, William M. being the eldest and the only son. His three sisters are: 
 Mary, who is now the wife of Thomas F. Halligan ; Genevieve, the wife of Joseph 
 F. Volz ; and Mattie, the wife of M. J. KHnnally. 
 
 William M. Lillis acquired his early education in private and parochial schools 
 and afterward attended the Davenport high school. Early environment naturally 
 turned his attention to a mercantile career and after putting aside his text-books 
 he joined his father in business, since which time he has been a representative of 
 commercial interests in this city. In 1887 he became his father's successor and 
 carried on the business until 1889, when he joined the Halligan Coffee Company 
 and has since been its secretary. The business has enjoyed a steady and substan- 
 tial growth and is today one of the important mercantile enterprises of the city. 
 The business methods employed are such as will bear the closest investigation and 
 scrutiny and the energy and enterprise of Mr. Lillis and the other officers of 
 the company constitute the attributes of the success of the house. 
 
 In June, 1889, occurred the marriage of William M. Lillis and Miss Bridget 
 O'Donnell, of Bloomington, Illinois, and of Irish parentage. Their three children 
 are John Hugh, Irene Grace and Carmel. While a citizen of notable patriotism 
 and loyal to every project which he deems of public benefit, Mr. Lillis is not a 
 politician nor has he any desire for office, preferring to devote his time and en- 
 ergies to his business affairs. He cooperates in progressive public movements, 
 however, as a member of the Commercial Club, is a member of the Davenport 
 Academy of Sciences and belongs also to the Knights of Columbus. Honored 
 and respected by all, there is no man who occupies a more enviable position in 
 commercial circles nor more justly merits the regard and esteem which are uni- 
 formly accorded him. 
 
 EDWIN PARMELE. 
 
 Edwin Parmele, deceased, who is numbered among Davenport's earliest set- 
 tlers, was born in Cattaraugus county. New York, and in 1838 arrived at the small 
 town on the Mississippi then known as Rockingham, which gave little prophecy 
 of the thriving city into which it has since grown. The journey was made in a 
 flatboat in company with his father and mother and four brothers. His father 
 was Moses Parmele and his mother was a Miss Treat before her marriage. The 
 
470 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 five sons were as follows : Henry, Walter, Edwin, William and James, the three 
 first named being now deceased. 
 
 Until the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion Edwin Parmele earned his 
 livelihood by farming. He was interested in his life work by this great crisis in 
 national affairs and after its termination he began dealing in farm implements, in 
 which he enjoyed no small amount of success. He became representative, or 
 general agent, for a large concern and was well known throughout a wide terri- 
 tory into which his business took him. Mr. Parmele passed on to his reward 
 some years ago, his death occurring March 13, 1887, but his wife is still living in 
 Davenport. These worthy people were the parents of four children, three sons 
 and one daughter. They are F. M., a dentist; William M., superintendent for a 
 paint company ; Myrtle, now Mrs. E. J. G. Peterson ; and Edwin T., commercial 
 manager of the Iowa Telephone Company. 
 
 Edwin T. Parmele is a native of Davenport, having first seen the light of 
 day April 24, 1870, and his education was received in Davenport's excellent 
 schools. In 1890, when he had scarcely attained his majority, he took up the 
 study of the telephone business and became so well versed in it that he served in 
 various capacities, each being an advance upon its predecessor. Beginning at the 
 bottom and asking only a fair field and no favors he has by sheer force of ability 
 climbed to his present responsible position of commercial manager, and his effi- 
 ciency and worthiness are recognized in the business world. 
 
 Edwin T. Parmele was married October 10, 1900, to Miss Ella J. Jamison. 
 Their home at 1322 Bridge avenue is brightened by the presence of one child, a 
 daughter, Martha J. Mr. Parmele as a descendant of one of Davenport's pio- 
 neers is able to feel more than the usual sense of proprietorship in the fair city 
 in which he has always made his home. 
 
 ALBERT L. BOLLINGER. • 
 
 In looking over the past history of Davenport with regard for the citizens 
 whose earnest lives contributed in no small measure to raising the standard of 
 manhood in the city, respect must be paid to Albert L. Bollinger, who before his 
 death was one of the well known business men here and also one of those who, 
 as an old soldier, was ever an inspiration to the patriotic young men. 
 
 He was born in Lancaster, Peoria county, Illinois, May 14, 1839, ^ son of 
 Samuel F. and Catherine (Bauman) Bollinger, both natives of Lancaster county, 
 Pennsylvania. In the town of his birth he was reared and received his early 
 education, later attending college at Abingdon, Illinois. In his yoimg manhood 
 he enlisted in the Union army at the beginning of the Civil war and throughout the 
 struggle was engaged in active service, although his duties were frequently not 
 upon the scene of battle. He was particularly useful in recruiting, for he had 
 a fine tenor voice and, being able to play several musical instruments, could 
 accompany others or inspirit the troops with the sound of martial music. He 
 had also the power of eloquent speech and on many occasions he fired the pa- 
 triotism of the soldiers by his noble words in support of the Union cause. For a 
 
ALBJ'^RT L. P,OLLIN(iER 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 473 
 
 time he also served as secretary to General Sherman at the latter's headquarters 
 so that, if the bullets but seldom whizzed by his head and the dangers of engage- 
 ments were infrequently his, he performed as invaluable service as those who 
 were not so well endowed with talents and could only prove their devotion to 
 their country through valor in front of danger. He was taken ill after the battle 
 of Perryville and was subsequently taken prisoner but being a non-combatant 
 he was paroled. 
 
 At the close of the war Mr. Bollinger went to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where 
 he learned the finishing part of carriage-making, and then returned to Illinois, 
 opening a carriage factory at Geneseo, which he conducted with success for a 
 number of years. In 1873 he came to Davenport and accepted a position as 
 traveling salesman for the Seig Iron Company, with which he was connected 
 until his death. He advanced rapidly becoming vice president and secretary of 
 the company in 1887, and in November, 1890, was made president, treasurer 
 and business manager, serving as such throughout the remainder of his life. 
 Through steady and unremitting toil he had proved worthy of the highest re- 
 sponsibilities and in guiding the reins of this important business he proved himself 
 a man capable of great things. In the small affairs of life, as in the larger ones, 
 his word was as good as his bond, honor and integrity distinguishing all of his 
 relations in the business world. 
 
 On the i8th of June, 1866, Mr. Bollinger was united in marriage to Miss 
 Emily D. Wills, a daughter of James Wills, who lived and died in Canton. Her 
 mother was Miss Charlotte Smith before her marriage and a cousin of Mary 
 Livermore, of Vermont. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bollinger: 
 Judge James W. Bollinger, of Davenport; Mrs. Louis Block; and Mrs. Waldo 
 Becker. 
 
 Mr. Bollinger was always a stanch advocate of the principles of the repub- 
 lican party and, while he never aspired to official distinction, he was always in- 
 terested in questions of national or local importance and was preeminently pub- 
 lic-spirited. A man of broad views, he found the tenets of the Unitarian church 
 most in accord with his own ideas of progress and development. Energetic, 
 ambitious, endowed with large ability and the traits of character which com- 
 mand the respect of and admiration of others, he was deeply mourned at the time 
 of his death, September 11, 1901, especially by his family and those who knew 
 him most intimately. 
 
 JOHN BERWALD. 
 
 A lifelong resident of Davenport, John Berwald needs no introduction to the 
 readers of this volume, for from his boyhood days he has been identified with 
 that class which has upheld the political status of the community and promoted 
 its material, social and benevolent interests. He is a man of generous aims and 
 honorable purposes and is both widely and favorably known in this city. He 
 was born July 28, 1852, in the city which is yet his place of residence. His 
 parents were Edward and Carolina (Sandleben) Berwald, both of whom were 
 
474 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 natives of Hamburg, Germany. Coming to America, the father landed at New 
 Orleans, whence he made his way northward to Davenport, arriving in this city 
 in 1851. Here he conducted a profitable business in books, stationery and toys. 
 The family of which he was a representative was connected with German affairs 
 through many generations and John Berwald now has in his possession an old 
 picture printed in 1577 at Leipsic, Germany, by one of his ancestors, Jacob Ber- 
 wald, showing a bear coming out of the forest. This is a symbol of the family 
 name: ber, bear, and wald, forest. The picture is of the ancient German type 
 and the spelling is also of the old form. 
 
 John Berwald was educated in private German schools of Davenport and in 
 Bryant & Stratton Commercial College. After putting aside his text-books he 
 became his father's assistant in business, also engaged in carrying papers and 
 did much work in connection with the store. When his father was on a visit to 
 Germany in 1866, and John Berwald was only fourteen years of age, he sold 
 his first steamship ticket and since that time has been continuously connected 
 with the steamship business. In these years he has secured passage for many 
 patrons of the steamboat lines, but has not confined his attention solely to this 
 business. Up to 1889 he was connected with his father's store as a dealer in 
 books, stationery and toys and also maintained the steamship agency. From 
 that year until 1904 he was engaged in the fire insurance and real-estate business, 
 and from 1904 until 1908 gave his attention to the life insurance business in ad- 
 dition to the steamship agency. In the latter year he was chosen secretary of the 
 Brick & Tile Company and also has important financial interests in other corpora- 
 tions. In all vital business matters his judgment is sound, his discrimination keen 
 and his enterprise unfaltering, and his efforts and opinions therefore have always 
 been counted valuable factors in the attainment of desirable results in business 
 lines. 
 
 In Davenport Mr. Berwald was united in marriage, on the i6th of May, 1879, 
 to Miss Sophie Brauch, a native of Scott county, Iowa, whose parents were in- 
 dustrious German people identified with the farming interests of the community. 
 The brother saw active service in the Civil war. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Brauch 
 were born three sons and two daughters, including Mrs. Berwald, who by her 
 marriage has become the mother of two children, Anna Elfrieda and Walter 
 Edward. 
 
 Mr. Berwald has taken active interest in matters of public importance, co- 
 operating in many measures for the general good. He was alderman of the 
 city in 1897-8 and is a democrat of the gold standard school. In 1880 he became 
 a member of the Davenport Tumgemeinde, of which he was presiding officer in 
 1903-4- In that year the society attained its highest point in membership, eight 
 hundred and four names being on the roll. Mr. Berwald strongly pushed the 
 matter of obtaining new members, so that one hundred and fifty-eight were se- 
 cured that year. He also belongs to the Klaus Groth Gilde, of which he was 
 presiding officer for several years, during which time the membership was in- 
 creased from one hundred and forty-two to three hundred seventy-four, while 
 the indebtedness was greatly reduced. This society was organized for the benefit 
 of the sick. Mr. Berwald is likewise connected with the Saengerfest of the North- 
 westland and in 1898 the ten singing societies in convention in Davenport elected 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 475 
 
 him to the presidency for a term of two years. He has been secretary of the 
 German-American Pioneer Society of Scott county since 1904 and has advanced 
 the membership from seventy-seven to two hundred and ninety-two. He has 
 served on several committees of the Business Men's Association, was twice chair- 
 man of the advertising committee and was once secretary of the Carnival Associa- 
 tion, during which time they voted him a donation of one hundred dollars, which 
 he refused, however, to accept. For a year he acted as secretary of the Daven- 
 port Outing Club and assisted them strongly in advancing their financial affairs. 
 That Mr. Berwald has been again and again called to office in these different 
 organizations is an indication of the confidence and respect entertained for him 
 and also of the trust reposed in his ability. He has been associated with no or- 
 ganization that- has not felt the stimulus of his efforts and enterprise, and his 
 activity in business lines makes him one of the foremost residents of Davenport. 
 
 HANS J. BROCKMANN. 
 
 Hans J. Brockmann has since 1906 been living retired in Eldridge, Iowa, in 
 the enjoyment of the fruits of thirty-five years of agricultural activity. He is a 
 native of Holstein, Germany, his birth having occurred in the town of Louder- 
 beck, December 19, 1843, ^^'^ is a son of John and Anna Brockmann, the former 
 being a blacksmith by trade. Mr. Brockmann attended the German schools and 
 spent his early manhood in his native land. 
 
 In 1872 he with a company of friends, concluded to come to America, 
 accounts of whose marvellous natural resources, equality of rank and general 
 opportunity had been widely circulated in the old country They landed in New 
 York and eventually came on to Davenport, settling in this locality. Mr. Brock- 
 mann secured a position on a farm, which he held for one year. At the end of 
 that time he rented two acres of land and he and his wife lived upon this place for 
 five years. By the exercise of thrift and economy they were then able to rent a 
 farm of eighty acres and for three years devoted their energies to its cultivation. 
 Then removing to the vicinity of Mount Joy, Scott county, they rented the Meyer 
 farm for four years, after which they took the management of the Christ Hage- 
 dorn property in Lincoln township and remained there for eleven years. By this 
 time their patient industry was to be rewarded. They had reached the coveted 
 goal of independence and they bought the present homestead of one hundred and 
 sixty acres, for which they paid twelve thousand two hundred dollars. Here 
 they lived for the ensuing decade, making many improvements and yearly increas- 
 ing the value of the property. Three years ago Mr. Brockmann relinquished 
 farming and, having built a fine residence in Eldridge, removed there with the 
 idea of making it his permanent home. 
 
 In January, 1873, Mr. Brockmann was united in marriage to Miss Lena 
 Evaldt, a native of Germany, her parents having lived and died in the fatherland. 
 Five children have grown up beneath the home roof: Amelia married Lewis 
 Klindt, of Sheridan township, and is the mother of four children, Harry, 
 Amanda, Leona and a baby ; Clara married John Lensch, of Sheridan township. 
 
476 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 and has five children, Amanda, Emiel, Leona, Raymond and Edna ; Rudolph is a 
 resident of Eldridge ; and Meta and Harry are at home. 
 
 Mr. Brockmann enjoys the esteem of those who know him, and he served for 
 a number of years as road superintendent while living upon his farm. Iowa un- 
 doubtedly owes much of her wealth and progress to her agricultural interests 
 and it is to such men as our subject, self-made, prudent, thrifty and upright, that 
 she is particularly indebted. 
 
 CAPTAIN H. B. DOOLITTLE. 
 
 Captaiii H. B. Doolittle, who was for a long period one of the postmen of 
 Davenport, died in Marshalltown, Iowa, August 12, 1896, when he was fifty-six 
 years of age. He had been a resident of Scott county since 1857, and took part in 
 the great development of this section of Iowa. From the time of his advent 
 until the outbreak of the Civil war he was a clerk in a crockery store in Daven- 
 port, but at the first call for troops which was sent through the country he en- 
 listed in Company C, Second Iowa Volunteer Infantry. From the very first he 
 was always in the thickest of the fight and with his regiment participated in many 
 of the more important engagements. It was the battle of Fort Donelson, how- 
 ever, that left the strongest impress upon his memory. In that memorable 
 struggle he held a position in the front rank of his regiment and when one of his 
 comrades was struck with a Confederate bullet he seized the flag from him and 
 was in the act of carrying it over the breastworks of the enemy when he, too, 
 was wounded twice and had to be carried from the field of battle. Captain 
 Thomas Twombly, who was beside him, thereupon seized the flag and carried it 
 on. As soon as his wounds were healed he rejoined his company, of which he 
 was now captain, and on more than one occasion distinguished himself for his 
 bravery. He knew no fear in the face of duty. When the war was brought to a 
 close Captain Doolittle returned to Davenport, where he secured a position as 
 postman on the mail delivery force. For thirty years he was known to the citi- 
 zens of this city until 1895, when he was compelled to give up his work. 
 
 In his early manhood Captain Dolittle married Miss Rebecca Goodwin. Hen 
 father, Hiram Goodwin, was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, September 22, 
 1819, and was a son of James and Nancy (Faulkner) Goodwin. Early in the 
 '40s he came to Scott county, locating upon a farm in Lincoln township, on 
 which he lived until 1897. During that period, he also gained some experience as 
 a pilot on the Mississippi river. When he came here the land he secured had 
 not been cultivated so that he had to break it as well as prepare it for cultivation, 
 and the buildings which adorned it in later years were the results of his own 
 labors. The tract comprised one hundred and twenty-seven acres and from it 
 Mr.. Goodwin derived a handsome income that enabled him to give his family 
 every comfort and start his children well in life. He was married June 14, 1842, 
 to Miss Delilah Hibbetts, a native of Knox county, Pennsylvania, and they had 
 nine children : Mrs. Emily Highley, Alonzo L., Mrs. Theodica Murray, Mrs. Me- 
 lissa McMurray, Thomas, Theodore W., Rebecca, Hiram P. and Orville F. 
 
H. B. DOOLITTLE 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 479 
 
 Unto Captain and Mrs. Doolittle was born one daughter, Gertrude A., who is 
 living with her mother in Davenport. They are members of the Baptist church, 
 to which the Captain also belonged, and fraternally he was identified with the 
 Grand Army of the Republic and the Masonic order. In politics he was a re- 
 publican. He was one of those men who lived quietly but in strict accordance 
 with the highest principles of manhood and whose every act was marked by 
 that nobility which springs from a large and broad mind. 
 
 CASPAR FRIES. 
 
 Among the business men whose years of well directed activity and enterprise 
 have brought them success, enabling them now to live retired, is numbered Caspar 
 Fries, and his record is an interesting one inasmuch as it is that of a self-made 
 man who owes his success entirely to his own labors. As the architect of his 
 fortunes he has builded wisely and well and has always enjoyed the full confi- 
 dence and esteem of those with whom business and social relations have brought 
 him in contact. 
 
 Mr. Fries was born in Prussia, January i, 1833, and is a son of Peter and 
 Savilla Fries, who spent their entire lives in that land. The father was a black- 
 smith and wagon maker in Prussia and served for three years in the army. 
 
 Spending his youthful days in his parents' home, Caspar Fries attended the 
 public schools of Prussia and afterward learned the trade of wagon making and 
 blacksmithing under the direction of his father in the village of Bevengen. Com- 
 parison of the business opportunities of the new and the old world led him to the 
 belief that he would more readily win success on the western side of the Atlantic 
 and so he made preparations to leave his native country and in 1862 landed at 
 New York. From the metropolis he proceeded direct to Buffalo, New 
 York, where he remained for seven months, working for one month at his 
 trade and then for six months as a farm hand. On the expiration of that period 
 he removed to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he was employed for three months, 
 after which he went to St. Louis, where he worked at his trade for two and a 
 half years. In 1865 he arrived in Davenport, reaching this city on the ist of 
 February. He then began work at his trade, continuing in the employ of others 
 for a year, after which he started in business on his own account on Fifteenth 
 street, where he maintained his shop for eight years. He next opened a shop 
 on Thirteenth street, at the corner of Harrison, and there remained for four 
 years. He then came to his present place at the corner of Locust and Harrison, 
 where he built his present shop, remaining here continuously throughout the 
 intervening years. As a wagon maker and blacksmith he has done a good busi- 
 ness. His workmanship has been characterized by thoroughness, his business 
 dealings by honesty, and as the years have passed he has enjoyed a liberal patron- 
 age that enables him now in his later years to largely live retired. 
 
 While in St. Louis Mr. Fries was married on the 28th of July, 1864, to Miss 
 Elizabeth Bartmeier, the wedding ceremony being performed by Father Liborius 
 Zweihoff. Mrs. Fries was born in Prussia, November 20, 1843, a daughter of 
 
480 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Frederick and Elizabeth Bartmeier. She came to the United States with her 
 mother in i860, her father having previously crossed the Atlantic. They landed 
 at New Orleans in October, 1861, and lived for a time in the south but afterward 
 made their way northward to St. Louis. Subsequently they became residents of 
 Davenport, where both Mr. and Mrs. Bartmeier continued to make their home 
 until called to their final rest. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Fries have been born eleven 
 children: Elizabeth, the eldest, is the wife of John Conklin, of Davenport, and 
 they have eight children — George, Caspar, Joseph, Eva, Antoinette, Leo, Bemice, 
 and Bernard ; Mary is the wife of Rufus Lock, of Arkansas, and they have one 
 child, Bessie; Sophia is at home; John, who with his brother Peter carries on 
 their father's shop,, married Anna Brumm and they have three children — Elsie, 
 Raymond and Edward; Lucy is the wife of Charles Sutton of Davenport and 
 they have one daughter, Lillian ; Joseph, now of Chicago, married Loretta Conk- 
 lin; Peter wedded Katherine Harman and they have five children — Dorothy, 
 Harold, Lester, Helen and Lucile ; Anthony, living in Davenport, married Mabel 
 Fulcher and they have three children — Evelyn, Ruby and Althea; Theresa is the 
 wife of George Ellinghouse, of Bellevue, Iowa, and they have one child, Mar- 
 garet ; Frederick and Theodore both died in childhood. 
 
 Mr. Fries and his family are members of the German Catholic church. He is 
 thoroughly a self-made man, for whatever of success he has achieved is attrib- 
 utable to his own efforts and he has won his prosperity by diligence, unremitting 
 industry and honorable dealings. 
 
 CAPTAIN DE FORREST DORRANCE. 
 
 Princeton numbers Captain De Forrest Dorrance as one of her representa- 
 tive and valued citizens. Throughout almost his entire business life he has given 
 his attention to river navigation. He was born in Rock Island county, Illinois, 
 October 5, 1843, and comes of an old New England family in both the paternal 
 and maternal lines. His father, Pascal Dorrance, was a native of Rhode Island 
 and died when his son De Forrest was a lad of only eleven years. The mother, 
 who bore the maiden name of Betsey Clarke, was bom in Massachusetts and 
 passed to her final rest when the Captain was a youth of seventeen years. Two 
 sons of the family were soldiers in the Civil war. 
 
 As his name indicates Captain Dorrance is of Irish lineage. He acquired 
 his education in the district schools and throughout his life has remained in the 
 Mississippi valley. His proximity to the water made it a logical sequence that he 
 should be interested in navigation and from his youth his life has been that of a 
 mariner, covering a long service as pilot and as captain on the Mississippi. He 
 has commanded a vessel since 1864 and now stands at the head of his calling. He 
 has owned several steamboats on the river. There is in this locality no man more 
 thoroughly versed upon marine affairs nor more widely or favorably known as a 
 representative of shipping interests on the Mississippi, 
 
 Captain Dorrance was married on Thanksgiving day, when twenty-four 
 years of age, to Miss Eliza Lancaster, a daughter of Henthom Lancaster. Two 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 481 
 
 children were born of this marriage: Hushel, who wedded Miss Lila Smith 
 and has one child, named for his father; and Irene, who became the wife of 
 Isaac Spinsby. They have eight children: D. R, Thelma, John, Court, George, 
 Blanche, Ruth and Pauline. 
 
 Captain Dorrance was for twenty years a member of the Independent Order 
 of Odd Fellows but does not keep up active connection with the lodge at the 
 present time. In his political views he is an earnest republican but has never 
 aspired to office. His time and attention have been fully given to his business 
 affairs, and as the years have worn on he has gained a wide acquaintance and won 
 the esteem of all with whom he has come in contact through his courtesy and 
 business reliability. 
 
 ISAIAH CALVIN YOCUM. 
 
 Isaiah Calvin Yocum, deceased, was at one time numbered among Scott 
 county's worthy and representative farmers. He was born August 21, 1845, ^^ 
 the marriage of William and Sarah (Dopp) Yocum. His birth occurred in Hunt- 
 ingdon county, Pennsylvania, and he began his education in the public schools 
 there, but when nine years of age accompanied his parents on their removal to 
 the middle west. They settled upon the farm which is now the home of his 
 widow. It was then all prairie land, wild and unimproved, which the father pur- 
 chased from Mr. Stacey. 
 
 After arriving in this county Isaiah C. Yocum continued his education in 
 schools here and also attended a business college in Davenport. He then re- 
 turned to the old homestead, where he carried on farming up to the time of his 
 marriage, when he removed across the road, settling on another part of the farm. 
 There he continued to reside until his death, which occurred December 4, 1902. 
 He was always an energetic, enterprising farmer, carrying on his work diligently 
 and persistently and meeting with that success which ever follows earnest effort. 
 He was also one of the directors of the Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, and 
 in addition to tilling his fields he dealt in stock and found that a profitable source 
 of income. 
 
 Mr. Yocum was first married in Davenport, January 20, 1869, to Miss Han- 
 nah C. Pollock, who died on the 30th of May, 1871, and their only child, William 
 James H., who was born in May, 1871, died on the 6th of the following August. 
 On the lOth of February, 1875, Mr. Yocum was married to Miss Martha Ellen 
 Pollock, a sister of his first wife and a daughter of James and Mary (Logue) 
 Pollock, the wedding being celebrated at Titusville, Pennsylvania. Unto Mr. and 
 Mrs. Yocum were born four children, but the eldest, Eva, died in infancy. Sarah 
 Alice, who is a graduate of the Davenport high school, was married August 25, 
 1909, to Hugo A. Briceland and they reside upon the farm with her mother. 
 Mary E., a graduate of the Highland Park College of Des Moines, has taught in 
 a number of schools in Scott county. Samuel Carey was a student in the high 
 school at the time of his death. Both son and father were suffocated in the Lin- 
 coln Hotel in Chicago, to which city they had gone to attend a stock show. This 
 
482 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 double calamity was almost unbearable to the family, who were left to mourn the 
 loss of husband and son, father and brother. 
 
 Mr. Yocum had taken an active part in community affairs, had served as 
 school director for fourteen years and was also treasurer of the school board and 
 filled the office of justice of the peace. He held membership with the Ancient 
 Order of United Workmen, with the Woodmen of the World and with the Legion 
 of Honor, and belonged to the Summit Presbyterian church, in which he held 
 different offices. His parents were charter members of that church and its first 
 meetings were held in the old Yocum home. His life was an upright and hon- 
 orable one, in harmony with his professions, and he left to his family an untar- 
 nished name. Mrs. Yocum still resides upon the old home farm of one hundred 
 and sixteen acres of fine land in Lincoln township. She and her children are 
 members of the Summit church and her daughters are very active and efficient 
 workers in both the Sunday school and the church. 
 
 JOHN H. MOHR. 
 
 John H. Mohr, who since 1894 has lived retired in Davenport, is one of the 
 oldest German-American settlers of this county and a valued member of the 
 German Pioneers Association. For many years he was actively and successfully 
 identified with general agricultural pursuits and is still the owner of four hundred 
 acres of fine farming land in Sheridan and Lincoln townships as well as some 
 town property. He was born in Holstein, Germany, on the 26th of December, 
 1828, his parents being Paul and Katherine Mohr, who spent their entire Uves 
 in the fatherland. 
 
 John H. Mohr obtained his education in the schools of his native land and 
 there also learned the carpenter's trade. He served as a soldier from 1848' until 
 1850, loyally defending the interests of his country in the war with Denmark. 
 In the year 1852, influenced by the many favorable reports which he had heard 
 concerning the advantages of the new world, he crossed the Atlantic to the 
 United States, landing at New Orleans. Thence he made his way up the Mis- 
 sissippi river to Davenport, Iowa, and here worked at his trade for about six 
 years, assisting in the erection of many residences, a large number of which are 
 still standing. About 1858 he turned his attention to general agricultural pur- 
 suits, purchasing a partly improved farm of eighty acres in Lincoln township, 
 on which he made his home for five years. On the expiration of that period 
 he disposed of the property and bought another tract of one hundred and sixty- 
 five acres in Lincoln township, erecting thereon a new residence as well as all 
 necessary barns and outbuildings for the shelter of grain and stock. As time 
 passed he brought the place under a high state of cultivation and improvement 
 and there continued to carry on his agricultural interests until he put aside the 
 active work of the fields and took up his abode in Davenport in 1894. As his 
 financial resources increased, owing to his well directed labor and capable man- 
 agement, he added to his landed holdings, purchasing a tract of one hundred 
 and ten acres at one time and later a farm of three hundred and eighty acres. 
 

 o 
 3 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 485 
 
 He has sold a portion of his land to his sons but still retains possession of four 
 hundred acres in Sheridan and Lincoln townships. Having eventually won a 
 handsome competence through his labors as an agriculturist, he retired from 
 active life and for the past fifteen years has lived in Davenport, enjoying in 
 well earned ease the fruits of his former toil. He is a stockholder in the Iowa 
 National Bank and the Davenport Grain & Malting Company and is widely 
 recognized as a most respected and substantial citizen. 
 
 On the loth of September, 1853, Mr. Mohr was united in marriage to Miss 
 Catherine Dau, whose parents died in Germany and who came to the United 
 States when nineteen years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Mohr reared a family of ten 
 children, the record of whom is as follows: Amelia, the eldest, gave her hand 
 in marriage to Fritz Petersen, of Avoca, Iowa, by whom she has five children : 
 Katie, Elsie, Carl, Paula and Leona. Henry, living in Sheridan township, mar- 
 ried Miss Laura Boge, by whom he has five children : Wilma, Alice, Jessie, Rob- 
 ert and Anna. Gustavus, likewise a resident of Sheridan township, married Miss 
 Emma Fellner and has three children: Martha, Alfreda and Herbert. Anna 
 Mohr, the next in order of birth, is deceased. William, who makes his home in 
 Sheridan township, wedded Miss Minnie Arp and has four children: Anna, 
 Alphonse, Elmer and Wilbert. Adolph, living in Lincoln township, married Miss 
 Laura Hagedorn and now has four children: John, Selma, Ralph and Edna. 
 Catherine became the wife of Henry Schroder, of Lincoln township, and is 
 now the mother of four children : Hattie, Harry, Edwin and Mabel. Emma, who 
 gave her hand in marriage to C. M. Emeis, resides with her father. Emil wedded 
 Miss Elizabeth Ranch, of Lincoln township, and has three children : Leona, Norma 
 and Frances. Herman Mohr has passed away. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Mohr is a stalwart democrat, and for two years he 
 capably served in the office of township trustee. Fraternally he is identified with 
 the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He has never had occasion to regret 
 his determination to seek a home in the new world and has gradually worked 
 his way upward, enjoying the advantages offered in this country, which is un- 
 hampered by caste or class. He has now reached the venerable age of eighty- 
 one years and, having made his home in Scott county for fifty-seven years, has 
 an extensive circle of friends here who give him their unqualified regard and 
 esteem. 
 
 FRANK J. SCHEBLER. 
 
 The belief that favorable environment and influence are usually factors in 
 success finds no proof in the life history of Frank J. Schebler, whose progress in 
 the business world is attributable entirely to his own efforts. That he has won 
 prosperity is due to the fact that close application, unfaltering energy and firm 
 purpose have been the salient features in his life. He was formerly well known 
 as a grain dealer of Scott county but is now living retired in Davenport, enjoying 
 well earned rest. He has passed the seventieth milestone on life's journey, his 
 birth having occurred in Bavaria, Germany, June 7, 1839. His parents were 
 John and Margaret Schebler, the former a baker who learned his trade in Vienna, 
 
486 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Kustria, and in other European cities, being employed in that way in Paris, Mu- 
 nich, Frankfort, Berlin and other places. The greater part of his life, however, 
 was spent in the fatherland. 
 
 Frank J. Schebler attended school in Germany to the age of thirteen year."?, 
 when he came to the United States, landing at New York city in 1852. After 
 two months passed in Williamsburg, New York, he came west to Davenport with 
 an older brother, John, and a sister, Mary. The brother had just completed a 
 term of service in the Bavarian army and at the time of the Civil war in this 
 country he joined the Forty-fourth Illinois Infantry as a musician, being thus 
 connected with the regiment for a year. He afterward served for three years in 
 the Twentieth Iowa Infantry and was thus with the army throughout the period 
 of hostilities between the north and the south. After arriving in Davenport Frank 
 J. Schebler attended school for one winter and then started out to earn his own 
 living, securing employment in John Cannon's sawmill. He afterward worked in 
 different places until 1859, and all the time was actuated by the laudable ambition 
 of one day engaging in business on his own account. At length this course was 
 made possible by his economy and industry. He had first become identified with 
 the grain business, however, as an employe of August StefFens, but later he was 
 employed by James D. Burrows until 1868. From that time until 1901 he was 
 connected with the Davenport Elevator Company btit in May of the latter year 
 he opened a feed store on Ripley street in Davenport, of which he is still the 
 owner, although the business is now being carried on by his son Lewis on account 
 of the illness of the father. , 
 
 Having arrived at years of maturity, Frank J. Schebler was married to Miss 
 Katherine E. Weigand, a daughter of Adam and Magdalena Weigand, who were 
 among the early settlers of Davenport, coming in April, 1843, from Indiana. 
 Mrs. Schebler was born in Cumberland, Indiana, February 24, 1842, while her 
 parents were natives of Hessen, Germany. Her father was one of the first alder- 
 men of Davenport, serving in 1850. From the time of his arrival in the new 
 world until his death he continued his residence in this city, where he long con- 
 ducted business as a butcher and teamster. He was born in 181 1 and passed 
 away at the age of seventy-one years, while his wife, who was born August 15, 
 1809, died on the 30th of January, 1892. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Scheb- 
 ler was celebrated April 17, i860, the wedding ceremony being performed by 
 Father Niermann, the old Catholic priest who is still here and in the old stone 
 church. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Schebler have been born twelve children. The eld- 
 est, Agnes, is now deceased. Frank J. C, who is engaged in the confectionery 
 business in Davenport, married Catherine Moss and they have seven children: 
 Celia, Vincent, Carl, Paul, Antone, Angela and Frank. Bernhard, the third, has 
 passed away. Agnes M. is the wife of Aloysius Hiegel and they have nine chil- 
 dren : Josephine, Antone, Clara, Marie, Frank, Leo, Agties, Christina and Gertrude. 
 Joseph A., of Davenport, married Barbara Ranch, who died, leaving two children, 
 Josephine and Edward, and for his second wife he chose Adeline Muellenbeck. 
 Rudolph W., of Davenport, married Katie Wachter and they had five children: 
 Clara; Eugene, deceased; Agnes; Aloysius; and Bernadine. Theodore, of this 
 city, married Rosie Sief red and their children are Margaret, Lena, Arthur, Theo- 
 dore, Lawrence and Rose M. Albert, the next of the family, is at home. Julitts 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 487 
 
 died at the age of twenty-eight years. Lewis is also still under the parental roof ; 
 George died when seven months old, while Charles, the youngest, was nine years 
 old at the time of his demise. 
 
 Frank J. Schebler is a member of the Catholic church and of the St. Joseph's 
 Benevolent Society. With one exception he is the oldest communicant of the 
 Catholic faith in Davenport and Father Niermann not only officiated at his mar- 
 riage but has also baptized and married all of his children and grandchildren and 
 conducted the burial services of his parents, who arrived in this city in 1858. He 
 was instrumental in securing the services of Father Niermann for the Catholics 
 of Davenport in 1857 and has been numbered among his parishioners since that 
 day. Both Mr. and Mrs. Schebler have spent nearly their entire lives in Daven- 
 port and have occupied their present home for half a century. He began build- 
 ing the house in 1858, erecting at first but two rooms, but now it is a comfortable 
 residence of nine rooms. He has lived to witness many changes here, seeing the 
 city grow from a small town into one of the important commercial centers of the 
 Mississippi valley, and at all times he has rejoiced in what has been accomplished 
 and has borne his full part in the work of general progress and improvement. 
 
 MRS. ANNA CHRISTINA SCHMALZ. 
 
 Mrs. 'Anm Christina Schmalz, well known in Princeton, where she has many 
 friends, was bom in Aprote, Germany, November 11, 1831, and is, therefore, in 
 her seventy-ninth year. Her parents were Johannas and Anna Christina Wool- 
 enhaupt, also natives of Germany, in which country the father followed the shoe- 
 maker's trade. 
 
 Mrs. Schmalz spent her girlhood days in her native country and was a young 
 lady of eighteen years when she crossed the Atlantic to America in the spring of 
 1849, landing in New York. She then made her way to Davenport, where she 
 lived for two years, after which she came to Princeton and since that time has 
 lived in this section of the county. On the 26th of April, 1854, she gave her hand 
 in marriage to Christian Schmalz, the wedding being celebrated in Newburgh, 
 New York. They became the parents of nine children : Louise ; Catherine and 
 Gusta, twins ; George, Otto, Emma, Andrew, Anna and Ella. 
 
 Mr. Schmalz was for thirty years engaged in merchandising in Princeton, 
 being numbered among the leading and enterprising business men of the town, 
 and on his retirement from commercial pursuits he removed to a farm in Prince- 
 ton township. For a while he carried on the work of the fields but later retired 
 and was enjoying a period of well earned rest up to the time of his death, which 
 occurred on the Sth of July, 1904. 
 
 Mr. Schmalz was a republican in his political views but never aspired to office, 
 preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs, in which he met 
 with signal and well merited success. His life was ever upright and honorable 
 and commanded the trust and confidence of his f ellowmen. He held membership 
 in the German Lutheran church, in which he was confirmed when a child. 
 Throughout his life his actions were in harmony with his Christian professions 
 
488 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 and he ever attempted to follow the golden rule, doing unto others as he would 
 have them do unto him. Mrs. Schmalz is now enjoying a well earned rest and 
 makes her home with her daughter Ella, who has charge of the home. 
 
 CHARLES H. MOELLER. 
 
 Prominent among the industrious, enterprising and successful farmers of 
 Cleona township is Charles H. Moeller, a native of Louisiana, born at Coving- 
 ton, about sixteen miles from New Orleans, on the 15th of June, 1852. His par- 
 ents, Godhardt and Mary (Westphal) Moeller, were both born in Mecklen- 
 berg, Germany, in the year 1826 and came to the United States in 1850, locating 
 at New Orleans. In October, 1852, they came up the Mississippi river to Daven- 
 port and located upon a farm in Blue Grass township. Four years later they re- 
 moved to Cleona township, where the father engaged in farming until about 
 twenty-one years prior to his demise, when he retired from active life. He had 
 been most successful in his agricultural pursuits, becoming the owner of eight 
 hundred and sixty-six acres of land in Scott county. At the time of his retire- 
 ment he removed to Walcott, where he and his wife spent their remaining days, 
 the former passing away in 1902 and the latter surviving about two years, her 
 death occurring in 1904. In their family were four children, namely: Charles 
 H., of this review; Anna, the wife of Albert Werner, postmaster of Walcott; 
 E. E., of Stockton, Iowa; and Herman D., residing in Worthington, Minnesota. 
 
 Charles H. Moeller was barely four months old when he came with his par- 
 ents to Iowa, and therefore his entire life has practically been spent within the 
 borders of Scott county. Reared under the parental roof, amid the busy ac- 
 tivities of rural life, he acquired his education in the district schools near his 
 home and at an early age became familiar with the tasks that fall to the lot of 
 the farm lad. During the periods of vacation he assisted his father in the work 
 of the fields and continued to make his home with his parents until attaining his 
 majority. Upon reaching man's estate he entered business life on his own ac- 
 count as an agriculturist and has never sought to engage in any other line of 
 activity, wisely choosing as his life work the occupation to which he had been 
 reared. That his selection was a wise one is indicated by the fact that with the 
 passing of the years he prospered in his undertaking and from time to tjme in- 
 vested in land, until he eventually became the owner of eight hundred and six 
 acres of valuable farming land. This property is all located in Qeona township 
 with the exception of one hundred and sixty acres, which lie in Hickory Grove 
 township, and is equipped with five sets of buildings, all in excellent condition 
 and good repair. He makes- his home on two hundred and six acres of this prop- 
 erty, located on section 26, and to the cultivation and development of this farm 
 is directing his entire energies. The rest of the land is leased, the rental there- 
 from forming a most gratifying source of income. With the tilling of the soil 
 he also engages in stock-raising to some extent, making a specialty of short- 
 horned cattle and Percheron horses, and this branch of his business has become 
 an important factor in the large measure of success which is his. 
 
MR. AND MRS. C. H. MOELLER 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 491 
 
 In 1877 Mr. Moeller was united in marriage to Miss Fredericka Smallfeldt, 
 a native of Mecklenberg, Germany, where her birth occurred on the 7th of 
 August, 1855. She came to America when a little maiden of ten summers in 
 company with her parents, Christ and Mary (Theada) Smallfeldt. The mother 
 is now deceased, but the father survives and makes his home at present in New 
 Liberty. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Moeller have been born nine children, as follows : 
 Otto, who passed away at the age of nine months ; Mattie, the wife of Herman 
 Frick, of Cleona township; Herman, who died at the age of four years; Anna, 
 the wife of Paul Ressen, also a resident of Cleona township, operating one of 
 our subject's farms; Hulda, who married Ben Dietz, of the r»ame township; 
 Amanda,' the wife of Emil Hamann who makes his home in Cleona township; 
 Rudolph and Edward, both residing at home; and Charles H., Jr., who passed 
 away when eleven years old. 
 
 Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Moeller has ever 
 given stalwart support to the democratic party, although he has never taken an 
 active part in politics. He has not, however, been unmindful of his duties as a 
 citizen but is regarded as one of the leading and representative men of Cleona 
 township, whose position on all questions of moment is never an equivocal one. 
 On the contrary he stands loyally in support of what he believes to be right and 
 as the years have passed his labors and influence have contributed to the general 
 welfare of the community. A man of domestic tastes, he has sought his happi- 
 ness at his own fireside, in the companionship of his family, who know him as 
 a loving and devoted husband and kind and indulgent father. He is also pop- 
 ular with a large number of friends, who hold him in high respect and regard 
 because of his upright principles and honorable manhood. 
 
 REINHOLDT SIEG. 
 
 Reinholdt Sieg, a splendid type of the German citizen, manifesting in his 
 life the salient and commendable characteristics of the Teutonic race, rose to a 
 position of honor and prominence in connection with the industrial and finan- 
 cial interests of Davenport, the city profiting by his activity in business affairs 
 and in those projects which have constituted the vital elements for growth and 
 betterment along other than commercial lines. In the town of Magdeburg, Ger- 
 many, occurred the birth of Reinholdt Sieg, whose natal day was December 
 10, 1828. His parents were tradespeople, in good circumstances, and liberal edu- 
 cational advantages were afforded him, his parents securing for him the oppor- 
 tunity of attending the pay schools of his native town. When his more specifically 
 literary course was completed he sought and obtained employment as a salesman 
 in a wholesale grocery store in Magdeburg, where he remained for seven years. 
 While he was there living he was married the first time and soon afterward he de- 
 termined to seek his fortune in the land of the free. Accordingly completing his 
 arrangements for leaving his native country, he sailed for America, in 1849 and 
 spent two or three years in traveling over the United States, looking for a 
 favorable location for business. His parents had died when he was about thir- 
 
492 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 teen years pf age, leaving him in comfortable circumstances. His wisdom and 
 sound judgment not only in business but in other affairs was constantly demon- 
 strated throughout his life record. After traveling for about two or three years 
 his observations and inclination determined him to locate in Davenport, where 
 he entered into partnership with a Mr. Meyer, now of Chicago, and under the 
 firm style of Sieg & Meyer they established a tobacco business, which they con- 
 ducted along both wholesale and retail lines. They made substantial advance 
 in this field of labor, prospering in their venture and Mr. Sieg continued in active 
 connection therewith until 1866, when the business was disposed of. For two or 
 three years thereafter Mr. Sieg was engaged in no active business, but indolence 
 and idleness were utterly foreign to his nature and he could not content himself 
 in an inactive life. ' He therefore made arrangements which again took him into 
 the commercial field, forming a partnership with the late Alexander F. Williams 
 in the iron business. They dealt in heavy hardware and were not long in develop- 
 ing a large arid profitable trade, in which they continued without change until 
 the death of Mr. Williams in 1887. Upon the death of Mr. Williams his in- 
 terest in the business was withdrawn and Mr. Sieg organized a stock company 
 with small shares in order that his employes might purchase stock and thus share 
 in the profits of the enterprise. He became the president of the company and 
 remained as its chief executive ofificer until his death. The business is still car- 
 ried on under the name of the "Sieg Iron Company by his heirs. It is a monu- 
 ment to the enterprise and labor of Mr. Sieg, who recognized and used opportu- 
 nities which others passed by heedlessly and when one avenue of activity seemed 
 closed, sought out other paths that would lead to the result which he wished to 
 achieve. In his business his methods were such as would bear the closest in- 
 vestigation and scrutiny, being conducted with strict regard for the highest com- 
 mercial ethics. Moreover, he was fair and just in his treatment of all employes, 
 considering their rights and interests as well as his own and they entertained for 
 him highest respect and regard. He considered that they had helped to earn 
 for him the wealth that he acquired and he was therefore ever watchful of their 
 interests. In addition to his interests in the iron trade he was a stockholder in 
 the Citizens Bank and also in the Iowa National Bank. He became one of the 
 original stockholders in the Davenport canning factory and in the D. I. & D. 
 Railroad. He was also one of the promoters and stockholders of the Masonic 
 Temple and in various ways assisted in building up the city of his adoption. 
 
 Mr. Sieg was twice married. His first wife died April 19, 1883. They had 
 no children of their own but reared an adopted daughter, Alice Camille, on whom 
 they bestowed every care and attention of loving parents. On the 24th of April, 
 1884, Mr. Sieg was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Victoria 
 Robirds, nee Burleigh. They had two children, Minnie and Martha. The 
 parents of Mrs. Sieg were southern people, her father being at one time a wealthy 
 and prominent man of Louisiana. His earlier years were devoted to journalism 
 as an editor and later he became a merchant. One of his sons, a brother of Mrs. 
 Sieg, was captain in the Union army and served as aid-de-camp on the staff of 
 General Rosecrans. Mrs. Sieg was first married in Pekin, Illinois, to George Ro- 
 birds. There is one son of this marriage, George Lawrence Robirds, who pur- 
 sued his education in the military academy at Orchard Lake, Michigan. 
 
GODHARDT :\IOELLER 
 
MRS. noDT-TARDT J\[0ELLER 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 497 
 
 The death of Mr. Sieg occurred November 27, 1890, and his demise was 
 greatly unexpected, the news therefore causing a great blow to his many friends. 
 In his death Davenport lost one of its most valued citizens. In manner he was 
 quiet, unostentatious and unassuming and cared not to figure before the public 
 in any relation save that of a successful business man. He always refused office 
 and political preferment, yet he was recognized as one of the worthiest citizens 
 of the city. He was a man of very positive character and his position was never 
 an equivocal one. On the contrary he stood fearlessly in defense of what he 
 believed to be right and was a man of determination and unflinching integrity. 
 No one ever questioned the honesty of his expressions or his actions. Moreover, 
 he possessed a spirit of broad humanitarianism that prompted him to recognize 
 the rights and interests of others and his employes, business associates and all 
 with whom he came in contact in every relation of life knew him to be not only a 
 good and just but also a generous man. Because of his innate modesty and re- 
 tiring spirit he was thought by some to be reserved, but those who knew him best 
 and came within the closer circle of his friendship entertained for him the high- 
 est regard. His best traits of character, however, were reserved for his own 
 fireside and he cared nothing for the social allurements which would take him 
 from his family. He stood for all that constitutes high and honorable manhood 
 and at his death left a memory that is cherished by all who knew him. 
 
 WILLIAM AUGUST MOELLER. 
 
 Among the early German residents of Scott county was the Moeller family, 
 of which William August Moeller was the eldest of eight children. He arrived 
 in Dafenport in his sixth year and from that time forward continued h"*s resi- 
 dence in this county most of the time, devoting his energies to agricultural pur- 
 suits. He placed his reliance upon the safe, substantial qualities of indefatigable 
 effort and unfaltering perseverance and as the years passed his financial resources 
 increased until the poor little German boy became a man of considerable wealth, 
 possessing valuable property interests from which he annually derived a sub- 
 stantial income. It is a fact worthy of note that some of the strongest char- 
 acteristics of the German race have been dominant factors in the substantial up- 
 building and development of Davenport and Scott county. William August 
 Moeller was among the number of German citizens who aided in the pioneer de- 
 velopment of this section of the state. He was a little lad five years of age at 
 the time of his arrival here in 1848. 
 
 His birth had occurred at Propstei, Germany, November 16, 1842, his parents 
 being Henry and Anna Moeller, who on crossing the Atlantic to the United States 
 with their family landed at New Orleans in 1847. They made their way up the 
 Mississippi river as far as St. Louis and remained there through the winter but 
 in the spring of 1848 continued their journey to Davenport. The father worked 
 as a laborer for about a year, after which he purchased forty acres of land in 
 Davenport township at the usual government price of one dollar and a quarter 
 per acre. Upon this claim he built a small house and at once began improving 
 
498 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 the fields, making his home there until 1855, when he sold that place and bought 
 one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land in Lincoln township at fifteen dol- 
 lars per acre. He thereon erected a residence, fenced the land and made all the 
 other improvements. Year by year he carefully tilled the soil and as his financial re- 
 sources increased he extended the boundaries of his place from time to time until 
 he was the owner of about four hundred acres when his death occurred, Novem- 
 ber 17, 1872. He had for eleven years survived his wife, who passed away July 
 23, 1861. They were the parents of eight children. 
 
 William August Moeller, the oldest of the family, acquired his education in 
 the district schools of Scott county, was reared to the occupation of farming and 
 throughout his entire life carried on general agricultural pursuits. When he 
 started out on his own account he at first rented a part of his father's farm and 
 when his close economy and unfailing industry had brought him sufficient capital 
 to enable him to become the owner of a farm he invested in two hundred and 
 forty acres in Lincoln township. There he lived for a long number of years and 
 the place is still known as the old homestead. He also bought two hundred acres 
 in Sheridan township and two farms near Donahue, Scott county, of one hun- 
 dred and sixty acres each, but later sold those tracts to his sons. He also be- 
 came the owner of a farm in Ida county, Iowa, where his daughter now lives. 
 Year by year he prospered, making good use of his time and opportunities and 
 in all of his farm work he was practical, diligent, determined and therefore suc- 
 cessful. 
 
 Mr. Moeller was married twice. He first wedded Miss Doris Fick, now de- 
 ceased, and they had five children. Anna, the eldest, is the wife of Herman 
 Ewaldt and they have eight children : William, Henry, Herman, Rudolph, Arnold, 
 Albert, Meta and Hugo. Henry Moeller married Meta Koch and they have 
 three children: Roy, Henry and May. William married Anna Klindt and they 
 have two children, Clarence and William. Meta is the wife of Gust Wiese and 
 their five children are Howard, Ruth, Arthur, Stella and Erma. Laura, the 
 youngest of the family, is the wife of William Ottsen and has one daughter, Lo- 
 rena. For his second wife, Mr. Moeller chose Magdelina Sorensen, a daughter 
 of Henry and Louise Sorensen, who came to Scott county in 1883 and are now 
 living at Eldridge. Mrs. Moeller came to this county in 1881. She was born 
 in Schleswig, Germany, April 28, 1862. She has five children : Rudolph, living in 
 Lincoln township, married Amanda Hinze and has four children — Hertha, Elton 
 and infant twins. Clara is the wife of Herman Rohlf, of Davenport, and they 
 have two children, Wilbert and Bernice ; Amanda, Arnold and Helen are at home. 
 
 During the years of his residence upon the farm Mr. Moeller served in a 
 number of local offices, including that of township trustee and school director. He 
 was ever loyal to the best interests of the community and cooperated in many 
 measures for the public good. He held membership with the Turners at Eldridge 
 and was a man of social, genial disposition who won friends wherever he went. 
 He continued to reside upon the farm until November, 1906, when he removed to 
 Davenport, where his death occurred on the 29th of March, 1907. His widow still 
 owns the old home place of two hundred and forty acres in Lincoln township and 
 the two hundred acre farm in Sheridan township, besides fine city property, having 
 been left in fairly comfortable financial circumstances by her husband. Mr. Moel- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 499 
 
 ler was a man of many good qualities and his life moreover illustrates the value 
 of industry and close application in the attainment of success. As the architect 
 of his own fortunes he builded wisely and well. 
 
 E. O. FICKE, M. D. 
 
 One of the more prominent of the younger physicians of Davenport is Dr 
 E. O. Ficke, one of the city's native sons, whose birth occurred February 23, 
 1880. His father, H. E. Ficke, was born in Hamburg, Germany, but came to the 
 United States when only a child. He grew to manhood in Iowa and here mar- 
 ried Miss Louise Voeght, who was a native of Kiel, Germany, and like her hus- 
 band came to this country when a mere child. She is still living, but Mr. Ficke 
 passed away August 19, 1908. 
 
 Dr. Ficke was the youngest of the three children born to his parents. He was 
 reared in this city and began his education as a pupil at what is now known as Har- 
 rison, No. 8, school. Later, having completed all the requirements, he entered 
 the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Chicago, Illinois, from which he re- 
 ceived his medical degree and his Hcense to practice his profession in 1903. He 
 went straightway to Buffalo, Scott county, Iowa, where he remained about two 
 years. In 1907 he was appointed physician for the county, being reappointed 
 in 1908 and 1909 and holding the oiiSce to the present, for he has acquitted him- 
 self with honor and enjoys the confidence of those who have watched his 
 administration. 
 
 Dr. Ficke is a member of the Scott county, the Iowa State and the American 
 Medical Associations and often attends their meetings. He is a young man of 
 ambition, high ideals and skill in his chosen field, and the success which has 
 crowned his previous efforts is an indication of what is in store for him. He has 
 no reason to be discouraged with the present or despair of the future. 
 
 WILLIAM MARLETTE CHAMBERLIN. 
 
 WilHam Marlette Chamberlin, a lawyer who for twenty-four years has prac- 
 ticed at the Davenport bar, is today enjoying the success which comes as the 
 result of a large clientage of an important character. He was born in Princeton, 
 Scott county, Iowa, August 24, 1862, and comes of ancestry represented in Amer- 
 ica from colonial days. Both the paternal and maternal hues were represented 
 in the patriot army in the Revolutionary war. The parents of our subject were 
 Levi S. and Lucy A. (Marlette) Chamberlin, both of whom were natives of 
 Pennsylvania. The father was born in Susquehanna county and in 1836 came 
 with his parents to Scott county. His father, Josiah Chamberlin, first settled in 
 Rock Island county, Illinois, and soon afterward removed to Pleasant Valley, 
 where he engaged in farming. His was one of the pioneer homes of the district 
 and the first church services in the county were held in his house. He sought to 
 
500 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 aid in the work of public progress in every possible way and was among those 
 who Taid broad and deep the foundation upon which the later prosperity and 
 growth of the county were built. Levi S. Chamberlin was reared to farm life 
 and for a number of years engaged in general agricultural pursuits but afterward 
 turned his attention to merchandising in LeClaire, Iowa, and was also a partial 
 owner of a boatyard there. He likewise acted as pilot on the river for a few 
 years and his varied activities brought him into close contact with the public life 
 of the community. He died in 1885, at the age of sixty-three years, and was 
 long survived by his wife, who passed away in May, 1909. 
 
 In their family were three children, including W. M. Chamberlin, who was 
 educated in the public schools of Princeton, and afterward engaged in teaching in 
 this county for three years. He regarded this merely as an initial step to further 
 professional labor, however, for it was his ambition to become a member of the 
 bar and to this end he devoted his leisure hours, while engaged in teaching, to the 
 study of law. Later he entered the State University, from which he was gradu- 
 ated with the class of 1886. He was an earnest student and gained comprehen- 
 sive knowledge of the principles of jurisprudence, so that when he entered upon 
 active practice his equipment was unusually good. He has served for one term 
 as county attorney, which has covered the extent of his service in political office, 
 but he has always been active in politics since attaining his majority. 
 
 On the 5th of September, 1898, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Chamber- 
 lin and Miss Helen C. Galvin, of Davenport, a daughter of Martin Galvin, one of 
 the old residents of this city. They have one child, James Marlette, born August 
 II, 1899. Fraternally Mr. Chamberlin is connected with the Masons and the 
 Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and his name is also on the membership 
 roll of other societies. He is likewise identified with organized movements for 
 the city's benefit, including the Business Men's Association and the Commercial 
 Club. 
 
 JACOB M. ELDRIDGE. 
 
 Jacob M. Eldridge, arriving in Davenport in 1845, became an active and valu- 
 able factor in the business interests of the city and at the same time his opin- 
 ions carried weight and his labors produced substantial results in financial cir- 
 cles. While he won success, his interests were never so self-centered that 
 business excluded participation in projects and measures of progressive citizen- 
 ship. On the contrary he was ever alert to the best interests of the community 
 and his cooperation constituted a valuable force in inaugurating measures which 
 were of public benefit. A native of New Jersey, Jacob M. Eldridge was born 
 at Haddonfield, November 20, 1824, a son of D. C. and Rachel (Brown) El- 
 dridge. His father was the first postmaster of Davenport. The mother died 
 when her son Jacob was but four years of age and the boy then went to live with 
 his grandparents. His father, having remarried, came west and had conducted 
 a store in Davenport at the time of the death of the grandfather. Jacob M. El- 
 dridge, then a boy of thirteen years, was thrown upon his own resources and 
 soon afterward commenced teaming. Carefully saving his earnings, it was not 
 
JACOB M. ELDRTDGE 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 503 
 
 long before he was able to purchase a team and in that field of activity he con- 
 tinued to labor for some time. Later he turned his attention to clerking and, 
 actuated by the laudable ambition which was ever one of his strong character- 
 istics, he soon made it possible to become the owner of a mercantile enterprise. 
 This he conducted until 1845, when he came to Davenport, his attention having 
 already been directed to this city by the fact that it was the place of his father's 
 residence. He arrived in Rock Island on the 23d of December after a two 
 months' journey from Philadelphia and spent Christmas eve in Davenport. The 
 next spring, however, he returned to the east to settle up his business affairs in 
 that section of the country and in the succeeding fall again came back to this 
 city. He had entered land from the government about three miles northeast of 
 Davenport, for which he paid the usual price of a dollar and a quarter per acre. 
 The improvements which he placed upon it and the natural rise in value conse- 
 quent upon the rapid settlement of this section of the country enabled him in 
 1874 to dispose of that farm for one hundred and twenty-five dollars per acre. 
 He was one of the first land agents of this city and followed that pursuit during 
 much of his life. His keen judgment and sagacity enabled him to make judicious 
 investments and profitable sales and at the same time he contributed to the sub- 
 stantial improvement of this section of the state by his careful manipulation of 
 realty interests. 
 
 At all times Mr. Eldridge was mindful of his opportunity to promote public 
 progress and was actuated by a public-spirited devotion to the general good thzCt 
 was manifest in many tangible ways. He was prominent in the movement that 
 extended the Chicago & Rock Island road to the river and continued its con- 
 struction across the state as the Mississippi & Missouri road. The second line 
 afterward consolidated, forming the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific. Mr. El- 
 dridge was also a member of the company that secured the franchise for the 
 second railroad bridge and he put forth earnest effort wherever he believed it 
 possible to secure the adoption of a project that promised material benefit to 
 the city, county and state. The town of Eldridge was laid out by him and the 
 city of Eldridge, North Dakota, was named in his honor. It was through the in- 
 fluence of Mr. Eldridge that Frank P. Blair became a resident of this city and a 
 most important factor in its later upbuilding. 
 
 In the field of politics Mr. Eldridge was equally well known and prominent. 
 He was a delegate to the convention held in Iowa City in 1855, which led to 
 the organization of the republican party in this state. In 1872 he was sent as a 
 delegate from Iowa to the convention of liberal republicans that nominated Hor- 
 ace Greeley for the presidency. He regarded it as the duty as well as the privi- 
 lege of every American man to uphold by his ballot and his influence the prin- 
 ciples in which he believed and, while he never sought nor desired office for him- 
 self, he stod stanchly in support of those issues which he regarded as vital to 
 good government. He conceived and instituted the idea of placing a memorial 
 tablet in the rotunda of the courthouse in honor of the Scott county pioneers— 
 a tablet which will preserve for future generations the names of several hundred 
 residents who came here prior to 1848. He was one of the oldest and most faith- 
 ful members of the Christian church, to the support of which he contributed 
 generously, while in its various activities he took helpful part. One of the most 
 
504 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 honored members of the Old Settlers' Association, he filled all of its offices, 
 including that of president. He was also president of the Board of Trade at 
 one time and instituted various projects which were accomplished through the 
 medium of that association. 
 
 In 1848 Mr. Eldridge was married to Miss Mary L. Woodward, who passed 
 away eighteen months later. In June, 1851, he married Miss Mary H. Wil- 
 liams, and on the 28th of September, 1866, he wedded Agnes Smith, who sur- 
 vives him. She was a daughter of Robert Smith, a farmer by occupation, who 
 retired in 1861 and established his home in Davenport, where he spent his re- 
 maining days, dying at the age of eighty-eight years. The six children of Mr. 
 Eldridge were all born of the second marriage, namely : George W., Mrs. R. R 
 Eldridge, Mrs. S. L. Glaspell, Mrs. Carl E. Schlegel, Mrs. George W. Bawden 
 and Frank. 
 
 The death of Mr. Eldridge occurred June 8, 1892, and brought a sense of 
 personal bereavement to a large majority of Davenport citizens, for during the 
 many years of his residence here he was honored and respected by all who knew 
 him. The value of his public work cannot be overestimated and his record fur- 
 nishes a splendid example for emulation in its public-spirited devotion to the gen- 
 eral good. As the architect of his own fortunes he builded wisely and well and 
 did equally good work for the city, his name being on the roll of the representa- 
 tive men whose labors have constituted the chief elements in progress and im- 
 provement here. 
 
 GUST AVE A. KOESTER. 
 
 Perhaps no history in this volume better illustrates the power of industry and 
 the force of character than does the record of Gustave A. Koester, who, thrown 
 upon his own resources by the death of his parents when ten years of age, has 
 since made his own way in the world and now, at the age of three score years 
 and ten, is numbered among Davenport's men of affluence. His business meth- 
 ods, too, have never required nor sought disguise. There has been no esoteric 
 phase in his career, for in the legitimate lines of trade and business activity he 
 has won his success. 
 
 He was born in Germany on the 13th of November, 1838, and was a son of 
 Ernest and Mary Koester, the former a prominent attorney of the fatherland, 
 whence he sailed for America with his family in 1841. Landing at New Orleans, 
 he proceeded up the Mississippi river to St. Louis, where he engaged in the prac- 
 tice of law until 1848, when his life's labors were ended in death. He was the 
 owner of a coal mine near the arsenal at St. Louis, called the Grove mine, and 
 during the period of his residence in that city was a prominent and influential 
 man there. He brought with him to America Messrs. Schulenberg and Beckler, 
 who were then studying law under him in Germany and who afterward became 
 prominent lumbermen of St. Louis. His wife died in 1847. I" their family were 
 eight children. Otto, who was appointed burgomaster of Soest, Germany, and 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 505 
 
 later received appointment as chief burghmaster over all others from Emperor 
 William, died in his native land in 1908. Fritz died in St. Louis in 1866. Julius 
 is a practicing attorney of Carlinville, Illinois, now seventy-eight years of age. 
 Mary died in 1907. Emily, of Cairo, Illinois, is the widow of Dr. Leach. Gus- 
 tave A. is the next of the family. MolHe, who died in 1904, was the wife of 
 George SchaeBfer, a wholesale druggist of Fort Madison, Iowa. Elizabeth died 
 in 1847. 
 
 The educational opportunities of Gustave A. Koester were somewhat limited 
 owing to the early death of his parents, whereby he was left an orphan when not 
 yet ten years of age. For a brief period he attended the German Institute con- 
 ducted by General Siegel at St. Louis, but was a student there for only about a 
 year and then for only about four half days each week. After his parents' death 
 he and three other children of the family went to live with an uncle, Conrad Reise, 
 at Muscatine, Iowa. 
 
 Soon afterward, however, Gustave A. Koester left his uncle's home and began 
 selling papers, blacking boots and doing other such work as he could secure in 
 order to provide a living. He came to Davenport in 1856 and was first employed 
 as a bell boy in the hotels. He afterward worked in different restaurants and 
 at different places, where he learned to cook, and when the Civil war broke out 
 he went to the front as cook for the Twelfth Missouri Infantry under Colonel 
 Osterhouse. He also cooked for the Thirteenth Missouri Infantry. He had a 
 brother-in-law, Captain Steinburg, with the Twelfth Missouri Infantry and Mr. 
 Koester remained with that regiment until June, 1863, when he went south and 
 witnessed the battle of Helena, Arkansas. 
 
 In the fall of 1863 Mr. Koester returned to Davenport, where in connection 
 with Claus Houck he engaged in the grain business, which they carried on for 
 four years. They then dissolved partnership and became agents for the Moline 
 Flour Mills, buying all the wheat used in their plant and also acting as sales agents 
 for their flour. In 1867 Mr. Koester engaged in business for himself in the same 
 line, dealing in all kinds of grain, potatoes, onions and other farm products. In 
 this undertaking he prospered and as the years passed by he extended the scope 
 of the business by establishing branch houses at Eldridge, Long Grove, Donahue, 
 Mount Joy and Durant, Iowa, where he had the largest .elevator on the Rock 
 Island Railroad. The years chronicled his growing success, resulting from his 
 earnest purpose, his close application, his undaunted energy and his reliable busi- 
 ness methods. 
 
 At length Mr: Koester retired from that business in 1888 and was then em- 
 ployed by large real-estate companies to organize and conduct excursions, taking 
 land seekers to new territory. He thus handled considerable land, selling as high 
 as five thousand acres per day. In 1890 he purchased considerable land in Iowa 
 and Minnesota from an English syndicate and became his own real-estate agent, 
 handling his own property with headquarters and office in Davenport. He con- 
 tinued in business alone until i8g6, when he admitted Charles Martin to a part- 
 nership. They were thus associated for four years, at the end of which time the 
 business relation was dissolved, after which Mr. Koester sold out to his son Gus- 
 tave, who conducted the business for about a year. Since then Mr. Koester has 
 been selling lots in the Norwood addition to Davenport, which he owns, but has 
 
506 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 practically retired from active life to enjoy a rest which he truly earned and richly 
 deserves. 
 
 Mr. Koester was married twice. He first wedded Miss Mary Smith. They 
 had three children: Gustave A., who is married and lives in Davenport; Katie, 
 the wife of Alex Eskie, of Colorado, by whom she has one son, Adolph; and 
 Toney, of Davenport, who married Miss Maude Krider, and has two children. 
 For his second wife Mr. Roester chose Kathryn Anderson. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Koester is connected with the Elks lodge, No.' 298, of Daven- 
 port, and is also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Schuetzen 
 Verein. • He is one of the directors of the Union Savings Bank and his name is 
 an honored one on commercial paper in this city. His business interests have 
 been of an important character and, carefully managed, have brought to him sub- 
 stantial success, so that now in the evening of life he is very comfortably situated 
 financially. 
 
 LOUIS ECKHARDT. 
 
 Among the efficient and popular county officials of Scott county is numbered 
 Louis Eckhardt, who since 1906 has ably served in the position of sheriff. He was 
 bom in Davenport, Iowa, on the 23d of October, 1867, his parents being Charles 
 and Christine (Greve) Eckhardt, who, though natives of Germany, were mar- 
 ried in Davenport. The father, whose birth occurred in 1821, crossed the At- 
 lantic to the United States in 1848, landing at New Orleans, Louisiana. After 
 residing for a short time at St. Louis, Missouri, he came up the river to Daven- 
 port, Iowa, in 1850. He was a skilled mechanic and carpenter, with which trade 
 he had become familiar in his native land, but after working" at that occupation 
 for a number of years he became identified with the lumber industry, acting as 
 salesman for the French & Davis Company during the period of the Civil war. 
 He next turned his attention to the grocery business, while subsequently he entered 
 the service of the Mueller Lumber Company in the capacity of salesman and 
 was thus employed for a number of years or until he passed away on the nth of 
 October, 1885. His death was the occasion of deep and widespread regret, for 
 he was a well known and highly respected citizen whose upright and honorable 
 life won him the confidence and regard of all with whom he was associated. 
 Unto him and his wife were born nine children, five of whom reached years of 
 maturity. 
 
 Louis Eckhardt, who was the eighth in order of birth in his father's family, 
 pursued his education in the public schools until he had attained the age of 
 fourteen years. Having chosen the occupation of a barber as a congenial life 
 work, he then devoted himself to the mastery of that trade and it was by reason 
 of his untiring industry, indefatigable energy and excellent business ability that 
 he eventually became the proprietor of the leading barbering establishment in 
 Davenport. In addition to his interests in this connection he also gave consider- 
 able attention to public afiFairs and for two terms capably served as alderman of 
 the fourth ward. He resigned that office, however, in order to enter upon the 
 duties of sheriff, to which position he was elected in 1906. A democrat in politics, 
 
LOUIS ECKHARDT 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 509 
 
 he is a prominent figure in the local ranks of his party— a fact which was proven 
 by his election to the vice presidency of the Iowa State Sheriff's Association at 
 the state convention of sheriffs. 
 
 On the 19th of Augttst, 1896, Mr. Eckhardt was united in marriage to Miss 
 Louise Mundt, a native of Davenport and a daughter of F. W. Mundt. They are 
 now the parents of two children, Louise C. and Herbert W. Fraternally Mr. 
 Eckhardt is identified with the Masons, the Knights of Pythias and the Benevo- 
 lent and Protective Order of Elks, being past exalted ruler of the last named order. 
 He well deserves the proud American title of a self-made man, for by persever- 
 ance determination and honorable effort he has overthrown the obstacles which 
 barred his path to success and has reached the goal of prosperity, while his 
 genuine worth, broad mind and public spirit have made him a director of pub- ' 
 lie thought and action. Both he and his wife have remained residents of Daven- 
 port throughout their entire lives and they well merit the high regard and es- 
 teem which is so uniformly accorded them. 
 
 JESSE DODDS. 
 
 For the past ten years Jesse Dodds has lived in honorable retirement in a 
 nice home in Davenport, being numbered among the highly respected pioneer set- 
 tlers of Scott county. He is a native of Butler county, Pennsylvania, born August 
 4, 1834, of the marriage of James and Ellen (Sproll) Dodds. The father was a 
 tanner by trade and also engaged in farming; in the Keystone state. 
 
 Jesse Dodds acquired his education in the schools of his native state and was 
 reared there to the age of nineteen, when he sought a home farther west. Coming 
 to Scott county in 1855, he engaged in the livery business in Le Claire, while 
 later he went to Pleasant Valley, where he was employed in a flour mill about seven 
 years. He then spent some time at Pikes Peak, Colorado, but on his return to 
 Davenport took up farming, which he followed throughout the remainder of his 
 business career. He eventually became the owner of one hundred acres of land 
 in Pleasant Valley township, situated on the river road about eight miles east of 
 the city. Mr. Dodds devoted much of his land to the raising of onions and this 
 proved a very successful venture. He also raised considerable stock and de- 
 voted some of his time to general farming. About ten years ago he put aside all 
 business cares and purchased residence property in Davenport, to which he re- 
 moved, and he has since made this his home. He still retains possession of his 
 farming property, which he rents. 
 
 Mr. Dodds was married on the 31st of December, 1859, to Miss Ruby Black- 
 man, a daughter of Louis and Jane Blackman. She was born No- 
 vember 27, 1839, and died November 10, 1901. She was a most es- 
 timable lady and an active and faithful worker in the work of the 
 Baptist church and Sunday school. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Dodds were bom 
 seven children, three daughters and four sons, as follows: Jennie, the wife of 
 Al Kramer and the mother of three children; Harry, who wedded Miss Sarah 
 Rackster, by whom he has eight children ; Jessie, the wife of F. S. Shutter and 
 
510 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 the mother of three children ; Fred, who resides at home ; Charles ; Hattie, the 
 wife of William Voteman ; and Louis, who has passed away. 
 
 A republican in his political belief, Mr. Dodds formerly took an active part 
 in public affairs. While living on the farm he filled various township 
 ofifices and the cause of education has ever been one of deep interest to him. He 
 was also connected with the postoffice department at Davenport for seven years 
 but is now living free from all business cares with the exception of looking after 
 the rental of his farm. He thoroughly enjoys home life and takes great pleasure 
 in the society of his family and friends. He is always courteous and affable 
 and those who know him personally have for him warm regard. His life is 
 exemplary in all respects and he has ever supported those interests which are 
 calculated to uplift and benefit humanity, while his own high moral worth 
 is deserving of highest commendation. 
 
 CAPTAIN E. J. LANCASTER. 
 
 Captain E. J. Lancaster is one of the best known river men of the upper Missis- 
 sippi, having sailed as captain on various steamers since 1866. His personal 
 worth and ability in his chosen field of labor has won him high regard and be- 
 cause of his wide acquaintance his history cannot fail to prove of interest to many 
 of the readers of this volume. 
 
 He was born in De Kalb county, Illinois, June 23, 1846, a son of Thomas and 
 Cynthia (Smith) Lancaster, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Penn- 
 sylvania. He comes of Scotch, English and of Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry. In 
 his boyhood days he was brought to Scott county and in the district schools here 
 acquired his education. Living near the river, he has always been interested in 
 marine matters and, after starting in business life, became closely connected with 
 the navigation interests of the upper Mississippi. In the meantime he had done 
 valuable service for his country as a soldier of the Union army in the Civil war. 
 He was but seventeen years of age when, on the 15th of August, 1863, he en- 
 listed as a private of Company C, Eighth Regiment of Iowa Cavalry, with which 
 he served until honorably discharged at Clinton on the loth of June, 1865. Be- 
 ing captured while on duty he was incarcerated in the Nashville prison for eight 
 months and was later sent to Andersonville, so that he underwent all of the hard- 
 ships of southern prison life. 
 
 After the close of the war Captain Lancaster was mustered out and with a 
 creditable military record returned to his home in Scott county. Here he has 
 since lived. He at once became connected with navigation interests and has sailed 
 continuously since 1866 as captain. He stands today as one of the foremost rep- 
 resentatives of the calling in this county and has a very wide acquaintance not 
 only among river men but also among the business men who have reason to em- 
 ploy shipping facilities in the transportation of the goods which they may handle. 
 
 Captain Lancaster was united in marriage to Miss Helen Johnson, a 
 daughter of John and Olive (Abbott) Johnson. Her father died in Le 
 Claire, but her mother is still living and makes her home in that place. Captain 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 511 
 
 Lancaster's family numbers eight children: Nora, the wife of John Fedderson, 
 a resident of Le Claire, by whom she has two children, Eli and Fritz Fedderson ; 
 Olive Helen, who was born July 21, 1879, and married W. H. Bissick, of St. 
 Louis, Missouri; Alice M., born November 17, 1882; Edna, who was born Feb- 
 ruary 15, i886, and married C. B. Hitchcock, of Boone, Iowa; Harry E., born 
 October 16, 1887; Lee L., December 23, 1891 ; Leona M., August 17, 1894; and 
 Harold, January 4, 1896. 
 
 In his political views Captain Lancaster has always been a stalwart republican, 
 believing firmly in the principles of the party which he regards as best calculated 
 to conserve the public welfare. He holds membership in Snow Lodge, No. 44, 
 A. F. & A. M., at Le Claire, with which he has been identified since 1882, and his 
 life exemplifies many of the beneficent principles of the craft. He deserves much 
 credit for what he has accomplished in a business way for he started on the river 
 as a hand on the rafts. He is now, however, in his twenty-eighth year as captain 
 of the boat Eclipse, and he enjoys the high esteem of all with whom social or 
 business relations have brought him in contact. In matters of citizenship, while 
 not an office seeker, he is as true and loyal to his country in days of peace as 
 he was when he followed the old flag upon southern battlefields. 
 
 DAVID Y. POLLOCK. ^ 
 
 David Y. Pollock, a resident of Sheridan township, dates his residence in 
 Scott county from 1866, arriving here when quite small. He was bom in Air- 
 drie, Scotland, October 27, 1857, and is a son of James and Helen (Young) 
 Pollock. The father had served as coachman for a banker in Scotland but, 
 believing that he might have better opportunities in the new world, he made 
 arrangements to cross the Atlantic and in 1866 sailed for the new world. He 
 landed first at New York and thence came direct to Scott county, where he 
 purchased eighty acres of improved land in Winfield township. The family 
 home was established thereon and James Pollock continued to reside there until 
 1883, when he sold that property and purchased the place that is now the home 
 of his son David, it also remaining his home until he was called to his final 
 rest on the 13th of August, 1900, when seventy-two years of age. He had long 
 survived his wife, who passed away in 1872, at the age of forty-nine years. 
 Their family numbered four children: Betsy, of Davenport; Maggie, the wife 
 of Neal McGinnis, of Davenport ; Thomas, who is living in Winfield township ; 
 and David Y. 
 
 The last named began his education in the schools of Scotland, but was quite 
 young when he came with his parents to America, and in the schools of Win- 
 field township continued his studies. The periods of vacation were devoted to 
 the work of the fields and after he had completed his education he gave his 
 undivided time and attention to farm work in connection with his father until 
 the latter's death. Later he engaged in farming for himself, having purchased 
 the old homestead a short time prior to Ins father's demise. Throughout his life 
 he has engaged in tilling the soil and the neat and thrifty appearance of his 
 
512 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 place indicates his careful supervision and methods. Moreover, he is a stock- 
 holder in the Long Grove Bank, the Eldridge Savings Bank and in the Farmers' 
 Elevator Company of Scott county, and in business matters displays sound judg- 
 ment as manifest in the careful investments that he has made and which have 
 brought to him a substantial return. 
 
 On the 29th of November, 1897, Mr. Pollock was married to Miss Mary 
 Brown, a daughter of Charles G. and Harriett E. (Annable) Brown, both of 
 whom are now deceased. Mrs. Pollock was born in Moline, Illinois, and by 
 her marriage has become the mother of four children : James, born September 
 9, 1898; William, August 13, 1900; Arthur, who was born November 16, igoi, 
 and died December 16, 1906; and one who died in infancy. 
 
 Mr. Pollock is a member of Long Grove Lodge, No. 719, I. O. O. F., 
 and the Modem Brotherhood of America, No. 86, of Long Grove, of which he 
 has been president. He likewise belongs to the Christian church of Long Grove 
 and his life has been actuated by high and honorable principles, manifest in 
 all of his relations with his fellowmen as well as in his business associations. 
 He has been a lifelong farmer and is today the owner of one hundred. and twenty 
 acres of rich and productive land, situated about a mile north of Eldridge, in 
 Sheridan township, and a tract of forty-six acres in Winfield township. His 
 place is well supplied with modern improvements and in its further cultivation 
 and development Mr. Pollock is proving himself an enterprising and diligent 
 farmer. 
 
 WILLIAM HAMILTON WILSON. 
 
 William Hamilton Wilson, engaged in law practice in Davenport since 1871 
 and now the senior partner of the firm of Wilson, Grilk & Wilson, is a native 
 of western Pennsylvania. His father, James Wilson, also born in the Keystone 
 state, was of Scotch-Irish descent. He spent his entire life in Pennsylvania, his 
 record covering the years between the 19th of September, 1807, and 1886, in which 
 year he Avas called to his final rest after long connection with agricultural inter- 
 ests. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Margaret Morgan, was born in 
 Pennsylvania, January 2, 1815, and died July 25, 1873. 
 
 William H. Wilson pursued his early education in the schools of western 
 Pennsylvania and afterward attended Washington and Jefferson College at 
 Washington, Pennsylvania, from which institution he was graduated in 1869 
 with the highest scholarship in a class of forty-nine members. He qualified 
 for the bar in Mercer, Pennsylvania, his reading being directed by the Hon. Sam- 
 uel Griffith, and in September, 1871, he was admitted to practice. 
 
 Believing that the west offered better opportunities, Mr. Wilson came im- 
 mediately to Davenport, where he has continuously engaged in practice since 
 November, 1871. He was alone until November i, 1902, when the firm of Wil- 
 son and Grilk was formed and has since existed. In 1905, his son, Charles H., 
 was admitted to a partnership under the firm style of Wilson, Grilk & Wilson. 
 The two younger men are both graduates of Harvard College and of the Harvard 
 Law School. William H. Wilson has from the beginning of his connection with 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 513' 
 
 the Davenport bar occupied a conspicuous position as one of the legal practi- 
 tioners here and it is said of him that "he has probably saved more money to his 
 clients through wise settlement of cases out of court than he has made for them 
 in litigation." As the years have passed he has studiously and carefully and 
 conscientiously increased the talents that were given him. In his practice he 
 has ever been absolutely fair, has never indulged in artifice or concealment and 
 has never dealt in indirect methods. 
 
 Mr. Wilson has found time and his success has given him the means to become 
 interested in other matters aside from the law, and he is now financially connected 
 with several of Davenport's important business enterprises. He has been called 
 to the presidency of the Davenport Loan, Building & Savings Association and 
 is a director and attorney for the Davenport Savings Bank. He is also inter- 
 ested in the E. W. Gates Lumber Company, of Yellow Pine, Alabama. 
 
 In 1874 Mr. Wilson was united in marriage to Miss Abbie F. Oliver, of Mas- 
 sachusetts, who in her childhood days came to Davenport with her parents, 
 Albourfie and Eliza (Willard) Ohver. The two children of this marriage were 
 Amy and Charles H., but the former, bom in 1876, died in 1884. 
 
 Mr. Wilson is a member of the Presbyterian church and is much interested in 
 all kinds of charitable work and in everything tending to elevate or ameliorate the 
 condition of the masses. He has never found his happiness in self-centered inter- 
 ests but in those broader lines of life which lead to service for others and at the 
 present time he is actively interested and associated with the Peoples Union Mis- 
 sion. The important economic and sociological questions of the present day find 
 in him a close student and that he is a man of high character and genuine worth 
 is indicated in the fact that he is held in the highest esteem wherever known. 
 In connection with his business history the local press has said: "Application 
 and hard work are the secret of the success which William H. Wilson has at- 
 tained and surely if constant attention to business and an earnest endeavor for the 
 best interests of his clients is surety of barristerial triumph he has deserved it, 
 as his fellow members of the bar acknowledge him to have been an indefatigable 
 worker all his life." While he has gained distinction in his chosen profession, 
 however, this is but one phase of his life, for his broad humanitarianism is con- 
 stantly being evidenced in one line of activity or another with the result that many 
 lives are brightened by the sunshine which he sheds around him. 
 
 WILLIAM R. WEIR. 
 
 Prominent among Davenport's business men is William R. Weir, an in- 
 surance agent, who was born in Monticello, Iowa, February 14, 1870. In the 
 preceding generation his family is of Canadian stock, both his father and mother 
 having been born in Peterboro, Canada, where they were reared and mar- 
 ried. The former was a stone mason and an expert in drilling artesian 
 wells. He came to Iowa in pioneer days and located in Monticello. He died 
 in 1886, but the mother of our subject is still living. 
 
514 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 William R. Weir was educated in the public schools of Monticello and 
 upon looking over the various callings took up the insurance business, for 
 which his soundness of judgment and ability to inspire confidence particularly 
 fits him. In 1892 widening opportunity brought him to Davenport, and here 
 he engaged in the fire insurance business, in which he has acquired a clientele 
 of flattering proportions. He is the Iowa general agent for both the Mary- 
 land Casualty Company and the American Bonding Company. He is also 
 a director of the Union Savings Bank and a leading spirit in the Commercial 
 Club, having served as its president for one year and as director for three. 
 This organization is of a semi-social nature. He has served six years as a 
 member of the board of education and is now its president. 
 
 In 1894 Mr. Weir was united in marriage to Miss Jessie Davison, a native 
 of Davenport, her father being Abner Davison, well known in this city. Their 
 home is brightened by the presence of two daughters, Mary D. and Annabel. 
 
 That Mr. Weir enjoys unusual popularity among his fellows is no anomaly, 
 since in every relation he is vigorous, whole-souled and magnetic. The con- 
 fidence in which he is held by the large concerns which he represents is mani- 
 fest in the fact that he has been intrusted with the jurisdiction of the entire 
 state of Iowa. 
 
 EDWARD ROTH. 
 
 Edward Roth, who has known perhaps greater hardships than fall to the 
 average farmer of today, is one of the native agriculturists of Buffalo town- 
 ship, who occupies a position of respect and prominence among his fellowmen. 
 He was borii December i, 1871, and is a son of Peter Roth, whose birth oc- 
 curred in Baden, Germany, in the year 1829. As his mother died when he was 
 born, Mr. Roth was reared by Mr. and Mrs. Bartberger of Buffalo township. 
 He attended the common schools of his section of the county, and when he 
 had completed the course of study prescribed and was fairly well prepared to 
 meet the practical responsibilities of life, he worked as a farm hand until he at- 
 tained his majority. 
 
 Mr. Roth then married and rented a tract of land from his father-in-law. It 
 remained his home for about seven years, when he purchased the place on which 
 he now lives. It embraces one hundred and sixty acres of excellent arable land, 
 well adapted to general farming which Mr. Roth carries on. He has also given 
 considerable attention to raising stock for the market. In addition to his farm 
 in Buffalo township he owns twenty acres in Blue Grass township, and, being a 
 man who is well versed in the methods of tilling the soil to the best advantage 
 and endowed with the ability for hard work, he is achieving an enviable reputa- 
 tion for himself as an agriculturist. 
 
 On the 29th of March, 1892, Mr. Roth married Miss Emma Kautz, a daughter 
 of Chris Kautz, and they are now the- parents of eight children : Edna, Edith, 
 Florence, Clara, Delia, Norma, John and Walter, all of whom are at home. 
 The family are members of the Lutheran church, but at present Mr. Roth does 
 
MR. AND MRS. EDWARD ROTH 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 517 
 
 not affiliate with any religious sect. He has joined the ranks of the republicans, 
 feeling after due weight of the principles of various political organizations, that 
 in their platform they embody the best ideas of government. He takes a deep 
 interest rfn local affairs and has efficiently served as school director and road 
 supervisor, but he has never desired public preferment for its own sake, rather 
 only as it offered opportunity for him to advance the welfare of those who placed 
 confidence in his judgment and integrity of act and purpose. 
 
 J. F. DOW. 
 
 The great agricultural resources of Iowa furnish splendid opportunities to 
 those who concentrate their efforts and attention on the cultivation of crops 
 or in handling the products which its fertile fields produce. The state ranks 
 first among the great grain producing sections of the Union and prominent as 
 a representative of the grain trade is J. F. Dow, of Davenport, now secretary 
 and manager of the Davenport Elevator Company. 
 
 He was born in Henry county, IlHnois, October 17, 1856. His father, Josiah 
 Dow, was a native of New Hampshire, born on the i6th of March, 1828. In 
 his boyhood days he accompanied his parents to Illinois, the family home being 
 established in Bureau county. His father was Tristan C. Dow, who became one 
 of the pioneer settlers of that region. In a few years he removed with his family 
 to Henry county, Illinois, where he followed farming and also engaged in mer- 
 chandising. His son, Josiah Dow, was identified with agricultural interests in 
 Henry county from 1850 until 1872, when he severed his business associations 
 with Illinois and came to Davenport, where he established a grain and milling 
 business, in which he continued throughout the remainder of his life. He de- 
 veloped an enterprise of large and profitable proportions, conducing his interests 
 as senior member of the firm of Dow, Oilman & Hancock. This was the prede- 
 cessor of the Davenport Elevator Company, of which Josiah Dow eventually be- 
 came president, remaining as its chief executive officer until his demise. ' His 
 ability enabled him to readily solve intricate business problems and to turn 
 threatened failures into success. This was due to his watchfulness of oppor- 
 tunity, his close application and his ready appreciation of a legitimate advantage 
 in the business world. He sustained an unassailable reputation as one of the 
 prominent and leading business men of his adopted city, where his death oc- 
 curred March 9, 1908. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Stevens, 
 was a native of New Hampshire. Their family numbered two children, the 
 daughter being Elizabeth, who died at the age of five years. 
 
 J. F. Dow was educated in the public schools of Davenport and then entered 
 the grain business in connection with his father, since which time he has i>een 
 associated with this department of commercial activity. In connection with three 
 Other gentlemen he organized the Davenport Elevator Company in July, 1895, and 
 they now have twenty-seven elevators scattered throughout Iowa, Minnesota and 
 South Dakota. They deal in all kinds of grains and seeds and Mr. Dow is now 
 serving as secretary and manager of the company. His broad experience and 
 
518 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 sound judgment have been one of the important factors in the success of the en- 
 terprise. He is, moreover, a director in the First National Bank and president of 
 the Davenport Savings Bank and is thus well known in the financial circles of 
 the city. He is also an active member of the Commercial Club. 
 
 In March, 1878, Mr. Dow was married to Miss Nancy Sears, a daughter of 
 I. H. Sears, president of the Scott County Bank. Their children are five in num- 
 ber, namely: Bert, who is associated with his father in business; John; Worrall; 
 Elizabeth ; and Nancy. 
 
 Mr. Dow does not take an active part in politics, nor does he have ambition 
 for office. He is a busy man, the interests of the grain trade making heavy de- 
 mands upon his time and energies and yet he is not unmindful nor neglectful of the 
 duties of citizenship and stands as a stalwart champion in support of many projects 
 and movements which are promulgated for the city's betterment. 
 
 FRANK T. LOGAN. 
 
 Frank T. Logan, one of the farmers of Buffalo township, whose success in his 
 field of labor is advancing the sum total prosperity of his locality, was born in 
 Fulton county, Pennsylvania, in i860. He is a son of Charles T. and Melinda 
 (Pott) Logan, both natives of the Keystone state, the father having been born 
 in Fulton county in 1830, the mother in 1833. In 1866 Charles T. Logan de- 
 cided to come to Iowa, having been influenced by the report of the fortunes made 
 from cultivating its fertile soil, and after his arrival here purchased the farm in 
 Buffalo township on which his son Frank T. is living today and which remained 
 his home until his death in 1873. He and his wife were the parents of six chil- 
 dren, three sons and three daughters, namely: John P., who is in Oregon; Wil- 
 liam E., who is in Alaska; Frank T., the subject of this sketch; Anna M., the 
 wife of E. T. Langwith, of Davenport; OUie, who married Julius Thoene, of 
 Bonesteel, South Dakota; and Emma C, who is living in Cedar Falls, Iowa, 
 with her mother. 
 
 Frank T. Logan was about thirteen years of age when his father died, and, 
 having received a rough education in public schools of the district, decided that 
 he would seek his fortune in the west. In 1879 he enlisted in the Fifth United 
 States Cavalry, at Fort D. A. Russell, Wyoming, and, having served through 
 five years with credit and honor, was discharged in 1884 with the rank of ser- 
 geant. He then returned to his home in Buffalo township, this county, and 
 after his marriage rented of his mother the farm on which he had been reared 
 in part and which is now his home. It was not until 1902, however, that it be- 
 came his possession through purchase. He has increased the cultivation of the 
 soil by using most advanced methods in accordance with the progress of the 
 times, and has since won a gratifying return for his investment of time, thought 
 and labor. Although his life has been passed quietly and unostentatiously, his 
 success has not passed without recognition by his fellow citizens, who, having 
 witnessed the strong qualities of his character, elected him to positions of trust 
 and responsibility. He enjoys their confidence and appreciation, which he re- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 519 
 
 gards as of even more value than the substantial success he has won from the 
 prosecution of his labors as a farmer. 
 
 When he returned to Buflfalo township after his experience in the regular 
 army, Mr. Logan was married in 1885 to Miss Cora E. Rowan, a daughter of 
 C. G. Rowan. They have three children : Charles F., Warden E. and Ruel G., 
 all of whom are at home. The family are members of the Methodist church. 
 Mr. Logan has always given unqualified support to the republican party and on 
 that ticket was elected to the position of assessor of his township, in which capa- 
 city he served for eight years. From 1901 to 1907 he was a member of the 
 county board of supervisors. He has also been deeply interested in the schools 
 and for the past twenty-five years has been treasurer of the independent school 
 district, No. 6. He belongs to lodge No. 298, B. P. O. E., of Davenport, and is 
 now past chancellor of Banner Lodge, No. 16, K. P. Among his fraternal 
 brethren, as among the citizens of his township, Mr. Logan is held in the high- 
 est esteem. 
 
 L. J. PORSTMANN, M. D. 
 
 A man of high standing in his profession is Dr. L. J. Porstmann, who for 
 the past few years has made his home in Davenport. He was born April 13, 
 1865, in Atkinson, Henry county, Illinois, his parents being John and Augusta 
 (Stroner) Porstmann. The father was a mechanic by trade and a well known 
 citizen and land owner, who possessed a farm of one hundred acres, which 
 was regarded as one of the finest agricultural properties in the locality. Upon 
 his retirement he removed to Buffalo, Iowa, and lived there until his death, 
 which occurred about seventeen years ago. He was a man of excellent educa- 
 tion and most successful in all his relations. His parents were German and 
 never left their native land. The maternal grandfather, John Stroner, made his 
 home in Kansas and after a life of usefulness passed on to his reward at the 
 age of ninety-three. 
 
 Dr. Porstmann when a lad attended school in Moline, Illinois, and upon re- 
 moving to Scott county, at the age of fourteen, resumed his education in the 
 schools of Buffalo, in due time graduating from the high school. Following this 
 he remained upon the farm until his twentieth year and then for the next five 
 years held positions of various kinds in and about Scott county. At the age of 
 twenty-five the idea of joining the regular army took root in his mind and he 
 enlisted in the Seventeenth Regular Infantry, where he served for eighteen 
 months and then purchased his discharge. 
 
 At this juncture Dr. Porstmann made a fortunate step in his decision to 
 prepare for the profession for which he is so well suited and in the practice of 
 which he has found undeniable success. He attended first the Illinois Medical 
 College at Chicago, then removed to St. Louis for the purpose of attending the 
 Barnes University, from which he graduated in 1898 with a record for scholar- 
 ship of a high order. His first experience as a practitioner was obtained in his 
 old home — Buffalo, Iowa, — where he remained until 1905. His ability emi- 
 
520 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 nently fitting him for a larger field of endeavor and he came to Davenport where 
 he gained speedy recognition both among laymen and his professional brethren. 
 Dr. Porstmann was married June 17, 1903, to Miss Mary A. Springmeier, 
 a daughter of Henry and Catherine (Heckle) Springmeier, and they have two 
 children: Louise Mary and Albert L. The family residence is situated at 21 10 
 Bowditch street. Only through integrity and the display of actual ability could 
 a footing such as Dr. Porstmann's have been estabHshed in so short a time. 
 
 OSCAR C. WOODS. 
 
 Oscar C. Woods is the founder and the head of a wholesale fruit and produce 
 establishment in Davenport conducted under the name of The Martin Woods 
 Company. He possesses a. talent for leading and this coupled with his sound 
 judgment and business ability is the secret of his success. He was born on a 
 farm near the village of Passumpsic, Vermont, October 26, 1835, a son of Riley 
 and Lydia (White) Woods, he being the youngest in a family of twelve children. 
 The father was a son of John Woods, who served in the Revolutionary war. 
 
 Oscar C. Woods was reared in New England, beginning his education in the 
 common schools of Vermont, while later he pursued a course in St. Johnsbury 
 College. When he attained his majority he came to the west, for he believed he 
 would enjoy better business advantages here than he could in the east. He has 
 one brother and one sister who also came west but the other members of the 
 family all remained in New England. Upon arriving in the city of Chicago, Mr. 
 Woods spent some time there, whence he made his way to Lamoille, Illinois, 
 and later his brother John joined him and they there opened a dry-goods store, 
 which they conducted for several years. Eventually, owing to the ill health of 
 our subject, they sold their stock of goods and after recovering his health 
 Mr. Woods again engaged in business, buying his stock of goods in New York, 
 for, although they had previously purchased stock in Chicago, it was about this 
 time that the great fire raged in that metropolis and he was compelled to send 
 to the east for his merchandise. Again after a few years the brothers sold out 
 and John Woods engaged in the banking business, while Mr. Woods of this 
 review engaged in the stock business, buying horses for the eastern market. It 
 was about 1873 that he removed farther west, locating in Davenport, where he 
 continued to buy stock. Later he bought a half section of land near Waterloo, 
 Iowa, and spent about a year and a half on the place. In 1883 he returned to Dav- 
 enport and with others purchased the wholesale fruit business, to which he has 
 since devoted his attention. Mr. Woods organized the firm which is now con- 
 ducting business under the name of The Martin Woods Company and was in- 
 corporated in the spring of 1890. This is one of the important and well known 
 enterprises of the kind in Davenport and much of its success is due to the able 
 management and executive ability of the president, Mr. Woods. He has made 
 a number of changes in his business connection since coming to the west but 
 each change has proved a profitable one and he has now reached the goal of 
 success. 
 
O. C. WOODS 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 523 
 
 Mr. Woods was married in May, 1864, to Miss Qeora Holbrook, of Lamoille, 
 Illinois. They had one child, who died young and now have an adopted daughter. 
 Ruby, who is the wife of Harry L. Shontz, by whom she has two children, Harry 
 W. and Mary Elizabeth. Mrs. Woods, an estimable lady, passed away in 1904 
 and her remains were interred in the cemetery at Lamoille, Illinois. 
 
 Mr. Woods is entitled to membership in the Sons of the Revolution from the 
 fact that his grandfather served in the Revolutionary war. In business he has 
 never been content to remain with the middle rank but has striven to reach the 
 top round of the ladder and today he holds a high position in the business circles 
 of Davenport, while his social qualities have won for him many friends. 
 
 F. C. SKINNER, M. D. 
 
 Dr. F. C. Skinner, although one of the younger representatives of the medi- 
 cal profession, is demonstrating his ability to handle complex problems in his 
 line and has built up a good general practice in and around Le Claire. He was 
 born in Rock Island, Illinois, May 30, 1873, a son of Almond and Augusta (Wig- 
 gin) Skinner. He is a representative of a good old New England family and has 
 in his possession two old land grants given to the Lees on his mother's side, 
 during the reign of King George III, one dated July i, 1761, and the other No- 
 vember 8, 1764. The Doctor is a lineal descendant of Captain Mason of Revo- 
 lutionary fame and has the dagger and powder horn carried by- that gentleman 
 during the war for independence. 
 
 The Doctor's father was born near Bufifalo, New York, and was a painter by 
 trade. At one time he had charge of the paint department for the Rock Island 
 plow factory and painted the first engine that was run west by the Union Pacific 
 Railroad Company. This engine was named Big Chief and the picture which 
 Mr. Skinner painted on the tender of the locomotive was of an Indian chief 
 standing on Council Bluflfs. Mr. Skinner made his home in Rock Island for 
 many years and owned the land that is now occupied by Kahlke Brothers as a 
 boatyard. The father died when our subject was but two and a half years old 
 and there were three other children in the family but all are now deceased except 
 our subject. After the father's death, the mother, who was a native of Niles, 
 New Hampshire, removed with her family to Rochester, Minnesota, and eventu- 
 ally was married to Louis Hiddle, a druggist of Mackinaw, Illinois, where they 
 still make their home. There is one daughter of this marriage, Maud, now the 
 wife of John Heuring, a resident of Peoria, Illinois. 
 
 Dr. Skinner was very young when he was taken by his mother to Rochester, 
 Minnesota, and at the usual age he entered the public schools of that city and 
 before completing his education it was necessary for him to go to work to pro- 
 vide for his own support and he then attended night school, being employed 
 during the day. In this way, he saved enough money to pursue a college course 
 in Davenport, while later he pursued a classical course at Eureka College, in 
 Eureka, Illinois. In the meantime the medical profession appealed very strongly 
 
524 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 to him and he entered the Iowa State Medical College, graduating from that in- 
 stitution on the 28th of March, 1898. 
 
 Dr. Skinner spent some time as an employe in a hospital at Iowa City, Iowa, 
 and then opened an office at Port Byron, Illinois. He then came to Le Claire, 
 where he has since been engaged in general practice. Of studious nature, he is 
 ever seeking to advance his knowledge of medicine through reading and investi- 
 gation and all acknowledge his worth as a practitioner and as a man. For the 
 past nine years he has served as health officer and in this connection is work- 
 ing toward more sanitary conditions. 
 
 Dr. Skinner has been married twice. He was first married in igcxj to Miss 
 Grace Jensen, a daughter of Charles Jensen, of Rock Island, Illinois. Her 
 death occurred October 5, 1902, her remains being interred in the Rock Island 
 cemetery. For his second wife the Doctor chose Vergie L. Williams, their mar- 
 riage being celebrated on the nth of May, 1904. She is a daugther of George 
 and Eva Williams, the former born near Norwich, New York, October 12, 1848, 
 and the latter at McGraw, that state, November 30, 1851. The family settled 
 in Le Claire about 1871, and the father was a fireman on steamboats which plied 
 the Mississippi river, following that business for many years. He is also a char- 
 ter member of the Knights of Pythias lodge of Le Claire and is an influential 
 and highly respected citizen of this community. 
 
 Dr. Skinner belongs to the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of 
 Odd Fellows and the American Patriots. He early displayed the elemental 
 strength of his character, when, realizing the necessity for a good education 
 suited to the demands of the times that he might start out in life well equipped 
 for strenuous service, he devoted his evening hours to study, and this has proved 
 one of his strongest characteristics through life, for be still devotes his leisure 
 hours to study. While all recognize his ability and worth of character and are 
 ever ready to pay deference to his excellent qualities, in nature he is modest 
 and retiring and in his expressions concerning brother practitioners is friendly 
 and indulgent. 
 
 W. O. CALVERT. 
 
 Among the many cjtizens of Davenport's prosperous and growing adjoining 
 town of Bettendorf whose conscientious work is telling for the advancement of 
 the quality of its manhood is W. O. Calvert, who is assistant secretary of the 
 Bettendorf Kxle Company. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, July 2, 1871, 
 a son of Charles E. and Lena (Orendorf ) Calvert, both natives of the same state. 
 He attended the common schools of New Albany, Indiana, in which he obtained 
 the usual graded school education. Removing to Chicago, he secured a clerical 
 position with A. Booth & Company, of that city. He held the position of cashier 
 with them for a number of years and then, in 1901, came to Davenport in be- 
 half of his employers. 
 
 In 1904 Mr. Calvert obtained a position as cashier with Cudahy Company 
 in Davenport, later becoming identified with the Bettendorf Axle Company 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 525 
 
 as assistant secretary, and with the Bettendorf Improvement Company as secre- 
 tary and treasurer. He also became a director in the Bettendorf Savings Bank, 
 so he is connected with some of the more important financial concerns of that 
 city. Having held many positions of responsibility during the years of his life, 
 in every case Mr. Calvert has won the esteem of hi^ employers and his business 
 associates, for he is a man of sterling integrity, of tact and purpose. Mr. Cal- 
 vert in addition to private interests, was recently elected mayor of Bettendorf and 
 is now serving the people of his town in that capacity. 
 
 It was in June, 1905, that Mr. Calyert was united in marriage to Miss Maude 
 Atwill, who with her mother, Mrs. Alice Dutton Atwill, has made her home in 
 Davenport and Bettendorf. Since locating in Bettendorf Mr. Calvert has taken 
 a vital i:iterest in the welfare of the city and through his connection with its 
 leading industry and participation in its financial and civic affairs exerts his 
 influence in behalf of the improvement of conditions. 
 
 JULIUS C. HASLER. 
 
 Julius C. Hasler, cashier of the Farmers & Mechanics Savings Bank, is a 
 man who has long been known to the citizens of Davenport, and as the years 
 have passed they have accorded to him increased respect and esteem. He was 
 born in Hannibal, Missouri, July 29, i860. His father, Henry Hasler, was a 
 native of Zurich, Switzerland, and in 1858, at the age of thirty-eight years came 
 to Davenport, later going to Hannibal, where he remained only a few months. 
 Upon his return to this city he engaged in the grocery business in the west end, 
 being very successful in that occupation and winning respect in the community. 
 He retired in 1883 and twenty years later passed away at the advanced age 
 of eighty-three. His wife lived until 1905, when she also died at the age of 
 ' seventy-nine years. 
 
 Julius Hasler attended the public schools, in which he obtained a good edu- 
 cation, and he received his practical training in his father's store. In 1885 he 
 became general delivery clerk in the postoifice under Postmaster De Armond 
 but remained there only fifteen months. Then he became teller in the Scott 
 County Savings Bank, holding that position for a number of years, fulfilling his 
 duties and discharging his responsibilities with honor and credit. He next 
 occupied the same position in the Davenport National Bank, which he left to 
 become cashier of the Farmers & Mechanics Savings Bank, an office he holds at 
 present. He is a man who is careful, accurate and conscientious, and one in 
 whom his associates place the utmost confidence. 
 
 In March, 1886, Mr. Hasler was united in marriage to Miss Josephine G. 
 Nahlen, of Chicago. Fraternally he is connected with the Benevolent and Pro- 
 tective Order of Elks, the Turners, the Schuetzen and other organizations of 
 a social or benevolent character. He also is a member of the Outing Club and 
 of the Commercial Club, in this way giving expression to the public spirit which 
 is one of his dominant characteristics. As a man of sterling integrity he holds 
 the position of treasurer of the Guarantee Mutual Insurance Company of this 
 
526 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 city and fulfills duties of a similar nature in the Davenport Baseball Club. Hav- 
 ing spent all of his life in this city, he is well known in banking and commercial 
 circles, where his name is always spoken with respect and honor. He is popu- 
 lar for he is endowed with those qualities that attract men to him and in every 
 way is a worthy son of a noble father. 
 
 ERNST D. SCHROEDER. 
 
 Ernst D. Schroeder, who resides at 1103 West Fourteenth street, Davenport, 
 began his life in this country very modestly, but through industry and frugality, 
 guided by a laudable ambition, he achieved a marked success and is now the owner 
 of two hundred and three acres -of fine farm land in Davenport township. 
 
 He was born in Germany, September 22, 1839, his parents being John and 
 Mary Schroeder, who spent their entire lives in the old country. In the land 
 of his birth Ernst D. Schroeder was reared and in the schools there received a 
 good education. When he put aside his text-books he engaged in agriculture, 
 pursuing that calling until 1865, when he decided to come to the United States. 
 He disembarked at New York but came almost immediately to Davenport, se- 
 curing work in this city as a laborer. During the next ten years he toiled and 
 saved, at the end of that period feeling that he was justified in renting a small 
 farm in Black Hawk township. Later he bought ten acres in Davenport township, 
 on which he made his home for the next eighteen years, and when he sold that 
 place purchased the tract of two hundred and three acres which he owns at present. 
 He had resided upon it only five years, however, when he decided to retire from ac- 
 tive life. He had been a careful and thorough farmer, a man who knew how to 
 obtain the best results from his labors. 
 
 In the fall of 1865 Mr. Schroeder was married to Miss Dora Steiger, a daugh- 
 ter of Carl Steiger, who never left his home in Germany. Unto Mr. and 
 Mrs. Schroeder have been born two children. Ida became the wife of Gust Band- 
 holtz, of O'Brien county, Iowa, and they have two children, Charles and Lillian. 
 Clara became the wife of John D. Hammann and is the mother of one son, Wal- 
 ter. She makes her home with her father. Mrs. Schroeder departed this life 
 March 24, 1907, at the age of sixty-five years and six months, mourned deeply by 
 the members of her family and the circle of friends who knew her intimately. 
 Mr. Schroeder has now rented his large farm and lives in the enjoyment of a 
 generous income and the consciousness of years well spent. 
 
 BERNARD M. McMAHON. 
 
 Bernard M. McMahon, street commissioner of Davenport, belongs doubly to 
 the city by birth as well as by choice. He was born here, July 17, 1861, his par- 
 ents being James and Mary (Keating) McMahon, and is of Irish extraction on 
 both sides of his house. His father, who was a native of County Clare, Ire- 
 
ERXST 1). SCTTI'vOEDEi; 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 529 
 
 land, had already received his education when he decided to try his fortune 
 in the land to which so many of his countrymen had come. Upon arriving in 
 America he did not tarry long on the eastern coast, but became one of Daven- 
 port's earliest settlers. He was an active, dauntless man, or as his son is fond 
 of designating him, a "hustler," who tinctured every situation with flashes of 
 keen wit and an abundance of good humor. He reared a large family of chil- 
 dren, his home being situated at No. 418 Division street, where the subject of the 
 sketch still resides. His death occurred in 1902. 
 
 Bernard M. McMahon was prepared for life in St. Anthony's School, from 
 which in due time he was graduated. He crossed the threshold of his business 
 career as an assistant to his father in the contracting business and since then 
 no other occupation has appealed to him sufficiently to cause him to deviate from 
 the path entered by him at that time. Like his father he has been very success- 
 ful in his special line of endeavor. It was his distinction to lay the first brick 
 pavement in the state of Iowa, this being in Clinton about twenty-two years 
 ago, and the never varying excellence of his work and honesty of his dealings 
 has given him an enviable reputation throughout Davenport. Three years ago 
 the city council appointed Mr. McMahon to his present office as street commis- 
 sioner, and since taking charge he has made several changes advantageous to 
 the city in the management of its affairs. He is recognized to be a man who has 
 the best interests of the public at heart and the esteem of all those who know 
 either him or his work follows as a matter of course. He is a devoted member 
 of St. Mary's Catholic church, and his fraternal relations extend to the Knights 
 of Columbus and the Stone Masons Union. 
 
 J. E. BURMEISTER. 
 
 J. E. Burmeister, whose position as a financier and reputation for sound 
 and reliable methods, have made him well known throughout this part of the 
 state, was born in Davenport, January 17, 1877, a son of Ernst and Mary 
 (Faster) Burmeister, natives of Germany. The father was born in 1846 and 
 came to Davenport in 1870, here meeting and marrying his wife. They had two 
 sons: John F. and J. E. For many years Ernst Burmeister operated a large 
 meat market. He died March 29, 1882. 
 
 The Davenport public schools furnished J. E. Burmeister with a good educa- 
 tion, and he added to it by a course at the Davenport Business College. When 
 but a lad he commenced earning his own living as a messenger boy, and then 
 worked up to bookkeeper. By this time he had proven his worth and was em- 
 ployed by the Iowa National Bank as messenger boy. From that time on his 
 rise was rapid through the successive grades of promotion. In 1902 he was 
 made assistant cashier; in January, 1903, he was made cashier; and in Decem- 
 ber, 1907, became vice president. In addition to his connection with the bank, 
 Mr. Byrmeister has many other interests in the city, being secretary of Voss 
 Brothers Manufacturing Company and secretary and treasurer of the Davenport 
 Locomotive Works, as well as many others. 
 
530 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 In 1902 he married Emma Behrens, who was born in Davenport, a daughter 
 of P. M. Behrens, an old resident of the city and a native of Germany. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Burmeister have two children : Richard and Bernice. 
 
 During the Spanish-American war Mr. Burmeister served in the Fiftieth 
 Iowa Infantry as quartermaster sergeant of Company B. Prior to this he was 
 a member of the Iowa National Guards and was prominent in such work. He 
 is a Mason and an Elk and also belongs to the Travelers Association and the 
 Commercial Club. Although a young man in years, he has accomplished much,, 
 demonstrating what can be done through sheer effort and untiring industry. He 
 is a strong man, holding firmly to his own views, and influencing others to his 
 way of thinking. Enthusiastically carrying out his plans when once he has 
 entered into anything, he is an important factor in the life of Davenport and 
 has become very popular with all with whom he is associated in either a business 
 or social way. 
 
 F. J. SESSIONS. 
 
 F. J. Sessions, who since 1904 has capably served as superintendent of the 
 Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home at Davenport, was born in Fairview township, 
 Jones county, Iowa, on the i8th of February, 1853. His parents, C. M. and 
 Mary J. (Armstrong) Sessions, are both natives of Cortland county. New York. 
 In the year 1851 the father took up his abode in Jones county, Iowa, and there 
 preached the gospel as a minister of the Methodist church until 1889, his labors 
 proving an important element in the moral development of the community in 
 pioneer times. He now makes his home at Mount Vernon, Iowa, and, though 
 past the eighty-second milestone on life's journey, he is still hale and hearty. 
 
 F. J. Sessions supplemeilted his preliminary education, obtained in the pub- 
 lic schools, by a course of study in Cornell College at Mount Vernon, where he 
 won the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He was then prominently identified with 
 educational interests for a period of twenty years and has held many important 
 offices in that connection. He began his school work as principal of the Mount 
 Vernon schools, later was at Springville and subsequently he served as county 
 superintendent of Linn county for four years. He was city superintendent of 
 schools at Waterloo, Iowa, for fourteen years. He was in charge of the educa- 
 tional exhibit at the St. Louis Exposition and in the same year was elected 
 superintendent of the Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home and has since discharged 
 the duties devolving upon him in this connection in a highly creditable and sat- 
 isfactory manner, being well qualified for the office. 
 
 On the 26th of June, 1879, Mr. Sessions was united in marriage to Miss 
 Qara Fisher, a native of Illinois. They became the parents of four children, as 
 follows: Alma, who is the wife of Dr. W. O. McDowell, of Grundy Center; 
 T. W., who is engaged in the lumber business at Canton, Illinois ; Charles, who 
 is in the employ of the Bettendorf Car Company ; and Harriet, who is pursuing 
 a library course at the Pratt Institute of Brooklyn. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 531 
 
 Mr. Sessions is a worthy member of the Masonic fraternity, exemplifying 
 the teachings of the craft in his daily life. He is a gentleman of wide experi- 
 ence and information and one whose geniality and deference for the opinions of 
 others have gained him an extensive circle of warm friends. 
 
 BERT QUINN. 
 
 Bert Quinn, who cultivates a farm of eighty acres in Sheridan township, 
 his place adjoining the corporation limits of Eldridge, in which village he 
 was born May lo, 1873, is a representative of one of the oldest families of this 
 county. His grandfather, W. I. Quinn, was one of the first settlers of Scott 
 county, arriving in the fall of 1838, when he settled on the Wapsie in Win- 
 field township. Iowa was then still under territorial rule and the work of prog- 
 ress and development seemed scarcely begun. He was born in Preble county, 
 Ohio, November 12, 1831, a son of Joseph C. and Julia Quinn, who came origin- 
 ally from New Jersey but removed from that state to Georgia and thence to 
 Ohio, coming from the Buckeye state to Iowa. They were of Irish descent and 
 were farming people. When they first came to Scott county Joseph C. Quinn 
 entered land on the Wapsie, securing one hundred and sixty acres. There were 
 four brothers and all entered land in this vicinity, making choice of their claims 
 because of the timber and water. Joseph C. Quinn and his wife afterward re- 
 moved to Sheridan township, where he purchased a tract of land on which the 
 town of Eldridge now stands, while another portion constitutes the farm upon 
 which Bert Quinn is now living. Later he removed with his family to Hickory 
 Qrove township, where he bought a farm, and while living theron his wife died. 
 Subsequently Joseph C. Quinn reitioved to Jasper county, Iowa, where his 
 last days were spent. 
 
 W. I. Quinn, the grandfather of our subject, has spent the greater part of 
 his life in this county, his education being acquired at Long Grove. The In- 
 dians were still here at the time of his arrival and for years afterward there 
 were many traces of Indian occupancy to be seen in the arrowheads and in the 
 remnants of tepees which showed that the Indians had been former occupants 
 of the soil. W. I. Quinn pursued his education in a log school building, which 
 was also used for a church. His entire life was devoted to farming in Sheridan 
 township until 1902, when he retired from business cares and removed to 
 Long Grove. His wife died in 1908, at the age of seventy-three years. W. I. 
 Quinn is a member of the Christian church and served as deacon for a number 
 of years but put aside the duties of the offiice because of his advanced age. 
 
 Bert Quinn was reared by his grandparents and has spent his entire life 
 in this county with the exception of a few years in college. He attended the 
 schools of the district until he had mastered the elementary branches of learn- 
 ing and later he became a pupil in Eureka College at Eureka, Illinois, being 
 graduated from the business department in the class of 1891. He then re- 
 turned home and has since engaged in fanning with the exception of a year 
 spent in California. 
 
532 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 On the 25th of January, 1900, Mr. Quinn was united in marriage to Miss 
 Carrie Steffe, a daughter of George and Mary Steffe, of Lincoln township, who 
 were early settlers here. The father was of German nativity, his birth having 
 occurred in Freiburg, Baden, Germany, October 28, 1823, while his wife was 
 born in Switzerland, November 6, 1834. They were married in Hickory Grove 
 township, this county, the father having come to Scott county when a young 
 man. He had served in the German army ana was also a soldier of the Civil 
 war, enlisting at Davenport and participating in many important military move- 
 ments, including the celebrated march of Sherman to the sea. After the war 
 he resumed the pursuits of civil life and always devoted his time and energies 
 to farming in Lincoln township, where he made his home up to the time of his 
 death on the 6th of November, 1900. For more than a year he had survived 
 his wife, who died January 22, 1899. She had come to the United States when 
 nine years of age with her parents, who made their way direct to Davenport, 
 and here she lived all her life. She was married in 1859 to Mr. Steffe and be- 
 came the mother of nine children: Mary, the wife of George Harrison; Rosie, 
 the deceased wife of Brice Neckley; Joe, of Luverne, Minnesota; Jacob, de- 
 ceased ; Louisa, the wife of B. F. Quinn, of Cedar Rapids ; Carrie, the wife of 
 Bert Quinn ; Hiram, of Sheridan township ; Julia, deceased ; and Sadie, the de- 
 ceased wife of WiUiam Clapp. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Quinn has been born one son, Forest L., whose birth oc- 
 curred November 6, 1904. Mr. Quinn is a member of the Modern Woodmen of 
 America, affiliated with the camp at Long Grove, and the Odd Fellows lodge 
 and has held most of the offices in the former. He likewise belongs to the 
 Christian church of Long Grove. In community affairs he takes a deep and 
 helpful interest and yet he does not neglect his business, for he is known as a 
 representative farmer of the community, carrying on general agricultural pur- 
 suits and also making a specialty of the cultivation of .potatoes. In this he is 
 meeting with good success and his farm products find a ready sale on the market. 
 
 WILLIAM L. E. NICKELS. 
 
 William L. E. Nickels, now ■ living retired in Davenport, is a representative 
 of that class of men who have found in agricultural life the opportunities for 
 success. Long connected with farming interests, his diligence and enterprise in 
 managing the work of the fields brought him the prosperity that now enables 
 him to live retired. He was born in Holstein, Germany, October 18, 1835, a 
 son of Henry Ludwig Edward and Louisa Nickels. The father was a farmer 
 and hotel keeper who spent his entire life in Germany. Following his demise 
 the mother married again and came to the United States, spending her last days 
 in this country. 
 
 William L. E. Nickels was a young man of twenty-one years when he 
 crossed the Atlantic to America. Favorable reports which he heard concerning 
 the new world led him to the determination to try his fortune on this side the 
 Atlantic, and on the 22d of December, 1856, he landed at New York, whence 
 
MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM L. E. NICKELS 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 535 
 
 he made his way westward to Rock Island, Illinois, where he arrived on the ist of 
 January. The following day he crossed the river to Davenport but after a few days 
 went to Moline. While there he met Claus Lahann, a friend from Germany, 
 who asked him to go to Clinton county with him and Mr. Nickels made his 
 home with that friend in Clinton county through the winter. It was there he 
 met the lady whom he afterward made his wife. In the spring of 1857 he left 
 his German friend and worked for an American at Big Rock in order that he 
 might learn the English language and there he remained for six months, after 
 which he returned to his German friend, remaining as his assistant until his 
 friend's death in 1859. 
 
 It was then, on the 6th of January, 1859, that Mr. Nickels married his old 
 friend's daughter. Miss Margaretft, Lahann, who was born in Germany, January 
 12, 1824. He rented the farm from her widowed mother, who died in 1861. at 
 which time by the terms of her will Mr. Nickels inherited the farm, comprising 
 ninety acres. He made his home thereon until 1876 and during that time ex- 
 tended the boundaries of his place by additional purchase until it comprised one 
 hundred and sixteen acres. He made a number of improvements and continued 
 the cultivation of the fields there until 1876, when he removed to Wheatland, 
 Iowa, renting his farm. While living in Wheatland he served as a member of 
 the town council and was prominent and influential in public affairs. He contin- 
 ued his residence in Wheatland until 1901, when he came to Davenport, where 
 he has since made his home. 
 
 In 1903 Mr. Nickels was called upon to mourn the loss of his first wife, who 
 died on the 3d of March of that year. He has since wedded Caroline Morthoss, 
 a daughter of Qaus and Magdalena Morthoss, both of whom died in Germany. 
 Mrs. Nickels had been previously married, her first husband being Hans Ein- 
 feldt, who died December 17, 1894. There have been no exciting chapters in the 
 life history of William L. E. Nickels, who in his life has exemplified many of the 
 sterling traits of his German ancestry. He has been diligent and persistent in 
 business and as the years went by his labors brought him the success which al- 
 ways comes from honorable and well directed effort. Now at the age of seventy- 
 four years he is living retired and his rest is well merited, following years of 
 active life. 
 
 MERTON E. BOWLING. 
 
 Merton E. Bowling, the general manager of the M. V. Boies Company, is 
 one of the business men of Davenport who has rapidly risen, through his own 
 efforts to the responsible position he now holds. A native son of this city, he 
 was born March 11, 1872, his parents being George D. and Almeda (Bennett) 
 Bowling. The former was also born in Davenport, a descendant of one of the 
 early pioneer families, and is still living, although he has given up active par- 
 ticipation in the world of affairs and business. 
 
 Merton E. Bowling grew to manhood in Davenport, attending the public 
 schools here, and after he had completed the prescribed course enrolled as a 
 
536 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 student at a college. For a number of years after the completion of his education 
 he worked at various pursuits, finally turning his attention to the undertaking 
 business, and about twenty years ago he entered the employ of the M. V. Boies 
 Company. This concern was established in 1857 by M. V. Boies, under whose 
 name it has continued to do business ever since. When Mr. Bowling first became 
 connected with it he held the position of assistant, but as the years went on and 
 he gave proof of his ability he was rapidly promoted until he now is general 
 manager of the firm. In the meantime, however, he fitted himself for the work, 
 for he took a course in the Western College of Embalming, from which he was 
 graduated October 26, 1898, so that he is fully competent to assume charge of 
 every phase of the business that is given to the company. 
 
 Mr. Bowling married Miss Mary Snyder,*of Dixon, Iowa, and their union 
 has been blessed with three sons — Ralph, Elmer and Raymond. The eldest is 
 attending the high school, while the second is a pupil in the school of district 
 No. 8, and the youngest has not yet entered upon his period of education. 
 
 Mr. Bowling enjoys wide fraternal relations, for he is a member of the 
 local lodge of Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Fraternal 
 Order of Eagles, the Elks, and the Modern Brotherhood of 'America. He also 
 belongs to the Turners Society of Davenport. In all of these organizations he 
 is well known as a man of ability, of the highest principles and one endowed 
 with many social graces as well as with those which make for success in the 
 world of aflfairs. His rapid rise in the esteem of his business associates has not 
 been without its substantial financial advancements. 
 
 HUGO MOELLER. 
 
 Hugo Moeller, city clerk of Davenport and one of the rising young men of 
 this city, demonstrates in his political career that there are certain men who 
 are bound to rise above their fellows through energy and mastery of detail. 
 He was born in this city, January 10, 1880, a son of John F. and Mary (Har- 
 der) Moeller. The father came to Davenport in 1863 from Germany, his native 
 land, and after being engaged in several lines commenced manufacturing paper 
 and cigar boxes. His wife came to Davenport with her father in the early 
 'SOS, having been born in Germany. Six children were bom to them: Minnie, 
 now Mrs. Wehling; Henry; Tillie, now Mrs. Stockwell; Hugo; Hannah, the 
 deceased wife of Walter Hass, and Walter, also deceased. 
 
 Hugo Moeller was educated in the public schools, graduating from the high 
 school in 1897. After being engaged in various kinds of work, he took a com- 
 mercial course in Brown's Business College. For three years thereafter he 
 was an agent of the Corn Products Refining Company, and worked hard to 
 serve his house. A strong democrat, Mr. Moeller has always given his party 
 a considerable portion of his time and was rewarded by election to the office 
 of city clerk in 1906 and has been continuously reelected. He is an excellent 
 official, obliging, courteous and hard-working, and the people of the city feel 
 that no better man could be found to fill the responsible office. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 537 
 
 In 1905 Mr. Moeller was married to Emelia Wulf, a daughter of Herman 
 Wulf. Mr. Moeller belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, 
 the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the O. O. O., and is very popular in them 
 all. 
 
 Still in the very prime of his young manhood, with years of usefulness stretch- 
 ing out before him, the idol of his party locally, brilliant things are prophesied 
 of this representative son of Davenport. 
 
 R. H. HARNED. 
 
 A man of well balanced capacities and powers, his strong character and 
 capabilities inspiring confidence in others, the story of the life of R. H. Harned 
 is one of orderly progression. He is preeminently a man of business sense, 
 easily avoiding the mistakes and disasters which come to those who, though 
 possessing remarkable faculties in some respects, are liable to erratic move- 
 ments that result in unwarranted risks and failure. His course has been one 
 which has stood the test of time and of public approval and as senior partner of 
 the firm of Harned & Von Maur he stands as one of the most prominent repre- 
 sentatives of commercial interests in Davenport. He was born at Shickshinny, 
 Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, October 30, 1864, a son of Clark and Isabella 
 T. (Metcalf) Harned, the former a native of Shickshinny and the latter of 
 Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. After attending the public schools, in which he 
 mastered the fundamental principles of education, R. H. Harned continued his 
 studies in the Wyoming Seminary and Commercial College and made his initial 
 step in the business world by entering the employ of Fowler, Dick & Walker, 
 dry-goods merchants of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, under whose direction he 
 became acquainted with the dry-goods trade. He remained with that firm 
 until 1887, when he entered into partnership with C. J. Von Maur and E. C. 
 Pursel under the firm style of Harned, Pursel & Von Maur, coming to Daven- 
 port in that year on the 2d of April. They located at the southwest comer of 
 Second and Brady streets and prospered from the beginning, enjoying a con- 
 stantly increasing trade. In 1889, upon the death of Mr. Pursel, the style of 
 the firm became Harned & Von Maur, which has since been continued. The 
 original store was modest in its beginning but the energy, ability and character 
 of the young men told and the enterprise developed along substantial lines, 
 the growth of the business at last necessitating the erection of a new building 
 for its accommodation. In 1898 the business was incorporated under the firm 
 style of Harned & Von Maur. They remained in the original location until 
 1899, when a lot was purchased at the southeast corner of Harlrison and 
 Second streets and their present magnificent building was erected there. They 
 have today one of the finest, best arranged and most modernly equipped stores 
 in the state. The building has a frontage of eighty-six feet, is one hundred and 
 fifty feet deep and has three stories with basement. It is equipped with a power 
 and electric plant and the fittings of the store are most modern and attractive, 
 including a pneumatic cash system and every convenience and facility for the 
 
538 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 conduct of a first-class department store. In igo6 it was necessary to lease a 
 building to serve as an annex in which to store the reserve stock in order that 
 their third floor might be utilized for retail purposes. Something of the growth 
 of the business is indicated in the fact that when it was established, on the 2d 
 of April, 1887, they occupied a small store twenty by seventy-five feet. At the 
 end of six months it was necessary to double their space and similar additions 
 were made during the succeeding eighteen months. In 1892 an addition was 
 made to, the block, doubling the space which they then occupied and after seven 
 years they removed to their present quarters. Thus from a modest begin- 
 ning in a little corner shop this establishment has grown with the passing 
 years, its magnificent success being due to the tireless energy, undaunted enter- 
 prise and reliable business methods of the partners, who enjoy the public con- 
 fidence in an unusual degree. The simile of the acorn and the oak is especially 
 applicable to this business, the tree weathering all financial storms, activity and 
 commercial integrity constituting its roots, which have spread out and taken 
 firm hold in the soil of public confidence and public opinion. 
 
 In 1899 Mr. Harned was married to Miss Mary Reeder, a native of Bor- 
 dentown. New Jersey. They have two daughters, Eleanor M. and Louise I. 
 The family residence is a splendid home on Mississippi avenue, attractive by 
 reason of its hospitality as well as its tasteful furnishings. Mr. Harned is a 
 member of the Golf and Outing Qubs and also the Commercial Club of Daven- 
 port. He is also greatly interested in church and philanthropic work and is 
 now serving as a trustee and ruling elder in the First Presbyterian church, in 
 which he has long held membership. He is also connected with the Young 
 Men's Christian Association and is a cooperant factor in various lines of ac- 
 tivity expressive of the recognition of the brotherhood of man and the Father- 
 hood of God. He stands today in his mature years a strong man, strong in his 
 honor and his good name, strong in his ability to plan and perform. Well 
 balanced mentally and physically, he has never feared to venture where favor- 
 ing opportunitity has presented, and his judgment and even-paced energy have 
 carried him forward to the goal of success. 
 
 ALEXANDER W. BROWNLIE. 
 
 Alexander W. Brownlie needs no introduction to the readers of this volume, 
 for he has made his home within the borders of Scott county for more than 
 three score years and ten, having been brought here by his parents when in the 
 second year of his age. He was successfully engaged in farming and stock- 
 raising throughout his active business career but is living largely retired at the 
 present time, enjoying the fruits of his former toil in well earned ease. His birth 
 occurred in Canada on the 22d of May, 1837, his parents being James and Ritchie 
 (Walker) Brownlie, both of whom were natives of Scotland. The father was 
 born on the 26th of November, 1807, and the mother's birth occurred in the year 
 1810. They were married in Canada and remained residents of that country 
 until 1838, when the family home was established in Scott county, Iowa, the 
 
A. W. BROWNLIE 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 541 
 
 father coming here a few months prior to the arrival of his wife and three chil- 
 dren. James Brownlie took up a timber claim at Long Grove, which place at 
 that time boasted only one shanty. He constructed a sod house or dugout and 
 after residing therein for a year built what was considered a commodious log house 
 in those days. In 1851 the primitive structure was replaced by another resi- 
 dence, which is still standing. James Brownlie accumulated about four hundred 
 acres of land and devoted his time and energies to general agricultural pursuits 
 throughout his entire business career, bringing his fields under a high state of 
 cultivation and improvement. He held various positions of public trust and 
 responsibility and was one of the six men (all Brownlie by name) who organized 
 the Christian church at Long Grove, in 1839. Preaching services were con- 
 ducted in his home from 1839 until 1846, when a log church was erected, and 
 he served as an elder until his demise. This church is the oldest in Scott county. 
 Mr. Brownlie was called to his final rest in 1893 and the community thus lost 
 one of its worthy pioneer settlers whose labors had proved an important element 
 in the work of early development and upbuilding. His wife passed away in 1889. 
 Their children were six in number, as follows : Jane, who is deceased,' as is also 
 her husband, James Neil ; Mrs. Isabelle McCosh, who has likewise passed away ; 
 Alexander W., of this review; Catherine, the deceased wife of John Fluke, of 
 Grinnell, Iowa; Andrew^ who has also been called to his final rest; and Robert, 
 who is a resident of Long Grove. 
 
 Alexander W. Brownlie began his education under the preceptorship of his 
 parents, as there were still no schools in the pioneer community. When he was 
 about ten years of age a little "temple of learning" was established at Long 
 Grove with Phillip Van Patten as instructor, and there he pursued his studies 
 for a time. He remained under the parental roof until he was married and then 
 purchased and located upon a tract of one hundred and sixty acres near Long 
 Grove. Part of the land was broken and after the remainder had been made 
 ready for farming purposes he erected a dwelling and there carried on his agri- 
 cultural interests for about twelve years. On the expiration of that period he 
 still engaged in the live Sjtock business to some extent but is living largely re- 
 took up his abode on another farm of one hundred and thirty acres a little nearer 
 Long Grove and, disposing of his original property soon afterward, was actively 
 engaged in its operation for a great many years. In 1876 he became interested 
 in the live stock business in association with his brother Robert and they carried 
 on their operations in this connection for about a third of a century, making a 
 specialty of shorthorn cattle, Poland China hogs and Percheron horses. He is 
 still engaged in the live-stock business to some extent but is living largely re- 
 tired at the present time, making his home at No. 501 Kirkwood avenue in 
 Davenport. He is one of the stockholders in the Stockmen's Bank at Long 
 Grove, which he assisted in organizing in May, 1907. 
 
 On the 22d of January, 1862, Mr. Brownlie was united in marriage to Miss 
 Elizabeth Thompson, who was born in England on the 22d of January, 1841, 
 and who in 1844 was brought to Scott county by her parents, the Hon. Hugh 
 M. and Jane Thompson. Her father represented this district in the state legis- 
 lature for a great many years and was also the president and manager of the 
 Iowa Agricultural College. Mr. and Mrs. Brownlie became the parents of 
 four children. Sarah, the eldest, wedded M. H. Calderwood, of Davenport, and 
 
542 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 is now the mother of seven children, namely : Ethel ; Blanche ; Errett and Almeta, 
 twins; Helen; Dwight; and Ruth. William, the cashier of the Citizens First 
 Bank of Davenport, wedded Miss Mary E. Fleming-, by whom he has one child. 
 Aline. Annie, who gave her hand in marriage to John Neil, of Cherokee, Iowa, 
 now' has four children : lola, Jennie, Laverne and Bernice. Andrew Brownlie 
 is deceased. Mrs. Elizabeth Brownlie, the wife and mother, was called to her 
 final rest in the year 1874. 
 
 Mr. Brownlie is a lifelong member of the Christian church at Long Grove 
 and has always held official position therein, having continuously served as trustee 
 since its incorporation and as elder and Sunday school superintendent for about 
 thirty "years. He has spent practically his entire life in this county and is there- 
 fore familiar with its development from pioneer times down to the present, hav- 
 ing aided in the arduous toil which brought about the wonderful transformation 
 that is everywhere apparent in this part of the state. 
 
 JOHN W. CROWLEY. 
 
 Beginning at the lowest round of the ladder, but by his own splendid ef- 
 forts advancing steadily, with no retrograde movement in the whole course of 
 his career, a glance at the life of J. W. Crowley, president of the People's Con- 
 struction Company, can not be otherwise than inspiring. He was born July 
 26, 1865, in Arena, Wisconsin, his parents being Thomas and Bridget (Smith) 
 Crowley. The father was a native of Ireland and upon coming to the United 
 States located in New Jersey. Attracted by the report of opportunity of the 
 west he came to the Mississippi valley and for some time found employment on 
 the construction of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway. He also made 
 a venture at agricultural work, but eventually took up the railway construction 
 again. His health failed him in his later years and he lived retired at his home 
 until his death. Our subject's mother is still living at the age of eighty-two 
 years. 
 
 J. W. Crowley received a common-school education and at the age of six- 
 teen entered the arena of life as a wage earner. He had the advantage of at 
 first working under his father's direction and during two winter seasons he 
 clerked in a store. A cousin engaged in railway work next gave him employ- 
 ment, and then for a while he was a traveling salesman for a publishing company. 
 After another season on the pay roll of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul 
 Railway Company, he secured a position, in 1887, with the Flynn & Williams 
 Construction Company, which was operating a large tract of land near Arena, 
 Wisconsin. When this company changed the scene of its activities to Iowa where 
 a railway was to be built, he was offered a position as foreman of the track 
 laying work and continued in this capacity for two years. In 1889 he assumed 
 a similar position with another railway company operating in Missouri and 
 Illinois. When the work of double tracking the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific 
 was undertaken, Mr. Crowley was offered a responsible position which necessi- 
 tated his removel to Buffalo, Iowa, and in course of time he was transferred to 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 543 
 
 the bridge department. Not impeded by fear of change he next assumed a 
 position in the Eagle Manufacturing Company. In 1896 he was made super- 
 intendent of construction in the steel department of a large factory located in 
 Moline, Illinois. 
 
 Mr. Crowley's association with the city of Davenport began in 1897, when 
 he was employed by the board of local improvements as inspector of construc- 
 tion. He held this position for two seasons and then removed to Kansas City, 
 Kansas, where for some time he superintended various construction enterprises. 
 He returned' to Davenport and the city again secured his services as inspector 
 of construction. His splendid executive ability and sound judgment having 
 become widely recognized, the Davenport, Rock Island & Northwestern Rail- 
 way offered him the position of superintendent of construction and bridge 
 work, which he held until 1900. During the following year he filled a similar 
 position with the Flick & Johnson Company and then organized the Crowley 
 & Diehn Construction CompEiny, Mr. Crowley assuming the office of presi- 
 dent. This concern was reorganized in April, 1902, as the People's Construction 
 Company, with Mr. Crowley still at the head, and taking everything into con- 
 sideration, it is not astonishing that it has taken its place among Davenport's 
 leading industries. 
 
 On May 30, 1900, Mr. Crowley was united in marriage to Miss Augusta 
 Keuhl, who is of German parentage. They have a fine family of five children. 
 Helen G., at home; Walter L., who attends St. Ambrose's College, as does 
 Raymond J. ; Frances R. in school ; and Emmett A., the youngest in the family. 
 
 Mr. Crowley and his family are communicants of the Catholic church. He 
 is identified with numerous orders, in all of which he enjoys prominence and 
 popularity. These fraternal relations extend to the Elks, the Knights of Colum- 
 bus, the Catholic Order of Foresters, the Hiberians, the Modern Woodmen of 
 America, the Woodmen of the World, and the Knights of Father Matthew, a 
 temperance society. Not taking into account Mr. Crowley's success in his re- 
 lations, both social and fraternal, Davenport is to be congratulated upon her 
 possession of a citizen who contributes so materially to her high standing in 
 the industrial world. 
 
 EDWARD K. WARD. 
 
 Edward K. Ward, United State veterinary inspector, with offices in Daven- 
 port, was born in Guilford, Indiana, August 6, 1864, his parents being Isaac 
 B. and Emma (Taylor) Ward. He spent his early years in the Hoosier state 
 and took advantage of her public-school opportunities. Later the citizens of his 
 native town recommended him for the office of postmaster, in which capacity he 
 rendered efficient service, and, known to be a stanch champion of the cause of 
 education, he was also made school director. 
 
 A't the age of twenty-nine, Mr. Ward entered the veterinary college at Tor- 
 onto, Canada, with the idea of more thoroughly fitting himself for his life work 
 and after taking the full course secured his degree. Thus equipped he went to 
 
544 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Cincinnati, Ohio, where he engaged for a time in the practice of his profession, 
 and then further satisfied his educational ambitions by taking a post-graduate 
 course in the Columbian Correspondence School of Washington, D. C. Soon 
 afterward he removed to Chicago and entered the government service as assis- 
 tant veterinary inspector. After passing some time there, he returned to Cin- 
 cinnati and became assistant to the chief inspector. His next step was to come 
 to Davenport, where he accepted his present important and responsible posi- 
 tion as United States veterinary inspector, and where the associations formed by 
 him have been sufficiently pleasant to warrant his expectation of remaining here 
 permanently. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Ward and Miss Pearl Crocker, a young woman of 
 his native state, was celebrated June 26, 1889. They have four children : Ama 
 E., Pierman C, Erdine and Carl. 
 
 The social is a pleasant ingredient in the composition of Mr. Ward's nature, 
 and he enjoys membership in the Masonic body and in an organization known 
 as the Grotto. He is to a great extent a self-made man, never satisfied with 
 mediocrity, and a worthy citizen whose high aims are not confined to his pro- 
 fession but extend to every relation of life. 
 
 JAMES GARSTANG. 
 
 In the years of an active business life James Garstang was connected with 
 carpentering in Davenport and helped to erect many substantial structures here. 
 Now in his seventy-fifth year he is living retired, the fruits of his former toil 
 supplying him with the necessities and comforts of life. He was born in 
 Lancashire, England, February 29, 1836, a son of Collin and Anna Garstang. 
 The father was a loom-maker in England and came to the United States in 
 1849 with his wife, his son James coming in 1853. After traveling to a con- 
 siderable extent in this county he ultimately settled in Davenport, where he 
 remained until his death, which occurred in 1867. 
 
 James Garstang came to the United States four years after his parents had 
 taken up their abode on this side the Atlantic, although they returned to Eng- 
 land and brought him to the new world. They landed at New York and all 
 came direct to Davenport, James Garstang arriving here on the day that he was 
 seventeen years of age. He attended school to a limited extent here and afterward 
 drove a team and was employed in other ways until about twenty years of age, 
 when he began learning the carpenter's trade, which he found a congenial occu- 
 pation, following it continuously until his retirement. As he prospered in his 
 undertakings he made judicious investments in realty and now derives a substan- 
 tial income from his property interests. 
 
 On, the 30th of March, 1865, Mr. Garstang was married to Miss Mary 
 Baker, a daughter of William Baker and a native of England. She was bom 
 October 19, 1839, and came to the United States at the age of sixteen years. 
 Her mother had died in England and her father died at sea while they were 
 crossing the Atlantic. Mrs. Garstang lived to the age of sixty-nine years, passing 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 545 
 
 away November 12, 1908. There were two children of that marriage, Collin and 
 William Edward, but the latter died at the age of two years. The former was 
 born December 7, 1867. There are now two grandsons, Clifford S. and Lloyd W. 
 Mr. Garstang continued actively in business in Davenport for many years and 
 was always found reliable, painstaking and faithful in the execution of his 
 work. His industry and careful management at length brought him a gratify- 
 ing measure of success and with the retired men of affluence he is now numbered. 
 
 NICHOLAS ALBRECHT. 
 
 Among those citizens of Davenport who though deceased have left behind 
 them a pleasant memory and a living influence for good must be numbered 
 Nicholas Albrecht, who was born October 26, 1853, and passed away, March 25, 
 1908. He was a native of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and came here when 
 about sixteen years of age in company with his father, George Albrecht, and two 
 brothers. They were the first members of the Albrecht family to leave the father- 
 land and, speedily becoming typical pioneers, made the journey to Kansas in a 
 covered wagon and endured many hardships incident to life in a new country. 
 The father spent the remainder of his life in that state and died there not many 
 years ago. 
 
 Nicholas Albrecht identified himself with the Tri-Cities by his removal to 
 Moline in the '70s. He subsequently came to Davenport and established himself 
 in the butcher business, starting in on a small scale, but his dealings were such 
 that he soon had a large patronage and by 1891 had prospered sufficiently to 
 build the brick edifice which now stands on the corner of Washington and Leonard 
 streets. Mr. Albrecht's interests were not limited to his trade. He was the pro- 
 moter of the Davenport Ice & Cold Storage Company, an incorporated concern 
 and one of the largest of its kind in the state. It was organized in 1899. 
 
 Mr. Albrecht laid the foundation of a happy home life by his marriage. May 
 2, 1876, to Miss Anna Stahl, who survives her husband. She was born in Ger- 
 many and came to this country with her parents. This union was blessed by the 
 birth of eight children. The eldest son, George, who is connected with the busi- 
 ness fostered by his father— the Davenport Ice & Cold Storage Company— has 
 been married twice, his first wife being Carrie Jurgens, and his second Laura 
 Blesse. He has two daughters, Vemice and Nathalia. The second son, John, 
 is the manager of the meat market started by his father and has in fact been 
 connected with it ever since he began his business career. He is a native of Daven- 
 port, and was married October 8, 1902, to Maria Wiese, their attractive home 
 having as its chief ornament two sons, Harold and Irwin. The other six chil- 
 dren are at home. They are : Meta ; Alma ; Minnie, who serves as her brother 
 John's bookkeeper; Alvina, who attends high school; and Hulda and Walter, 
 both of whom are at school. 
 
 Mr. Albrecht found great enjoyment in his fraternal relations, which ex- 
 tended to the Turners, the Knights and Ladies of Honor, and the Woodmen of 
 the World. He was a progressive and public-spirited man, ready to give his 
 
546 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 support to all good causes, and an earnest champion of education. His school 
 days had been passed in Germany and he was particularly well educated. His 
 mortal remains are interred in Oakdale cemetery, but he will not soon be for- 
 gotten in the city in which he spent so long a period of his life, and to whose 
 social and industrial interests he contributed in no small degree. 
 
 DR. REZIN D. MYERS. 
 
 Dr. Rezin D. Myers, deceased, enjoyed the distinction of having opened the first 
 office for the practice of dentistry in the city of Davenport. He was born in 
 Steubenville, Ohio, November 7, 1820, a son of John and Abigail (Maloy) My- 
 ers. The family was of German descent but had long been connected with the 
 history of this country even in its earliest years. John Myers, who was a native 
 of Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, was an officer in the war of 1812 under 
 General Harrison and was a farmer and a miller by occupation. He passed away 
 May 10, 1850. In his family were ten children. 
 
 Dr. Rezin D. Myers received his early education in the pubHc schools of his 
 native town, but the training which he later acquired and which made his prac- 
 tice of dentistry possible came as the result of his own ambition and labors. 
 He had planned to become a physician, but as he pursued his work he became 
 convinced that he was not suited for that profession and so devoted himself to 
 dentistry. He did not have the means, however, to attend the schools he desired 
 so he conceived the idea of becoming a journeyman dentist, riding or driving 
 through the country, extracting teeth or performing other small and necessary 
 operations among a people who in those early days had little opportunity to fre- 
 quent the cities where the more skillful and better trained might attend to their 
 wants. Dr. Myers rapidly rose in his chosen field, for he was a man who was ever 
 on the alert to profit by experience, and as it often fell to his lot to be associated 
 with those who vyere most proficient in their work, he soon acquired the ability 
 and the confidence equal if not superior to that which is learned through attend- 
 ing lectures in a schoolroom. 
 
 Dr. Myers came to Daivenport in 1853, having covered the distance from Chi- 
 cago by stage. Here he established his office and engaged in his profession, to, 
 which he devoted himself assiduously until about fifteen years before his death, 
 with a success that was a gratifying return after the many hardships which only 
 perseverance had overcome in the years he was trying to perfect himself in his 
 art. When he retired he spent a number of years traveling, principally in Mexico 
 for the benefit of his health. On the 30th of July, 1897, his long, earnest and 
 eventful life was brought to a close. 
 
 In Pennsylvania, in 1858, Dr. Myers was married to Miss Adeline Huffman, 
 a native of the Keystone state, and they had five children, only two of whom are 
 living : William Lincoln, who is in the paper business in Missouri ; and Mrs. 
 Elizabeth Smith, of Bedford City, Virginia. 
 
 Mrs. Myers is a member of the Presbyterian church, whose services Dr. My- 
 ers attended throughout his life. He was, however, broad in his religious views. 
 
REZIN D. MYERS 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 549 
 
 assisting to build many of the houses of worship in Davenport in early years, as 
 his aid was ever given to all the measures or charities which were calculated to ad- 
 vance the social and moral wellbeing of the community. He was a republican in 
 his political affiliations and active ip the public life of the city, especially shortly 
 after his arrival here. Fraternally he belonged to the Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows, among whose members he made many friends, who, attracted by the 
 noble character of the man, became endeared to him through close acquaintance 
 with his high ideals and principles and mourned him sincerely as a good citizen 
 when his life was over. Mrs. Myers, too, has many friends in the city, which has 
 been her home for so many years. In fact, she has lived in the same house for more 
 than half a century. 
 
 ADOLPH PRIESTER. 
 
 Various business interests have felt the stimulus of the cooperation and 
 sound judgment of Adolph Priester, who through many years has been closely 
 connected with commercial and financial interests in Davenport. Difficulties 
 have seemed but to arouse in him renewed energy and determination and with 
 progress as his watchword he has pushed steadily forward, making for himself 
 an honorable and enviable position among Davenport's chief business represen- 
 tatives. He was born June 30, 1848, in Holstein, Germany, and came to this 
 country in August, 1857, when a youth of nine years, in company with his par- 
 ents, Carl and Elise (Beuthien) Priester. The father was the founder of the 
 family in the new world. He had followed farming in Germany and after cross- 
 ing the Atlantic to the United States he made his way into the interior of the 
 country and invested in land in Scott county. With characterisic energy he 
 then began the development of a farm and soon brought his fields under a high 
 state of cultivation. 
 
 Adolph Pries,ter began his education in the schools of the fatherland and 
 completed his course in the public schools of this country. He was reared to the 
 occupation of farming and became familiar with the duties and labors that fall 
 to the lot of the agriculturist, but, thinking to find other pursuits more con- 
 genial, he turned his attention to merchandising, becoming active in the manage- 
 ment of a dry-goods store in this city. He was afterward associated with a crock- 
 ery company and later entered the Citizens National Bank, with which he was 
 connected for twenty-eight years as teller and assistant cashier. While still en- 
 gaged in the banking business he established an office for the conduct of an in- 
 surance business, representing the Germania Life Company, and following his 
 retirement from the field of banking he was appointed state manager for the 
 company, which he has thus represented to the present time. In this regard he 
 controls an extensive insurance business annually, carefully devising plans for 
 the furtherance of the interests of the company in this state. He is likewise a 
 director of the Davenport Brewing Company and is a well known business man. 
 
 On the 1st of December, 1888, Mr. Priester was married to Miss Ida Koeh- 
 ler, a daughter of Henry and Ottilie (Schlapp) Koehler. Three children grace 
 
550 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 this marriage : Henry C, who has completed school and is now a private secre- 
 tary to Mr. Mixter, superintendent of the Deere Plow Company; and Walter 
 and Oscar C, who are yet students. Mr. Priester is well known in fraternal 
 circles and in Masonry has attained the Knight Templar degree. He also belongs 
 to the Knights of Pythias fraternity and the Benevolent and Protective Order of 
 Elks and his membership relations extend to the Turner Society and to the Com- 
 mercial Club. He manifests in his life many of the strong and sterling char- 
 acteristics of his German ancestry. Patriotism and progress might well be 
 termed the keynote of his character, for these qualities have been manifest in 
 every relation of his life, making him one of the valued citizens of Davenport 
 as well as one of its representative business men. 
 
 FERDINAND WOLF. 
 
 Ferdinand -Wolf, deceased, was at one time well known among the resi- 
 dent farmers of Scott county and, in fact, was a native son of the county, his 
 birth having occurred in Butler township, on the i8th of February, 1869. His 
 parents were Asmus and Catherine (Buck) Wolf, of whom mention is made 
 on another page of this volume. He was a pupil in the district schools during 
 his boyhood days and he remained upon the home farm until his marriage, 
 aiding in the work of field and meadow as the years went by and thus gaining 
 practical knowledge of the business which he decided to make his life work. 
 At the time of his marriage he began farming on his own account on a tract 
 of land owned by his father-in-law in Butler township. There he lived for five 
 years and then removed to his father's farm, upon which he resided for three 
 years. On the expiration of that period he purchased the farm of one hundred 
 and sixty acres in Butler township upon which his widow now resides and one 
 hundred and sixty acres adjoining the homestead. He made all of the improve- 
 ments upon the place. He cultivated his fields according to the most modern 
 and progressive methods and year after year carried on the farm work in such 
 a practical and progressive manner that substantial success crowned his ef- 
 forts. 
 
 It was on the i6th of March, 1894, that Mr. Wolf was married to Miss 
 Alvina Muller, a daughter of Ernest and Christina (Kettleson) Muller. Mrs. 
 Wolf was born in Butler township and her parents were both natives of Ger- 
 many. Her father, who was born in Westphalia, came to the United States at 
 the age of seventeen years with his mother. They first settled in Ohio and later 
 came to Iowa, taking up their abode at Le Claire. Mr. Muller was a carpenter 
 by trade and followed that pursuit for some time, but later turned his attention 
 to farming. The first land he bought was in Butler township and from time 
 to time he added to his original holdings until he Iiad about six hundred and 
 ninety acres in Butler township and one hundred and sixty acres in Lincoln town- 
 ship. He died in Butler township on the homestead. He was a man of good 
 business ability and sound judgment, and the careful manner in which he con- 
 trolled his farming interests enabled him to become one of the large landowners 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 551 
 
 of the community. He filled the office of justice of the peace for a number of 
 years and his decisions were always strictly fair and impartial. In 1874 he was 
 elected on the republican ticket to the house of representatives and filled that 
 position for three terms to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. He lived 
 retired on his farm for a number of years prior to his death, which occurred in 
 1899, his remains being interred in Fairview cemetery. His wife, who was 
 born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, came to the United States with her par- 
 ents when about seventeen years of age and settled near Dixon, Iowa. She died 
 in 1898 and her remains were also interred in the Fairview cemetery. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wolf were born five children: Malitta, who was born 
 November 24, 1897, and died when but two weeks old ; Delmar F., born August 
 15, 1899; Raymond E., October 16, 1901 ; Harvey A., November 21, 1903; and 
 Lola C, June 23, 1906. 
 
 The death of the husband and father occurred on the 3d of September, 1909, 
 and his remains were interred in Fairview cemetery. He had served as school 
 director for three years and was a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. 
 While his time and attention were largely devoted to his farming interests, he 
 yet advocated progress in all matters of citizenship and endorsed all practical 
 methods for the benefit of the county. He had a wide acquaintance in the 
 township in which he lived and his many good qualities won him the esteem 
 and high regard of a large circle of friends as well as the love of his own 
 family. 
 
 H. H. BOETTGER. 
 
 H. H. Boettger, a cigar manufacturer and representative of some of the lead- 
 ing cigar producers in the country, is well established in Davenport. He was 
 born here, April 5, 1884, a son of H. J. and Doretta (Kiene) Boettger. The 
 father was born in Germany and came to Davenport in 1882. He was a cigar- 
 maker by trade and finally established himself in the business of manufacturing 
 cigars, having carried it on for the past fourteen years. Mrs. Boettger was also 
 born in Germany, but they were married in the vicinity of Davenport. Three 
 sons have been born to them : H. H., Edward A. and Christian. 
 
 H. H. Boettger was educated in the public schools and the high school of 
 Davenport. He then took a commercial course in Brown's Business College. 
 Having learned the trade of making cigars in his boyhood, Mr. Boettger natur- 
 ally turned toward that occupation when he was ready to begin his business life, 
 joining his father in his enterprise, and they now have a fine trade, manufactur- 
 ing their own brands. 
 
 A democrat in politics, Mr. Boettger has taken so active a part in labor mat- 
 ters that in November, 1908, he was elected a member of the lower house of the 
 state assembly and has made a record for himself that indicates that he will be 
 called upon to represent the people in still higher offices. 
 
 In 1904 Mr. Boettger was married to Ellen Hansen, who was born in Daven- 
 port, a daughter of Jens Hansen, and they have two children: Evangeline and 
 Elizabeth. Mr. Boettger belongs to a number of fraternal orders as well as 
 
552 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 several social organizations and is very popular in them all. Brilliant and self- 
 confident, knowing well what he can do and prompt to carry out his ideas, he 
 easily meets every demand made upon him. His plans for the future and for the 
 betterment of the condition of working people are many and worthy of being 
 executed. Not only is he a statesman but he is very successful in business and 
 understands every detail of the work he and his father are so successfully prose- 
 cuting. " 
 
 CHARLES F. KAHLER. 
 
 Qiarles F. Kahler, a retired agriculturist residing in Davenport, has for the 
 past ten years enjoyed the fruits of his former toil in well earned ease. He has 
 some fine town property and is still in possession of considerable farming land, 
 owning two quarter sections in Tama county, Iowa, and also a tract of one hun- 
 dred and sixty acres in Sunnyside township, Larimer county, Colorado. His 
 birth occurred in Holstein, Germany, on the 26th of July, 1838, his parents be- 
 ing Hans and Charlotta Kahler. The father, who was a laborer and also en- 
 gaged in farming on a small scale, participated in the Schleswig-Holstein wars 
 from 1848 until 1850. In 1855, in company with his wife and children, he em- 
 barked on a sailing vessel bound for American shores and landed at Galveston, 
 Texas, after an ocean voyage of about eight weeks. They remained in Galveston 
 for only two days and then boarded a cattle ship for New Orleans, whence they 
 took passage on a boat which brought them to Davenport on the 26th of June, 
 1855. Hans Kahler continued to reside in this city throughout the remainder of 
 his life, passing away on the ist of April, 1900, when he had attained the ven- 
 erable age of ninety-four years. The period of his residence here covered al- 
 most forty-five years and he became well known and highly esteemed as a sub- 
 stantial and representative citizen. The demise of his wife had occurred soon 
 after their arrival in Davenport. Their children were six in number, as fol- 
 lows: Henry, who is living retired in Davenport; Charles F., of this review; 
 Dora, who is deceased ; Mary, the wife of John Hill, of Davenport ; Louisa, who 
 has also passed away; and August, who makes his home in Ottumwa. 
 
 Charles F. Kahler, who obtained his education in the schools of the father- 
 land, was a youth of seventeen when he accompanied his parents on their emigra- 
 tion to the new world. After locating in this county he secured employment as 
 a farm hand and thus worked for a number of years or until the time of his 
 marriage in 1872. In that year he purchased an improved farm of one hundred 
 and sixty acres in Blue Grass township and there carried on his agricultural in- 
 terests energetically and successfully for a period of twenty-eight years. In 1900 
 he put aside the active work of the fields and took up his abode in Davenport, 
 where he has since lived retired. As the years passed and he prospered in his 
 undertakings, he invested his money in farming property and is still the owner of 
 two tracts of one hundred and sixty each in Tama county, Iowa, as well 
 as a quarter section of land in Larimer county, Colorado. 
 
 On the 20th of March, 1872, Mr. Kahler was united in marriage to Miss 
 Catherine Hahn, who was born in Scott county, Iowa, on the 13th of February, 
 
MR. AND MRS. CHARLES F. KAHLER 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 555 
 
 1849, her parents being Wolfe and Margaret Hahn, natives of Holstein, Ger- 
 many. They were married in that country and after emigrating to America took 
 up their abode among the earhest settlers of Scott county, arriving here in 1846. 
 Wolfe Hahn entered a tract of prairie land in Davenport township and devoted 
 his time and energies to its cultivation and improvement for about forty years. 
 On leaving the farm he came to Davenport, where he spent the remainder of 
 his life in honorable retirement, passing away at the advanced age of eighty- 
 three years. His wife was called to her final rest when seventy-six years of age. 
 They were the parents of eight children, namely : Ida, the deceased wife of Hans 
 Kruse ; Mrs. Kahler ; Minnie, who gave her hand in marriage to Theodore Blunk, 
 of Davenport; Henry, of Hickory Grove township; John, who is deceased; 
 Emma, the widow of Carl Suksdorf ; Augusta, who married Paul Sederin; and 
 Julia, who is the wife of George Klindt. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Kahler were born 
 five children, as follows : Robert, who lives on his father's farm in Colorado and 
 who wedded Miss Tillie Heintz, by whom he has four children — Elsie, Blake, 
 Oscar and Francis; Louis, who was drowned when sixteen years of age; Al- 
 phonso, who follows farming in Washington ; Lillian, at home ; and Harry, who 
 is a resident of Philadelphia. 
 
 Politically Mr. Kahler is independent and while living on the farm held sev- 
 eral township offices, including that of school director. He is a member of the 
 German Pioneers Association of Scott county and also belongs to the German 
 Shooting Society, the Turners and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at 
 Davenport. Having resided in Scott county for fifty-five years, he has an ex- 
 tensive circle of friends within its borders and has been an interested witness of 
 its steady growth and development. He is now in the seVenty-second year of his 
 age and by reason of his well spent life fully merits the esteem and regard which 
 are uniformly accorded him. 
 
 GEORGE O. HOFFMANN. 
 
 George O. Hoffmann, president of the Shrecker Marble Works, is one of 
 the enterprising business men of Davenport. A native of this city, from his 
 childhood days he has heard stories of its growth, for his parents, Andrew and 
 Anna (Paustian) Hoflfmann, were among its earliest settlers. When they came 
 here there was little to forecast the greatness to which it would attain and well can 
 they remember those first years with all their hardships, but looking back over 
 the passage of time they may feel a personal pride in the growth of the city for 
 they have aided in its development. Both are numbered among the respected 
 citizens of Davenport, where they are living in retirement. 
 
 George O. Hoffmann, the eldest of the five children born to his parents, at- 
 tended the public school in district No. 5, in which he received all of his educa- 
 tion. After he left that institution, he learned the trade of marble engraving, 
 gaining a high proficiency in the art during the many years he was in the em- 
 ploy of other men. Endowed with those qualities which riiake a man a leader 
 and not a follower, he was not satisfied until he commenced business for him- 
 
556 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 self. Accordingly, about ten or twelve years ago, he established the concern 
 of which he is now president. During its existence it has made a place for it- 
 self among the business interests of Davenport and has won a large income for 
 the man at its head. The field of its operations is constantly increasing and as 
 this is the result of Mr. Hoffmann's own efforts he is well deserving of the re- 
 spect and esteem he enjoys among his fellow citizens. 
 
 It was in 1890 that Mr. Hoffmann and Miss Wilhelmina Hansen were united 
 in marriage and to them have been born five children : Florence, Hilda, Bertha, 
 George and Pearlie, all of whom are at home. Mr. Hoffmann belongs to the 
 Modern Brotherhood of America and to the Black Hawk, in both of which bodies 
 he is very active and has many friends among his fraternal brethren. 
 
 PARKE T. BURROWS. 
 
 Parke Tunis Burrows is a Davenport architect who in the practice of his 
 profession has done much to enhance the appearance of the city in the construc- 
 tion of substantial and attractive buildings, the list of which indicates the nature 
 of his work and the appreciation on the part of the public for the value of his 
 service. 
 
 Davenport numbers Mr. Burrows among her native sons, his birth having 
 occurred here, August 8, 1871. His father, Elisha G. Burrows, was likewise 
 born in Davenport, his natal year being 1840. He was a son of John Mc- 
 Dowell Burrows, a prominent figure in the early history of Scott county and of 
 Iowa, having located here in 1838. He was bom in Elizabethtown, New Jer- 
 sey, in 1814 and died here in 1889. He conducted a general store, also engaged 
 in the grain business and owned and operated a private bank. Almost from the 
 earliest occupancy of the white man in this state the Burrows family has been 
 represented in Scott county. Elisha G. Burrows followed mercantile pursuits 
 like his father. 
 
 Parke T. Burrows, reared in Davenport, attended the public schools and 
 afterward entered the University of Illinois, from which he was graduated in 
 1892. He then spent three years in Chicago, studying architecture and gain- 
 ing broad, thorough and practical knowledge in the offices of leading mem- 
 bers of the profession in that city.- In 1895 he returned to Davenport, where 
 he has since practiced. At that time the firm of Hubbell & Burrows was formed, 
 but in 1896 Mr. Burrows became a partner of F. G. Qausen under the firm 
 style of Clausen & Burrows. That relation was maintained until 1904, when 
 he became a member of the firm of Temple, Burrows & McLane, which is still 
 in existence. The years have chronicled his growing power and ability in 
 his profession and his firm has designed and erected many important buildings in 
 this city and elsewhere, including St. John's Methodist Episcopal church, the 
 high school, the public schools Nos. 11 and 13, the Davenport Hotel, the Com- 
 mercial Club, the Lane building, the Union Savings Bank building, the First 
 National Bank and others. Those who know Davenport need but to see this 
 citation in order to understand the position which Mr. Burrows fills as an 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 557 
 
 architect and builder in this city, for those buildings are aniong the finest of 
 Davenport. He has also erected many others in Iowa and Illinois and is a mem- 
 ber of the American Institute of Architects. 
 
 In 1902 Mr. Burrows was married to Miss Camilla Simmons Wolcott, of 
 St. Louis, a granddaughter of William McManus, a pioneer of Davenport. 
 They have one daughter, Camilla. While Mr. and Mrs. Burrows are well 
 known socially in Davenport he allows no outside interests to interfere with his 
 professional duties, taking genuine pleasure in his work as well as appreciating 
 the opportunity which it affords him of promoting the adornment and improve- 
 ment of the city along architectural lines. 
 
 HEKRY HELL, V. M. D. 
 
 One of the prominent young men of Scott county is Dr. Henry Hell, who 
 for the past five years has been practicing his profession as a veterinarian 
 there and in the village of New Liberty. A native of this county, he was bom 
 in Cleona township, November 'Z'j, 1877, and is a son of John and Wiebke (Stol- 
 ley) Hell. The former was bom in the town of Maren, Ditmarschen, Germany, 
 March 27, 1833. In 1853 he sailed for America, coming to Davenport imme- 
 diately after crossing the Atlantic, and there for a number of years he worked 
 at his trade of a mason, but later in partnership with his brother Claus bought 
 a team of oxen and engaged in breaking prairie for pioneer settlers in this 
 county. In 1857 the brothers began to farm for themselves, having secured 
 what was then known as the Charles Hagen place in Hickory Grove township. 
 Five y«ars later John Hell married and in March, 1862, removed to Cleona 
 township, where he lived until 1891, when he came to New Liberty, here engag- 
 ing in the general merchandise business. In the preceding years he had fol- 
 lowed farming with great profit, for in addition to the quarter section of land 
 on which he lived in Qeona township, he owned two hundred and forty acres 
 additional, eighty acres in Cleona township on the Cedar county line, another 
 tract of eighty acres in Cedar county, comprising the old homestead farm, and 
 two hundred and forty acres in Cedar county, in the same section as the tract 
 just mentioned. These extensive landholdings were entirely the result of his 
 own labor, for he came here with Httle capital. The land was unimproved and 
 its resources were then untried. He overcame the many obstacles that 
 beset his path, however, and in 1900, at the beginning of the new century, re- 
 tired from active life. He died in New Liberty, August 13, 1908. His wife, 
 whom he wedded January 18, 1862, was born in Rendsburg, Schleswig-Holstein, 
 Germany, January 12, 1833, and had come to this country in i860. She is still 
 living and makes her home in New Liberty. Six children were born to them: 
 John, a farmer at Hankinson, North Dakota; Charles, a mechanic at Grundy 
 Center, Iowa ; Theodore, who died in childhood ; William, who is a molder and 
 lives in Davenport; George, a farmer at Sunbury, Iowa; and Henry, the sub- 
 ject of this sketch. 
 
558 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Dr. Henry Hell was reared at home and lived with his parents in Cleona 
 township and New Liberty until 1900. He attended the public schools of his 
 district during his youth, in which he received a good foundation for the studies 
 he later pursued in higher institutions of learning. When he left home upon his 
 father's retirement from business in 1900, he went to his brother John, who was at 
 that time a contractor of railroad construction. He devoted some of his time 
 to that labor for several months and in the fall of 1901 took a course in veter- 
 inary medicine at the Iowa State College at Ames. In the fall of 1903 he was 
 admitted to advanced standing in the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 
 where he pursued his studies in his chosen profession until June 15, 1904, when 
 he was given a degree from the veterinary department of that institution. He 
 came to New Liberty almost immediately after his graduation and on the 
 1st of July commenced the practice of veterinary surgery in that village. A 
 young man, who felt that from his boyhood he was peculiarly fitted for 
 his line of work, and being endowed with a quick and alert mind, which has been 
 most thoroughly trained, he has proved that he is well able to care for the most 
 troublesome cases entrusted to his care. A skillful practitioner he has also 
 a keen understanding of animal nature, so that in the half decade that he has 
 been practicing here he has been of invaluable assistance to the farmers and 
 stock owners of the surrounding country. 
 
 At Omro, Wisconsin, December 26, 1906, was celebrated the marriage of 
 Dr. Hell and Miss Minnie Elmegreen, who was bom in Schleswig township, 
 Manitowoc county, Wisconsin, February 19, 1884, and is a daughter of August 
 Elmegreen. She received her early education in the place of her birth and then 
 received private instruction under Professor Gensch at Hilbert, Wisconsin, after 
 which she engaged in teaching for three years. In the fall of 1904 she was 
 engaged as an instructor in Liberty township and here met Dr. Hell, whom she 
 afterward married. Two children, Chester John and Ethel' Mae, have been born 
 to the couple. 
 
 Dr. Hell is a stanch republican in his political views and is at present treas- 
 urer of the town of New Liberty, for he is a young man in whom all place the 
 greatest rehance. Fraternally he enjoys pleasant relations, being an active mem- 
 ber of Lodge, No. 221, A. F. & A. M., at Davenport. 
 
 FERDINAND SCHLAPKOHL. 
 
 Davenport has a large percentage of German people who, imbued with the 
 spirit of progress, sought the opportunities of the new world, bringing with them 
 the salient characteristics of the Teutonic race, which has ever been an important 
 element in the colonization of America. To this number belongs Ferdinand 
 Schlapkohl, now a retired business man and one of the veterans of the Civil war. 
 His life record commends him to the confidence and good will of all and cannot 
 fail to prove of interest to many of our readers. 
 
 Mr. Schlapkohl was born in Holstein, Germany, April 22, 1841, and is a 
 son of Henry and Margaret Schlapkohl. The father was a farmer in his native 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 559 
 
 land and left that country for America in 1853, accompanied by his family. He 
 did nol live to reach his destination, however, but died on the voyage. The mother 
 and her four children afterward continued on their way to Davenport, where they 
 had friends living. The two sisters, Kathryn and Dora, and the brother Henry 
 Schlapkohl are all now deceased, while the mother passed away in 1856. 
 
 Ferdinand Schlapkohl attended school for about six years in Germany and 
 after coming to America worked by the month as a farm hand in the summer 
 seasons, while in the winter he attended school. He also took care of race 
 horses in his young days and at different times was employed as a clerk in a 
 store in Rock Island, where he obtained his first experience in the grocery busi- 
 ness. He then enlisted on the 23d of September, 1861, as a member of Com- 
 pany I, Twelfth Missouri Infantry. He was enrolled at Davenport and joined 
 his regiment at St. Louis, after which he went up the Missouri river to Jefferson 
 City, where the regiment were in camp for a couple of weeks, proceeding thence 
 by rail to Sedalia, where they spent two days. They afterward marched to 
 Springfield, Missouri, and winter quarters were established at Rolla, Missouri. 
 In January, however, they broke camp and proceeded southward into Arkansas, 
 participating in the battle of Pea Ridge, the next battle at Chickasaw Bayou 
 occurring about New Year's day of 1862, after which the troops took part in the 
 battle of Arkansas Post. Later came the battles of Jackson and Vicksburg, includ- 
 ing the siege of the latter place until its capitulation. From that point the regi- 
 ment proceeded to Memphis, where three days were spent, after which they 
 started to Chattanooga and took part in the battles of Lookout Mountain and 
 Missionary Ridge, proceeding on to Ringgold, where they again met the enemy 
 in a hotly contested engagement. From that point they went to Woodville, Ala- 
 bama, and camped there until May ist. Mr. Schlapkohl with his command was 
 all through the Atlanta campaign and after the capture of the city he was mus- 
 tered out at St. Louis, September 23, 1864, by reason of the expiration of his 
 three years' term of service. 
 
 Mr. Schlapkohl then returned to Davenport and in 1866 joined Mr. Prim in 
 the grocery business on Harrison street. Later they removed to Second street, 
 where the business was conducted until 1871, when the partnership was dissolved, 
 Mr. Schlapkohl remaining alone in the grocery trade for thirty-seven years, or 
 until the time of his retirement in 1903. For more than a third of a century he 
 was one of the well known leading and prominent grocery merchants of the 
 city, having a large trade which came to him as the result of his well selected 
 line of goods, his careful business management, his reasonable prices and hon- 
 orable dealing. 
 
 On the 22d of June, 1868, occurred the marriage of Mr. Schlapkohl and 
 Miss Theresa Schmidt, a daughter of Carl Schmidt, of Long Grove. Unto them 
 have been born seven children: Hulda, who married Charles Korn, of Daven- 
 port, and has three children, Gertrude, Ferdinand and Charles; Matilda, the 
 wife of Chris Wohlert, of this city; Henry, deceased; Marie, at home; Wil- 
 liam, a business man of Durant, Iowa, who married Miss Petersen and has one 
 child, Alice; Dora, who is a teacher in the schools of Davenport; and Thelka, 
 at home. 
 
560 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Mr. Schlapkohl is a member of the Unitarian church and also belongs to the 
 Turners and the Pioneer German Society. In poUtics he is a republican and is 
 a citizen of worth, loyal at all times to high principles of manhood and to the 
 best interests of municipal, state and national government. Moreover, he is a 
 self-made man, dependent upon his own resources from an early age, working 
 earnestly for the success which he has achieved, realizing ever that "there is no 
 excellence without labor." His diligence has constituted the key that has un- 
 locked for him the portals of success, enabling him now to live retired. 
 
 LOUIS AND HENRY MOELLER. 
 
 In looking over the roll of those ambitious men who crossed the ocean and 
 sought to hake a new home for themselves in the state of Iowa in the early days of 
 its history, may be discovered the name of Fritz Moeller, the father of Henry and 
 the late Louis Moeller, who have for a number of years been prominent in the agri- 
 cultural circles in Blue Grass township. He was born in the province of Mecklen- 
 berg, Germany, in 1828, and, having married Miss Dorothy Moeller, a native of the 
 same locality, came to America in 1852. He settled first in New Orleans, where he 
 remained two years, engaged for the most part in the operation of a truck farm. 
 In 1854 he ascended the Mississippi river to Scott county, Iowa, where he pur- 
 chased eighty acres of land. In the course of years, however, as he won success 
 from his cultivation of the soil, he added to his farm until at his death it embraced 
 two hundred and forty acres. He was twice married and by his firs* wife had six 
 children, namely : one daughter who died in infancy ; Henry ; Louis ; Alvina, the 
 wife of Carl Swenser, of South Dakota ; Matilda, the wife of John Jockheck, of 
 Sioux City, Iowa; and Willie, who died in infancy. The children by the second 
 marriage were : Fredericka, the deceased wife of Henry Boss, of O'Brien county, 
 Iowa; Minnie, the wife of Harvey Chase, of the same county; Sarah, who died in 
 infancy; and Hulda, wh6 died at the age of nine months. 
 
 Shortly after his parents settled upon their farm in this county, Henry Moeller 
 was born, January 18, 1854, and his brother Louis' birth occurred at the same place 
 November 9, 1855. Both boys attended the district school and worked upon the 
 homestead from the time they were able to handle the lighter of the farm imple- 
 ments and assume some of the responsibilities in the operation of the place. After 
 the death of their parents, the brothers assumed the management of the farm their 
 father had bought, although Henry Moeller also bought, in 1898, two hundred acres 
 just west of the village of Blue Grass. He never took up his residence upon it, 
 however, as the home place demanded all of his attention. Since the death of 
 his brother he has operated it for his widow, continuing the successful methods 
 which have placed both the men among the prominent and successful agricul- 
 turists of Blue Grass township. The tract Mr. Moeller cultivates is well im- 
 proved and is of a fertility which makes general farming profitable. 
 
 Henry Moeller has never married, but on the isth of March, 1883, Louis Moel- 
 ler was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Jockheck, a daughter of Ernst F. Jock- 
 heck, who is still living in Durant, Iowa. They became the parents of the follow- 
 
HENRY MOELLER 
 
LOUIS MOELLER 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 565 
 
 ing children : Emma, born January 15, 1884, is now the wife of WilHam Illian, of 
 Muscatine, Iowa ; Ida, born July 9, 1886, died March 5, 1907 ; Fred, born May 28, 
 1888, died August 16, 1894; Ernst L., born March 17, 1891, Wilma A., born August 
 27, 1895, and Louis J. H., born July 18, 1899, are all at home. 
 
 Henry and Louis Moeller were stanch adherents of the democratic party, and 
 both played some part in the local affairs, for Louis Moeller was school director for 
 four years, and his brother was road supervisor for six years. The latter holds 
 stock in the Blue Grass Savings Bank. Indeed both men were representative 
 of the best farming interests of Blue Grass township, which was deprived of one 
 of its most worthy citizens when, on the 22d of November, 1907, Louis Moeller 
 passed away. He was mourned not only by his family, but also by the many of 
 his associates who through frequent intercourse with him had come to respect and 
 honor him. 
 
 CHARLES BEIDERBECKE. 
 
 Charles Beiderbecke, coming to America as a young man of seventeen years 
 and his youthful training being that of a German lad, entered upon activities 
 in the new world with no false ideas concerning the advantages here offered. 
 He knew, however, that the path to success is open to all and that the fruits of 
 labor are sure and certain. Therefore with persistent energy he sought pros- 
 perity and in time came to be known as one of the leading merchants and 
 financiers of Davenport. 
 
 Born in Westphalia, Germany, July 20, 1836, Charles Beiderbecke spent the 
 first seventeen years of his life in his native country and there attended a uni- 
 versity, studying for the ministry. He sailed for America in 1853. He did not 
 tarry on the Atlantic coast but made his way to Indianapolis, Indiana, and for 
 three years was employed in the postoffice. 
 
 He was sent by the government to Dubuque, Iowa, where he also held a posi- 
 tion in the postoffice, but not liking that city he remained for only a short time 
 and then removed to Davenport. Here he afterward entered into partnership 
 relations as the senior member of the firm of Beiderbecke & Miller, wholesale 
 grocers. They were located at the corner of Gaines and Second streets and 
 afterward removed to Second street between Main and Harrison streets. In 
 1880 Mr. Beiderbecke erected a business block in which he continued to carry 
 on his commercial interests throughout the remainder of his days. He built up 
 a large and successful enterprise and was considered one of the leading business 
 men of the city. He based his business principles and actions on the rules which 
 govern strict and unswerving integrity and in the development of his business 
 ever kept in mind the fact that satisfied patrons are the best advertisement. He 
 held to high standards in the personnel of the house, in the character of goods 
 carried and in the nature of the service rendered to the public, and as the years 
 passed he enjoyed a constantly growing trade that for many years gave him a 
 very substantial and gratifying income. Extending his efforts to other lines, 
 he was recognized as one of the leading representatives of financial interests, 
 
566 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 becoming president of the Iowa National Bank, which he aided in organizing in 
 1890, continuing as chief executive officer until his death. He was also a 
 director of the German Savings Bank. 
 
 Mr. Beiderbecke's executive ability was furthermore called into play in 
 connection with social and municipal interests. He was a director of the Maen- 
 nerchoir and also a member of the Turners Society. In matters relative to 
 the public welfare he gave endorsement wherever he believed that the best 
 interests of the city might be conserved. The attitude of the business man con- 
 cerning any public question is taken as the standard of its worth, for the pub- 
 lic recognizes that the sound judgment and keen discernment which must con- 
 stitute salient features in successful business life would readily discriminate be- 
 tween the essential and nonessential in public matters. Therefore when Mr. 
 Beiderbecke gave his support to any municipal movement his course was one 
 which gained a large following therefor. He did not belong to any church but 
 attended services at the Unitarian and in his life exemplified a broad humanitarian 
 spirit. 
 
 On the 2ist of April, i860, Mr. Beiderbecke was united in marriage in 
 Davenport to Miss Louise Piper, a daughter of August Piper, who came from 
 Hamburg, Germany in 1856, establishing his home in this state and joining an 
 Iowa regiment at the time of the Civil war, serving throughout the continuance 
 of hostilities. After the war he returned to this city, where he engaged in 
 business until his death on the i6th of December, 1889. Unto Mr. and Mrs. 
 Beiderbecke were born eight children, but four died in infancy. The others are: 
 Carl T. ; Mrs. H. A. Steibold, who lives with her mother; Mrs. L. Fouberger; 
 and Bismark H. Mr. Beiderbecke was devoted to his family and erected one 
 of the finest homes in the city. There he passed away October 20, 1901, at the 
 age of sixty-five years. 
 
 His hope of bettering his financial condition in the new world was more 
 than realized, for here he found good opportunities and wisely used them to 
 work his way upward. There was no esoteric phase in his entire career. He 
 sought success not through speculation but in the legitimate lines of trade and 
 through judicious investment, mindful at all times of his obligations to others 
 and conforming his course to a high standard of commercial ethics. 
 
 CARL THODE. 
 
 Carl Thode, president of the Henry Thode Company, wholesale and retail 
 liquor dealers at 327 West Second street, is a native of Davenport, born Septem- 
 ber 13, 1865, his parents being Henry and Augusta (Goos) Thode. The father 
 was a German who, upon leaving the fatherland, came almost directly to Daven- 
 port and took up his permanent residence here. He was a mechanic by trade 
 and at first found employment in plow works. Later he engaged in the liquor 
 business under the firm name of Langfeldt, Thode & Company and some seven 
 years later purchased the interest of the other member of the firm. Sonle time 
 previous to his death he retired from active life. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 567 
 
 Carl Thode attended Davenport's excellent schools and then equipped him- 
 self for business by a supplementary course in Duncan's Commercial College. 
 He then became connected with his father in business, this being about twenty- 
 seven years ago, and was in charge at the time of the latter's death. In the en- 
 suing fourteen years he has directed the affairs of the company and has met 
 success. Previous to the death of the manager, Mr. Brady, he had only partial 
 charge but since that time it has been entirely vested in his hands. 
 
 Mr. Thode wedded Miss Emiele Kruse, a daughter of John and Catherine 
 (Goesch) Kruse, their marriage being celebrated July i, 1886. Her father was 
 a native of Germany, who resided in Davenport for fully half a century. He 
 was a shoemaker by trade and lived to the age of seventy-nine years, his inter- 
 ment having taken place at Fairmont, January 2, 1902. He was survived by a 
 family of nine children, of whom Mrs. Thode was the fifth. Mr. and Mrs. Thode 
 have three children : Bessie, a graduate of Davenport's high school, now at home ; 
 Chauncey, who has also finished his education and is in business with his father; 
 and Carl, who is still attending the public schools. 
 
 Mr. Thode, who is a man of genial manner and rejoices in the possession of 
 hosts of friends, has numerous fraternal relations. He belongs to the Knights 
 of Pythias, the Eagles, the Order of the Moose, the Owls, Germania, Claus 
 Groth Gilde, the Traveling Men's Liberty Association, the Hawkeye Men's As- 
 sociation, the I. C. M. A., the Davenport Boat Club and the Commercial Club, a 
 list which will eflfectually testify to his popularity. 
 
 WILLIAM SCHMIDT. 
 
 William Schmidt is a native son of Iowa and possesses the enterprising spirit 
 which has been the potent force in the rapid upbuilding and development of the 
 middle west. He is now engaged in farming in Sheridan township, Scott county, 
 where he owns one hundred and sixty acres of productive land, pleasantly situ- 
 ated about a half mile east of Eldridge. 
 
 His birth occurred in Butler township, this county, on the 9th of March, 
 i860, his parents being Detlef and Catherine Schmidt, both of whom were na- 
 tives of Holstein, Germany. The father was a blacksmith there and came to 
 America when a young man, making his way westward to Davenport. Soon 
 afterward he secured employment as a farm hand in this county and, carefully 
 saving his earnings, was at length enabled to purchase land in Butler township, 
 whereon he resided until his death, which occurred when he was forty-two years 
 of age. His widow long survived him and died at the age of seventy-four. In 
 their family were eight children : Anna, the wife of Adolph Paustian, of Potta- 
 watamie county, Iowa ; William, of this review ; Sophia, the wife of Charles 
 Holdorf, of Pottawattamie county, Iowa; Charles, who is living on the old home- 
 stead farm in Butler township ; Adolph, of Pottawattamie county ; John, of the 
 same county; Nancy, a resident of Davenport; and David, whose home is in 
 Butler township. 
 
568 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 William Schmidt was a pupil in the district schools of Butler township in 
 his boyhood days and afterward worked on the home farm up to the time of 
 his marriage, when he removed to another farm in Butler township, which was 
 owned by his mother. After occupying and cultivating it for ten years he re- 
 moved to his present place of residence, first renting the land, while in 1900 he 
 purchased the property from Qaus Meier, his father-in-law. He has since erected 
 a fine residence and made other improvements which add much to the value and 
 attractive appearance of his place, his farm being one of the well developed prop- 
 erties of the township. The place is neat and thrifty in appearance and indicates 
 the careful supervision and practical methods of a progressive owner. 
 
 It was on the 15th of March, 1884, that Mr. Schmidt was united in mar- 
 riage to Miss Anna Meier, a daughter of Qaus and Catherine (Lehmkuhl) 
 Meier, who were natives of Germany and early settlers of this county. Her 
 father came to the United States when a young man and established his home in 
 Scott county, Iowa, purchasing land in Lincoln township. He now lives retired in 
 Davenport. His first wife died at the age of twenty-three years, leaving two 
 children: Henry, now a resident of Aliens Grove township; and Anna, now 
 Mrs. William Schmidt. For his second wife, Mr. Meier married Miss Gretge 
 Paustian, a native of Holstein, Germany, and to them were born four children, 
 namely: Albert, who is married and lives on the homestead; Louisa, the wife 
 of Carl Brockmann, residing near Donahue, Scott county; Adeie, the wife of 
 Julius Seemann, of Davenport; and Walter, who married Minnie Hinz and lives 
 on a farm near Davenport. The mother of these children died February 9, 
 1909. Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt have two children: Olga, the wife of Ernest 
 Boecken, of Walcott, Iowa ; and Arthur, who lives on the home farm. He mar- 
 ried Millie Wessel and they have one child, Leota. 
 
 Mr. Schmidt has spent his entire life in Scott county and has, therefore, been 
 a witness of its growth and progress for fifty years. This half century has 
 witnessed many notable changes for all of the evidences of pioneer life have 
 been replaced by those of modern civilization. He has always advocated prog- 
 ress and improvement and in as far as possible has aided in the work of general 
 advancement. He is regarded as an enterprising farmer and his success is well 
 merited as it has been attained entirely through his own labors. 
 
 FREDERICK ROCK. 
 
 A public-spirited man with an eye single to the general good, even at the occa- 
 sional expense of personal interest, is a credit and a boon to any community. Such 
 a one is Frederick Rock, a citizen of Walcott. He was born December 11, 1834, 
 in the principality of Waldeck, Germany, his parents being Christian and Wilhel- 
 mina (Kleinschmidt) Rock. Early in life he became imbued with the desire to 
 come to America, whose wholesome ideas in the matter of equality had in some 
 way reached him across the seas. He did not allow this ambition to remain a 
 dream but came to America in 1857, landing in New York in the month of May. 
 He made his way almost at once to Davenport and in a short time found employ- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 571 
 
 ment with Robert S. Wilson, a Scott county farmer, with whom he remained for 
 four years. At the end of this time he had become sufficiently well acquainted 
 with the ways of the land of his adoption to make a more independent venture and 
 he rented a farm in Hickory Grove township, where he lived for another four 
 years. In 1863, as the result of excellent management, he was enabled to purchase 
 a farm, a very desirable. tract of eighty acres located on section 4, Hickory Grove 
 township. Here he lived until 1906, when he retired and removed to Walcott to 
 make his home. 
 
 In 1865 Mr. Rock was united in marriage to a lady of his own nationality. Miss 
 Margaretha Carstens, daughter of Claus Carstens, a native of Holstein, Germany. 
 Three children were born to them but only one is living, Ella, now the wife of Otto 
 Baustian. Mr. and Mrs. Baustian reside on the old Rock homestead in Hickory 
 Grove township. 
 
 An evidence of the esteem in which Mr. Rock is held is the fact that he has 
 been called upon to fill several important offices. He has served as trustee of 
 Hickory Grove township and for over twenty years was justice of the peace. In 
 the latter capacity he made a most remarkable record, for in all the twenty years 
 a case was never appealed to a higher court after he had made his decision, his 
 keen insight and unimpeachable justice being readily recognized. Mr. Rock is at 
 present an advocate of the principles of the republican party and its administration 
 of affairs, but he was originally a member of the democratic party. In 1893 he 
 received the nomination of the gold democrats for the legislature but retired from 
 the race before the election. He holds the position of president and secretary of 
 the Mutual Fire Insurance Company of German Householders and is secretary of 
 the Walcott Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He is a stockholder in the Farmers 
 & Mechanics Savings Bank of Davenport and also in the Farmers Savings Bank 
 of Walcott, having at one time been vice president of the latter institution but com- 
 pelled to resign on account of ill health in his family. In a word Mr. Rock is in all 
 his relations worthy of respect and confidence, a man of integrity and progressive- 
 ness. 
 
 ALBERT W. HAMANN. 
 
 Albert W. Hamann, prominent as a representative of the legal profession and 
 also active in political circles in Davenport, has found in these two fields scope 
 for his energy and laudable ambition — ^his dominant quahties. One of Iowa's 
 native sons, his birth occurred in Audubon county, November 8, 1876. His 
 father, C. H. Hamann, was a native of Germany and, coming to America in 1855, 
 established his home in Davenport, where he resided until 1873. In that year 
 he removed to Audubon county, where he turned his attention to farming. He 
 later returned to Davenport, where he established a wagon manufactory, be- 
 coming one of the pioneers in this field of business in the city. He retired from 
 active life in the year 1890, and died in 1899, respected and honored by all who 
 knew him. In early manhood he had wedded Marie Koenig, who was also a 
 native of Germany and came to Davenport in 1856 with her father, Carl A. 
 Koenig, one of the early settlers of this city. 
 
572 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Brought to Davenport during his early boyhood, Albert W. Hamann ac- 
 quired his education in the public schools here, passing through consecutive 
 grades to his graduation from the high school as a member of the class of 1893. 
 He then entered the University of Iowa, where he won the degree of Bachelor 
 of Arts, and with broad literary knowledge to serve as the foundation upon 
 which to rear the superstructure of professional learning he entered the law 
 department of the Iowa State University and was graduated in 1898. The fol- 
 lowing year he pursued a post-graduate course in law at Columbia University 
 of New York city and returned to Davenport. 
 
 When he entered upon practice here his equipment was unusually good. 
 To an understanding of uncommon acuteness and vigor he added a thorough 
 and conscientious preparatory training, while in his practice he has exemplified 
 all the higher elements of the truly great lawyer. He became associated with 
 Carl F. Hass, and under the firm style of Hass & Hamann the partnership 
 has since been maintained. His diligence and energy in the preparation of his 
 cases, as well as the earnestness, tenacity and courage with which he defends the 
 right as he understands it, challenges the admiration of his associates. His 
 fidelity to the interests of his clients is proverbial, yet he never forgets that he 
 owes a higher allegiance to the majesty of the law. 
 
 Frqm his youthful days Mr. Hamann has been actively interested in poli- 
 tics and served for one term in the twenty-ninth general assembly of Iowa, giv- 
 ing earnest and careful consideration to each question which came up for setde- 
 ment. In 1902 he was a member of the code supplement committee. In 1904 
 he was elected county attorney and acceptably filled that, position for foul- years. 
 His standing among fellow members of the bar is indicated in the fact that in 
 1908 he was elected president of the County Attorneys Association of the state. 
 In 1902 Mr. Hamann was united in marriage to Miss Clara Heuck, a native 
 of Germany, who came to Davenport with her parents in her girlhood days. 
 They are prominent socially, and Mr. Hamann is a popular member of the 
 Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is recognized as a young man 
 of high character who has demonstrated his worth in his chosen profession and 
 in citizenship, and undoubtedly has before him a bright future. 
 
 B. L. SCHMIDT. 
 
 B. L. Schmidt, president of the Schmidt Brothers Company of Davenport, 
 is a man of considerable force of character who has risen to his present position 
 through the exercise of his native ability, combined with hard work and strict 
 economy. Mr. Schmidt was born in Davenport, October 22, 1869, a son of Carl 
 F. and Sophia (Moeller) Schmidt, both natives of Germany. The father came 
 to Davenport in 1847, and although a cabinet-maker by trade, he farmed in Blue 
 Grass township for fourteen years after coming here. Later he removed to a 
 suburb of Davenport, where until his death, in 1889, he raised grapes and made 
 wine. He and his wife were married in Scott county, and they had eight chil- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 573 
 
 dren, five of whom grew to maturity: L. W.; Minnie, now Mrs. 'A. F. Mart- 
 zahn ; B. L. ; Hulda, now Mrs. J. L. Kohrs ; and F. L. 
 
 B. L. Schmidt was educated in the pubHc schools of this county, and after 
 leaving school learned the trade of a machinist with William Sternburg in Daven- 
 port. After working at his trade for five years, he took a course in the Davenport 
 Business College, and following this was made deputy county treasurer under 
 Henry C. Struck. He then became associated with Voss Brothers in the manu- 
 facture of furniture fixtures, sash, door and blinds, making a specialty of wooden 
 soled shoes with leather tops. This connection lasted five years, when Mr. 
 Schmidt purchased the interests of Voss Brothers, and, taking his brother F. L. 
 into partnership, the firm became Schmidt Brothers. This was in 1897 and until 
 1902 they were jobbers in the above mentioned lines, but in the latter year they 
 sold their business and bought the patent on the Little Giant ice crusher and 
 organized the Davenport Ice Chipping Machine Company, as well as the White 
 Lily Manufacturing Company, B. L. Schmidt being president of both until 
 1909, when he sold the plant of the White Lily Manufacturing Company. Af- 
 ter this they purchased the engine department of that company, to which they 
 added the Ice Chipping Machine Company, and changed the name of the firm 
 to Schmidt Brothers Company. In addition to this flourishing business, Mr. 
 Schmidt is vice president of the Davenport Slaughter & Refining Company; a 
 director of A. F. Koch Company; a director and vice president of the De Lux 
 Textile Company; and a director of the Union Life Insurance Company, of 
 Chicago. He was one of the first directors of the Commercial Qub and was one 
 of the committee who raised the funds to build the club house. 
 
 In 1896 Mr. Schmidt married Johanna C. Kroeger, who was born in Daven- 
 port, a daughter of P. A. Kroeger, who was an old resident here. They have 
 two children : Amy Louise and George L. 
 
 While never an office seeker, Mr. Schmidt was one of those who worked to 
 secure the present form of government in Davenport. Whenever any measure is 
 on foot for the betterment of his beloved city he is to be found in the front ranks, 
 giving freely of both time and money. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, a 
 Knight Templar and Shriner. He has always worked with untiring force, and 
 seems to enjoy it. Capable and full of plans for the future, he is very popular, 
 and his genial manner and kind heart win him friends everywhere. 
 
 ALFRED G. GOLDSCHMIDT. 
 
 Alfred G. Goldschmidt, city electrician, belongs doubly to Davenport, by birth 
 as well as by choice, since it was this place which witnessed his nativity March 
 30, 1868. His parents, Peter and Eliza (Henrechsen) Goldschmidt, were^ na- 
 tives of Germany. The father early in his career followed the trade of cabinet- 
 maker, which upon the widening of his business horizon he changed to that of 
 furniture dealer and undertaker. He and his wife landed in New York in 
 1852, on the Fourth of July, which proved to be happily significant for he was 
 to become an enthusiastic American. Ten children were born to these good 
 
574 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 people, of whom Alfred G. is the ninth in order of birth. Five of these are de- 
 ceased. Mr. Goldschmidt's paternal grandmother joined her relatives here after 
 the death of her husband in the old country, and here lived until her demise. 
 The father located in Davenport almost immediately and this city has ever since 
 been the family home. 
 
 For four years Alfred G. Goldschmidt attended the old German school of 
 Davenport and after this primary preparation he entered the public schools, at- 
 tending Nos. 8 and 3. He was graduated in 1882 and later attended the high 
 school for one year. He then matriculated in the University of Illinois, where 
 he qualified in that line to which his natural talents inclined him — ^mechanical 
 engineering, receiving at the end of his course the degree of Bachelor of Sci- 
 ence. His first practical experience was gained in the employ of the Davenport 
 Foundry Machine Company, where he served for a year as a draughtsman. Then 
 going to Chicago, he entered the offices of the United States Electrical Company 
 and work of this nature exerted upon him such a fascination that he has ever 
 since associated himself with electrical concerns. He has divided his time and 
 energies between Chicago and Davenport. For two and a half years he was in 
 the service of the Bettendorf Company of Davenport. On August i, 1895, he 
 was appointed city electriction by the city council, who created the office at this 
 time, Mr. Goldschmidt being the first incumbent. On January i, 1901, he was 
 succeeded by J. E. Moore. He was then frequently out of the city on general 
 construction business for a Chicago firm, at one time having charge of the Sil- 
 vis plant in Rock Island. In 1903 he became superintendent of the Davenport 
 Gas & Electric and Street Railway Companies, which responsible positions he 
 held for two years. He then resumed his former position as city electrician, 
 which includes in its duties the inspection of all the wiring in the city. His of- 
 fices are located on the third floor of the city building. 
 
 On June 28, 1894, Mr. Goldschmidt married Miss Anna Bremer, whose par- 
 ents came from Germany and were among Scott county's early settlers. Their 
 attractive home at 2222 West Fourth street receives additional interest from the 
 presence of two children, Erma C, who is attending the public schools; and 
 Alfred, Jr., who is four years of age. 
 
 Mr. Goldschmidt's fraternal relations extend to the Elks, the Owls and the 
 Knights of Pythias, in all of which his membership is valued. He is a man 
 who by sheer native brilliance has made his mark and placed himself in one of 
 the finest positions in the bestowal of the city. 
 
 FRED HEINZ. 
 
 The name of Fred Heinz appears on the roll of Davenport's honored dead. 
 He figured for many years as one of the eminent members of the Iowa bar and, 
 moreover, wielded a wide influence in public thought and action. He was closely 
 associated with many interests bearing upon municipal progress and as mayor of 
 the city gave to Davenport an administration that was characterized by various 
 practical reforms and improvements which constituted tangible evidence of his 
 
FRRD HEINZ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 577 
 
 interest in and loyalty to the city. He was born in St. Louis, May 8, 1852, a son 
 of Bonaventura and Margueretta (Trenkenshuh) Heinz, the former a native of 
 Baden, Germany, and the latter of Bavaria. The father came to the United 
 States in 1845 and took up his abode in St. Louis. Soon afterward he enlisted 
 for service in the Mexican war and following the close of hostilities returned to 
 St. Louis, where he remained until 1855, when he made his way up the river to 
 Davenport on the Golden Era. From that time until he retired at an advanced 
 age, he was wharf master and also was connected with river transportation. He 
 was likewise active in public affairs and was influential among all classes. He 
 came to be known as a man whose word could be implicitly relied upon and his 
 keen insight made his judgment such as awakened public confidence. His death 
 occurred in 1899, when he had reached the age of seventy-two years. In St. 
 Louis he married Margueretta Trenkenshuh and their children were: Fred, of 
 this review ; Carrie, who died in 1901 as the result of an operation ; Henry, who 
 is now the pubHsher of the Muscatine (Iowa) Tribune; and John, who is men- 
 tioned elsewhere in this work. 
 
 Fred Heinz was a small boy when he accompanied his parents on their re- 
 moval to Davenport. He afterward assisted his father in discharging the duties 
 of wharf master but developed an inclination for the study of law, and with a 
 desire to enter the professional field, he began reading in the office and under the 
 direction of Ernst Claussen, at one time mayor of Davenport and a prominent 
 lawyer here. His ability was soon recognized and following his admission to the 
 bar he was admitted to partnership by his preceptor, the firm of Claussen & 
 Heinz being thus formed. This relation was maintained from 1875 until 1881, 
 after which Mr. Heinz practiced alone until 1886. In that year he became asso- 
 ciated with A. J. Hirschel, now one of the leading members of the Chicago bar. 
 They practiced under the firm style of Heinz & Hirschel until 1890 and in July; 
 1891, Mr. Heinz became associted with L. M. Fisher in the firm of Heinz & 
 Fisher, which partnership continued until the death of Mr. Heinz in 1904. They 
 were the most prominent representatives of the profession in Davenport in the 
 department of settling and handling estates. In other fields of practice their 
 clientage was also extensive and Mr. Heinz with comprehensive knowledge of the 
 law became one of the most distinguished, honored and successful members of 
 the Davenport bar. He attained to a position of prominence because of the 
 wise use which he made of the talents with which nature had endowed him and 
 his careful utilization of the opportunities that offered. He was always a close 
 and discriminating student of legal principles and in the presentation of a cause 
 before the courts was a strong, logical advocate, never at fault in the application 
 of a legal principle. He also became recognized as a leading factor in financial 
 circles, becoming one of the organizers of the Farmers & Mechanics Savings 
 Bank, of which he was elected the first president. For a number of years he 
 was also vice president for Iowa of the National Bankers Convention and each 
 year was selected chairman of the Iowa committee. 
 
 It was not alone his business and professional interests, however, that entitled 
 Fred Heinz to classification with the leading citizens of Davenport. His public 
 service was of a most important character, characterized by the utmost devotion 
 to the general good and by tangible efforts in behalf of the city at large. In 
 
578 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 his earlier years he was accounted one of the leaders of the democratic party in 
 Iowa and for twenty years was chairman of the county and city democratic com- 
 mittees. At length, on account of the attitude of his party toward the money 
 question, he became allied with the gold wing of the democracy and ultimately 
 affiliated with the republican party. On the democratic ticket he was elected 
 to the offices of county and city attorney for several terms and in that position 
 carefully conserved the legal interests of the people at large. In 1884 he was 
 elected district judge but in the contest was counted out. In 1900 he was 
 elected mayor of the city upon the republican ticket and entered upon the duties 
 of the office for a two years' term. His administration was marked by the inau- 
 guration of many public movements for the interests and welfare of the city. 
 He introduced and championed the movement which resulted in the city council 
 passing an act dispensing with the poll tax. He also inaugurated the present 
 sinking fund. It was likewise during his term that the Carnegie library fund was 
 secured and an important move was made in the elevation of the Rock Island" 
 tracks in the city and the erection of a new depot. While serving as chief ex- 
 ecutive he was instrumental in securing a city ambulance and many other evi- 
 dences could be given of the fact that he was a practical idealist, working ever 
 along progressive lines but as wisely utilizing the practical means at hand for 
 the accomplishment of his purpose. 
 
 On the 2ist of September, 1878, Mr. Heinz was married to Miss Hermina 
 Steffen, a daughter of Claus and Margueretta Steflen. Her father came from 
 the north of Germany in pioneer times and engaged in the cooperage business 
 in Davenport. At his death Mr. Heinz left a family of four daughters : Alice 
 M., Flora F., Zella F. and Norma. He was always a home man, finding his 
 greatest happiness at his own fireside, yet he had appreciation for social inter- 
 ests as represented in different organizations. He belonged to the Davenport 
 Turner Society, the Veteran Volunteer Firemen's Association and to the Knights 
 of Pythias. He was likewise a member of the Iowa Legion of Honor. Progress 
 and patriotism might well be termed the keynote of his character, for in all 
 things, whether of a public or business nature, he made substantial advancement 
 and in his relations to the city was actuated by a most earnest desire for the pub- 
 lic good. Honored and respected by all, no man occupied a more enviable posi- 
 tion in the regard of his fellow townsmen than did Fred Heinz, who passed away 
 July ID, 1904. In those circles where the leading men of Davenport are wont 
 to gather he has since been sorely missed. 
 
 H. B. BETTY. 
 
 Few men are more prominently before the public in Davenport than H. B. 
 Betty, an able lawyer and one of the most prominent workers for civic reform 
 and progress. Believing that the same honesty should be maintained in pub- 
 lic affairs as in private life and that as rigid integrity should be maintained 
 in the execution of the duties of public office as in the conduct of business af- 
 fairs, he has labored persistently, earnestly and effectively in opposition to all 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 579 
 
 lawbreaking methods, which in previous years existed unrestrained in Daven- 
 port. He has accompHshed much and the city owes to him a debt of gratitude 
 for what he has done. 
 
 The birthplace of H. R. Betty was a farm in Rock Island county, Illinois, 
 and his natal day May 31, 1874. His father, James W. Betty, was born in 
 County Fermanagh, Ireland, and in his youthful days came to the United States 
 with his father, John Betty, the voyage being made in a sailing vessel. They 
 landed in New Orleans and, proceeding up the river, settled in Rock Island county, 
 Illinois, where the grandfather purchased a farm of six hundred and forty 
 acres. He became a man of affairs in that locality and his son, James W. 
 Betty, in the course of time was equally prominent. He, too, followed agri- 
 cultural pursuits and remained a resident of Rock Island county until 1898, 
 when he removed to Davenport and purchased the old Joe Le Claire place, which 
 he now occupies. At present he is living retired but for a number of years was 
 president of a paper mill concern at Milan, Illinois. He married Anna Cramp- 
 ton, a native of Brooklyn, New York, and of Irish parentage. He has never 
 been a politician nor has he sought to figure prominently in any public light 
 He was educated at Danville College in Kentucky and throughout the greater 
 part of his life has been extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising. He 
 has only consented to put aside his business cares at rare intervals when called 
 to township offices but for more important service has had no inclination, pre- 
 ferring always to concentrate his time and energies upon his business inter- 
 ests. He is a man of liberal education and upright character, whose life is in 
 harmony with the teachings of the Presbyterian church, in which he and his 
 family hold membership. 
 
 H. B. Betty is the eldest of three sons and two daughters. His education 
 was acquired at Milan, Illinois, after which he engaged in teaching in Rock 
 Island county for two years. Subsequently he attended the Northern Univer- 
 city at Valparaiso, Indiana, in which he spent four years, pursuing a collegiate 
 course. He also studied law at Valparaiso and in the Chicago Law School, be- 
 ing graduated from the latter with the class of 1898. He then commenced 
 practice in Davenport and was for three years in partnership with Victor Lit- 
 tig. On the expiration of that period he removed to Beaumont, Texas, where 
 he practiced for three years, and while there became actively and deeply in- 
 terested in politics. He was the candidate for county judge on the republican 
 ticket and made a strong canvass on a reform ticket, exposing the graft which 
 was proving so detrimental to the best interests of that locality. Notwithstand- 
 ing the democratic party has always been one of superior numbers in that lo- 
 cality, he ran far ahead of his ticket and lost the election by only three hundred 
 votes. He received the support of the great majority of democrats who are pub- 
 lic-spirited and fair-minded citizens and was also supported by the democratic 
 press. He has ever been found on the side of clean politics and against graft 
 and lawbreaking. He believes in a governmental policy that shall be burglary 
 protection and at all times has stood in opposition to misrule in public affairs 
 and in support of every project tending to bring about an honest administration. 
 
 His father's interests caused him to return to Davenport and in 1908 he was 
 joined by his brother Frank, who had graduated from the Michigan State 
 
580 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 University at Ann Arbor, in the organization of the present partnership that 
 exists under the firm style of Betty & Betty. This firm represents the civic fed- 
 eration of Scott county w^hich was organized in 1907 to prevent the violation of 
 law by saloon keepers. Mr. Betty commenced work in February, 1908, at which 
 time saloons were running in open violation of the law. He at once made 
 vigilant warfare on such and has so continued to the present time with the re- 
 sult that there has been a great change in conditions, every saloon now comply- 
 ing with the strict letter of the law. When he began his work there was open 
 gambling everywhere — a condition that is now unknown. In this time Mr. Betty 
 has prosecuted one hundred and fifty suits against saloon keepers and, although 
 his witnesses were mobbed and every known means used to defeat the law, he 
 has won success. Davenport has, therefore, ceased to be known as a "wide 
 open town in everything the term implies," and now there is no cleaner or more 
 law-abiding city. His efforts have, indeed, been widespread benefits, for he 
 stands as the champion of all that is righteous and just in municipal govern- 
 ment, and as the years have gone by his firm purpose and practical methods have 
 gained for him the endorsement of a large number of those who seek municipal 
 virtue as well as private honor and integrity. 
 
 PHILIP MORGAN. 
 
 Philip Morgan, who was well known as foreman in the Rock Island Arsenal 
 and as one of the active republican leaders in Davenport, was bom at Bristol, 
 England, March 21, 1845. He spent the first six years of his life in his native 
 country and in 1851 came with his parents to America, the family home being 
 maintained in Pennsylvania for a time, while in 1863 a removal was made to 
 Davenport. The father, Thomas Morgan, was a blacksmith by trade and con- 
 tinued his residence in Davenport until his life's labors were ended in death. 
 His wife bore the maiden name of Rebecca Taylor. 
 
 At the age of eighteen years, Philip Morgan entered the employ of the Chi- 
 cago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company, where he remained for thirty- 
 five years, during the last fifteen years of which time he occupied a position as 
 foreman in the company's shops at Horton, Kansas, and later Stuart, Iowa. 
 
 In 1898, however, he resigned in order to become foreman in the Rock Is- 
 land Arsenal, where he remained until about four years prior to his death, when 
 he put aside his business cares and spent his remaining days in honorable and 
 well earned retirement. Diligence and industry were among his strong charac- 
 teristics. He was always careful and watchful of the interests entrusted to his 
 care, and as foreman enjoyed the full confidence of those whom he served and 
 also the good will of those who served under him. 
 
 On the loth of September, 1879, Mr. Morgan was married to Miss Clara 
 Kerker, and unto them were born two children : Isabelle A. and Edwin K. Mr. 
 Morgan held membership in Davenport Lodge, No. 37, A. F. & A. M., of which 
 'le \.as a worthy and exemplary representative. That he enjoyed the good will 
 and trust of his fellow members is indicated in the fact that he was again and 
 
PHILIP MORGAN 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 583 
 
 again elected to ofHces in the lodge, serving at one time as master. He also 
 served as master of the lodge at Horton, Kansas. He was a recognized leader 
 in the ranks of the republican party in Davenport and was ever active in his 
 ward, where his opinions carried weight in political councils. He was always 
 public-spirited and his political activity arose from his devotion to the general 
 good for he believed that the best interests of the city and country would be 
 conserved through the adoption of republican principles. A man of unquestioned 
 honesty, his word was as good as any bond ever solemnized by signature or 
 seal. He possessed a kindly spirit, was charitable and generous in disposition 
 and was loved by all who knew him, so that his death, which occurred May 9, 
 1908, was the occasion of deep and widespread regret not only to his immediate 
 family but also to the many who were glad to call him friend. 
 
 WARREN TEELE. 
 
 The name of Warren Teele was inseparably connected with the history of 
 federal interests in Davenport as representative of its postoffice service. For 
 almost forty years, beginning in 1869, he was assistant postmaster, continuing 
 in the position although the duties of the office increased year by year with the 
 continuous growth of the city. No higher testimonial of fidelity, capability and 
 trustworthiness could be given than the simple statement of the fact that his 
 connection with the postoffice covered almost four decades. 
 
 Mr. Teele was born in Wobum, Massachusetts, December 31, 1828, and was 
 the last survivor of a family of seven children. He left school at the age of 
 seventeen years and, seeking the opportunities of the west, established his home 
 in Cannelton, Indiana, where he engaged in merchandising. In 1856 he returned 
 to New England but soon again came to the middle west, believing that the 
 opportunities of the Mississippi valley were superior to those offered in the east, 
 where competition was greater. On the nth of October, 1856, he arrived in 
 Davenport and entered business circles of this city as a salesman and bookkeeper 
 in the wholesale grocery house of M. Dalzell & Company, with whom he remained 
 for about two years. Then he accepted a similar position with R. H. Parks 
 & Company, wholesale and retail clothiers of this city. 
 
 When President Lincoln was first elected to the position of chief magistrate 
 of the nation Mr. Teele was appointed by Montgomery Blair, then postmaster 
 general, as mail route agent between Davenport and Dubuque. He filled the 
 position in an acceptable manner for five years, during which time the mails 
 between the two cities were carried by steamboat during the open season. While 
 thus engaged Mr. Teele had many interesting experiences and accumulated a 
 fund of reminiscences which he drew upon for many an interesting tale in later 
 life. At length he left the government employ and for four years was a travel- 
 ing salesman in the service of a paper bag company. In 1869, however, he re- 
 turned to the federal employ, for when Edward Russell was appointed postmaster 
 of Davenport Mr. Teele was called to the position of assistant postmaster and 
 remained in that connection continuously until the 4th of July, 1908. He wit- 
 
584 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 nessed the growth of the office from a business of twenty-five thousand dollars 
 per year to one of several millions, and throughout the entire period carefully 
 controlled the interests of the government and the general public in his adminis- 
 tration of affairs connected with the collection and distribution of the mails. 
 
 On the 20th of September, 1853, Mr. Teele was married in Winchester, Mas- 
 sachusetts, to Miss Dora Nicholas, and in 1903 they celebrated their golden 
 wedding, many friends rejoicing with them on that auspicious occasion. They 
 had two children : Mrs. Herman J. Zeuch ; and Jennie N., a teacher in the Lincoln 
 school. The family are members of the Congregational church and are promi- 
 nent socially in the community. 
 
 Mr. Teele always gave his political allegiance to the republican party, keep- 
 ing well informed on the questions and issues of the day, so that he was able to 
 support his position by inteUigent argument. He was a very public-spirited 
 man, his cooperation in affairs of general progress being a valued element in the 
 city's growth. His sterling character made him honored and respected by all 
 who knew him and his fidelity to duty constituted an example that is well worthy 
 of emulation. After a useful and well spent life he passed away January 12, 1909. 
 
 MRS. CHRISTINA LAMP. 
 
 Mrs. Christina Lamp, who owns some valuable property in the city of Daven- 
 port, is the widow of Hans Asmus Lamp, who was well known' as a farmer of 
 Hickory Grove township, this county. She was born in Prussia, Germany, Au- 
 gust 16, 1837, a daughter of Frederick and Magdalena Roush, and came to the 
 United States with her parents in I852. They located in this county, where her 
 father became well known as a butcher and meat packer. Indeed he was one 
 of the pioneers in that line of work in Davenport. He was successful and well 
 respected when in 1899 his long life of seventy-six years was brought to a close. 
 His wife survived him about a year, her death having occurred in 1900, when she 
 was eighty-two years old. 
 
 Mrs. Lamp had lived in Iowa for about nine years when, on the 6th of No- 
 vember, 1861, she gave her hand in marriage to Hans Asmus Lamp. He had been 
 born in Holstein, Germany, December 11, 1834, but in 1851 came to America 
 with his parents, Peter and Able Lamp. The family landed at New Orleans and 
 then came up the Mississippi river to Davenport, where the father and son found 
 work in a sawmill. Later Peter Lamp bought half a section of land in Hickory 
 Grove township, which was partly improved at the time. He prospered well 
 in his undertakings, acquired considerable property, and in the course of years 
 became one of the substantial and prominent German farmers of Scott county. 
 He and his wife both died here. 
 
 Hans Asmus Lamp learned the trade of a carpenter while he worked in the 
 sawmill after coming to Scott county, and during the succeeding years followed 
 hi'; trade in the winter, while in the summer he assisted his father on the farm. 
 In both occupations he achieved a distinct success, for many of the fine resi- 
 dences of Davenport and the surrounding country bear witness to his skill as a 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 585 
 
 workman, and the several tracts he rented won him a generous return for his 
 labors. He rented and operated several tracts of land and in early days engaged 
 in breaking prairie with ox-teams in other counties besides Scott. He also en- 
 gaged in threshing, owning a machine. On the 26th of October, 1892, his long 
 and eventful life was brought to a close. He had participated in and contributed 
 to the remarkable progress which has transformed the character of Scott county 
 in the past half century. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Lamp were born ten children but the first two died 
 in infancy. Herman, a carpenter in Davenport, married Miss Dora Harding and 
 they have had nine children: Ella; Walter; Edna; Arthur; Wilham; Laura; 
 Agnes; Henry, deceased; and a baby. Emma lives at home. Charles, a resi- 
 dent of Durant, Iowa, married Miss Bertha Yep, and they have three children : 
 Flora, Arthur and Viola. Minnie is the widow of Joseph Allen, a native of 
 Davenport and a prominent teacher in this county, who died in the Philippines 
 when his son Philip was an infant. His widow lives with her parents, under 
 whose roof she is rearing her two children, James and Philip. !A[ugust is resid- 
 ing in Chicago, Illinois. The other children of the family died in infancy. 
 Mr. Lamp was a member of the German lodge of the Independent Order of' 
 Odd Fellows and among his fraternal brethren had made many stanch friends 
 by whom he was sincerely mourned at the time of his death. 
 
 P. J. THEDE. 
 
 P. J. Thede, who is cashier of the Dixon Savings Bank and is otherwise 
 substantially connected with the commercial life of the town, was born in 
 Liberty township, Scott county, June 18, 1887, a son of John H. and Catherine 
 (Peterson) Thede. They were also natives of Scott county and are of German 
 parentage. At present they are residing in Liberty township, where Mr. Thede 
 has pursued farming for many years. Six children were born to them: Lydia, 
 who is the wffe of Otto Lensch, of Liberty township; P. J., the subject of this 
 sketch; Henry R. ; Millie; Ella; and Verna. 
 
 P. J. Thede was reared upon his father's farm, in the work of which he 
 assisted greatly until he was sixteen years of age. Having completed the 
 course of study provided by the district schools of his locality, in 1903 he was 
 enrolled as a pupil in the Capital City Commercial College of Des Moines, Iowa, 
 and from that institution received his certificate for work completed November 
 25, 1905. He then came to Davenport, where he accepted a position as time- 
 keeper with the American Can Company. Later he was in the employ of the 
 Davenport Fur & Carpet Company until October, 1907, when he was called to 
 Dixon to become cashier of the Dixon Savings Bank. While he has proved 
 himself a most careful, accurate and conscientious employe, he has also found 
 time to take up other business, from which he has derived no small addition 
 to his income. He is the agent for several of the reliable fire insurance com- 
 panies, conducts a vigorous business in real estate and has also been appointed 
 notary public. When the German Mutual Telephone Company was established 
 
586 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 here Mr. Thede became its secretary, which is another evidence that he is ever 
 on the alert to make the most of the opportunities for advancing his own in- 
 terests and at the same time contributing to the welfare of his associates. He 
 belongs to the Dixon Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and also to that of the Modern 
 Woodmen of America. In both of these organizations he has made stanch and 
 loyal friends. A young man, who, if one were to judge only by his years, was 
 just entering upon his business career, has attained distinction which would 
 seem to augur a most successful and brilliant future. 
 
 LOUIS BENNBWITZ. 
 
 No history of Walcott would be complete without extended mention of Louis 
 Bennewitz, who, during his residence in this city has figured prominently in 
 business, financial and political circles. He is numbered among that class of 
 representative American citizens who claim Germany as the place of their na- 
 tivity and who, in the new world, have found opportunity for advancement and 
 progress in business lines. He was born in Sachen Gotha, Germany, on the 3d 
 of December, 1845, and is a son of Octav and Paulina Bennewitz, also natives 
 of that country. 
 
 Reared to manhood across the waters, Louis Bennewitz acquired his educa- 
 tion in the schools of Germany and remained at home until April, 1866, when 
 he came to America, making his way direct to Davenport, Iowa. He was first 
 engaged in farm work for about six months and then entered the employ of B. 
 Swarting, with whom he came to Walcott in 1867. In the following year he 
 located in Davenport, where he worked until 1870, and then returned to Germany, 
 where he remained for about a year. Again coming to America, he was in the 
 employ of F. Schlapkohl in Davenport until 1872, after which he once more 
 entered the services of Schroeder & Brandt, former employers. He was thus 
 connected until 1874, when he made another visit to the fatherland which lasted 
 nearly a year. The year 1875 witnessed his removal to Stockton, Iowa, where 
 he entered business in partnership with A. Pieper, and this connection continued 
 until 1876, when he came to Walcott and became the senior partner in the firm of 
 Bennewitz & Company, which was formerly known as the B. Swarting Company. 
 He has since made his home in this city and has become well known as one of the 
 leading business men of the community. Although busily engaged in the con- 
 duct of his business, he has nevertheless found time to devote to other lines of 
 activity and in 1893, when the Walcott Savings Bank was organized, he became 
 one of the stockholders and a few years later was appointed a director. In 1906 
 he was elected to the presidency of that institution and since that time has mani- 
 fested excellent administrative ability and executive control. His opinions are 
 often sought by patrons of the bank and he has ever manifested toward each a 
 sincere interest, a kindly spirit and a thoughtful consideration that has made 
 him popular with all who have any dealings with the institution. 
 
 Mr. Bennewitz laid the foundation for a happy home life in his marriage in 
 1876 to Miss Mary Fick, a native of Holstein, Germany, and of this union have 
 
LOUIS BENNEWITZ 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 589 
 
 been born two children, namely; Tillie, who wedded Louis Mack; and Robert, 
 the assistant cashier in the Walcott Savings Bank, who married Qara Sindt, a 
 daughter of Henry Sindt, of Walcott. 
 
 Mr.'Bennewitz is well known and prominent in fraternal circles, holding mem- 
 bership in Walcott Lodge, No. 312, K. P., and in Hiawatha Camp, M. W. A., of 
 Walcott, and likewise belongs to the Modern Brotherhood. In politics he is a 
 stanch republican, at all times taking a deep interest in community affairs and 
 something of the feeling entertained for him by his fellow citizens is manifest 
 in the fact that in 1894 he was elected mayor of the city, in which office he served 
 very capably and efficiently until 1897. He has since served as a member of the 
 city .council. He is preeminently a man of business and has never had occasion 
 to regret his determination to seek his fortune in this country, for here he has 
 been most successful, not only becoming the head of two important and substan- 
 tial enterprises but also being the owner of a section of land in Osceola county, 
 Iowa, from which he derives a gratifying annual income. He finds recreation 
 in outdoor sports and is an enthusiastic hunter, taking extensive trips through 
 the country in search of large game. A man of resourceful ability, constantly 
 watchful of opportunities, he has seized legitimate advantages as they have arisen 
 and has never hesitated to take a forward step when the way was open. For- 
 tunate in possessing ability and character that inspired confidence, the simple 
 weight of his character and ability has brought him into positions of trust and 
 responsibility and he ranks high among the well known and valued citizens of 
 Scott county. 
 
 HARVEY E. WEEKS. 
 
 About four years ago, Harvey E. Weeks came to the city of Davenport as 
 secretary and treasurer of the Peoples Light Company and of the Tri-City 
 Railway Company and has since been identified with the business and commer- 
 cial interests of the city. He is a young man of enterprise and experience, 
 and in the few years that he has been proving his ability to the people of Daven- 
 port has won a right to be considered one of the most progressive and valuable 
 citizens here. 
 
 He was born in Upper Alton, Illinois, March 19, 1874, his parents being 
 Captain Joseph H. and Martha M. (McGill) Weeks. The former was a native 
 of Oyster Bay, New York, and was a contractor and builder. He removed 
 to Upper Alton, Illinois, in i860, where at the opening of the Civil war he en- 
 listed as private in Company F. Seventeenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He 
 served throughout the years of the great struggle and attained the rank of cap- 
 tain. Returning to his home after its close, where he passed the remaining 
 years of his life, thirteen years of which time he was postmaster. His death 
 occurred July 13, 1907. His wife is still living in Upper Alton. 
 
 Harvey E. Weeks, who was the first son of the four children born to his 
 parents, was reared in the city of his birth, and, after having completed the 
 course prescribed in the public schools, he became assistant postmaster at Upper 
 
590 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Alton, Illinois, serving in that capacity for four years. This was necessitated 
 by the fact that his father's health was so impaired by seven months confine- 
 ment in Andersonville prison during the Civil war that he was incapacitated 
 for active business. During those four years, Mr. Weeks took special studies 
 in Shurtleff College. In 1895 he received the appointment of committee clerk 
 in the state senate of Illinois, serving during the session of 1894-5. On June 
 I, 189s, he entered the employ of the public service corporations which after- 
 ward were merged by J. F. Porter under the name of Alton, Granite & St. Louis 
 Traction Company. He remained with that concern until June, 1906, having 
 steadily risen in those years until he was secretary of the company. When he 
 severed his connection with them he came to Davenport as secretary , and 
 treasurer of some of the more important companies which are developing the 
 resources of the city and serving the needs of its citizens. He has filled his 
 position with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of those who placed con- 
 fidence in his ability, trustworthiness and business acumen. He has already made 
 a place for himself among his associates. His career has been a steady advance 
 from one responsible position to another, and as it has been the result of his 
 own efforts he has every reason to feel a gratification in the guerdon the years 
 have brought him. In addition to the concerns mentioned at the opening of 
 this sketch, Mr. Weeks is secretary and treasurer of the Davenport Gas & 
 Electric Company of Davenport, the Peoples Power Company of Rock Island 
 and Moline, East Moline and Watertown Railway Company of Moline; and 
 he is also a director in the Cottage Camps Company of Davenport. 
 
 On the 27th of June, 1895, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Weeks and 
 Miss Lutie Vashti Pope, a native of Kane, Illinois, and daughter of Jacob G. and 
 Susan C. Pope. Two sons have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Weeks : Harold Parker 
 and George Edward. 
 
 The family belongs to the Calvary Baptist church. Mr. Weeks has always 
 been an adherent of the political principles of the republican party. He is a 
 member of the Davenport Commercial Club and Davenport Outing Club. Fra- 
 tei-nally he is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America. He is secre- 
 tary and treasurer of the American Street & Interurban Railway Accountants' - 
 Association, an association composed of the accounting officers of all the street 
 and interurban railways of the United States, Canada and Mexico, which posi- 
 tion he has held for three years. Hard working and popular, he has attained 
 to a respected position among the people of Davenport. 
 
 CHARLES EDWARD GLYNN, M. D. 
 
 The demands made upon the members of the medical fraternity are in 
 some respects greater than perhaps upon any other class of citizens. If the 
 minister is reserved and austere we imagine that it is because he is engaged 
 with thoughts far beyond our mental ken ; if the lawyer is brusque and crabbed 
 it is considered a mark of genius. There is demanded unfailing geniality and 
 courtesy from the physician, however, and to his broad professional knowledge 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 591 
 
 he must add sympathy and a quick, almost intuitive understanding of the mental 
 phases which he sees represented before him. Meeting the various requirements 
 of the practitioner of medicine, Dr. C. E. Glynn gives, his entire time to his 
 professional service and is now president of the Davenport Hospital, one of the 
 be^t appointed establishments of this character in the state. He was born in 
 Scott county, January 9, 1873. His father, Thomas J. Glynn, was a native 
 of Ireland and came to the United States with his parents when a child of six 
 years, spending his boyhood days in Indiana. He afterward removed to Scott 
 county, Iowa, and became a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser, closely asso- 
 ciated with the agricultural interests of the county until 1892, when he sold 
 out and has since lived retired, making his home in Davenport, Iowa. He has 
 always been active in affairs of the county, contributing to public progress 
 through his cooperation in many movements for the general good. He is, more- 
 over, recognized as a leader in local democratic circles and was elected and 
 served as chairman of the board of supervisors. He married Anna M. Ennis, 
 a native of Canada and of Irish parentage. 
 
 The public schools of this county afforded Dr. Glynn his early educational 
 advantages and later he attended St. Ambrose College in Davenport, from' which 
 he was graduated in the class of 1888. He afterward taught school for two 
 years but throughout that period had in view the object of eventually becoming 
 a member of the medical fraternity. He entered the College of Physicians and 
 Surgeons at Chicago, from which he was graduated in 1902. He then began 
 practice in Davenport and, in association with Dr. J. Siewert Weber, he has 
 organized and built the Davenport Hospital for the treatment of medical and 
 surgical cases. ^ This is one of the best appointed and most modernly equipped 
 hospitals in the state, lacking in none of the up-to-date accessories known to 
 medical and surgical practice at the present time. He is president of the hos- 
 pital and is also a member of the various medical societies, whose object is to 
 advance the efficiency of the medical fraternity by the dissemination of knowl- 
 edge ' acquired through original research and experience. He is likewise as- 
 sistant medical director in the Guaranty Mutual Insurance Company and aside 
 from his hospital work has a good private practice. 
 
 Dr. Glynn was married November 22, 1905, to Miss Blanch J. Langan, a 
 native of Dewitt, Iowa, and in this city they have many friends. Dr. Glynn is 
 a member of the Knights of Columbus and other fraternal orders. He is a 
 member of the American, the Iowa State, the Iowa and Illinois and the Scott 
 County Medical Societies. 
 
 JOHN EGEL. 
 
 John Egel, who for about thirty years was one of the leading agriculturists 
 of Buffalo township, and, now, having given up the arduous work of the farm 
 is residing in Blue Grass, was born in Germany, 1831. In 1854 he crossed the 
 Atlantic with the intention of making a place for himself in this land of op- 
 portunities. For several years he made his home in the east, for the most part 
 
592 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 in New Jersey, and then the fame of the richness of the Iowa lands having reached 
 him, in 1869 he came to Scott county. For many years he operated rented land 
 and it was not until 1882 that he purchased his first tract, which embraced one 
 hundred and twenty acres in Buffalo township, and then as success attended 
 his efforts he bought forty acres more, so that he owned a quarter of a section. 
 On it he engaged in farming until 1899, when he leased the farm to a tenant 
 and removed to Blue Grass, for he felt that the success he had gained entitled 
 him to a rest. 
 
 While living in Brunswick, New Jersey, Mr. Egel wedded Miss Barbara 
 Isenacher, who was also a native of Germany and was born in the same year 
 as her husband, that of 1831. Their union was celebrated in 1857 and in the 
 course of years was blessed with ten children, five sons and five daughters, all 
 of whom married and were well established in life. Louis, died in 1890; John 
 Chris wedded Miss Rosa Schroeder and lives in Muscatine county, Iowa ; Henry 
 married Miss Catherine Kippe and also resides in Muscatine county. George 
 married Miss Annie Zeyer, of Buffalo. Charles married Miss Paulina Bak- 
 man. Louisa became the wife of Henry Brown. Mary is the wife of James 
 Carpenter, of Buffalo township. Catherine is the wife of William Piatt. Mrs. 
 Nellie Hovenagle is a widow and lives in Blue Grass. 
 
 When Mr. Egel was admitted to citizenship in this republic he looked to 
 the democratic party for political guidance and has since given to it his un- 
 swerving support. While he ever exercises his right of franchise at election times, 
 he has never aspired to public office, nevertheless exhibiting an interest in the 
 welfare of his fellowmen and being ever ready to exert himself in their behalf. 
 
 HENRY SCHROEDER. 
 
 It is meet that when one is well advanced in years the opportunity should 
 come to put aside the more arduous cares of active business life and rest from 
 further labor. In youth energy and ambition are dominant and in mature years 
 these are guided by that wisdom which comes through experience and apprecia- 
 tion of surrounding conditions. If one's opportunities are wisely used success 
 follows and a competence for the evening of life is secured. Such has been the 
 record of Henry Schroeder, formerly well known as a merchant of Davenport 
 but now living retired. 
 
 He was born near Hamburg, in Holstein, Germany, December 22, 1831, and 
 is a son of John H. and Margaret Schroeder. The father served in the war 
 with France, and Detlef Schroeder, a brother of our subject, was in the Hol- 
 stein-Denmark war of 1850, giving his life in defense of the principles in which 
 he believed during the progress of that struggle. The father was a farmer and 
 brewer in his native country, where both he and his wife spent their entire lives. 
 
 Henry Schroeder acquired his education in the schools of Germany and 
 afterward served in the Danish army from 1853 until 1855. He then began learn- 
 ing the brick-mason's trade, but the favorable reports which he heard concerning 
 the business conditions and opportunities in America led him to the determrna- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 593 
 
 tion to establish his home on this side the Atlantic. It was in 1857 that he heard 
 and heeded the call of the western world and boarding a sailing vessel spent thirty- 
 two days on the water ere he landed at New York. He did not remain in the east, 
 however, but car:-; direct to Davenport with a party of friends, with whom he 
 had crossed the Atlantic and who had friends in this city. In his native country 
 Mr. Schroeder had learned the brick-mason's trade and on reaching Davenport be- 
 gan working at his trade, which he followed for about two years, his first work be- 
 ing on the sewer on Iowa street. He afterward assisted in building the schoolhouse 
 at Bettendorf, then Gilberttown, which is still standing. Subsequently he went to 
 Le Claire, where he aided in the erection of a number of buildings. He was first 
 engaged on a store for Mr. Becker and, remaining in Le Claire, he worked in the 
 store for Mr. Becker, thus gaining his first experience along mercantile lines. He 
 spent three years in that way and gained valuable knowledge of the methods of 
 managing commercial .interests. 
 
 While in Le Claire Mr. Schroeder was married November 20, i860, after 
 which he returned to Davenport vnth his wife and has since made this city his home. 
 He first entered the employ of Beiderbecke & Moeller in the wholesale and retail 
 grocery business and was with them for five years, when he had opportunity for 
 making a forward step by engaging in business on his own account. Removing 
 to the corner of Third and Fillmore streets he took charge of a grocery store there 
 with Henry Brandt as a partner. In 1868 they purchased the store of Kasper 
 Foster and conducted the business until 1903, when Mr. Schroeder sold his inter- 
 est in the grocery and retired. After about ten years in the trade he and his 
 partner purchased the property which they had previously rented. 
 
 Various enterprises in time claimed the attention of Mr. Schroeder, who for 
 twenty-two years conducted stockyards and was connected with a large number 
 of industrial and commercial concerns. He was also one of the directors of the 
 Iowa National Bank for seventeen years after aiding in the organization and 
 establishment of the bank. He then resigned but is still one of the directors 
 of the Davenport Security Insurance Company, which he aided in organizing in 
 1889. His connection with business interests of Davenport has been of an im- 
 portant character and of far-reaching benefit to the city inasmuch as his labors 
 have constituted an element in the promotion of commercial and financial ac- 
 tivity. He has been quick to see and utilize advantages, recognizing the fact that 
 the present and not the future holds his opportunity. He was also a stockholder in 
 the glucose works and was one of the company to establish the Davenport Can- 
 ning Factory, which was afterward changed to the manufacture of tin cans. He 
 was one of the organizers of the Davenport Foundry & Machine shop, of which 
 he is still a stockholder ; was a stockholder in the Masonic Temple when it was 
 erected ; and also a stockholder in the Davenport Works Company, besides being 
 interested in other industries. 
 
 As previously stated, it was on the 20th of November, i860, that Mr. Schroeder 
 wedded Miss Elizabeth Schwen, of Le Claire, who was born in Bavaria, Ger- 
 many, in 1834 and came to this country with a lady friend in 1856. By her 
 marriage she became the mother of eight children : Henry A., of Seattle, Wash- 
 ington, who married Grace Rose and has one son, Frederick ; Jennie, the wife of 
 John Fahrner, of Davenport, and has one son, Waldo; Hugo, who is also liv- 
 
594 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 ing in this city ; Pauline, deceased ; Laura, who became the wife of Henry Kohrs, 
 Jr., and died leaving a son, Robert ; Lewis, deceased ; John L., whose home is 
 in British Columbia; and Amelia, the wife of William Hetzel, of Davenport, by 
 whom she has one son, Wilbur. The death of Mrs. Schroeder occurred October 
 8, 1909, when she had reached the age of seventy-five years, eight months and 
 
 two days. 
 
 Mr. Schroeder is a member of the Turners and of the German Shooting 
 Society. He has always been a man of influence among Davenport's residents 
 of his own nationality, nor has his leadership been confined alone to people of the 
 Teutonic race. He has long been regarded as a man of sound judgment and keen 
 discrimination and his opinions have carried weight 'in business circles and in 
 matters relating to the public life of the city. There is no mor« loyal resident 
 of Davenport than this adopted son, a man never so busy with private affairs 
 as to neglect the duties of citizenship nor so concerned with public interests that 
 his private business has suffered. In fact, he has been at all times a man of 
 well balanced capacities and powers and his intelligently directed effort has 
 given him place among the leading and influential citizens of Scott county. 
 
 WILHELM WULF. 
 
 Wilhelm Wulf, one of Hickory Grove township's leading men, is German by 
 nativity, his birth having occurred in Holstein, February 11, 1858. When only 
 about sixteen years of age he and his brother Charley became imbued with the 
 desire to try their fortune in "the land of promise," and upon landing on our 
 shores came at once to Davenport, where they have since resided. His parents 
 were John and Doris (Hass) Wulf. His father died when he was a lad of about 
 six years of age, responsibility in consequence falling upon his shoulders at an 
 unusually early age. The mother, born July 26, 1816, followed her sons to 
 American in 1875 ^^'^ made her home with Charley, her death occurring April 
 19, 1909. Although advanced in years she enjoyed good health nearly to the 
 time of her demise and took much pleasure in her American home and friends. 
 In the family were six children as follows: Mrs. Louisa Thomson, of Daven- 
 port, widow of Christ Thomson; Lena, who married William Groht and is de- 
 ceased ; Christina, the wife of Peter Stropfen, a retired farmer living in Daven- 
 port; Doris, the wife of John Hass, of Durant; Charley, a citizen of Cleona 
 township; and Wilhelm, the subject of the sketch. 
 
 Wilhelm Wulf was reared on a farm and its wholesome, independent life 
 has appealed to him sufficiently to induce him to cling to agriculture all his life, 
 He spent his first five years in this country as a farm hand, but in 1880 rented 
 property which he managed successfully for a number of years. In 1895 he 
 bought one hundred and sixty acres in Cleona township and four years later 
 sold this to become the owner of his present homestead in sections 30 and 31, 
 Hickory Grove township. This first consisted of two hundred and fifty-seven 
 and a half acres, but Mr. Wulf has added to it until it now amounts to three 
 hundred and thirty acres. On this very desirable tract he engages in general 
 
■52 J«3SSSi555?5;i^ I'ti^'MSI 
 
 WILTIEI.^I Wn.F 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 597 
 
 farming and stock raising- and his advanced agricultural methods have been 
 productive of the best results. 
 
 In 1887 Mr. Wulf was united in marriage to Miss Theresa Siebke, daughter 
 of Marx and Louise Siebke, natives of Holstein, Germany. She was bom No- 
 vember II, 1867, in Muscatine county, Iowa. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wulf have 
 been born the following children : Henry, Herman, Amelia, Mata, Ella, Rudolph 
 and Helda. Louis, the third child is deceased. 
 
 Mr. Wulf has many friends and is happy in all the relations of life. He is 
 recognized in the community as a man whose support is always ready for any 
 measure likely to prove conducive to the public good. Among other interests he 
 is a stockholder in the Farmers' Elevator Company of Walcott. 
 
 JOHANNES THEDE. 
 
 A prosperous farmer of Liberty township, who is contemplating retiring from 
 the active pursuit of his calling, and intends to take up his residence in the village 
 of Dixon, is Johannes Thede, who was born in Liberty township, June 28, i860, 
 about one and a half miles north of the farm on which he is now living. His 
 parents were Peter and Marie (Sierk) Thede, both natives of Schleswig, Ger- 
 many, where the former was born April 27, 1832, and the latter February 15, 
 1828. In 1857, singly and alone, they came to America, locating in Kempton, 
 Illinois, wh'ere they were married. Three years later, in the spring of i860, they 
 came to Liberty township, this county, where Mr. Thede engaged in farming. 
 He was successful beyond the ordinary and as he saw opportunity invested in 
 land so that at his death he held five hundred and sixty acres in that township. 
 Toward the close of his life he relinquished the heavier cares and his death oc- 
 curred January 4, 1909. His wife had died some years previously, for she passed 
 away in Dixon, May 8, 1903. They were the parents of six children : Peter, of 
 St. Louis, Missouri; Johannes, the subject of this sketch; Henry, who died in 
 1893 at the age of twenty-one; Mary Lenora, who became the wife of George 
 Pahl, both now deceased; William, a resident of Liberty township; and Erna, 
 the wife of Charles Frey, of Davenport. 
 
 Johannes Thede was less than one year old when his parents removed from 
 his birthplace to the farm on which he now lives and which has since been his 
 home. He attended the public schools of the district, in which he obtained a fair 
 education, but his practical preparation for life was received during the time he 
 assisted his father in the cultivation of his land. A tiller of the soil from choice 
 as well as from inheritance, he has been one of those who have won a conspicu- 
 ous success from his vocation. Besides the homestead in Liberty township, con- 
 sisting of two hundred and forty acres on sections 35, 36, and 25, he owns an 
 equal amount of arable land in Springfield township. Cedar county, and five 
 hundred and sixty acres in Oldham county, Texas. The place which he makes 
 his, home is well improved and its fields excellently adapted to general farming 
 which he has pursued. For the past fifteen years, however, he has made a spe- 
 cialty of stock feeding, feeding about one hundred head annually. He was one 
 
598 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 of the prime promoters of the Dixon Savings Bank, in which he is a large stock- 
 holder. 
 
 On the 8th of April, 1884, Mr. Thede was married to Miss Katharine Peter- 
 sen, who was born in the same house that was the birthplace of her husband, 
 January 23, 1864. Her parents, Henry and Wiepke (Klink) Petersen, were 
 both natives of Schleswig, Germany. They were married in the old country and 
 came to America about 1856, locating first in Illinois. About live years later they 
 came to Scott county, which remained their home for the rest of their lives. 
 Mr. Petersen was actively engaged in farming but, having obtained a gratifying 
 income, retired to Dixon, where his death and that of his wife occurred. He 
 owned at one time seven hundred acres of land in Liberty township. Five chil- 
 dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Petersen : Mrs. May Ohde, a widow living in 
 Seattle, Washington ; George, of Liberty township ; Charles, a resident of Dixon ; 
 Mary, who is unmarried and makes her home in Dixon ; and Katharine, the wife 
 of our subject. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Thede have been born seven children: Lydia, now the 
 wife of Adolph Lensch, of Liberty township; Peter J., of whom extended men- 
 tion is made elsewhere in this volume. Henry R. and Millie, at home; Ella, a 
 student in Brown's Business College ; Verna, at home ; and Maloney, who died at 
 the age of three years. 
 
 Since he has obtained such a pronounced success from his chosen vocation, 
 Mr. Thede has determined to retire fron; ictive life and live in Dixon. With 
 this end in view he is building a house, whicn he intends shall be the finest in the 
 village, both in its construction and in the many appointments that will make 
 it modern and convenient. 
 
 PETER A. BOYLE. 
 
 Peter A. Boyle, a Harvard man whose liberal educational advantages well 
 qualified him for a successful professional career, continued in the practice of 
 law in Davenport for a number of years and is now giving his attention to the 
 supervision of important property interests. He was born in New Haven, Con- 
 necticut, on the nth of October, 1847, and is a son of John R. and Mary J. 
 (Copley) Boyle. His parents were natives of County Kilkenny, Ireland, but 
 were of English descent. The father's birth occurred May 15, 1815, and the 
 mother was born on the 12th of March, 1812. 
 
 John R. Boyle came to the United States in 1839 and settled in New England, 
 where he conducted an extensive business as a contractor and builder of canals 
 and railroads. He was married in New York city in 1842 and in 1850 came to 
 the middle west, where he was engaged in the building of the Michigan Southern 
 Railroad. Two years later the family came to the west to Ottawa, Illinois. In 
 1854 they removed to Muscatine, Iowa, coming thence to Scott county in 1865. 
 The father assisted in building many of the western railroads, including the 
 Union Pacific and others. After taking up his abode in Scott county he pur- 
 chased land in Davenport township and settled upon a farm, his remaining days 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 599 
 
 being given to general agricultural pursuits. His life was one of untiring business 
 activity and his strong purpose enabled him to carry forward to successful com- 
 pletion whatever he undertook. He died September 16, 1895, while his wife 
 survived until the i6th of May, 1902. They were the parents of two children: 
 C. R. Boyle, who is now living in New York city; and Peter A., of this review 
 
 Peter A. Boyle spent the first five years of his life in New Haven, Connecti- 
 cut, and afterward attended school in dififerent places as his parents removed from 
 one point to another, the father's business calling him to different localities At 
 length he was graduated from Griswold College in the class of 1870 and with broad 
 general information to serve as the foundation upon which to rear the superstruc- 
 ture of professional learning, he took up the study of law in Harvard University, 
 from which he was graduated with the class of 1872. He then returned to Daven- 
 port and entered upon active connection with the profession as a law clerk in the 
 office of Davison & Lane, formerly well known attorneys of this city. After 
 ten years devoted to the practice of law, he turned his attention to his property 
 interest, which now claim his attention. 
 
 On the Sth of June, 1884, Mr. Boyle was united in marriage to Miss Jessie 
 5\'. Boyle, of Birmingham, Alabama, and unto them were born two children: 
 Mary Lee, who died in 1898; and John R., who is now a high-school pupil. The 
 parents are members of the Episcopal church and are prominent socially in the 
 city, theirs being one of the attractive and hospitable homes of wealth and cul- 
 ture. Mr. Boyle belongs to the Commercial Club and has other social relations, 
 being usually seen where the most intelligent men of the city gather. 
 
 JULIUS SANDER. 
 
 The great business prosperity which has come to Davenport in the course of 
 years is reflected in the success of Julius Sander, a dealer in general hardware, 
 farm implements, seeds, buggies, wagons and automobiles. Having come to this 
 country when a mere boy, with nothing but his own abilities and his determination 
 to get ahead, the position he holds today is the result of his unaided efforts, 
 and ready discernment of potential needs and the quahty of being a good man- 
 ager. 
 
 He was born in Neumunster, Holstein, Germany, July 31, 1857, and was 
 reared and educated in the place of his birth. In 1871, although but fourteen 
 years of age, he emigrated to America, coming direct to Davenport immediately 
 after landing upon our shores. Upon his arrival here he secured employment as 
 a clerk in the hardware store of the old firm of E. H. Mack & Company, which 
 was located on Second Street where the Davenport Savings Bank now stands. 
 He remained with that concern, until 1876, when it went out of business, and 
 for five years he worked for Sickles Preston. At the end of that period, in 
 1871, he had saved enough money and acquired a sufficient familiarity with busi- 
 ness methods here to warrant his embarking in business for himself. Accord- 
 ingly at 325 West Second street, he opened a hardware store, which was well 
 supplied with all the articles generally to be found in such an establishment. 
 
600 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 With fourteen years of success behind him, in 1895 he opened another store at 
 420 West Fourth street, where a large and varied Hne of farm implements were 
 put on sale. In 1902 he combined the two stores, securing his present location 
 at 218, 220 and 222 Ripley street, and here, keeping abreast of the times, he 
 has added automobiles of reputable make, besides carrying a good line of buggies 
 and wagons. Indeed, he has left no opportunity pass by unheeded, without try- 
 ing to wrest from it some measure of advancement for himself. In consequence 
 his is one of the busiest stores in the city, and the record of its sales will stand 
 comparison with even larger concerns. In addition to hardware interests, Mr. 
 Sander has been active in the financial circles here, for in 1893 he was one of the 
 organizers of the Farmers & Mechanics Savings Bank, of which he is still a 
 director, and later he was one of the organizers and directors of the Guarantee 
 Mutual Life Insurance Company of Davenport. He holds the position of vice 
 president of the Fairmount Cemetery Association and has made his influence 
 felt in all walks of life. 
 
 In 1881 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Sander and Miss Lina Ranzow, 
 a daughter of Charles F. Ranzow, now deceased. They have a son, Harry, who 
 assists his father in business, and a daughter, Paula, who is attending high school. 
 
 Mr. Sander has always given his support unfailingly to the democi;atic party, 
 by which organization he was elected in 1908 to the board of county commission- 
 ers of Scott county. He holds the position of president of this body and will 
 continue to exercise the duties of that office through the three years of his term. 
 He belongs to several organizations, some of a fraternal nature, others social 
 and still others of a beneficent character, for he is a member of the local Ma- 
 sonic lodge, the Turners, the Sharp Shooters Society, the Columbia Relief So- 
 ciety and the Davenport Cremation Society. 
 
 CHARLES H. ALT. 
 
 Charles H. Alt, a successful farmer of Buffalo township, was born in the 
 province of Schleswig, Germany, September 25, 1870, his parents being Karl and 
 Catherine (Hansen) Alt, both native of the same section of the fatherland, where 
 the former was born in 1833 and the latter in 1842. In 1885 the father came to 
 America, and although he settled first in Rock Island county, Illinois, after one 
 year's experience there he came to Scott county, Iowa. 
 
 Charles H. Alt, being about fifteen years of age when he left his native land, 
 had already received a thorough training in the rudiments of education as taught 
 in Germany. However, after he reached Illinois he again entered school that he 
 might obtain a knowledge of the English language and customs more systematic 
 than could be obtained through intercourse with the men and women he should 
 meet. He assisted in the work that was carried on upon his father's farm, assum- 
 ing many of the heavier responsibilities of its operation as the years proved he was 
 a man of power and ability. Later when he married he made it his permanent 
 home. Although yet a young man with the most productive years of his life still 
 before him, he has already made a record of which he has no reason to be ashamed. 
 
MR. AND MRS. C. H. ALT 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 603 
 
 The condition of his buildings, the cultivation of his fields, tell their own story, 
 that their owner is a man of industry and good management. While he is never 
 sparing of hard work, he is careful that neither time nor substance is wasted, and 
 consequently should enjoy a pronounced success as the years pass on. In 1908, he 
 purchased his present farm consisting of ninety-two acres in Buffalo township. 
 
 In early manhood Mr. Alt was united in marriage to Miss Louise Danz, a 
 daughter of Chris Danz, of Muscatine, Iowa. A son and a daughter have been born 
 to them — Herbert and Catherine. The family are members of the Lutheran 
 church, while Mr. Alt has always given his allegiance in political matters to the 
 democratic party. While he is not an aspirant for office, he has won the confi- 
 dence of his fellow citizens who elected him to the position of director of the 
 Blue Grass schools. He belongs to Blue Grass Lodge, No. 26, of the Modern 
 Brotherhood of America, and to the Grange, and he has made friends who loyally 
 accord him respect and good will. 
 
 JOHN LANGSETH. 
 
 John Langseth, who is the president of the Dixon Savings Bank and for more 
 than a quarter of a century has been connected with the stock business in Iowa, 
 was bom in Christiania, Norway, September 29, 1846, a son of Hans and Chris- 
 tina (Soleberg) Langseth, who were natives of the same place as their son. 
 The father followed farming somewhat in the old country but was also weigh 
 master in the city scales of Christiania. Nevertheless he determined to try the 
 opportunities said to be found in this country and accordingly in 1854 came to 
 America. He settled first in Rock Island, Illinois, where he secured work as 
 a laborer, a few years later he resumed farming, to which he devoted himself 
 with good success. In 1864 he moved his family to Scott county, Iowa, and 
 in Aliens Grove township secured a tract of land, which remained his home 
 throughout the remaining years of his life. Two children were born to him and 
 his wife: John, the subject of this sketch; and Mrs. Mary Tarbet, of Calamus, 
 Clinton county, Iowa. 
 
 John Langseth accompanied his parents when they came to the United States 
 and on their removal to Scott county, living with them in Aliens Grove town- 
 ship, until 1871, when he married and set out to make his own way in the world. 
 For five years he worked on a farm in this county and then engaged in mercantile 
 business in Buena Vista, Clinton county, which he conducted for about twenty 
 years. At the end of that period, in 1896, he sold his store and went to Wright 
 county, spending five years there, although he did not relinquish his connection 
 with business during that time but was actively engaged in buying and selling 
 stock. He returned to Dixon in 1904. In September of the following year Mr. 
 Langseth became instrumental in the organization of the Dixon Savings Bank, 
 of which he was elected president, and in this capacity he has continued to 
 guide the policy of the institution. It is a flourishing concern, supplying a long 
 felt want in the community, but while it has given a field for the exercise of the 
 pronounced business ability which is one of Mr. Langseth's predominant char- 
 
604 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 acteristics, it has not wholly absorbed his time, for he is still interested in the 
 buying and selling of stock, in which he has engaged, in connection with his other 
 enterprises, for more than twenty-five years. It has been one avenue through 
 which success has come to him, although in this as in the other walks of life, his 
 good fortune has been dependent upon those sterling qualities of manhood which 
 came to him as a heritage from his father. The latter was one of the substantial 
 citizens of his community, although he had come to this country a poor man, 
 and, profiting by his example, the son has risen to a position of honor, respect 
 and prosperity among those with whom he has come in contact. 
 
 It was in 1871 that Mr. Langseth was united in marriage to Miss Ellen E. 
 Rothstein, who was born in Mexico, Pennsylvania, June 29, 1850. In her in- 
 fancy she was adopted by F. E. Rothstein, and at the age of two years was taken 
 by him to California, where she lived for about seven years. At the end of that 
 time she came to Scott county and was living in Aliens Grove township at the 
 time of her marriage. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Langseth, 
 namely: Elizabeth, now the wife of James A. Innes, of Eagle Grove, Iowa; 
 Mary Elizabeth, the wife of J. F. Young, of Oklahoma; Ruth Irene, a senior at 
 the State College at Ames, Iowa; John F., who died in 1885 at the age of seven; 
 and Ervin S-, who also passed away in that year when he was three years old. 
 
 Mr. Langseth is a member of Dixon Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and of 
 the Masonic lodge at Wheatland. In both of these societies he is very active and 
 plays a prominent part in their work and social affairs. Indeed he is a man who 
 makes his way to the fore in whatever he undertakes, and the community feels 
 the effect of his energetic personality and his power to accomplish the things 
 upon which he sets his determination. 
 
 THIES NAGEL. 
 
 Labor is the law of life and the world has little respect for the idler. Not 
 until old age is reached does it seem fitting that man should put aside the cares 
 and responsibilities of business, thus relegating to others the burdens that he 
 should bear. A very busy and useful life has been that of Thies Nagel and 
 now, at the age of ninety-one years, he is enjoying a well earned and well merited 
 rest. He was for many years associated with industrial interests in Davenport 
 as a carpenter and cabinetmaker. He was born in Dithmarschen, Holstein, 
 Germany, January 16, 1819, a son of Henry and Margaret Nagel, who spent 
 their entire lives in Germany, where the father was employed as a farm hand. 
 
 Thies Nagel had but limited opportunities in his youth but learned well the 
 lessons of industry and frugality. After attending the schools of the neighbor- 
 hood to some extent he took up the trade of carpentering and cabinetmaking. 
 When he was asked by an educated man why he was coming to America he 
 answered that in a new country they would need houses and there would be 
 chances for the builder. He therefore boxed up his tools and work bench and 
 started for the new world in 1852, accompanied by his wife and four children. 
 After nine weeks spent upon the briny deep they landed at New Orleans and 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 605 
 
 thence made their way up the Mississippi river by steamboat to St. Louis, where 
 they arrived after a trip of eleven days. By that time there was so much ice 
 in the river that they could not get a boat to Davenport, which was their des- 
 tination. They, therefore, spent the winter in St. Louis and the following 
 spring came to this city. After arriving in Davenport Mr. Nagel was first em- 
 ployed by Mr. Kingsley, an English carpenter boss. His shop was on the alley 
 between Fifth and Sixth streets and Brady and Main. He not only worked at 
 his trade but also began to learn the English language under the direction of 
 his employer. He was very eager to master the language and to this end had 
 studied all the way over from Germany. Among his fellow workers in that 
 early day was George McClellan, who later became one of the most prominent 
 men of Davenport. 
 
 Mr. Nagel was in the employ of Mr. Kingsley for two years, his first labor 
 being in connection with the construction of a building for Mr. Sergent at the 
 head of Brady street. Mr. Sergent was the first banker of Davenport and Mr. 
 Nagel made the doors and window frames of his house by hand, as there was 
 no machinery for such purposes at that time. He afterward worked on the 
 North Putnam building, which was known then as the Le Claire row. For a 
 long time he was engaged on the construction of that row, which when completed 
 was the finest in the town. He was also employed on the building of a resi- 
 dence for Antoine Le Claire, which later became the home of Bishop Cosgrove. 
 About 1853 he also worked on the St. Joseph's Catholic church at the comer 
 of Fourth and Main streets, this being the oldest Catholic church in Davenport, 
 and it was the first building on that block, the entire block being given by Antoine 
 Le Claire for the purpose for which it was used. Carpenters in those times re- 
 ceived a wage of a dollar per day. Mr. Nagel's employer had three prices — a 
 dollar, a dollar and a bit and a dollar and two bits — according to the efficiency 
 of the workman and the importance of the class of work which he did. Mr. 
 Nagel was recognized as a fine mechanic but, as he was a new man, was placed 
 in the middle class, as his labor was somewhat hampered by the fact that he 
 could not be sent out alone on a job, as he did not then sufficiently understand 
 the English language. 
 
 In 1857 the country became involved in a financial panic and work became 
 very scarce. Mr. Nagel was then compelled to go to Rock Island, where lie 
 worked for a year and his services were paid for only in merchandise. Times 
 improving, however, he returned to Davenport and obtained employment in 
 the furniture factory of Collins & Skeel, there continuing until the time of the 
 war, when he turned his attention to bee culture and has since devoted his 
 energies largely to the management of an apiary. During the war he purchased 
 a small tract 6t land in the suburbs of Davenport, erected thereon a comfort- 
 able residence and lived there until 1893, when he went to live with his son, 
 J. J., at his present home at No. 906 West Locust street. 
 
 Mr. Nagel was married in 1843 to Ingeborg Jensen, who died in 1857, leaving 
 four children: Margaret, the wife of Hartwig Wessel, of California; Jens J.; 
 Christina, the wife of Hans Jepsen, of Davenport; and Catherine, the wife of 
 Ferdinand Junge, of Nebraska. 
 
606 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Of this family Jens J. Nagel was born in Germany, June 26, 1846, and was 
 brought to America by his parents when six years old. The first school he 
 attended was at the corner of Fifth and Scott streets in Davenport and he passed 
 through consecutive grades until he was graduated from' the high school and 
 also from the training school. Following his graduation he became a teacher in 
 the country school in Liberty township, eighteen miles from Davenport', there 
 remaining for a year. This was during the period of the Civil war. He after- 
 ward returned to Davenport and entered the training school. Subsequently he 
 spent two years as general delivery clerk under Edward Russell in the Daven- 
 port postoffice and then resumed teaching, since which time he has devoted his 
 attention to the profession. He taught in Davenport until 1866 and then went 
 to Minneapolis, where he became principal of a school, so continuing until 
 1869, when he returned to this city and was continuously numbered among its 
 public-school instructors until 1909. He taught in the Madison school for 
 thirty-nine years and at present is connected with Duncan's Business College. 
 He is one of the best known representatives of educational interests in this 
 part of the state and his labors have been a most forceful and beneficial factor 
 in promoting the interests of public education. 
 
 Professor Nagel was married July 2, 1872, to Miss Sadie Gilmore, a daughter 
 of George and Maria Gilmore, of Minneapolis, Minnesota. They have become 
 parents of six children. Walter, who enlisted for service in Company B, Fiftieth 
 Iowa Regiment, in the Spanish-American war, contracted fever from which 
 he died while in camp at Jacksonville, Florida, when twenty-six years of age. 
 He was a graduate of Stanford University. Laura is a teacher of the high school 
 in California. Alice is the wife of John E. McDowell, who is assistant registrar 
 of Stanford University, and they have two sons, Edgar and John. Carl, who is 
 in the employ of the state government at St. Paul, Minnesota, married Ruby 
 Pringle. Helen is now a member of the junior class in Stanford University. 
 Margaret is a pupil in the grammar school of Davenport. 
 
 Thies Nagel was a prominent member of the Lutheran church and in poli- 
 tics is a stalwart republican, having continuously supported the party since 
 Fremont was its first presidential candidate. Professor Nagel and his family 
 are members of the Congregational church and he is an advocate of prohibi- 
 tion principles, casting his ballot in support of the men and measures that 
 promote the temperance cause. Both father and son have led honorable, up- 
 right lives and their history is closely interwoven with the industrial and educa- 
 tional records of this city. 
 
 FRANK H. MAASS. 
 
 Frank H. Maass, who from early manhood made his home in Scott county, 
 passing away in Davenport July, 19, 1900, was born in Prussia, Germany, on the 
 1st of August, 1852. He remained a resident of his native land until his four- 
 teenth year, when he came to America and for a short time resided in Cincin- 
 nati. He then came to Scott county and for a year was employed at farm labor, 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 607 
 
 after which he took up his abode in Davenport and established a Hvery business 
 which he conducted until his death. He first drove a hack for Judge Parsell and 
 managed his livery barn, but later formed a partnership and purchased a livery 
 barn on Commercial alley, which he conducted until the fall of 1884. The fol- 
 lowing spring he sold out there and bought the livery business of Bob Porter on 
 Fourth street. There he remained until his death and his barn was liberally 
 patronized, so that his business proved a profitable enterprise. He also con- 
 ducted an undertaking business for a time and bought and sold horses by the 
 carload, making shipments to Chicago. He was an excellent judge of horses, 
 being seldom if ever mistaken in the value of an animal, so that his investments 
 were directed by sound judgment and resulted in substantial success. At the 
 husband's death Mrs. Maass became the owner of the livery barn and since that 
 time has sold an interest in the business to Mr. Atkinson, who has charge thereof. 
 Mr. Maass was a member of Unity Lodge, A. F. & A. M., in which he filled 
 nearly all of the chairs and at one time served as master. He also belonged to 
 Tecumseh Tribe, No. 32, I. O. R. M. In Masonry he attained the thirty-second 
 degree of the Scottish Rite and was ever an interested exponent of the principles 
 of the craft. In politics he was independent, but was a public-spirited citizen and 
 a charitable, kindly man, ever ready to lend a helping hand where assistance was 
 needed. 
 
 THEODORE PETERSEN. 
 
 The history of Theodore Petersen constitutes, an interesting and important 
 chapter in the commercial records of Davenport for through forty years he was 
 classed with the leading merchants of the city. His devotion to his business 
 interests, his close application and his thorough reliability were features in his 
 life that won for him the respect of his colleagues and associates and con- 
 stituted an example that is well worthy of emulation. 
 
 He was born November 6, 1836, on the island of Fehmarn, Germany, and 
 spent the period of his minority in his native country. But the opportunities 
 of the new world constituted for him an irresistible call and in 1858 he severed 
 the ties which bound him to Germany and crossed the Atlantic. For a year 
 he remained a resident of New York and then came to Davenport, entering busi- 
 ness circles in this city as a salesman in the employ of Otto Klug, with whom 
 he continued for two years. He afterward went to Chicago where he remained 
 for two years, being employed there by Sehn Brothers, the firm of Herzberg 
 & Goodman and Kehoe & Company. On the expiration of that period he re- 
 turned to Davenport and in 1872 formed a partnership with Fred Kruse at 
 310 West Second street. There they conducted business for many years and 
 in that period developed an enterprise of large proportions, carrying an extensive 
 stock and meeting the demands of the public in a liberal business policy and with 
 progressive methods. Systematic and methodical in the conduct of the business, 
 careful in management and reliable in all commercial transactions and rela-* 
 tions he won an enviable reputation and was accorded a volume of business 
 
608 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 that made the undertaking one of substantial profit. After the death of Mr. 
 Kruse in 1902 Mr. Petersen retired, turning over his interests to his son, Jul- 
 ius N. 
 
 It was in Davenport that Mr. Petersen was married to Miss Katherine Weis, 
 and unto them were bom five children: Theodore, who died in 1897 ^t the 
 age of twenty-seven years; George P.; Julius N., junior partner in the firm of 
 Petersen & Petersen; Olga, the wife of Louis E. Roddewig; and Elsa, the 
 wife of Philip A. Sonntag. 
 
 Mr., Petersen passed away on the i8th of April, 1904. He was prominent 
 among the German-American residents of Davenport and was one of the or- 
 ganizers of the Turngemeinde, of which he was a member for over a quarter 
 of a century. He preferred to do his duty as a private citizen yet was never 
 neglectful of his obligations to the public welfare but gave of his time and 
 means to further municipal interests. As the architect of his own fortune he 
 builded wisely and well. No vain hope allured him to the new world. He 
 had no untried standards but at all times recognized the fact that indefatigable 
 labor is the basis of success and that commercial integrity constitutes an indis- 
 pensable feature therein. He therefore labored earnestly to win his advance- 
 ment and for a considerable period occupied a conspicuous and creditable place 
 among the successful business men of this city. 
 
 GEORGE FRAUEN. 
 
 A highly cultivated farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 20, Hickory 
 Grove township, is the home of George Frauen. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, 
 February 22, 1852, and on the ist of April following was brought to Scott county 
 by his parents, Christian and Mary (Golinghorst) Frauen. The father was born 
 in Holstein, Germany, July 25, 1819, and came as a youth to America. For four- 
 teen years thereafter he followed the sea, touching the ports of New York, Boston, 
 Philadelphia and New Orleans. He then abandoned a seafaring life and, locating 
 in the Crescent city, there worked on cotton presses. It was while still a resident 
 of that city, in 1849, that he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Golinghorst, who 
 was born in Hanover, Germany, January i, 1828, and came to America a year or 
 two prior to her marriage. They began their domestic life in the Crescent city 
 but there remained for only one year, removing to St. Louis in 1850. It was while 
 residing in that city that their two sons, John and George, were born, the former 
 on the 4th of April, 1850. After a residence of but two years in St. Louis, the 
 father sought a home in Iowa, making a permanent location on eighty acres of land 
 in Hickory Grove township, Scott county. He then took up the work of general 
 farming, which he continued to follow throughout his remaining years, but in the 
 meantime he added to his possessions, owning at the time of his death a half section 
 of land. The wife and mother departed this life on the loth of May, 1889, and the 
 father, surviving for a long period, was called to the home beyond on the 7th of 
 February, 1907, having reached the age of eighty-eight years. Both are buried on 
 the home farm. This place is now owned by the son John, it comprising one hun- 
 

 CHUISTIAX FRAUEN 
 
rjEoKCK FPvAUEN 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 613 
 
 dred and sixty acres on section 19, Hickory Grove township. He is engaged in 
 farming and is numbered among the substantial residents of this section of Iowa. 
 
 George Frauen, the immediate subject of this review, was but a few weeks old 
 when brought by his parents to Scott county. He was reared to farm life, spend- 
 ing his time in the usual manner of farm lads of that period. When starting out 
 upon an independent career, he chose the occupation to which he had been reared, 
 first renting land of his father and cultivating it for about fifteen years. In the 
 meantime he prospered and in 1891 was able to purchase his present farm of one 
 hundred and sixty acres, located on section 20, Hickory Grove township. Since 
 taking possession he has made substantial improvements and now has a valuable 
 property, the soil yielding rich harvests in their season. He gives his time to farm- 
 ing and stock-raising and is meeting with merited success. 
 
 Mr. Frauen has been married twice. He first wedded, in 1875, Miss Doris 
 Duge, who was born in Davenport and passed away in Hickory Grove township in 
 1891, at the comparatively early age of thirty-three years. She was a daughter of 
 Louis Duge, a native of Germany. At her death she left eight children : Edward, 
 a resident of the state of Washington ; Mary, the wife of Louis Runge, of Aliens 
 Grove township, Scott county ; Christ, who makes his home in Minnesota ; George, 
 who is located in Davenport ; Dora, the wife of Charles Boll, a resident of Hickory 
 Grove township ; Henry ; Louis ; and Annie. Mr. Frauen was married on the 12th 
 of April, 1896, to Hattie Heilmann, who was born in Bsearn, Germany, on Christ- 
 mas day of 1872 and came to the new world in 1893. After a time spent in Chi- 
 cago, she came to Scott county, where she has since made her home. By her mar- 
 riage she has become the mother of seven children : Annie, John, Hugo, William, 
 Helbert, Rosa and Leonard. 
 
 Mr. Frauen belongs to the Odd Fellows lodge at Davenport and to the Knights 
 of Pythias lodge at Walcott. He is an enterprising and progressive farmer, as is 
 indicated by a glance at his well kept farm. He has added to its attractiveness by 
 well kept buildings, while an interesting feature is a pond, which he dug about six- 
 teen years ago and which covers an area of about two acres. This is well supplied 
 with fish. His farm is one of the nice country homes of Hickory Grove township 
 and its hospitality is one of its most pleasing features. 
 
 JOHN BENEDICT. 
 
 John Benedict, who is one of the prominent and successful business men 
 of Davenport, was born in Rock Island, Illinois, September 2, 1864. His father, 
 John Benedict, Sr., was a native of Pennsylvania, where he grew to maturity 
 and was married, but with the hope of bettering his fortunes he brought his 
 family west. He chose Rock Island as his destination, but at Geneseo, Illinois, 
 was stricken with typhoid fever and there died. His widow, continuing to the 
 end of the journey, took up her residence in Rock Island where she made her 
 home throughout the rest of her life. 
 
 John Benedict,. reared in the city of his birth, is indebted to its public schools 
 for the education he acquired. He was not long permitted, however, to devote 
 
614 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 his time to his studies, for at any early age he had to begin work. Then, as 
 now, he beheved that a man could do his best work when conducting his own 
 business, and through pluck and industry, he was soon able to open an estab- 
 lishment of which he was the head, being engaged in the manufacture of reed 
 chairs and children's carriages. He notably prospered while in Rock Island, 
 but feeling that larger opportunities lay in Davenport, he removed to this city. 
 Shortly after his arrivel here he sold his business and became a traveling rep- 
 resentative and later manager of the Morgan Match Box Company, continu- 
 ing in the latter capacity until 1904, when he again established a business of his 
 own. In the subsequent years he has dealt in building material, his trade cover- 
 ing a radius of two hundred miles from Davenport. While Mr. Benedict pos- 
 sesses in high degree those faculties which are so potent in winning trade, he 
 is also endowed with the ability to so conduct his affairs that they will gain for 
 him a well deserved success financially and the good will of those who have deal* 
 ings with him. 
 
 In December, 1889, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Benedict and Miss 
 Minnie May Keys, a native of Rock Island. Two daughters, Almira May and 
 Minnie Esther, have been born to them. Mr. Benedict is a member of the 
 local lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and also belongs 
 to other organizations of a social and fraternal nature. He is a republican in 
 his political preferences but is not an aspirant for office. Nevertheless he has 
 strong feelings upon the matter of government, and high ideals as regard citi- 
 zenship in general but in particular in regard to the freedom of office, from 
 graft and all illicit practices. He has always taken a keen interest in matters 
 of public concern, and, being a man of strong convictions and endowed with a 
 power of expressing his views convincingly, his influence, ever asserted in 
 worthy cause, is not without its effect. 
 
 ISAAC H. SEARS. 
 
 Isaac H. Sears, long one of the most prominent representatives of the busi- 
 ness men of Davenport, has been a resident of the city for more than a half 
 century and, although he has now passed the eighty-eighth milestone on life's 
 journey, he may still be seen each day at the Scott County Savings Bank, of 
 which he has been the only president, called to this office in 1883. Klthough 
 the snow of many winters has whitened his hair, in spirit and in interest he seems 
 yet in his prime. Old age need not suggest as a matter of course helplessness 
 or want of occupation. On the contrary, there is an old age which grows 
 stronger and brighter mentally and morally as the years advance and continually 
 gives out of its rich stores of wisdom and experience for the benefit of others. 
 Such is the record of Isaac H. Sears, a man honored wherever known and 
 most of all where he is best known. 
 
 Mr. Sears was born near Ballston, Saratoga county, New York, October 9, 
 1821, his parents being Alexander and Mary (Howe) Sears, who were also 
 natives of that locality, although the Howes were of an old Connecticut family, 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 615 
 
 while the Sears came from Massachusetts. The father was a blacksmith by trade 
 and died about 1845. The mother lived to be more than ninety years of age. 
 Both the grandfathers of Isaac H. Sears were soldiers of the Revolutionary war. 
 In the father's family were nine children, of whom three died in infancy. One 
 of the sons, Epeneus Sears, was an early settler of Fremont county, Iowa, where 
 he engaged in the practice of law and served as judge of the district court. 
 
 Isaac H. Sears attended the common schools until eighteen years of age, 
 when he left home in order to have better opportunities of earning a livelihood. 
 The first year he was employed in a clerical capacity in connection with the 
 Croton Water Works. He afterward went to Berlin, Connecticut, where he 
 spent a year as a clerk for a brother who was a contractor for the New Haven 
 & Hartford Railroad. He afterward occupied a clerical position in connection 
 with the Erie canal which was being widened and deepened. He spent about a 
 year in that way and also a similar period in the service of the Albany & West 
 Stockbridge Railroad. Returning home, he entered the employ of a wall-paper 
 manufactory which was organized about that time. Gradually he worked his 
 way upward in that service until he became superintendent of the business, his 
 connection therewith covering five years. In April, 1855, he came to Iowa and 
 made his way at once to Davenport, which at that time contained a popula- 
 tion of about seven thousand but had no railroad. In company with W. K. 
 Haight he established the first wholesale and retail saddlery hardware business 
 in Davenport, his store being located at the corner of Perry and Second streets. 
 The business is still carried on under the name of the Sears, Frizzell Company. 
 Mr. Sears began operations on a small scale but continued the business for over 
 thirty years, during which time he gradually increased his stock to meet the 
 growing demands of the trade until the enterprise assumed extensive and prof- 
 itable proportions. After a time he purchased his partner's interest and a little 
 later turned over the business to his sons, giving into their charge what had 
 become one of the large and important mercantile interests of the city. 
 
 In the meantime Mr. Sears had become one of the organizers of the Scott 
 County Savings Bank, which was established in 1883. He was chosen a trustee 
 and director and at the organization was also elected president, in which capa- 
 city he has continued to serve to the present time. The record of the bank is 
 synonymous with his own honorable name and no name is more truly a syno- 
 nym for business integrity and enterprise in Davenport. Mr. Sears also became 
 a director of the Davenport Woolen Mills, was long vice president of the com- 
 pany and for four years has been president, succeeding Samuel A. Jennings. He 
 has ever been recognized as a man of sound business judgment, carefully co- 
 ordinating forces and utilizing methods which lead to legitimate success. He 
 has been quick to recognize the essential, to do away with all that is unneces- 
 sary and to economize time, material and labor but never at the expense of 
 high class production or capable service. 
 
 In 1843 Mr. Sears was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Jennings, a sister of 
 Samuel A. Jennings and a native of Saratoga county. New York. They became 
 parents of seven children: Samuel, a member of the Sears, Frizzell Company; 
 Alexander, who is located at Colorado Springs, Colorado; Minnie, the wife of 
 George W. Knostman, of Davenport; Jennie, who died at the age of twenty- 
 
616 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 two years ; Nancy, the wife of John F. Dow, of Davenport ; Bertha, the wife 
 of George W. Murphy, a civil engineer of Seattle ; and Isaac L., manager of the 
 leather saddlery business of the Sears, Frizzell Company. The wife and mother 
 died July i, 1900, after a happy married life of about fifty-seven years. 
 
 In all the period of his residence in Davenport Mr. Sears has stood as the 
 champion of those measures which tend to benefit the city along the lines of ma- 
 terial, intellectual, political and moral progress. He is an old-school democrat, 
 loyal to his belief, and for several years he served as a member of the city coun- 
 cil and also as a member of the board of supervisors, being chairman of the 
 board for some time, including that period in which the courthouse, the poor 
 house and other public buildings were erected. He saw the courthouse built and 
 paid for and then retired from the board. While living in the east he was a mem- 
 ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He has long been^ identified 
 with the Episcopal church and his life has ever been actuated by high and honor- 
 able principles, in harmony with his professions. There are few men whose 
 lives are crowned with the honor and respect which is uniformly accorded to 
 Isaac H. Sears, but through more than a half century's connection with Daven- 
 port's history his has been an unblemished character. With him success in life 
 has been reached by his sterling qualities of mind and a heart true to every manly 
 principle. He has never deviated from what his judgment would indicate to be 
 right and honorable between his fellowmen and himself. He has never swerved 
 from the path of duty and now, after a long and eventful career — in which his 
 usefulness still continues — he can look back over the past with pride and enjoy 
 the remaining days of his earthly pilgrimage with the consciousness of having 
 gained for himself by his honorable, straightforward life the confidence and re- 
 spect of the entire community in which he lives. 
 
 CLAUS STOLTENBERG. 
 
 Investigation into the history of Davenport shows that the native sons 
 of the fatherland have been prominent and conspicuous factors in the business 
 activity and development of the city. The industry and resolute purpose char- 
 acteristic of the representatives of the Teutonic race have constituted salient 
 features in the commercial progress of the city and prominent as a representa- 
 tive of this class is Claus Stoltenberg, now president of the Farmers & Mechan- 
 ics Savings Bank. 
 
 He was born April i, 1831, in Germany, and when sixteen years of age ac- 
 companied his father, Hans Stoltenberg, to the United States, the year of emi- 
 gration being 1847. The mother had previously died in her native land. On 
 reaching American shores the father made his way into the interior of the 
 country, settling in Davenport township, Scott county, Iowa, where he entered 
 land from the government and developed a homestead, on which he reared his 
 family. 
 
 Claus Stoltenberg had acquired a good education in his native country and 
 after coming to the United States bent his energies to the development of the 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 617 
 
 home farm. Scott county at that time was largely an unimproved district, in 
 which were many evidences of frontier life. There were no schools in Daven- 
 port township at that time and the homes were widely scattered, while much 
 of the land was still unclaimed and uncultivated, but the state was rich in its 
 natural resources and the opportunities afforded made for success when am- 
 bition and energy prompted their immediate utilization. Claus Stoltenberg was 
 one of the younger children of his father's family and, like the others, was 
 reared to farm life amid the scenes of a pioneer existence. He and his brothers, 
 Hans and Joachim, turned their attention to farming, each receiving eighty acres. 
 The subject of this review remained upon his father's farm for forty-six years, 
 prospering as time passed and accumulating, as the result of his well directed 
 industry, considerable land and money. He was diligent and persistent and 
 his careful management brought him substantial success. In 1893 he retired 
 from farm work and came to Davenport, where he has since figured in the finan- 
 cial circles of the city. In connection with Fred Heinz and others he organized 
 the Farmers & Mechanics Savings Bank, of which Mr. Heinz became president, 
 while Mr. Stoltenberg accepted the vice presidency and later succeeded Mr. 
 Heinz as president. B. J. Meyer became cashier and the business was instituted 
 upon a safe and paying basis, its conservative methods commending it to the 
 patronage and support of the general public. Mr. Stoltenberg was also con- 
 nected with the Davenport Malting Company for a number of years. 
 
 In 1853 Mr. Stoltenberg was married to Miss Anna Sindt, a native of 
 Germany, who came to Davenport in 1851 with her father, Hans Sindt. Mr. 
 Stoltenberg is very prominent in Masonry, having attained the thirty-second 
 degree of the Scottish Rite, his life being a splendid exemplification of the basic 
 principles of the order. His political allegiance has been given to the democracy 
 since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and he served as county 
 supervisor from 1892 until 1895. While he is interested in the political situ- 
 ation of the country, he has concentrated his efforts more largely upon business 
 affairs and has won commendable success. He stands as a splendid type of the 
 German pioneer of worth in citizenship, progressive in thought and action — a 
 man of high character, honored wherever known and most of all where best 
 known. 
 
 JOSEPH H. SKELLY. 
 
 The death of Joseph H. Skelly occurred in Davenport, November 25, 1900, 
 after a residence of seven years in this city. He was born in La Salle, Illinois, 
 December 16, 1854. His father was a pioneer of that locality and engaged ii? 
 teaming in La Salle. In his youthful days the son attended the Brothers schools 
 and was baptized and confirmed in the Roman Catholic church at La Salle. 
 When fourteen years of age he began providing for his own support, taking up 
 railroad work, in which position he was advanced from ofi&ce boy to clerk, opera- 
 tor and train dispatcher. He thoroughly learned the railroad business and be- 
 came a warm personal friend of William C. Brown, they starting in together as 
 telegraph operators. Mr. Skelly spent many years in the service of the Rock 
 
618 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Island, Northern Pacific and the Burlington Companies, and while at Creston, 
 Iowa, became affected with telegrapher's paralysis in his right arm. In 1893 he 
 came to Davenport from Kansas City and opened a cigar store, handling all 
 kinds of smokers' supplies and winning for himself a large and profitable trade. 
 He was popular with the people here and built up a good business, which enabled 
 him. at the time of his death to leave his family a comfortable competence. 
 
 Mr. Skelly was married in Stillwater, Minnesota, in 1888, to Miss Ernestine 
 P. Paulson, a daughter of P. A. Paulson, who came to Davenport in the 'sos and 
 was for many years one of the leading business men of the city, carrying on a 
 jewelry store here. He was lost at sea in the wreck of the Schiller, May 9, 1875. 
 His wife had previously passed away. He left five children, all of whom sur- 
 vive him: Mrs. H. T. Jassoy and Mrs. L. L. Mauwaring, both of Stillwater, 
 Minnesota; Mrs. Theodore Oelkers, of this city; G. A., also of Davenport; and 
 Mrs. Skelly. The mother, who bore the maiden name of Julia Sieboldt, was a 
 native of Germany. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Skelly was born but one child, E. J., 
 who is at home with his mother. 
 
 The death of the husband and father occurred November 25, 1900. He was 
 a member of the first Business Men's Club of Davenport, also held member- 
 ship in the Masonic fraternity and gave his political allegiance to the republican 
 party. Although confirmed in the Catholic church, he attended Grace cathedral, 
 now Trinity cathedral, of the Episcopal faith, after his marriage. His marked 
 qualities were those which won him kindly regard and warm friendship as well 
 as the abiding love of his family. His success in business was attributable en- 
 tirely to his own efforts, for at the early age of fourteen he started out empty- 
 handed and labored for those advantages which others sometimes receive 
 through inheritance or through the offices of influential friends. His own dili- 
 gence constituted the key which unlocked for him the portals of success. 
 
 FRITZ RANN. 
 
 A valuable farm of two hundred and ten acres in Cleona township still pays 
 tribute to Fritz Rann, although he has put aside the active work of the fields 
 and is now living retired in Davenport. He was for many years busily engaged 
 in tilling the soil and his labors brought him the success which enables him now 
 to rest from further effort. He was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, 
 September 6, 1844, and is a son of Frederick and Louisa Rann. The father was 
 a laborer there and remained in his native country until 1872, when he and his 
 wife came to America, joining their son Fritz, who had some time before crossed 
 the Atlantic. They both died in Davenport, the father when eighty-seven years 
 of age, the mother when about fifty-five years of age. In their family were 
 three children: Fritz; Peter, who is a retired farmer living in Muscatine, Iowa; 
 and Henry, whose home is in Omaha. 
 
 Fritz Rann attended school in Germany and afterward learned the cboper's 
 trade, but followed farming in Germany until he came to the United States. In 
 1870 he landed at New York and made his way direct to Davenport. Soon he 
 
mi;, and MRS. FRITZ RANN 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 621 
 
 secured employment as a fann hand in Scott county and worked in that way for 
 about five years, after which he went to Nebraska, where he rented a farm. Two 
 years later, however, he lost all of his money and returned to Scott county. 
 Here he again worked as a farm hand for two years, at the end of which time he 
 was married. His wife owned a small farm in Cleona township and they lived 
 thereon for about two years, after which they removed to Davenport, where 
 Mr. Rann has since made his home. 
 
 Mr. Rann has been married twice. In 1880 he wedded Miss Minnie Rusch, 
 who died in 1895. In the fall of the same year he wedded Louisa Stearhmann 
 and unto them was born one child, who died in infancy. Mr. Rann now rents his 
 farm and from it derives a good income, so that he does not have to resort to 
 active labor for a livehhood. He is a member of the Claus Groth Gilde and is 
 well known among the German-American citizens of the county. All entertain 
 for him confidence and good will. 
 
 FRED WERNENTIN, JR. 
 
 Fred Wernentin, Jr., whose life record has been characterized by an orderly 
 progression, is now the secretary and treasurer of the Midland Plumbing Sup- 
 ply Company, conducting a wholesale plumbing and supply business that is 
 hardly exceeded in the extent of trade in the state. Correctly judging of his 
 own capacities and powers, he has utilized each passing moment to the best ad- 
 vantage and at all times based his business principles and conduct upon the rules 
 which govern strict and unswerving commercial integrity. Davenport is proud 
 of his record, inasmuch as he is one of her native sons, his birth having oc- 
 curred here in 1870, 
 
 His parents were Fred and Mary (Doering) Wernentin. The former came 
 from Germany when a young man. He had previously acquired a good edu- 
 cation in that country, and, attracted by the reports of opportunities here offered, 
 he crossed the Atlantic, hoping to benefit his financial condition in the new world. 
 He came direct to Davenport, where he followed the stone-mason's trade, which 
 he had previously learned in the land of his birth. He worked on Government 
 Island for a time and later was appointed mail carrier, which position he filled 
 for a number of years. He then entered the employ of John Berwald but all 
 through this period was actuated by the laudable ambition and determination 
 of one day engaging in business for himself. When his industry and careful 
 expenditure made this course possible, he established a stationery and book 
 business, in which he met with growing success, building up a good trade. Later, 
 however, he disposed of his store and became connected with the Corry & Wer- 
 nentin Company, with which he was associated until about three years ago, 
 and up to the time that this company sold their interests to the Midland Plumb- 
 ing Supply Company, when he retired from active life to spend his remaining 
 days in the enjoyment of well earned rest. He has never had occasion to re- 
 gret his determination to come to America,, for he has here found the oppor- 
 tunities which he sought and in their utilization, as the years have gone by, has 
 
622 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 gained a substantial competence. Moreover, his social environment has been 
 a pleasing one, for he has gained many friends during the period of his resi- 
 dence in the city. . 
 
 Fred Wernentin, Jr., is the second eldest of four children, the others being, 
 Oscar, Edward and Clara Wernentin. At the usual age he entered the public 
 schools but when still quite young took up the plumbing trade, to which he ap- 
 plied himself diligently until he had mastered the business and became an ex- 
 pert workman. He remained in the service of others for some time but de- 
 siring that his labors should more directly benefit himself, he embraced what he 
 believed to be a favorable opportunity for starting out upon an independent 
 venture. He joined John Corry in organizing what was then called the Corry 
 & Wernentin Company. From the beginning the new enterprise prospered and 
 its progressive policy has led to the continual expansion of the business, which 
 more recently has been organized and incorporated imder the name of the Mid- 
 land Plumbing Supply Company, controlling one of the largest concerns of the 
 kind in the state. They do a wholesale plumbing and supply business and the 
 extent of their trade makes this one of the foremost business enterprises in 
 Davenport. 
 
 In 1898 Mr. Wernentin was married to Miss Annie Lembke, a daughter of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lembke, and unto them have been born two children, but 
 the elder, Elwin, is now deceased, having been unfortunately killed in June, 
 1909. The younger son Leon, is still in school. 
 
 Mr. Wernentin is a very prominent Mason, the "Degree of Knight Com- 
 mander of the Court of Honor" having been conferred upon him, an honor to 
 which few attain. Diligent and determined, he brooks no obstacles that can 
 be overcome by persistent and honorable efifort, and his unfaltering industry 
 has carried him into important business relations. 
 
 J. C. DUNCAN. 
 
 One of the prominent citizens of Davenport, whose name at least is known 
 throughout the state, is J. C. Duncan, of the Duncan Davenport Business Col- 
 lege. He was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, December 14, 1840, of 
 Scotch ancestors, for his grandfather, James Duncan, came from the land of 
 hills and heather in the latter part of the eighteenth century. His son, James 
 Duncan, was born in Virginia, but was reared by a farmer in Allegheny county, 
 Pennsylvania, where he made his home until 1855, when he came to Iowa, lo- 
 cating near Le Claire, Scott county. There he lived throughout the remainder 
 of his life and there died at the age of sixty-nine years. His wife, who had been 
 Miss Jane Wilson, before her marriage, was a native of Allegheny county, 
 Pennsylvania, and lived to the ripe age of sixty-eight years. Eleven children 
 were born to them, all of whom grew to maturity and eight are still living. 
 
 The second in this family and the eldest son, J. C. Duncan, grew to man- 
 hood with many of the responsibilities that fall to the share of the eldest among 
 a number of children. He was about fourteen when his parents came to Iowa 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 623 
 
 and can well remember the tedious trip by water in those days, when con- 
 veniences for traveling were few. He had received his early education in the 
 state of his birth, but after his advent here attended the public schools of this 
 county while giving the best of his labor to the cultivation of the farm under 
 the guidance of his father. When he was nineteen he started out to make his 
 own way in the world. He went first to Kansas with the intention of remain- 
 ing for one month, but he discovered opportunities in that state and it was two 
 years before he returned to Scott county to take up farming. For the next fifteen 
 years he toiled assiduously in the cultivation of the soil, except three years dur- 
 ing the Civil war, but although he was successful in a measure, he was con- 
 fident that larger opportunities and a more congenial occupation awaited him 
 elsewhere. Accordingly he entered, as a student, the Bryant and Stratton Bus- 
 iness College of Davenport and, having completed the course of study, ac- 
 cepted a position as teacher in that institution, which he held until 1883, when he 
 became part owner of the concern. Three years later, in 1886, he bought the 
 interests of his partners, changed the name of the school to the Duncan Daven- 
 port Business College and as such has conducted it to the present time. Its 
 students and graduates are found throughout the country, but in the state of 
 Iowa alone fifty-six cashiers and thirty-five assistant cashiers of banks were 
 initiated into the intricacies of business in his school. This is surely a grati- 
 fying percentage, but it does not include the many other graduates who are 
 proving a credit to the institution and its head in positions of equal responsi- 
 bility, for Mr. Duncan has made a name for himself as a thorough instructor, 
 a man of fine business ability and high principles, so that the college is recog- 
 nized as an institution in which thorough instruction is given and the nobler ideals 
 of life inculcated. The students as they issue from his doors are well fitted 
 to fill responsible positions and by their achievements spread the fair reputation 
 of the Duncan Davenport Business College more effectively than paid 
 advertising. 
 
 In 1862, Mr. Duncan wedded Miss Nancy McConnell, who like her husband 
 was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania. Of the children born to them three 
 sons and four daughters are still living. They are Ella, now a teacher; E. H., 
 head accountant for the Armour car lines of Chicago, Illinois; Violet, at home; 
 Katie, the wife of Phillip Freytag, of Reynolds, Illinois; J. D., the manager of 
 J. H. C. Petersen's general store in Davenport ; Charles, who is in the wholesale 
 grocery business in Davenport, being secretary of the company and also of the 
 Crosset Timber Company; and Laura, a stenographer for the J. H. C. Petersen 
 Company. 
 
 For more than half a century Mr. Duncan has been a resident of Scott county, 
 and while he has taken little active part in the affairs of local government his in- 
 fluence has ever been exerted in behalf of the best interests of his fellow citi- 
 zens. His support has always been given to the republican party. Frater- 
 nally he is connected with the Modem Woodmen and with the Masons. In 
 the latter organization he is particularly active for he has advanced to the 
 thirty-second degree, has been knighted in the commandery and has been ad- 
 mitted to the Order of the Mystic Shrine. He is one of the well known men 
 of Davenport, where he enjoys an enviable reputation as the result of his many 
 
624 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 years of earnest endeavor and devotion to what he believed to be the right. Dur- 
 ing the dark days of the Civil war he manifested his patriotism by enlisting as 
 a private August 15, 1862 in Company G, Twentieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, 
 which was engaged in frontier service through Missouri, Arkansas and Indian 
 Territory. The regiment also took part in the siege of Vicksburg and Fort 
 Morgan and continued in active service until hostilities ceased. Mr. Duncan 
 is now an honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic. 
 
 CHARLES FAUSTIAN. 
 
 Charles Paustian is known as a successful farmer of Hickory Grove town- 
 ship, his possessions comprising two hundred and forty acres of land all in one 
 body, this place being called the Home Farm. It is also his birthplace, his natal 
 day being September 6, 1865. His parents, Frederick and Christina (Roehs) 
 Paustian, were natives of Holstein, Germany, the former born January 14,. 1820, 
 and the latter bom on the 25th of August, 1825. They were reared in the old 
 country and came to the new world in 185 1. They were married soon after 
 their arrival here and settled on a farm in Scott county, which the father bought. 
 Prior to coming to America he had followed his trade of a mason but after lo- 
 cating in Scott county gave his time to general farming throughout his busi- 
 ness career. His family numbered twelve children but two of the number died 
 in childhood, the others being: Caroline, the wife of Martin Greenwald, of Qeona 
 township; Fred, who resides in Minnesota; August, of Hickory Grove town- 
 ship; Emma, the wife of Christ Paustian, of Cleona township; Louis, who 
 makes his home in Cedar county, Iowa; Sophia, the wife of William Buhmahn, 
 a resident of O'Brien county, Iowa ; James, of Hickory Grove township ; Charles, 
 of this review; Minnie, the wife of Herman Meinert, who resides in Cleona 
 township ; and Bertha, the wife of Henry Paulsen, a resident of Muscatine county, 
 Iowa. The parents became well-to-do and highly respected pioneers of Scott 
 county but both are now deceased. The father passed away on the 27th of 
 January, 1885, when he had reached the age of sixty-five years, while the 
 mother, surviving for about fifteen years, departed this life July 21, 1900, when 
 she was seventy-five years of age. 
 
 Charles Paustian was reared under the parental roof, assisting his father 
 in the work of the fields during the spring and summer seasons, while in the 
 winter months he pursued his studies in the district schools near his Rome. He 
 has made farming his life work and is now the owner of the old homestead farm, 
 the tract embracing two hundred and forty acres, eighty acres of which lies on 
 section 29, while the remainder is located on section 30, Hickory Grove town- 
 ship. On the place stands a substantial brick residence, which was erected by 
 the father, while all the outbuildings have been built by Mr. Paustian of this re- 
 view. Each year his labors are rewarded by bounteous harvests, for he is sys- 
 tematic in his methods of farming and knows what plan to follow to bring the 
 best results. 
 
FltEDEIUrK PAISTIAX 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 627 
 
 Mr. Paustian was married in 1891 to Miss Lizzie Dietz, who was born in 
 Cleona township, this county, September 20, 1868, a daughter of John Dietz, 
 a residence of Cleona township. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Paustian have been born 
 one son and eight daughters : Christina, Agnes, Horace, Elsie, Malinda, Evelyn, 
 Elvira, Norma and Leona. 
 
 In the midst of a busy life on the farm Mr. Paustian finds time to give to other 
 interests of a pubUc nature, acting as a director of the Walcott Savings Bank 
 and of the Farmers Elevator Company of Walcott. In his political views he is a 
 democrat but is not active as an office seeker. His fraternal relations are with 
 the Knights of Pythias at Walcott. Mr. Paustian chose rather a significant name 
 for his place — Home Farm — for while its surroundings are characteristic of 
 all that the name implies, it has as well been the place of his abode from the 
 date of his birth to the present time, and the associations of his early boyhood 
 and youth as well as those of later manhood have made it to him a cherished 
 spot. 
 
 HENRY SINDT. 
 
 With the passing away of Henry Sindt in 1898 Walcott lost one of if not its 
 most public-spirited citizen, who for more than twenty years had been prominently 
 connected with the business interests and public affairs of the city. One of 
 Iowa's native sons, his birth occurred in Davenport on October 9, 1850, his 
 parents being Thies and Abel ( Stoltenberg) Sindt, both natives of Holstein, 
 Germany, where the father was born on the 19th of November, 1824. The year 
 1847 witnessed the arrival of the parents in America, the family home being es- 
 tablished in Davenport, where they were married. The father followed the tin- 
 ner's trade until 1855. He then took up the occupation of farming in which he 
 was engaged for a number of years. He still survives at the age of eighty-five 
 years, and makes his home in Davenport, where he is living retired from active 
 labor, enjoying a well earned rest. 
 
 Henry Sindt, whose name initiates this review, was the eldest in a family of 
 eight children, and under the parental roof passed the period of his boyhood and 
 youth. At the usual age he was sent as a pupil to the public schools of Daven- 
 port, and in Bryant & Stratton Business College of that city received thorough 
 and comprehensive commercial training that well equipped him for the practical 
 and responsible duties of business life. In 1873 he came to Walcott and the suc- 
 ceeding two years were devoted to the occupation of farming, after which, in 
 1875, he became identified with hotel interests, conducting a hostelry up until 
 189s, three years prior to his death. His excellent business training and his 
 good judgment and wise discrimination well fitted him for carrying on such an 
 enterprise, and with the passing of the years his establishment proved a most 
 profitable and paying investment. The proprietor believed in providing the very 
 best at all times, recognizing that there could be no better advertisement than 
 satisfied patrons, and the hotel; modern and up-to-date in all of its appointments, 
 became well known throughout the locality for its excellent service and was the 
 favorite stopping place of a large number of persons visiting this community. 
 
628 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 It was on the 22d of February, 1873, that Mr. Sindt was united in marriage 
 to Miss Catharina Horst, a native of Holstein, Germany, and a daughter of 
 Jochim Horst, who also became a citizen of Walcott. Four children came to 
 bless this union, of whom two are still living, namely : August, a resident of Lake 
 Park, Iowa; and Clara, the wife of Robert Bennewitz, of Walcott. Alma passed 
 away on the 29th of May, 1904, at the age of eighteen years, while Laura died, 
 in 1876 when eleven months old. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Sindt belonged to the Ancient Order of United Workmen 
 of Walcott, while politically he gave stalwart allegiance to the principles of the 
 democratic party. Public-spirited to an eminent degree, he at all times cooper- 
 ated in every movement which had for its object the advancement and upbuild- 
 ing of the community. His fellow citizens, recognizing his ability and worth, 
 called him to various positions of honor and trust, and for nine years hs served as 
 trustee of Blue Grass township. For six years he filled the office of township 
 clerk and from 1888 until 1894 acted as a member of the county board of super- 
 visors, also serving as township constable for seventeen years. Faithful and 
 efficient at all times in the discharge of the duties that devolved upon him in his 
 public office, he was not only popular with the members of his own party but 
 won the honor and esteem of his political opponents and no citizen of Walcott 
 occupied a higher place nor more richly merited the respect and admiration of 
 his fellowmen than did Mr. Sindt. He was equally well known in the social 
 circles of this city and therefore the news of his death, which occurred on the 
 9th of June, 1898, caused a feeling of personal loss throughout the entire com- 
 munity, with the affairs of which he had been so closely and thoroughly identified 
 during the period of his residence here. His widow still survives and makes her 
 home in Walcott, where she is highly esteemed by all who know her for her 
 many excellent traits of heart and mind. 
 
 JOHN A. LITTIG. 
 
 There is perhaps no other man in Davenport who has done as much toward 
 the improvement of the streets and the building of good roads as has John A. 
 Littig, who for the past seven years has given his time to construction work 
 along this line. In the paternal line he comes of French descent and his great- 
 grandfather, Peter Littig served as an officer under Napoleon in the battle of 
 Waterloo. His son John was the progenitor of the family in America. His 
 family included Peter N. Littig, who became the father of our subject. The 
 latter lived on a farm just outside the city limits in Davenport township, and is 
 one of the oldest pioneer settlers of this section of Iowa. After residing on his 
 farm for many years he removed to Davenport, where he now lives practically 
 retired although he assists his son in the management of his business interests 
 merely for pastime. He wedded Miss Erma Fidler, who died in 1902. 
 
 John A. Littig was born on the home farm in Davenport township, the 
 date of his birth being June 8, 1872. At the usual age he was sent to the com- 
 mon schools and during the periods of vacation he rendered assistance to his 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 629 
 
 father in the work of the fields. After completing his studies in the common 
 schools he pursued a course in Griswold College, after which he engaged in 
 teaching for three years. Subsequently he engaged in the creamery business 
 for a time but eventually returned to the home farm and assisted his father in 
 its management until seven years ago, when he came to Davenport and took up 
 the work of contracting, being the first to institute the building of roads by con- 
 tract in Scott county. He began on a small scale, doing all the work him- 
 self, even driving the team in grading. He has continued in this line of ac- 
 tivity to the present time and has already gained a reputation for high-grade 
 work. He has always been interested in good roads and while advancing his 
 own personal interests, he is at the same time doing an important work for the 
 community at large. 
 
 Mr. Littig was married on the 3d of October, 1900, to Miss Josephine An- 
 derson, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Anderson, of Moline, Illinois. Three 
 daughters and two sons grace the home of Mr. and Mrs. Littig, Marion V., 
 Earl C, Cloyd E., Inez C. and Marie A. Fraternally Mr. Littig is affiliated 
 with the Elks and he and his wife are communicants of the Episcopal church, in 
 the work of which they take an active and helpful interest. The family home is 
 a modern residence at No. 223 West Thirteenth street and it is noted for its gen- 
 erous and warm-hearted hospitality. In everything, Mr. Littig has been emi- 
 nently practical and this has been manifest not only in his business undertak- 
 ings but also in social and private life. 
 
 CHARLES W. PINNEO. 
 
 Charles W. Pinneo has completed the three score years and ten allotted by 
 the Psalmist as man's span of life and is now living retired in the village of 
 Princeton, where he owns some valuable property. For a long period he was 
 identified with the agricultural interests of Princeton township and for almost 
 four decades was a factor in the educational work of his section of Scott county. 
 His life covers the period of Iowa's great development, and he is a son of one 
 of the pioneers of this section of the state whose energy, courage and progres- 
 sive spirit made possible the conditions which are now enjoyed by all. 
 
 Giles M. Pinneo, the father of Charles W., is especially deserving of men- 
 tion on the honored roll of Scott county's early settlers, and his name fre- 
 quently appears as that of the man who was a leader in various affairs. He was 
 bom in Waterbury, Vermont, April 10, 1809, and was a son of Giles Pinneo. 
 The family is of French descent and was established on this side of the At- 
 lantic by Jacques Pinneaux and a brother, who fled to America at the time of 
 the French revolution. Giles M. Pinneo, Sr., the grandfather of Charles W. 
 Pinneo, and his brother Daniel served in the American war of 1812, while two 
 sons of the former, Giles and Haswell Pinneo, enlisted in Lincoln's troops at 
 the time of the Black Hawk war. Haswell Pinneo was in active service through- 
 out the conflict, but the other was taken sick and never did duty upon the field. 
 
630 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Giles M. Pinneo, the father of our subject, lived in the vicinity of Water- 
 bury, Vermont, until of age, receiving his education in the public schools there. 
 In 1832 he came west, settling first near Rock Island, Illinois, where he worked 
 for Judge Spencer. In the fall of 1833 he crossed the river and took up a claim 
 in Pleasant Valley township, Scott county, Iowa, and the wheat he sowed upon 
 that land was the first planted in Scott county. About a year later he came to 
 Princeton township, where he secured at the government price three hundred 
 and twenty acres of prairie land, which is still in the possession of his son Charles 
 W. Pinneo. He did not live upon that tract at first, however, but he and his 
 brother Haswell H. built a house upon the river bank, in which they kept bach- 
 elor quarters for a year. Then Giles M. Pinneo married and removed to his own 
 farm in Princeton township, the claim for which is the first recorded in the books 
 of the township, and thereon he built a log cabin, in which he and his wife lived 
 until 1855, when he erected a fine brick house that is still standing. He made 
 other improvements on the place and later went to Sangamon county, Illinois, 
 to purchase two cows and a bull, which were the first cattle brought to Prince- 
 ton township. 
 
 Giles M. Pinneo occupied a prominent place in his township and county, be- 
 ing the incumbent of some office through the greater part of his active life. He took 
 the first assessment in Scott county and made his own books of foolscap paper, 
 as it was impossible to get books for the purpose here. He also served as su- 
 pervisor for a number of years. He was one of three commissioners appointed 
 to find a location for the county seat of Polk county and it was largely through 
 his influence that in 1846 Des Moines was determined upon, which later on led 
 to the location of the state capital there. He and a friend, Wilbur Warren, built 
 the first schoolhouse here, bringing all the lumber and doing all the work them- 
 selves, and Mr. Pinneo was instrumental in establishing the first Sabbath school. 
 Later he was a member of the school board and was ever a potent factor in ad- 
 vancing the educational opportunities of his locality. In politics he was a dem- 
 ocrat until 1856, when he became a stalwart republican, while his religious al- 
 legiance was given to the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he frequently 
 held office. The cause of temperance always found in him a strong advocate. 
 Indeed, he was a man who was ever at the head of any movement for the public 
 good and was well and favorably known throughout Scott county and this sec- 
 tion of Iowa. He claimed that he had witnessed the greatest miracle ever 
 wrought for the benefit of man, namely, the transformation of the wild, un- 
 broken prairie into the fertile farms and prosperous towns now to be seen in 
 this county, and in his death, which occurred July 5, 1895, the community lost 
 one of the vaHant men whose labors had been so effective in bringing about this 
 change. 
 
 In November, 1837, Giles M. Pinneo was married to Miss Asenath Strieker, 
 who was born in Clark county, Indiana, in 1818. In their family were three 
 children, namely: Charles W., the subject of this sketch; Sarah, the deceased 
 wife of Charles Ritch; and Mary E., who lives upon the old homestead. The 
 wife and mother endured all the hardships of pioneer life bravely and was called 
 to her final rest in 1861. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 631 
 
 Charles W. Pinneo was born in Princeton township, December 25, 1839, 
 and has spent his entire life in this locality. After completing the course in the 
 district schools he entered Cornell College at Mount Vernon, Iowa, but was com- 
 pelled to leave school after the second year on account of his mother's death. 
 Thereupon he returned to the farm, which he operated in the summer, while in 
 the winter he taught school. As a teacher he was connected with the schools of 
 Princeton township for thirty-eight years, for twenty-two years of that period 
 having held classes in the same room. In 1882 he removed to Princeton and 
 taught in the village school until 1897, when he laid aside active business. He 
 still retains possession of three hundred and thirty acres of farm land he in- 
 herited from his father and owns the fine town property where he lives. Like 
 his father he has participated in the public life of the township, for he served 
 as trustee for twenty years, was clerk of elections a number of times and was 
 a member of the town council. He has also rendered valuable service to the 
 cause of education as a member of the school board, and his influence has al- 
 ways been exerted in behalf of improvement. 
 
 In Chicago, Illinois, December 24, 1868, Mr. Pinneo was married to Miss 
 Josephine E. Bell, a native of Machias Port, Maine." Her father. Dr. George 
 L. Bell, owned considerable land in this county and for a short time practiced 
 medicine here, but his professional labors were for the most part confined to 
 Boston, Massachusetts. He died in Chicago in 1891. His wife, who was Miss 
 Eliza A. Fairbanks in her maidenhood, was bom November 9, 1817, and is still 
 living. Mr. and Mrs. Pinneo have one son, George M., who was born June 
 7, 1874, and is now a railroad man. 
 
 Mr. Pinneo holds active membership in Independent Order of Odd Fellows 
 society and has passed all the chairs of the lodge. The circle of his friends, 
 however, is not limited by the number of his fraternal brethren, for he is widely 
 and favorably known in this county, where his entire life has been passed and 
 where he has so directed his energies and his activities as to win the respect 
 and good will of those who have known him through a long period. Not only 
 have his labors been productive of financial success, but he has been also afforded 
 many opportunities to do a large measure of good for others, and the mem- 
 ory of his deeds will survive even after he has passed away. 
 
 JOHN HAAK. 
 
 One of the most enterprising young business men of Davenport is John 
 Haak, manager of the Davenport Leaf Tobacco Company, which is located at 
 319 Western avenue. A native of this city, he was born August 7, 1872, a son 
 of Ferdinand and Caroline (Kohrdt) Haak. The father was bom in Elmshorn, 
 Germany, about four miles from Hungary, in 1845, his parents being Carsten 
 and Lesette (Oldendorf ) Haak. Carsten Haak was a man of means, who came 
 to this country in 1857 and began farming in the vicinity of Davenport. He 
 died in 1888. His son, the father of our subject, came here at about the age 
 of twelve years, completing the education he had begun in Germany in the 
 
632 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 schools of Davenport. His early life was spent upon a farm, but when he 
 reached manhood he learned the trade of a cigarmaker, became foremen of a 
 factory, and then, in 1870, engaged in his present business, which has grown to 
 be one of the largest in the west. In it he had the assistance of his son John, 
 the subject of this sketch. He was married in 1867 and became the father of 
 seven children: Minnie, now the wife of Charles Meier; PauHne, the wife of 
 E. Gruenewald and the mother of one child; John, the subject of this sketch; 
 Richard, living in this county, who is married and has two daughters, Ermia 
 and Elsie; Edna and Elsie, who are at home; and Theckla the wife of Frank 
 Hetzel, of Sioux City, Iowa. The father belongs to the Turners and is a direc- 
 tor in the Iowa National Bank. 
 
 John Haak received his early education in the common schools of Davenport 
 and then took a commercial course in the business college here, after which he 
 learned the trade of cigarmaker under his father's tutelage. He worked for the 
 latter until 1896, when he branched out for himself, organizing the Globe Cigar 
 Company. This business he conducted profitably until February, 1905, when a 
 severe fire destroyed his father's establishment. Thereupon he sold his plant to 
 the latter and engaged in 4eaf tobacco buying and selling. He started in a small 
 way but through good management has brought his business up to the present 
 high standard it now enjoys. Indeed, he is the only man in his section of the 
 county who goes into the fields and buys his stock. In consequence he ob- 
 tains the very best and in its freshest condition, so that he is able to dispose of it 
 quickly and profitably, hampered by few competitors. He has eviriced strong 
 business qualities, is keen in discovering opportunities and, having made a rep- 
 utation for honesty, his word is as good as his bond. 
 
 On the 19th of October, 1899, Mr. Haak wedded Miss Mae Barbour, a 
 daughter of John and Katherine (Mason) Barbour, of Ainsworth, Iowa. Three 
 children have been born to the couple: Minnie, Gertrude and Ferdinand, Jr., 
 all of whom are attending school. Mr. Haak belongs to the Turners Society 
 and to the fraternal lodge of the T. P. A. 
 
 MRS. KATHRYN W. BLUEDORN. 
 
 Mrs. Kathryn W. Bluedorn, who owns a valuable tract of one hundred and 
 fifty-nine acres in Davenport township, is the widow of Frederick O. Bluedorn 
 and a daughter of August and Kathryn Petersen, who were among the very 
 early German settlers of Scott county. They came from Germany in 1843 and 
 upon their arrival here took up from the government the tract now occupied by 
 their daughter. It was prairie land, and had never known the touch of plow 
 or harrow, so that it was a difficult task that confronted the family when they 
 set out to make their home in the new world. Mr. Petersen broke the land, 
 prepared it for cultivation and instituted some of the improvements which now 
 adorn the property. 
 
 On this homestead, Mrs. Bluedorn began her life, April 30, 1850. She was 
 enrolled as a pupil in the district school of the locality, but owing to the death 
 
KATHftYX W. BLURDORX 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 635 
 
 of her father, while she was still a child, she was forced to leave her lessons 
 before well advanced in her studies and assist with the great amount of work 
 there was to be done at home. She was but little more than eighteen years of 
 age when, on the loth of November, 1868, she gave her hand in marriage to 
 Frederick Bluedom, who had been born in Germany in 1840 and had come to 
 this land with his parents, Charles and Louisa Bluedorn, when he was about 
 fifteen years of age. He settled first in Davenport, where he worked at the 
 trade of a cabinetmaker and later engaged in farm labor in the township of 
 Davenport. After his marriage he assisted in the operation of the farm be- 
 longing to his wife but was called to his final rest in 1892. 
 
 Mrs. Bluedorn became the mother of eleven children. Emelia married Ver- 
 nard Hencher, of Davenport, and they have two children, Adolph and Florence. 
 Gustave, who is residing in Sheridan township, wedded Miss Anna Kurt, and 
 they have three daughters. Norma, Mildred and Malinda. Rosie became the 
 wife of William Schumacher, of Davenport township, and they have one daugh- 
 ter, Rosie. Rudolph married Miss Rosie Sepke. They live in Walcott, Iowa, 
 and have four sons, Herbert, Rudolph, Edgar and Carl. Theodore, who lives in 
 Sheridan township, wedded Miss Emma Kurt, and they have three daughters 
 and one son, Edna, Ermal, Hilda and Stella. Emanda married Adolph Specie, 
 of Davenport township, and they have one daughter, Ella. Fannie became the 
 wife of John Eggers, of Davenport, Iowa. Frank lives at home and operates 
 his mother's farm. The other three children died in infancy. 
 
 Mrs. Bluedom has experienced the many hardships which fell to the lot 
 of those courageous men and women who sought to make a home for them- 
 selves in this county in the early years of its settlement, but she has also sur- 
 mounted all the trials of that period and in addition to being well situated now 
 she has the satisfaction of knowing that her- children have grown to a useful 
 maturity and, having profited by her teachings, hold honorable positions in their 
 respective communities. 
 
 WILLIAM WARNOCK BAILEY, M. D. 
 
 Dr. William Warnock Bailey is engaged in the general practice of medicine 
 in Le Claire and stands high among the members of the medical profession in 
 Scott county. He was born just across the Mississippi river in Rock Island 
 county, Illinois, January 23, 1866, a son of James and Margaret (Warnock) 
 Bailey, and is of Scotch-Irish descent. The father was born in County Down, 
 Ireland, January 7, 1829, and came to the United States when a youth of nine- 
 teen years, accompanying his parents, Robert and Jane (Campbell) Bailey. The 
 family home was established in Rock Island county and Robert Bailey being, a 
 stone mason by trade, became a pioneer in this line in that county. He also en- 
 tered eighty acres of raw land there, which he later improved, making his home 
 thereon until the time of his demise. This place eventually came into possession 
 of his son James, who for a number of years engaged in general farming and 
 cattle raising, and as his financial resources permitted he extended the boundaries 
 
636 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 of his farm until it comprised two hundred and forty acres. He became one of 
 the influential and enterprising men of that community, where he lived until 1897, 
 when he was called to his final rest, his death occurring on the i8th of August of 
 that year. He was a member of the United PreslDyterian church and held vaTJous 
 official positions, taiking an active and helpful part in all departments Of the 
 church work. His wife, Who bore the maiden name of Margaret Warnock, was 
 likewise born in County Down and was a little maiden of seven years when she 
 accompanied her parents, John and Mary (Campbell) Warnock, -on their trip 
 across the Atlantic to the United States. 'After a long and wearisome journey 
 of twelve weeks on the water they loca,ted in St. Louis, Missouri, the year of 
 their arrival there being 1848. In the following spring they continued their 
 journey to Rock Island county, Illinois, where the father purchased land. This 
 tract was situated in Rural township and Mr. Warnock thus became identified 
 with the early development of the locality as an agriculturist, and both he and his 
 wife passed away on the home farm. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. James Bailey were born eight children, as follows : Mary, 
 who is still at home ; Anna, who holds the principalsliip of the Ridgeview school 
 in Moline, Illinois ; William W., of this review ; Jennie, the wife of Roland Metz- 
 ler, a farmer of Rural township. Rock Island county; John, who also resides in 
 that township ; Hugh W., who graduated from a veterinary college in ChicagQ 
 and is now engaged in practice in Orion, Illinois ; Ella, the wife of Roy Ferguson, 
 of Henry county, Illinois ; and Betsey, a teacher in the schools of Rural township. 
 Rock Island county. 
 
 Dr. WilHam W. Bailey was reared to the pursuits of the home farm during 
 the period of his boyhood and youth and in the meantime he pursued his studies 
 in the district schools near the homestead in Rock Island county. He remained 
 under the parental roof giving his father the benefit of his services until he had 
 attained his majority and then for five years engaged in teaching. He used this 
 means of livelihood merely as a foundation for a higher calling and haviHg de- 
 cided upon the profession of medicine as u life work, to this end, in September, 
 1894, he entered Marion Sims Medical College, the medical department of St. 
 Louis University. He pursued a three-years' course, graduating from that insti- 
 tution in April, 1897, standing fourth highest in a class of ninety. During the 
 vacation seasons he did special work in Rebecca Hospital of that city and thus 
 gained a practical knowledge of medicine. Soon after his graduation. May 30, 
 1897,, he opened an office in Le Claire and from that time to the present has 
 engaged in general practice. In the years that have passed he has built up a 
 good patronage and is numbered among the successful physicians of Scott 
 county. 
 
 The Doctor was married December 27, 1894, to Miss Anna Mae Deal, a 
 daughter of Henry and Sarah A. (Sinclair) Deal, residents of Rural township, 
 Rock Island county, Illinois. They have one daughter, Grace. 
 
 Dr. Bailey is a Mason, belonging to Snow Lodge, No. 44, at Le Claire and to 
 the Mystic Shrine at Davenport. He likewise holds membership relations with 
 the Woodmen of the World, Modern Woodmen of America and the Court of 
 Honor. In politics he is a republican and is a member of the town council and 
 is president of the school board, while he is financially interested as a stock- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 637 
 
 holder in the Le Claire Savings Bank. He is a man of culture and sense, gener- 
 ous to friend or foe, and his Hfe of industry has brought a rich reward in the 
 high estimate his acquaintances place upon him as a physician and a man. 
 
 CHARLES W. LAU. 
 
 A well developed farm of one hundred and sixty acres, owned by Charles 
 W. Lau, forms one of the attractive features in the landscape of Lincoln town- 
 ship. This is the old home place of the family and it was in this township that 
 Charles W. Lau was born, March 26, 1855, his parents being Peter N. and Maria 
 (Siiehl) Lau, who were early German settlers of Scott county. They were both 
 born in Holstein, Germany, and were there reared and married. The father fol- 
 lowed the occupation of farming and had charge of a large estate in his native 
 country, where he continued to reside until after the birth of four of his chil- 
 dren. He then brought his family to the United States, landing at New York 
 on the 22d of May, 1853. Two of his children, William and Fritz, had died at 
 sea and their remains were interred in a cemetery at Brooklyn, New York. 
 The family then continued on their westward way to Davenport, making the 
 journey by rail to Chicago and thence by prairie schooner. They arrived in 
 June, 1853, and Peter N. Lau purchased prairie land. He left his family for 
 about a half year in Davenport, while he prepared the land for cultivation, built 
 a house and otherwise placed his farm in condition for a family home. With 
 the exception of a brief period spent in the city, he continued a resident of Lin- 
 coln township from the time of his arrival until called to his final rest. As the 
 years passed by he prospered and at one time was an extensive landowner. Later, 
 however, he disposed of much of the property and at the time of his demise 
 owned only a half section. He was prominent in community affairs, serving in 
 a number of township offices, including that of school director and trustee. His 
 last years were spent in retirement from active business and he died on the 5th 
 of March, 1884, at the age of sixty-four years. His wife passed away in 1897, 
 at the age of eighty-one years. In their family were six children, four of whom 
 are yet living: Henry, of Lincoln township; Margaret, of Davenport; Charles 
 W., of this review; and Elizabeth, of Davenport. 
 
 Charles W. Lau has spent his entire life in Lincoln township and his early 
 education, acquired in the district schools, was supplemented by study in Gris- 
 wold College. He then returned home and assisted his father in the cultivation 
 of the farm. In 1881 he married and took possession of the farm, while his 
 parents retired and removed to Davenport. Here Charles W. Lau has resided 
 continuously since, devoting his time and energies to the further development 
 and improvement of his land as the years have gone by. He is diligent and perse- 
 vering in all that he undertakes and his farm is one of the highly developed prop- 
 erties of the locality. He makes a specialty of raising alfalfa and has given 
 much time to introducing the crop here. He also carries on general farming and 
 keeps a number of cows, making a specialty of the production of butter. The 
 house which he occupies was erected by his father in 1866 and is one of the old 
 
638 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 landmarks of the county. The father purchased this place when it was all wild 
 prairie land, not a furrow having been turned nor an improvement made upon it, 
 but as the years went by the labors of father and son have transformed it into 
 one of the best properties of this section of the state. 
 
 It was on the loth of March, 1881, that Mr. Lau was married to Miss Eliza- 
 beth Kreiter, a daughter of Charles and Marie Kreiter, of Davenport township. 
 Her parents, of German birth, came to the United States about 1866. Her father 
 died in 1906, at the age of seventy-four years, and the mother is still living. Mrs. 
 Lau was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, and by her marriage has become the 
 mother of six children : Alfred H., at home ; Oscar M., who wedded Ethel Down 
 and makes his home in Des Moines, Iowa ; Carl S., who recently enjoyed a trip 
 around the world and is now at home; Elmer H., who is in the navy; Cora M., 
 who is a high-school student ; and Victor Charles. 
 
 In addition to his farming interests Mr. Lau is serving as vice president of 
 the German Mutual Fire Insurance Company and has been active along many 
 lines whereby the interests of the community and the county at large have been 
 promoted. He has served as a trustee of the township and for about eleven 
 years was school director. He is a prominent member of Grange No. 2029, of 
 which he is master and he is also master of the Pomona Grange, and president 
 of the Farmers Cooperative Association. He was one of the organizers of the 
 Grange, has always taken a prominent part in its meetings and has been actively 
 identified with the Farmers Institute work, which he helped to organize, serving 
 on the board of directors. He is likewise identified with the German Pioneer 
 Society of Scott county. His labors have been practical and effective and the 
 material interests of this portion of the state have been greatly enhanced through 
 his efl^orts. His labors have resulted not only to his own benefit but have been 
 of material assistance in promoting general progress. 
 
 HENRY STENDER. 
 
 Henry Stender is a member of the Holstein, Germany, colony, which may be 
 said to be a section of that old-world province transplanted within the limits of 
 Scott county. He was born in Neumunster, Holstein, March 19, 1854, his parents 
 being Hans and Margaret (Harder) Stender, good German citizens who followed 
 farming and passed their whole lives in their native land. They had the following 
 five children : Dietlieb, who died in Germany; Lina, a resident in Germany; Henry, 
 of this sketch; Julius, who came to the United States in 1884 and is at present a 
 citizen of Montana, and Mary, who died in Germany. 
 
 When a young man twenty years of age, Henry Stender came to the new world 
 as so many of his associates had done before him. He first set foot on American 
 soil June 27, 1874, no doubt a somewhat forlorn and doubtful youth, for he had 
 been courageous enough to come quite alone. By advice, he journeyed west to 
 Scott county, Iowa, and was so well pleased with the associations he formed here 
 that he has remained ever since. For the first seven years he earned his livelihood 
 as a farm hand and then found himself in a position to contemplate matrimony. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 641 
 
 Upon his marriage in 1881 he began the cultivation of a rented farm and was 
 engaged in this fashion for the next eight years. In 1888 he purchased the farm 
 upon which he now resides, a tract of two hundred acres located in section 28, 
 Hickory Grove township, and at present a fine piece of property in a high state of 
 improvement. He prospered sufficiently to add to his holdings a farm of one 
 hundred and twenty acres on section 35, the same township, which he rents to 
 another. 
 
 Mr. Stender was married in 1881 to Miss Cecelia Arp, a native of Hickory 
 Grove township, where she was born May i, i860, and where she has always made 
 her home. Her parents were Hans and Abel (Vieths) Arp, natives of Holstein, 
 Germany. Her father came to America when eighteen years of age and her 
 mother when twelve, their marriage being celebrated a few years later. Mr. Arp 
 became a landholder and he and his wife were the parents of ten children, five of 
 whom are living. The father was born January 3, 1835, and died October 12, 
 1907, while the mother, who was born June 4, 1834, passed away January 12, 1906. 
 To Mr. and Mrs. Stender have been born seven children : Hans, who died at the 
 age of three months ; Amanda, who died when one year old ; Louis, at home ; Ru- 
 dolph, residing at Avoca, where he holds the position of assistant cashier of the 
 Avoca State Bank; Hugo, Henry, and Hilda, at home. 
 
 Mr. Stender gives loyal support to the men and principles of the democratic 
 party. He has been honored with several of the public trusts and for the past 
 decade has been treasurer of the Fairview school district. No. 3. For two years . 
 he has been one of the directors of the Farmers Savings Bank of Walcott. His 
 life record is inspiring, for without means he came to a strange land and has 
 become a man of influence and property. 
 
 JAMES B. PADGHAM, M. D. 
 
 Dr. James B. Padgham, who has recently taken up the practice of medicine 
 in Donahue, Aliens Grove township, was born at Inland, Cedar county, Iowa, 
 March 30, 1883, a son of Dr. George W. and Magdalena (Rager) Padgham. 
 The father was born near Troy, New York, in 1849, but as a mere child came to 
 Iowa with his parents, settling in Scott county. He received his early education 
 in the public schools, after which he attended the State University of Iowa, from 
 which he obtained his medical degree. For a number of years he practiced in 
 Cedar county, then removing to Scott county, made his home in Dixon for ten 
 years, after which he returned to the former county, where, in the town of Ben- 
 nett, he spent the last four years of his life. His death occurred July 4, 1898. 
 His wife was born near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1848 and was about four- 
 teen years of age when her parents located in Cedar county, Iowa, where she 
 grew to maturity. She is now living in Dixon, Scott county. Five children 
 were born to Dr. and Mrs. George Padgham : Mary Myrtle, who died at the age 
 of seventeen years ; John T., a physician in Dayton, Iowa, who attended the high 
 school at Davenport and later the State University of Iowa, from which he was 
 
642 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 graduated June i6, 1909; Laura Edith, the wife of P. R. Bell, of Bennett, Iowa; 
 Benjamin Walter, a resident of Dixon; and James B., the subject of this sketch. 
 
 James B. Padgham was about three months old when his parents left their 
 Cedar county home and removed to Dixon, Scott county, where he attended the 
 public schools. Later he was a student in the State Normal School at Cedar 
 Falls for one year and having determined to make the practice of medicine his 
 profession he was enrolled as a student in the State University of Iowa, from 
 which he received his degree of M. D. Jiine 16, 1909, at the conclusion of a four 
 years' course. On the nth of August of that year he took up his residence in 
 Donahue, and in the few months he has been here there have been many occa- 
 sions on which he has proved his efficiency. As he is becoming better known 
 daily there is every reason to believe that in less than a year he will have built 
 up a large practice. 
 
 Shortly after his arrival here. Dr. Padgham was married, September 8, 1909, 
 to Miss Ida Louise Battey, who was born in Hodgeman county, Kansas, July 18, 
 1886. Her grandfather, William C. Battey, had been a physician, practicing in 
 the vicinity of Muscatine, Iowa, while her father, Dr. Francis H. Battey, was 
 also a member of the medical profession. He wedded Miss Minnie Kniflfen and 
 shortly after their union moved to Kansas, where the family lived until 1896, 
 when they returned to Iowa, taking up their residence at West Liberty, Musca- 
 tine county. Mrs. Padgham received her early education in the public schools 
 of Hodgeman county, Kansas, later attending the high school at Springdale, 
 Cedar county, Iowa, and at West Liberty, from both of which institutions she 
 obtained a diploma. She was also a pupil in the business college at Muscatine. 
 For a period of four years she was telephone girl at the West Liberty exchange 
 and for the two years prior to her marriage was a stenographer, spending half of 
 that time in the employ of Dr. E. T. Kischner, the superintendent of the State 
 Sanitarium for the Treatment of Tuberculosis, at Oakdale, Iowa. She is a 
 young woman of many attainments who should prove of valuable assistance in 
 advancing the interests of Dr. Padgham in Donahue. 
 
 WILLIAM T. GOERING. 
 
 William T. Goering, one of the influential men of Hickory Grove township, 
 was born in Blue Grass township, December 9, 1870, and is a son of Henry G. 
 Goering, a native of Prussia, whose birth occurred June 11, 1829. The pater- 
 nal grandfather was John Goering. Henry Goering had a natural penchant 
 for books and study and loved nothing better than to delve in a library. In con- 
 sequence, although he never had any regular schooling, he acquired a great deal 
 of useful knowledge and was better educated than the majority of men. Upon 
 coming to America he was advised to locate in Iowa and for the first nine month* 
 of his residence here found employment on a farm in Blue Grass township. For 
 the next three years he rented land and by prudent management found himself 
 in a position to buy a farm, the nucleus of his present property of six hundred 
 and forty acres in Blue Grass township. He has a timber tract in addition to 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 643 
 
 this splendid tract of cultivated land, and makes his home on section lo. He 
 was married in 1855 to Mary E. Robison, and they became the parents of thir- 
 teen children, of whom seven sons and four daughters are now living. 
 
 William T. Goering resided under the parental roof until 1893, when he re- 
 moved to Colorado, and for five years engaged in agricultural pursuits on his 
 own responsibility on a farm fifty miles north of Denver. In 1899 he returned 
 to Iowa and the following year began cultivating his present homestead, al- 
 though only as a renter. Later he purchased this and is now the possessor of 
 some two hundred acres of valuable land, one hundred and twenty in Hickory 
 Grove township and eighty acres in Blue Grass township. He has met with 
 great success in general farming and stock raising. 
 
 Mr. Goering was married January 3.0, 1895, to Miss Mary Gasseling, who 
 was bora on the present home farm, April 7, 1871, her father being J. H. Gasse- 
 ling. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Goering, namely: Ger- 
 trude, Naomi, Aloysius, Harvey and Madeline. Both as a progressive agricul- 
 turist and a conscientious man Mr. Goering is a valuable asset to the community. 
 
 WILLIAM A. BARNES. 
 
 Among the important farmers and stockmen of Blue Grass township is 
 William A. Barnes, a son of Isaac and Lucinda (Speer) Barnes, both natives 
 of Pennsylvania. The father, who was a son of William Barnes, was born 
 'in 1816, while his wife, whose birth occurred in Apollo, Armstrong county, 
 was born in August 1830. On the ist of April, 1865, they came to Scott county, 
 Iowa, where Mr. Barnes bought one hundred and fifty-five acres of land on the 
 boundary between Blue Grass and Buffalo townships. He followed farming 
 and as success attended his efforts he invested quite extensively in land, until 
 at his death, July i, 1889, he was the possessor of five hundred and fifteen acres. 
 Two sons and two daughters were born to him and his wife: William A., the 
 subject of this sketch ; John D., who married Minnie Vance, a daughter of 
 Richard Vance, of Muscatine county, Iowa, and is now engaged in the drug 
 business in Chicago, Illinois; Nancy, who became the wife of M. E. Moorehead; 
 and Ella S., who makes her home with her brother William A. The mother 
 died November 15, 1908. 
 
 William A. Barnes was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, January 
 30, 1859, but received the greater part of his education, however, in Scott county, 
 for he was little more than six years of age when his parents removed to this 
 state. Reared to the life of a farmer, he has followed it as his vocation, and 
 on the death of his father inherited one hundred and fifteen acres of the old 
 homestead, on which he is now living. He has also purchased forty acres of tim- 
 ber land in Muscatine county, which he has held as an investment. It is from 
 his arable fields that he has derived his success, for he has tilled the land with 
 care and diligence, and, being thoroughly conversant with agricultural methods, 
 has known the character of crops best adapted to the soil. While be has con- 
 sistently followed diversified farming, he has devoted considerable time to the 
 
644 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 stock business, making a specialty of raising shorthorn cattle and Poland China 
 hogs. This branch of his business has proved most profitable, so that he well 
 deserves to be numbered among the successful men of Blue Grass township. 
 
 It was in 1890 that Mr. Barnes was united in marriage to Miss Minerva Burn- 
 sides, a daughter of Amos Bumsides, of Buffalo township, and a descendant of 
 one of the early families of Scott county, for her grandfather, James Burn- 
 sides, was one of its pioneers. Three children have been born to them, namely: 
 Chester, Wilma and Roland^ all of whom are at home. 
 
 Mr. Barnes is a consistent member of the republican party and for the last 
 twenty-five years has served as school treasurer. With a realization of the 
 advantages of educational institutions of high grade, he has steadily given 
 his support to progressive measures and everything that is calculated to ad- 
 vance the welfare of his fellow citizens. While he is ever interested in public 
 affairs he has never sought any public office. 
 
 MAURICE F. DONEGAN. 
 
 Maurice F. Donegan, a practitioner at the Davenport bar since 1901 and now 
 filling the office of city attorney, was born in Welton, Clinton county, Iowa, on 
 the 2d of September, 1871. As the name indicates, he is of Irish lineage. His 
 father, Jeremiah Donegan, a native of the Emerald isle, came to the United 
 States when seventeen years of age and after living in various parts of the coun- 
 try went to California in 1849, attracted by the discovery of gold on the Pacific 
 coast and the business opportunities incident thereto. After a few years spent 
 • in the west he returned to Ireland on a visit but in 1853 again came to America 
 and settled in Clinton county, where he secured land and followed farming until 
 his death, which occurred in 1895. He wedded Miss Mary Lucey, who 
 was born in England but was of Irish lineage. 
 
 Maurice F. Donegan was reared on a farm with the usual experiences and 
 environment of rural life and pursued his early education in the district schools, 
 after which he continued his studies in Dewitt high school and in Creighton 
 University at Omaha, Nebraska, from which institution he was graduated with 
 the class of 1895, the degree of Bachelor of Arts being then conferred upon him. 
 He afterward pursued a post-graduate course in Georgetown University in the 
 District of Columbia, where he won the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor 
 of Philosophy. He pursued a two-years' lavv course in the same institution and 
 continued his preparation for the bar in the Iowa State University, from which 
 he was graduated with the class of 1901. 
 
 Immediately afterward Mr. Donegan located for practice in Davenport, 
 where he has since remained. He was in partnership with E. M. Sharon from 
 1903 until 1908, and the firm enjoyed a liberal clientage. In the latter year, 
 however, he withdrew from that association, having been elected city attorney, 
 which positon he now fills. He entered upon active practice thoroughly qualified 
 for his chosen profession. The local press has said of him : "The thorough prep- 
 aration for his work which his scholastic years gave him and the ambition to 
 
M. F. DONEGAN 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 647 
 
 succeed which that preparation evinced, were high recommendations to the 
 friendship and assistance of his emplojrer. A close association proved him not 
 only willing and anxious to succeed by hard work but, having unusual character 
 and traits of individuality, made the association as partner agreeable and eventu- 
 ally beneficial." 
 
 On the 29th of November, 1905, Mr. Donegan was married to Miss Mary I. 
 Martin, a native of Davenport and a daughter of C. D. Martin, of this city. 
 They now have one son, Charles Maurice, who was born July 5, 1907. Mr. 
 Donegan is prominent in the Knights of Columbus lodge. He has served as its 
 recorder and has held the office of chancellor for three years. His standing in 
 his profession is indicated in the fact that in 1904 he was called to the presidency 
 of the Davenport Bar Association, a position which he filled with dignity and 
 credit. He is modest and quiet in demeanor, free from ostentation and display, 
 yet is a congenial companion and one whose true worth gains him many friends. 
 His strong intellect and the analytical trend of his mind are evidenced in the 
 success which he has achieved and in the excellent service which he is now giving 
 to Davenport as its city attorney. 
 
 AUGUST N. HEDEN. 
 
 August N. Heden, residing at No. 1426 Bridge avenue, Davenport, is a 
 retired harness maker, whose persistent labor in former years brought to him 
 substantial return. He was born in Sweden, March 8, 1831, and is a son of 
 Gustave and Christina Heden, both of whom spent their entire lives in Sweden. 
 August N. Heden is indebted to the schools of his native country for the edu- 
 cational privileges he enjoyed and after putting aside his text-books he learned 
 the harness maker's trade. He worked in a number of places in Sweden and 
 in other parts of Europe and in 1869 he came to America, for his fellow coun- 
 trymen had sent back favorable reports concerning business conditions in the 
 United States. He landed at New York on the 2d of May of that year and made 
 his way directly westward to Chicago, where he worked for about four months. 
 He then went into the interior of the state, where he was employed as a harness 
 maker in various places until he determined to make Scott county, Iowa, his 
 home. 
 
 It was in February, 1876, that Mr. Heden settled in Davenport and soon 
 afterward secured employment in the harness department of the Rock Island 
 Arsenal, where he was employed for more than thirty-one years. He then re- 
 tired in 1907 and is now enjoying a well earned and richly merited rest. 
 
 Ere leaving his native land Mr. Heden was married in Sweden, on the ist 
 of April, 1864, to Miss Caroline Hogberg, and they have had seven children, 
 three of whom died in childhood, while one died at the age of twenty-two years. 
 Mrs. Heden was born in Sweden, April 27, 1837. The surviving children are: 
 Smma A., who resides at home and is a public-school teacher of Davenport? 
 Edith C, who also lives at home and is instructor in writing in the Davenport 
 schools; and Phillip E., of this city, who married Katherine Rowley, by whom 
 
648 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 he has three children, Richard R., Katherine M., and Phillip E. The chil- 
 dren were all provided with good educational privileges and are a 
 credit and honor to their parents. The two daughters butlt the fine residence 
 which the family occupy, while Mr. Heden built the adjoining dwelling; He 
 worked persistently year after year in the Arsenal and his long service there was 
 proof of his excellent workmanship, his reliability and his energy. His fellowi 
 workmen and those under whom he served entertain for him high regard and 
 in the long years of his residence in Davenport he has made many friends. 
 
 CHARLES H. SUITER. 
 
 Each opportunity that has been presented in the life of Charles H. Suiter 
 has been improved by him for further advancement. This has led to his present 
 position as cashier of the Farmers Saving Bank of Princeton. He represents 
 one of the oldest families of Scott county, his great-grandfather, Philip Suiter, 
 having located here in 1834. He entered land in Le Claire township and was 
 identified with the development and improvement of this section of the county 
 until his death. His son, John H. Suiter, the grandfather of our subject, was 
 a rapids pilot on the Mississippi river for many years, and it was his son, Zach 
 G. Suiter, who became the father of our subject. The father was born on 
 the old homestead farm near Le Claire in 1852 and throughout his entire bus- 
 iness career followed the river as a pilot. He wedded Miss Angelime David 
 and they had a family of six children: Grace, the wife of C. W. Bartine, an at- 
 torney of Pierre, South Dakota; Elmer M., a druggist of Murray, Idaho; 
 Charles H., of this review ; Zach G., Jr., who makes his home in Scott county ; 
 and two who died in infancy. The father died June 13, 1907. 
 
 Charles H. Suiter was born in Le Claire, January 5,, 1886, and at the usual 
 age began his studies in the public schools, completing the high-school course 
 at Le Claire. He then joined an engineer's corps and worked on the Iowa and 
 lUinois Railroad for a time, while subsequently he went to northern Idaho, 
 where he worked in the mines for a few years. Returning to Le Claire he be- 
 came assistant cashier in the Le Claire Savings Bank, holding that position one 
 year. He then came to Princeton and accepted the position of cashier in the 
 Farmers Savings Bank at this place. The bank is capitalized for ten thousand 
 dollars and is managed by the following officers: J. H. Shaff, president; J. D. 
 Dennis, vice president; and Charles H. Suiter, cashier. The service is charac- 
 terized by integrity, accuracy, promptness and courteous treatment af cus- 
 tomers and Mr. Suiter is ever interested in keeping the management of the 
 bank up to its present standard. In addition to his work at the bank he also 
 handles real estate and is engaged in the insurance business. He is also a no- 
 tary public. 
 
 Charles H. Suiter was married on the 2Sth of June, 1908, to Miss Anna 
 I. Pollock, a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Morey) Pollock, of Le Claire. 
 They have an infant son, Charles, Jr., born August 13, 1909. Mrs. Suiter was 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 649 
 
 born at Herald, South Dakota, but her parents afterward removed to Le Claire 
 where they still reside. Mr. Suiter is a Mason, belonging to Snow Lodge, at 
 Le Claire, is also an Odd Fellow, belonging to Swan Lodge of Princeton and 
 he likewise holds membership with Ebony Camp, No. 35, M. W. A. at Prince- 
 ton. His success in the business world has been uniform and rapid. He thor- 
 oughly enjoys home life and takes great pleasure in the society of his family 
 and friends and all who know him entertain for him the warmest regard and 
 his estimable wife shares with him in the esteem in which he is held. 
 
 AUGUST HENRY DORMAN. 
 
 August Henry Dorman, a representative of financial interests in Scott 
 county, is now bending his efforts to administrative direction and executive 
 control as the cashier of the Buffalo Savings Bank. He is one of the best 
 known residents of the town of Buffalo, whither he came with his father, 
 Henry Dorman, in 1855. The latter, well known as one of the pioneer business 
 men here, erected a home and store building and conducted a mercantile enter- 
 prise, continuing in the same until a few years ago, when he retired. Reared 
 under the parental roof, August H. Dorman benefited by the instruction of- 
 fered by the public schools and by the business training which he received un- 
 der his father's direction, for at a suitable age he entered the store and assisted 
 in the conduct of the business. As he advanced in years and experience the man- 
 agement of the enterprise more and more largely devolved upon him. With- 
 drawing from the mercantile enterprise, he engaged with the Hammond Pack- 
 ing Company as traveling salesman and represented that house upon the road 
 until the organization of the Buffalo Savings Bank, when he accepted the po- 
 sition as cashier, in which he has since continued. He is also one of the stock- 
 holders of the institution, which has been placed upon a paying basis. The bank 
 was organized May i, 1909, and capitalized for twelve thousand dollars, with 
 S. H. Moorhead as president, J. G. Dutcher, vice president and A. H. Dorman, 
 as cashier. These officers are members of the board of directors, together 
 with J. W. Walsh, of Davenport ; Ed. Dougherty, of Long Grove, Iowa ; Charles 
 Wenks; C. R. Frank, of Buffalo; Joseph Metzger and Charles H. Dorman of 
 Buffalo; and Rudolph Schroeder. The institution has conducted all depart- 
 ments of business that are in harmony with legitimate banking and the con- 
 servative policy inaugurated is winning a growing and substantial patronage. 
 
 In 1873 Mr. Dorman was married in Buffalo to Miss Robie De Lap, of 
 Buffalo, and unto them have been born four children: C. E., who is manager 
 of the Hammond Packing Company of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania ; A. Harold, who 
 wedded a Miss Patnoe and makes his home in Buffalo; Francis Earl, who is 
 employed by the Citizens Trust & Savings Bank in Davenport ; and Daisy, the 
 wife of E. W. Oxner. 
 
 Mr. Dorman attends the Methodist Episcopal church. His life, honorable 
 in all af its relations and its purposes, has won for him the high esteem and 
 good will of those with whom he has come in contact and his fellow towns- 
 
650 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 men have expressed their confidence in his political integrity by electing him 
 to several village offices. In the discharge of his duties he has ever been 
 prompt and reliable and whether in office or out of it has always been a stalwart 
 champion of projects and movements that have promoted public progress. 
 
 WILLIAM BRAITHWAITE. 
 
 William Braithwaite, whose demise occurred on the i8th of December, 1904, 
 made his home in Davenport for almost a half century and was actively identified 
 with its industrial interests as a blacksmith. He was born in Lancaster, England, 
 on the 2ist of December, 1814, his parents being Thomas and Jane (Seed) Braith- 
 waite, both of whom passed away in that country. He attended the common 
 schools until fourteen years of age and then began learning the blacksmith's trade, 
 working as an apprentice until he had attained his majority. By that time he 
 had become thoroughly familiar with the trade in every department and was able 
 to make anything from a common nail to a locomotive frame, using his own 
 drawings. In 1852, having determined to establish his home on this side the 
 Atlantic, he set sail for the United States in company with his wife and one 
 child, landing at New York on the 24th of July. The following Saturday he 
 secured employment and worked at his trade in New York for about twenty- 
 two months, on the expiration of which period he removed to Susquehanna, 
 Pennsylvania, where he accepted a position as foreman in the blacksmithing de- 
 partment of the Susquehanna Railroad shops. At the end of two years he jour- 
 neyed westward to Laporte, Indiana, but illness was prevalent there and soon 
 afterward he came to Davenport, arriving at this place in April, 1856. Here 
 he entered the Rock Island Railroad shops and in a short time was made fore- 
 man of the blacksmithing department, which position he held continuously for 
 a period of thirty-four years, when he retired from active life. His long reten- 
 tion in the service of the corporation speaks volumes for his capability and faith- 
 fulness as an employe. In April, 1857, he ha.d purchased a lot at the corner of 
 Fourteenth and Farnam streets from Antoine LeClaire, who bought it from the 
 Indians. Mr. Braithwaite paid twelve hundred dollars for the property and 
 during the summer erected the residence which remained his home until the time 
 of his death and in which his two daughters are still living. 
 
 On the 29th of February, 1836, Mr. Braithwaite was united in marriage to 
 Elizabeth Barraclough, whose birth occurred in Yorkshire, England, on the 22d 
 of December, 1809. All of their children are deceased with the exception of 
 two daughters, Sarah and Jennie, who reside in the family home at No. 1408 
 Farnam street. The wife and mother was called to her final rest on the 8th of 
 March, 1882. 
 
 Mr. Braithwaite exercised his right of franchise in support of the men and 
 measures of the republican party and at one time served as alderman from the 
 fifth ward. He was a worthy exemplar of the Masonic fraternity and, though 
 not a church member, contributed liberally to the cause of charity and religion. 
 An unfortunate countryman never sought his aid in vain and there are many 
 
WILLIAM KItAITHWAITE 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 653 
 
 who have reason to remember his timely assistance with gratitude. He passed 
 away on the i8th of December, 1904, at the venerable age of ninety years. He 
 enjoyed an unassailable reputation for honesty and integrity of character, was 
 kindly in spirit, generous in disposition and faithful to every trust. 
 
 ERNST H. IHMS. 
 
 Ernst H. Ihms, a successful representative of the agricultural interests of 
 Sheridan township, where he owns a tract of one hundred and twenty acres on 
 which he lives, is one of the sons of the fatherland who in his life work has 
 been able to realize some of the ambition which led him to cross the Atlantic 
 and try the opportunities of the new world. 
 
 He was born in Holstein, Germany, August 14, 1853, his parents being 
 Johan and Louisa Ihms, both of whom are deceased. Eleven children were 
 bom to them, namely: Claus, who died in Walcott, Scott county, Iowa; John, 
 who is now a resident of Davenport and before coming to America served in 
 the Holstein war of 1848-50; Henry, who died in Russia; Anna, the widow 
 of John Lutt and a resident of Sheridan township, this county; Peter, who is 
 living in Germany; Katie, the deceased wife of Henry Rolth; Christ, of Cher- 
 okee county, Iowa; Ernst H., the subject of this sketch; and three who died 
 in infancy. 
 
 Ernst H. Ihms enjoyed the educational privileges afforded by the public 
 schools of Germany and in that country obtained some experience in farm 
 work before coming to America. It was in 1871 that he crossed the ocean 
 with the determination to avail himself to the fullest extent of the oppor- 
 tunities for advancement he had heard awaited the man who was willing to 
 work. On landing in New York he came direct to Scott county, for his brother 
 Claus had come here some years before and was residing in Davenport and here 
 he secured work as a farm hand with several persons. Later he rented land in 
 Lincoln township, and in 1892, when as the result of his diligence and careful 
 economy he was able to buy a place, he purchased a tract of fifty-eight acres 
 there. It remained his home for about thirteen years, at the end of which 
 period he felt justified in enlarging the fields of his operations and accordingly 
 sold that farm and bought the one hundred and twenty acres on which he now 
 lives. Since it has been his home he has made a number of improvements 
 upon it, the character of the buildings and the excellent cultivation of the fields 
 being a tangible evidence of the progressive ideas which have guided him 
 in his work. 
 
 It was on the 14th of September, 1880, that Mr. Ihms led to the marriage 
 altar Miss Lizzie Kiiehl, who was born in Germany, April 3, 1852, and came 
 to Scott county with her brother in 1869. Her parents, John and Louisa Kuehl, 
 spent tlieir entire lives in the fatherland and there died. Mrs. Ihms has also 
 passed away, her death having occurred December 9, 1908. She had been a 
 faithful wife and devoted mother, and her loss was deeply mourned by her 
 family and by the large circle of friends her gentle spirit had gathered about 
 
654 ■ HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 her. Five children were born to her and her husband, as follows: One who 
 died in infancy; Emma, who married Ivan Wrisley, of Muscatine, and is now 
 the mother of three children, Ernest, Mina and Lucile; and Detlef, Harry 
 and Ruth, who are at home. 
 
 Mr. Ihms holds membership in the Turners Society of Eldridge, and has 
 there made many friends. The hope that led him to leave his native land and 
 seek a home in America has been more than realized. He here found the op- 
 portunities he sought, and, making the most of them, has steadily worked his 
 way upward, until he well deserves to be numbered among the substantial citi- 
 zens of Sheridan township. 
 
 GEORGE S. SHAW. 
 
 Through the period of his residence in Davenport, George S. Shaw made 
 for himself an honorable position in business circles and a firm place in the 
 affection of his fellow citizens. It is meet, therefore, that his record be per- 
 petuated in the pages of this volume inasmuch as his labors were an element 
 in the progressive business development of the city. He was born in Chel- 
 sea, Orange county, Vermont, April 14, 1824, and resided in the east until the 
 outbreak of the Civil war. Within that period he acquired his education and 
 learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed continuously in that section 
 of the country until failing health caused his removal to the west. Hoping to 
 be benefited by a change of climate, he went as far as Fort Leavenworth, Kan- 
 sas, where he lived for a short time. In 1864 he came to Davenport and was 
 identified with building operations as a contractor for a considerable period, be- 
 ing an expert workman at his trade. As time advanced he saw and utilized 
 his opportiinities for real-estate speculation and laid out what is known as 
 Shaw's addition, north of the Renwick estate, laying out three additions in all. 
 In 1875 he became a member of the firm of Renwick, Shaw & Crossett, which 
 for a number of years operated a sawmill and conducted a lumber business in 
 Davenport, the interests of the firm being capably conserved, so that excellent 
 results rewarded the efforts of the partners. About" 1885 Mr. Shaw removed 
 to Cloquet, Minnesota, where his firm purchased two large sawmills, beginning 
 operations there under the name of the Cloquet Lumber Company. After a 
 time Mr. Renwick and Mr. Crossett both withdrew, but Mr. Shaw remained 
 in his field of labor, building up a mammoth business in the lumber trade, so 
 that he became known in lumber circles throughout the entire country. In fact 
 he was one of the most prominent representatives of the lumber interests of 
 the north and his success was the legitimate and direct outcome of judicious in- 
 vestment, well directed enterprise and indefatigable energy. 
 
 Mr. Shaw always retained a warm place in his heart for Davenport and had 
 intentions of making this city his home again, but he passed away at Cloquet, 
 Minnesota, November 5, 1897. While residing in Davenport he was a mem- 
 ber of the city council for a number of years and served as alderman from 
 the sixth ward. He was the most popular alderman ever elected from that 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 655 
 
 ward and the regard entertained for him by his fellow townsmen was manifest 
 in the gift of a gold watch from the people of his ward. It was an expression 
 of high regard for Mr. Shaw personally and of appreciation of his official 
 service, which resulted in many substantial benefits for his section of the city. 
 
 In 1846 Mr. Shaw was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ross, who, surviv- 
 ing her husband for several years, returned to Davenport, where she had many 
 friends. Here she died September 30, 1905. There were four children in the 
 family: Mrs. J. E. Lynds, Mrs. Jules J. De Lescaille, Edward and William. 
 The memory of Mr. Shaw, his kindly spirit, his genial nature, his business in- 
 tegrity and his public-spirited citizenship, are still enshrined in the hearts of 
 many who knew him while he was yet an active factor in the life of Davenport. 
 
 JULES J. DE LESCAILLE. 
 
 Jules J. De Lescaille was a resident of Davenport for but a comparatively 
 brief period, yet within that time his genial nature won him expressions of 
 warm friendship and he became recognized as a most honorable, upright man. 
 He was born in Belgium in 1849 and was brought to this country when but 
 eight years of age. His education, therefore, was acquired on this side the 
 Atlantic. On the 14th of September, 1884, he married Miss Harriet Shaw and 
 unto them were born four children: Victor, who is now at home; Raymond, 
 who is at Cloquet, Minnesota, where he is learning the lumber business ; Mrs. 
 Mary Stafford, a resident of Chicago; and Jules, at home. In 1898 Mr. De 
 Lescaille removed with his family from Cloquet, Minnesota, to Davenport, where 
 his remaining days were spent. He manifested in his life many traits of char- 
 acter which won him high and favorable regard and gained him a large circle 
 of friends. In Masonry he attained the Knight Templar degree and in his life 
 exemplified the beneficent spirit of the craft. His religious faith was manifest 
 in his membership in the Episcopal church and he lived in harmony with his 
 professions, seeking to deal justly with all men and to recognize at all times 
 the rights and privileges of others. 
 
 PETER DETTMER. 
 
 Peter Dettmer, a retired farmer and dairyman, who has taken up his resi- 
 dence in Davenport where he owns considerable town property, is one of the sons 
 of Germany, who, having come to the United States in the hope of bettering 
 bis fortunes, has achieved his desires to such an extent that he felt justified in 
 retiriiag from active farming. He was born in the province of Holstein, Oc- 
 tober 28, 1843, his parents being Pettr and Margaret (Goetsch) Dettmer, who 
 passed their entire lives in the land of their birth. 
 
 In 1864 Peter Dettmer and an older sister came to the new world. They 
 landed at New York, whence they made their way to Davenport, as they had 
 
656 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 relatives living here. On his arrival Mr. Dettmer found employment in a tannery, 
 where he intended learning the trade, but the concern went out of business 
 and accordingly he turned his attention to farming. For a few years he worked 
 for others, but later he and his brother-in-law rented a tract of land which they 
 operated in conjunction until 1871, when they severed their connection and 
 Mr. Dettmer engaged in farming alone. He bought six acres of land and built 
 a little two room house upon it, in which he lived for the next eleven years. 
 He procured at that time about fifty head of cattle with the intention of enter- 
 ing extensively into the dairy business and he was successful in this under- 
 taking for the quality of his products found a ready market. As his income 
 increased he invested in real estate until he owned about one hundred acres, a 
 part of which was included within the boundaries of Davenport, and he divided 
 it into town lots, from the sale of which he derived a handsome profit, a tribute 
 to his forsight in selecting the location he had purchased. After about nine- 
 teen year devoted to farming he felt justified in retiring from active participa- 
 tion in that work and now gives his whole attention to looking after his financial 
 interests. 
 
 Mr. Dettmer has been three times married. His first wife, who was Miss 
 Anna Hendricksen in her maidenhood, died January 8, 1879. To them were bom 
 three children: William and Dora, who are deceased; and Fred, who married 
 Miss Freda Smith and lives on a farm in Rockingham township, where he is 
 rearing his five children. Mr. Dettmer's second wife was Miss Anna Ross, who 
 has also passed away. They had three children: Lewis, who married Miss 
 Anna Starder and lives in Rockingham township ; Paulina, who became the 
 wife of Paul Heckendorf, living on the Rockingham road; and Peter. On the 
 5th of May, 1906, Mr. Dettmer married Miss Helen Poller, a daughter of W. 
 W. and Helen Poller, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father was for thirty 
 years superintendent of the United States mint at Philadelphia. 
 
 Mr. Dettmer has always taken a keen interest in local affairs, and in recog- 
 nition of his success and as a tribute to his character as a man, he was elected a 
 member of the board of education, an office he held for five years. He is also 
 a member of the improvement committee of the Fairmount cemetery. Some years 
 ago he made a trip to his old home in Germany. At present he lives in a 
 handsome home which he erected in 1885 and in which he enjoys the many 
 comforts to which his former toil so well entitles him. For twenty years he has 
 been a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. 
 
 CHARLES HAMANN. 
 
 Among Scott county's native sons who are seeking their fortunes in agri- 
 cultural lines and through their well directed efforts and untiring industry and 
 diligence are meeting with gratifying prosperity, is numbered Charles Hamann, 
 whose birth occurred in Davenport on the 17th of October, 1859. His parents, 
 Henry and Christina (Petersen) Hamann, were both natives of Holstein, Ger- 
 many, the former's birth there occurring on the 12th of August, 1821, and the 
 
HEXRY HAMAXy 
 
CHARLES HAMANX 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 661 
 
 latter's on the loth of September, 1815. In 1856 they came to the United 
 States, making their way direct to Davenport, and with the exception of about 
 four years spent in Clinton county soon after their arrival in Iowa, their re- 
 maining days were passed in Scott county, the greater portion of the time being 
 spent on a farm in Cleona township. The father followed the occupation of 
 farming throughout his entire life, and, although a poor man when he came 
 to this state, at the time of his death was the owner of three hundred and twenty 
 acres of valuable land, all well improved and under a high state of cultivation. 
 He passed away on the 28th of June, 1905, his wife's death occurring on the 
 4th of September, 1899. In their family were six children, of whom our sub- 
 ject was the youngest. The others are : Henry, a resident of Durant ; Lena, the 
 deceased wife of Rudolph Sebbelen; Dora, who married Christopher Schneck- 
 loth, of Sunbury, Cedar county, Iowa ; George, residing in Durant ; and Adolph, 
 who lives in Portland, Oregon. 
 
 Under the parental roof Charles Hamann spent the period of his boyhood 
 and youth, acquiring his education in the district schools of Scott county. He 
 was about eight or nine years of age when his parents took up their abode on 
 the old homestead, and here our subject has made his home continuously since. 
 At an early age he began working in the fields, assisting in the cultivation of 
 the farm, and under his father's direction learned many valuable lessons con- 
 cerning the best methods of plowing, planting and harvesting. Agricultural pur- 
 suits have always characterized his efforts, for, upon attaining man's estate he 
 wisely chose as his hfe work the occupation to which he had been reared. He 
 has made a close study of farming, possesses good business ability and is pro- 
 gressive and up-to-date in his methods, and that he has met with gratifying 
 success in his undertakings is indicated by the fact that he is now the owner 
 of three farms in Cleona township, each consisting of a quarter section of land, 
 all under a high state of cultivation. The home farm is located upon section 22, 
 and is a well improved and valuable property, containing two sets of substantial 
 buildings and equipped with all modern conveniences and accessories for facili- 
 tating farm labor. In connection with his general farming he also deals largely 
 in stock, raising and fattening from three to four carloads annually. This 
 branch of his business is proving very profitable. 
 
 It was on the 4th of December, 1884, that Mr. Hamann was united in mar- 
 riage to Miss Thrina Arp, a native of Germany, who was born in Holstein on 
 the 30th of July, 1866, and came to Davenport with her parents, who arrived in 
 this country in the spring of 1870. She is a daughter of Hans and Liza (Brock- 
 mann) Arp, both natives of the fatherland. The father, who was born on the 
 i8th of July, 1841, was a weaver in the old country, but after coming to Amer- 
 ica was engaged as a farmer and laborer for a number of years. His death 
 occurred on the 19th of April, 1896. The mother, whose natal day was the 
 nth of August, 1840, still survives and makes her home in Davenport. In 
 their family were five children, as follows: Hans, who passed away at the age 
 of six years ; Helena, who died when twenty-one years old ; Thrina, the wife of 
 our subject; Julius, residing in Minnesota; and Rudolph, of Davenport. Unto 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hamann have been born eight children, namely : Albert, operating 
 one of his father's farms in Cleona township; Emil, also making his home in 
 
662 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 that township; and Hugo, Leonard, Walter, Leona, Luella and Lerby, all under 
 the parental roof. 
 
 In the political life of the community Mr. Hamann has never taken an active 
 part for, although he gives stalwart support to thfe principles of the republican 
 party, he has nevei" sought not desired public office as the reward for party 
 fealty. Public-spirited and loyal in his citizenship, however, he is thoroughly 
 identified with the interests of the community and gives ready cooperation to 
 all measures which have for their bbject the general progress, advancement, im- 
 provement and reform. Having passed his entire life within the borders df 
 Scott county, he has become well known here, the circle of his friends being 
 almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances, and all who know hini 
 entertain for him high regard and respect because of his many excellent traits 
 of character. 
 
 HENRY KLINDT, JR. 
 
 The business interests of Maysville, Scott county, find a worthy represen- 
 tative in Henry Klindt, who was born in this village, September 25, 1880, a 
 son of Henry and Celia (Sindt) Klindt. The father was bom in Hohndorf, 
 Probstei, Germany, March 12, 1846, and was there reared to the age of fifteen 
 years, when his parents, Heinrich and Katharine (Stelk) Klindt, removed to 
 Prussia, Germany. Heinrich Klindt was a wagon maker by trade and followed 
 that occupation in the old country but in 1868 he emigratfed to America and 
 settling in Scott county, here engaged in farming throughout the remainder of 
 his business career. Their family numbered seven children, but the youngest 
 a daughter, was drowned in Germany at the age of six years. The other mem- 
 bers were: Claus, now a resident of Davenport; Maggie, the wife of Fritz 
 Kardel, also of that city; Lena, who became the wife of Jochim Lamp, but is 
 deceased; Jochim, who has also departed this Hfe; Henry, Sr. ; and Katie, the 
 wife of John Sindt, a resident of Lyon county, Iowa. Both the parents passed 
 away in Maysville, the father when seventy-one years of age, and the mother 
 at the age of sixty-nine years. 
 
 Henry Klindt, Sr., accompanied his parents on their various removals and 
 was a young man of twenty-two years when the family sought a home in the 
 new world, and from that time to the present he has made his home in Scott 
 county. After coming here he was engaged at farm labor for six years and 
 then became proprietor of a hotel in Maysville, conducting a saloon in con- 
 nection with his hostelry. He gave his time to this business for sixteeii years 
 and in the meantime, meeting with success, he invested his money in farm lands 
 in Minnesota and the Dakotas. Since retiring from active business he has made 
 his home in Maysville and now gives his time to his land interests in the north. 
 Mr. Klindt was married on the 8th of February, 1876, to Miss Celia Sindt, who 
 was born in Scott county, October 16, 1854, a daughter of Henry and BertHa 
 Sindt, who were natives of Germany, whence they emigrated to Amerifca and 
 located in Scott county in the early '505. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Klindt have beerii 
 bom five children but Hertha and Grover are deceased, while the thi-ee sur- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY , 663 
 
 viving members are: Mate, the wife of William Jurgens, a resident of New 
 Liberty, Iowa; Albert, who conducts a hotel in Donahue; and Henry. Jr., of 
 this review. 
 
 Henry Klindt, Jr., was reared under the parental roof and acquired his ele- 
 mentary learning in the common schools of Maysville, while later he pursued 
 a business course in Duncan's Business College at Davenport. Well qualified 
 for the practical duties of life he began his business career as a traveling sales- 
 man, representing a Davenport firm for several years. In 1904 he engaged in 
 business in Maysville as a general merchant and has built up a good patronage 
 which he draws from the surrounding districts as well as from the village. He 
 keeps a stock of goods that meets the deftands of the public and his moderate 
 prices and his fair dealitigs has proved his best advertisement. He owns his 
 own store building, a modern, two-story structure, sixty by thirty-two feet, the 
 tower floor being devoted to the business, while the second story is occupied as 
 a dwelling. 
 
 Mr. Klindt was married February 8, 1905, the lady of his choice being Miss 
 Clara S. Keppy, a native of Donahue, Scott county. She is a daughter of Frank 
 Keppy, who is engaged in merchandising in the latter place, and by her mar- 
 riage she has become the mother of one child, Lorane. Upon the incorporation 
 of the village of Maysville on the nth of July, 1909, Mr. Klindt was elected 
 its first mayor and he has already demonstrated his fitness for the office. In his 
 business affairs he is very methodical and accurate as to details and shows 
 splendid judgment in the treatment of his employes and of all with whom he 
 comes in contact. 
 
 D. C. McCAUSLAND. 
 
 D. C. McCausland is a representative of one of the old families of Scott 
 cbunty and has resided here from his early boyhood days. Members of the 
 family have always been actively interested in the work of general progress and, 
 like the others of his name, D. C. McCausland has assisted in the material develop- 
 ment of the county and in the support of hiahy public measures for the general 
 good. He was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, on the 29th of October, 
 1846, and is a son of John C. and Catherine McCausland, who removed from 
 the Keystone state to West Virginia when the subject of this review was only a 
 yeat old. There they resided for seven years, after which they came to Scott 
 cbunty. The father had previously visited this district. Looking over the 
 cotiritry and being pleased with its future prospects he purchased a half section 
 of land two miles south of the present town of McCausland. He then brought 
 his family to Iowa arid began life as a pioneer settler of Scott county. Upon 
 his land there was a lafge stone house that had formerly been the property of 
 a Mr. Brakeiiridge, who owned a ranch in this district. As the years passed 
 on aiid he pfospered in his undertakings John C. McCausland became one of 
 the extensive landholders of the district, adding to his property from time to 
 time tiritil he had an entire section and a tract of one hundred and eighty acres 
 
664 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 additional when he died. He was a man of undaunted enterprise and good 
 business ability and his careful management of his interests brought him sub- 
 stantial and gratifying success. At the same time he commanded the respect 
 and confidence of all who knew him. 
 
 D. C. McCausland acquired his early education in the schools of West 
 Virginia and continued his studies in the district schools of Scott county and in 
 private schools, gaining a good knowledge of those branches of English learn- 
 ing which are considered essential factors to success in business life. Through 
 the period of his youth he was instructed and trained by his father in the work 
 of the fields and gained a practical knowledge of farm methods so that he was 
 well qualified to take charge of a farm of his own, when, in 1880, he removed 
 to his present home, which he had purchased and which has since been his 
 place of residence. The town of McCausland, where he now resides, was 
 named in his honor. He was the first postmaster here, establishing the office in 
 1883 and continuing in charge thereof for ten years. He also conducted a gen- 
 eral store here, which was the first in the town, and for a decade he remained 
 in merchandising, building up a good trade. He also dealt in horses for some 
 time, but at the present writing is handling South Dakota lands and in his real- 
 estate operations is meeting with excellent success. He is the owner of a large 
 amount of property in that state, while his holdings in Scott county embrace 
 five hundred acres of very valuable farm land. 
 
 On the 6th of May, 1880, Mr. McCausland was married to Miss Celina E. 
 Smith, a daughter of Seneca Smith, of Dubuque, and unto them were born three 
 children : John W., of Chicago ; Mary B., the wife of O. O. Coe, of Canada, by 
 whom she has one child; and Guy C, at home. 
 
 Mr. McCausland has served as justice of the peace of Butler township and 
 proved a capable incumbent in that position, but has never been an office seeker, 
 always preferring to devote his time and energies to his business affairs. In 
 the capable direction of his mercantile, live-stock and land interests he has met 
 with substantial success and is recognized as one of the representative and lead- 
 ing business men of this part of the county. 
 
 WILLIAM PRUTER. 
 
 Among the many men who have followed farming with success and have 
 now put aside the more arduous duties and live in retirement in Davenport is 
 William Pruter. He owns about seven hundred acres of farm land in Craw- 
 ford county, Iowa, besides the fine town property where he lives. He was bom 
 in Holstein, Germany, October 27, 1830, a son of Hans and Agnes Pruter. The 
 father was a carpenter by trade and, like his wife, died in the fatherland. 
 
 William Pruter was reared and educated in the province of his birth, there 
 learning the trade of a cabinetmaker. When he reached manhood he entered 
 the German army, serving through the war of 1848-50. After its culmination 
 he worked at his trade until 1869, when he embarked for America. The ocean 
 vessel dropped anchor at New York, whence he and his wife and three chil- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 665 
 
 dren made their way to Iowa. He bought eighty acres of land in Clinton 
 county, on which the family lived for the next three years, and then selling it 
 they removed to Crawford county, where Mr. Pruter purchased a tract of prairie 
 land. He broke the soil, prepared it for cultivation and in the course of years 
 improved it greatly, making it his home until 1902, when a large income and 
 advancing years suggested the wisdom of his retiring from active life. 
 
 Mr. Pruter has been married three times. His first wife was Miss Margaret 
 Fehrs, who died in 1867, leaving two children. Frank, who is now living in 
 Crawford county, wedded Miss Augusta Kruse, and they have five children: 
 Carolina, Julius, Frank, Gustave and Emma. Charles, who married Miss Dora 
 Lamas, lives in Crawford county and is the father of a daughter, Elsie. For 
 his second wife Mr. Pruter married Miss Carolina Schroader, who died leaving 
 one son, John. On the 26th of November, 1872, Mr. Pruter married Miss Mag- 
 dalene Rohwer, a daughter of Hans and Magdalene Rohwer, who spent their 
 entire lives in Germany. One son, William, has been born of this union. He 
 lives in Crawford county and married Miss Clara Miller. They have two chil- 
 dren, Clarence and Leslie. 
 
 While still in active business in Crawford county, Mr. Pruter was closely 
 identified with public interests in his locality and served as trustee, a member 
 of the school board and as supei-visor of the roads in Hayes township. He 
 fulfilled the duties of these several offices with care and discrimination, which 
 gained for him the esteem of those who had chosen him as their representative. 
 The memory of the past years, which brought him such good fortune, holds 
 little bitterness for his success is due entirely to his own efforts and not to the 
 misfortune of others. 
 
 JACOB MILLER. 
 
 In the death of Jacob Miller, which occurred at his home on the Middle 
 road. May 11, 1897, Scott county lost one of its well known and honored pioneer 
 residents. He had come to Iowa in 1846, removing to this state from Indiana. 
 He was, however, a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred in Brown county, 
 that state, in 1806. His father, John Miller, was a tailor and followed his 
 trade in Ohio and Indiana. Both he and his wife, Mrs. Anna Miller, were of 
 German birth and parentage. They removed from the Buckeye state to In- 
 diana during the boyhood days of Jacob Miller, who acquired his education in 
 the common schools. After putting aside his text-books he learned the black- 
 smith's trade and then, thinking to have better business opportunities in Iowa, 
 he removed to this state. He engaged in blacksmithing on the farm which he 
 purchased in Le Claire township, making investment in government land, which 
 he cleared and developed, breaking the sod and planting his fields, which in 
 course of time brought forth rich harvests. Year after year he carefully car- 
 ried on the farm work and in addition to the cultivation of cereals best adapted 
 to the soil and climate he also raised stock and found it a profitable source of 
 income. He continued to carry on general farming until the fall of 1882, when 
 
666 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 he removed to his home on the Middle road. He retained the ownership of his 
 farm, however, until his death. His property interests were a visible evidence 
 of his well directed energy and activity and he could truly be called a selfrmade 
 man, for his success came as the just reward of his earnest and unfaltering 
 labor. 
 
 Mr. Miller was married twice. In Indiana, in 1831, he wedded Miss Jane 
 Aikens and unto them were born five daughters, including Mrs. Heavlin, whose 
 daughter, Mrs. James Kough, now resides with Mrs. Miller in Davenport. 
 His first wife passed away in November, 1876, and in 1881 he wedded Hila 
 Bishop, whose father came to Iowa from Illinois. 
 
 Mr. Miller voted with the democracy and had firm belief in the value of 
 the party principles as elements in good government. He did not seek nor 
 wish for office, however, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his busi- 
 ness affairs. He held no membership in fraternities but was a devoted member 
 of the Baptist church for fifty years, serving for a long period as deacon in 
 the church. He took deep interest in all O'f its work, doing everything in his 
 power to promote its growth and extend its influence. His life was ever honor- 
 able and upright, in harmony with his professions, and his sterling personal 
 worth commanded for him the respect of young and old, rich and poor. Had 
 he lived until June, 1897, he would have been ninety-one years of age. His life 
 span covered much of that century which up to this time has been the most im- 
 portant in the world's history, chronicling as it does the most notable progress 
 along the paths of civilization. When he first saw the sunlight in Ohio, Iowa 
 had no place on the map save as a part of that great unexplored western country. 
 The first crude steamboat had not yet been floated upon the Hudson and a num- 
 ber of years were to pass before the first telegraph line would transmit a mes- 
 sage. Mr. Miller lived to see all these and many more things accomplished, to- 
 gether with the settlement of the great west and its division into states whose 
 enterprises and opportunities equal if not exceed those of the older east. 
 
 CHARLES MEIER. 
 
 A tract of one hundred and sixty acres in Winfield township is the property 
 of Charles Meier, and that he deserves mention among the energetic and capable 
 agriculturists of Scott county is shown by the attractive appearance of his farm. 
 He was born in Bremen, Prussia, Germany, September 30, 1849, his parents 
 being Fritz and Marie Meier. The father was a laborer in the old country and 
 was the first of his family to come to the United States. Later, in 1859, two 
 of his sisters, Minnie, the wife of Christian Voss, and. Caroline, the wife of 
 Charles Fent, followed, settling in Long Grove, Scott county, Iowa. In 1862, a 
 brother, William, who is now deceased, also came to this county, and the next 
 year the rest of the family, consisting of father, mother, a brother Fritz, and 
 sisters Rica, Mary, and Augusta came here, aU of them locating in Long Grove 
 township, this county. The father died one year after coming here, but his 
 wife lived about twenty years after her arrival. 
 
MR. .VND MR^. CHARLES :\IETER 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 669 
 
 Charles Meier was fourteen years of age when he came to America. He had 
 attended school in Germany and had been confirmed in his native land. For 
 two winters after his arrival in this county he was a pupil in the district school 
 of Ixwig Grove, that he might become familiar with the English language. For 
 many years, in fact until he married, he worked as a farm hand, ^nd then, in 
 1876, he engaged in farming for himself, renting land in Butler township. Two 
 years later he removed to Winfield township, whjsre he lived upon rented land 
 for a year, and then he went to Sheridan township, where he farmed as a ten- 
 ant for seven years. At the end of that period he returned to Winfield town- 
 ship, where he bought eighty acres, the tract constituting part of the farm on 
 which he now lives. The other eighty acres his wife received from her father. 
 As the years have gone by Mr. Meier has improved and cultivated his place until 
 now it is one of the neat, attractive and up-to-date farms of the locaUty and its 
 fields bring forth rich harvests that well compensate him for his labor. 
 
 On the 3d of Sq)tember, 1876, Mr. Meier wedded Miss Mary Farenkrug, a 
 daughter of Lewis and Anna Farenkrug. Mrs. Meier was born in Holstein, 
 Germany, Marcii S, 1857, aijd was seven years of age when she was brought 
 to America tty her mother, her father having died in the fatherland. After 
 coming to this country her mother married Mr. Farenkrug, both of whom are 
 now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Meier became the parents of nine children, as 
 follows: Bertha, who marrijed Herman Ertzman, of Davenport, and is now the 
 mother of four children, Wilma, Martha, Marie and Mildred; Martha, the wife 
 of Albert Ertzman, by whom she has two children, Werna an,d Lewis ; Lewis, 
 who died at the age of five years ; William, who died when three years of age ; 
 Louise, who became the wife of Thomas Wolfe, of Long Groye ; and Ferdinand, 
 Alma, Hilda and Edna, who are at home. 
 
 Mr. Meier belongs to the Woodmen of the World at Long Grove, and to the 
 Kniglits of Pythias at Eldridge, while he gives his political allegiance to the 
 democratic party. On its ticket he was elected as trustee of Winfield township 
 for two terms, d-uring which time he proved that he was a man of great public 
 spirit and progressiveness. He is true to every trust reposed in him, whether 
 of a public or private nature, ^nd has many good qualities as manifest In his 
 business career and social relations, so that he well deserves to be mentioned 
 among the representative citizens of Scott county. 
 
 REV. W. P. SHANNAHAN. 
 
 Rev. W. P. Shannahan, president of St. Ambrose College, one of the strong 
 Catholic institutions of this state, was born in Muscatine county, Iowa, Febru- 
 ary 2, 1870. His parents were John and Elizabeth (Casbman) Shannahan, the 
 former a native of Ireland and the latter of Kentucky. His early education 
 was obtained in St. Ambrose College, from which he was graduated in the 
 Glass of 1896, while later he was graduated from the St. Paul Seminary in 1898. 
 He afterward did post-graduate work in the Catholic University of Washing- 
 ton in the scholastic year of 1899 and 1900, and was thus well qualified by liberal 
 
670 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 training for the important work that has devolved upon him in connection with 
 educational interests. 
 
 On the 27th of May, 1899, the Rev. W. P. Shannahan was ordained to the 
 priesthood, taking his holy orders in St. Paul. After his studies were completed 
 in Washington he came to St. Ambrose College as one of its professors and 
 in January, 1907, was chosen president of the institution, which is a very old 
 and important one of this city, promoting in large measure the Catholic educa- 
 tion of the young in central Iowa. 
 
 HENRY W. MEIER. 
 
 Since 1898 Henry W. Meier has carried on a profitable business at Long 
 Grove as a dealer in farm implements, hardware and coal and is well known as 
 a progressive, energetic and representative citizen of Scott county. One of her 
 native sons, he was born in Sheridan township August 8, 1871, his parents being 
 Heinrich and Lena (Wiese) Meier, both of whom were of German birth. The 
 father was born in Hanover in 1838 and when a boy decided to come to the 
 United States. He landed at New Orleans, whence he went to Lexington, Ken- 
 tucky, living there for several years and then coming to Scott county, Iowa. He 
 was one of the first to break the prairie in this section of the state and when he 
 had saved enough from his earnings he sent for his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl 
 Meier, to come here. Their last years were passed in this county, the grand- 
 father being ninety- four years of age at the time of his death. 
 
 Heinrich Meier had received some education in his native land, but it was 
 very little and he was what might truthfully be called a self-made man. He 
 bought first eighty acres of prairie land and then eighty acres adjoining, on 
 which he built a house and lived throughout his life. Subsequently he pur- 
 chased another farm of one hundred and fifty acres. He owned the first steam 
 thresher on this side of the Mississippi and was one of the first to use the Mc- 
 Cormick binder. During his entire life he engaged in threshing for others in 
 every part of Scott county. Nor did he confine his interests to his private af- 
 fairs but found time to serve as school director and road supervisor for a long 
 period, being elected to both positions on the democratic ticket. Indeed he was 
 one of the most prominent farmers of the county, and his death, which occurred 
 at the comparatively early age of forty-eight years, was felt as a serious loss by 
 the community. His remains were laid to rest at Pine Hill. His wife survived 
 him many years, passing away in 1906, when sixty-two years of age. They were 
 the parents of four children: Emma, the wife of Peter Stoltenberg, of Mount 
 Joy; Henry W., of this review; Augusta, who married August Lafranz, of 
 Eldridge, Iowa ; and Edward, who lives on the old home place. 
 
 Henry W. Meier has spent his entire life in Scott county, being reared to 
 manhood upon the home farm. At the usual age he entered the district school 
 of his locality, and after completing his education therein assisted with the 
 work on the farm until he attained his majority. For the next five years he 
 was engaged in running a thresher, and in partnership with Mr. Lafranz con- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 671 
 
 ducted a grocery store at Eldridge at the same time. He sold his interests in 
 this enterprise to his partner in 1895, and after the outbreak of the Spanish- 
 American war, in June, 1898, enlisted in Company B. Fiftieth Iowa Volunteer 
 Infantry, with which he went to Jacksonville, Florida, where he was in camp 
 for six months. On being discharged he returned to Scott county and the same 
 year embarked in the implement business in Long Grove, which he has con- 
 ducted successfully to the present, carrying not only the various machines needed 
 in modern farming but also a full line of hardware, automobiles and several 
 varieties of coal. His enterprise and aggressiveness have secured for him a 
 large patronage, while his sound methods and business probity have gained the 
 respect and confidence of all with whom he has had dealings. He holds stock 
 in the Stockman's Savings Bank of Long Grove and in the American Security 
 Company of Davenport. 
 
 On the i8th of December, 1901, Mr. Meier wedded Miss Millie Lahl, a 
 daughter of John and Louisa Lahl, old settlers of Winfield township, which is 
 the birthplace of Mrs. Meier. Her father died in 1898, at the age of forty-five 
 years, but her mother is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Meier are the parents of 
 four children: Roma, Helen, Carl and Alta. 
 
 He belongs to the iOnights of Pythias lodge of Eldridge, to the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, of Long Grove, and to the Woodmen of the World at 
 Long Grove. In these organizations he has many friends and he is well known 
 in this county, where his entire life has been passed, and those who have known] 
 him since boyhood are most loyal to him now, an indication of his honorable 
 and upright character. 
 
 DICK R. LANE. 
 
 Dick R. Lane needs no introduction to the readers of this volume for he is a 
 representative of one of the most prominent and distinguished families of Dav- 
 enport, in which city he was born October 27, 1882. His grandfather and his 
 father, both distinguished representatives of the Iowa bar, are mentioned else- 
 where in this volume. The public schools of Davenport afforded Dick R. 
 Lane his early educational advantages and later he had the benefit of instruction 
 in the Phillip Academy at Andover, Massachusetts. Thus he gained a broad 
 literary knowledge to serve as the foundation upon which to rear the super- 
 structure of professional learning and in preparation for the bar he entered the 
 law department of the Iowa State University, from which he was graduated 
 in 1904. He then commenced practice with his father and is proving an active, 
 working member of the firm. His knowledge of the law is also constituting an 
 element in his successful management of business interests. He is now the 
 secretary and treasurer of the Lane Building Company, secretary and treasurer 
 of the Kimball Hotel Company and treasurer of the White Lily Manufactur- 
 ing Company. His interest in Davenport's development along business lines 
 is of most practical and tangible character and his standing among the leading 
 
672 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 business men of this city is indicated by the fact that he has been elected to the 
 presidency of the Commercial Club. 
 
 On the 25th of December, 1904, Mr. Lane was married to Miss Grace Bird- 
 sail, a daughter of Horace Birdsall, a prorninent resident of Davenport. Fra- 
 ternally he is connected with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. His 
 political allegiance has always been given to the republican party and, pFomineijt 
 in its local ranks, he is now serving as chairman of the county committee. He 
 is recognized as a young man of executive force and in possession of adminis- 
 trative direction he has shown marked enterprise. His mental qualities are of 
 a brilliant character, his enterprise is undaunted, and with high ideals before him 
 he is continuously reaching our for further accomplishment. " Like the others of 
 the family he is leaving the impress of his individuality upon the city in no mis- 
 takable manner, his efforts and labors constituting a vital force in^ the upbuild- 
 ing and improvement of Davenport. 
 
 HENRY ROEHS. 
 
 Henry Roehs, one of Hickory Grove township's most popular and substan- 
 tial citizens, was born on his present home farm in section 30, November 7, 1865, 
 and its attractions for him have proved sufficiently strong to induce him' to spend 
 all his life here. He is the son of Fritz and Dorothea (Ball) Roehs, natives of 
 Holstein, Germany. It was the grandfather, John Roehs, who decided to put 
 to a personal test the much heralded resources of America, and in 1852 he came 
 to this country with his family. He came to Davenport and subsequently bought 
 the farm upon which his grandson now resides and operated it successfully for 
 many years. He was living upon it at the time of his death about twenty years 
 ago at the age of ninety-nine. He had two children : Fritz, the father of our sub- 
 ject ; and Christina, wife of Frederick Paustian. Our subject's parents were reared 
 and married in Germany. The father was only about twenty-two years of age 
 when he came to this country. He at once engaged in farming and prospered 
 beyond his brightest dreams. Possessed of absolutely nothing at first he died the 
 owner of four valuable farms, two in Hickory Grove and two in Cleona- town- 
 ships. His marriage was blessed by the birth of four children : John, of Cleona 
 township ; Louis, a resident of Walcott ; Mary, the wife of Henry Paustian, of 
 Walcott; and Henry. The father was born August 8, 1830, and died June 11, 
 1895. The mother, who now resides with her son Henry, was born September 
 25, 1831. 
 
 Henry Roehs, who is thoroughly up-to-date in his methods of cultivation, 
 gives his attention to general farming. He believes in the best equipment avail- 
 able and his farm buildings are models of convenience, these having been planned 
 and constructed by his father. He has additional interests, being a stockholder 
 in the Farmers Elevator Company of Walcott. 
 
 In 1888 Mr. Roehs was united in marriage to Miss Sophia Anders, a native 
 of Holstein, the ancestral home of the Roehs, having been born there July 30, 
 1871. She came to America with her widowed mother when ten years of age. 
 
.rofry uorhs 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 675 
 
 The Roehs home is brightened by the presence of eight children as follows: 
 Herman, Lizzie, Clara, Herbert, Hugo, Martha, Evelyn and Clarence. Mr. 
 Roehs unites with his many good gifts of mind and heart a fine, commanding 
 presence which combine to give him a personality not soon to be forgotten by 
 those with whom he comes in contact. 
 
 HENRY L. KROEGER. 
 
 Henry L. Kroeger, whose well tilled farm in Davenport township is repre- 
 sentative of the best agricultural interests of this section of the county, was 
 born on the farm on which he now lives, February i8, 1864, a son of Claus 
 and Anna (Loge) Kroeger. The former was born in Holstein, Germany, April 
 14, 1829, his parents being Hans and Lena Kroeger, who spent all their lives in 
 the fatherland. In his youth he served in the German war of 1848-50, for two 
 years, and in 1854 embarked upon his journey to America. Upon his arrival in 
 Scott county, Iowa, Mr. Kroeger secured employement as a farm hand with 
 Mr. Schmidt and continued to work for others until i860, when he married and 
 went to live upon the place which is now the home of his son and which was 
 then owned by his father-in-law. Upon it he continued to pursue his vocation 
 as a farmer until 1893, when he deemed it wise to retire from active life and 
 accordingly took up his residence in Davenport, where he is still living. He 
 also owned a tract of land in Linn county, Iowa, but has sold it. During his 
 years of activity he served as road supervisor and school director of Daven- 
 port township and was a man well known and widely esteemed among his 
 fellowmen. His wife, who was Miss Anna Loge before her marriage, was born 
 in Germany, March 9, 1839, and came to the United States with her parents, 
 Henry and Anna Loge, in 1847. They landed at New Orleans, ascended the 
 Mississippi river to St. Louis, where they spent six weeks, and later came to 
 Scott county, where they secured farm land from the government. 
 
 Henry L. Koeger has spent his whole life upon the farm whose soil he now 
 cultivates. In early years he learned all the secrets of its cultivation, so that 
 he is now one of the most successful agriculturists in his section of the county. 
 He attended the district schools in the vicinity of his home, acquiring a fair 
 English education. He has not made a specialty of any particular line of work, 
 but is engaged in general farming, for which the character of his soil is well 
 adapted. He has made good improvements and his fields present a neat and thrifty 
 appearance. 
 
 Mr. Kroeger has been twice married. On the 29th of August, 1885, he 
 wedded Miss Lena Gbetsch, who was born April 12, 1864, and through her mar- 
 riage became the mother of two children : Melanie, the widow of Ferd Ahrens ; 
 and Selma, who is at home. The wife and mother died August 16, 1891, and 
 December i, 1892, Mr. Kroeger was joined in wedlock to Miss Lena Rohwer, a 
 daughter of Henry and Kathryn (Brandt) Rohwer. Her father was born in 
 Holstein, Germany, January 19, 1838, his parents being Joseph and Kathryn 
 Rohwer. In 1868, accompanied by his wife and daughter, Mrs. Kroeger, who was 
 
676 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 then two years of age, he sailed for America. The little party landed in New 
 York and then came to Iowa, spending a few years in the city of Davenport. 
 Later they bought eighty acres in Buffalo township, this county, on which they 
 made their home for about seventeen years, at the end of that period removing 
 to Rockingham township, where they are still living. The mother was bom 
 in Holstein, Germany, September i, 1844, and was married to Mr. Rohwer in 
 the old country, April 11, 1866. They had eight children, of whom Lena, now 
 Mrs. Kroeger, is the eldest. She has become the mother of one son, Irwin. 
 Mr. Kroeger is one of those men upon whose upright and industrious life the 
 stability of this nation depends. He has lived quietly, but well, gaining as his 
 reward both material prosperity and the respect of those who have watched his 
 progress. 
 
 HANS SCHLICHTING. 
 
 A long trip across the ocean, travel by rail to Chicago and thence by wagon 
 at length brought the Schlichting family to Davenport in the spring of 1848. Hans 
 Schlichting was then a little lad of six years. He was born in Schleswig, Ger- 
 many, March 11, 1842, a son of Mathias and Marie Schlichting. The father 
 was a farmer in his native land but, believing that he would have better oppor- 
 tunities of providing for his family in the new world, he crossed the Atlantic in 
 1848 and, as previously stated, arrived in Scott county in the spring of that year. 
 This was still a frontier district, in which much of the land was still unclaimed 
 and uncultivated. The father bought a tract of one hundred acres of prairie land 
 in Blue Grass township and the family took up their abode thereon in a little log 
 house which was standing thereon. Later as his financial resources permitted 
 he bought more land. There were few families in the neighborhood and some 
 Indians were still to be seen. Hardships and trials incident to pioneer life formed 
 a feature of their early experiences here, but as the years passed on Mathias 
 Schlichting prospered in his undertakings and from time to time made judicious 
 investments in property, the value of which increased with the settlement of the 
 county as well as by reason of the cultivation and improvement which he bestowed 
 upon it. In later years he gave to each of his five sons a farm and to his three 
 daughters an equivalent sum in money. He died at the age of sixty-eight years, 
 while his wife reached the age of seventy-two years. In their family were eight 
 children: John, now deceased; Anna, who married Henry Houschild, both now 
 deceased; Cathrina, who married Frederick Frahm, but both have passed away; 
 Christina, the widow of Detlef Houschild; Peter, who is living in Davenport; 
 Thomas, deceased ; William, a resident of this city ; and Hans. 
 
 The last named, arriving in Scott county at the age of six years, pursued his 
 education in the public schools of Blue Grass township and afterward worked with 
 his father on the farm, breaking prairie with oxen. He lived upon the same 
 farm for forty-seven years and then retired, removing to Davenport. That long 
 period was one of earnest, persistent toil as he diligently cultivated the fields 
 from the time of early spring planting until crops were harvested in the late au- 
 tumn. He followed progressive methods in tilling the soil and as the result 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 677 
 
 of his care and wise management harvested good crops and in the course of 
 years acquired a competence that now enables him to live comfortably with- 
 out recourse to further labor. He was at one time the owner of five hundred 
 and sixty acres of valuable land, all in Scott county, but he has since sold a por- 
 tion of it and has given the remainder to his children. 
 
 Mr. Schlichting was married September 29, 1863, to Miss Mary Hoist, a 
 daughter of Jurgen and Magdelina Hoist, who were early settlers of this county, 
 taking up their abode in Princeton township when the work of development and 
 improvement had scarcely been begun here. Mrs. Schlichting was born in Hol- 
 stein-Schleswig, Germany, February 27, 1844, and in 1858 was brought to the 
 United States by her parents, who died on their farm in Princeton township. 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Schlichting have been born a daughter and two sons. Matilda 
 became the wife of John Ronnfield and died at the age of thirty-one years, 
 leaving five children : Florence Mary, who became the wife of Henry Hendricks, 
 of this county, and had four children, Esther M., Marie, Louisa and Leona ; Cor- 
 delia C, who married Hugo Harger ; Lillian ;• Rose ; and Edna. Fritz E., the 
 second of the family, living in Davenport, married Hannah Umlaud and has two 
 children, Oliver V. and Leroy W. John, also of Davenport, married Augusta 
 Warneboldt and they have one daughter, Carmel M. 
 
 The cause of public education has ever found in Mr. Schlichting a warm sup- 
 porter. He has served as school director of Blue Grass township for nine years 
 and was road supervisor for a few years. He has always been an earnest repub- 
 lican, never faltering in his allegiance to the principles of the party, for he be- 
 lieves that it contains for the best elements of good government. His life has been 
 a diligent one and his well spent years have brought him substantial prosperity, 
 while his reliable business methods have gained for him the good will and con- 
 fidence of all. 
 
 MRS. ELIZABETH INCZE. 
 
 The history of Mrs. Elizabeth Incze, one of Davenport township's well known 
 women, as that of her late husband, Francis Incze, is one of interest. She is a 
 native of Bavaria, Germany, her parents being Johann Philip and Anna (Houck) 
 Loge, both of whom died in their native land.' In her early years she and her 
 brother John left the fatherland to try their fortunes in the United States. They 
 landed in New York in 1852 and in a little while went to Cincinnati, Ohio, 
 where Elizabeth was married to Francis Incze, who was born in Hungary, March 
 23, 1828. He was of noble birth and fine education, but his youthful ardor 
 carried him to imprudent lengths at the time of the war between Austria and 
 Hungary in 1848 and he was exiled from his native land with many other revo- 
 lutionists. They wandered through many foreign lands, among them Turkey 
 and Egypt, and finally arrived in England, where the British government fur- 
 nished them free of charge with a ship in which to come to America. Upon 
 landing in the east he was advised to go to Cincinnati, where he learned the 
 trade of wood turning. There he met Mrs. Incze and about four years after 
 
678 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 their ifiatriage they removed to Davenport. Their residence in this city was of 
 twenty years duration, Mr. Incze meantime following' his trade; At the end of 
 this time they purchased a thirty-five acre tract of fine land irt Davenport town- 
 ship and removed to it to engage in fruit growing. Mr. Incze followed his 
 new vocation until his death, April i, 1896. Throughout his life he gave his 
 support to the republican party. 
 
 Mrs. Incze is the mother of nine children, five of whom are still living, while 
 four are deceased. She is a woman of dauntless nature, whose courage in 
 coming to a new country when a young girl, unaccompanied by natural guardians, 
 has been matched by other deeds in subsequent years. In the rearing of her 
 children and in the management of her affairs since the death of her husband 
 she has exhibited executive ability greater than that usually accredited to her 
 seat. 
 
 THOMAS D. STARBUCK, M. D. 
 
 One of the prominent and successful physicians of Davenport is Dr. Thofhas 
 D. Starbuck, who for the last seven years has ministered to the physical needs 
 of the citizens here. An able practitioner, he enjoys the confidence of those who 
 know him, while he also receives their admiration, for his proficiency in his 
 profession was not attained without numerous hardships and privations. He 
 was bom in Winchester, Randolph county, Indiana, January 24, 1872, a son 
 of W. W. and Louisa (Davidson) Starbuck. The father was a native of Vir- 
 ginia, but in 1822, when about nine years of age, removed to Indiana with his 
 parents. He was a farmer by occupation and lived to a good old age. His 
 wife, however, died at an early age, for Dr. Starbuck was only five years old 
 when she passed away. Four sons and two daughters were born to them. 
 
 Thomas D. Starbuck, who was the youngest of this family, lived upon the 
 farm in Randolph county, Indiana, until he was about thirteen years of age. He 
 had received a fair common-school education in the institutions of instruction 
 in his vicinity, but it was only enough to give him an incentive for a wider in- 
 tellectual outlook, which he determined to acquire when an opportunity pre- 
 sented itself. In 1886 he left his home and began traveling, coming to Iowa in 
 the course of time. He settled first in Monticello, where he remained one 
 year, and then came to Davenport, where he entered Woods Business College. 
 Upon completing the course of study, he became connected with the St. James 
 Hotel, where he remained from 1891 to 1898. In that time, however, he had 
 taken up the study of medicine, having decided to make its practice his life's 
 work. Finally he was able to enter the State University at Iowa City, from 
 which he was graduated with the degree of M. D., in 1902. Returning to Daven- 
 port, he established himself in practice here, and this city has since been the 
 scene of his professional labors. He is a skilled practitioner, a man thoroughly 
 conversant with all phases of his art and endowed with those attractive qualities 
 of personality which immediately win for him confidence. 
 
 In 1902, when he was prepared to start upon his new work. Dr. Starbuck 
 wedded Miss Ludo Bruning, who was bom in this city and is a member of one 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 679 
 
 of the older families of Scott county. Fraternally Dr. Starbuck is connected 
 with the Knights of Pythias, being a member of the local lodge of the city, at 
 whose meetings he frequently finds respite from the cares of the day. He is 
 also a member of the several organizations whose object is the advancement of 
 the medical profession, for he belongs to the Scott County, the Iowa State and 
 the American Medical Associations. He has made every endeavor to win an 
 horiorable reputatibn and has no reason to doubt but that he has achieved his 
 object. He has been known in his professional capacity to the citizens of 
 Davenport for only seven years, but that period has been sufficient for them to 
 recognize his high character and his ability as a physician. 
 
 W. W. LUNGER. 
 
 One of the foremost representatives of the legal profession in Davenport is 
 W. W. Luiiger^ who was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, August 2, 1855. His 
 father, Frederick Lunger, was a native of New Jersey, and during his life was 
 one of the oldest railroad engineers in the country. He was first in the employ 
 of the Pennsylvania Company, controlling the throttle of tbe Rocket, an engine 
 built in England and shipped to the United States on a sailing vessel. Later he 
 became an engineer on various roads in Kentucky and Mississippi, and while 
 in those localities became acquainted with Henry Clay, Jefferson Davis and 
 other prominent men of the time. Later he went to Indiana, having charge of 
 the first passenger train that ran into Indianapolis. In 1856 he came to Daven- 
 port and, having retired from the railroad business, bought an interest in the 
 Twin City Grist Mill with Adam Green as his partner. The mill burned in 
 1863 and for the next few years Mr. Lunger returned to his engineering life, 
 holding a position under French & Davis. In 1863 he began farming on a 
 tract in Littles Grove, where his death occurred in 1883, at the age of seventy- 
 four. He had been a stanch republican after the organization of that party; 
 was temperate in his habits, proving himself in many ways a good citizen and 
 of Scott county and of the republic. His wife, who was Miss Harriett Mc- 
 Gof-mick, was a native of Cincinnati and died here in 1892, at the age of 
 seventy-three. Ten children had been born to them. 
 
 W. W. Lunger, who attended the public schools of Davenport, was reared 
 upon a farm and assisted in its work during his early years. He completed the 
 course in the Davenport high school at the age of eighteen and thereupon en- 
 gaged in teaching in Scott county for a period of six years. In that time he 
 had saved sufficient money to enable him to attend the Columbia Law School, 
 for he had determined to enter the legal profession. There, as a classmate of 
 Theodore Roosevelt, he completed his course. He was graduated in 1882. The 
 next two yfears were spent at Grand Forks, North Dakota, whence he went 
 to Springfield, Illinois, and there for three years practiced his prbfession. It 
 was during his sojourn in that city that his abilities came to the notice of the 
 Union Pacific Railroad and he was called by them to go to Omaha. The next 
 fourteen years were spent in their employ, twelve years of that period in con- 
 
680 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 nection with the land department of the railroad. In 1901 he came back to 
 Davenport and, having engaged in practice, the following year was elected to 
 the city council for a term of two years. Although so much of his energy had, 
 of necessity, been devoted to the interests of his employers, he still found time 
 to exert his influence in behalf of those questions which were nearest to his 
 heart. The principal of these was the protection of children from overwork 
 and open vice. His name is linked with the legislature in their behalf in this 
 state and elsewhere, and in the city of Davenport he has been most closely con- 
 nected with the abolition of the slot machines which he rightly regards as but 
 an alluring incitement to later gambling. 
 
 On the 5th of June, 1888, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Lunger and 
 Miss Ada M. Crow, who was born in Springfield, Illinois. They have one son, 
 Fred, who was graduated from the high school of Davenport and is now a 
 student at Cornell University, looking forward to a career in the law. Mr. 
 Lunger is a stanch republican in his political sympathies and is active in local 
 affairs, his influence being exerted in behalf of improvement of conditions of 
 living. Fraternally he enjoys pleasant relations with the Masonic bodies. 
 
 SAM T. WHITE. 
 
 Sam T. White is the president of the White Lily Manufacturing Company 
 and a representative of that class of citizens who find their stimulus for business 
 activity in necessity and competition. Placing his dependence upon his own ef- 
 forts and resources, from the outset of his career he has steadily progressed in 
 the business world along well defined lines of labor until he has reached an im- 
 portant position in commercial circles as the president of the White Lily Manu- 
 facturing Company of Davenport. He was born in Cornwall, England, Feb- 
 ruary I, 1868. That county was also the birthplace of his father, Samuel White, 
 who came to the United States in the early '40s. He was a miner by occupation, 
 and, attracted by the gold discoveries in California, went to the Pacific coast in 
 1849. He traveled extensively through the western country, prospecting and 
 mining, and made some money while in that section. In 1866 he returned to his 
 native county of Cornwall, where he wedded Miss Mary Ann Thomas. His 
 death occurred in Cornwall in 1880. His son, Sam T. White, was reared to farm 
 life, having but meager educational privileges, as it was necessary that he early 
 provide for his own support. He was a strong and vigorous boy, however, and 
 when but sixteen years of age he left England with a companion of the same age 
 and sailed for the United States, for the stories which he heard concerning busi- 
 ness conditions in the new world led him to the belief that he would have bet- 
 ter opportunities on the western continent. He settled first at Staatsburg, New 
 York, where he remained for a year and then went to Canada, where he followed 
 farming, ditching and well digging. He also worked in lumber camps and here 
 his extraordinary physique stood him in good stead, enabling him to command 
 high wages because of the strength which he exercised in the performance of 
 his duties. He had no rich friends, was a stranger in a strange land and had to 
 
SAM T. WHITE 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 683 
 
 depend upon his own erforts. He succeeded because of his determination and 
 his energy and at all times was watchful of opportunities promising advance- 
 ment. In Canada he became interested in the bicycle business and met with 
 prosperity in that undertaking. In fact throughout his entire life he has car- 
 ried forward to successful completion every business with which he has become 
 associated. In 1891 he removed to Chicago and became connected with several 
 large firms in the bicycle business, including the Stokes Company, the Monarch 
 Manufacturing Company and the Stover Bicycle Manufacturing Company. 
 He afterward went upon the road for the Western Wheel Works, his 
 territory including Davenport, which he made his headquarters. Here 
 he soon gained a wide circle of friends and found this city a con- 
 genial home. He remained with the Western Wheel Works until the 
 formation of the bicycle trust, when he went upon the road, representing a 
 number of Davenport concerns. One of his lines was the Ocean Wave Washer, 
 manufactured by Voss Brothers, and he took control of their output upon a com- 
 mercial basis. In 1902, recognizing the opportunity for the establishment, as he 
 believed, of a successful manufactory in the same line of business, he organ- 
 ized the White Lily Washer Company in connection with B. L. and F. L. Schmidt, 
 and the business was instituted and profitably conducted under the partnership 
 relation until May 22, 1909, when Mr. White bought out his partners' interests 
 and reorganized the enterprise under the name of the White Lily Manufacturing 
 Company. The history of the company has been one of unbroken progress. The 
 business was organized with a capital of fifteen thousand dollars, which has twice 
 been doubled. In the first company Mr. White was secretary and treasurer but 
 was elected to the presidency of the new company, which has long since been 
 placed upon a paying basis and constitutes one of the important productive in- 
 dustries of the city. On the ist of May, 1907, Mr. White organized the Ideal 
 Lighting Company, of which he is the president. The White Lily Company does 
 business in almost every part of the world, having a large export trade to Aus- 
 tralia and various European countries. It is managed along safe, conservative, 
 and yet progressive lines, the business being carefully systematized so that maxi- 
 mum results are accomplished at the least possible expenditure of time, money 
 and labor, and this is the source of all successful business enterprise. 
 
 On the nth of April, 1901, occurred the marriage of Mr. White and Miss 
 Anna Nagel, a daughter of Henry Nagel, of Davenport. Mr. White stands high 
 in Masonic circles and is a past Master of Fraternal Lodge and member of the 
 chapter and commandery. He is also past venerable master of the Lodge of Per- 
 fection of the Scottish Rite, wise master of the Rose Croix Lodge and past po- 
 tentate of the Mystic Shrine. He likewise belongs to the Benevolent and Pro- 
 tective Order of Elks and other fraternities which recognize in him a valued and 
 popular representative. He is a whole-souled, popular man, who would make an 
 ideal political leader, but while he is interested in public affairs and assists his 
 friends in obtaining office, he does not care for political preferment himself, de- 
 siring rather to concentrate his time and energies upon his business affairs, which 
 are of growing importance. He justly deserves the proud American title of a 
 self-made man, for he came to this country when a mere boy and by indefatigable 
 energy, unabating industry and unassailable business integrity won the confidence 
 
684 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 of others and worked his way upward until he commands the respect and good 
 will of all who know aught of his history. He is fond of outdoor sports, genial 
 in manner and wherever he goes, wins friends. 
 
 CHARLES F. CLAPP. 
 
 Charles F. Clapp is now living retired in Davenport, but for a long period 
 he was closely associated with the agricultural interests of Scott county and his 
 energy was so unabating, his enterprise so keen and his business methods so 
 practical that he now holds a place among the men of aflfiuence of this section 
 of Iowa. He experienced the hardships of farm life in the middle of the past 
 century and many vicissitudes of fortune, but he persevered courageously and 
 may regard the record of his seventy-two years with a large measure of satisfac- 
 tion. 
 
 Charles F. Clapp was born in Fulton county, IlUnois, February 28, 1838, a 
 descendant of one of three brothers who came from Europe many generations ago 
 and established the family in the eastern part of America. In its various rami- 
 fications it is very numerous, for at a reunion held in Massachusetts in 1869 it 
 was discovered that there were then over twelve hundred members, many of 
 them were pioneers in the middle west. Selah Clapp, the grandfather of Charles 
 F. Clapp, came west as far as Portage county, Ohio, in 1820 and bought a farm 
 near Kent, which is still in the possession of his descendants and of which his 
 grandson, Charles F., has a picture. 
 
 There his son, Spencer Clapp, the father of our subject, grew to manhood, 
 learned the shoemaker's trade and was united in marriage to Miss Philiua Bond. 
 In 1837 he and his brother-in-law, Seldon Bond, went with teams to Fulton 
 county, Illinois, where the former entered one hundred and sixty acres of land 
 and the latter three hundred and twenty, for which they paid one dollar and a 
 quarter an acre. They built a house upon their property and lived thereon 
 until 1839, when Spencer Clapp was recalled to his home on account of the ill- 
 ness of his father. After his death he sold his land in Fulton county and, driv- 
 ing the same teams with which he had crossed the prairies before, returned to 
 the homestead. He managed it until October, 1854, when he came to Scott 
 county, Iowa. In Davenport, on Locust street just east of Brady, he built a 
 house — which by the way is still standing — and rented ten acres of land near what 
 is now Central Park, planting it in corn. The next year he leased forty acres 
 more near the race track, for which he gave Dr. Hall two-fifths of the crops as 
 rent. For three years subsequently he continued to Hve in Davenport and 
 after selling the house he had built first he put up another, which he traded 
 later for forty acres in Sheridan township. But after he had built a house upon 
 that land and removed his family to it, it was discovered that the title was im- 
 perfect and he lost all he had put into it, and had reaped only two crops from 
 the fields. The house, however, was not lost, for by means of thirty-two yoke 
 of cattle and with the assistance of friends he was able to drag it into the road, 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 685 
 
 where it remained for a year. In the work of moving old Mr. Meier had his 
 leg broken. 
 
 Charles F. Clapp, who had accompanied his father on his several removals 
 after leaving Fulton county, and had helped him in every way he could, was 
 married about that time and brought his bride to the little home standing in the 
 middle of the road, although later, he went to live in a house belonging to his 
 brother-in-law, Frank Ferring, who had gone to the war. While still living in 
 the house in liie road he received news that his brother, James Clapp, was among 
 those that died at Vicksburg. He was a member of Mark Thompson's company 
 of the Twentieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Later Mr. Clapp himself was 
 drafted into the army, in 1863, shortly after he had purchased forty acres of land 
 from Mr. Hartzel and bad put up a house upon it. When he learned his country 
 needed him, he sold his property for twelve hundred dollars, went to town 
 ev«ry day to see if the quota was fiUed and then found that whereas they 
 needed only fifty men from each township they had drafted one hundred, and 
 that he being the eighty-fourth would not be required to render service. There- 
 upon with the money he had from the sale of his farm, he bought eighty acres 
 in Sheridan township, the tract which his son David J. now owns and built 
 thereon a. house. There he lived until 1867, when he sold forty acres to John 
 Grieve for fifteen hundred dollars and also disposed of some of the land he 
 and his father had bought previously. Then he bought one hundred and sixty 
 acres in Sheridan township, on which his son Charles now resides and which 
 adjoined the first tract, living thereon until 1896, when he retired to Davenport. 
 Now he owns two hundred and forty acres of fine farm land, this property being 
 the visible evidence of his life of thrift, industry and careful management. 
 
 It was on Christmas day, i860, that Mr. Clapp wedded Miss Elizabeth Knouse, 
 who was bom January 28, 1842, near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and was about 
 eight years of age when her parents, David and Mary (Stump) Knouse, came to 
 Scott county. They entered land in Sheridan township about half a mile west 
 of Mr. Clapp's farm, but they spent their first night in Iowa on the place 
 where Charles Clapp now lives. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Clapp were 
 nine children. Samuel, born in the house standing in the road, October 25,, 
 1861, married Miss Nellie Morse and is now Hving at Adel, Iowa, where he is 
 rearing his six children, Paul, Edward, Mamie, Leslie, Elizabeth and Eleanor. 
 Anna born April 14, 1684, became the wife of L. B. Guy, of Davenport, and they 
 have three sons, Ralph, Kenneth and Donald. Emma, born June 23, 1866, and 
 died July 3, 1890. She had married George Marti and they had a daughter. 
 Vera M., who is now living with Mr. Clapp. Bertha E., born April 13, 1869, 
 became the wife of Milton Drenter, of Lincoln township, and passed away August 
 16, 1905, leaving three children: May, Pearl and Frank. Seldon, born August 
 16, 1871, married Miss Lottie Boise and is now residing in St. Joseph, Missouri, 
 where he is rearing his two sons, Seldon and Charles. David J. and Charles S., 
 twins, were born June ri, 1874, and both are living on the old home place in 
 Sheridan township. David J., married Jennie Neil, and they have one child, 
 Neil. Charles S. wedded Miss Effie M. Evans, and they have two children, 
 Lester E. and Mildred E. Archy, born January 26, 1880, was graduated from 
 the Iowa City Medical College and from the Chicago Medical Institute and is 
 
686 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 now practicing medicine in Muscatine, Iowa, making a specialty, of the eye, iear 
 and nose. He wedded Miss Helen Hine. Nellie, the youngest of Mr. Clapp's 
 family, was born April i8, 1885, and is living with her parents. Mil of the chil- 
 dren have received good educations. 
 
 While a resident of Sheridan township Mr. Clapp rendered his fellow citi- 
 zens acceptable. service for about ten years in the capacities of road supervisor 
 and school director and was ever devoted to the public good. Fraternally he is 
 associated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and with the Woodmen 
 of the World, while his religious allegiance is given to the Christian church. He 
 joined this organization first in Davenport in 1854, and when he moved to the 
 country joined the congregation at Long Grove. Later, when he returned to 
 Davenport he again joined the church there and is now the oldest member of 
 this denomination in Scott county. He is deeply interested in church work and 
 has been treasurer of his church for a long period. His life has ever been 
 actuated by high principles, of honor and integrity, and the record of his life is 
 characterized by a steady progress resulting from the wise and intelligent utili- 
 zation of every opportunity that came to him, so that he may well enjoy the rest 
 he so richly deserves. 
 
 JULIUS GRELL. 
 
 Julius Grell, a successful farmer and stock raiser of Hickory Grove township, 
 was born in Aliens Grove township, this county, November 8, 1864, a son of James 
 and Margaret (Bliimer) Grell. The former was a native of Kiel, Holstein, Ger- 
 many, where his birth occurred March 10, 1839, his parents being Frederick and 
 Margaret (Reinhardt) Grell, who spent their whole lives in the German father-' 
 land. To it Frederick Grell was especially attached for he had served a term of 
 seven years in the army. He was a farmer by occupation and was employed as 
 overseer of a large estate. Only four of his family of five sons and five daugh- 
 ters came to the United States. These were: John, now deceased; James, the 
 father of our subject; Claus, who is now a resident of Nebraska; and Mrs. Kath- 
 erine Steen, now deceased. 
 
 James Grell spent his early years in the town of his birth, where he learned the 
 trade of a wagonmaker. At the age of twenty-three he determined to emigrate 
 to America, whither his brother John had preceded him. The latter made his 
 residence in Aliens Grove township, this county, so that it was but in the natural 
 course of events that James Grell should there locate. Wfter his arrival in Scott 
 county he worked at his trade for seventeen years, while at the same time he also 
 engaged in the cultivation of the farm in Aliens Grove township on which he still 
 resides. He cleared and developed it and as he prospered added to its original 
 area until now he owns three hundred and twenty acres of good arable land on sec- 
 tion 27. He also owns one hundred acres of timber land, his present holdings, 
 however, representing but a portion of his original acquisition for he has 
 bestowed large farms upon his sons. Before he embarked for Kmerica 
 Mr. Grell married Miss Margaret Bliimer, also a native of Kiel, Germany, and 
 
ME. AND MRS. JULIUS GEELL 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 689 
 
 a daughter of David Bliimer, who was born in Switzerland. Their union was 
 blessed with four sons and four daughters, namely: Edward, who is at home; 
 Julius, the subject of this sketch ; Gus, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work ; 
 Dora, the wife of Charles Blanchard, of Oklahoma; Emma, the wife of Herman 
 Thede, a resident of Hickory Grove township ; Minnie, who is the wife of Claus 
 Engelhart and lives with Mr. Grell; Chris, who resides in Aliens Grove town- 
 ship ; and Jennie, the wife of John Hoffmann, of Winfield township, this county. 
 The mother died May i, 1889, when about fifty years of age, but the father is 
 still living. He is a democrat in his political views and has been very active in the 
 public affairs of his township., 
 
 Julius Grell was reared under the careful guidance of his parents in Aliens 
 Grove township, attending the district school near his home, in which he obtained 
 a fair education. The more substantial and practical training for life, however, 
 he received while he worked with his father in the fields, for he was initiated into 
 the secrets of agriculture as soon as he was able to handle the plow. He remained 
 with his father until he married, when he decided to make a home for himself. 
 Accordingly, he removed to section 2, Hickory Grove township, where he owned a 
 tract of one hundred and twenty acres. Here he engages in diversified farming 
 and raises a quantity of stock for the market. Putting into practice the sound 
 principles inculcated by his father Mr. Grell has won a well deserved success in 
 his calling and enjoys the respect of his associates. 
 
 In 1899 Mr. Grell wedded Miss Rosa Hamann, who was born in Davenport, 
 March 23, 1867. Her parents, John and Anna (Tackmann) Hamann, were na- 
 tives of Holstein, Germany, and when they emigrated to America took up their 
 residence in Scott county. They are at present living in Sheridan township. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Grell have two children : Margaret Anna and Karl Julius. 
 
 Like his father, Mr. Grell has allied himself with the. democratic party, al^ 
 though his adherence to its principles is not founded wholly upon the recom- 
 mendation of another but because he believes firmly in them. He has, however, 
 not taken any conspicuously active part in local affairs. 
 
 HENRY G. THOMPSON, M. D. V. 
 
 Henry G. Thompson, a prominent veterinarian and stock raiser, was born in 
 Dubuque, Iowa, in 1871, and is a son of T. T. and Laura (De Lamar) Thomp- 
 son. The father lived for many years in the vicinity of Dayton, Ohio, and fol- 
 lowed agricultural pursuits. His birthplace was New Jersey, and he was one 
 of the first settlers in the part of Ohio in which he made his home. The 
 grandfather, John Thompson, was also a native of New Jersey and passed most 
 of his life in the east. The grandmother's maiden name was Weber. 
 
 Henry G. Thompson received his schooling in Dubuque, attending both the 
 lower and higher departments. He later matriculated at McKillip's Veterinary 
 school in Chicago and graduated with the degree of M. D. V. From early boy- 
 hood he had taken an unusual interest in all animals, particularly in horses, which 
 natural bent determined his subsequent career. He engaged in stock raising and 
 
690 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 proved so successful that he was put in charge of several stock farms in Iowa 
 and Minnesota. After engaging in his profession for five years in the latter 
 state, he came to Davenport and has made his residence here for two years past. 
 This period has been of sufficient duration for him to make a name for himself 
 and to secure recognition as an expert in his line of endeavor. 
 
 On April 30, 1906, the foundations of a congenial domestic life were laid in 
 Dr. Thompson's marriage to Miss Esther Sparks. The presence of a little 
 daughter, Margaret Henrietta, adds brightness to the home, which is pleasantly 
 located in flat 5 of the apartments at 404 Brady street. 
 
 Dr. and Mrs. Thompson belong to the Presbyterian church and may be 
 relied upon to lend a helping hand to its good causes. While comparatively a 
 new member of the community, Dr. Thompson has exhibited those qualities 
 which have recommended him to his fellow townsmen as a citizen of value, at the 
 same time taking high rank among the practitioners of the veterinary science. 
 
 HANNIBAL H. FRIDLEY. 
 
 The strength and determination to succeed despite the presence of many ob- 
 stacles — characteristics strongly evident in the pioneers of Scott county— are traits 
 which Hannibal H. Fridley inherited as his birthright. His mother, who was 
 Miss Harriet Mounts in the days of her maidenhood, enjoyed the distinction of 
 being the first white girl born within the boundaries of this county. It was the 
 2d of September, 1835, when she was brought into the world. Jacob Fridley, 
 the father of our subject, was born in Augusta county, Virginia, although that 
 section of the state was later included within the boundaries of West Virginia, 
 March 27, 1820. In his young manhood he came to Scott county, and after some 
 experience here bought the tract of land in Buffalo township on which his son, 
 Hannibal H. Fridley lives today. 
 
 It has, in fact, always been the latter's home, for upon it he was born Janu- 
 ary 15, 1862. Here he grew to manhood, attending the public school of the dis- 
 trict until the age of thirteen years, when he was compelled to assume some of 
 a man's responsibilities upon the farm. In the thirty odd years that he has cul- 
 tivated it with a determination to win from its soil the largest returns possible, 
 he has become more attached to it. It has, to be sure, rendered him large returns 
 for his labors, but it is also associated with many memories which have come to 
 have a real place in his life. 
 
 In 1892 Mr. Fridley was married to Miss Annie Churkey, a daughter of 
 Beard Churkey, of Iowa county. They have become the parents of four chil- 
 dren, namely: Lincoln B., who was born February 20, 1893; Luella M., who 
 was born October 21, 1894; Virgie F., who was born June 14, 1896; and Jacob 
 T., who was born March 27, 1898. 
 
 Since he has been of an age to exercise his right to vote, Mr. Fridley has 
 invariably given his support to the candidates of the republican party, as the 
 choice of an organization in whose principles he places the greatest confidence. 
 While he has not been active in public affairs, he has been sincerely interested in 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 691 
 
 the subject of popular education, and, as he was deprived from enjoying the 
 highest advantages, as president of the school board he has exerted his influence 
 in bettering the lower grades that those who are compelled to leave their studies 
 early may have the best training possible. Mr. Fridley's is a life worthy of all 
 praise and he has devoted himself unquestionably to what he considered his 
 duty, winning a gratifying measure of success. 
 
 CYRILLUS WIRTH, M. D. 
 
 The medical profession of Scott county finds a worthy representative in Dr. 
 Cyrillus Wirth, who not only has an extensive private practice but is also health 
 officer for the city of Princeton and also for Princeton township. One of Iowa's 
 native sons, his birth occurred in Bellevue, Jackson county, on the 9th of July, 
 1869, his parents being Dr. J. G. and Regina (Benziger) Wirth. The father, 
 who was bom in Switzerland in April, 181 1, was there reared and enjoyed ex- 
 cellent educational advantages, being a graduate of Heidleberg University, Ger- 
 many. For several years he practiced medicine in his native land and in Ger- 
 many, and then, in i860, sailed for the United States, locating in Cincinnati, 
 Ohio. He remained there for only a few months, however, and then went to 
 St. Louis, from which place he removed to Dubuque, Iowa, and later, in 1862, 
 settled in Bellevue, where he practiced medicine until his death, passing away in 
 1894. He was a great sportsman, being an excellent shot, and belonged to a 
 number of gun clubs, including the American Sharpshooters Association, win- 
 ning a fine gold watch at one of their tournaments. His wife still survives at 
 the age of sixty-seven years and makes her home in Bellevue. By her marriage 
 to Dr. Wirth she became the mother of four children, of whom our subject is 
 the eldest. The others are: Elizabeth, who is engaged in teaching school in 
 Bellevue; Guido, conducting a real-estate business in Van Horn, Iowa; and 
 Phoebe, the wife of W. L. Monike, of New York city. 
 
 Cyrillus Wirth spent the years of his boyhood and youth in Bellevue and 
 acquired his literary education in the public schools of that city, passing through 
 consecutive grades until his graduation from the high school in 1885. Then, 
 deciding to follow in the footsteps of his father and in preparation for a profes- 
 sional career, he went to Chicago, Illinois, where he entered the Chicago Col- 
 lege of Pharmacy, continuing his studies therein during the years 1886 and 
 1887. In the latter year he successfully passed the state board examination and 
 in 1890 and 1891 attended the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Chicago. 
 He was graduated from the Keokuk Physicians & Surgeons Medical College, 
 on the 7th of March, 1893, with highest honors, having been awarded the 
 faculty gold medal for first place in the class. 
 
 In 1894 Dr. Wirth was registered as pharmacist, and, thus well equipped for 
 the duties of his chosen calling, he opened up an office in Bellevue for the practice 
 of his profession. He remained there for only three years, however, after which 
 he went to Van Horn, Benton county, Iowa, where he practiced for seven years, 
 and at the expiration of that period removed to Cedar Rapids, remaining in 
 
692 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 that city for a similar period. In 1908 he opened an office in Princeton and has 
 since been engaged in the practice of medicine in this city. Although he has 
 resided here but a short time he has already gained a most gratifying practice 
 which is not confined merely to the limits of the town but extends throughout 
 the surrounding territory. He is well equipped by training for the successful 
 conduct of his life work and has ever kept in close touch with the progress that 
 is continually going on in the medical world, while he fully realizes the obliga- 
 tions that devolve upon him in his profession and performs his duties in a con- 
 scientious manner. His ability is recognized alike by his patrons and his brethren 
 in the medical fraternity, a fact that is indicated in his appointment to the posi- 
 tion of health officer for the city of Princeton and also for Princeton township, 
 in which office he is now efficiently serving. 
 
 It was on the 4th of July, 1891, at Central City, Iowa, that Dr. Wirth was 
 united in marriage to Miss Laura E. Barnes, a daughter of Seymor L. and Har- 
 riett E. Barnes, and unto this marriage has been born one daughter, Lyra. The 
 father of Mrs. Wirth was an old soldier of the Civil war, belonging to Company 
 F, Fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. 
 
 Dr. Wirth's religious views are indicated by his membership in the Presby- 
 terian church, while in politics he gives his allegiance to the socialist party. He is 
 a well known figure in fraternal circles, holding membership in the Star of the 
 West Lodge, No. i, K. P., of Cedar Rapids, with the Modern Brotherhood of 
 America at Cedar Rapids and also with the Modern Woodmen of America and 
 the Highland Nobles at Princeton. He is medical examiner for the Court of 
 Honor and also for the Woodmen lodge at Princeton. He has in his possession 
 an old brass druggist's mortar which has been in the family for a great many 
 years. It was made in 1658 and weighs six pounds, and is a relic of which Dr, 
 Wirth is very proud. 
 
 HARRY J. FRANK. 
 
 Harry J. Frank, the sole proprietor of Frank's Foundry, is one of the many citi- 
 zens of Davenport who believe that they can do their best work when engaged in 
 business for themselves. About ten years ago he organized the concern of which 
 he is the head, starting it upon a small scale. It has steadily advanced, however, 
 until it has made a place for itself among the flourishing industries of the city. 
 
 Mr. Frank was born in Akron, Ohio, December 28, 1842, a son of Isaac and 
 Melissa (Pryor) Frank. In the place of his birth he received his education and 
 there learned the trade of a molder. At the age of nineteen years he left his home, 
 thereafter following his profession in various cities throughout the country. He 
 went first to Chicago, where he engaged in the -foundry business. After a sojourn 
 there he returned to Akron, Ohio, where he was employed upon the lakes for a 
 season, but with the hope of bettering his fortunes he went to California. Upon 
 his return east, after one year's experience, he located in Omaha, Nebraska. 
 Going back to Akron, Ohio, he was married and then returned to the west. 
 
II. J. FRANK 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 695 
 
 At Denver, Colorado, Mr. Frank was located for the next ten years and later 
 found employment in Leadville, Colorado, for two years. It was about twenty 
 years ago that he came to Davenport, where he was first employed as foreman by 
 the Davenport Foundry & Machine Company, and while in that position saw an 
 opportunity of embarking in business for himself whereby he might increase his 
 income and make a respected place for himself in the community. In consequence 
 he established Frank's Foundry, which has become one of the leading enterprises 
 of the kind in the city. Although he operated it for a time alone, later he took his 
 brother with him and, as his health failed, assigned more and more the cares and 
 responsibilities to him. 
 
 In 1877 Mr. Frank was united in marriage to Miss Mary Anna Jones, of Akron, 
 Ohio, and they have become the parents of eight children : Walter and Jennie, who 
 are deceased ; Eleanor, who married Arthur Hageboeck ; Grace, who is at home ; 
 Harry, a student at Purdue University ; Helen, a senior in the high school of Dav- 
 enport; and Thomas J. and George Dewey, who are also in school. 
 
 Mr. Frank belongs to the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows 
 and to the Columbia Sick Society, while he is an honorary member of the Iron 
 Molders Union. As the success which he has won in the business world is due en- 
 tirely to his own efforts he enjoys the proud distinction of being one of the self- 
 made men of this republic. 
 
 EMIL PRIESTER. 
 
 A large percentage of the citizens of substantial worth in Scott county have 
 come from or trace their lineage to the fatherland. Among this number is Emil 
 Priester, who now follows farming on one hundred and sixty acres of land 
 lying partly in Butler and partly in Lincoln townships. This property is owned 
 by his father, Fritz Priester, who is mentioned on another page of this volume. 
 It was upon the old home farm that Emil Priester was bom on the 15th 
 of July, 1877, his parents being Fritz and Wilhelmina Priester, whose names 
 indicate their German ancestry. He has lived on this farm all his life and in 
 his youthful days divided his time between the pleasures of the playground, 
 the duties of the schoolroom and the work of the fields on the old homestead. 
 He gained practical knowledge of the best methods of tilling the soil and car- 
 ing for the crops, and in the year 1901 he took charge of the farm, which he 
 has conducted continuously since. He raises good crops and at the same time 
 makes a specialty of raising Duroc Jersey hogs, light Brahma chickens and 
 Bourbon red turkeys. ^He utilizes the latest improved machinery in carrying on 
 the work of the fields and the place is equipped with all the modem improvements 
 and accessories that constitute features of a model farm of the twentieth cen- 
 tury. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers Elevator Company of Eldridge. 
 
 On the 17th of October, 1900, Mr. Priester was married to Miss Louisa 
 Leptien, a daughter of William and Minnie Leptien, of Cleona township. Mrs. 
 Priester was bom in Davenport on the 20th day of September, 1881, in which 
 city her parents settled on coming from Germany to the new world, the father 
 
€96 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 there entering the employ of the Mueller Lumber Company. Later he turned 
 his attention to general agricultural pursuits and is now engaged in farming in 
 Sheridan township. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Priester have been bom three children, 
 Wilma, Athol and Elna, but the second child died September 8, 1908, at the age 
 of five years and eight days. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Priester have many friends in the community and their 
 own home is a hospitable one. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias of Eldridge 
 and his life is in harmony with its beneficent principles. 
 
 HUGO HOFFBAUER. 
 
 One of the prominent business men of the town of Buffalo, who despite 
 the fact that his many years would entitle him to a well deserved rest has not 
 ceased to give his best efforts to the mercantile business in which he is engaged 
 is Hugo Hoffbauer. He was born in Auleben, Germany, March 3, 1836, and is 
 a son of Frederic and Mathilda T. (Schneidewind) Hoffbauer. The former was 
 a native of Copenhagen, Denmark, where his birth occurred November 10, 
 1 82 1, while the latter was born in Prussia, Germany, in the year 1827. The 
 couple were married in the old country which remained their home until 1848, 
 when Mr. HofiEbauer, Sr., decided to try the opportunities said to abound in 
 America. Accordingly they crossed the Atlantic, landed in New York, August 
 3, 1848, and then made their way west to Watertown, Wisconsin. Thete for two 
 years the father followed farming, at the end of that period going to Janesville, 
 Wisconsin, where he built a house-boat, on which the family floated down the 
 Rock river to Rock Island, which they reached November 4, 1852. For the next 
 two years, while living in this waterhouse, Hugo Hoffbauer found employment 
 upon the steamboat Lamertine. About that time, however, an incident occurred 
 which changed the mode of life of the family, for a storm arising in the river, 
 the house-boat was carried across to the Iowa shore. As the country appeared 
 inviting they determined to remain here, forthwith procuring a tract of land in 
 Scott county which they cultivated profitably for a number of years. 
 
 Hugo Hoffbauer was twelve years of age when his parents came to America 
 and had consequently received his education in the land of his birth. He ac- 
 companied them from Watertown to Janesville, Wisconsin, and then assisted in 
 the construction of the house-boat. Finally, when they took up their residence 
 in Scott county, he did his full share in the cultivation of the farm. His life 
 was interrupted by the inauguration of the Civil war, for like many young men 
 of ambition Mr. Hoffbauer' was very anxious to offer his services in the support 
 of the Union and at the same time win distinction on the field of battle. There- 
 fore he enlisted in the Fourteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry,' August 17, 1862, 
 holding the commission of Heutenant. After a little more than two years' ser- 
 vice he was appointed to a captaincy, November 17, 1864, in charge of a bat- 
 talion. The following spring, when an assassin's hand had deprived the nation 
 of its president, he and his men were appointed to guard Lincoln's remains as 
 they lay in state in the capitol at Springfield, Illinois. The memories of those 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 697 
 
 days are perhaps the most vivid of any in Mr. Hoffbauer's life; surely they 
 have a distinction which can never be shared by any others. The solemnity 
 of the occasion, the dignity of the man who virtually sacrificed himself for 
 what he believed to be right and then the soldier's associations, the reminiscences 
 of the field of struggle, all these things combined to leave an impression in- 
 delible and unequalediby any other. 
 
 When the war was brought to a close and Mr. Hoffbauer received his hon- 
 orable discharge from the army, he returned to Scott county to continue in the 
 occupation which had been so rudely interrupted. In 1885 he relinquished ac- 
 tive farming and removed to Buffalo, where he engaged in the brewing business. 
 In a few years, however, he decided to make another change so bought the mer- 
 cantile establishment which he now conducts. 
 
 It was in 1859 that Mr. Hoffbauer wedded Miss Virginia Meyers, a daugh- 
 ter of Jacob Meyers, of Buffalo township. Ten children were born of this union, 
 but only three are now living : Max, who married Miss Bessie Moorhead and is 
 now residing in Buffalo; Lewis, who wedded Miss Ella Mayhaus and is carry- 
 ing on a bottling works and ice business in Buffalo ; and Lula, the wife of Lewis 
 Reinbrecht of Scott cotmty. 
 
 In his early manhood Mr. Hoffbauer gave his political support to the re- 
 publican party but in 1872 decided the principles of the democracy were in more 
 accord with his own views. Since that time he has steadfastly supported its can- 
 didates. While he was a resident of the country, he held all of the township 
 offices within the gift of the people. Since he has lived in Buffalo he has been 
 equally conspicuous in public affairs, for during a period of twenty years he was 
 mayor of the village, is at present a justice of the peace, and while Grover Cleve- 
 land was president he served as postmaster. His discharge of the trusts imposed 
 upon him has always been marked with devotion to duty, carefulness and efficiency, 
 so that there has been little occasion for dissatisfaction with his administration, 
 while approbation is the general feehng. He was baptized in the Lutheran faith 
 but at present is not affiliated with any church but is associated with several fra- 
 ternal and social organizations, being a member of Banner Lodge, No. 16, K. P., 
 of the local G. A. R. post, of the Turners and the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen. The friends he has made among his brothers in these societies are 
 unanimous in according him the respect and good will which he deserves. 
 
 HENRY FEUERBACH. 
 
 Henry Feuerbach. has always resided on the farm in Cleona township which 
 he now occupies. Here he was born July 5, 1870. He is the son of Johannas 
 and Marie Elizabeth (Deitz) Feuerbach, natives of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, 
 who were married in the old country and came to A'merica about the year 1856. 
 They located in Scott county and were sufficiently pleased with the neighborhood 
 to. remain here the rest of their lives, the' father taking up farming as his voca- 
 tion. He died February 9, 1884, at the age of sixty-six years. The mother sur- 
 vives and she and her son are among the largest property owners hereabout. 
 
698 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Her holdings consist of some five hundred and sixty acres, three hundred of 
 which are operated by Henry Feuerbach. Mrs. Feuerbach, who now resides 
 in Walcott, was born December i8, 1832. She has two children, Carolina, wife 
 of Henry Moeller of Walcott, and the subject of the sketch. Her husband had 
 three chilaren by a former marriage, these being John, deceased ; Philip of Key- 
 stone; and Bertha Dittmer, deceased. 
 
 The property of Henry Feuerbach consists of the home place on section 36, 
 one hundred and sixty acres on section 18, one hundred and sixty acres on sec- 
 tion 17, and sixty acres on section 25, on the Hickory Grove township line, this 
 amounting to five hundred and forty acres of land, all in Cleona township. All 
 the improvements on this very desirable property were made by Mr. Feuerbach 
 and his father. Here he engages in general farming and stock-raising and as an 
 additional interest holds a directorship in the Walcott Savings Bank. 
 
 On Christmas day, of 1893, Mr. Feuerbach and Miss Wilhelmina Soenke 
 were united in marriage. Mrs. Feuerbach was born October 10, 1872, in Blue 
 Grass township, her parents being Hans and Anna (Broeders) Soenke, natives 
 of Germany, but now residing in Davenport. Five children add interest and 
 cheer to their home. These are by name Ferdinand,' Mary Anna, Elmer, Ida 
 and Lloyd. 
 
 Politically Mr. Feuerbach pays fealty to the democratic party. He takes a 
 live interest in public affairs and several trusts have been put into his hands as 
 a result of the confidence of his associates. He is now serving his third term as 
 township trustee, is a member of the township schoolboard and for many years 
 has been a trustee of the Walcott Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He is iden- 
 tified with the Walcott ICnights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America, 
 and in these fraternal relations enjoys the same high regard that he wins from 
 the public in general. 
 
 LOUIS E. RODDEWIG. 
 
 It would be difficult to find in the later generation a young man held more 
 securely in the afifections and confidence of his fellow townsmen than Louis 
 E. Roddewig. He was born in Davenport, March 4, 1880, and his career has 
 already been of greater promise than that of the usual young man of his years. 
 He is of Teutonic stock, his father, Frederick William Roddewig, having been 
 born in the German Empire. He was a seventh son and in accordance with the 
 custom of the country was named for Emperor Frederick William. Early in life 
 he transferred his citizenship from Germany to America and in 1854 located in 
 Davenport, where he engaged in the cigar business. In 1902 he retired and now 
 finds leisure to enjoy the associations of a home which has been his for over 
 half a century. He was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Lehnhardt, also 
 a native of Germany, who when a young girl accompanied her parents on their 
 removal to the United States. Her father, Ernst Lehnhardt, located near 
 Buffalo, Iowa, and became a successful agriculturist. 
 
i.oi'is K. uodukwk; 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 701 
 
 Louis E. Roddewig attended Davenport's educational institutions when a boy 
 and made good use of their advantages. When he left school it was by no 
 means with the idea that his education was completed. With his ambitions fixed 
 upon becoming an attorney, he entered the office of W. M. Chamberlin and 
 there read law for several years. Meanwhile coming into connection with pub- 
 lic men an interest in public affairs was developed in him as well as an under- 
 standing of them, and although remarkably young to fill such an office he was 
 elected justice of the peace for two years. Having served his term, he entered 
 the law department of the State University of Iowa and in 1906 was admitted 
 to the bar. While still a student at the university Mr. Roddewig had the unique 
 distinction to be elected police magistrate of Davenport, assuredly an unusual 
 compliment to a young man not yet out of college and an unmistakable com- 
 ment on his popularity. He was reelected in 1908 and efficiently fills that office, 
 at the same time engaging in the practice of law. 
 
 On May 19, 1908, Mr. Roddewig was united in marriage to Miss Olga Pe- 
 tersen, a daughter of Theodore Petersen, of the firm of Kruse & Petersen, dry- 
 goods merchants. Mr. Petersen, now deceased, was for many years identified 
 with the commercial life of Davenport. 
 
 Since attaining his majority Mr. Roddewig has given his heart and his hand 
 to the principles of the democratic party, and his political activities have been 
 such that they have crowned him with esteem. He has numerous affiliations, 
 being a worthy exponent of Masonry, with membership in Fraternal Lodge, 
 No. 221, and having the Scottish Rite and Shriner degrees. He is identified 
 with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Independent Order of 
 Red Men, and is also connected with the Commercial Club and other Davenport 
 organizations. 
 
 OTTO HELBIG. 
 
 Otto Helbig, who passed away at his residence, 331 East Fourth street, Daven- 
 port, October 4, 1900, had been for thirty-three years one of the more im- 
 portant business men of this city. He was born in Neumark, Germany, March 
 22, 1835. His parents. Christian and Mary Helbig, spent all their lives in that 
 province of the fatherland, where the former pursued the trade of a miller. 
 
 Otto Helbig obtained a good education in the schools of his native town, 
 which remained his home until he was approaching young manhood. Then he 
 decided to come to America, hoping to prove to himself the richness of the 
 opportunities said to lie here. On coming to Davenport he learned the trade 
 of a butcher, at which he worked as an employe for a number of years. Later 
 he established a shop of his own first at Fourth and Rock Island streets but sub- 
 sequently he removed to Iowa and Fourth streets, where he had a small place of 
 business upon the rear of a lot. As he gained a substantial return from his 
 business venture he was able to buy a lot and erect a large and modern brick 
 building upon it. In this, his new quarters, he conducted operations for the 
 next twenty-three years. Making every effort to satisfy his customers, he soon 
 
702 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 gained a large patronage, his shop being generally known as the place where the 
 best meats and vegetables in season could be procured at moderate prices. 
 
 Mr. Helbig was twice married. His first wife was Miss Sophia Gearhart, 
 of Clinton county, and their union was blessed with three children: Mrs. John 
 Bronlee, Mrs. August Sebelieu, and Otto W. After her death Mr. Helbig mar- 
 ried again, his second wife having been Miss Caroline Schweizer, to whom he 
 was united March 22, 1881. She was a daughter of Herman and Clara (Koeh- 
 ler) Schweizer. Two daughters have been born of this union : Louise, who be- 
 came the wife of James H. Creighton ; and Birdie, who, having graduated from 
 the Davenport schools, is now living at home with her mother. 
 
 Mr. Helbig belonged to the United Workmen of America and with the mem- 
 bers of his family was a consistent adherent of the Lutheran church, very active 
 in its work and generous in its support. Mrs. Helbig is now residing at 1516 
 Le Claire street. 
 
 WILLIAM MURRISON. 
 
 For more than fifty years William Murrison has been a resident of Sheridan 
 township and annually derives rich harvests from his eighty-twO' acres, which 
 are a part of the tract of one hundred and sixty acres which constituted his 
 father's estate. Successful in his own affairs he has also won the regard and 
 esteem of his fellow citizens and at their behest has rendered valuable service in 
 different capacities to his township for a long period of years. He was born 
 in Canada, thirty miles from Toronto, August 22, 1846, his parents being Alex- 
 ander and Mary Ann (Macklem) Murrison. The father was a native of Scot- 
 land, his birth having there occurred September 2, 1808. He attended school in 
 the old country and learned the trade of a shoemaker, but at the age of seventeen 
 crossed the Atlantic alone and took up his residence in Canada, where he worked 
 at his calling, was married and lived until 1852, when he came to the United 
 States. For five years he resided in Michigan, during which time he was engaged 
 in shoemaking, farming and teaming, and then in 1857 removed to Scott county. 
 He had come here some years previously, however, and bought one hundred and 
 sixty acres, for which he had paid the government price of one dollar and a quar- 
 ter an acre, but the tract was unbroken prairie and after he brought his family to 
 the county they lived for a year upon a rented farm, until the ground could be 
 plowed and sorde improvements made upon it. He built thereon a small house 
 and in 1858 the family made it their home, he himself residing there throughout 
 the remainder of his life, or until August 5, 1899, when his demise occurred. 
 During the long span oi his years he had witnessed the great development of the 
 country. When he came here first wolves roamed over the prairies, and Indians 
 were frequently seen. The first year he lost all his crops, because of the quan- 
 tity of the rain fall, and for many years after was obliged to work at his trade in 
 order to supplement the income he derived from his farming, but later, through 
 diligence and perseverance, he was able to win a large return for his labors. He 
 also occupied an important position in the public life of his township, for he 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 703 
 
 rendered efficient service as schcxjl director and road supervisor. His religious 
 support was given to the Baptist church of Le Claire township, of which he was 
 an eider. In his death Sheridan township lost one of her esteemed citizens. 
 
 While still residing in Canada, Mr. Murrison had wedded Miss Mary Ann 
 Macklem, who was bom in that country March i6, 1817, and after the death of 
 her husband she lived at Wilton until her death, December 2, 1909, at the age 
 of ninety-two. She was a daughter of James and Anna (Lundy) Macklem and 
 her maternal grandfather, Mr. Lundy, owned the farm on which the battle of 
 Lundy's Lane was fought, it having been so called from the fact that the British 
 and American forces met upon her ancestor's property. Through her marriage 
 Mrs. Murrison became the mother of nine children, as follows : George, who is 
 deceased ; Susie, who is the wife of Martin Krouse, of Davenport ; James, of Wil- 
 ton, Iowa; William, who is the subject of this sketch; Mary J., who became the 
 wife of John Krouse, of Wilton, Iowa ; Ellen, who is the wife of Emanuel Long, 
 of Mount Vernon, Iowa ; Thomas and Andrew, were twins and have passed away ; 
 and Nancy, who is residing in Davenport township, this county. 
 
 William Murrison, whose name introduces this review, attended school for 
 a short period in Michigan and after his parents established their home in Scott 
 county, he was a pupil in the district schools here. It was but a meager educa- 
 tion he received, however, for at best the training was but crude and the many 
 duties attendant upon pioneer life prevented him from giving much time to the 
 preparation of lessons, so that he had tO' look to practical experience for sub- 
 stantial training for the responsibilities of life. He was twelve years of age when 
 in 1858 he came to live upon the farm which is now his home, and in the half 
 century that has passed he has devoted himself diligently to the cultivation of its 
 fields. Knowing the nature of the soil he has made a study of the crops best 
 adapted to it and to the climate, and every year reaps a harvest whose size is 
 indicative of his skill as a husbandman. In addition to the cultivation of the 
 fields he has also engaged in raising hogs, deriving from both branches of his 
 business an ample income. He has exhibited keen sagacity in his operations, 
 thereby being able to conserve his resources and derive the greatest good from 
 them. 
 
 On the 28th of February, 1872, Mr. Murrison married Miss Christina Marti, 
 a native of Winfield township, Scott county, and a daughter of Bartholomew and 
 Anna Barbara (Schlegel) Marti. The parents were born in Switzerland, but 
 came to Scott county among the early settlers, having established their home 
 here in 1852. Two daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Murrison. Mar- 
 garet, the elder, is the Avife of Edwin Balch, of Chicago, Illinois, and Nookie 
 lives at home. 
 
 Mr. Murrison has been called by his fellow citizens to fill several oflSces of 
 trust and responsibility. He was elected to the secretaryship of the schoolboard, 
 a position he held for twenty-one years, while he is still a member of that body. 
 Twelve years ago he was made justice of the peace and has been the incumbent 
 of that office continuously since, the fairness and ability he has shown in apply- 
 ing the law winning for him the respect and esteem of his friends and neighbors. 
 Fraternally he is identified with the Woodmen of the Worid at Long Grove. 
 There has been no esoteric phase in his career; in his private affairs as in his 
 
704 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 public life, he has held to high standards of honorable manhood so that he well 
 deserves the success which has attended his labors and the good will which is 
 universally accorded him. Mr. Murrison has just bought a fine modern home 
 in the village of Eldridge where he expects to move with his family this year 
 (1910), but will still retain the management of his present farm. 
 
 CHARLES THODT. 
 
 No better testimony of the industry and thrift which was characteristic of 
 the life work of Charles Thodt can be given than one of the well improved farms 
 of one hundred and sixty acres which he left to his heirs when he passed to his 
 reward on the 26th of October, 1908. For a half century he had been associated 
 with the people of Scott county, for it was in Long Grove that his birth occurred, 
 March 4, 1858. Through the period of his youth, and early manhood he remained 
 in the home of his parents, Jochim and Catherine (Hinrichsen) Thodt, the for- 
 mer a native of Holstein, Germany. When a young man he emigrated to the 
 new world and the year 1851 witnessed his arrival in Scott county, Iowa. He 
 assisted in building the Rock Island Railroad through this county and became 
 a well known citizen of this section of the state. He was married here, his wife 
 being a widow with five children. By her marriage to Mr. Thodt she became the 
 mother of a daughter and son but the daughter, Emma, passed away at the age 
 of two years, leaving our subject as the only child of that union. The mother 
 was called to her final rest September 25, 1881, and following her demise the 
 father made his home with his son for thirteen years, when he met death in 
 Davenport by drowning in April, 1895. 
 
 Charles Thodt remained at home until he was twenty-four years of age, when 
 he established a home of his own by his marriage on the 3d of January, 1882, 
 to Miss Jette Rohwer, who was born in Aliens Grove township, January 10, 
 1857. Her parents, Claus and Magreatha (Koehler) Rohwer, were both natives 
 of Germany, the father emigrating to the new world in 1848, while the lady 
 whom' he afterward made his wife arrived three or four years later, their mar- 
 riage being celebrated in Scott county. Both still survive and they now make 
 their home in Donahue, this county. 
 
 Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Thodt began their domestic life on 
 the present home farm, which Mrs. Thodt had previously received from her 
 father. This place comprises one hundred and sixty acres located on sections 29 
 and 32, Hickory Grove township. All the buildings which are here seen were 
 erected by Mr. Thodt and for many years he devoted his time and energies to 
 its cultivation, and also raised stock. He was a stockholder in the Walcott 
 Savings Bank and in the Farmers Elevator of Walcott. Besides their property 
 in Scott county, the family own a section of land in Osceola county, Iowa. 
 
 A democrat in his political views, Mr. Thodt served as road supervisor for 
 ten years, while for sixteen years he was trustee of Hickory Grove township. 
 For twenty-three years he likewise acted as secretary of the independent school 
 district, which included three schools. Fond of hunting, he belonged to the 
 
JIKS. C'llARI.KS TIKIDT 
 
CITAHr.ES TII()J)T 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 709 
 
 Schuetzen Verein, a German shooting organization, at Marysville. Although he 
 performed many acts of kindness and did much public service of an important 
 character, he never spoke of this in social intercourse but such acts are kept in 
 remembrance and the importance of those services acknowledged. His example 
 is an object lesson to those who come after him and long after all recollection 
 of his personality shall have faded from the minds of men the less perishable 
 record may tell the story of his life and commend his example for imitation. 
 
 With the widow, five children survive the father's death. These are: Kath- 
 arine Mary, the wife of August Adrian, of Osceola county, Iowa; Robert J., 
 of the state of Washington ; and Henrietta Amanda, Carl Christian and Alfred 
 Henry, all at home. The fifth in order of birth, Martha Margaretha, died at the 
 age of sixteen years. The family is a prominent and highly respected one in 
 the community and the hospitality of their pleasant home is extended to many 
 friends. 
 
 CHRISTIAN ROCK, SR. 
 
 The life of Christian Rock, Sr., is a graphic illustration of the possibilities 
 existing for the poor boy who is equipped with plenty of dauntless energy, in- 
 tegrity and intelligence in lieu of more material capital. He was born in Prus- 
 sia, Germany, January 15, 1829, his parents being Christian and Wilhelmina 
 (Klauschmidt) Rock. The parental roof sheltered the following large family 
 of children : Wilhelmina Frazier, deceased ; Christian, the subject of the sketch ; 
 Ludwig of Dixon, Iowa; Henry; Fredericka; Louise Brockman, who died in 
 this country; Wilhelm, of Clinton county; and Frederick, of Walcott. The 
 death of the father occurred in Germany, but the mother came to Dixon and 
 made her home with her son Ludwig. 
 
 Early in life young Christian Rock fixed his hopes on America, and in 1853 
 he crossed the seas with his cousin William Rock. Coming to Iowa, he for sev- 
 eral years earned his livelihood as a farm hand and from that time he climbed 
 steadily up the ladder of fortune. Concluding to put into practice the experi- 
 ence gained upon the farms of others, he rented a farm near Walcott and oper- 
 ated it for a time. By the exercise of thrift, which was a natural characteristic, 
 he soon found himself in a position to buy a farm of one hundred and fifty-three 
 acres on section 4, Hickory Grove township, and there resided from 1861 until 
 he took possession of his present valuable property, a farm of two hundred acres 
 on sections 32 and 29, that township, where he has lived for about twenty years. 
 Prior to dividing it among his children Mr. Rock owned seven hundred acres of 
 land, all of it fertile and in a high state of improvement, for he is thoroughly 
 progressive and believes in the application of science to agriculture. 
 
 In 1857 Mr. Rock was united in marriage to a lady of the same name as his 
 own. Miss Wilhelmina Rock, born in Prussia March 6, 1830, who came to 
 America in the year of her marriage, and died February 17, 1910. Their union 
 was blessed by the birth of the following six children: Christian, Jr., of Hickory 
 Grove township; Louise, the wife of William H. Rock, whose career is treated 
 elsewhere in this volume; Caroline, the wife of Christian Rock, of Avoca, Iowa; 
 
710 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Wilhelmina, the wife of Henry Meints of Aliens Grove township; Fritz, de- 
 ceased ; and Fredericka, the wife of Gus Greve of Aliens Grove township, 
 
 Mr. Rock is highly regarded and a loyal citizen of the county in which he 
 and his children have enjoyed prosperity and many of Heaven's best gifts. He 
 rejoices in the possession of many friends whose companionship his present 
 well earned leisure permits him to cultivate. 
 
 Christian Rock, Jr., son of the above, was born April i8, 1858, in Blue Grass 
 township, Scott county. When about three years of age he removed with his 
 parents to the farm which he at present occupies, his father having taken pos- 
 session of another homestead some years ago. The subject of the sketch has 
 resided there from that day to this and has enjoyed great success as a farmer. 
 This tract is especially well improved, much of the credit being due to the father, 
 and the place is adorned by a fine eight room residence. Mr. Rock owns an 
 additional two hundred and ten acres on sections 32 and 29, and one hundred 
 and fifty-three in section 4, Hickory Grove township. He enjoys a wide reputa- 
 tion as a breeder of shorthorn cattle and owns thirty head of registered cattle. 
 He is also a stockholder in the Dixon Savings Bank. 
 
 In 1890 Mr. Rock was united in marriage to Miss Theresa Quistorf. She 
 was born^in Scott county, March 17, 1868, her parents being Henry and Louisa 
 Quistorf, both of them natives of Germany, who settled in Scott county and 
 resided here until their deaths. Mr. and Mrs. Rock have a fine family of six 
 children; namely: Albert William, Sadie Leonora, Edwin Christian, Eleanor 
 Theresa, Walter Sylvester and Elmer Henry. The Rock family is one of the 
 largest and most prominent in this part of country and Christian Rock, Jr., 
 and his household are worthy representatives. 
 
 C. HENRY WITT. 
 
 C. Henry Witt, a prominent agriculturist of Rockingham township, Scott 
 county, forms part of that great German element which, added to our native 
 stock, helps to give it stamina. He was born in Holstein, Germany, June i, 
 1851, his parents being Frank and Cecelia (Hoch) Witt. When Mr. Witt was 
 only two years of age his father died and in course of time the mother again 
 married, the second husband being a Mr. Oelrick. His mother by her first mar- 
 riage had three children : Dorothy, deceased ; Christina, who is the wife of Ger- 
 hart Busing of Nebraska; and the subject of the sketch. To the second mar- 
 riage were born Herman, and Anna, who became the wife of Henry Melius, now 
 deceased. In 1868 Mr. Oelrick resolved to bring his household to !ffliierica and 
 to prove or disprove for his own satisfaction the reports of wealth and oppor- 
 tunity lying in wait for the thrifty immigrant. They landed in New York but 
 went on at once to Chicago. There their hopes in the promised land were to 
 suffer a severe blow for they were overcharged to a great extent by a dishonest 
 hotelkeeper with whom they were unable to cope on account of their unfamiliarity 
 with the language and customs of the country. They were without sufficient 
 money to pay the exorbitant bill and Mr. Witt's sisters were compelled to stay 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 71] 
 
 and work it out. The rest of the family came on to Davenport, the subject of 
 the sketch having in his pocket at the time of his arrival only the sum of fifty 
 cents. Fortunately he secured work in a very short time as driver on an ice 
 wagon, at which he continued for about nine years. At the end of that time he 
 found himself, on account of his previous thrifty conduct, able to enter the ice 
 business for himself, and he remained in this more independent capacity for 
 about five years. In 1882 he made a radical change by becoming a landowner 
 and agriculturist. He first purchased some eighty acres in Rockingham town- 
 ship from Henry Puck. Upon taking possession of this he built a house and made 
 numerous other improvements and, thus satisfactorily environed, lived there 
 until 1906. In this year he purchased from Mr. Petersen his present valuable 
 homestead, also in Rockingham township, and built a substantial and attractive 
 residence in which his household is at present established. His farms, the first 
 of which is rented, are well improved and in a high state of cultivation. He does 
 not specialize but engages in general farming with much success. 
 
 Mr. Witt has been twice married. He first wedded Miss Mary Stuart, and 
 to this union one child, a daughter, named Helen, was born. Both mother and 
 daughter are deceased. His second marriage occurred in November, 1889, his 
 wife, whose maiden name was Carrie Kern, being the daughter of Frank and 
 Christina Kern of Germany. They lived and died in their native land, although 
 the mother at one time visited her daughter in America. Four children came 
 to bless this union: Charles, born December 28, 1890; Mary, June 4, 1892; 
 Henry, December 8, 1894; and William, October 24, 1901. All four of them 
 reside under the parental roof. 
 
 The survey of the life of C. Henry Witt from the time he arrived in Daven- 
 port, a simple German boy with fifty cents in his pocket, to his present position 
 of independence and respect is indeed inspiring and an eloquent testimony both 
 as to Mr. Witt's native ability and the possibility of his adopted land. 
 
 SAMUEL W. KYLOR. 
 
 The life record of few men is marked by a greater success, a larger number 
 of vicissitudes and a more persistent devotion to duty than has been that of Sam- 
 uel W. Kylor, one of the more prosperous farmers of Le Claire township. He 
 owns two hundred and fifty acres of fine arable land in this county, also con- 
 siderable property in Kansas. A native of Williamsburg, Blair county, Penn- 
 sylvania, he was born August 3, 1844, a son of Jacob and Mary (Sparr) Kylor. 
 The family is of German descent as his paternal grandfather, Jacob Kylor, came 
 over from the fatherland and after settling in this country found employment as 
 a teacher of the German language at Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. There Jacob 
 Kylor, our subject's father, was born in 1817. He was a farmer and lived only 
 until 1847. His wife was born in Blair county, Pennsylvania, in 1822, and sur- 
 vived him about ten years, her death occurring 1857. They were the parents of 
 three children : Rebecca, who married Matthew Flogg, of Williamsburg, Penn- 
 sylvania; Samuel W., of this sketch; and Jacob, who was killed at the battle of 
 
712 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Spottsylvania, May 12, 1864. He had enlisted as a member of Company E, 
 Eighty-fourth Pennsylvania Infantry from Williamsburg in 1863. 
 
 Being but three years of age when his father died, Samuel W. Kylor was 
 reared on the farm belonging to his maternal grandfather, Samuel Sparr, which 
 is still in possession of his descendants. Upon it he and his sister lived until 1861, 
 attending the district school in the meantime. In July 25, 1861, Mr. Kylor joined 
 Battery F, First Regiment Pennsylvania Light Artillery. He enlisted from Wil- 
 liamsburg and was mustered in at Harrisburg, whence the regiment went into 
 camp at Camp Curten. After about ten days spent there, they went to Washing- 
 ton, D. C, where they received their supplies. Thence they went to Tinleytown, 
 Maryland, where they were stationed until February, 1862, to guard the Potomac. 
 At that date they went to Hancock, Maryland, where they helped keep Jack- 
 son's forces from crossing the Potomac and then removed to Harpers Ferry, later 
 proceeding to the Shenandoah valley in time to take part in the battle of Win- 
 chester. They were in camp at several places and finally went to Culpeper, Vir- 
 ginia, participating in Pope's retreat from that point to Washington. They were 
 also present in the battle of Bull Run. After that engagement Mr. Kylor's bat- 
 tery and the Pennsylvania Bucktails covered the retreat to Chantilly, Virginia, 
 where PhiUp Carney was killed. Thence they crossed a chain bridge over the 
 Potomac into Maryland, participating in the battle of South Mountain and later 
 in the battle of Antietam. After that engagement they camped in the vicinity 
 of the town for about thirty days, then returning to Virginia and entering winter 
 quarters at Mountain Creek, Virginia. There after a thirty days' furlough Mr. 
 Kylor reenlisted in the same regiment. They encountered Jackson in a number 
 of skirmishes in the Shenandoah valley and then followed Lee back to Gettys- 
 burg. In the famous battle at that place his regiment formed part of Ricketts 
 battery, which was stationed on East Cemetery Hill. At the close of the fight- 
 ing they followed Lee through Virginia, crossed the James river at City Point, 
 sat in siege in front of Petersburg during the winter of 1864 and the spring of 
 1865. The position of the battery during that time was on Fort Hill. Next 
 they followed Lee to Appomattox and after the surrender there, which virtually 
 closed the war, they returned to City Point, loaded horses and equipment on a 
 transport, went down the James river and up Chesapeake bay to Washington, 
 D. C, where they marched in the grand review. Thereafter they turned over 
 their small arms to the government and took a train to Harrisburg, Pennsyl- 
 vania, where they were mustered out June 10, 1865. 
 
 At the conclusion of the war Mr. Kylor returned to Williamsburg, where 
 he continued his agricultural labors until April, 1868, when he came to Daven- 
 port, Iowa. There he bought from Mr. Lorton one acre of onions, which had 
 been partly cultivated, situated near Camp McClellan on the middle road. He 
 continued its cultivation, sold the product for one dollar and ten cents per bushel, 
 and after that experience hired out to John Ehrhart, of Pleasant Valley. For 
 one year he worked for him on the farm, receiving twenty dollars a month wages, 
 and then went to Mrs. Henry Stone's place in Pleasant Valley township, which 
 he operated on shares for one year. Then he rented eighty acres in Le Claire 
 township but after one year's experience there went to Kansas City, Missouri, 
 where he bought cattle, formed a partnership with Thomas Scott, of Davenport, 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 713 
 
 and shipped the stock to him. At the end of a year he returned to Pleasant 
 Valley township and bought hogs and cattle for John Zuchler and other packers. 
 Later he married and bought forty acres of land from Mrs. Wicks, of Le Claire 
 township. It was partly improved and adjoined the eighty acres which his wife 
 owned. On it they lived for about fourteen years, buying in the meantime twenty 
 acres from W. H. Jones and later one hundred acres from William Maddox. 
 Later he removed to what was then known as Hopkins farm of one hundred and 
 five acres, bought it and lived thereon four years, but then sold it and finally 
 purchased from James Van Duzen the one hundred and eighty-five acres on 
 which he now lives. Later he added to it the old Turner place of sixty-nine 
 and a half acres. Having made a number of improvements in the way of barns, 
 house, etc., his farm and residence are among the finest of Scott county. Here 
 he pursues general farming with a success that entitles him to be known as one 
 of the prominent farmers of his township. 
 
 It was while he was working for Mrs. Henry Stone that she became his wife. 
 By her former marriage she had two sons, namely: J. F. Stone, of Waterloo, 
 Iowa, and C. H. Stone, who lives at home. She is a daughter of William and 
 Anna (Duff) Davidson, of Scott county, but was born in Blair county, Pennsyl- 
 vania, May 9, 1842. In 1861 she came to Scott county, while her parents fol- 
 lowed in 1869. They were both natives of Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, 
 the father having been born there in 1808, the mother in 1810. She died in 1870. 
 but her husband lived until 1883. They had six children : EHzabeth, who married 
 Jacob Tory; James, deceased; Abigail A., the deceased wife of Samuel Wood; 
 Winifred, the wife of Mr. Kylor; Margaret, who married Horace Clarke, now 
 deceased ; and John W., deceased. The two sons, James and John, both served in 
 the Union Army during the Civil war, the former as a member of the Eighty- 
 fourth Pennsylvania Infantry, the latter in the One Hundred and Tenth Penn- 
 sylvania Infantry. It was on the 19th of August, 1874, that Mr. Kylor and Mrs. 
 Stone were united in marriage and in the succeeding years became the parents 
 of two children. Nellie, who was born October 4, 1875, married John Barber, of 
 Dewitt, Iowa, and they have one daughter, Nellie. Samuel, who was born 
 December 16, 1880, lives at home. 
 
 Mr. Kylor has served most efficiently as township trustee for a period of six 
 years, as road supervisor and as school director. At the present time he is a 
 member of the soldiers' relief commission, a body appointed by the county su- 
 pervisors. In his public life as in his private concerns he has won the admira- 
 tion of those who have come in contact with him for he has proved himself a 
 man of high character and sterling integrity. 
 
 ADAM S. BLACK. 
 
 Adam S. Black is now living retired in Lincoln township, but for many years 
 was actively engaged in general farming and is still the owner of one hundred 
 and sixty acres of good land on sections 32 and 33, where he yet lives. The place 
 is neat and thrifty in appearance and indicates the labor that for many years he 
 
714 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 bestowed upon it. Mr. Black has now reached the seventy-eighth milestone on 
 life's journey, his birth having occurred in Blair county, Pennsylvania, near 
 Altoona, on the 7th of May, 1832. He is a son of Jacob and Mary Black, both 
 of whom were also natives of the Keystone state, where the father followed the 
 occupation of farming. 
 
 Adam S. Black acquired his education in the district schools of his native 
 county but his opportunities in that direction were somewhat limited, as it was 
 necessary that he go to work when very young, owing to the limited financial 
 resources of the family. He worked on the farm with his parents until about 
 twenty years of age, after which he secured employment in a flour mill and spent 
 six years in that way. Believing that he would have better opportunities in the 
 middle west, he came to Iowa in 1857, establishing his home in Scott county, 
 where he had some friends living. He settled in Lincoln township and for a time 
 was employed as a farm hand, after which he engaged in threshing. Purchasing 
 a threshing machine, he operated it in the service of others for thirty-three years 
 and was one of the best known threshers of this part of the state, always being 
 busy during the harvest seasons. 
 
 In 1862 Mr. Black came to his present farm to board with Daniel Stewart, 
 who at that time owned the place, and here Mr. Black has lived continuously 
 since. In 1872 he bought eighty acres of the farm and in 1875 purchased the 
 remaining eighty acres, so that he now has an excellent property of one hundred 
 and sixty acres. He has tiled the land and made all of the improvements upon 
 the farm, which is now an excellent and valuable property. He has never engaged 
 in tilling the soil to any great extent himself but has rented the land and to it has 
 given his general supervision. He is now living retired, for his activity and 
 energy in former years brought to him a fair measure of success. He holds 
 membership in the Lutheran church and is widely and favorably known in the 
 community where he has now lived for more than a half century. 
 
 FRITZ MEIER. 
 
 Prominent among Sheridan township's substantial citizens is Fritz Meier, who 
 like so many of his neighbors, is of German origin, his birth having occurred in 
 Hanover, December 22, 1844. His parents were Carl and Mary Meier, who in 
 1854 deemed it advisable to sever home associations and to seek to better their 
 fortunes in a newer country. In November, after an eight weeks' voyage on a 
 sailing vessel, they landed in New York and came direct to Scott county, Iowa, 
 relatives having previously located at Mount Joy, and the Meier family resided 
 with them until the following spring. From there they went to the home of a friend, 
 Henry Hinze, remaining there through the summer and assisting in the harvest. 
 In the following fall, almost a year after their arrival upon American soil, they 
 removed to Davenport and spent the winter months. In the spring their wander- 
 mgs were temporarily terminated by their removal to a forty acre farm situated 
 about three miles southwest of Eldridge. A year later they took up their residence 
 upon a farm owned by Mr. Meier's aunt, Mrs. Schrader. This the family cul- 
 
MR. AXD MRS. FRITZ MEIER 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 717 
 
 tivated for four years with no small degree of success for at the end of that time 
 the father was in a position to buy one hundred acres of prairie land on section 4, 
 Sheddan township, at about fifteen dollars an acre. This became the permanent 
 home, the father building a house and barns thereon and improving the property 
 in many ways. He lived there until his death, which occurred in 1904 at the age 
 of ninety-four years. His wife preceded him by nine years, she being seventy- 
 nine years of age at the time of her demise. These good people were the parents 
 of five children : Henry and Charles, both deceased ; Fritz ; William, who is living 
 on the old homestead ; and Lena, now the wife of Peter Jenner and a resident of 
 South Dakota. 
 
 Fritz Meier had little in the way of educational advantages. What schooling 
 he did receive was in Germany, and the fact that he left there at the age of ten 
 tells its own story. His father found the battle merely to gain a living too strenu- 
 ous to admit of any such luxury as education for his sons, and in addition he 
 needed their services in bringing into condition the wild prairie. Mr. Meier has 
 demonstrated the fact that education is not of necessity merely a matter of books 
 and schoolrooms, but that a man may acquire culture, at least, without the aid of 
 the latter. At the time of his marriage in 1870 he began to farm for himself and 
 has been very successful in his vocation. 
 
 November 14, 1870, is the date of the marriage of Mr. Meier to Miss Lena 
 Klindt, a daughter of Hans and Lenke Klindt, of Scott county. Mrs. Meier was 
 bom in Germany, August 7, 1847, and came to America with her parents in 1868, 
 locating with them in Scott county, Iowa. Nine children have been born to Mr. 
 and Mrs. Meief . Emil H. married Minnie Ast and lives in Oklahoma, their fam- 
 ily consisting of three children, Irving, Elfrida and Byron. Elfrida, William, 
 Fred and Edward reside under the parental roof. Meta, Amelia and Carl and one 
 child, who died in infancy, are deceased. 
 
 Mr. Meier is a good citizen, being strengthened by the discipline of youthful 
 privation. He is a public-spirited man, not believing in the infallibility either of 
 men or party. He has served as road commissioner, school director and also as 
 trustee, and in these capacities has given efficient service. 
 
 FRITZ C. A. ZABEL. 
 
 Fritz C. A. Zabel owns and occupies a fine farm of two hundred and thirty- 
 three acres on section 16, Butler township, and also has a tract of forty-five acres 
 of timber land in Clinton county. His property holdings are proof of his life of 
 well directed thrift and enterprise. Whatever success he has enjoyed is attribu- 
 table to his own efforts, for he started out in life without assistance and his earnest, 
 persistent labor has been the means of bringing him substantial financial reward. 
 He was bom in Mecklenburg, Germany, June 15, 1856, and is a son of William 
 and Sophia Zabel. His father was a blacksmith by trade and followed that pur- 
 suit in Germany except for the period of his service in the army, covering six 
 years. Believing that better business opportunities might be enjoyed in the new 
 worldj he left his native country in 1867 and with his family, consisting of wife 
 
718 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 and five children, landed at New York. He did not tarry on the Atlantic coast, 
 however, but made his way at once into the interior of the country, coming direct 
 to Scott county, where hved his brother-in-law, John Baushtam. He secured 
 work at his trade in Davenport in the employ of Mr. Miller and there remained 
 until he was able to save from his earnings a sufficient sum to make payment 
 upon a farm. It was in 1870 that he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of 
 land in Butler township. The place was improved and the family at once took 
 up their abode thereon. Mr. Zabel with characteristic energy began the cul- 
 tivation of the fields and continued to reside upon that property until 1886, when 
 he removed to Davenport, where he is still living at the advanced agp of seventy- 
 seven years. He is a member of the Lutheran church and an earnest Christian 
 gentleman, whose well spent life has won for him the esteem, confidence and 
 honor of all who know him. In 1882 he was called upon to mourn the loss of 
 his wife, Mrs. Sophia Zabel, who died at the age of forty-eight years and was 
 laid to rest in P. J. Tiedge's cemetery in Butler township. In their family were 
 eight children : William, now living in Winfield township ; Fritz C. A. ; Amelia, the 
 wife of Andrew Schwartz, now living on the old- homestead; Theodore and 
 Charles, who are resident farmers of Lincoln township ; Meta, the wife of Henry 
 Thoede, of Butler township; Albert, also of Lincoln township; and Alvina, who 
 died at the age of eleven years and was laid to rest in the cemetery where her 
 mother lies buried. 
 
 Fritz C. A. Zabel was educated in the schools of Germany and of Davenport 
 and after putting aside his text-books learned the carpenter's trade, which he 
 followed until twenty-seven years of age, working in all parts of Scott county. 
 He went to Ida county, Iowa, with three other men in 1878 and they built a 
 settlement there called Holstein. In 1883 Mr. Zabel married and turned his at- 
 tention to farming, renting the place upon which he now resides, while later it 
 came into possession of his wife through inheritance. Their original home was 
 a log cabin, in which they lived for a number of years, after which Mr. Zabel 
 erected a large, commodious and substantial frame residence, which they now 
 occupy. He has made many other substantial improvements upon the farm and 
 in its cultivation and development has met with excellent success. He raises 
 various crops and makes a specialty of raising shorthorn cattle and Poland China 
 hog^, selling a large number each year. He has likewise made investment in 
 other lines of business and is now vice president and one of the directors of the 
 McCausland Savings Bank and a stockholder in the American Security Company 
 of Davenport. 
 
 On the 3d of March, 1883, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Zabel and 
 Miss Lena Miller, a daughter of Ernest and Christina (Kettlesen) Miller, who were 
 among the first and most prominent settlers of Butler township, casting in their 
 lot here during pioneer times. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Zabel have been born six chil- 
 dren : Wilma, the wife of L. H. Henning, of Butler township, by whom she has 
 three children— Milton, Grace and Loyd ; Ernest, who is now in South Dakota, 
 and Hilda, Fred, Hertha and Paula, all at home. Mr. Zabel was originally a 
 democrat and upon that ticket was elected to the office of trustee of Butler town- 
 ship. He had served in the position for three years when his study of the po- 
 litical issues and questions of the day led him to give his support to the republican 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 719 
 
 party, and by that party he was elected to the office of trustee and served for 
 six years more. He is now acting as a school director and was road supervisor 
 for six years. He is ever interested in measures and projects for the welfare and 
 upbuilding of the community and has cooperated in many movements for the 
 general good. In all of his business affairs he has proven himself reliable, ener- 
 getic and diligent, and as the years have passed by he has won that success which 
 is ever the reward of earnest labor and capable management. 
 
 PETER H. HAGEDORN. 
 
 When Peter H. Hagedorn came to Iowa Scott county was in the first stages 
 of its development and even after he had reached man's estate and had entered 
 upon his business career as a farmer he had to clear and break the land on which 
 he lived for fifty years. Therefore, not only has he witnessed the transformation 
 of the county and of the various townships in which he owned real estate, but 
 he has participated in the difficult work of development. The success he won con- 
 tributed in no small measure to the sum total of the prosperity of this section of 
 the state. Having retired from active life, he still owns two hundred acres of 
 arable land in Sheridan township, one hundred and forty-five acres in Davenport 
 township, one hundred and twenty in Lincoln township and two pieces of town 
 property in the city of Davenport, which is now his home. 
 
 He was born in Holstein, Germany, November 3, 1830, a son of Claus and 
 Margaret (Krausfeldt) Hagedorn. The father was a weaver by trade in his na- 
 tive land and about 1847 decided to come to the United States. The family dis- 
 embarked at New Orleans and ascended the Mississippi river to Davenport, where 
 they landed June 21, 1847. Upon his arrival Mr. Hagedorn, Sr., entered forty 
 acres of land in Davenport township, as it was then known but is now included 
 within the boundaries of Sheridan township. The tract had not at that time 
 known the plow or harrow so that the work of breaking it for cultivation added 
 hardships to the life of a man who would make a home in this locality. Never- 
 theless, undiscouraged by the difficult prospect, he brought his family to the town- 
 ship and built a house upon his little plot of ground, which was destined to re- 
 main his home for eight years. He then removed to Winfield township, now 
 Sheridan township. In the course of years, however, he was able to add consid- 
 erably to his property and finally felt justified in retiring from the active pur- 
 suit of farming. The last twenty years of his life were spent in comparative rest 
 in the city of Davenport. He and his wife were the parents of four children : 
 Peter, the subject of this sketch; Christian, deceased; Kathryn, who married 
 Henry Kardel, of Davenport ; and James, who lives in Minnesota. 
 
 For several years after his advent here Peter H. Hagedorn worked for va- 
 rious farmers in his vicinity, at the same time rendering his father assistance 
 in the cultivation of the home farm until October 14, 1850, when he and his brother 
 Christian bought one hundred and sixty acres in Winfield township, now Sheri- 
 dan township, which they started to break immediately and in 1853, taking their 
 sister as housekeeper, took up their residence upon it for they had built a house 
 
720 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 upon the place. There Mr. Hagedorn lived for almost half a century, when he 
 removed to Davenport, leaving some of his children to operate the home place. 
 His son Otto died there and he was compelled to return to assume the manage- 
 ment of the place, so that it was not until 1903 that he was finally able to make 
 Davenport his residence. In the course of years, while he tilled the soil with the 
 skill and industry of the born agriculturist, he accumulated large land holdings, 
 having four hundred and seventy acres. He knew the value of frugality and 
 economy of time and labor, and, being a man quick to see the increasing value 
 of farm property, he invested heavily. He assisted in organizing and was vice 
 president of the German Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Scott county. 
 
 On the 3d of April, i860, Mr. Hagedorn wedded Miss Eliza Schwarten, a na- 
 tive of Germany, where her parents had died. Twelve children were born to 
 them. Henry is deceased. Emma is at home. Laura married Otto Mohr, of 
 Lincoln township, and they have four children, John, Samuel, Ralph and Edna. 
 Otto died at the age of thirty years. Meta married Herman Klint and lives in 
 Lincoln township. They have four children, Harry, Lillian, Sadie and Arthur. 
 Agnes became the wife of Elmer Elmegreen and lives in Davenport. They have 
 two children, Oscar and Hildegarde. The next two died in infancy. Minnie 
 became the wife of William Kirtley but has now passed away, leaving one child, 
 Florence. William and Julia are at home. Ella married William Frick, of 
 Davenport, and they have two children, Elmer and Elvina. 
 
 While Mr. Hagedorn was a resident of Sheridan township he was closely iden- 
 tified with public interests. For a number of terms he rendered efficient service 
 as township trustee and as road supervisor and for the greater part of a decade 
 was pi;esident of the local school board. His official duties were fulfilled with 
 a devotion and fidelity which ever characterized his performance of trusts im- 
 posed upon him, gaining for him the high esteem of the men who knew him as a 
 farmer and a friend. 
 
 EDWARD COLLINS. 
 
 In the life of Edward Collins, who was for many years one of the prominent 
 newspaper men of Davenport and is now the auditor of Scott county, we have an 
 exemplification of what is only too infrequently the case, the office seeking the 
 man. A' native of this city, he was born November 15, 1864, a son of Jeremiah 
 and Mary (Tobin) CoUins, both of Irish birth, who as young people came with 
 their parents to this country at the time of the famine in Ireland. Jeremiah Col- 
 lins located first in Detroit and Chicago, where he worked for years upon the lake 
 steamers as steward. During that time, however, he also learned the trade of an 
 iron molder, and when he came to Davenport, in the early '50s, he followed that 
 calling until he retired from active life. His death occurred in 1907, when he was 
 seventy-seven years of age, his life partner following him to the grave two years 
 later. He and his wife were the parents of five children : one who died in infancy; 
 D. J., passenger engineer upon the lowa Central Railroad; T. W., who served in 
 the PhiUppines and is now engaged in river work in the south ; Nellie, the widow 
 
I<]DWAED COLLINS 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 723 
 
 of David Tobin and a resident of Savanna, Illinois; and Edward, the subject of 
 this sketch. 
 
 Edward Collins received his fundamental training in the common English 
 branches of education in the public schools of Davenport and then started to learn 
 the printer's trade. He began upon the Northwestern News as printer's devil, 
 ultimately becoming foreman. The Davenport Times was established by the same 
 interests, and on that paper the subject of this sketch filled successively the posi- 
 tions of foreman, reporter, city editor and managing editor. In 1902 he went to 
 the Davenport Republican as night editor, and then removed to New York city to 
 assume charge of the composing room of the McClure's Magazine, which depart- 
 ment was installed by him. He had been there only two years, however, when his 
 health failed and he felt that he must resign his position. His employers were 
 very reluctant to have him do that and rather than see him leave offered to send 
 him upon a European trip to recuperate, provided he would remain with them. 
 Nevertheless he could not be persuaded, but, feeling that he would be better in his 
 .native city, he returned to Davenport, where he assumed the duties of editor of the 
 Daily Republican. In 1904, while occupying that position, he was elected city 
 clerk, although he had not sought the office and had been too ill to do any cam- 
 paigning, and two years later was elected county auditor. In 1908 he was the only 
 republican who was elected in county or city, which is indicative of the high value 
 the citizens place upon his services and the esteem in which he is held as a man and 
 public servant. 
 
 In April, 1893, Mr. Collins was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Purcell, also 
 a native of Davenport and a daughter of Patrick Purcell, who was one of the old 
 time locomotive engineers. They have one daughter, Mary Katharine. 
 
 Mr. Collins belongs to a number of the social and fraternal societies of the 
 city and is well esteemed among his fellow members. As a newspaper man he en- 
 joyed the confidence of his associates and the public in general, and by the consid- 
 eration shown during the years of service at the desk as also by the disposition to 
 speak kindly rather than harshly of his f ellowman he has made many warm friends 
 who loyally come to his support when occasion demands and sincerely rejoice with 
 him in the success that may follow. Despite the success that has rewarded his 
 efforts and the honors that have been conferred upon him by his fellow citizens, 
 Mr. Collins is the same plain, unassuming man he has always been and treasures 
 deeply the friendship of the associates of his boyhood and his more strenuous days 
 as a hustler in the newspaper whirl. 
 
 J. H. BENDIXEN. 
 
 Davenport has some notable examples of self-made men who have advanced 
 from humble stations to high official positions with firms that command immense 
 capital and control the destinies of many employes. Such a man is J. H. Ben- 
 dixen, vice president and sales manager of the Bettendorf Company. He was 
 born in Germany, June 12, 1870, a son of Henry and Martha (Johanssen) Ben- 
 dixen, also natives of Germany. The same year of our subject's birth the family 
 
724 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 came to the United States, locating in Davenport, where the father was employed 
 as an engineer for a number of years, but is now living retired in the city. 
 
 J. H. Bendixen, after receiving a common-school education, learned the ma- 
 chinist's trade, which he followed in Davenport and Chicago for fourteen years, 
 four of which were spent in the employ of the Illinois Steel Company, in charge 
 of the machine shop. For three years he was in charge of the machine 
 shop of the Standard Elevator Company, now the Otis Elevator Company. In 
 1894 he returned to Davenport, to take a position with the Bettendorf Axle 
 Company as assistant superintendent. As the business advanced, he progressed 
 with it, becoming superintendent and then manager of the works, and in 1906 
 he was made vice president and sales manager. The remarkable success of this 
 company has been furthered by Mr. Bendixen, whose intimate knowledge of the 
 work and wide experience with mammoth institutions made him well qualified 
 to advance any concern with which he might have connected himself. 
 
 In March, 1894, he was married to Johanna Kramp, a native of Germany. 
 Mr. Bendixen belongs to the Commercial Club and the Travelers Society, as 
 well as to other clubs and societies in various cities in which he has lived. He 
 is a man widely and favorably known as possessing unusual business ability. 
 Although absorbed in the advancement of the company he is connected with, 
 Mr. Bendixen has never neglected his duty as a citizen, and has cheerfully sup- 
 ported whatever he believed would be for the best interests of all parties 
 concerned. 
 
 OSCAR C. KOEHLER. 
 
 The building of cities begins with the work of a few men who lay the foun- 
 dations, but the superstructure comes as the result of the marked enterprise and 
 business ability of those who' recognize in the complexity of interests the oppor- 
 tunity for the establishment and successful control of large undertakings. It was 
 because of his powers in this direction that Oscar C. Koehler became one of the 
 conspicuous figures in the business life of Davenport and in the brewery inter- 
 ests of the middle west. Born in Fort Madison, Iowa, December 25, 1857, his 
 life record covered the intervening years to the i6th of August, 1902 — ^years 
 fraught with large accomplishment and substantial successes. He came to Dav- 
 enport with his parents in 1871. 
 
 His father, Henry Koehler, established the Arsenal brewery, which became 
 well known in this and surrounding states, and was interested in many other 
 enterprises that brought him a gratifying measure of success and resulted in the 
 enlargement of the commercial operations of the city. Five of the children born 
 to him still survive, namely : Hugo, who is the secretary of the Independent 
 Breweries Company; Henry, who resides in St. Louis and is president of the 
 St. Louis, Rocky Mountain & Pacific Railroad ; Max K., who has various busi- 
 ness interests ; and Mrs. Adolph Priester and Mrs. Karl Vollmer, who are living 
 in Davenport. 
 
 Oscar C. Koehler received his early education in the public schools of Fort 
 Madison, Iowa, and, after coming tO' Davenport, spent four years in the schools 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 725 
 
 of this city, wherein his general training was completed. In 1875, with the in- 
 tention of becoming thoroughly familiar with the science of brewing, he went 
 to Germany and for three years studied chemistry at Worms and Leipsic. For 
 the two years subsequent to his return to Davenport he was actively engaged in 
 business with his father, and then, in 1880, went to St. Louis, Missouri, where 
 they opened a brewery. They operated it successfully for a number of years 
 and after selling it our subject and his brother Henry embarked in the wine busi- 
 ness, Oscar becoming secretary of the company. Being joined by their brothers, 
 Hugo and Max K., in 1890 they formed the American Brewing Company and it 
 was due to their efforts that the A. B. C. beer became more widely known west 
 of the Mississippi than any other brand. Henry and Hugo Koehler remained 
 in St. Louis, but in 1894, Oscar Koehler returned to Davenport to manage the 
 large interests of the family during the absence of his father, and from that time 
 until his death he was actively connected with progressive business interests in 
 this city. With the keen sagacity that ever characterized his undertakings he 
 looked beyond the exigencies of the moment to the possibilities of the future and, 
 appreciating the tendencies toward combination, conceived the idea of consoli- 
 dating the brewing interests in this city. Through his efforts this was accom- 
 plished and he was made president of the amalgamated concern, which was known 
 as the Davenport Malting Company, and the success of which, conspicuous in the 
 midst of many prosperous enterprises, was largely due to Mr. Koehler's able 
 management. 
 
 On the 15th of August, 1886, Mr. Koehler wedded Miss Matilda Lange, a 
 member of one of the oldest and most prominent families of St. Louis, Missouri. 
 Her father was one of the organizers of a bank in that city and had other finan- 
 cial interests there. Mr. and Mrs. Koehler became the parents of six children ; 
 Hugo, Elise, Herbert, Ottilie, Ida and Hildegard. 
 
 Mr. Koehler was faithful in all his home relations, being a loving husband 
 and a wise and affectionate father, and his loss was keenly felt. He was also 
 missed among his business associates and his fellow members of the Turners 
 and other German societies, for he possessed those qualities that endeared him 
 to others. !A most energetic and up-to-date business man, his views of affairs 
 were not cramped or confined, but rather broad and looking to large horizons 
 and including many interests, and his influence was ever effective in promoting 
 progress. 
 
 JOHN SNYDER. 
 
 John Snyder, one of the progressive farmers of Aliens Grove township, came 
 to Scott county before Iowa was admitted to statehood, and, growing up with the 
 country, he participated in its development, contributing no small share to its 
 prosperity as an agricultural locality. He was born in Huron county, Ohio, 
 August 5, 1843, his parents being Simon and Susanna (Jacobs) Snyder. They 
 were both natives of Pennsylvania, he of Mt. Bethel and she of Philadelphia, 
 but they were married in Tompkins county. New York, where Mr. Snyder, who 
 was following the tanner's trade at that time, had built a tannery. Later they 
 
726 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 removed to Huron county, Ohio, whence he came to Scott county, Iowa, crossing 
 the Mississippi river after dark on the last day of November, 1846. The old 
 horse ferry was then in use in transferring the passengers from one bank to the 
 other but this, like other incidents of those early days, is only a memory now. 
 The family located one mile east of where the village of Dixon now stands, al- 
 though there was little at that time to indicate the future growth of this section 
 of the state. Nevertheless, Mr. Snyder believed he was not making a mistake 
 and the years have proved the wisdom of his choice both in the case of his own 
 achievements as a farmer and those of his sons. Here he spent the remainder 
 of his life, acquiring several hundred acres of property before he divided it 
 among his children. Seven were born to him and his wife. Ephraim is de- 
 ceased. Roswell B. and Richard J. were drowned in the Wapsipinicon river in 
 1848. Rudolph S. enlisted in August, 1861, in Company C, Second Iowa Cavalry, 
 and served until the close of the Civil war. He is now residing in Dixon. C. B. 
 has also made his home in Dixon after having pursued farming successfully for 
 a number of years. Daniel enlisted in the Second Iowa Cavalry and served dur- 
 ing the three years of the Civil war. He is now Uving in Grand Mound, Clinton 
 county, Iowa. John is the subject of this sketch. The father was always strong 
 in his support of the principles of the republican party, while he gave his adher- 
 ence in religious matters to the Methodist church. 
 
 John Snyder resided upon the farm which was his home until he retired 
 from three years of age — in fact, since that December morning when his parents 
 chose it as their home. He attended the district schools of Aliens Grove township 
 during his youth, obtaining the most meager education which was given to the 
 farmers' boys at that time. He also assisted in breaking the soil for cultivation 
 and in tilling it when he was old enough to handle the plow. When the land- 
 holdings of his father were divided he obtained one hundred and four acres of 
 the old homestead lying upon sections 17 and 8, on the bank of the Wapsipinicon 
 river, and twenty-four and one-half acres across the river in Olive township, 
 Clinton county. Upon this land he has made a number of valuable improve- 
 ments, erecting buildings which adequately fill his needs as a farmer and a stock- 
 man, for he has made a specialty of raising shorthorn Durham cows and Poland 
 China hogs. From this branch of his business he derives an income commen- 
 surate with that he obtains from his cultivation of the soil. 
 
 In 1873 Mr. Snyder was married to Miss Mary Bousselot, who was born in 
 France, May 9, 1852. In 1853 her parents, Frederick and Frances (Jesseron) 
 Bousselot, came to this country, locating first in Illinois and later coming to 
 Iowa. In this state they passed the remainder of their lives, Mrs. Bousselot 
 dying in Clinton county, December i, 1874, and Mr. Bousselot in this county, 
 October 12, 1886. They had eleven children, seven of whom were bprn in 
 France, where two died, the four others being natives of the United States. 
 Only six are now living. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have had seven children : Emma 
 Josephine, the wife of Thomas Kincaid, of Aliens Grove township; Ephraim 
 Hayes, who is at home; Simon, who is living upon his grandfather's place ad- 
 joining the farm which belonged to his father; Daniel Le Roy, who resides in 
 Buenavista, Iowa; Sadie Lillian, who is at' home; Nellie Laura, the wife of John 
 Hickson, of Dixon ; and Jennie Iva, who is a school teacher and lives at home. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 727 
 
 Mr. Snyder has always given his support to the republican party but has 
 taken little active interest in local affairs, although the success of his life and 
 the integrity upon which it has been based would naturally suggest him as a man 
 worthy to receive honors from the people. 
 
 WALTER McMANN. 
 
 Walter McMann, foreman of the machine and blacksmith shops of the Bet- 
 tendorf Axle Company of Davenport, is one of the men who has risen to a 
 responsible position through careful attention to his work and inherent ability for 
 directing others. He was born in Moline, Illinois, June i, 1871, being a son of 
 Robert and Agnes (Hillhouse) McMann. The father was born in Ireland and 
 came to the United States in time to serve four years as a soldier. Following 
 his army experience, the young man went to Moline where he located and for a 
 number of years was superintendent of the mills of Barnard Leas & Company, 
 and a stockholder in that enterprise. At present he is in the real-estate business 
 in British Columbia. His wife was born in Canada. 
 
 Walter McMann is a product of the public-school system of Moline. After 
 finishing school he learned the trade of a machinist in his native city, and then 
 wishing to see something of the west he worked at his trade in Tacoma and Se- 
 attle, Washington, remaining away for two years. Returning home, he was in 
 the employ of the Moline Elevator Company until 1892, when the Bettendorf 
 Axle Company was established. At that time he came to Davenport to enter its 
 works, continuing a machinist until 1906, when the management placed him in 
 charge of the machine and blacksmiths shops, realizing that they could secure no 
 better man. In addition, Mr. McMann was one of the organizers of the Betten- 
 dorf Savings Bank and is now on its board of directors. 
 
 In 1893 Mr. McMann married Bertha Neuenhaus, a native of the city. They 
 have four children : Arthur, Ruth, Walter and William. Mr. McMann is a mem- 
 ber of the Modem Woodmen Camp and is very popular in that organization. He 
 is a sound, reliable young man, absorbed in his work, and enjoying the full con- 
 fidence of the company, which he represents. 
 
 FELIX HIRSCHL. 
 
 Felix Hirschl, a retired farmer and banker, who has taken up his residence 
 in the city of Davenport, was born in Arad, Hungary, October 20, 1846, a son 
 of Samuel and Theresa (Kohn) Hirschl. The father came to the United States 
 in 1848 and after having been eighty-five days upon the ocean disembarked at 
 New Orleans. He ascended the Mississippi river to St. Louis, settling in Belle- 
 ville, near that city, where he opened a dairy. After a short time, in 1850, he 
 came to Davenport, where he found employment in the service of the govern- 
 ment. Later he engaged in the wholesale grocery business and also dealt con- 
 siderably in real estate. Before his death, however, he returned to the land of 
 
728 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 his birth, where he passed the remainder of his life and Vienna is still the home 
 of several of his children. 
 
 Felix Hirschl was the fifth in order of birth in a family of twelve. He at- 
 tended the schools of Davenport, in which he obtained all his education, learning 
 after leaving school the trade of a tinner. He did not work at it, however, for he 
 was put in charge of his father's property in this country when the latter re- 
 turned to Hungary. For about three years he was an assistant to Mayor Mur- 
 phy and then engaged in the street car business, being one of the promoters of 
 the first lines established here. The year of 1880 to 1881 he spent in travel and 
 then engaged in farming in Boone county, Iowa, on land which belonged to his 
 father. About twelve years were spent in tilling the soil there, after which he 
 removed to what was known as the old Button farm. Upon forsaking agricul- 
 ture he took up his residence on Fourth street and engaged in banking in this 
 city, an occtipation he followed with success until he retired from active life, 
 being one of the promoters of the Farmers & Mechanics Bank. 
 
 On the loth of February, 1880, Mr. Hirschl was married to Miss Mary Willi, 
 a daughter of Peter and Anna (Gold) Willi. They were residents of this county, 
 where Mr. Willi followed farming for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Hirschl have 
 become the parents of six children : Ella M., living at home, who was graduated 
 from the St. Catherine's School of Davenport and is now an art student ; Samuel 
 W., who completed the high-school course and is now in the employ of the Bell 
 Jones Company; Jesse and Flora, both deceased. Julius E., who was graduated 
 from the high school and is now a freshman in the University of Illinois; and 
 Theresa, who is still a school girl and lives at home. 
 
 The family now occupies a pleasant home at 725 Farmers street, where a 
 generous hospitality is extended to friend and worthy stranger. Mr. Hirschl 
 who was for many years an important factor in the business life of the city, 
 still enjoys the esteem of the men who were his associates. 
 
 HANS NISSEN. 
 
 In the years of his residence in Davenport, covering the period from 1874 until 
 his death in 1906, Hans Nissen enjoyed the respect and good will of his fellow 
 townsmen and was recognized as a leader among the German-American citizens. 
 He was born in Wohlde, Friedenstadt, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, September 
 24, 1847, and was a son of Hans Nissen, Sr. 
 
 Mr. Nissen of this review was reared in the land of his nativity, acquired his 
 education there and rendered military aid to the country in the German-Franco 
 war of 1870-71. Immediately afterward he crossed the Atlantic to the new world 
 and took up his abode in Chicago soon after the disastrous fire which destroyed 
 much of that city. He continued his residence there until 1874, when he removed 
 to Davenport and entered the employ of Peter Goldschmidt, an undertaker and 
 furniture dealer, with whom he remained until 1880, when he utilized the capital 
 that he had saved from his earnings in the establishment of an undertaking busi- 
 ness on his own account. He soon built up a large and growing business and in 
 
HANS NISSEX 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 731 
 
 igoi he admitted his brother-in-law, A. Hartwig, to a partnership. The enterprise 
 is still conducted under the same name and from the beginning the firm has enjoyed 
 a liberal patronage, having a well appointed establishment and winning trade 
 through straightforward and reliable methods. 
 
 Mr. Nissen was married in Davenport to Miss Dora Hartwig, who still sur- 
 vives him and makes her home in this city, where she is well known socially. Her 
 father, James Hartwig, was well known in Davenport for many years as the pro- 
 prietor of the old Western House, one of the leading hotels of the early days. Mr. 
 Nissen was a public-spirited man, interested in all that pertained to the progress 
 and welfare of Davenport, and as the years went by he cooperated in many move- 
 ments for the general good. He was a member of eleven local societies, including 
 the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Turners. 
 His social qualities and sterling characteristics made him popular in these organi- 
 zations, in which he had many friends. The wisdom of his choice in the selection 
 of Davenport as a place of residence was demonstrated in the success which he 
 won, and the city gained a citizen whose worth was widely acknowledged. He 
 was devoted in friendship, reliable in business and loyal to every trust given to his 
 care, and as the years passed by he firmly established himself in the aflfection of his 
 friends. 
 
 CHARLES W. BARR. 
 
 Charles W. Barr, who devotes his time and energies to general farming and 
 stock-raising in Lincoln township, cultivates two hundred acres of arable and 
 productive land about three miles east of Eldridge and also a tract of three hun- 
 dred and twenty acres adjoining. He, therefore, carries on farming operations 
 on an extensive scale and is meeting with substantial success in his undertakings. 
 He was born on the farm which he now occupies, November 22, 1857, ^.nd is a 
 son of Israel and Sarah E. (West) Barr, who were early settlers of this county. 
 The father was born in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, July 3, 183 1, and in 
 1846 accompanied his parents on their westward removal, the family home be- 
 ing established in Sheridan township in the year in which Iowa was admitted to 
 the Union. The grandfather of our subject took up a claim of prairie land 
 and since that time Israel Barr has continuously lived in this county. Through- 
 out the greater part of his life he carried on farming but has now retired and is 
 enjoying a well earned rest in Davenport township. His wife passed away at 
 the age of fifty-five years. The four children of that marriage were : Charles 
 W.; William A., who is living in Davenport township; J. E., at home; and Sarah 
 E., the deceased wife of Harry H. Gettens. 
 
 Charles W. Barr lived upon the home farm until ten years of age, when his 
 parents removed to the city of Davenport, where they resided for a year and a 
 half. They then returned to the old homestead, upon which the father is still 
 Jiving, and Charles W. Barr continued with him until twenty-six years of age, 
 when he took charge of the farm upon which he is now located. He had pre- 
 viously pursued his education in the district schools, in the public schools of 
 Davenport and in Griswold College. For more than a quarter of a century he 
 
732 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 has remained continuously upon the farm which he is now cultivating, and in 
 addition to raising the cereals best adapted to soil and climate he has for a long 
 period engaged in raising stock, making a specialty of shorthorn cattle, horses 
 and mules. He is an excellent judge of stock, so that he never makes a mistake 
 in buying poor animals or in selling at a loss. 
 
 On the 20th of May, 1891, Mr. Barr was married to Miss Fredonia A. My- 
 rick, a daughter of F. D. and Sarah E. (Robinson) Myrick, both of whom were 
 natives of Nashville, Tennessee, and at present reside at Mapleton, Kansas, 
 where her father follows the occupation of farming. Mr. and Mrs. Barr have 
 three children : Richard, who is now a student in Brown's Business College in 
 Davenport; Stella M., attending the same institution; and Edna E., at home. 
 Mrs. Barr was born in Mapleton, Kansas. She has made her home a hospitable 
 one, ever open for the reception of the many friends of the family. Mr. Barr 
 holds membership with the Woodmen of the World at Long Grove and is highly 
 esteemed in that order and throughout the county wherever he is known. He 
 has lived here for more than a half century, so that he hcis witnessed much of its 
 growth and development and has borne active and helpful part in the work of 
 general progress and improvement. 
 
 MRS. MINNIE OETZMANN. 
 
 No one can more truly be said to belong to Scott county, if nativity and 
 choice of residence count for aught, than Mrs. Minnie Oetzmann, the widow of 
 George Oetzmann, for she was born in the very house in Sheridan township in 
 which she now lives, her natal day being March 16, 1858. Her parents were Paul 
 and Christina (Hagge) Petersen, who were among the stanch pioneers of Sheri- 
 dan township. Both were native Germans, born in Schleswig-Holstein, the 
 father's birth occurring in the city of Kiel, February 5, 1809. Desiring to put 
 to a personal test the much vaunted American opportunities and equality, he 
 sailed for America in 1847, landing at New Orleans and coming almost directly 
 to the vicinity of Davenport, where he secured employment as a farm laborer. 
 As soon as he was financially able he purchased from the government eighty 
 acres of prairie land at five dollars an acre, this property being part of the estate 
 upon which Mrs. Oetzmann now lives. He proceeded to break the land and get it 
 into tillable condition. He built a house and in 1856 married one of his own 
 country women, bringing her to live there. As opportunity presented he bought 
 more land and followed agriculture until his death in 1881. The mother, whose 
 birth occurred in 1827, came to the United States when a young girl with her 
 sister. She survived her husband fourteen years, passing away in 1895. These 
 good people were the parents of three children: Minnie, the subject of this 
 sketch ; Charles, who died at the age of four years ; and Elizabeth, who married 
 Henry Arp, of Luveme, Minnesota. 
 
 Mrs. Oetzmann was united in marriage March 14, 1875, to George Oetzmann, 
 a native of Germany, who was born August 17, 1847. He came to the United 
 States in 1869 and followed agricultural pursuits throughout his residence here. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 733 
 
 his death occurring August 23, 1893. To Mr. and Mrs. Oetzmann were born 
 six children: Amelia, who married Claus Wilier, of Lincoln township, passed 
 away in 1908; William died in infancy; Emile, a resident of Lincoln township, 
 married Reda M. Weise and is the father of two children, Clarence and Edna; 
 Adolph and Emma are at home; and Christina is deceased. 
 
 Mrs. Oetzmann is a woman who takes great comfort in the sacred precincts 
 of the home and in the society of those nearest and dearest to her — her children. 
 She is relieved of much of the responsibility of the management of the estate by 
 Adolph, who is a successful agriculturist, while the domestic cares are efficiently 
 shared by Emma, the daughter at home. She has that incomparable blessing- 
 good health and possesses a multitude of friends in the community where she is 
 so well known by reason of life-long residence. She owns no less than three fine 
 farms, one of one hundred and sixty acres in Sheridan township, a second of two 
 hundred acres in Lincoln township, and a third of one hundred and fifty-two 
 acres in Lincoln township. It is upon the first of these that Mrs. Oetzmann 
 makes her home. 
 
 MRS. DOROTHY LIEBERENZ. 
 
 Mrs. Dorothy Lieberenz, well known in Princeton and the owner of one of 
 the good farms of Scott county, was born in Prussia, Germany, July 20, 1854, 
 and is a daughter of Menzendorf and Elizabeth Grum, both of whom were also 
 natives of Germany. Her father was a soldier in the German army, serving 
 for about three years. His family numbered five children : Mary, the deceased 
 wife of Lotiis Cassel, who resides in Le Claire, Iowa; Carl, who died in Prussia; 
 William, who also passed away in Prussia; Peter, living in Le Claire; and Mrs. 
 Lieberenz. 
 
 Mrs. Lieberenz spent her girlhood days in her native country and was eighteen 
 years of age when, in 1872, she bade adieu to home and friends and sailed for 
 America, landing at New York. She did not tarry long in the east, however, 
 but came at once to Princeton, where she has since resided. She had been edu- 
 cated in the schools of her native country and was a capable young woman, well 
 qualified to manage a household of her own when, in March, 1873, she gave her 
 hand in marriage to Fritz Lieberenz, who was born in Germany, October 16, 
 1840. He, too, came to the United States in 1872. The marriage was celebrated 
 in Princeton and they began their domestic life as farming people of this locality. 
 On coming to Scott county Mr. Lieberenz had purchased forty acres of land, 
 which he cultivated and owned up to the time of his death, which occurred on the 
 30th of October, 1899, when he was fifty-nine years of age. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Lieberenz were born seven children. Emma died at the 
 age of six years. Henry, who was born February 20, 1876, was married to Miss 
 Elizabeth Walter. He is a farmer by occupation and resides in Princeton. Sophia 
 is the wife of Phillip Scharflf, a farmer of Eldridge, and they have three chil- 
 dren: Hazel, Andrew and Sadie. Samuel, born August 8, 1883, died December 
 25, 1885. Anna, born November 28, 1886, is now the wife of Hobart Moore, a. 
 
734 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 stationary engineer of East Davenport, and they have one child, Ruth. Millie, 
 born March i, 1887, on the 19th of October, 1907, became the wife of C. F. Wiley, 
 a wholesale fruit dealer residing in Clinton. Louise, born May 20, 1889, was mar- 
 ried in June, 1909, to Herbert Bower. 
 
 When Mr. Lieberenz passed away the community lost a worthy and respected 
 citizen. He had been a member of the German Lutheran church while residing 
 in his native country. His political support was given to the democracy but he 
 never aspired to office. He labored diligently and earnestly in his business life 
 and the success which he achieved was the result of his own efforts. By reason 
 of his energy and capable management he was enabled to leave his family in 
 comfortable financial circumstances. 
 
 GUS GRELL. 
 
 Gus Grell was born in Aliens Grove township, Scott county, June 5, 1868, 
 and is of that stanch German stock which is so satisfactory an ingredient of 
 the cosmopolitan civilization of America. His parents were James and Mar- 
 garet (Bloomer) Grell, both natives of Germany, whose sketch appears else- 
 where in this volume. Mr. Grell remained under the parental roof until his 
 marriage, when he established a separate household on a fine farm of one hun- 
 dred and sixty acres situated on sections 11 and 12, Hickory Grove township. 
 In 1903 he built his present beautiful eight-room dwelling and a number of farm 
 buildings, both substantial and convenient. Besides general farming, he is suc- 
 cessfully engaged as a breeder of high grade stock, his animals having a fine 
 reputation in the vicinity. 
 
 On the 7th of March, 1900, Mr. Grell laid the foundations of a pleasant 
 home life by his marriage to Miss Lizzie Hamann. She was born in Sheridan 
 township, February 4, 1872, and is the daughter of William and Anna (Ehlers) 
 Hamann, natives of Germany, who came to this county in 1869. Her father 
 died at Eldridge in 1908, and her mother passed away in 1882. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Grell have one child, a son named Orville. 
 
 Mr. Grell gives heartiest support to the democratic party, finding wisdom in 
 its measures and placing confidence in the men selected to carry them out. He 
 is a valued citizen of the community and is at present serving his second term 
 as township trustee. He is also filling the office of school director and is a 
 trustee of the Scott County German Mutual Insurance Company. 
 
 CLAUS H. LAMP. 
 
 ^A'fter about half a century of unremitting laboj, which was not without many 
 compensations naturally, Claus H. Lamp has retired from agricultural pursuits 
 in Hickory Grove township and has taken up his residence in Davenport. He is 
 one of the most prosperous fanners of this county and, despite advancing years. 
 
OrS (iliELL AXI) l'■A.MII>^• 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 737 
 
 still retains a keen interest in the old life for he holds a large amount of land 
 which is a constant reminder of the success he gained in former years. 
 
 He was born in Holstein, Germany, May 6, 1838, a son of Qaus and Celia 
 (Gutch) Lamp. The father, also a native of Germany, was a carpenter by 
 trade. In 1847 he decided to bring his family to the United States and make a 
 new start in life.. They were fourteen weeks and four days in crossing the 
 Atlantic but finally reached New Orleans on Christmas day. The next day they 
 started up the Mississippi river and, having reached St. Louis, spent the winter 
 there. With the opening of spring they came to Davenport, where the father 
 bought a lot on Fourth street and himself erected a house. It remained the fam- 
 ily home for several years while he worked at the carpenter's trade. Later he 
 bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Davenport township, for which he 
 paid only one hundred and forty dollars. As it was raw land the father turned it 
 over to his two sons to prepare for cultivation. They accomplished the work so 
 well that shortly the family was able to take up their residence thereon and 
 there lived until the death of the mother, when they separated and the father 
 lived with his children. He died at the age of ninety-four years, while his wife 
 was only seventy when she passed away. They were the parents of four chil- 
 dren : Trina, who married Henry Stotenburg, both now deceased ; Asmus H., of 
 Davenport; Claus H., the subject of this sketch; and Peter, of Port Arthur. 
 
 Although Claus H. Lamp was but eight years old when the family left his 
 native land he had already acquired some education in the schools of Germany. 
 After coming to Scott county he spent a few winters in the pursuance of studies, 
 his first teacher having been Mr. Prescott. He had little time, however, to give 
 to lessons for he had early to begin to work. His first job was driving a team 
 of oxen to a breaking plow. Later when his father bought his first farm he 
 and his brother Asmus undertook to prepare it for cultivation. Taking their 
 sister with them as housekeeper, they lived on that place during the summer, 
 coming to town with the cattle during the winter. Later Mr. Lamp's father 
 bought another tract of one hundred and sixty acres in Hickory Grove township. 
 It also was raw prairie land and Mr. Lamp again undertook to break it. There 
 he lived for two years, working for his father, the latter receiving the crops. 
 Then he was given the place, and it remained his home until about 1897, when he 
 retired from active life and removed to Davenport. In the meantime, however, 
 he kept increasing his landholdings until he has nine hundred and twenty acres 
 of some of the best land of Scott county in his possession. It is divided as fol- 
 lows : three hundred and twenty acres in Hickory Grove township ; another farm 
 of two hundred and forty acres in that township; a third of one hundred and 
 sixty acres also in Hickory Grove township; one hundred and sixty acres in 
 Liberty township; and forty acres in Cleona township. Another indication of 
 his prosperity is the fact that he holds considerable stock in the German Savings 
 Bank and in the Walcott Savings Bank. Like his brother Asmus H. Lamp, 
 whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work, Claus Lamp has made the best use 
 of the opportunities afforded him. More than that he has not been lax in seeking 
 for chances to better his fortunes and prove himself worthy of the highest type 
 of citizenship in this republic. 
 
738 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 On the 13th of August, 1861, Mr. Lamp wedded Miss Catherine Lamp, a 
 daughter of Peter and Abel (Goetsch) Lamp. They have had five children. 
 Mathilda became the wife of August Paustian, of Hickory Grove township, and 
 they have seven children, Meta, Wilma, Julius, August, Martha, Hilda and 
 Clarence. Caroline married George Schlapkohl, of Liberty township, and they 
 have four children, Katie, Edna, Albert and Mabel. Julius wedded Lena Schlap- 
 kohl and they have four children, Rudolph, Clarence, Martha and Leonard. 
 Gustavus P. married Regina Magnus and lives in Hickory Grove township. 
 They have three children, Louis C. E., Dewey E. and Melinda. Clara C. became 
 the wife of Otto F. Harbeck. They live with Mr. Lamp and have three chil- 
 dren, Catherine C, Clara M. and Helen M. 
 
 Mr. Lamp has always voted the republican ticket and while he was living in 
 Hickory Grove township was elected upon it to the offices of justice of the peace, 
 trustee, school director and road supervisor. The duties of each position he ful- 
 filled with a care and efficiency which has marked the operations of bis private 
 life so that he enjoys the respect of his fellow citizens. He is a member of 
 lodge No. 221, A. F. & A. M., of Davenport, and of the German Pioneer Society. 
 
 F. A. QUI STORE. 
 
 F. A. Quistorf, who has now retired from active farming pursued with such 
 profit in Liberty township, was born in Neudorf, Holstein, Germany, November 
 28, 1835, his parents being L. A. and Anna Elizabeth (Langfeld) Quistorf. The 
 former was a native of the same town as his son, but the latter was bom in 
 Quisdorf and there passed away in October, 1848, at the age of thirty-six years. 
 In 1850 L. A. Quistorf embarked upon the journey to America, accompanied 
 by his six children : F. A., the subject of this sketch ; Henry F., who died in Dav- 
 enport, May 6, 1909; Katharine Elizabeth, who is the widow of Ferdinand Bein 
 ■ and resides in Davenport ; Bernhard, who died in Santa Cruz, California, in 1898 ; 
 F. L., of Bonny Doon, Cahfornia ; and John F., of St. Francis, Kansas. For a 
 time after his advent here Mr. Quistorf worked as a farm hand and then pur- 
 chased forty acres of land in Blue Grass township, continuing farming in this 
 county until he retired from active life and took up his residence in Dixon, 
 which remained his home until his death, January 6, 1873. He was at that time 
 sixty years and one day old and a man who was well thought of in the community. 
 He had been a weaver in the old country but after coming here devoted himself 
 exclusively to farming. 
 
 F. A. Quistorf worked as a farm hand for three years after his arrival in 
 this county and then united with his father when the latter purchased the first 
 tract of forty acres in Blue Grass township. This he assisted the older man to 
 cultivate until, having gained substantial returns, they were able to sell it and 
 buy a place of one hundred and sixty acres in Liberty township. There he lived 
 until he married, when he and his brother Henry assumed full charge of the 
 homestead, the other brothers having gone to Pike's Peak. In 1897 Mr. Quis- 
 torf decided to retirie from active life and came to the village of Dixon, which 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 739 
 
 is now his home. The extent of his landholdings, however, indicates with what 
 profit he pursued agriculture for he owns two hundred and forty acres, one 
 hundred and sixty in Liberty township, the remainder in Cleona, besides the 
 handsome home in Dixon which he occupies. 
 
 When Mr. Quistorf married he chose as his wife Miss Helene Steffen, who 
 was born in Holstein, Germany, March 24, 1841. In 1858 she with her parents, 
 Jochem and Anna (Ewaldt) Steffen, came to Scott county, by way of New Or- 
 leans and the Mississippi river. Mr. and Mrs. Steffen passed the remainder of 
 their hves here, he dying in Cleona township and she in the city of Davenport. 
 They had two sons and three daughters, all born in the old country. The sons 
 went to AustraHa before their parents came to America. Mr. and Mrs. Quistorf 
 have had seven children : Anna E., the widow of William Schroeder, of Archer 
 City, Texas; Ferdinand, who operates his father's farm in Liberty township; 
 Caroline, the wife of John Reesey, Basin, Wyoming ; Emma, the wife of Henry 
 Wuestenberg, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work ; Minnie Matilda, 
 the wife of Louis Hensen, of Cleona township; Meta H., the wife of Henry 
 Goetsch, of Eldridge, this county ; and Clara, the wife of Dan Snyder, of Buena- 
 vista, Iowa. 
 
 Mr. Quistorf is now a stanch adherent of republican principles, although 
 in former years he gave his support to the democrats, but, irrespective of his 
 party predilections, he has always been active and prominent in local affairs and 
 asserts, with a bit of pardonable pride, that since he became a citizen of this 
 country he has missed only two elections. All of the more important offices 
 within the gift of the people of his locality have been bestowed upon him. For 
 more than the past quarter of a century he has been a justice of the peace in 
 Liberty and Allen Grove townships and in Dixon. He was clerk of Liberty 
 township for twelve years and trustee and school director there for another long 
 period. From 1880 to 1883 he served as county supervisor, in this capacity as in 
 all the others rendering the most efficient service possible, such as to obtain for 
 him the confidence as well as the esteem of his fellow citizens. 
 
 LOUIS A. KEPPY. 
 
 Louis A. Keppy was born in Donahue, Scott county, August 28, 1879, and 
 has spent the greater part of his life in that village, in affairs of which he plays a 
 prominent part. His parents are Frank and Mary (Rohwer) Keppy, who reside 
 in Donahue and he is the second of their three children. He received his educa- 
 tion in district school No. i, in Aliens Grove township, after which he laid the 
 foundation of a successful business career by a course in Duncan's Business Col- 
 lege in Davenport. After working for his father in his creamery until he made 
 himself acquainted with the details of the business he became manager and con- 
 tinued in that capacity for four years. When his father entered a new field of 
 activity, dealing in general merchandise, live stock and farm implements, he 
 accepted his present position as general manager. 
 
740 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 On July 29, 1908, Mr. Keppy married Miss Lena Ewaldt, who was born in 
 Eldridge, Scott county, March 26, 1887, and is a daughter of Herman E. and 
 Katherine Ewaldt, residents of Eldridge. Their home is brightened by the 
 presence of a small daughter, Katherine Marie. 
 
 Mr. Keppy has given his allegiance to the republican party, to whose measures 
 he pins his faith. He takes a keen interest in public affairs and enjoys the confi- 
 dence of the community in which he makes his home and where his career has 
 been watched from birth. He is a councilman and serves as assistant to his father, 
 who in addition to his business, holds the office of postmaster. 
 
 MRS. MARIE L. FOLLETTE. 
 
 Mrs. Marie L. Follette, living in Le Claire, was born in Marion, Ohio, about 
 forty miles from Columbus, on the loth of March, 1833. She has, therefore, 
 reached the age of seventy-seven years and is one of the most highly esteemed 
 among the older ladies of this city. Her father, John Newton Wick, was born 
 in 1 80 1, and, having arrived at years of maturity, he wedded Maria Louisa Franks, 
 who was born July 4, 1804. His death occurred in October, 1834, when his daugh- 
 ter Mrs. Follette was only a year old, and in the year 1844 Mrs. Wick came to 
 Iowa. She died in Platteville, Colorado, in May, 1890, at the advanced age of 
 nearly eighty-six years. Her father was a soldier of the Revolutionary war 
 and also of the(war of 1812, and participated in the battle of New Orleans un- 
 der General Jackson. He was a slaveholder in Virginia, where for many years 
 he made his home. 
 
 Mrs. Follette came to Iowa with her mother September 15, 1844, when but 
 eleven years of age. She acquired her education in the schools of Portsmouth, 
 Ohio, and there attended one of the first public schools that was opened in the 
 United States. She has been married twice. On the 22d of May, 1849, when 
 but sixteen years of age, she gave her hand in marriage to Captain J. E. David- 
 son, a son of William and Elizabeth Jemini Davidson, of Philadelphia. His 
 grandfather was a well known sea captain. Unto Captain and Mrs. J. E. David- 
 son were born four children. William Henry, whose birth occurred June 18, 
 1850, died in California in 1874. Mary Louise, born January 18, 1852, died in 
 infancy. Edgar Alfred,. born May 11, 1853, is a master musician of Bay City, 
 Texas, and married Elizabeth Doty, by whom he has four children, Gladys Doty, 
 Edgar Alfred, Charles Eugene and William Walter. Louisa Davidson, born 
 June 24, 1855, was married in August, 1871, to Charles Hatton, now a resident 
 of Goldfield, Nevada, and they have seven children: Grace, who became the 
 wife of Bion Hull and has two children, Josephine and Biona Hull ; Lulu Hatton, 
 who became the wife of Morton Rutan ; Charles Hatton, a resident of Wichita, 
 Kansas ; Katharine ; Alice ; William D ; and one who died in infancy. 
 
 After the death of her first husband Mrs. Davidson was married on the nth 
 of February, 1862, to William D. Follette and they became the parents of a son 
 and daughter. The elder, Charles Stewart Follette, born Kugust 4, 1863, mar- 
 ried Leona Flora and is a marine engineer residing at Seattle, Washington. 
 
:\[RS. MARIE L. FOLLETTE 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 743 
 
 Genevieve Follette, born April 24, 1865, became the wife of Christopher T. 
 Goodlow, wfho was a river engineer. Both are now deceased, the death of Mrs. 
 Goodlow having occurred in 1903. 
 
 Mr. Follette was a farmer by occupation and a large landowner, having ex- 
 tensive holdings, from which he derived a substantial annual income. His prop- 
 erty interests also enabled him to leave his family in very comfortable financial 
 circumstances, when, in March, 1880, he was called to his final rest. In his po- 
 litical views he was a democrat but never aspired to office, preferring to con- 
 centrate his energies upon his business affairs, in which he met with excellent 
 success. 
 
 Mrs. Follette has now lived in Iowa for sixty-six years and during her resi- 
 dence in Scott county has always enjoyed in large measure the friendly regard 
 of those with whom she has been associated. After her husband's death she re- 
 moved to Le Claire, where she is now pleasantly situated in a comfortable home. 
 
 HANS HEINRICH KISTENMACHER. 
 
 Among the many pioneer of Scott county who brought the strong traits of 
 character of the German race to bear up its development was Hans Heinrich 
 Kistenmacher, now deceased, who for more than a quarter of a century was a 
 prosperous farmer of Blue Grass township, on the place which his son Louis still 
 operates. He was bom in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, January 3, 1826, and 
 came to America before he reached his majority. On the 13th of July, 1847, he 
 reached Scott county, and the next year was granted by the government eighty 
 acres of land, the document asserting his right to its possession bearing the date 
 of June I, 1848, and being signed by President Polk. A couple of years later 
 he received forty acres more from the government, this grant being dated April 
 I, 1850, and bearing the signature of President Taylor. These scrips of national 
 paper are still in the possession of Louis Kistenmacher, who places high value 
 upon them, for their historical value and for the associations with which they 
 will always be joined while in the family. For many years Mr. Kistenmacher 
 tilled the soil with profit, although the early years of his residence here were 
 attended with the- hardships which come to the pioneer, and as time brought rich 
 returns from his endeavors he acquired more land until at his death he owned 
 four hundred and forty-five acres in Blue Grass township. In 1885 he retired 
 from the active pursuit of farming, taking up his residence in the city of Daven- 
 port, which was his home when, on the 19th of August, 1909, he passed away. 
 
 After coming to Scott county Mr. Kistenmacher was united in marriage to 
 Miss Maria Kruse, who was bom in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, March 3, 
 1833. Their marriage was blessed with the following children : Louis, of whom 
 mention is made below ; Amelia, who, unmarried, is living in Davenport ; Augusta, 
 who became the wife of James Muldoon, of Corley, Iowa ; Dorothea, the wife of 
 Theodore Nelson, of Harlan, Iowa; Christina, who has not married and makes 
 her home in Davenport ; Delia, who is also unmarried and lives in Davenport ; 
 and Bertha, the wife of Charles Zoller, of Davenport. 
 
744 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Louis Kistenmacher, the only son born to his parents, has always lived upon 
 the farm where he resides today. It embraces two hundred acres of the old 
 homestead and is well cultivated. In addition his wife owns three hundred and 
 twenty acres in Rock county, Minnesota, a valuable asset. She was Miss Louisa 
 Rochau in her maidenhood and is a daughter of F. A. Rochau, of Sheridan 
 township. Eleven children have been born to the couple, all of whom are at 
 home. They are Arnold, Henry, Walter, Alice, Lydia, David, Flora, Minnie, 
 Martha, Louis and John. Mr. Kistenmacher has not allied himself with any 
 political party, preferring to vote for measures and candidates as appear to him 
 best, and for two terms has rendered efficient service to the community through 
 being a member of the school board. He belongs to the Modern Brotherhood 
 of America and is active in its lodge. No. 26, of Blue Grass, where he has made 
 many friends, who, recognizing the high character of the man and aware of his 
 success and the honorable manner in which it has been gained, are loyal in their 
 admiration of him. 
 
 MRS. H. A. HORTON. 
 
 Among Le Claire's highly esteemed ladies is Mrs. H. A. Horton, who has now 
 passed the seventy-first milestone on life's journey, her birth having occurred in 
 Louisville, Kentucky, October 18, 1838. Her father, Nathan Hart, was born 
 in Warsaw, Poland, in 1793, and it was after his arrival in America that he met 
 and married Miss Amelia Van Ostern, who was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, 
 in 1813. For many years Mr. Hart engaged in the dry-goods business, but was 
 living retired at the time of his death. H.e came to Iowa in 1857, settling in Le 
 Claire, and for a long period was connected with the commercial interests of the 
 town and contributed in no small degree to its commercial activity and prosperity. 
 He always adhered to the Jewish faith and in his political views was a democrat 
 but never an ofiSce seeker. In his family were eight children : Mary ; Elenora, the 
 deceased wife of Major Foster, of the Eleventh Iowa Infantry; Rebecca, who 
 became the wife of Colonel Mitchell, of the Eleventh Iowa Infantry; Moses, who 
 died in Walla Walla, Washington ; Mrs. Horton ; Ada, who resides in Wakefield, 
 Massachusetts ; Belle, who makes her home in Butte, Montana ; and Edward, who 
 was a newspaper editor of Chicago, where he died in 1889. 
 
 Mrs. Horton spent her girlhood in her native city and was nineteen years of 
 age when she came with her parents to Iowa, where she has since made her home. 
 On the 20th of September, 1865, she gave her hand in marriage to H. A. Horton, 
 a son of George W. and Eliza (Brotherlin) Horton, who were residents of Clin- 
 ton, Iowa, at the time of their demise. Their son, H. A. Horton, acquired his 
 education in the graded schools of Le Claire and, entering business life, became a 
 steamboat engineer on the Mississippi river. He always led a busy and useful 
 life, was faithful, reliable and industrious and his services were, therefore, always 
 in demand. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Horton became the parents of two children. Belle S., who was 
 born February 23, 1868, is the wife of Edgar Kindley, a resident of Silvis, Illinois, 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 745 
 
 where he is filling the position of superintendent of schools. They have one 
 child, Murena Kindley. George W. Horton, who was born in 1871, is a resident 
 of Rock Island, Illinois, where he carries on business as an electrician. He 
 wedded Mary Headley and they have one child, Isabel Horton, who was born 
 March 25, 1906. 
 
 The death of Mr. Horton occurred January 8, 1910, and was deeply regretted 
 by many friends as well as his immediate family. He was a faithful member 
 of the Masonic fraternity, affiliating with Snow Lodge, No. 44, F. & A. M., at 
 Le Claire, and was held in high esteem. He gave his political support to the 
 republican party and was a stanch advocate of its principles. He held the office 
 of school director and was also a member of the city council, in which connection 
 he exercised his official prerogatives in support of various progressive public 
 measures. His long residence in this county made him widely known and his 
 many substantial qualities gained for him the high regard of those with whom 
 he was brought in contact. 
 
 CORNELIUS J. BROWN. 
 
 Although Cornelius J. Brown took little active part in the public life of 
 Davenport, his name was ever connected with those interests which make for 
 progress, philanthropy and the general amelioration of the conditions that sur- 
 rounded his fellow citizens. On the 20th of March, 1908, he passed from their 
 midst, and has since been mourned as a man of ability and high character. He 
 was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 15, 1843, and by the early death 
 of his father was thrown upon his own resources while still a boy. Upon the 
 inauguration of the Civil war, although only eighteen years of age, he enlisted 
 in Knapp's Independent Battery, Twentieth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and in the 
 four years of his service took part in many of the important battles of 
 the great struggle, among which were the memorable fight at Chancellorsville, 
 the second engagement at Bull Run, and that of Gettysburg. He had entered 
 the army as a private, but in recognition of the valor which ever distinguished 
 his presence upon the scene of conflict, he was promoted until at the close of 
 the hostilities he held the rank of corporal. 
 
 After he returned to the life of a civilian Mr. Brown remained for a time 
 in the east and then in 1872 came west, spending ten months at St. Louis, Mis- 
 souri. In 1872 he came to Davenport, and almost immediately upon his arrival 
 was made a clerk in the commandant's office at the Rock Island arsenal while in 
 1876 he was made chief clerk. There he remained during the remaining thirty-six 
 years of his life, the length of his term of service telling its own story of the 
 ability and conscientiousness of the man. He was highly regarded by his superior 
 officers at the arsenal, while in Davenport, where he was known for his public- 
 spirit and the interest he always evinced in the progress and development of the 
 city, he had many warm friends, who were attached to him because of his many 
 excellent and engaging qualities. 
 
746 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 While still living in Philadelphia, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss 
 Eliza Moore Hague, and unto them were born one daughter and four sons, 
 namely: August Mangus, deceased; Mrs. W. E. Pheris, of St. Paul; Charles C, 
 also of St. Paul, Minnesota; Benjamin F., who is a salesman; and Cornelius J., 
 who is a clerk in the Arsenal. Mr. Brown was ever in sympathy with the re- 
 ligious tenets of the Unitarians and was active in the work of that church, but 
 although local matters, charities and other interests commanded much of his at- 
 tention, he was most concerned for the welfare and advancement of the Masonic 
 orders becoming, indeed, a man upon whom his fraternal brothers throughout 
 the country conferred honors. He was made a Master Mason in Integrity Lodge, 
 No. 187, A. F. & A. M., October 18, 1868; in May 1874 was exalted to the rank 
 of Royal Arch Mason, and in 1875 was made a Knight Templar. In 1874 he had 
 entered the Scottish Rite, and upon him was conferred the honorary thirty-third 
 degree. His life ever exemplified the beneficent spirit of the craft which is based 
 upon mutual helpfulness and brotherly kindness. 
 
 ERNEST T. KEGEL, M. D. 
 
 Although one of the younger physicians. Dr. Ernest T. Kegel is said to 
 enjoy the largest practice in Scott county, outside of the city of Davenport, of 
 any of those following the medical profession. He resides in Blue Grass town- 
 ship, which has been the scene of his labors for more than a decade. A na- 
 tive of Germany, he was born in Potsdam, June 13, 1875. His father, whose 
 birth occurred in Saxony, wedded Miss Augusta Petersohn, a native of east Prus- 
 sia, and in 1891 came to the United States. Upon reaching Iowa, he settled 
 in Shelby county, where he engaged in the practice of medicine. He is still 
 living there and is highly regarded. 
 
 Dr. Ernest T. Kegel received his early education in the public schools of 
 Berlin, and after coming to this country pursued an academic course in the 
 School of Correspondence. It was in September, 1892, that he came to America. 
 He completed his studies in the Iowa State University, from which he was 
 graduated with the class of 1896. Immediately thereafter he joined his father 
 in Shelby county, Iowa, but remained only six months, after which he came to 
 Blue Grass township, Scott county, taking up his residence in Walcott. In a 
 few years he built up a large practice in that and adjoining townships, for 
 as opportunity was afforded for the exercise of his talents he proved himself 
 to be a man of skill and ability and one upon whose judgment in medical 
 matters his clients might rely with confidence. He returned to Germany in 
 1907 to take a post-graduate course in the University of Berlin. He also 
 studied in London, under the direction of Professors Douglas and Wright. Since 
 he has identified himself with the interests of Blue Grass township. Dr. Kegel 
 has done much to promote the public welfare and was one of the original stock- 
 holders of the Farmers Savings Bank of Walcott, of which he was elected 
 president in 1905. Since that date he has guided its financial policy with a 
 
BR. ERNEST T. KEGEL 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 749 
 
 wise, conservative, yet progressive hand, and no small part of the prosperity 
 of the locality is due to his efforts. 
 
 In December, 1897, was celebrated the wedding of Dr. Kegel and Miss Birdie 
 J. Byrnes, a daughter of Dr. Thomas Byrnes, who practiced medicine in Wal- 
 cott for a number of years. One son, Allen Byrnes, has been born to the couple. 
 
 Dr. Kegel is a member of all the Masonic bodies of Davenport, being a 
 Knight Templar and has been advanced to the thirty-second degree in the 
 Scottish Rite. He belongs also to the Modern Brotherhood of America, being 
 president of the Walcott lodge. In recognition of his proficiency as a practi- 
 tioner and of his character as a man, Dr. Kegel was appointed a health offiter of 
 the village of Walcott, in which position he is serving his second term, and 
 was also made health officer of Hickory Grove township. As a member of the 
 American Medical Association, and of the Iowa State, the Scott County, the 
 Iowa and Illinois Central Medical Associations, he keeps well abreast of the 
 advance which has been made in his profession. In connection with his practice 
 Dr. Kegel conducts a drug store, wherein are dispensed drugs of a high quality, 
 and which while it evinces the Doctor's business acumen is but another demon- 
 stration of his desire to render his clients the greatest service within his power. 
 
 HERMANN WULF. 
 
 Hermann Wulf, who is at the head of one of the largest and most prosperous 
 concerns of Davenport, the Davenport Brewing Company, was born in Germany, 
 May 6, 1852, his parents being Michael and Margaret (Speckelman) Wulf, both 
 natives of the fatherland. He received his education in his place of birth, where 
 he also learned the trade of a locksmith, and in early manhood came to the 
 United States, whither his brother Fred had preceded him. For eight years he 
 worked at his trade here in conjunction with H. Mueller.- Later he engaged 
 in the grocery and saloon business for a number of years very successfully. In 
 1891 he and George Klindt bought out the interest of Henry Klindt and operated 
 the Eagle Brewery on Third street, of which the latter had been the head for a 
 number of years. For the next three years Mr. Wulf and his partners made it 
 one of the substantial enterprises of Davenport until 1894, when a consolida- 
 tion was effected among the five breweries in the city under the name of the 
 Davenport Malting Company. In that year Mr. Wulf became the city representa- 
 tive of the firm and in 1900 became its president. About 1908 the name was 
 changed to the Davenport Brewing Company. Mr. Wulf is also a director in the 
 Davenport Malt & Grain Company, his experience in this line of work making 
 him a valuable member of the concern. He was also president of the Hawkeye 
 Realty Company until 1910. 
 
 In 1874 Mr. Wulf wedded Miss Emma Seaman, a native of Davenport. Five 
 children l-.ave been born to them: Amiel, Rudolph, Emily, Bertha and Hugo. 
 Emily is now the wife of Hugo Moeller. Mr. Wulf belongs to all the German 
 societies flourishing in this city and is a member of the Independent Order of 
 Odd Fellows. A man of fine business ability, he is also endowed with those traits 
 
750 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 of character which make him popular among his fellowmen. While he is ever 
 willing to join others in pleasure, he is, nevertheless, a good citizen. The Daven- 
 port Brewing Company is one of the largest concerns here and is developing an 
 ever increasing field of operations, largely due to the fact of Mr. Wulf's able 
 guidance. 
 
 LOUIS A. LE CLAIRE, SR. 
 
 Few among the families of Davenport occupy a more prominent position 
 than that of which Louis A. Le Claire, Sr., is at present the head. He has been 
 for many years identified with the business life here and is now the vice president 
 of the Le Claire & King Publishing Company. A native of Davenport, he was 
 born January 4, 1842, a son of Alexius and Marie (Pujal) Le Claire. The 
 father was a son of Francis Le Claire, a brother of Antoine Le Claire, who holds 
 a most conspicuous place in the annals of Davenport from the time of its foun- 
 dation. A more extended mention of him, however, is made in the history pref- 
 atory to these biographies. Alexius Le Claire was a merchant and, like his uncle, 
 was one of the important men of the city during his lifetime. 
 
 Louis A. Le Claire attended the public schools of Davenport and after com- 
 pleting the course of study here entered Iowa College. When he embarked upon 
 his business career in 1862 he engaged first in real-estate dealing, to which 
 he devoted his energies for about thirteen years. At that time he became ad- 
 ministrator of his uncle's estate and united his interests with those of a son of 
 Colonel Davenport, filling the position of accountant in the latter's office. In 
 1882 he went to the western part of Iowa and then, in 1886, entered the gas office. 
 About that time, however, on account of poor health, he was compelled to give up 
 all business and take a much needed rest. Later, when he had recuperated, he 
 joined his sons in the formation of the Le Claire & King Publishing Company, 
 of which he was made vice president. This is one of the enterprising concerns 
 of the city, owing no small share of its prosperity to the wisdom and good judg- 
 ment of the senior member of the firm. 
 
 It was in December, 1870, that Mr. Le Claire was united in marriage to Miss 
 Mattie S. Beddison, a daughter of Thomas and Martha (Corporal) Beddison. 
 They are descendants of a family which has been prominent from the Revolu- 
 tionary days and one ancestor fought in Washington's army. At that time the 
 homestead was in one of the southern states, but later a removal was made to 
 Rock Island, Illinois, where Thomas Beddison became very prominent. Five 
 children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Le Claire. Margaret has remained un- 
 married and makes her home with her parents. Marie has passed away. Louis, 
 Jr., is the president of the Le Claire & King Publishing Company. He married 
 Miss Jessie Middleton and they have one daughter, Marie. Beatrice and Bernice 
 are both at home. The family belong to the Catholic church of Davenport and 
 are prominent in its work and liberal in its support. As is befitting a descendant 
 of the famous Antoine Le Claire, our subject is one of the more prominent of 
 the citizens of Davenport. He is interested in all the more vital of the city's 
 affairs, although he has never been persuaded to take any active part in the local 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 751 
 
 government. Nevertheless, he enjoys the sincere esteem of those who have come 
 to know him and feel that he has made a name for himself and is not dependent 
 on the reputation won by his ancestors, while his success is the outcome of clear 
 judgment experience and unabating energy. 
 
 SAMUEL B. YOHN. 
 
 Samuel B. Yohn, living in Princeton, his attention in his business life being 
 devoted to carpentering and farming, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsyl- 
 vania, March 13, 1833, and has therefore reached the age of seventy-seven years 
 His has been a well spent life and his many substantial qualities have gained him 
 the trust and good will of his fellow townsmen. 
 
 His father, Frederick Yohn, was also a native of Lancaster county, bom 
 March 13, 1812, and, having arrived at years of maturity, he wedded Rebecca 
 Church, who was bom in the same county on the 4th of February, 181 1. For 
 many years they resided in the Keystone state, where they were married and 
 reared their family, but in 1868 removed westward, settling in Scott county. 
 The father purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land from Malen Bonnell 
 in Princeton township and lived upon that farm for six years, carefully culti- 
 vating the fields in the production of substantial harvests. He then removed to 
 the village of Princeton, where he retired from active life, his death there oc- 
 curring five years later. His children were Samuel B., Anna Elizabeth and 
 Julia. The elder daughter was born October 22, 1847, and is the wife of David 
 Condron, a carpenter residing in Princeton. The younger daughter is also liv- 
 ing in Princeton and is now the wife of George Lancaster, an engineer. 
 
 Samuel B. Yohn is indebted to the district schools of his native county for 
 the educational privileges which he enjoyed. After leaving school he learned 
 the carpenter's trade and has followed it through much of his life, but at the 
 time of the Civil war he put aside all business and personal considerations and 
 responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting at Philadelphia, on the 20th 
 of January, 1864, as a member of Company I, Second Pennsylvania Artillery. 
 He served during the remainder of the war and participated in the battles of 
 Cold Harbor, Petersburg and other important engagements. He continued with 
 the army until some time after the close of hostilities, being honorably dis- 
 charged January 29, 1866, at City Point, Virginia. He proved a faithful sol- 
 dier, never faltering in his performance of duty but giving loyal aid to the cause 
 he espoused. 
 
 When honorably discharged Mr. Yohn returned to Pennsylvania, where he 
 continued to reside until 1879, when he came to Princeton, where he has since 
 made his home. Here he has followed carpentering and has been closely and 
 actively associated with building interests, his efficient workmanship bringing 
 him a liberal patronage. 
 
 Mr. Yohn has been married three times. He first wedded Miss Mary 
 Womert, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Womert. Unto them was born a 
 son, Frank, who died when twenty years of age. For his second wife Mr. Yohn 
 
752 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 chose Miss Etta Howard and to them was born a daughter, Etta, who died in 
 infancy. For his third wife Mr. Yohn chose Sarah Ferguson, a native of Ga- 
 lena, Illinois. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Yohn has always been a stalwart republican since 
 casting his first presidential vote. He has held most of the township offices, in- 
 cluding that of township trustee, and has always been loyal and faithful to the 
 trusts reposed in him. He is recognized as a reliable and enterprising citizen, who 
 is always found on the side of improvement and progress. He can remember 
 seeing Antoine Le Claire in 1857. During the years of his residence in Scott 
 county he has witnessed many changes and has taken helpful part in bringing 
 about the transformation which has made Scott county one of the populous and 
 prosperous sections of the great Mississippi valley. 
 
 J. H. VILMONT. 
 
 Despite the fact of his advancing years and the large measure of success which 
 has come to him J. H. Vilmont has been unable to abandon the life of a farmer, 
 which he has pursued in Scott county for so many years. He operates a tract of 
 sixty-five acres in Aliens Grove township, adjoining the farm on which he was 
 reared. 
 
 A native of Lorraine, France, he was born May 14, 1851, his parents being 
 Maurice and Eugena (Gaspard) Vilmont. The father, who was also a native of 
 Lorraine, France, was a son of Francis and Marie Theresa (Ponel) Vilmont, who 
 spent their whole lives in the country of their birth. Indeed, only one of their 
 nine children, seven boys and two girls, came to America to make his fortune. 
 
 Maurice Vilmont, whose birth occurred July 15, 1825, came to Scott county, 
 Iowa, immediately upon landing in this country in 1854. He was accompanied 
 by his wife and son and took up his residence in Davenport, which he made his 
 home for a few years, removing later to Clinton county, where he lived for a pe- 
 riod of seven or eight years. In 1865 he located on the farm in Aliens Grove 
 township on which he resided until 1903, adjoining that of his son J. H. He had 
 learned the trade of a stone-mason in the old country and worked at it for some 
 time after his arrival here, both in Davenport and in Aliens Grove township, where 
 his abilities were frequently called into requisition by the early settlers here. He 
 owns one hundred and sixty acres on section 16, Aliens Grove township, on the 
 bank of the Wapsipinicon river and during the years of his activity earned a well 
 deserved success from the cultivation of its fields. In 1902 he relinquished the 
 heavy cares of life and retired, now living with his son. His wife, who was born 
 February 16, 1824, died in Davenport in February, 1891, leaving one child, J. H., 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Since 1865 J. H. Vilmont has resided in Scott county, coming here with his 
 parents when located in Aliens Grove township, so that the greater part of his life 
 has been spent here. He attended the public schools of this state, in which he 
 obtained a fair education, although throughout the years he was studying he also 
 helped his father upon the farm. He assumed the responsibility of its culivation 
 
MRS. J. II. VIOtOXT 
 
II. \"ll,.Mi IXT 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 757 
 
 when advancing age made it necessary for the father to resign the heavier cares. 
 In 1903 the son bought another tract of one hundred and twenty acres in Aliens 
 Grove township, on which he resided until March, 1909, when he sold eighty acres 
 of it and purchased sixty-five acres adjoining the old homestead, on section 17. 
 Here he pursues general farming with good success for he is progressive as well 
 as industrious, sparing no effort of his own to enhance the value of the property 
 or increase its productiveness. 
 
 In 1872 Mr. Vilmont was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Flynn, who 
 was born in New York state, July 9, 1853. About three years later she came to 
 Scott county, Iowa, with her parents, Michael and Mary (Leary) Flynn, who 
 were of Irish birth. They passed the remainder of their lives here. Nine children 
 have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Vilmont : Marie, now the wife of James McNie, 
 of California; Maurice J., who is living in Aliens Grove township; Sylvia, the 
 wife of Adolph Michael, of Nebraska ; Victor H., of Grundy Center, Iowa ; Kath- 
 arine, the wife of John Wuestenberg, of Aliens Grove township; Simon, who is 
 living in Sonth Dakota ; Esther, at home ; Vivian V., of South Dakota ; and Isa- 
 dore, who is at home. Mr. Vilmont has the good will of his fellow agriculturists 
 for he has proved himself a good farmer and a man capable of fulfilling his duties 
 in life with honor. 
 
 THE VERY REV. MARMADUKE HARE, M. D. 
 
 The Very Rev. Marmaduke Hare, M. D., rector and dean of Trinity 
 Cathedral, was born in Knottingly, Yorkshire, England, April 6, 1856, a son of 
 the Rev. Robert Henry Hare, also a clergyman of the Church of England, and 
 Margaret (Leighton) Hare, a coUsin of Lord Leighton. On the paternal side of 
 the house, the family belongs to that bearing the name of HurstmontcieUn. 
 
 Dr. Hare was educated at Bath College, after which he went to Kings Col- 
 lege, from which he was graduated in medicine in 1876. For the following two 
 years he practiced medicine in London, but carrying out the wishes of his mother 
 he entered the church and studied theology at Dorchester College, Oxford, for 
 two years, and was ordained by the bishop of Oxford in 1879. His first charge 
 was the church of Dorchester Abbey. He then entered the army service during 
 the first Boer war, and spent five years in South Africa. Returning to England 
 he was appointed rector of Bow, London, E. C, where his pastorate extended 
 over a decade. During that period he was chairman of the Poplar Board of 
 Guardians and one of the managers of the London schoolboard. 
 
 During his military service in South Africa, in 1882, Dr. Hare was married 
 to Mary Catherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Watson, then premier of South 
 Africa, and a great granddaughter of Lord Saltoune. She died in London, in 1897, 
 and soon thereafter the bereaved husband paid a visit to America. While in 
 Albany, he accepted a call to St. Paul's church of that city. He remained a year 
 at St. Paul's, and then spent four years as rector of St. George's church of 
 Toronto. Following this he was rector of All Saints Church, of New Milford, 
 
758 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Connecticut. In 1907, he came to Davenport, becoming rector and dean of Trinity 
 Cathedral in October of that same year. 
 
 Dr. Hare is a Mason, a member of the Commercial and Contemporary Clubs, 
 He is a man of wide experience and profound learning and his personality and 
 convincing manner make him very popular. His zeal in his work has resulted 
 in very beneficial effects in the city and vicinity, where he is widely known and 
 beloved. 
 
 JULIUS DENKMANN. 
 
 Julius Denkmann, one of the prominent German farmers of Davenport town- 
 ship, who has given up the arduous life to which he devoted himself for so many 
 years, was born in Prussia, Germany, November 10, 1840, a son of John and 
 Mary (Quinn) Denkmann. The father came alone to the United States in 1846, 
 and after spending the winter in New Orleans he ascended the Mississippi river 
 to Scott county, Iowa, where he bought some raw prairie land from Cook & 
 Sargent. As money was very scarce here he was compelled to sell part of his 
 purchase in order to obtain funds wherewith to live. He was able to build a 
 house, however, and in 1847 the rest of his family came from Germany. They, 
 following the same route as Mr. Denkmann, got as far as St. Louis, where their 
 progress was hindered on account of the ice in the river. With the opening 
 of spring navigation in 1848 they came to Scott county and joined the husband 
 and father and went to live in the new home which he had provided. Then 
 ensued a period of many hardships and struggles for the land had to be broken 
 and prepared for cultivation. Nevertheless, the years were productive of sub- 
 stantial success, so that at their death the parents might look back upon the move 
 to this country with satisfaction. The father was sixty-eight when his life was 
 brought to a close, and the mother about seventy. They were buried at Oakdale 
 cemetery. Eight children were born to them: William and Charles, deceased; 
 Julius, the subject of this sketch; Fred and Otto, who live in Scott county; Chris- 
 tiana, the widow of Dr. Brunner; Harmina, the widow of Christ Mickle; and 
 Amelia, the wife of Charles Rockel. 
 
 Although Julius Denkmann was but seven years of age when he started upon 
 his journey to this country he had already entered the public schools of his native 
 land. After his arrival here he finished his education as best he could, though 
 it was with many discouragements for at first the nearest school was in Blue 
 Grass township, a distance of five miles from his home. Later, after the railroad 
 was built, he attended school at Walcott. During the summer months, however, 
 he farmed most diligently, assisting his father until his death and then engaged 
 in agricultural pursuits for himself. His first purchase of land comprised one 
 hundred and sixty acres in Liberty township. It was slightly improved at the 
 time but proved to be so fertile that as the result of his labors he was able to 
 buy another tract of equal area contiguous to it. Later he purchased one hun- 
 dred and sixty acres more in Davenport township. It also was only partially im- 
 proved but it had a small house upon it, to which Mr. Denkmann brought his 
 bride and which remained their home until 1872. In that year he bought twenty- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 759 
 
 five acres of land on the middle road, on which he resided for about twenty years, 
 when he removed to the twenty acres on the outskirts of the city of Davenport, 
 which is his home at present. He has, however, given up all active participa- 
 tion in the more difficult work of the farm ; as his land holdings and the income 
 he had derived through the labors of previous years enable him to enjoy the 
 necessities and many of the luxuries of life without thought of physical toil. 
 
 Mr. Denkmann has made three trips to his native home. He went first in 
 1866 and while there, March 12, 1867, married Miss Anna Rochel, a daughter 
 of Carl and Anna Rochel, of Germany. His wife returned with him to America 
 in 1867 and in the course of years became the mother of six children : Paulina, 
 who married Charles Strubie, and they live on Mr. Denkmann's farm in Daven- 
 port township; Clara, the wife of Dr. Blakeman, of Davenport; Bianca, who 
 married John Carson, of Davenport township, and they have one daughter, Eliza- 
 beth ; William, who wedded Meta Lamp and lives in Scott county ; and the other 
 two died in infancy. 
 
 In 1872 Mr. Denkmann made a second trip to Germany, remaining there a 
 year, and then in 1896 crossed the ocean upon his third journey. On this occasion, 
 however, he remained only six weeks. As he has felt that his good fortune has 
 been made in Scott county, he has identified himself closely with the principal 
 interests of his fellow citizens, exerting his influence especially during the years 
 he was engaged in active life in advancing the cause of education, for he was 
 chosen as one of the members of the school board. Although he has rented his 
 farms and does not participate in farming, he is still accounted one of the promi- 
 nent agriculturists of Davenport township. For the younger men his life may 
 be taken as an example of the achievements to be gained from the cultivation 
 of the soil, while among the older men who are his associates he enjoys the good 
 will and respect conferred upon all who have attained success through their own 
 endeavors. 
 
 MRS. KATHERINE TROMBLY. 
 
 Mrs. Katherine Trombly is the widow of George Trombly and resides in Le 
 Claire, where she has made her home for more than a half century. She was 
 born in County Clare, Ireland, in February, 1842, and was a daughter of James 
 and Mary (Murray) McCaffrey, both of whom were also natives of the Emerald 
 isle, where they resided until 1847, when they bade adieu to friends and native 
 land and with their family sailed for America, hoping to enjoy better opportuni- 
 ties in the new world. They landed at New Orleans and thence made their way 
 up the Mississippi river to St. Louis, where their remaining days were passed. 
 
 Mrs. Trombly was only five years of age when her parents came to the United 
 States and her education was acquired in the public schools of St. Louis, where 
 she remained until 1857, when she came to Le Claire. She was married on the 
 i6th of February, 1856, to George Trombly, a well known river man who sailed 
 before the introduction of steamboats. He built the first raft boat on the river 
 at Le Claire and for many years sailed the Mississippi waters as captain. 
 
760 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Trombly were born three children. George, the eldest, 
 born December 7, 1857, is a resident of Le Claire, where he is engaged as a steam- 
 boat captain. He married Alice LaCock and they have an adopted daughter, 
 Ruth. Robert Henry Trombly, born August 19, 1862, wedded Stella Young 
 and they have four children, Helen, Robert, Arthur and Paul, who are with their 
 parents in Dubuque, Iowa. Minnie, born February 13, 1866, is the wife of Elmer 
 McCraney and they have one child, Harriet Katharine, who was born August 
 II, 1905. 
 
 Mr. Trombly exercised his right of franchise in support of the men and 
 measures of the democratic party but never sought nor desired office, for his 
 time was fully taken up with his business duties and home interests. He 
 died October 16, 1904, and in his death the community lost a substantial citizen, 
 for he belonged to that class of men who, though never figuring in public life, 
 wield an influence in favor of right and progress. 
 
 LUDWIG H. SCHMIDT. 
 
 Among the many men who witnessed the development of Scott county from 
 the days when those who located here had to go to the forests and hew the trees 
 from which to make rude shelters for themselves was Ludwig H. Schmidt, now 
 deceased, who was formerly one of the successful agriculturists of Blue Grass 
 township. He was bom in Revensdorf, near Kiel, Germany, a son of John 
 Frederick Christian Schmidt, a highly respected school teacher there. In 1847 
 he, with his family, came to Scott county and bought land in Blue Grass town- 
 ship, upon which he built a log cabin as his first dwelling place. He broke the 
 land and prepared it for cultivation, becoming a prosperous farmer. Before his 
 death he was in possession of one hundred and fifty acres of land. 
 
 Ludwig H. Schmidt, who was but nine years of age when his father came to 
 this country, received but little education in the land of his birth and had but 
 few opportunities for continuing his studies here, owing to the primitive condi- 
 tion of the country and the necessity for his working in the fields. He had prac- 
 tical preparation for life, however, and through his father obtained a good intro- 
 duction into the world of letters. He assisted in the cultivation of the soil from 
 the beginning, developing and making the improvements which adorned the 
 place. Later, he assumed full charge of the homestead, which remained his 
 place of residence throughout his life. A thorough and careful farmer, indus- 
 trious and a good manager, he was very successful, both in general agriculture 
 and in the growing of grapes for wine. 
 
 In 1865 Mr. Schmidt returned to Germany on a visit and there married Miss 
 Dora Schuett, by whom he had nine children; Mrs. Ida Thorborg, Adolph, Mrs. 
 'Agnes Kistenmacher, Mrs. Helen Schroeder, Emil, Herman, Albert, Ferdinand 
 and Richard. 
 
 Mr. Schmidt took an active interest in the public affairs of the country of his 
 adoption and, being public-spirited, was identified with some of the more vital 
 interests of Scott county. He was well known in agricultural circles in Blue 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 761 
 
 Grass township and was ever spoken of as a man of sound principles and high 
 integrity. His death occurred in 1884. For several years Mrs. Schmidt lived 
 upon the homestead but now resides in Davenport. She still owns two hundred 
 acres of land, which her son Richard operates. 
 
 HEUER & WESTPHAL. 
 
 One of the important hostelries of the village of Dixon is that of which J. W. 
 Heuer and Henry Westphal are the proprietors. The former, who is the senior 
 member of the firm, was born in Ditmarschen, Holstein, Germany, April 29, 1854, 
 a son of Henry and Marie (Karson) Heuer. His parents were also natives of 
 the same province and in 1858 came to this country, making their way immedi- 
 ately to Scott county, where they took up their residence in the city of Davenport. 
 The mother passed away shortly after her arrival but Mr. Heuer is still living 
 Three children were born to him and his wife: J. W., who is the subject of this 
 sketch; Claus, who is deceased; and Maggie, who was the youngest of the 
 family. 
 
 J. W. Pleuer accompanied his parents when they came to America and has 
 since spent all of his life in Scott county. He received a rather meager educa- 
 tion in the schools of Davenport, for while still a youth he began to make his 
 own way in the world. He found employment first in a brickyard, later in a 
 furniture factory and finally learned the cigar business in the city. After he had 
 become proficient in this last occupation he formed a partnership with his half- 
 brother, Henry Westphal, and together they manufactured cigars in Davenport 
 until 1882, when feeling that larger opportunities awaited them elsewhere they 
 came to Dixon. For about a decade they devoted themselves to their trade and 
 then opened the hotel and saloon of which they are still the proprietors. 
 
 In 1876 Mr. Heuer was married to Miss Annie Gerts, a native of the father- 
 land, and seven children have been born to them : William, who died at the age 
 of eight years ; Martha, who passed away when five years old ; Emil, who is en- 
 gaged in the implement business in Dixon; Harry, who died at the age of five; 
 and Millie, Herbert and Henry, who are at home. A man of good business 
 ability and endowed with the qualities of industry and frugality, he has had a 
 guiding hand in the operation of the business, which has prospered well during 
 the eighteen years it has been conducted here. 
 
 Henry Westphal, junior partner in this profitable enterprise, was born in 
 Davenport, Iowa, March 6, 1859, and has spent all his life in Scott county. His 
 father was F. F. Westphal, a native of Holstein^ Germany, and his brother is 
 Adolph Westphal. After his wife's death, however, F. F. Westphal married Mrs. 
 Henry Heuer, and by this second union three children, two sons and a daughter, 
 were born. Henry Westphal attended the public schools of Davenport, but put 
 aside his text-books when he was only thirteen years of age that he might learn the 
 trade of a cigarmaker. He found employment with the Otto Albrecht Com- 
 pany, first as a shipping boy. During the eight years he remained with that 
 house he rose rapidly in their esteem and learned his trade well. When he at- 
 
762 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 tained his majority, he was taken into partnership by Hr. Heuer, and together 
 they worl<ed in Davenport for a couple of years, coming to Dixon about 1882. 
 Ten years later, they opened the hotel and saloon which has been a flourishing 
 institution of the village. Its success has been due in no small measure to the 
 strong traits of character which are Mr. Westphal's. He is a man who lets no 
 good opportunity slip through his hands. Like his partner he has made every 
 endeavor to satisfy the wants of the hotel's guests, making them both welcome 
 and comfortable, while he has exercised an equally efficient oversight over the 
 business part of the undertaking. Mr. Westphal has also fostered local enter- 
 prises, for when the Dixon Savings Bank was organized, he became a stockholder 
 in the concern and has since been one of the directors, having m this the sup- 
 port of his partner. 
 
 HENRY F. REIMERS. 
 
 Henry F. Reimers is one of the prosperous German farmers of Winfield town- 
 ship, where he owns and operates a tract of one hundred and sixty acres about a 
 mile east of Long Grove. He was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, February 18, 
 1858, a son of Hans and Louisa Reimers. The father was a farmer in the old 
 country and served in the army during the war between Holstein and Denmark 
 from 1848 to 1850. In i860 he came to America, landing at New York, whence 
 he came to Scott county, Iowa, where a brother Peter was already residing. Shortly 
 after his arrival here he enlisted in the Fourteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, 
 serving in the Union army until the close of the Civil war, when he returned to 
 Scott county and for a year farmed as a renter in Butler township. Then he 
 bought a tract of eighty acres, which remained the family home for about seven 
 years, for as the war cloud had lifted his wife and children crossed the ocean 
 and came to this county. At the end of that period he sold that property and 
 bought from John HoUing the place whereon his son Henry now lives. It re- 
 mained his home until 1894, when he retired and removed to Davenport, where 
 his death occurred December 9, 1901. His widow still survives and makes her 
 home in this city. She is the mother of five children, as follows : Henry, of this 
 review; William, of Long Grove; Theodore, of Davenport township; Herman, 
 who is living with his mother; and Emil, of Grundy county, Iowa. 
 
 Henry F. Reimers, although only seven years of age when brought to this 
 country, had attended school a little in Germany, but his education was really 
 obtained in the district schools of Butler and Winfield townships. He early 
 became acquainted with the duties that fall to the lot of the agriculturist as he 
 helped his father on the farm, and he continued at home until he was twenty- 
 seven years of age, when he worked as a farm hand for three years. Then he 
 married, and, renting land, he engaged in agricultural pursuits on his own ac- 
 count, continuing as a tenant until 1909, when his circumstances justified his 
 buying the place whereon he now lives, which was the old home farm. He raises 
 various cereals adapted to soil and climate, and as the work is carried on along 
 
.MK. AND Mi;s. IIK-VRY \\ UKIAIKK 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 765 
 
 systematic and progressive lines large harvests result from his labor and energy. 
 He is a stockholder in the bank at Donahue, Iowa. 
 
 On the 9th of December, 1887, Mr. Reimers wedded Miss Carolina C. Hol- 
 land, a daughter of Adolph and Maggie Holland, of Davenport, of whom men- 
 tion is made elsewhere in this vplume. Mr. and Mrs. Reimers are the parents 
 of nine children, namely: Effie, Liddie, Rudolph, Rosie, Henry, Laura, Adolph, 
 Harry and Emil, who died at the age of three months. The parents belong to 
 the Court of Honor, and Mr. Reimers belongs to the Turners society of Eldridge. 
 A successful farmer, he is recognized throughout the community as a man of 
 genuine personal worth, a good neighbor and stanch friend, possessing many of 
 the sterling traits of character for which the German race is noted. He is a 
 public-spirited citizen and served as school director for a number of years, all 
 things that tend to promote the general welfare receiving his support. 
 
 FRANK NEUFELD, M. D. 
 
 Dr. Frank Neufeld, a physician of Davenport who has a pleasant home on 
 the corner of Ainsworth and West Third streets, was born in Monroe county, 
 Wisconsin, September 15, 1874, his parents being Lawrence and Catharine 
 (Schriener) Neufeld. The father was a native of Daun, Germany, and there, 
 received all of his education. In 1854 he came to the United States, being then 
 twenty-eight years of age. He landed in New Orleans, where he spent two years, 
 and from that city ascended the Mississippi river to St. Louis, continuing the 
 journey to Rock Island, Illinois. After a sojourn of a few years there he went 
 to Monroe county, Wisconsin, which remained his home for perhaps twelve 
 years. At the end of that period he returned to Rock Island county, Illinois, where 
 he successfully engaged in farming. With advancing years he retired from 
 active life and removed to the city of Rock Island but later removed to Geneseo, 
 Illinois, where he died April 28, 1906. His wife had died more than twenty 
 years previously, for she passed away July 2, 1886. 
 
 Dr. Frank Neufeld attended the common schools of Rock Island county and 
 after he had completed the regular course of study he took a commercial course 
 in the city schools. By that time he had determined upon his life profession and 
 entered the pharmaceutical department of the Northwestern University. Later 
 he went to the John A. Creighton Medical College at Omaha, from which he was 
 graduated in May, 190 1. In recognition of the excellence of his work there he 
 was given the first prize — a gold medal — in surgery. After his graduation he 
 became interne at St. Joseph's Hospital at Omaha and on leaving there came 
 direct to Davenport, which has since been his home and the scene of his labors. 
 The record which he made as a student has been duplicated in the years of his 
 work here. He has proved an efficient physician and a surgeon of skill and good 
 judgment, so that all who have sought his aid speak highly of the man and his 
 work. He is careful and thorough, not thinking of himself when it is a case of 
 helping others, while his sympathy and his cheerful personality make him a man 
 whose presence is ever welcome in the sickroom. 
 
766 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 In Davenport, May 4, 1909, was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Neufeld and 
 Miss Harriett Turner, a daughter of John and Ellen (Mcllmurray) Neufeld. 
 The Doctor belongs to all of the medical associations which aim to advance the 
 interests of physicians, and he obtains recreation in the social gatherings of his 
 brother Elks and Knights of Columbus. 
 
 FRANK DE COCK. 
 
 For more than thirty-five years Frank De Cock has been a resident of Scott 
 county, and during the greater part of that period he has lived on the farm in 
 Winfield township which is now his home. It is a fine tract, which originally 
 embraced a quarter section, but five acres were taken from it when St. Ann's 
 church was built. It is finely improved and well cultivated, rendering Mr. De 
 Cock yearly large returns for his labor, so that he deserves classification with the 
 prosperous citizens of the county. 
 
 He was born in Rock Island county, Illinois, June 6, 1864, and is a son of Evo 
 and Piliga (Duyvetter) De Cock, both natives of Belgium. The father was 
 born in 1833, received his education in the land of his birth and there was en- 
 gaged in farming until he was twenty-seven years of age, when he came alone to 
 the United States. Landing at New York, he came west, settUng near Moline, 
 Illinois, where he worked as a farm hand for about six years. Then he married 
 and bought one hundred and sixty acres in Rural township, Rock Island county, 
 whereon he lived until March i, 1873, when he came to Scott county, Iowa. After 
 his arrival he bought from Mike and Pat Norton the farm on which his son 
 Frank is now living. At that time there were no improvements on the place 
 except a small shanty and a small stable, and he immediately set to work to make 
 it comfortable and profitable as a farm. He met with success in his undertakings 
 and about 1888 removed from it to a tract of one hundred and eighty-two acres, 
 also in Winfield township, which he had purchased. This second farm remained 
 his home until his death, which occurred in March, 1905. Three other farms, 
 one of one hundred and fifty-two acres, another of one hundred and sixty acres 
 and the third of one hundred acres, which were in his possession, indicate the 
 success which attended his labors as an agriculturist. He was a devout member 
 of the Catholic church and gave liberally to its support. His wife survived him 
 a little more than two years and was sixty-three years of age when in October, 
 1907, she was called to her final rest. She was the mother of ten children, as 
 follows : Frank, of this review ; Rose, who married Jerry King and now lives in 
 Oklahoma ; Mary, the wife of R. T. Murphy, of Winfield township ; Sarah, who 
 is a Sister in St. Vincent's Orphans Home in Davenport ; Julia ; Josephine, who 
 married August De Cock, of Winfield township ; Donatus, of Winfield township ; 
 Thomas ; John, of Winfield township ; and Joseph, of Davenport. 
 
 Frank De Cock has lived upon his present farm ever since he was nine years 
 old, except for the year and a half he was abroad. He acquired his elementary 
 education in district school No. 4, of Winfield township, and upon completing 
 the required course of study attended St. Ambrose College for two years. Then 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 767 
 
 he went to Europe to enter the agricultural college of St. Peter's in Belgium, 
 and after spending a year and a half there he returned to Scott county to assume 
 charge of the farm. It has since been his home continuously, the neat and at- 
 tractive appearance of the fields and the well kept buildings being an indication 
 of the good management of the owner. He raises various crops, such as are 
 adapted to soil and climate, and in addition keeps a number of hogs and cattle. 
 He finds a ready market for his harvests and his stock, so that his income there- 
 from is of generous proportions. 
 
 On the ist of September, 1893, Mr. De Cock was married to Miss Mary 
 De Jagher, a daughter of Felix and Natalia De Jagher, who came to this country 
 from Belgium, accompanied by their daughter, about six months before Mr. 
 De Cock returned from his college work. The young couple went to the Chicago 
 world's fair on their wedding trip and then returned to the farm, where they have 
 since lived. Their family numbered seven children, one of whom, Anna, died 
 at the age of six months. The others are : Leona, Antoinette, Rosalia, Berna- 
 dine, Francis and Colette, all of whom are at home. 
 
 Mr. De Cock is a communicant of St. Ann's Catholic church and exercises 
 his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican 
 party, on which ticket he was elected school director, a position he still holds. 
 The cause of education finds in him a warm friend and he withholds his influence 
 from no measure or movement which is calculated to benefit the county. In fact, 
 he is numbered among its most progressive citizens and public-spirited men. 
 
 HANS KETELSEN. 
 
 Hans Ketelsen, now living in retirement in Dixon, was for many years one 
 of the prominent agriculturists of Aliens Grove township, where he owned a large 
 tract of land. He was born in Schleswig, Germany, February 2^, 1839, and is 
 a son of Peter and Christina (Reimers) Ketelsen, both natives of the same 
 province of the fatherland. They came to America in 1861, making their way 
 direct to Scott county, Iowa, where Mr. Ketelsen followed farming with such 
 profit that, although he had come here with little money, by the time he felt that 
 advancing age necessitated his retirement from active life he was the owner of 
 nearly six hundred acres of valuable land. The last years of his life were spent 
 in Dixon. Nine children were born to him and his wife: Hans, the subject of 
 this sketch; Mrs. Margaret Eichner, of Davenport; Christina, who became the 
 wife of Hon. Ernst Moeller, at one time a member of the state legislature but 
 now like his wife deceased ; Katherine, the wife of Peter Koch, of Omaha ; Chris- 
 tian, who died in this county in April, 1908; Peter, of Clay county, Iowa; 
 Thomas, who resides in New Liberty ; Henry, whose home is in Davenport ; and 
 Mary, who is deceased. All the children were born in Germany, and all came 
 to the United States. 
 
 Hans Ketelsen was about twenty-two years of age when he accompanied his 
 parents to this country. As they made their way almost immediately to Scott 
 county, he found work here as a farm hand, receiving fifty cents a day in com- 
 
768 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 pensation for his labor. For four or five years he continued in the employ of 
 others and then, having married, he took up farming on his own account. His 
 first farm consisted of eighty acres in Liberty township, on which he lived for 
 two years. Then he sold it and bought one hundred acres in Aliens Grove town- 
 ship. This remained his home until he retired from active life, March i, 1899, 
 but in the course of years he had cultivated the soil with such profit that he had 
 been able to add to it frequently until his landholdings embraced four hundred 
 acres, a part of which lay in Liberty township. Much of the land, however, he 
 has now sold, retaining in his possession only the one hundred and eighty acres 
 on which one of his sons lives and which he operates. This success of Mr. Ket- 
 elsen, which tells its own story of the skill he possesses as a farmer, is the result 
 of the keen foresight which has always been conspicuous in his character and 
 of his ability to realize and benefit by a need which is either existent or potential. 
 It was this progressive policy of his which urged the establishment of a bank 
 here, and when the Dixon Savings Bank was organized he became one of its 
 directors, holding that position to the present. 
 
 In 1867, Mr. Ketelsen was married to Miss Maggie Eichner, who was born 
 in Schleswig, Germany, March 20, 1847. In 1864, she came to the United States 
 with her parents, Peter and Christina Eichner, who located in Scott county. 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ketelsen six children have been born: William, who re- 
 sides in Davenport; Emma, who became the wife of William Jurgens but has 
 passed away, leaving one child; Henry, who operates his father's farm in 
 Aliens Grove township; Alvena, who died unmarried at the age of thirty 
 years; Otto, who is living with his father; and Clara, who is the wife of Emil 
 Brockmann, of Aliens Grove. Mrs. Ketelsen died in Dixon May i, 1908. 
 
 Mr. Ketelsen has always been a republican since he was admitted to citizen- 
 ship, and while a resident of Aliens Grove township evinced the same public 
 spirit which has distinguished his life in Dixon, for he was trustee for six 
 years and school director off and on for a number of years. In fact he has 
 proved himself wholly worthy of the high respect and honor which his fellow 
 citizens have shown him, for he is a man of sound principles, by the aid of 
 which he has won a large prosperity. 
 
 BEN F. LUETJE. 
 
 Ben F. Luetje, county treasurer, and one of Davenport's successful business 
 men, was born in Geneseo, Illinois, August 10, 1878. He is of German paren- 
 tage, his father, William Luetje, having severed home ties at the age of nine- 
 teen. Upon reaching our shores he came almost directly to Davenport where 
 he engaged in the grocery business. Following this he secured a position with 
 the Petersen Dry Goods Company, his association with this concern continu- 
 ing to the present day. He married Miss Frederica Petersen, a daughter of 
 J. H. C. Petersen, a member of the firm, and it was while the father was man- 
 aging a branch house at Geneseo that Ben F. Luetje was bom. One other 
 member, a brother Harry, completes the family. 
 
BEX F. LUETJE 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 771 
 
 Ben F. Luetje received his education in the public schools, graduating from 
 the higher department in 1895. His first experience as a wage-earner was 
 gained in the shoe and clothing department of the Petersen Dry Goods Com- 
 pany. In course of time he became manager of the department, only relin- 
 quishing this position to accept another, likewise in a managerial capacity, with 
 the Davenport Woolen Mills, where he has given efficient service for a year 
 and a half. In 1908 Mr. Luetje was elected county treasurer of Scott county 
 by a majority of one thousand, five hundred and fifty. Not only was this ma- 
 jority flattering, everything considered, but he has the distinction of being 
 only the third democratic treasurer ever elected in Scott county. 
 
 In April, 1892, Mr. Luetje laid the foundation of a congenial home life by 
 his marriage to Miss Anita Johannsen, a daughter of John C. Johannsen, of 
 Davenport. Mr. Luetje is a man who takes pride and pleasure in his fraternal 
 relations. He is prominent in Masonry, in which he has taken high rank, hav- 
 ing membership in Fraternal Lodge, No. 221, A. F. & A. M., Davenport Chap- 
 ter, No. 16, R. A. M. ; and Kaaba Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He also be- 
 longs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, No. 298, and several other 
 orders, among them the Turners. He makes friends readily and is equally 
 happy as a business man, the guardian of a public trust and a genial companion. 
 
 JOHN BEHRENS. 
 
 John Behrens, who was formerly engaged in house-moving in Davenport but 
 is now living retired, his sons having uhdertaken the management of the business 
 inaugurated by him. He is a native of Germany, the date of his birth being 
 September 20, 1846. His parents were Henry and Katherine (Eccers) Behrens, 
 the father, who was a farmer, lived and died in his native land. Early in life 
 the subject of this sketch decided to try his fortune in the new world and after 
 landing in New York came direct tO' Davenport, where he. has ever since 
 made his home. Here for some time he gained his livelihood as a laborer, 
 willing to turn his hand to anything honest, but his ambition to become 
 independent was nevertheless smouldering. This independence he achieved when 
 he went into the house-moving business and as soon as his efficiency became 
 known his services were in demand in many different cities. He was extremely 
 successful and the business which he placed in the hands of his sons two years 
 ago upon his retirement from active life was a large and remunerative one. 
 
 On March 11, 1873, Mr. Behrens married Miss Elsie Ramm, their union 
 being blessed by the birth of three children who reached the age of maturity. 
 Henry married Anna Weiskoph and has a family of three children, Walter, 
 Helen and Marie. Anna is the wife of Harry Struck and is the mother of two 
 children. Bertha, who became Mrs. Charles Moeller, is deceased, a son, John, 
 surviving her. On April 23, 1881, Mr. Behrens was a second time married, the 
 lady who became his wife being Miss Mary E. Hoffmann. Six children were 
 born to this marriage, two of whom survive. The elder, Otto, married Miss 
 Emma Gochins and has a son, John. The daughter, Flora, has finished school 
 
772 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 and is completing her education with study at home. She is an excellent piano 
 player, having taken lessons since the age of nine years. Another son, John, 
 was drowned in the Mississippi river at the age of twenty-one years. 
 
 Mr. Behrens is a popular and influential citizen, particularly among the Ger- 
 man element in Davenport. He is a public-spirited man, ever ready to give his 
 support to the cause likely to bring the greatest good to the greatest number. 
 He is possessed of that admirable German characteristic, a love of good music. 
 He belongs to several German singing societies and is identified with the Freie- 
 gemeinde and the Kampfgenossen Verein. 
 
 WILLIAM UNTIEDT. 
 
 Among the prominent farmers of Davenport township will be found those 
 who are its native sons and have as their inheritance the excellent traits of char- 
 acter with which the German race is endowed and which have proved of such value 
 in agriculture as in the other phases of life. He was born upon the land which 
 he operates at present, March 2, 1853, his parents being Claus and Kathrina 
 (Stoltenberg) Untiedt. They were both natives of the fatherland, were married 
 and had one child born to them before they decided to come to America. They 
 landed in New Orleans in the fall of 1847 ^^'^ then came up the Mississippi river 
 to Davenport. Mr. Untiedt received from his father-in-law eighty acres of prairie 
 land, which now constitutes a part of his son's farm. He broke the land, erected 
 a small dwelling upon it and devoted himself to its cultivation and improvement. 
 As the years brought him a generous return for his labors he purchased another 
 eighty acres contiguous, making his home upon the whole tract until 1875, when 
 he moved to another part of the township. He and his wife are now deceased. 
 They reared four children to maturity, namely: Anna, who is the widow of 
 Henry Rohwedder, of Davenport; Mary, the deceased wife of George Roggen- 
 kamp; Amelia, who married George Roggenkamp, of Blue Grass township; and 
 William, the subject of this sketch. 
 
 William Untiedt has spent all of his life upon the farm which is now his home 
 and claims that he has never been absent from it more than six weeks at a time. 
 He attended the district school of his locality and later a German school so 
 that he had a good training both in the fundamental branches of English educa- 
 tion and in particular studies which those of German birth and parentage are anx- 
 ious that their offspring should know. He has devoted his time since childhood to 
 agricultural pursuits, even as a youth assisting his father in the heavier work, 
 and as he advanced in years assuming no small share of the responsibility in the 
 operation of the place. He is engaged in general farming and as he has spared 
 neither effort nor industry to improve and develop his land he has been successful 
 beyond the ordinary. In addition to the one hundred and sixty acres which consti- 
 tute the homestead, Mr. Untiedt owns another tract of equal area in Blue Grass 
 township, this county, and is accounted one of the prominent Germans of his 
 locality. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 773 
 
 On the. 14th of July, 1875, Mr. Untiedt wedded Miss Anna M. Sindt, a 
 daughter of Claus and Lena Sindt, who had come with her parents from Ger- 
 many. Nine children have been born to the couple. Herman N. married Miss 
 Lena Nagle and lives on his father's farm in Blue Grass township, where he is rear- 
 ing his two children, Herbert and Melinda. Theodore R. has remained at home. 
 Albert A. married Miss Hulda Joens and lives in Dickinson county, Iowa. They 
 have three children. Alvina is the wife of Charles Kroenenberg of Blue Grass 
 township, and is the mother of a daughter Lillie. Alma became the wife of Hans 
 Bockwoldt, of Minnesota, and they have two sons, William and Walter. The 
 four youngest children— Rudolph, Otto, Hugo and Hertha— are at home. 
 
 Mr. Untiedt has served as school director and road supervisor in his town- 
 ship, but while his duties were ever fulfilled with dignity and to the satisfaction 
 of those who had placed confidence in him, he took little active part in the public 
 affairs and could never be called an aspirant for official distinction. 
 
 GEORGE A. GOULD. 
 
 Held in uniform affection and esteem by those who know him best and in- 
 deed by all those with whom he comes in contact is George A. Gould, president 
 of the Gould Construction Company, one of those thriving industries which 
 contribute in large measure to Davenport's prosperity and standing among cities 
 of its size. 
 
 He was born August 7, 1854, and comes of fine New England stock, among his 
 ancestors being the usual quota of patriots. His parents were Isaac C. and Betsy 
 R. (Read) Gould. His maternal grandfather^ Benjamin Read, was a soldier in 
 the Revolution and a captain in the war of 1812. He lived to witness the war 
 of the RebelUon and its outcome and died in 1865 at the age of ninety-two years 
 at Heath, Massachusetts. The father, Isaac Gould, was a mechanic and had a 
 family of five sons and a daughter. He decided to come west, as he expressed it, 
 "to give the boys a chance in life." Before he could get his family to Iowa, where 
 he had preceded them, he was taken ill and lived only about six months after they 
 finally arrived. Mr. Gould's only sister also died about one year after the death of 
 the father, being at the time of her demise about twelve years of age. 
 
 Diverse fortunes befell the brothers, all those who were old enough enlisting 
 in the Civil war. Joseph R. had been admitted to the bar and was already prac- 
 ticing in Rochester when the Rebellion broke out. He raised a company in Cedar 
 county and was made first lieutenant in the Twenty-fourth Iowa Infantry. He 
 served most of his time as quartermaster until 1863, when he was promoted to 
 a captaincy and only four days after his promotion was killed in the valley of the 
 Shenandoah. He left a wife and one son, Herbert, who died at the age of two 
 years. Benjamin Gould, the second brother, enlisted at the first call from the 
 state of New York and served as a private. Later he reenlisted and served until 
 peace was declared, doing light duty. His wife was Sarah Glaspell. Isaac C, 
 the third brother, also offered his life to the cause of freedom, enlisting as a 
 private in the Eleventh Iowa Infantry, in which he served three years. Upon his 
 
774 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 reenlistment he became lieutenant in charge of colored troops and served until 
 the close of the war. Franklin T., the fourth brother, emulated the example of 
 the others and at the age of fifteen years ran away from home to enlist^ He was 
 admitted to the Second Iowa Cavalry and served during the entire war, having 
 reenlisted. He married the widow of his eldest brother and resided in Davenport 
 to the time of his death. Had the subject of the sketch been more than seven 
 years of age when the first guns were fired at Fort Sumter, he would doubtless 
 have been found in the thickest of the fray, but destiny had ordained otherwise. 
 He is the last surviving member of the family, his mother having died at the age 
 of eighty-three years. 
 
 George A. Gould received his education in the public schools and found his 
 first employment in the bridge and building department of the Chicago, Rock Is- 
 land & Pacific Railway. After giving efficient service there for a number of 
 years he became superintendent of bridges and buildings, his promotion coming 
 as a natural sequence to his prowess. In 1904 he brought into play his dormant 
 talents as an organizer and the Gould Construction Company came into being. 
 This enterprise has enjoyed the most abundant success, doing work of superior 
 excellence and employing many people. 
 
 Mr. Gould was married December 27, 1876; to Miss Emma Smith, and two 
 children were born to the union. The elder, Augustus G., is vice president of the 
 Gould Construction Company. After finishing in the public schools, he entered 
 the Davenport Business College, taking a course in the engineering department. 
 He is now very familiar with that subject, having been for a time associated with 
 the Rock Island Railway and the Delaware & Lackawanna Railway. He mar- 
 ried Miss Jennie Reed and they have one child, Elizabeth. Mr. Gould's daughter, 
 Grace E., is the wife of Orville Davies and resides in Kirksville, Missouri, her 
 husband being a traveling salesman. They have two children, John and George. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Gould have a delightful home at 1039 Arlington avenue. 
 
 Mr. Gould belongs to the Masonic order, in which he has taken all -the de- 
 grees. He is also a member of the Commercial Club and has various other 
 affiliations. Many things have contributed to the success which he now enjoys, 
 his determination, his poise and sound judgment, his upright life, his gift for mak- 
 ing friends and his championship of just measures. 
 
 HANS HARKERT. 
 
 Hans Harkert, president of the Harkert Cigar Company, one of those indus- 
 tries which operate for Davenport's prosperity, was born February 17, 1852, in 
 Holstein, Germany, his parents being Claus and Anna (Hinrichs) Harkert. His 
 father was a mechanic and windmill-maker. Upon coming to the United States 
 he settled in Davenport, where he was one of the earliest citizens. 
 
 Hans Harkert received his education in the school of the fatherland, and 
 had attained the age of eleven years when he arrived in the land of his adoption. 
 He landed in New York and came almost directly to Davenport. For seven 
 years thereafter he engaged in farming and then located in Davenport to test 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 775 
 
 his fortunes as a teamster. He eventually took up cigarmaking, acquiring skill 
 in that trade in three months' time, and then started a small factory of his own. 
 Discontinuing this after a while, he secured employment in another factory of 
 greater proportions and soon became foreman, in which capacity he continued 
 for fifteen years. Severing this association he tried a second independent 
 venture and started a cigar factory, in which he employed two helpers. From 
 this modest beginning grew the present business, one of the largest of its kind in 
 the city, giving as it does employment to one hundred people and steadily grow- 
 ing in size and importance. 
 
 Mr. Harkert was united in marriage to Miss Hulda Weissermal, their union 
 being celebrated February 18, 1872. His wife's people like his own are Ger- 
 mans who were attracted to America by its many opportunities and its newer 
 civilization. Mr. and Mrs. Harkert are the parents of eleven children, of whom 
 four survive. Richard married Miss Dora Spath and they have two children, 
 Herbert and Dorothy. Arthur married Miss Dora Berger, and they also are the 
 parents of two children. Adolph and Verona are at home. The Harkert resi- 
 dence is situated at 518 West Fourth street. 
 
 Mr. Harkert enjoys great popularity among his fellowmen and has many 
 pleasant affiliations, being identified with the Turners and indeed with most of the 
 German societies. Humane, public-spirited and broad-minded, he contributes 
 materially to the good citizenship of Davenport. 
 
 REV. HARVEY F. FINEFIELD. 
 
 Rev. Harvey F. Finefield, who since April, 1906, has been the- pastor of St. 
 Ann's parish of Winfield township, was born in Davenport, Iowa, November 
 12, 1877. His father, William Finefield, was born in New York state in 1832, 
 was a steamboat carpenter and engineer by trade, and ran a steamboat on the 
 Great Lakes and the Mississippi river for many years, enjoying the distinction 
 of having helped to bring the first steam engine across the Father of Waters. 
 In Kiespburg, New York, lie wedded Miss Rosana Connelly, who was bom in 
 Ohio, December 26, 1841, and about forty years ago the young couple came to 
 Davenport, being among the early settlers of the city. Now they make their 
 home with their son Harvey. In their family were nine children : John, who died 
 in infancy ; Mary, who married Dr. Rogers, of Davenport ; one who died in in- 
 fancy; Bertha, who is the wife of M. J. Flynn, of Davenport; Elizabeth, who 
 married F. X. Bath, of Chicago, Illinois ; William F., proprietor of the Davenport 
 Hotel; Edward, who died in 1905, at the age of thirty-three; Vernard P., of 
 Omaha, Nebraska ; and the Rev. Harvey F. Finefield. 
 
 The last named received his early education in the public schools of Daven- 
 port and in St. Mary's school, later attending St. Ambrose College, from which 
 he was graduated in the classics in 1899, and in philosophy in 1901. Thereupon 
 he entered St. Paul's Seminary, from which he received the sacrament of holy 
 orders in 1904, after which he went to Des Moines, Iowa, where he spent nine- 
 teen months with Monsieur Flaven. At the end of that period in April, 1906, 
 
776 HISTORY OF SCOTT QOUNTY 
 
 he was assigned to the pastorate of St. Ann's parish in Winfield township, where 
 he has since been located. 
 
 St. Ann's church is situated in Winfield township about two miles from Long 
 Grove. The parish was organized in 1857 by a number of the pioneers of Scott 
 county, including John McMannis, .who took a very active part in the work of 
 the early congregation; John McGurty; Maurice Norton; Richard Toben; Pat 
 Dempsey; Thomas Malony; Mr. McGary; Martin Lillis; Martin Cahoe; Mr. 
 Cooper; Mr. Hogan and others, and Father Francis McKenney was the first 
 priest. He traveled through the township on horseback, saying mass in different 
 houses. About 1855 the first church was built, a small structure that is now 
 used as the vestry room. Father McDermott was the second priest and later 
 Father Cosgrove came, remaining in charge until 1859, when Father Dennis 
 Wheeler became pastor. He was here only a year, however, and was succeeded 
 by Father John Foley, who was pastor until 1868, during part of which year 
 Father Maurice Flavin was in charge. He built St. Mary's church in Daven- 
 port, but as he died before it was completed his brother finished the work. The 
 first resident priest of St. Ann's parish was Father Thomas Smith, who came in 
 July, 1870, and continued in charge until January, 1893. He was a very active 
 worker in behalf of his congregation, set out all the trees in the beautiful church- 
 yard, built the church and the parsonage and in other ways improved the prop- 
 erty of the parish. At present he is located at Cosgrove, Iowa. Father P. J. 
 Moran was his successor, remaining until December, 1895, when Father Martin 
 McNamara assumed charge of the parish until 1902, when Father Gall came, 
 and remained until 1904. For a few months subsequently the church was at- 
 tended by priests from St. Ambrose College at Davenport, and then Father James 
 P. McGillin became pastor. He was Father Finefield's predecessor. Father 
 Finefield has done excellent work in behalf of the church during the four years 
 of his residence here, carefully ministering to the spiritual needs of his con- 
 gregation and at the same time proving of assistance to them in material things 
 by his kindly advice and counsel. 
 
 HENRY KOHRS. 
 
 Henry Kohrs, whose foresight enabled him to realize the possibilities of Dav- 
 enport as the center of many industries and a prominent shipping point for the 
 west, was born in Holstein, Germany, November 15, 1830, a son of Carsten and 
 Gesche (Krause) Kohrs. The father was born in the same place as his son 
 and died there in 1835. 
 
 The education of Henry Kohrs was received in the excellent schools of Ger- 
 many and there learned the butcher's trade. When twenty-three years old he 
 came to the United States and for a short time was in New York city but soon 
 removed to Davenport, landing here March 13, 1854. Being a hard-working and 
 industrious young man, he soon secured employment in a dry goods and grocery 
 store, from which he went to a clothier's, and in this way became acquainted with 
 the language and customs of his new home. In 1855, he was able to start in busi- 
 
HRNRY KOHRS 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 779 
 
 ness in a humble way, opening a market on Western between Fourth and Fifth 
 streets. In 1857 he removed to Harrison avenue, and in 1858 erected a building 
 at Nos. 310 and 312 West Second street, where he carried on business until 1874. 
 During all this time he worked very hard, making every change pay, and carefully 
 saving all he could, so that in 1874 he was able to embark in the pork packing busi- 
 ness in a small way and so laid the foundation for his present immense establish- 
 ment. The plant stands on its original site, but there have been many changes, not 
 only in the buildings, but the methods. As his business grew, Mr. Kohrs also 
 grew, eagerly seizing upon any improvement that would be profitable for him to 
 introduce into his establishment. For years he continued alone and then took his 
 sons into partnership with him. In 1898 W. H. Gehrmann became a member of 
 the firm, which is now known as the Kohrs Packing Company. Of late years 
 Mr. Gehrmann has relieved Mr. Kohrs of much of the active work. 
 
 On Christmas Day, 1857, ^^- Kohrs married Johanna Lohmann, a native of 
 Germany, who came to Scott county in 1855 and like her husband is still in excel- 
 lent health and in possession of all her faculties. Eight children were born to 
 them: Amelia, now Mrs. Phillipson; Mary; Helen, now Mrs. WiUiam H. Gehr- 
 mann; Bertha; Conrad, who died in 1908, aged forty years; and Henry, John 
 and Frank who are members of the firm. 
 
 While a good republican, Mr. Kohrs' time has been so occupied with business 
 cares that he has had but little leisure to give to politics, but in the '80s he served 
 his ward as a member of the council and was chairman of the committee on streets. 
 He is a member of the Turner and Shooting Clubs. Although in his eightieth 
 year, Mr. Kohrs spends several hours each day at his business, and is hale and 
 hearty, enjoying the companionship of his wife and children and the esteem his 
 success has won for him. 
 
 Aside from his material prosperity, Mr. Kohrs is worthy of all confidence and 
 friendship he has evoked, for he possesses those sterling traits of character that 
 make for the most desirable citizenship and which all captains of industry do not 
 possess. As a, business man he has prospered, but it is as the good citizen, the 
 kind and loving husband and father that he will best be remembered. His children 
 have been carefully reared by himself and wife to be a credit to any community, 
 and thus in another way he has served his adopted country by giving it honorable 
 citizens, carefully trained to recognize the law and its restrictions. 
 
 WILLIAM H. ROCK. 
 
 The strong traits of character predominant in the German race have been 
 conspicuous in winning for William H. Rock the substantial position he holds 
 among the farmers of Aliens Grove township. There he engaged m farming 
 for more than a quarter of a century until 1908, when he retired from active 
 life and took up his residence in Dixon. He was born in Waldeck, Germany, 
 December 2, 1853, a son of Louis and Fredericka (Bick) Rock. They spent 
 their entire lives in the country of their birth and were the parents of seven 
 sons and two daughters. Three of the former came to this country: WiUiam 
 
780 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 H., the subject; and F. H. and C. H., who settled first in Qinton county, Iowa, 
 and later moved to Woodbury, county, Iowa. 
 
 William H. Rock attended the public schools of his fatherland until he was 
 seventeen years of age, when he decided to come to America. After crossing 
 the Atlantic he made his way immediately to Davenport, arriving here some 
 time in the early part of 1870. He had little difficulty in finding work as a 
 farm hand, receiving a small wage in compensation for his labor. Until he was 
 twenty-six years of age he worked for others and then bought a tract of one 
 liundred and sixty acres in Berlin township, Clinton county. Upon that he en- 
 gaged in farming for a number of years, finally selling it in order that he might 
 buy the two hundred and forty acres in Aliens Grove township which was for 
 so many years his honie. It is situated about two miles south of the village of 
 Dixon and is a fine arable tract. He improved it greatly during the years it 
 was his home and from the cultivation of its soil derived a large profit. As 
 the years brought him success he invested heavily in land elsewhere, purchasing 
 one hundred and sixty-nine acres in Liberty township adjoining the corporate 
 boundaries of Dixon, and five hundred and fifty-five acres in Oldham county, 
 Texas. As these landholdings represent his own efforts he felt that he was weii 
 justified in relinquishing the heavier cares of life and enjoying a respite from 
 his toil. 
 
 In 1882 Mr. Rock wedded Miss Louise Rock, who was born in Scott county. 
 November i, i860, a daughter of Christian and Wilhelmina Rock. They were 
 both natives of Waldeck, Germany, and had come to this county sometime in 
 the '50s. They are now residing in Aliens Grove township. Four children have 
 been born to Mr. and Mrs. Rock: Minnie, now the wife of Louis Wunder, of 
 Hickory Grove township; and Herbert B., Hugo and Hellmuth, who are liv- 
 ing upon their father's farm in Aliens Grove township. The eldest of the sons 
 is married. 
 
 When Mr. Rock became a citizen of this country he chose the democratic 
 party as his guide in political matters and to its support has since given his un- 
 qualified allegiance. He was active in the affairs of Aliens Grove township, al- 
 though never an office seeker, having for six years efficiently fulfilled the duties 
 of assessor and for seven years having served the people as trustee. When the 
 Dixon Savings Bank was organized a few years ago Mr. Rock became the vice 
 president, a position he still holds. His activity in promoting this enterprise is 
 but another indication of the progressive spirit which has been conspicuous 
 throughout his life. 
 
 AUGUST HAASE. 
 
 The Haase family is one of the oldest in Davenport and August Haase, a 
 native of Hanover, Germany, was the eldest of the name to settle in the town 
 which was the beginning of the present thriving city on the Mississippi. He 
 was born in 181 6 and received his education in Germany, where he learned his 
 trade, that of a miller. In middle life he was seized with the desire to try his 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 781 
 
 fortunes in the wonderful America, about which so many of his associates were 
 speculating. Upon arriving here he first took up his residence in Wisconsin but 
 later came to Davenport, making the joui'ney in a unique and primitive fashion, 
 by building a flatboat and floating down the Mississippi river, reaching Daven- 
 port in the spring of 1869. In course of time he established himself in a 
 profitable business, opening a restaurant with a saloon and billiard hall in 
 connection. He had a family of six children, of whom Carl, the eldest, was 
 lost at sea in 1875. The others were Agnes, Clara, Gustav, and William and 
 Sophia, twins. 
 
 Gustav Haase was born in Germany and had already received his education 
 when his father brought the family to America. For a time he gave his as- 
 sistance to his father and then went into the wholesale liquor business on his 
 own account. After the tragic death of his brother Carl, who had had an in- 
 terest in the firm, the younger brother William became a partner. William had 
 previously been in the dry-goods business. The brothers were but twenty-three 
 and twenty-one years of age at that time, the youngest wholesale liquor dealers 
 in Iowa. Gustav was married March 30, 1878, to Miss Lea Tanner, and Wil- 
 liam, March 24, 1880, wedded Miss Agnes Clug, two children, Inez and Claire, 
 having been born of their union. Both brothers are Lutheran in their religious 
 conviction and both hold membership in the Turners Society. 
 
 Carl Frederick Haase was born in Germany, in which country he received 
 his education and spent his earlier years. Upon coming to America he as- 
 sisted his father and engaged in various pursuits, finally entering into part- 
 nership with his brother Gustav in the wholesale liquor business. His wife 
 was before her marriage Miss Augusta Albers and they were the parents of two 
 children. In making a trip to Germany in May, 1875, in company with his wife 
 and children, their steamer, the Schiller, was lost ofif the English coast, and 
 they, together with a number of other Davenport people, met their death. Mr. 
 Haase's body was recovered and buried on an island near the scene of the 
 disaster. 
 
 THEODORE BRUS. 
 
 One by one the sturdy men who came to Iowa when the state was first 
 opened for the colonization by homesteaders and did much to promote its de- 
 velopment are dropping from the ranks of its citizens. Among those who have 
 passed away is Theodore Brus of Blue Grass township. A native of Holland, 
 he was born January 28, 1839, and is a son of Theodore Brus, who decided to 
 come to this country in 1846. Accompanied by his brother and sons he crossed 
 the Atlantic and landed at New Orleans, whence he proceeded up the Missis- 
 sippi river to St. Louis. There the little party spent one winter, continuing 
 their journey with the opening of spring navigation until they reached Scott 
 county, Iowa. In 1848 the father purchased one hundred and sixty acres of 
 land, w^iere he took up his residence and made his home until his death, which 
 occurred in i860. 
 
782 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Theodore Brus of this review participated in the work of clearing and break- 
 ing the land when his father secured it and through the years of his active life 
 devoted himself to the operation of the old homestead, for at the death of his 
 father he purchased the interests his brothers and sisters had in the estate. He 
 was successful beyond the average and enjoyed the satisfaction of knowing 
 that his work, hard as it might have been at times, especially in early years, 
 has contributed its full share to the prosperity and development of this region. 
 After a useful and well spent life, Mr. Brus passed away, October 7, 1903. 
 
 On the 24th of May, 1870, Mr. Brus married Miss Catherine Pohlmann, a 
 daughter of Bernard Pohlmann, of Davenport. Five of the children born of 
 their union are living with their mother upon the old home place: Theodore, 
 Agnes, Barney and Henry, twins, and Rudolph. Two daughters, Elizabeth and 
 Mary, have passed away, the former in 1906, the latter in 1907. Hermann wedded 
 Mary Gammon and lives in Scott county. Theodore, the oldest son, has served 
 six years as a school director and he holds stock in the Blue Grass Savings Bank. 
 In short he is a young man who is making the best of the many opportunities 
 which have been presented tO' him. 
 
 Mr. Brus was a democrat in his political affiliations and served for a time 
 as road supervisor. He was not an aspirant for official preferment, however, 
 although as a good citizen he exerted his influence in the behalf of the common 
 weal. 
 
 JESSE L. ARMIL. 
 
 Jesse L. Armil, a retired farmer making his home in Davenport, while not a 
 native of this state, came here in early childhood before the land in this locality 
 had been touched by the plow or harrow. Surrounded by the primitive condi- 
 tions of pioneer life, he witnessed the great and beneficial change which the 
 unremitting toil of man gradually brought about. 
 
 Mr. Armil was born on the 6th of May, 1833, in Westmoreland county, 
 Pennsylvania, and was only four years of age when brought to Iowa by his 
 parents, John and Susan (Septer) Armil, reaching Scott county on the 19th of 
 April, 1837. The family settled in the vicinity of what is now Davenport and 
 there the father engaged in agricultural pursuits with good success, so that he 
 was able to invest heavily in the rich farm land of this locality. His wife died 
 in 1855, but he survived until 1887. 
 
 Jesse L. Armil received his education in the Catholic schools of this county 
 and during his boyhood assisted his father in the work of the home farm. Later 
 he engaged in dairying on a farm adjoining that of his father. He retired in 
 1905, removing to No. 628 West Locust street, which is a part of the farm en- 
 tered by his father. 
 
 On the 19th of January, 1857, Mr. Armil was united in marriage to Miss 
 Joanna Barrett, a daughter of John and Eliza Barrett, and to them have been 
 born three children. Frances is now the widow of C. F. Sivertsen, a son of 
 Christian Sivertsen. He was a millwright by trade and was twenty-two years 
 of age when he came to Scott county, making his home here until his death. 
 
JESSE E. ARillE 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 785 
 
 which occurred on the 15th of December, 1906. Robert married Miss Anna 
 Mundt and to them have been born seven children : Bessie, Ed, Earl, Ruth, Paul_, 
 Robert and Marie. He belongs to both the Elks and the Masonic fraternities 
 and is now engaged in the dairy business, having succeeded his father, who for 
 twenty-four years devoted considerable attention to that industry. Warner 
 married Miss Frances McGee, by whom he had two children, Jesse and Frances. 
 After her death he married Miss Cora Smiley. He, too, is a Mason and also 
 belongs to the Improved Order of Red Men. 
 
 Mr. Armil still owns a good farm of seventy acres, now within the city limits 
 of Davenport. He is an honored member of the Pioneers Society of Scott county 
 and is held in high regard by all who know him. He has always been interested 
 in public affairs and has done his part toward the development and upbuilding of 
 the city. 
 
 MRS. ELIZABETH ADELAIDE JAMES. 
 
 In Le Claire, where she has long made her home, Mrs. James receives the 
 respect and veneration which should ever be accorded those who have passed 
 to a far point on life's journey. She was born in Richmond, Indiana, April 14, 
 1836, and was a daughter of Peter and Mary (Penry) Beers. Her father was a 
 native of Columbus, Ohio, and her mother was born in the same city in 181 5. 
 They were both numbered among the pioneer residents of that state. After 
 leaving Ohio they removed to Indiana and for some years were residents of 
 Richmond. In 1843, however, they came to Iowa, settling at Burlington when this 
 state was yet under territorial rule. There the father continued to reside through- 
 out the remainder of his life. He was a farmer by occupation and devoted 
 many years to the work of tilling the soil. His political allegiance was given to 
 the republican party and he stanchly advocated its principles but never sought 
 office as a reward for party fealty and allegiance. He died at Grand River, 
 Iowa, in 1895, passing away at a ripe old age. 
 
 His daughter, Mrs. James, was only seven years of age at the time of the 
 removal of the family from Indiana to Iowa, and in the schools of Burlington 
 she acquired her education. She was capably trained in the work of the house- 
 hold, so that she was well qualified to take charge of a home of her own at the 
 time of her marriage to Thomas James, the wedding being celebrated on the 
 14th of February, 1854. He was a son of John and Mary (Davis) James, both 
 of whom were natives of Wales, where they were born and reared. The birth 
 of Thomas James occurred in Glasbury, Wales, on the nth of May, 1826, and 
 in his youthful days he was brought to the United States. At the time of the 
 Mexican war he espoused the cause of his adopted country and became a mem- 
 ber of the Missouri Artillery Lighthorse Battalion, under Major Clark. He 
 served throughout the entire contest and was honorably discharged in 1848. 
 Turning his attention to farming, he followed that pursuit for many years and 
 in his business affairs was careful and systematic, bringing his fields under a 
 high state of cultivation and gathering good crops as the reward of his earnest 
 labors. In all of his business dealings, too, he was thoroughly reliable, being 
 
786 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 never known to take advantage of the necessities of his fellowmen in any trade 
 transaction. 
 
 Three children were born unto Mr. and Mrs. James. The eldest, Florence, 
 who was born in 1855, became the wife of Joseph Barnes, a resident of Le Claire, 
 and they have two children : Raymond Barnes, now living in Des Moines, Iowa ; 
 and Rolla Barnes, of Le Claire, who married Miss Bessie Young and has two 
 children, Jewel and Raymond Barnes. Fannie James, born March 29, 1858, is 
 the wife of Frank Pope and they have one child, Albertine Pope. Albertine 
 James, the youngest of the family, born March 6, 1865, is the wife of Milton 
 Chambers and they have two children, Lotta J. and May Elizabeth Chambers, 
 who are residing with their parents in Le Claire. 
 
 The death of Mr. James occurred January 6, 1908, when he had reached the 
 very venerable age of eighty-two years. He came of English ancestry and ad- 
 hered to the religious faith of the family, holding membership in the Episcopal 
 church. His life was at all times guided by its principles and its teachings 
 and he was ever an upright, honorable man. In his political views he was a 
 democrat but never aspired to ofifice, preferring to concentrate his energies upon 
 his business affairs that he might provide a comfortable living for his family, 
 keeping them from want and supplying them with those opportunities and ad- 
 vantages which go to make life worth living. Wherever known he was hon- 
 ored and esteemed and most of all where he was best known. 
 
 CHARLES LERCHEN. 
 
 Charles Lerchen, deceased, who throughout life enjoyed a large acquaint- 
 ance among the German residents of Davenport and was beloved and esteemed 
 wherever he was known, by reason of a cheerful disposition and an honorable 
 life, was born in Saxony, Germany, but lived in this country from early man- 
 hood, for like many another son of the fatherland, he was attracted to the 
 United States by the story of the opportunities for advancement said to lie 
 here, although at the time he crossed the Atlantic, before the end of the first 
 half of the last century, the full possibilities of this land were unknown. For 
 a time after coming to America Mr. Lerchen lived in Wheeling, West Vir- 
 ginia, and then removed to Detroit, Michigan, which, because of its position 
 upon the lake, was farther developed than the country surrounding it. 
 
 In 1850 he came to Davenport and on Second street opened a leather and 
 harness shop, for he had learned the saddler's trade in the land of his birth. He 
 was thus engaged in business for some time and then, when the fever of western 
 colonization began to take possession of men's minds, he went to Denver, Col- 
 orado, being not only one of the early settlers of that city but also one of the 
 first to embark in mercantile pursuits there. Toward the close of his life, how- 
 ever, he returned to Davenport, where he resided until his death. A man of 
 great energy and activity, he found the opportunities he sought in this country, 
 was successful beyond the average, and also enjoyed the respect of the many 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 787 
 
 persons, who, coming in contact with him in business or socially, found him a 
 man who was ever genial, courteous and honorable. 
 
 While he was living in Germany Mr. Lerchen wedded Miss Amelia Wey- 
 man, who passed from this life May 21, 1900, at the advanced age of eighty- 
 two years. Like her husband she was well and favorably known in the German 
 circles of Davenport, particularly in those societies that aim to keep alive the 
 spirit of the fatherland. In the Turnverein and Mannerchor she is remembered 
 with especial fondness for the many acts of kindness and unselfishness she per- 
 formed and for the flags she made for the societies. Eleven children were born 
 to Mr. and Mrs. Lerchen, six of whom are still living: Carl, Mrs. Amelia 
 Schlagel, WilHam, Mrs. Lydia Meyer, Fannie and PauHne. Miss Fannie Ler- 
 chen, like her parents, brothers and sisters, is well known in Davenport, which 
 has been her home for so many years and where she has a circle of friends al- 
 most coextensive with that of her acquaintances. Mr. Lerchen was numbered 
 among the older and more prosperous of the German settlers of this county, and 
 the honorable and upright record of his life is one of which fellow citizens and 
 his children may well be proud. 
 
 GUS P. LAMP. 
 
 Gus P. Lamp, a well known resident of Hickory Grove township, is located 
 on a desirable farm on section 32, whose associations must be doubly dear to 
 him for it was here that he was born January 28, 1872. His parents were Claus 
 H. and Katherine (Lamp) I -amp, who lived for a number of years in Daven- 
 port. The subject of this sketch is one of a family of five children: Matilda, the 
 wife of August Paustian, a resident of Hickory Grove township; Caroline, who 
 married George Schlapkohl and lives in New Liberty township; Julius, located 
 in Hickory Grove township ; and Clara, who married Otto Harbeck and lives in 
 Davenport. 
 
 Gus P. Lamp received his education in the public schools and spent four 
 winters in attendance at Davenport's Business College, his training not being 
 limited to his own particular vocation. Since he began his active business 
 career his life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits, the scene of his ac- 
 tivities being, as previously mentioned, the old home farm of three hundred 
 and twenty acres on sections 32 and 29, Hickory Grove township. In addition 
 to general farming he devotes a part of his attention to stock raising with 
 profitable result. He is also a stockholder in the Galloway Manufacturing Com- 
 pany, of Waterloo, Iowa. An evidence of his very provident nature is the fact 
 that he carries ten thousand dollars life insurance. 
 
 Mr. Lamp was married July 2, 1896, to Miss Regina Magnus, of Davenport. 
 She was born June 2, 1873, and is a daughter of Emil Magnus. They have 
 three children : Louis C. E., Dewey D. and Malinda Luella. 
 
 Mr. Lamp is very happy in his fraternal relations, holding membership in 
 two organizations in Walcott, lodge No. 1644 of the Eagles, and camp No. 
 7749 of the Modern Woodmen of America. Although comparatively a young 
 
788 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 man, he has accumulated a very considerable amount of wealth. Prudent, re- 
 sourceful, a keen business man and yet a just neighbor, he is held in high re- 
 gard by all who know him. 
 
 W. I. QUINN. 
 
 Among the honored pioneer residents of Scott county none is more worthy 
 of mention than W. I. Quinn, a retired farmer, now living in Long Grove, where 
 he owns two lots in addition to eighty acres of land in Winfield township. He 
 was born in Preble county, Ohio, November 12, 1831, a son of Joseph C. C. and 
 Julia Ann (Glines) Quinn. The father was one of the pioneers of Preble 
 county and was there engaged in farming until 1838, when he decided to come 
 west to Iowa. The little party that crossed the plains from Ohio in a covered 
 wagon consisted of our subject's paternal grandparents, their two sons and their 
 respective families. The aged grandfather said he wanted to see the country as 
 they went along and as he could not do this when in the wagon, he walked for 
 a large part of- the way. He was not able to complete the journey, however, 
 but died when they were in central Illinois. The rest of the party proceeded 
 on their way, reaching Scott county, Iowa, October 14, 1838, after having spent 
 four weeks on the journey. They located about sixteen miles north of Daven- 
 port, on the Wapsipinicon, where the two brothers took up claims of eighty 
 acres each, although they could not register them as the land had not then been 
 opened up for settlement. However, they put up two log cabins, wherein the 
 families began housekeeping, and when the land came into market they entered 
 their claims and also forty acres each of timber. Joseph C. C. Quinn lived upon 
 his eighty-acre farm for about five years and then traded it for one of forty 
 acres farther down the river, which was partly cleared and had a log house 
 upon it, living there for seven years. The family suffered terribly from the 
 ague, the men being compelled to cease work two months every year on ac- 
 count of it. After they had lived near the river for about twelve years and 
 W. I. Quinn felt he was old enough to do for himself, he told his father he 
 would not spend another winter on the Wapsie. Therefore they decided to give 
 up the farm, and, selling the forty acres in 1850 for three hundred dollars, the 
 father located on the prairie about two and a half miles south of Long Grove, 
 where he entered one hundred and sixty acres of land. There he built a frame 
 house, a log stable and a few sheds covered with hay, hauling the timber for 
 these, and for his fences and other purposes from the banks of the Wapsie. 
 Mr. Quinn lived there until 1867, when he sold eighty acres to Jacob Eldredge, 
 his son, W. I., having bought the other eighty acres in 1852, and removed to 
 Linn Grove, whence after several years he went to Jasper county, Iowa, which 
 remained his home until his death. 
 
 W. I. Quinn was about seven years of age when the family removed from 
 Ohio to Iowa, and all the hard experiences of pioneer days are well remembered 
 by him. He attended school first in a little log shanty on the banks of the 
 Wapsipinicon. The seats were made of slabs, which were about a quarter of a 
 
Mn. AND MRS. W. 1. QUINN 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 791 
 
 log, placed on legs which were stuck in bored holes, while the only desk consisted 
 of a board about sixteen inches wide resting on pins driven into the wall, at 
 which the pupils took turns in writing. At that time there was no public fund 
 for school purposes, so each family boarded the teacher for a time and paid 
 a certain sum for each of its members who attended. Such was the first school 
 Mr. Quinn attended, but later he went to the school at Long Grove. Indians 
 were then seen in large numbers, but they were peaceable and caused no trouble. 
 
 Mr. Quinn remained with his father, assisting in the arduous work oi pre- 
 paring the prairie land for cultivation, until 1852, when he started to farm on 
 his own account. He bought from his father eighty acres, which he broke up 
 and fenced, and on which, during the summer of 1854 he built a house, into 
 which he and his wife removed in August of that year. It remained his home 
 for almost half a century and is still standing, a reminder to the present genera- 
 tion oi the labors and courage of those pioneers, who made possible the comforts 
 oi today. For forty-nine years Mr. Quinn was busily occupied in farming, and 
 the generous returns he obtained for his labor and diligence made possible his 
 retirement. He has a pleasant home in Long Grove, and here he enjoys the 
 comforts which is meant should surround a man in the evening of life. 
 
 It was on the 12th of November, 1853, that Mr. Quinn was married to Miss 
 Mary M. Calder, a daughter of John and Elsie Calder, who came to Scott county 
 in 1852, and they became the parents of four children, as follows : Abbie A., 
 who married Selah Clapp, of Long Grove ; Elsie Ann, the wife of Conrad Ruch, 
 of Adair county, Iowa; Benjamin F., of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and WiUiam D., 
 who died at the age of five. Mrs. Quinn was born in Meigs county, Ohio, July 
 10, 1834, and was called to her final rest April 14, 1908, her remains being buried 
 at Long Grove. She was a faithful member of the Christian church, and her 
 long life was one of courage and helpfulness, that made her death keenly felt 
 by all who shared her friendship. 
 
 Mr. Quinn joined the Christian church in 1850 and has always been loyal to 
 its teachings, rearing his children in that faith. His life has ever been honorable 
 and upright, and his many excellent qualities have made him one of the respected 
 citizens of the community. He has now reached the age of seventy-eight years 
 and received the veneration and esteem which should ever be accorded to one 
 who has reached the evening of life, and whose record in the years that have 
 come and gone is in harmony with upright principles. 
 
 JAMES F. LARDNER. 
 
 James F. Lardner, who eighteen years ago, joined his forces with the business 
 interests of Davenport, Rock Island and Moline, was born in Chicago, Illinois, 
 February 22, 1862, his parents being William and Elizabeth (Lee) Lardner. The 
 father was also a native of Chicago. On the mother's side Mr. Lardner is de- 
 scended from a family who settled in Chicago during the first years of its his- 
 tory and played no small part in its early life. 
 
792 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 James F. Lardner received his education in Chicago, attending first a pri- 
 vate school and later entering St. Ignatius College, where he took a classical 
 course. Before coming to Davenport he was in the employ of the Western 
 Electric Company and the Central Union Telephone Company in that city, 
 having through his own efforts risen high in the esteem of these concerns. In- 
 deed, so pronounced had been his success that he attracted the interest of the 
 founders of the Tri-City Railway Company, who prevailed upon him to come 
 to Davenport. Since his arrival here he has been made general manager, 
 which position he held until May i, 1908. While he has given the 
 best of his energies perhaps to that concern, he is also interested in the Peo- 
 ples Light Company, the Water Power Company and in the Rock Island Plow 
 Company, of which latter company he is at present general manager. He is 
 a man of high principles and business acumen and these qualities united with 
 a capacity for industry have been the foundation on which his success has been 
 built. 
 
 On the 8th of March, 1886, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Lardner and 
 Miss Nora A. Gilmore and xinto them have been born six children : Mabel and 
 Amy, who are graduates of Trinity; Rosemary, who is still a pupil at Trinity; 
 James, Jr., who is a student at St. Ambrose College; Dorothy, who is at- 
 tending St. Katherine's Academy and Gilmore, who is attending the public 
 school. Although not a native of Davenport Mr. Lardner has won the respect 
 of those who have come in contact with him in a business way or socially. 
 
 D. B. MOREHOUSE. 
 
 D. B. Morehouse, who has been the deputy collector of internal revenue in 
 Davenport for the past eight years, was born in Galena, Illinois, August 15, 1844. 
 He is descended from a family that came originally from the east in the early 
 days of the settlement of the middle west, for his paternal grandparents, Jona- 
 than and Loretta Morehouse, settled upon a farm about fifteen miles from the 
 city of Davenport some time in the early years of the last century. Their son, 
 D. B. Morehouse, the father of our subject, became a captain upon a steam- 
 boat, plying upon the Mississippi river and devoting himself to water naviga- 
 tion until 1858, when he retired and took up his residence permanently in 
 Galena. There his death occurred on a farm in 1869. In his young manhood 
 he wedded Miss Charlotte E. Dow and of their union was born D. B. Morehouse. 
 
 D. B. Morehouse spent the period of his youth in a number of cities so 
 that the education which fitted him for the responsibilities of life was obtained 
 in various places. He attended first the public schools of his birthplace, later 
 going to St. Louis and then to a country institution of popular instruction. After 
 a couple of terms spent in Jubilee College, he returned to Galena, where his edu- 
 cation was completed. He then took up farming upon the Morehouse homestead, 
 being engaged in the cultivation of the soil for some time. When the president 
 issued his call for troops to defend the Union, he enlisted in Company I, Nine- 
 teenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, being in the western department of the 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 793 
 
 army. As a member of the Army of the Cumberland he participated in some of 
 the more serious encounters between the opposing forces and was under Gen- 
 erals Sherman, Rosecrans and Thomas until the culmination of the struggle. 
 When he was finally discharged he returned to farming in Iowa, to which he 
 devoted his energies for a considerable time. Later he removed to Davenport. 
 After being engaged in several different lines of business, he entered the employ 
 of the government, being a member of the postoffice department here for about 
 thirteen years, and on leaving that position he was appointed deputy collector 
 of internal revenue. The duties of this office have been his for the last eight 
 years. 
 
 In Scott county, June 12, 1873, Mr. Morehouse was united in marriage to 
 Miss Ella M. Moorhead, who was called from this life in September, 1901. 
 Three children had been born to the couple. Henry D. married Miss Anna 
 Richardson and is now a resident of Chicago, Illinois. Le Grand E. makes his 
 home in Davenport and is a cashier with the Bettendorf Company. Stella is 
 also a resident of this city, making her- home with her father. Mr. Morehouse 
 belongs to the G. A. R. Post, No. i, and served as commander in 1866. Fra- 
 ternally he enjoys pleasant relations with the Masons and the local lodge of the 
 Royal Arcanum. 
 
 JOHN L. MASON. 
 
 John L. Mason, resourceful, alert and enterprising, is now president of the 
 Mason Carriage Works, an enterprise established in 1868. Its development 
 along well defined lines of trade and commerce has made it the largest estab- 
 lishment of this character in Davenport and it stands as a visible evidence of the 
 intelligently directed energy of its founder and promoter. Mr. Mason was 
 born in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, on the 14th of July, 1844, and is a son 
 of Samuel and Elizabeth (Sweet) Mason. The father was a native of Eng- 
 land but left that country in the year 1833, and in company with his parents 
 and four brothers emigrated to Canada West, now Ontario, Canada. When 
 old enough he learned the saddlery and harness trade and for many years con- 
 ducted one of the largest business enterprises in that line in Canada. 
 
 John L. Mason first started to work at his father's business, but later on 
 learned the trade of carriage trimming and devoted himself to that undertaking. 
 Desiring to perfect himself in his chosen work, in March, 1864, he went to 
 New York and worked for some of the best firms in that city and in Phila- 
 delphia. In November, 1865, he came to Iowa, going first to Marshalltown, 
 whence in January, 1866, he removed to Davenport, where in January, 1868, 
 he joined Valentine Evans in organizing the firm of Mason & Evans. The 
 business was conducted under that partnership relation until October, 1881, when 
 Mr. Evans returned east, and Mr. Mason continued the business under the 
 present name of the Mason Carriage Works. In January, 1897, the firm was 
 incorporated under the laws of Iowa and his two sons, Charles F. and Web- 
 ster L., became members of the company and have in a large measure contributed 
 
794 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 to its success, the three comprising the only stockholders of the corporation. In 
 1902, seeing the trend of the vehicle business, the firm added automobiles to, 
 their line, being among the very earliest carriage firms to recognize that indus- 
 try, and have built up a very successful automobile department in connection 
 with their well established carriage works. This department is in charge of 
 the son, Charles F. Mason, who is vice president of the company, while the office 
 and carriage departments are in charge of the younger son, W. L. Mason, who 
 is treasurer of the company. 
 
 On the 26th of September, 1866, Mr. Mason was married to Miss Maria M. 
 Coleman, of Toronto, Canada, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Coleman, 
 who were natives of the Isle of Wight, England. To them were bom three 
 sons and one daughter: Wellesly R., Charles F., Webster L. and Marion E. 
 One son, Wellesly R., died in infancy. Charles F. married Clara Evans and 
 they have one daughter, Elizabeth R. Webster L. wedded Mabel Keith and 
 they have two sons, John K. and Webster K., and a daughter, Marion K., 
 while another daughter, Ariel K., died in February, 1909. The daughter, Marion 
 E. Mason, is the wife of Charles Grilk, of Davenport, and to them has been 
 born a daughter, Louise Grilk, and a son, Charles Grilk, Jr. Throughout his 
 business career John L. Mason has held to the highest standard of commercial 
 ethics. He is always just in his treatment of employes and reliable in his deal- 
 ings with his patrons. He enjoys an unimpeachable record for commercial in- 
 tegrity and, moreover, has been accorded that success which ever crowns per- 
 sistent and intelligently directed effort. In matters of citizenship he is also 
 progressive and, while he has n^ver sought to figure in any public light aside 
 from business relations, he has, nevertheless, given the weight of his influence 
 on the side of those measures which tend to advance the material, intellectual, 
 social, political and moral interests of the city. 
 
 JOHN T. MASON. 
 
 One of the large tracts of land in Winfield township which was settled at an 
 early day when the land was in its primitive condition and settlers were just begin- 
 ning to learn its value, is the Mason homestead, which is now operated by the 
 widow and children of John T. Mason. It was his place of residence for almost 
 half a century. He was born in 1798 and in 1841 came to Iowa from Maryland, 
 driving an ox-team across the mountains and prairies and locating in the city of 
 Davenport, which was then little more than a hamlet, remaining there for three 
 years. In 1844 he settled in Winfield township, on the 20th of November of that 
 year buying eighty acres of land. Upon this he erected a rude cabin of logs, broke 
 the land and engaged in farming the next spring. Three years later, as he gained 
 large returns from his labor, he bought one hundred acres more and at the end 
 of five years added another hundred. He continued to increase his landholdings 
 until at the time of his death he owned five hundred and twenty acres of as fine 
 land as might be obtained in Scott county. The many improvements with which 
 his place was adorned and the well cultivated fields were the result of his own 
 
JOHN T. :\rAS()X 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 797 
 
 labors, showing that he was a thorough, painstaking and efficient farmer. He fol- 
 lowed general farming and also engaged extensively in stock raising, to both of 
 which industries he devoted all of his life. In early days he marketed his produce 
 in Davenport. A successful man, he was also honorable and upright, a citizen who 
 commanded the highest respect of his fellowmen. 
 
 Mr. Mason was twice married. In 1819 he wedded Miss Ruth StelHng and 
 they had eight children. .After her death, in 1861, he wedded Miss Sarah Stevens. 
 She was a daughter of John Stevens, who had come from Butler county, Pennsyl- 
 vania, in 1854. He located in Winfield township, where he engaged in farming and 
 also followed his trade of a blacksmith. Of the second marriage there were ten 
 children born, nine of whom are living. 
 
 In 1819 Mr. Mason cast his first vote and in the years 1824, 1828 and 1832 
 he cast his ballot for Andrew Jackson. He was always active in public affairs 
 and took part in many of the meetings of the early days in Scott county. He 
 died June 12, 1888, and since his demise his widow and children have carried 
 on the farm with a success that bespeaks the excellent business ability and good 
 management of Mrs. Mason. 
 
 MRS. MARY A. BROWNLEE. 
 
 Mrs. Mary A. Brownlee has been a resident of Davenport for fifty-five 
 years. She is the widow of John C. Brownlee, who was born in Canada, near 
 Port Sarnia, May 13, 1846. His life record covered the intervening years to 
 the nth of January, 1909, when he passed away, honored and respected by all 
 who knew him. His parents were William and Christina Brownlee, who came 
 from Canada to Scott county when their son, John C, was but three years of 
 age. They settled at Long Grove and the father purchased a tract of land near 
 there, comprising one hundred and sixty acres. Upon that place the family 
 took up their abode and their labors constituted the source of development and 
 improvement for the farm. Their first home was a log cabin, which they occu- 
 pied for a number of years. It was an arduous task to develop new land but 
 with characteristic energy the work was undertaken and William Brownlee 
 continued to carefully till the soil until his death, which occurred when his son, 
 John C, was about eight years of age. He left a widow and eight children, 
 the eldest being then a lad of but eleven years. 
 
 John C. Brownlee spent the greater part of his life in the district of Long 
 Grove. He attended the district schools and also a business college at Davenport 
 and throughout his entire life engaged in farming. When his careful ex- 
 .penditure and industry had brought him sufficient capital to enable him to pur- 
 chase a farm he made investment in land and with characteristic energy began 
 to develop it. The results of his labors were soon seen in carefully cultivated 
 fields and as the years passed on he gathered rich and bounteous harvests as 
 the reward of his diligence and care. He continued to reside upon his original 
 farm until about 1874, when he purchased a farm near Davenport and made it 
 his home for about eight years. He then retired and removed to the city, spend- 
 
798 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 ing his remaining days in the enjoyment of well earned rest.. In addition to 
 his farming interests Mr. Brownlee was one of the stockholders of the Daven- 
 port Live Stock Company of New Mexico and acted as manager of that com- 
 pany for two years. 
 
 On the 7th of December, 1865, Mr. Brownlee was married to Miss Mary 
 A. Roberts, a native of Derbyshire, England, and a daughter of Edward and 
 Jane Roberts, who came to the United States with their family in 1855. They 
 landed at Davenport about the 15th of May, and the father, who was a gardener, 
 rented land and later purchased a small farm near Davenport, whereon he 
 engaged in the cultivation of fruit and vegetables. He lived a life of unremitting 
 diligence and industry and passed away in 1887, at the age of seventy-two years. 
 His wife survived until 1890 and passed away at the age of seventy-seven. 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Brownlee were born six children: Eva M., the wife of Dr. 
 Samuel J. Evans, of Davenport, by whom she has four children, J. La Verne, 
 Harold J., Leroy J. and Dorothy Edna; Minnie B., the wife of Dr. William 
 Jay, of Nashua, Iowa, by whom she has one child, Marion; John E., who mar- 
 ried Adelia Helbig, by whom he has two children, Helen and John R., and was 
 at one time for a number of years connected with the Citizens Trust & Savings 
 Bank of Davenport but is now cashier of the Bettendorf Bank at Bettendorf; 
 Jennie B., the wife of Otis C. Jackson, of Chicago, Illinois ; Luella, the wife of 
 Frank N. Harn, of St. Louis ; and Cora E., who died at the age of ten years. 
 
 The death of the husband and father occurred January 11, 1909. He had 
 in many ways proven himself a good citizen and faithful friend and a devoted 
 husband and father. While living on the farm he served as justice of the 
 peace for a number of years and was also constable and school director. He 
 held membership in the Christian church and took active part in the church 
 work. He served as one of the church deacons and did everything in his power 
 to promote the growth and extend the influence of the denomination with which 
 he was connected. His life was at all times in harmony with its principles and 
 he lived so that at his death none had aught for him but good words and kindly 
 remembrance. 
 
 H. C. CAST. 
 
 When one rides over Scott county and sees its splendidly developed farms, 
 its fine country homes, its substantial and attractive churches and schools, it 
 seems hardly possible that it is within the memory of a living man when much 
 of this section was still in possession of the government, having not yet been 
 claimed by the white race for purposes of civilization. Yet, when H. C. Gast 
 came to this county in 185 1 he took up land from the government, becoming 
 the owner of one hundred and sixty acres in Princeton township, which he 
 still owns. He relates many interesting incidents of the early days and his 
 memory forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive 
 present. For more than four score years he has traveled life's journey, his 
 birth having occurred in Pennsylvania, June 21, 1829. His parents were George 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 799 
 
 and Susan (Lamer) Cast. The former, a native of Center county, Pennsyl- 
 vania, was a farmer by occupation and spent his last days in Iowa, his death oc- 
 curring in Le Claire. 
 
 H. C. Cast acquired his education in the district schools of Pennsylvania, 
 mastering those branches of learning which are regarded as an indispensable 
 element to success in business. During the periods of vacation he worked in 
 the fields and throughout his entire life has carried on the occupation of farm- 
 ing. He was only twenty-two years of age when he came to Scott county, arriv- 
 ing here in 1 85 1. He believed that he would have better business opportunities 
 in the new and growing west and therefore he came to Iowa, hoping to improve 
 his financial condition thereby. He found that land was to be had practically 
 for the asking and he took up one hundred and sixty acres of government land 
 in Princeton township, for which he paid the usual price of a dollar and a 
 quarter per acre. Resolutely and diligently he undertook the task of transform- 
 ing the wild prairie into productive fields and in the course of years made this 
 a good farm, upon which he still resides. 
 
 In 1852 Mr. Cast was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Moyer, a daughter 
 of John and Polly Moyer, both of whom were residents of Le Claire township, 
 Scott county, at the time of their demise. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Cast have been 
 born nine children: George C, a resident of CHnton, Iowa; Henry Milton, of 
 Butler township, this county; WiUiam Lloyd, of Princeton; Allie, who died at 
 the age of two years; John, who died in infancy; Fidelia, who died when a 
 small child; Mary, who died at the age of eleven years; one who died in in- 
 fancy; and Sarah Almeda Florence, with whom Mr. Cast now makes his home. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Cast is an earnest republican and was twice elected 
 justice of the peace but never served in that capacity, refusing to qualify, as 
 he preferred to devote his time to his private interests rather than to public 
 office. He joined the Lutheran church when sixteen years of age and has 
 since been one of its faithful members, loyal to its teachings and generous in 
 its support. His record is that of a man who has ever been true and loyal to 
 duty and through the eighty-one years of his life he has fully earned the high 
 regard and esteem which are uniformly given him. 
 
 M. H. CALDERWOOD. 
 
 M. H. Calderwood, who has made his home at Davenport since 1907, was 
 one of the organizers of the Eldridge Savings Bank in 1899 and has acted as 
 president of the institution since 1901.' His birth occurred at Eldridge, Scott 
 county, Iowa, on the 4th of May, 1863. His parents, Henry and Nancy A. 
 (Carson) Calderwood, were both natives of Ireland, the former having been 
 born in County Antrim, while the latter's birth occurred in County Down. The 
 father crossed the Atlantic to the United States in 1847 and four years later 
 took up his abode in Le Claire, Scott county, Iowa, when the district was but 
 sparsely settled and largely undeveloped. In 1852 he came to Eldridge, this 
 county, and, purchasing a tract of land, there followed general agricultural 
 
800 ^ HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 pursuits throughout the remainder of his active business career. Owing to his 
 well directed industry and capable management he prospered in his undertakings 
 as the years went by and became widely recognized as one of the successful 
 and prominent citizens of his community. In politics he was an unswerving 
 republican but had no desire for the honors and emoluments of office. His de- 
 mise occurred in 1900 when he had attained the ripe old age of eighty-one 
 years. His wife was called to her final rest in 1887 when sixty-four years of 
 age. Their family numbered eight children, only two of whom are now living, 
 namely: M. H., of this review, who was the seventh in order of birth; and 
 Elizabeth, the wife of Charles W. Pelton. 
 
 M. H. Calderwood obtained his early education in the schools of Eldridge 
 and afterward spent one year in study at Valparaiso, Indiana. On putting aside 
 his text-books he turned his attention to the work of farming and cultivated 
 the old home place for many years or until 1907, when he took up his abode 
 in Davenport. The farm still remains in his possession, however. In 1899 he 
 became one of the organizers of the Eldridge Savings Bank and was elected 
 its vice president, while E. M. Burmeister was made president and H. W. 
 Bruhn, cashier. In 1901 Mr. Calderwood was elected president of the bank and 
 in this official connection has since ably directed and controlled the affairs of 
 the institution. 
 
 In 1887 Mr. Calderwood was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Brownlie, 
 a native of Scott county and a daughter of A. W. Brownlie, of Long Grove, 
 who is one of the oldest residents of this county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Calder- 
 wood were born six children, as follows : Ethel ; Blanche ; Almeda ; Errett 
 Dwight, deceased; Helen; and Ruth. The wife and mother died February 5, 
 1898, and was buried at Long Grove. 
 
 Mr. Calderwood was honored by election to the state legislature on the repub- 
 lican ticket and capably served as a member of the twenty-ninth, thirtieth and 
 thirty-first general assemblies. The cause of education has ever found in him a 
 stalwart champion and for many years he acted as chairman of the school board 
 of Sheridan township. Fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias 
 and the Masonic order, belonging to Trinity Lodge, No. 208, the Chapter, the 
 Commandery and the Shrine. Both he and his wife have spent their entire lives 
 in this county and are well known and highly esteemed within its borders, hav- 
 ing ever displayed those sterling traits of character which in every land and 
 clime awaken admiration and regard. 
 
 JOHN KNOX, M. D. 
 
 Among the prominent professional men of Princeton who has ably sustained 
 the high reputation made by his father is Dr. John Knox. A native of Prince- 
 ton, his birth occurred September 30, 1852, being the first white child born here. 
 His parents were Dr. Samuel and Mary Elizabeth (Culberston) Knox. The 
 former was born near Gettysburg, Adams county, Pennsylvania, October 16, 
 1824, a son of Samuel and Margaret (Witherow) Knox. He studied medicine 
 in the state of his birth, but in 1850 came to Princeton, Iowa, where he handled 
 stock and engaged in the real estate business until the spring of 1853. Then 
 
riR. -TOHX KXOX 
 
DR. SAMUEL KNOX 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 805 
 
 he returned to Pennsylvania, entered the medical department of the university 
 and was graduated at the head of his class in 1856. Returning to Princeton, he 
 opened an office, where he practiced until his death July 17, 1887. He was one 
 of the most prominent and progressive men of the town, always being at the 
 head of any movement calculated to advance its interests, doing much both as 
 a private citizen and as a man on whom the public gaze rested, for he held all 
 the town offices and, as he owned eight hundred acres of land situated for the 
 most part within its boundaries, he laid out several residence districts. In 1857 
 he opened what is known as the Knox addition to Princeton and then, having 
 purchased five acres of land, he platted Oak Ridge cemetery, which is the prin- 
 cipal burying ground in the locality. During the war he was the main support 
 of many women and children, whose husbands and fathers had fallen on the 
 battlefield. 
 
 A slight dramatic interest is attached to the generosity Dr. Samuel Knox 
 showed toward the Presbyterian church. Not satisfied with having donated the 
 land and contributed funds toward the erection of the first church here, he made 
 a journey to New York city to see his uncle, the Rev. John Knox. During the 
 services at the latter's church one Sunday he rose up in the congregation, ex- 
 plaining the circumstances that involved the little religious community at Prince- 
 ton, and from his listeners raised eight hundred dollars, which he brought back 
 home. That sum enabled them to complete the erection of the church. During 
 the early years of its existence he also furnished the fuel, much of which Dr. 
 John Knox chopped. In recognition of his invaluable services and of his high 
 character as a Christian, Dr. Samuel Knox was elected an elder of the congre- 
 gation, holding the office throughout his life. He was also the main spirit in 
 starting an academy here. With several other men who had children to educate 
 he raised the funds to employ a professor and conduct the school for a number 
 of years. While these incidents bear witness to the fact that he was always 
 at the head of movements for the social betterment of the town, others may be 
 adduced which show his interest in the development of the resources of this 
 locality. He was deeply concerned in a company which had as its purpose the 
 building of a gristmill. It, however, burned down after a few years' operation 
 and Dr. Knox lost about five thousand dollars on this investment. Being one 
 of the main promoters to induce the Sterling & Rock Island Railroad to build 
 a bridge across the river at Princeton, Dr. Knox lost the one hundred and 
 twenty acres of land which he had subscribed to the undertaking when they 
 failed to fulfill their promises. He was one of the most active and prominent 
 members of the Masonic lodge to which he belonged. 
 
 His wife, Mary Elizabeth Culberston, was born in Franklin county, Penn- 
 sylvania, July 22, 1833. She was the daughter of Captain Culberston, and is 
 still Hying. Six children were born of her marriage: John, the subject of this 
 sketch ; James, who died at the age of nine years ; Mary E., the widow of Wil- 
 liam Meadley; Helen, who died at the age of four and a half years; Samuel, 
 who died when he was forty years old; and Charles McLean, of Butte, Montana. 
 
 Dr. John Knox has lived in Princeton the greater part of his life. He was 
 a pupil in the common schools and then attended the academy which his father 
 had started. Later he entered Monmouth College at Monmouth, Illinois, where 
 
806 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 he pursued a scientific course for two years and then in the fall of 1874 was 
 enrolled as a student at the University of Pennsylvania. He was graduated 
 from that institution March 12, 1877, holding a very high rank in a class of 
 one hundred and twenty-four. Thereupon he passed the examination for the 
 position of resident physician at the Philadelphia Hospital, receiving* his ap- 
 pointment over thirty other applicants. He entered upon his duty there Sep- 
 tember I, 1877, and after serving one year received a certificate for efficient work 
 Then he obtained a position on a steamboat plying between Philadelphia and 
 England, but did not assume his duties, however, as his father had met with 
 an accident, which compelled him to return to Iowa. Upon his arrival here he 
 engaged in the practice of his profession, endeavoring to fill his father's place. 
 
 In a quarter of a century he has won a large patronage, and his patients are 
 unanimous in their expressions of admiration for his skill as a physician and his 
 high character as a man. Indeed, one has only to look over the record of his 
 life to obtain palpable evidence of this fact. For twelve terms he was the people's 
 choice as mayor of Princeton and was chairman and treasurer of the republican 
 party organization here for twelve years. His land holdings embrace two hun- 
 dred and fifty-six acres of fine" arable land, a part of which lies within the boun- 
 dary of Princeton. Here he lives in a handsome brick residence on Main street, 
 which his father erected in 1856, and also owns a large brick block in the busi- 
 ness district. 
 
 A member of the Masonic lodge of LeClaire, Dr. Knox is prominent in 
 its work. He enjoys conditions that are a great improvement upon those with 
 which his father had to struggle. The latter was the first to own a top buggy 
 in the town, and on account of this possession acquired no little notoriety. Con- 
 ditions, too, were of a kind that enabled him to effect changes and improvements 
 that found increasing growth through the years. Such opportunities no longer 
 exist, owing in part to his work, but his son. Dr. John Knox, is none the less 
 efficient in performing the duties that come to him. As a professional man 
 there is no doubt as to his skill. As a friend, adviser and counselor he has 
 made his sympathy felt by all who in time of need have come to him. This 
 confidence of his fellowmen he regards as the highest guerdon of his life. 
 
 MADISON J. SMITH. 
 
 Madison J. Smith, better known as Joe Smith, who in the eighty-second year 
 of his life is now living retired, is numbered among the oldest settlers of this 
 district, having arrived in Scott county in 1835, only three years after the Black 
 Hawk war, when the country was still inhabited by large bands of Indians and 
 the work of progress and improvement had but just begun. 
 
 Born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, on the 24th of June, 1827, he is a son 
 of Eli H. and Mary Ann (Grandon) Smith, natives of New Jersey and Greene 
 county, Pennsylvania, respectively. As early as 1835 the father left his native 
 state and, making his way down the Ohio river and up the Mississippi, landed 
 at Le Claire on the 5th of April, being among the earliest settlers to take up 
 
-HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 807 
 
 their abode in this district. There were three hundred red men in camp at the 
 time of his arrival and it was necessary for the family to live in an Indian tent 
 until a cabin could be erected. He took up a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, 
 a portion of which is now in the possession of our subject, and remained thereon 
 until after the death of his wife, when he went to live with his son in North 
 English. He was a farmer by occupation and also operated a stone quarry 
 there for a number of years. The father passed away when seventy-four years 
 of age and was there buried, while the mother's death occurred when she had 
 reached the age of sixty-four years, her remains being laid to rest in Le Claire. 
 In their family were thirteen children, namely: Matilda, Mahaly, Elizabeth, 
 Susan, Cynthia, Jane, Madison J., Ira, John, Nathan, Eli, Martin and Mary. 
 Of this number only five still survive, as follows : Madison J., of this review ; 
 Ira, residing in Scott county; Eli, a resident of Iowa county; Martin, of Mis- 
 souri; and Mary. 
 
 Madison J. Smith was a little lad of seven years when he came with his 
 parents to Iowa and here shared with the other members of the family the 
 privations and hardships incident to frontier Hfe. As there were no schools in 
 the district at that time, what education he received was obtained by reading 
 and studying at night, while during the daytime he assisted in the arduous 
 and difficult work of developing and improving a new farm. He continued to 
 give his father the benefit of his aid until fifteen years of age, when he began 
 working on river boats and was thus engaged until the outbreak of the Mexi- 
 can war. 
 
 In the fall of 1846 Mr. Smith enlisted from Rock Island as a member of Com- 
 pany F, Fourteenth Illinois Infantry, and was first stationed at Jefferson Bar- 
 racks for about three months. He then went to New Orleans and thence to 
 Mexico, where he participated in all of the battles from Buena Vista to Vera 
 Cruz. He was wounded several times and at the battle of Contreras, when 
 General LeBega was captured, he received a bullet shot through his head. He 
 was believed to be dead but later recovered and rejoined his regiment. He was 
 detailed as second lieutenant in charge of a number of men engaged in clearing 
 roads, etc. After a most creditable military record he was honorably dis- 
 charged in New Orleans in the fall of 1848. 
 
 He returned home and was employed on the river for a while. He then went 
 to DeKalb county, Illinois, where he invested in a small farm of thirty-two and 
 a half acres. He was there married to Miss Sarah Jane Brown, on the 28th of 
 December, 1849, who was a daughter of Eben Brown. After residing in that 
 county for about four years, Mr. Smith sold his property and removed to Grundy 
 county, Iowa, where he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of raw land 
 from the government, upon which he erected a dwelling and to the development 
 and cultivation of which he directed his energies, at the same time engaged to 
 some extent in the practice of medicine. He had previously pursued a medical 
 course at Richardson College, St. Charles, Illinois, under the direction of Dr. 
 Richards, from which institution he was graduated after three years. He then 
 entered the Eclectic Institute of Cincinnati^ Ohio, from which he was also grad- 
 uated after talking a course in medicine and surgery. He has his diploma from 
 both institutions, which is rather remarkable from the fact that he had enjoyed 
 
808 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 no educational advantages whatever in his early life, all knowledge being gained 
 through his own efforts entirely. 
 
 After residing in Grundy county, Illinois, for about eight years Mr. Smith 
 sold his farm and went to Butler county, Iowa, where he invested in one hun- 
 dred and twenty-eight acres of partially improved land, upon which he made 
 his home for four years, dividing his time between the occupation of farm- 
 ing and the practice of his profession. Later he again sold out and removed to 
 Iowa county, Iowa, where he purchased one hundred and forty acres of land 
 and made his home for a time, after which he came to Le Claire. He had with- 
 drawn from the active practice of medicine after leaving Iowa county, and after 
 his arrival in Scott county was engaged in operating steamboats and rafts on 
 the river for a number of years, continuing to make his home in Le Claire to 
 the present time. 
 
 In the fall of 1862, again actuated by a spirit of patriotism, Mr. Smith enlisted 
 at Dubuque, Iowa, as a soldier in the Civil war, becoming a private in Company 
 E, Thirty-second Iowa Infantry. At Vicksburg he joined General Grant, whose 
 acquaintance he had made during the Mexican war and at whose request he was 
 selected for scout duty. Later he joined General Sherman and rode ahead of 
 his army in the capacity of a scout throughout the entire march to the sea. His 
 term of service covered about a year, after which he returned to Scott county 
 and has since lived retired upon his small farm in Le Claire township. He is 
 also the owner of valuable town property and as the result of former years 
 of toil is now in possession of a competency which makes it possible for him to 
 enjoy all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life without further re- 
 course to labor. 
 
 As the years passed Mr. and Mrs. Smith became the parents of five chil- 
 dren, namely: Eben, residing in Iowa county; Anna, of Cherokee; William, of 
 Waterloo, Iowa; George, making his home in Redwood county, Minnesota; 
 and Elias, living in Muscatine. The wife and mother was called to her final 
 rest in Cherokee, Iowa, and on the nth of August, 1903, he was again married, 
 his second union being with Miss Amy L. Johnson, a daughter of Sylvanus A. 
 Johnson, one of the early settlers of this county. Mrs. Smith was born on 
 the farm which is yet her home on the 25th of May, i860. Her father was a 
 native of Vermont, where his birth occurred in 1826, and he came to Scott 
 county in 1858, here passing the remainder of his life. He was a farmer and 
 teamster by occupation. His wife was a native of Vincennes, Indiana, and went 
 to Illinois with her parents, Henry M. and Lucinda Smith, there, in 1848, giv- 
 ing her hand in marriage to Nelson Ritch, who at that time was the owner of 
 the farm upon which our subject now resides. Mr. Ritch passed away in 1853, 
 and in 1859 his widow became the wife of Sylvanus Johnson, whose death 
 occurred on the 5th of February, 1875. She survived until January 6, 1898, 
 and was the mother of four children, namely : Amy L. ; Caroline C. ; Minnie, 
 who passed away in infancy; and Winnifred. Mrs. Smith has a half-brother, 
 Henry M. Ritch, and also a half-sister, Fannie Ritch. She has passed her en- 
 tire life on the farm which is now her home, Eli H. Smith, the father of our 
 subject, having entered it at an early date and later sold it to John Williams, who 
 in turn sold it to Nelson Ritch, her mother's first husband. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 809 
 
 In politics Mr. Smith gives stalwart support to the prohibition party and has 
 belonged to many temperance organizations, doing all in his power to further 
 the cause of temperance in the community, for he realizes that the liquor traffic 
 is one of the greatest evils against which the country has to contend. His has 
 been a life of continuous activity, in which has been accorded due recognition 
 of earnest labor, and now, in the evening of hfe, he can look back upon a 
 past that has been fraught with honest effort, unswerving industry and untiring 
 energy and has at all times been actuated by principles that are in keeping with 
 honorable and upright manhood. His business methods have ever been such as 
 to inspire confidence and trust in his fellowmen and his personal characteristics 
 have gained for him the respect, esteem and good will of all with whom he has 
 come in contact. 
 
 FRANCIS C. GRACE. 
 
 The list of the affluent citizens of Davenport contains the name of Francis C. 
 Grace, one of the representative and honored men of Scott county, for his record 
 as a soldier, a dentist and a business man has been so' honorable that he has 
 gained the confidence and good will of all with whom he has been brought into 
 contact. He was born near Scio in Harrison county, Ohio, August S, 1844, ^ 
 son of George and Nancy (Fawcett) Grace. The Grace family was very promi- 
 nent in Ireland for many generations and the first of its members came to 
 America in 1700. Francis Grace, the grandfather of Francis C. Grace, came 
 to the United States in 1823, in the hope of bettering his financial condition and 
 died in this country about 1836. He had married Jane Law and they became the 
 parents of seven children, who established their homes in different parts of this 
 country. 
 
 George Grace, the son of Francis Grace and the father of our subject, was 
 born in County Tyrone, Ireland, and was a lad of nine years when he accom- 
 panied his parents on their journey to America. He was engaged in farming 
 in Ohio and in 1856 came to Scott county, Iowa, where he continued to follow 
 that occupation and where his death occurred. By his marriage to Nancy Faw- 
 cett there were born eight children who are engaged in various pursuits in dif- 
 ferent parts of the country. 
 
 Francis C. Grace, who was the second of the children bom to his parents, 
 attended school a short time in Ohio and after the family came to Scott county, 
 Iowa, he continued his studies in the public schools until he was about eighteen 
 years of age. At the same time, however, he assisted his father in operating the 
 farm, until 1862, when he enlisted in the Twentieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, 
 under Colonel J. B. Leake, serving first with the Army of the Frontier and 
 later with the Army of the Southwest. He was discharged at St. Louis in Feb- 
 ruary, 1863, but the following May re-enlisted in the Forty-fourth Iowa Volun- 
 teer Infantry, which was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee. He remained 
 at the front until honorably discharged from the service in October, 1864, as 
 corporal. 
 
810 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Mr. Grace then returned to Scott county and resumed farm work. Feeling 
 the need of a better education, he accordingly entered Cornell College at Mount 
 Vernon, Iowa, and on leaving that institution returned to Davenport, where he 
 took up the study of dentistry. He practiced here and later in Chicago, in both 
 cities enjoying a large patronage which was a visible evidence of his skill and 
 success. Ill health, however, due to exposure while he was in the army, com- 
 pelled him to relinquish his profession in 1880 and in 1882 he went to Daytona, 
 Florida, to recuperate and there spent the next eight years. At the end of that 
 period he returned to Davenport, where he has since resided. Although he did 
 not again engage in the practice of dentistry, he was not idle. For a number of 
 years he was engaged in the publishing business, being associated with Egbert, 
 Fiddler & Chambers for eighteen years, but now he gives his time entirely to 
 superintending his large lumber interests in different parts of the country, for 
 with keen business sagacity he realized the opportunities for profitable invest- 
 ment offered by the lumber market, and availing himself of them, it has been 
 proven that his judgment was not at fault, for he is now enjoying an income that 
 places him among the wealthy men of Davenport. 
 
 In Davenport, May 17, 1871, Mr. Grace wedded Miss Louisa F. Woodward, 
 a daughter of B. B. and Elizabeth (Morgan) Woodward. A son and a daughter 
 have been born to them: George B., who married Miss Helen L. Hannay, and 
 has three children, EUzabeth, Nancy and William H. ; and Nancy Grace, at 
 home with her parents. 
 
 Mr. Grace has never sought to figure in public life, possessing a nature of 
 quiet refinement rather than one that seeks to be constantly before the people. 
 However, he has always been a good citizen as he was a loyal and patriotic 
 soldier, the memories of the days upon the battlefields being revived frequently 
 in the meetings of his fellow members of the Grand Army post at Davenport, 
 of which he was commander several times. 
 
 THOMAS GRIEVE. 
 
 Thomas Grieve, a retired farmer of Davenport and one of the early pioneer 
 settlers of Scott county, was born in Scotland on the 1st of July, 1838, his parents 
 being John and Elizabeth (Robinson) Grieve. In 1844 they sailed from Liverpool, 
 England, and after an ocean voyage of ten weeks landed at New Orleans, Louisi- 
 ana. In company with three other families, they at once made their way up the 
 Mississippi to Davenport, though that was the year in which the river was espe- 
 cially high. After arriving in this county they purchased forty acres of prairie 
 land near Long Grove and for about two years the family lived in a sod house 
 which the father had erected. Later he built a more substantial residence, im- 
 proved his land, put up fences and also added to his landed holdings by additional 
 purchase from time to time until he owned three hundred and forty acres. In 
 connection with his agricultural interests he also worked at the blacksmith's trade 
 to some extent, doing odd jobs for the neighbors. The largest plow ever made in 
 Scott county was the work of his hands. It was used for breaking prairie and 
 
THOMAS CiltlEVE 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 813 
 
 would cut a furrow thirty-six inches wide, seven yoke of oxen being required to 
 pull it. For many years his mother had charge of the postofifice at Long Grove' 
 which she conducted at her own home with the assistance of her son Thomas, who 
 was a blacksmith. She lived to the advanced age of ninety-one years and was a 
 great favorite with the old settlers. 
 
 John Grieve was a devoted member of the Christian church at Long Grove 
 and exemplified its teachings in his daily life. He passed away in i860, at the 
 age of about sixty-five years, and thus the community lost one of its most re- 
 spected and valued citizens. The demise of his wife occurred in 1864 when she 
 had attained the age of sixty-five years. Their children were seven in number, 
 as follows : Jennie, who is deceased, as is also her husband, Andrew L. Thompson; 
 John, who is a resident of Cahfornia ; Mrs. Ellen McNutt, who has likewise passed 
 away; Thomas, of this review; WiUiam, who makes his home in Sioux City; 
 Elizabeth, the wife of William Johnson, of Rock Island, Illinois ; and James, who 
 lives in Clay county, Iowa. 
 
 Thomas Grieve, who was a little lad of six years when he came to this county 
 with his parents, obtained his education in an old log schoolhouse at Long Grove 
 and then assisted his father in the work of the home farm until the latter's death. 
 He remained on the old family homestead until the time of his retirement, devot- 
 ing his attention to its further cultivation and improvement throughout his entire 
 business career. For two years he received a premium at the Scott county fair 
 for the best conducted farm in the county. After putting aside the active work of 
 the fields he took up his abode in Davenport, where he has since lived retired in the 
 enjoyment of well earned ease. 
 
 On the 30th of June, 1870, Mr. Grieve was united in marriage to Miss Mar- 
 garet Lang, a native of Long Grove, Iowa, and a daughter of John and Margaret 
 (Young) Lang, who lived to celebrate their sixtieth wedding anniversary. At 
 that time the following article appeared in the Davenport paper : "Surrounded by 
 their seven children Mr. and Mrs. John Lang, of 141 1 LeClaire street, on Tues- 
 day evening quietly celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary. Supper was 
 served at seven o'clock and the only persons at the table except Mr. and Mrs. 
 Lang and their children were Galvin Lang, of Brooklyn, Iowa, a brother of Mr. 
 Lang, and Thomas Grieve, of Davenport, a son-in-law. It is a curious fact that 
 on March 6th Mr. and Mrs. Galvin Lang celebrated their golden wedding anni- 
 versary at Brooklyn, Iowa, and there is just ten years' difference in the age of the 
 brothers, John being the elder. Mr. and Mrs. Lang were born in Scotland in 
 the year 1824, Mr. Lang's birth occurring on the 15th of April, while his wife's 
 natal day was February 27th. They were married in Scotland in 1846 and the 
 following year emigrated to America, locating in Pennsylvania, where Mr. Lang 
 followed the carpenter's trade for four years. On the expiration of that period, 
 in 185 1, he came to Scott county, Iowa, settling on a farm a quarter of a mile 
 east of Eldridge. In 1886, having accumulated a handsome competence through 
 the careful conduct of his agricultural interests, he left the farm and has since 
 lived retired in Davenport. Unto him and his wife were born ten children, three 
 of whom have passed away. Those who still survive are as follows : Mrs. Thomas 
 Grieve and Mrs. Agnes Brownlie, who live in Davenport; Mrs. William Hall, 
 Mrs. John Howe, Mrs. R. J. Breckenridge and J. B. Lang, all of whom reside 
 
814 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 in Brooklyn, Iowa; and Galvin J. Lang, of Des Moines. Mr. and Mrs. John 
 Lang have twenty-six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren." This worthy 
 couple have since been called to their final rest, Mr. Lang passing away on the 
 1st of July, 1909, at the age of eighty-five years, while his wife died on the 22d 
 of November following. Mr. and Mrs. Grieve became the parents of four chil- 
 dren, the record of whom is as follows. Margaret, the first born, died at the age 
 of three years. John, who makes his home in Washington, wedded Miss Nellie 
 Hailing, by whom he has two children, Wallace and Bruce. Jennie, who gave 
 her hand in marriage to Alexander Shadbolt, of Sioux City, Iowa, is the mother 
 of one child, Mark; Edward T., living in Brooklyn, Iowa, married Miss Zella 
 Frizzell. 
 
 Mr. Grieve is a faithful member of the Christian church in Davenport and 
 formerly belonged to the church of that denomination at Long Grove, serving as 
 one of its deacons for a number of years. The period of his residence in Scott 
 county covers two-thirds of a century and he has been an interested witness of the 
 transformation that has been wrought as pioneer conditions have given way be- 
 fore the onward march of civilization. He is now in the seventy-second year of 
 his age and that his life has ever been upright and honorable is indicated by the 
 fact that the associates of his boyhood and youth are still numbered among his 
 stanch friends and admirers. 
 
 U. N. ROBERTS. 
 
 When nature takes its course and man arrives at old age and then passes from 
 the scene of earthly activities, sorrow is often felt, but not the intense regret 
 which comes when the young man whose career of usefulness has scarcely begun, 
 is taken. In the midst of a career in which he was using wisely and intelligently 
 the talents with which nature endowed him, U. N. Roberts was called from 
 this life and only the memory of his noble manhood, his upright citizenship and 
 his splendid business and executive abilities tempered the poignant grief that 
 was everywhere felt by those who had met him through commercial or social re- 
 lations. In the little rock-ribbed country of Wales his birth occurred, the place 
 of his nativity being the town of Ruabon, while his natal day was October 30, 
 1841. Eight years passed and in 1849 he accompanied his parents as they crossed 
 the Atlantic to the new world and established their home in Neenah, Wisconsin. 
 Ten days later the family were appalled by the death of the husband and father 
 and upon the widowed mother devolved the care, support and protection of 
 her children. Struggles and trials confronted the family and the financial con- 
 dition made it imperative that the sons should aid in their own support as soon 
 as possible. Therefore at a tender age U. N. Roberts sought employment and 
 the spelndid establishment of which he was the head became the measure of 
 his ability and enterprise, for his success was attributable entirely to his own 
 labors. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 1866, when in his twenty-fifth year, Mr. Roberts came 
 to Davenport, intent upon establishing himself in some business which he under- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 815 
 
 stood and therefore which would constitute for him the avenue that he might 
 travel toward the goal of success. He had already had experience in the manu- 
 facture of sash and doors while in Wisconsin and with the resolve that his labor 
 should directly benefit himself he rented a room on Perry street and on the 
 2Sth of April, 1866, there embarked in business on his own account, with a 
 total capital of but six hundred and seventy-two dollars. He at once began 
 the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds and though the enterprise was started 
 on a small scale, the business gradually developed until it became one of the 
 mammoth productive industries of the city. He carefully solved each business 
 problem as it came to him, drawing from his previous experiences for the right 
 answer to the question and also making demand upon his initiative spirit that he 
 might formulate and execute new plans. He had already established a growing 
 business when in 1869 disaster in the shape of a fire stared him in the face. His 
 entire plant was destroyed but by determined effort and renewed perseverance be 
 was again soon established in business and at his demise left an enterprise with 
 extensive trade connections and founded upon an unassailable reputation for 
 commercial integrity and probity. The impetus which he gave to the undertaking 
 has been manifest throughout all the ensuing years. At his death the business 
 was continued under the name of U. N. Roberts & Company and has since been 
 incorporated under the style of the U. N. Roberts Company, with a paid up 
 capital of three hundred thousand dollars. The plant is now very extensive and 
 the scope of the business has been extended to include doors, sash, blinds, inte- 
 rior finish, art and prismatic glass. In all matters of material concern affecting 
 the prosperity of Davenport, the city of his adoption and pride, Mr. Roberts 
 took deep interest. He was especially concerned in the effort to secure the com- 
 pletion of the Davenport & Northwestern Railroad to the city and his efforts 
 in this as well as in other lines were crowned with success. 
 
 The spirit of commercialism was by no means the dominant element in the 
 life of Mr. Roberts, who believed with Lincoln "There is something better than 
 making a living — ^making a life." He was never neglectful of those interests 
 which tend to the betterment and uplifting of the individual and the community 
 at large. From the time of his arrival in Davenport he was a liberal supporter 
 of the Congregational church and aided that organization very materially during 
 the period of its financial struggle. About four years prior to his demise he 
 transferred his relation to the Presbyterian church and became one of the most 
 highly valued adherents of that organization, serving as a member of its board 
 of trustees at the time of his death. He was always in attendance at church 
 services on Sunday and the midweek meetings and by financial support and 
 influence did everything in his power to promote the growth and extend the 
 cause of the church. For years he was also one of the liberal members of the 
 Young Men's Christian Association and before his death had made generous 
 plans for assisting that organization in its efforts to erect for itself a building. 
 He was president of that organization and in no phase of Davenport's life was 
 his loss more keenly felt. Charitable in spirit, he gave freely to many ben- 
 evolences and was ever ready to extend a helping hand to those in need of as- 
 sistance. 
 
816 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 On the 17th of June, 1868, Mr. Roberts was married to Miss Julia A. Rora- 
 back, the second daughter of Isaac and Rhoda Roraback, of South Bend, In- 
 diana, the marriage ceremony being performed by Rev. Thomas P. Campbell. 
 Unto them were born two children. To his family he was most devoted, count- 
 ing no personal effort or sacrifice on his part too great if it would promote the 
 happiness or enhance the welfare of the members of his own household. He 
 passed away September 7, 1877, after an illness of about a month. His memory 
 is perpetuated in the, splendid industrial establishment which he founded, but 
 more than that, in the hearts of those who knew him. All were glad to call 
 him friend because of the warmth of his nature and the fact that he stood for 
 that which is highest and noblest in human affairs. At the time of his demise 
 one of the city papers said of him : "A good man and a pubUc-spirited citizen has 
 fallen. In such a death Davenport suffers a real and serious loss. Mr. Roberts 
 was emphatically a growing man. Already, young as he was, he filled a wide 
 place in our city. Had his life been spared a few years longer, the real strength 
 and nobility of his character would assuredly have won for him a still higher 
 place in the city and in public life." 
 
 JOHN ADOLPH OTTO. 
 
 On the 2d of October, 1909, there occurred an event which caused general 
 mourning in Blue Grass township — the death of John Adolph Otto. In him 
 were embodied the virtues of the early pioneers — ^the steadfast purpose, rugged 
 integrity and moral zeal — virtues to which the splendid civilization of Scott 
 county is indebted for its wonderful development and progress. 
 
 Mr. Otto, who was born in Pommern, Germany, January 11, 1832, came with 
 his parents, Adolph and Sophie Otto, and the other members of the family, to 
 the new world in 1847. They were fourteen weeks and three days on the water, 
 landing at Boston, Massachusetts, where John Otto and his brother Bernard 
 remained for two years, but the parents continued their journey westward. 
 They lived in Davenport one year, subsequent to which time the father pur- 
 chased eighty acres of land from the government and this tract is still in pos- 
 session of the family, being now owned by Louis Otto, a son of Bernard Otto. 
 The father after coming into possession of this land set to work in earnest to 
 improve and develop the place. He made his home throughout his remaining 
 years on the farm where his son August now lives. 
 
 John Adolph Otto was a youth of fifteen years when he accompanied his 
 parents on their emigration to America and on his arrival he sought immediate 
 employment, so that all the education he acquired was in the schools of his na- 
 tive country. As above stated, he remained in Boston for two years after com- 
 ing to the new world and at the end of that time joined his father in Scott 
 county. Upon his arrival in this county he at once took up farming and this 
 continued to be his occupation until his death. He started, as do most settlers, 
 in a humble way, but he possessed that tenacity of purpose that led him upward 
 to success, and when he was called to his final rest, on the 2d of October, 1909, 
 
UR. AND MRS. JOFTX ADOLPII OTTO 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 819 
 
 he owned three hundred and twenty acres of land in Scott county and three 
 hundred and twenty acres in Muscatine county, Iowa. 
 
 After reaching years of maturity Mr. Otto sought a companion and helpmate 
 in the person of Miss Wilhelmina Schnore, who was likewise born in Germany 
 but at the time of their marriage was residing in Scott county. With the mother 
 two sons and three daughters survive the father's death : Matilda, living in Du- 
 rant; Carl, also of that city; Albertina, the wife of Davie Ruwe, also of Du- 
 rant; Wilhelmina, the wife of Charles Rohlk, a resident of Durant; and August. 
 
 The last named was reared under the parental roof, continuing to assist his 
 father in the work of the home farm until the latter's death. He is now oper- 
 ating the farm on his own account and is a most enterprising and prosperous 
 young farmer, whose business methods are such as commend him to the admira- 
 tion and respect of the community. He was married to Miss Louisa Kronen- 
 berg, a daughter of Henry Kronenberg, who made his home in Blue Grass town- 
 ship but is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Otto have one daughter, Wilma, who 
 was born December ii, 1907. 
 
 The Otto family has always been numbered among those of worth and 
 prominence in Blue Grass township. John Otto was identified with its agri- 
 cultural interests for almost six decades and his son is still continuing along that 
 line, fully sustaining the reputation that was always borne by his honored 
 father. 
 
 JAMES C. MURRAY. 
 
 Among the many citizens of Davenport, the active years of whose life have 
 been devoted to agricultural pursuits is James C. Murray, who owns one hun- 
 dred acres of fine land in Davenport township, about two and a half miles 
 from the Orphans' Home, on the Orphans' Home Road. He was born January 
 13, 1845, ^nd is a son of George and Esther (Croyle) Murray. The father was 
 born in Scotland and was the first of his family to come to this country. He 
 settled and lived for a time in Pennsylvania, and then in 1855 came to Scott 
 county, where he engaged in farming for many years. Later, having gained 
 a success from his vocation he retired from active Hfe, taking up his residence 
 in the city. 
 
 James C. Murray was about ten years of age when his father moved to Iowa, 
 but nevertheless his education has been derived entirely from the schools of 
 Scott county. While it was meager compared to that given to pupils today, it 
 amply fitted him, when it was united to the practical training received at home, 
 for the responsibilities of life and for the attainment of success. When he started 
 out for himself in the world of work and men, he continued in the vocation to 
 which he had been reared, and added stock-raising to the general cultivation 
 of the soil. Chicago and Davenport were his principal markets, and his stock, 
 always well kept, ever commanded large prices. About twenty years ago he 
 rented his land, some of the finest and most arable in the neighborhood of 
 Davenport, and took up his residence in the city. He has a comfortable home at 
 
820 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 1517 Le Claire street, where he enjoys a well deserved rest from the hard toil 
 of life. 
 
 At the opening of the year of 1880 Mr. Murray was united in the bonds of 
 wedlock to Miss Susie K. Kober, a daughter of Christian Kober. One son. 
 Christian, was born to them; but passed away in early life. Although success- 
 ful in his business, Mr. Murray has had no desire to enter the arena of public 
 affairs. He has, however, joined the ranks of the Masons, and is not infre- 
 quently present at the meetings of the Davenport lodge. 
 
 ISAAC CODY. 
 
 Isaac Cody, the father of "Buffalo Bill," the famous scout, Indian fighter 
 and showman, was one of the pioneer settlers of Scott county. He was bom 
 and reared near Cleveland, Ohio, and was there married, but his wife diea 
 soon afterward, leaving a little daughter, Martha. Mr. Cody then went to Cin- 
 cinnati with the intention of studying medicine but about that time the territory 
 of Iowa was opened for settlement and he decidecl to emigrate to what was 
 then the far west. In the meantime he had wedded Miss Mary Laycock, of 
 Cincinnati, and unto them were born seven children, namely: Samuel, Julia, 
 William F., Eliza, Helen, May and Charles. 
 
 Mr. Cody followed farming most of the time during his twelve years' resi- 
 dence in Scott county. In the spring of 1852 he removed with his family to 
 Weston, Missouri, and as soon as the territory of Kansas was opened for settle- 
 ment he was among the first to enter, residing there all through the period of 
 the troubles that antedated the Civil war. Mr. Cody was an outspoken free- 
 state man and on one occasion, while making a speech in defense of his prin- 
 ciples, he was stabbed in the back by a Missourian and was forced to leave 
 the territory, for his life was constantly in danger. Therefore he returned east 
 to his native state of Ohio, where he made many speeches in favor of the ad- 
 mission of Kansas into the Union as a free state. On his return to Kansas he 
 passed through Iowa and delivered speeches in Davenport and Le Claire. He 
 was a very active man in making Kansas a part of the free territory, although 
 he did not live to realize his one great ambition, which was tO' see Kansas be- 
 come a pro-white state. 
 
 His son, William F. Cody, known throughout the world as "Buffalo Bill," 
 was bom in Le Claire township, February 26, 1845, on what is at present known 
 as the John S. Wilson farm, a mile and a half northwest of the town. It ap- 
 pears that Mrs. Cody had already selected a name if her child should be a boy 
 and on being informed that such was the case she immediately announced that 
 his name should be William Frederick. The family lived in Scott county until 
 1852 and there were in addition to the parents six children, as follows : Martha, 
 Julia, William, Eliza, Helen and May. Samuel, the eldest son, had been killed 
 while riding an unbroken colt at Walnut Grove, where the family had been 
 living for a year. W. F. Cody at that time was a tall, dark-haired boy, seven 
 years old, and was very fond of horses. Already he could manage a team as 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 821 
 
 well as any ordinary man and, in fact, he drove one of his father's teams on 
 the trip to western Missouri, which was in the year 1852. In the year 1857 
 his father died, leaving him, at the tender age of twelve years, the sole pro- 
 tector and support of the family. After the father's death he struck out 
 for the plains and engaged in herding cattle, driving stage, acting as a pony 
 express rider and doing other such wofk as was incident to a life in that sec- 
 tion of the country. After the outbreak of the Civil war he became one of 
 the famous "red-legged scouts," a company commanded by Captain Tuff. He 
 served for two years and then- joined the Seventh Kansas, known as Jenni- 
 son's Jayhawkers, with which he served until the war closed. After the war 
 he returned to the plains and was a scout for Generals Sheridan, Miles, E. A. 
 Carr and others, while subsequently he became associated with Ned Buntlin 
 in the show business, which he has followed continuously and at this writing, 
 in 1910, is still under the canvas. His mother, Mrs. Cody, died November 22, 
 1863, at her home in Kansas. Said one who knew her more than a half century 
 ago: "She was quite a literary woman, a lady in every sense of the term; a 
 great admirer of Queen Victoria and proud she would have been could she 
 have lived to know that her son, William Frederick, was the only American 
 ever granted special favors by the queen of England." 
 
 CHARLES T. KINDT. 
 
 Charles T. Kindt, one of the most progressive and prominent theatrical 
 managers of the west, his business enterprise and discrimination being evidenced 
 in his successful control of over fifty theaters which he owns and many others 
 which he represents, was born in Sandusky, Ohio, May 28, 1862. His father, 
 Louis Kindt, a native of Germany, was born January i, 1826. , The grandfather 
 held a high official position in the province of Baden and, greatly interested in 
 the political situation of the country, became connected with the revolution of 1848 
 as one of the leaders in the movement that sought greater liberty for the people. 
 He was a man of wide influence, who died shortly after his capture at the ad- 
 vanced age of eighty-two years. His son, Louis Kindt, then sailed for the new 
 world, hoping here to enjoy the liberty that was denied him in his native country. 
 The vessel in which he sailed was wrecked on the voyage and he spent three 
 days floating on a raft, after which he was picked up off the banks of New- 
 foundland and landed on American shores. At length he settled at Pottsdam, 
 Pennsylvania. He was a man of liberal education, having studied at Heidel- 
 berg University, his taste and talent for art leading him to pursue a course along 
 that line. He first engaged in teaching in Pottsdam but after a brief period 
 turned his attention to his chosen profession and became one of the most 
 famous scenic artists in the entire country. He passed by successive and logical 
 steps into the theatrical business as a promoter of theatrical interests in vari- 
 ous cities. He now lives in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and while he has practically 
 retired from active business still paints for his own amusement and recreation 
 and is accounted a connoisseur of art, while his ability in production has placed 
 
822 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 him among the eminent representatives of his line. Among his most famous 
 productions are the Battle of Lookout Mountain and the Battle of Gettysburg, 
 painted by him for exhibit as cycloramas. In the centennial year 1876 he was 
 chosen as the artist for and had charge of the pageant at Davenport. 
 
 In his younger days Charles T. Kindt traveled from place to place with his 
 father but his education was not neglected, as he attended school in various 
 cities, becoming a high school student in Chicago. He afterward took up the 
 business of wood engraving and followed it until the process of photo-engraving 
 was discovered, when he realized that there was then no future for him as a 
 carver of wood. Accordingly he turned his attention to his father's profession 
 of scenic painting and in 1887 came to Davenport to paint the scenery for the 
 new Turner Hall. Favorably impressed with the city and its people, he remained 
 here and has never regretted his choice. He assumed the management of the 
 theater in Turner Hall and extended the scope of his efforts, becoming a mem- 
 ber of the firm of Chamberlin, Harrington & Kindt, forming what is now known 
 as the I. & I. circuit of theaters, owning and conducting over fifty theaters 
 and representing several hundreds of others. To Mr. Kindt and his associates 
 is due the excellent class of amusements given to the public through the avenue 
 of the theaters which they own and the theatrical business is so ably managed that 
 success has followed as the immediate result of their labors. Mr. Kindt is also 
 largely interested in advertising and is the president of the Western Theatrical 
 Managers Association, having three times been elected to the ofifice. In 1882 
 Mr. Kindt was married to Miss Nellie Stoddard, a native of Kenosha, Wis- 
 consin, and they have three children: Caroline, now the wife of S. B. Fields; 
 Charles Roy, associated with his father in business ; and Julia Helen. Mr. Kindt 
 is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Turners and 
 a large number of professional societies. He is genial and popular not only 
 with his fellow townsmen but with theatrical people and all with whom busi- 
 ness relations bring him in contact. Catering to the human need for amuse- 
 ment through the avenue of the theater, he is giving to the public entertain- 
 ment that is of a recreative and most interesting character and through the 
 medium of the circuit which has been established attractions are secured for 
 various towns which otherwise would not have the opportunity to hear first- 
 class entertainments. 
 
 VERNER E. HAYWARD. 
 
 Verner E. Hayward is a college man and a most successful and prominent 
 representative of the business circles of Davenport, where he is widely known 
 as secretary, treasurer and general manager of the Davenport Ladder Company. 
 He was born in Garner, Iowa, November 15, 1882, a son of the Hon. W. C. 
 Hayward, secretary of state. He was only three years of age when the family 
 came to this city and the public schools afforded him his preliminary educational 
 opportunities. Following his graduation from the high school with the class of 
 1900 he continued his studies in the Iowa State College at Ames and in Cornell 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 823 
 
 College at Mount Vernon, Iowa. He then entered the field of manufacture and 
 is now associated with one of the city's most important productive industries 
 as the secretary, treasurer and general manager of the Davenport Ladder Com- 
 pany, of which W. C. Hayward is the president. This concern conducts a 
 very extensive business and although a young man, not yet having completed 
 three decades, Mr. Hayward manages the enterprise with marked capability, 
 discretion and force. He possesses in large measure that quality which for want 
 of a better term has been called commercial sense — a ready recognition of op- 
 portunities, combined with an intelligent use thereof. 
 
 In September, 1904, Mr. Hayward was married to Miss Kate Ford, a native 
 of Manchester, Iowa, and they have one son, William Ford, born August 8, 
 1907. Mr. Hayward belongs to Davenport Lodge, No. 37, A. F. & A. M. ; 
 Davenport Chapter, No. 16, R. A. M. ; St. Simon of Cyrene Commandery, No. 
 9, K. T. ; the Davenport Commercial Club ; and other local organizations. 
 
 PETER SOENKE. 
 
 Peter Soenke, now deceased, was numbered among those representative 
 American citizens who claim Germany as the place of their nativity but who 
 in America find opportunity for advancement and progress along business lines. 
 Born in Schleswig-Holstein on the 19th of February, 1834, he was a son of 
 Hans and Christina Soenke, both natives of that province, the former born un 
 the loth of August, 1803, and the latter on the 14th of August, 1802. In 1853 
 the family came to America, landing at New Orleans, from which place they 
 made their way northward to Iowa, locating in Scott county. The father car- 
 ried on agricultural pursuits in Blue Grass township in the capacity of renter 
 for a number of years, after which he purchased a farm upon which he con- 
 tinued to reside until his demise, which occurred on the 5th of August, 1884. 
 
 Peter Soenke acquired his education in the schools of his native country and 
 remained a resident of the fatherland until the removal of the family to the 
 United States, when he was about nineteen years of age. After his arrival in 
 Scott county he assisted his father in his agricultural pursuits until 1859, when 
 he went to California and spent nearly six years prospecting for gold. In the 
 meantime he located a claim which he later sold, and after returning to Scott 
 county in 1865 purchased a farm in Blue Grass township which had previously 
 been owned by his father and which is now in the possession of Peter F. Soenke. 
 There he continued to carry on general farming for a number of years, and 
 in this line of activity became very successful, at the time of his death owning 
 a valuable farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Scott county and a tract of 
 similar size in Muscatine county, all under a high state of cultivation. He was 
 one of the organizers of the Mutual Fire Insurance Company of German House- 
 holders and at the time of his demise was one of the trustees of that company. 
 
 On the 17th of December, 1867, Mr. Soenke was united in marriage to Miss 
 Catherine Rohwer, a daughter of Jurgen Rohwer, a native of Schleswig-Hol- 
 stein, Germany, and unto this union were bom nine children, namely: Hans 
 
824 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 William, who married Clara Schlichting and is a prosperous agriculturist of Blue 
 Grass township, where he owns two farms and is -also a stockholder in the 
 Blue Grass Savings Bank; Peter F. Soenke, born on the 29th of March, 1873, 
 who married Emma F. lUian, a daughter of WilHam F. lUian, of Scott county, 
 and who is now the owner of the original Soenke farm, where he makes bis 
 home, being also a stockholder in the Blue Grass Savings Bank, a part owner 
 of a creamery in Clay county, Iowa, and a member of the Knights, of Pythias 
 lodge at Walcott; George F., who married Olga Schuett, a daughter of Theo- 
 dore Schuett, of Scott county, and owns a farm of one hundred and sixty- 
 acres just south of Walcott; Carl H., who married Agnes Gollinghorst and is 
 engaged in agricultural pursuits in Muscatine county; Ernest E., who married 
 Hertha Haller and resides in Davenport; Fred H., who makes his home with 
 his mother on what is known as Locust street road near Davenport; Anna C, 
 the wife of Louis Puck, of Davenport township ; Emma C, who wedded Albert 
 Illian, of Blue Grass; and one who died in infancy. 
 
 In his fraternal relations Mr. Soenke was a member of Scott Lodge, No. 
 ■^T, I. O. O. F., of Davenport, while politically his views were in accord with 
 the principles of the democratic party. He was at one time township trustee 
 of Blue Grass township and for several years served as school director, the 
 cause of education finding in him a warm champion. He passed to his final rest 
 on the loth of February, 1892, and with his death Blue Grass township lost 
 one of its representative and valued citizens who had ever been thoroughly iden- 
 tified with its interests and who, during the period of his residence within its 
 borders, had gained an extensive circle of warm friends who entertained for him 
 the highest regard and esteem because of his many excellent traits of character. 
 
 GEORGE W. CURTIS. 
 
 The simple weight of his character and ability has carried George W. Cur- 
 tis into important relations with the public life and interests of Long Grove, 
 where he is now engaged in business as a member of the H. W. Meier Auto- 
 mobile Company. He was formerly for many years a leading merchant of the 
 town and the methods which he followed might well serve as an example to 
 those who wish to win honorable success. 
 
 He was born in Davenport, March 30, i860. His father died when the son 
 was very young, and he was adopted by Abraham Curtis, one of the very early 
 settlers of the county, who arrived here in 1852. He was then a man of thirty- 
 five years, his birth having occurred in Rensselaer county. New York, Febru- 
 ary ID, 1817. His parents were Daniel and Mehitable (Masters) Curtis. The 
 former died in the Empire state, but the latter came to Scott county, where she 
 passed away in 1889. Abraham Curtis acquired his education in his native 
 county, attending the district schools and after putting aside his text-books he 
 gave his undivided attention to farming until he came to the middle west with 
 his wife in 1852. With Scott county as his destination, he purchased one hun- 
 dred and sixty acres of government land near the present town of Donahue in 
 
ABRAHAi\[ CURTTS 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 827 
 
 Hickory Grove township at four dollars per acre. This was wild prairie, but 
 he at once began to break the sod and soon the farm was under cultivation, 
 while from year to year he added to the improvements upon the place, con- 
 verting it into one of the well developed properties of the region. He resided 
 thereon until the spring of 1881, when he retired from active farm Ufe and 
 removed to Davenport. While residing on the old homestead he had purchased 
 other land from time to time until he was the owner of about five hundred 
 acres in Scott county and also had four hundred acres in Illinois. His capital 
 was thus placed in the safest of all investments — real estate — and as the years 
 went by he met with substantial prosperity which came as the direct reward of 
 his earnest, persistent labor. He took a keen interest in the Methodist church 
 and its growth, but was not a member. His wife and family also attended that 
 church. Mr. Curtis passed away November 12, 1902, and his remains were in- 
 terred in Pine Hill cemetery at Davenport. His wife, who was born in Wash- 
 ington county, New York, April i, 1819, died on the 9th of April, 1893, and 
 she, too, was laid to rest at Pine Hill. They were married in 1851, and having 
 no children of their own, they reared three adopted children : Abbie, the wife 
 of Dr. J. R. Dosh, of Stuart, Iowa; Anna I., the wife of Lester Adams, of 
 Eagle Bridge, New York; and George W. 
 
 The last named pursued his education in the district schools of Hickory 
 Grove township, Cornell College, of Mount Vernon, and the Davenport Busi- 
 ness College. He remained with his foster parents in Davenport until January, 
 1884, when he removed to Long Grove and formed a partnership with M. M. 
 Rice. They purchased a store and stock of general merchandise from O. W. 
 Richardson & Company and continued together in business for two years, when 
 Mr. Curtis purchased his partner's interest and continued alone until 1901. In 
 the conduct of his mercantile enterprise he met with substantial success, con- 
 ducting a profitable business until he sold the stock to Marriott & George. He 
 still owns the building, however. While still engaged in general merchandising 
 he established the Star Creamery of Long Grove in 1890, but also leased that 
 property at the time he rented his store. He then lived retired until 1909, but 
 indolence and idleness are utterly foreign to his nature and preferring to re- 
 main an active factor in business circles he formed a partnership with H. W. 
 Meier and G. B. Maxwell, under the firm name of the H. W. Meier Automobile 
 Company. They handle some of the best makes of motor cars and are suc- 
 cessful in the past year in filling many orders. In addition to his interests in 
 this line, Mr. Curtis is the owner of two hundred and forty acres of valuable 
 land in Hickory Grove township and is a stockholder in the Stockman's Savings 
 Bank at Long Grove. 
 
 On the 25th of September, 1885, occurred the marriage of Mr. Curtis and 
 Miss Minnie Martindale, a daughter of Thomas and Mary Ann Martindale, of 
 whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Curtis 
 have been born seven children, as follows : Raymond A., who is acting as cash- 
 ier in the Stockman's Savings Bank at Long Grove; Bessie M., who is attend- 
 ing college at Eureka, Illinois; LeRoy M., Edith M., Harold T., Margaret E. 
 and Robert, all still under the parental roof. 
 
828 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 The family are members of the Christian church at Long Grove, in which 
 Mr. Curtis is serving as elder. He has also acted as superintendent of the 
 Sunday school and at the present time his son is filling that position. Mr. Curtis 
 has been a member of this church for twenty-four years and has taken a most 
 active and helpful part in its work and contributes generously to its support. 
 He was treasurer of Long Grove for more than fifteen years. He and his chil- 
 dren have always been prominent in musical circles here, all possessing good 
 musical ability, well developed, and Raymond Curtis is now acting as organist 
 of the Christian church. Fraternally Mr. Curtis is associated with the Wood- 
 men of the World at Long Grove, and both he and his wife are members of 
 the Court of Honor. In both these organizations he has held office, and for 
 seventeen years he filled the position of postmaster of Long Grove, being first 
 appointed during the administration of President Arthur and continuing in the 
 position by reappointment until he resigned because of the pressure of other 
 business interests. He has been a directing force in much that has contributed 
 to the city's commercial progress, and his name is linked with many of the 
 movements and measures that have been of marked value in promoting the 
 growth of the town along other commendable lines. His life work has always 
 conformed to a high standard of upright and honorable manhood and his gen- 
 uine personal worth is acknowledged by all who know him. 
 
 J. W. GILCHRIST. 
 
 A native of Scotland but a resident of this country since a lad of fourteen 
 years, J. W. Gilchrist has become in Davenport — the city of his adoption — one 
 of its most highly honored and respected citizens. He is identified with that 
 important branch of industry — the coal and lumber business. The date of his 
 birth is September 28, 1857, and his parents are H. M. and Mary (Weir) Gil- 
 christ. His father, who preceded him in the coal and lumber business, was a 
 man of means, who left Caledonia, Scotland, in 1871 and shortly after landing 
 in America located in Rapids City, Illinois. The town of Gilchrist in Mercer 
 county, Illinois, was laid out by him and received his name becoming a place 
 of considerable importance in the coal industry. 
 
 J. W. Gilchrist had already received a good education in Scotland when he 
 came to this country. He was so situated that he was able to acquaint himself 
 with all the details of his father's business and as soon as he had attained to 
 sufficient age he became associated with that gentleman. Their success has 
 been good and as a matter of history needs no comment. 
 
 Mr. Gilchrist was married in 1877 to Miss Caroline Schaechter, and to them 
 have been born nine children. Hugh, who married Miss Elizabeth McQuirk and 
 has a daughter, Marjorie, assists his father in the lumber and coal business. 
 Mary is the wife of Charles Crowe and resides in Los Angeles. John W., Jr., 
 also assists his father in the business. Grace is the wife of John Ploehm. Ar- 
 chibald is a student at Purdue University. Jean, Charles, Caroline and Helen 
 are all at school, Caroline being enrolled at St. Katherine's school. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 829 
 
 The Gilchrist home is among the most attractive in the city. This was pur- 
 chased upon the removal of the family of Davenport in 1899 and it was origin- 
 ally the old Fulton home. It has been rebuilt and remodeled and is both hand- 
 some and picturesque, commanding as it does a fine view of the river. 
 
 Mr. Gilchrist attends the Presbyterian church and in his fraternal relations 
 he is a Mason. Resolute, keen and upright, exhibiting in his Hfe many of those 
 traits characteristic of his Scotch ancestry, he constitutes in himself a valuable 
 factor in the life of Davenport, both in its social and economic relations. 
 
 A. H. STOLTENBERG. 
 
 A. H. Stoltenberg, who, free from ostentation and display, is nevertheless 
 by the consensus of public opinion accorded prominence in financial circles of 
 Iowa and has come to be recognized as one of the leading representatives of 
 banking interests in this state, was born in Blue Grass township, this county, 
 on the 14th of September, 1863. His father, Heinrich Stoltenberg, was a na- 
 tive of Holstein, Germany, and a shipwright by trade.' He sailed between Liver- 
 pool and New York for several years before finally taking up his abode in Blue 
 Grass township with the other members of his father's family. Turning his 
 attention to general agricultural pursuits, he became prosperous in his farming 
 operations and was well known as one of the reliable and enterprising citizens 
 of his community. He died April 28, 1893. His wife, who bore the maiden 
 name of Trina Lamp, was a native of Germany and a member of one of the 
 oldest families of this county, represented here since 1846. She survived her 
 husband for several years and passed away December 4, 1899. 
 
 Reared on his father's farm, A. H. Stoltenberg pursued his education in 
 the public schools of the county and afterward took charge of the old home- 
 stead, which he continued to cultivate for fifteen years, bringing the fields 
 under a high state of development and carrying on his work along the most 
 progressive lines. In 1900 he removed to Davenport and became interested in a 
 number of business ventures. His sound judgment and keen discernment made 
 his cooperation a valued factor in successful management. He is now largely 
 interested in banking, being connected, with a number of banks in Davenport as 
 a stockholder. He was one of the organizers of the Lake Park (Iowa) Bank 
 and the State Bank of Harris, Iowa. 
 
 Interested as all American citizens should be, in the political situation of 
 the country, he has thoroughly informed himself concerning the questions and 
 issues of the day and gives stalwart support to the republican party. He has 
 no desire for office, but during his absence in California was nominated for the 
 legislature, the party recognizing that he would be a strong candidate and feel- 
 ing moreover that his sound business judgment and public-spirited citizenship 
 would constitute important elements in the adoption of wise legislative measures. 
 He served through the thirtieth, thirty-first and thirty-second general assemblies 
 and an extraordinary session of the thirty-second, representing the thirty-fourth 
 district. Each question that came up for settlement received his earnest and 
 
830 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 thoughful consideration and such is the regard entertained for his political wis- 
 dom and sagacity that his support of a measure also secured the endorsement 
 of others. He has held a number of minor offices and yet he is by no means a 
 politician, for his preference is to remain free from entangling alliances with 
 political activity. 
 
 In 1886 Mr. Stoltenberg was married to Miss Magdeline Weise, a native of 
 Scott county and a daughter of Peter Weise, one of the old settlers here. They 
 now have one child, Clara. Mr. Stoltenberg is prominent in the Masonic fra- 
 ternity, having attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite, while he 
 has also crossed the sands of the desert with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. 
 He seeks no notoriety but belongs to that class of solid, subtantial citizens whose 
 genuine worth all recognize. He represents one of the old families of the county, 
 is deeply interested in the welfare of the community and his endorsement of 
 public measures usually secures them other followers. 
 
 JAMES GRELL. 
 
 James Grell, who is now practically living retired on his farm in Aliens 
 Grove township, formerly led a very active, busy and useful life and well de- 
 serves the rest which he now enjoys. He was born in Kiel, Holstein, Germany, 
 March 10, 1839, a son of Frederick and Margaret (Reinhardt) Grell, who spent 
 their entire lives in the fatherland. The father served seven years in the German 
 army and was a farmer by occupation, being overseer of a large estate. His 
 family numbered five ^ons and five daughters, but only four came to the United 
 States, these being : John, who is now deceased ; James, of this review ; Claus, 
 who makes his home in Nebraska; and Katherine, who became the wife of 
 Henry Steen and has departed this life. 
 
 James Grell spent the period of his boyhood and youth in his parents' home 
 and when fifteen years of age began learning the wagonmaker's trade, which he 
 followed until he attained the age of twenty-three years. Possessing strong 
 and persevering characteristics, developed by his earlier environment, which, 
 coupled with the Hvelier impulses of the Teutonic blood of his ancestors, made 
 him at that time seek wider fields in which to give scope to his ambition and 
 industry, and he accordingly emigrated to the new world. His brother John 
 had preceded him to America and was located in Aliens Grove township, Scott 
 county. This fact led James Grell to this county, and he here worked at his 
 trade for seventeen years on the farm which he now owns. In the meantime 
 he had purchased small tracts of timber land and in addition to working at his 
 trade of wagonmaker, he cleared and developed his land, putting it in condition 
 for cultivation. When he had a sufficient amount ready to plant he abandoned 
 his trade and gave his full time to the care of his fields. As he prospered he 
 kept adding to his original purchase until he now owns a half section of good 
 farming property, located on section 27, Aliens Grove township, and in addition 
 he owns one hundred acres of timber land. He has also given some of his land 
 to his sons, for at one time he was the owner of six hundred acres. Mr. Grell 
 
.ta:\]Ks grell 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 833 
 
 made all of the improvements on his place, the family occupying a comfortable 
 home, while the outbuildings and bams are all arranged with a view to conven- 
 ience. For many years he was busily engaged in carrying on his work, but he is 
 now practically living retired, merely giving supervision to his interests, while 
 the actual labor is performed by others. 
 
 Mr. Grell was married in 1862, just before starting on his trip to the new 
 world, the lady of his choice being Miss Margaret Bliimer, who was born near 
 Kiel, Holstein, Germany, January 14, 1839. She was a daughter of David 
 Blumer, who was born in Switzerland. The young couple reached their destina- 
 tion, Scott county, in June, 1862, and here reared a family numbering four sons 
 and four daughters. Edward, the eldest, is at home. Julius is a resident of 
 Hickory Grove township, Scott county, and is mentioned elsewhere in this, work. 
 Gus is also mentioned in this volume. Dora is the wife of Charles Blanchard 
 and they make their home in Oklahoma. Emma is the wife of Herman Thede, 
 a resident of Hickory Grove township. Minnie is the wife of Claus Engelhart 
 and they make their home with Mr. Grell. Mr. Engelhart served eight years 
 in the regular army in Company E, Seventeenth United States Infantry. This 
 service included the Spanish-American war in Cuba and thirteen months in the 
 Philippines, where he acted as sergeant of his company. He participated in 
 thirteen engagements during his eight years' service. Chris, the next member 
 of the Grell family, resides in Aliens Grove township, and Jennie, the youngest, 
 is the wife of John Hoffman, of Winfield township, Scott county. The wife 
 and mother departed this life on the ist of May, 1889, when about fifty years 
 of age. 
 
 Mr. Grell is a democrat in his political affiliations, and for a quarter of a 
 century served as justice of the peace, his efficiency in office being indicated 
 by his long term of service. For a similar period he also acted as trustee of 
 his tOAvnship. He has always taken a deep interest in political affairs, and is 
 willing to lend his aid and cooperation to everything that tends to advance the 
 public welfare. Though born across the water, he is thoroughly American in 
 thought and feeling, and is patriotic and sincere in his love for the stars and 
 stripes. His career is identified with the history of Scott county, where he has 
 acquired a competence and where he is an honored and respected citizen. 
 
 ALONZO WILLIAM CANTWELL, M. D. 
 
 Few men have had firmer hold on the affection of their fellow townsmen 
 than Dr. Alonzo William Cantwell and the record of his life therefore cannot 
 fail to prove of interest to many of our readers. He was born April 25, 1841, 
 in Mansfield, Ohio. His parents were James and Sarah (Ferguson) Cantwell, 
 also natives of the Buckeye state. The father was a well-to-do contractor, 
 farmer and mill operator, closely associated with the business activity and sub- 
 stantial development of the section in which he lived. He served with credit as 
 a soldier of the Mexican war and when the Civil war broke out he recruited a 
 company and went to the front as lieutenant colonel of the Fourth Ohio Infan- 
 
834 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 try. Six months later he recruited the Eighty-second Ohio Infantry, of which he 
 was commissioned colonel, serving with that rank until killed at the second 
 battle of Bull Run on the 29th of August, 1862. Had he survived that fatal 
 day he would have been made brigadier general. 
 
 Dr. Cantwell was educated in the public schools of Mansfield, being gradu- 
 ated from the high school with the class of 1858. He devoted the succeeding 
 year to the grocery business but did not find it a congenial pursuit and retired 
 at the end of that time. In i860 the family removed to Kenton, Ohio, and Dr. 
 Cantwell assisted his father in looking after his various interests. Thus his 
 time was busily occupied, for his father was the owner of farming property, 
 mills and much live stock. In 1862, in spite of his father's opposition, he de- 
 termined to join the army and was commissioned first lieutenant. On the day 
 that he had arranged to report for duty with twenty-five men his father was 
 killed. Dr. Cantwell was compelled to proceed with his men but Governor Tod 
 assisted him in having his resignation accepted and he returned home to settle 
 up his father's estate. The next three years were devoted to that task and 
 in 1865 he went to Chillicothe, Missouri, where he engaged in the hardware 
 business. After a short time, however, he accepted a position as traveling sales- 
 man with a wholesale hardware house and in 1866 he went to McMinnville, 
 Tennessee, where he joined a cousin in the hardware business for six months. 
 On the expiration of that period he returned home. Commercial pursuits were 
 not entirely congenial to him and therefore he determined upon a professional 
 career, deciding to study medicine. In preparation for the practice he pursued 
 a course in the State University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and was graduated 
 in March, 1869. The same year he came Davenport and entered the office of 
 Dr. A. T. Maxwell, an old friend of his father's with whom he remained for 
 three and a half years. 
 
 In 1872 Dr. Cantwell was married to Miss Martha Dalzell, who was bom in 
 Philadelphia, November 12, 1839, a daughter of John Dalzell, who was bom in 
 Ireland and came to the United States in 1817. He settled in Pittsburg and in 
 1818 was married to Miss Elizabeth Miskally, of Philadelphia. In 1842 he re- 
 moved to Iowa, locating north of Davenport. While living on the farm he be- 
 came a man of affairs in this city. He was prominent in banking circles, 
 acquired considerable property and erected many houses and stores in Daven- 
 port. His business enterprise and activity contributed largely to the substantial 
 growth and upbuilding of the city. Mrs. Cantwell was the youngest child 
 and her life record continued to the 19th of January, 1904, when she was called 
 to her final rest. 
 
 In the year of his marriage Dr. Cantwell began practice alone and in 1873 
 he was appointed city and county physician, which position he filled for five 
 years. In 1872 he rendered valuable service in the smallpox epidemic, taking 
 charge of a pest house, for which act of bravery the city voted him one hundred 
 dollars. He was also a member of the board of health for many years and 
 for a long period was president of the board of pension examiners. He was 
 also a member of the different medical societies and served as president of the 
 Scott County Medical Society and treasurer of the Illinois Central District 
 Medical Society for twenty years. He was one of the organizers of the Iowa 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 835 
 
 Public Health Association and for the first ten years acted as its president. He 
 was a stanch apostle of everything pertaining to public health and did all he 
 could to check the ravages of disease, not only through private practice but 
 in disseminating knowledge that would constitute a source of prevention. 
 
 Dr. Cantwell was also one of Davenport's most eminent representatives of 
 Masonry. He took high degrees in both the York and Scottish Rites and acted 
 as presiding officer in all the dififerent Masonic bodies. He stood not only in 
 the front rank of his profession but was also a respected citizen and honored 
 man, his fellow townsmen entertaining for him the highest esteem because of 
 the character and value of his public work and his unfaltering fidelity to high 
 and honorable principles. 
 
 IRA L. GIFFORD. 
 
 Ira L. Gifford, now living retired in Davenport, was born in this city, April 
 2, i860. His father, Ira M. Gifford, was a native of the Empire state, his 
 birth occurring in Schlaghticoke, near Valley Falls, New York. He was a farmer 
 in the east, and, following his removal to Iowa about 1855, he came to Daven- 
 port and invested extensively in lands in this state, improving his opportunities 
 to purchase at a low figure, for with keen foresight he realized that with the 
 settlement of the state the land must eventually rise in value. As the years 
 passed on the wisdom of his judgment was proven, and he won a place among 
 the men of afifiuence because of his previous wise investments. Later he en- 
 gaged in the banking business and became one of the prominent citizens of this 
 section of the state. For a great many years he was president of the First Na- 
 tional Bank of Davenport, being connected with Austin Corbin in its manage- 
 ment. It was chartered in 1863 and was the first national bank of the city. He 
 carefully formulated his plans, was determined in their execution and as the 
 years passed by he left the impress of his individuality upon the public life of 
 the community, especially in financial circles. He was one of the organizers 
 of what is now the Davenport Savings Bank, of which he was a stockholder 
 and director for many years. During the Civil war he was appointed by Gov- 
 ernor Kirkwood as inspector of the commissary department of the Iowa troops 
 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1858 he also served as clerk of the county 
 courts and was a republican in politics. 
 
 Ira M. Gifford was married to Miss Helen J. Lowrey and they became the 
 parents of two children, Waite and Ira L. The death of the father occurred 
 August 12, 1885, and in his passing Davenport lost one of its representative 
 and honored citizens. His widow long survived him and was called to her 
 final rest January 31, 1907. Both were interred in a Davenport cemetery. 
 
 Ira L. Gififord acquired his education in the public schools of Davenport 
 and in early manhood secured employment in a hardware store, where he re- 
 mained for about seven years. During the succeeding decade he was in business 
 on his own account and on the expiration of that period removed to Chicago, 
 where he entered the employ of the government, receiving appointment as revenue 
 
836 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 stamp agent in the treasury department from Lyman J. Gage. After a few years 
 he was transferred to the position of assistant cashier of the postoffice. He re- 
 mained in Chicago for twelve years, when impaired health caused him to with- 
 draw from business circles, and he has since lived retired in Davenport. 
 
 On the 14th of September, 1887, Mr. Gifford wedded Miss Ella Webb, a 
 daughter of C. T. and Charlotte (Lansing) Webb, who had come from Albany, 
 New York. Their three children, Cornelia L., Juliet S. and Ira L., are in 
 school. 
 
 The family are communicants of the Episcopal church and Mr. Gififord is 
 a Mason, belonging to Trinity Lodge, No. 208, A. F. & A. M., and also to the 
 chapter, commandery and Mystic Shrine. Respected and honored in business 
 and official relations, he is regarded as one of the representative citizens of 
 Davenport, inasmuch as he is ever a stalwart champion of those projects and move- 
 ments which contribute to the material, intellectual, social and moral welfare of 
 the community. 
 
 MRS. EMMA BAKER. 
 
 One of the attractive farms of Davenport township is the one of one hun- 
 dred and seventy acres which Mrs. Emma Baker operates with the assistance of 
 her sons and which represents the good management and foresight of its owner. 
 She is a daughter of John and Charlotte (Lodge) Draper and was born in Naun- 
 ton, Gloucestershire, England, September 21, 1846. Her father, whose birth 
 occurred 1814, and her mother, who was born 181 1, came to the United States 
 about the middle of the last century. They made their way to Iowa almost 
 immediately after landing, settling first in Pleasant Valley and then removing 
 to the vicinity of Dayenport, where they secured a tract of farm land which 
 remained their home until the death of the father in 1878. The mother survived 
 until 1899. 
 
 Mrs. Emma Baker attended the public schools of Davenport township, re- 
 ceiving a good education. On the 21st of February, 1866, she gave her hand 
 in marriage to John Baker, who was the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas 
 Baker. He was born in England in 1843 and was about thirteen years of age 
 when his parents came to America. After settling in Iowa, he bought twenty 
 acres of land, on which his widow now lives, and started to raise sugar cane. 
 He was successful in this occupation, besides making a reputation for himself 
 through the manufacture of molasses, for he produced from amber cane more 
 of this food product than any of his neighbors. Mr. Baker, who was highly 
 regarded by his fellowmen, died October 8, 1886. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Baker became the parents of nine children. Alice married 
 Truman Granville. They live at Omaha and have two sons, Stuart and Arthur. 
 Nellie became the wife of Charles Hoover. Oliver lives in Nebraska. Frank 
 lives in Davenport township, and Rose resides in Davenport. Florence became 
 the wife of Harry Bills and they have two daughters, Virginia and Mabel. 
 Bessie makes her home in Davenport. William and John are with their mother. 
 
JOHN BAKER 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 839 
 
 They operate the farm, which consists now of one hundred and seventy acres, 
 for after the death of her husband Mrs. Baker believed it a prudent thing to 
 purchase one hundred and fifty acres of land. She has had no reason to regret 
 her investment, for the land is rich, and, being tilled carefully and in accord- 
 ance with scientific methods, is producing rich returns for her thought and the 
 labor of her sons. While she has displayed fine business ability she has also 
 reared her family well and inculcated into them noble qualities of character. 
 
 HENRY SCHUMACHER, M. D. 
 
 Among the worthy representatives of the medical profession in Walcott 
 who are meeting with success in their chosen life work is numbered Dr. Henry 
 Schumacher, who has also been closely identified with the public interests of 
 this city during the period covering his residence here. A native of Illinois, he 
 was born in Moline on the 23d of April, 1856, and is a son of Henry A. and 
 Helena M. (Heyer) Schumacher. The father, who was born in Eutin, Germany, 
 on the 24th of February, 1818, came to America in 1849, at once going to Cali- 
 fornia with a party of gold seekers. In 1852 he went to Illinois, locating in Moline, 
 where he was engaged in the butchering business until 1869. In 1853, in 
 Moline, he was united in marriage to Mrs. Helena M. Heyer, who was also a 
 native of Germany, her birth occurring in Pretz on the 30th of August, 1817. 
 For nine years Dr. Henry Schumacher of this review was a pupil in the 
 public schools of Moline, and then accompanied his father on a visit to Ger- 
 many, where, for two years, he attended school in Eutin. Upon his return from 
 Germany he entered Griswold College in 1871, remaining there until 1873, and 
 then went west, where for six years he was engaged in prospecting and mining. 
 The year 1879 witnessed his return home, after which he became a student 
 at the Iowa State University, from which he was graduated in the spring of 1882. 
 In the meantime he had pursued a medical course and during the scholastic 
 year 1881-82 had served as interne at Mercy Hospital, thus receiving excellent 
 practical training. After completing his college course he returned to Moline 
 and there took charge of the smallpox cases for the county. He remained in 
 that place for only two months, however, and then went to Durant, where he 
 followed his profession for nineteen years. On the 24th of December, 1899, he 
 came to Walcott and has since made this place his home, continuing in the 
 practice of medicine to the present time. Since opening up an office here he 
 has gained a very large and representative patronage which is constantly in- 
 - creasing in volume and importance, and he is now numbered among the well 
 known and prominent practitioners of this county. He is not only thoroughly 
 conscientious in the discharge of his various duties, fully recognizing the obli- 
 gations that rest upon him in connection with his chosen calling, but keeps in 
 close touch with the work of advancement and progress which is constantly be- 
 ing carried on in the medical world, being a member of the American Medical 
 Association, the Iowa State Medical Society, the Scott County Medical Society, 
 the Tri City Medical Society and the Muscatine County Society of Physicians 
 
840 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 & Surgeons. He has ever remained an earnest student, continually broadening 
 his knowledge by extensive reading and research, and everything that tends to 
 solve the mystery which we call life is of intense interest to him. 
 
 Dr. Schumacher has been twice married. In 1883 he wedded Miss Laura 
 Krabbenhoeft, who only lived for three months, however, and in 1884 he chose 
 as his second wife Miss Rosa Steiifen. This marriage has been blessed with two 
 children, namely: Henry Walter,- attending school in Moline; and Helena M., 
 a resident of Durant. Dr. Schumacher is well known in fraternal circles, hold- 
 ing membership in Doric Lodge, No. 319, A. F. & A. M., of MoHne; Zarepath 
 Consistory of Davenport; Knights of Pythias lodge. No. 312, of Walcott; 
 Walcott lodge. No. 3479, M. W. A.; the Royal Neighbors; and the Fraternal 
 Order of Eagles. In all of these organizations he is active and prominent. 
 
 Although he has attained a high place in his profession in this community, 
 Dr. Schumacher is almost equally well known because of his deep and helpful 
 interest in public affairs. Stalwart in his allegiance to democratic principles, 
 during his residence in Durant he was mayor of that city for two terms, also 
 served as coroner of Cedar county for two terms and likewise was pension ex- 
 aminer under President Cleveland. His fellow citizens in Walcott have also 
 recognized his ability and worth and have called him to important offices of 
 honor, electing him mayor of the town, in which office he served during the 
 years 1905-6-7. He has also been school director and is at present acting as 
 justice of the peace, and in all instances has proven himself a very capable and 
 efficient official, thoroughly justifying the faith placed in him by his fellow towns- 
 men. 
 
 Dr. Schumacher is the owner and proprietor of Castle Hall, the lodge build- 
 ing of Walcott, and has gained considerable prominence throughout the locality 
 as an enthusiastic relic hunter, having in his possession some very interesting 
 articles. He is the owner of a very valuable museum containing hundreds of 
 Indian relics of all kinds, and also has a rare collection of stamps presented to 
 him by a Danish prince, Ferdinand of Gliicksburg, of which he is justly proud. 
 He is likewise the possessor of a very fine collection of coins, containing thousands 
 of pieces, some of which are hundreds of years old. 
 
 ALBERT KLINDT. 
 
 Albert Klindt, proprietor of the Hotel Donahue, at Donahue, Iowa, was bom 
 in Maysville, this county, October 2, 1877, a son of Henry and Cecelia (Sindt) 
 Klindt. The father has long been known as one of the prominent citizens of 
 Maysville and Hickory Grove township, being a man of public spirit whose in- 
 fluence was ever exerted in behalf of public improvements. Indeed, he was one 
 of the original directors and organizers of the Donahue Savings Bank and was 
 instrumental in bringing that concern to a substantial financial footing. Five 
 children were born to him and his wife : Meta, who is now the wife of William 
 Jurgens, a merchant of New Liberty, this county; Albert, the subject of this 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 841 
 
 sketch ; Hertha, who died at the age of two years ; Henry, Jr., of whom men- 
 tion is made elsewhere in this work ; and Grover Qeveland, who died in infancy. 
 
 Albert Klindt remained in Maysville with his parents until he was twenty- 
 one years of age, when he began his business career. He received his early 
 education in the public schools there, later attending the free school in Daven- 
 port for one year and completing his studies at Duncan's Business College. 
 When he sought a position in the commercial world he found employment first 
 as bookkeeper with the Davenport Ice Company, with whom he remained for 
 one year. He went next to the German Savings Bank, of Davenport, holding 
 a position in the mortgage department of that concern for two years. At the 
 end of that period he entered the employ of Armour & Company as stock clerk 
 at Freeport, Illinois, and at the end of three months was transferred to Gales- 
 burg, that state, where he held the position of cashier. Shortly afterward, 
 however, he resigned that position although he again entered their employ as a 
 traveling man, going to St. Louis, Missouri, at the time of the world's fair there. 
 When his work there was accomplished he was sent to Shreveport, Louisiana, 
 but owing to ill health he was compelled to leave that section of the country, 
 thereupon he returned to Scott county and took up his residence with his parents. 
 On the ist of January, 1906, he assumed the management of the Donahue Ho- 
 tel, which his father owned and which he has since operated with success. 
 In connection with the hotel, he has a saloon and dance hall, the latter being 
 a popular resort in Aliens Grove township. Mr. Klindt has other business in- 
 terests, for he succeeded his father as director of the German Savings Bank here 
 and is also an extensive shipper of poultry. He possesses unquestioned ability 
 and has won a deserved success from his operations. 
 
 On the 22d of October, 1905, Mr. Klindt was united in marriage to Miss 
 Kuhrt, who was bom in Buffalo township, this county, August 12, 1881. Her 
 parents, Herman and Emma (Bruhn) Kuhrt, were natives of Holstein, Ger- 
 many, and upon coming to America settled in Buffalo township, which is still 
 their home. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Klindt have been bom two sons : Roland, and 
 Henry, who is the third to bear that family name. One of the younger business 
 men of his township, Mr. Klindt is also one of the more progressive, and in 
 recognition of his success enjoys the respect of those who know him. 
 
 F. ESBIN SMITH. 
 
 F. Esbin Smith, superintendent of the Bettendorf Axle Company and a young 
 man of more than usual ability, was born in Lima, Ohio, April 2, 1880, a son 
 of Frank C. and Jennie (Fox) Smith, also natives of that state. As the father 
 was made general foreman of the Fort Wayne car shops and continued in that 
 position many years, the family removed to Fort Wayne when F. Esbin Smith 
 was a boy. No longer filling that position, the elder Mr. Smith now resides in 
 Cleveland, Ohio, and is connected with the New York Central lines. 
 
 After taking a public-school course, F. Esbin Smith entered the employ of 
 S. F. Bowser & Company, of Fort Wayne, as an apprentice machinist and later 
 
842 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 as special apprentice in the car department of the Pennsylvania road. After 
 learning his trade the young man remained with the Pennsylvania people work- 
 ing up to assistant general car inspector of the northwest system in which posi- 
 tion he had charge of the inspection of all new passenger and freight cars 
 built at car manufacturing companies. However, he was very ambitious, and in 
 1906 he secured a position of chief inspector of the Bettendorf Steel Car Com- 
 pany, and located in Davenport. Early in 1908 he became assistant shop super- 
 intendent of the Bettendorf Axle Company and in 1909 was promoted to super- 
 intendent. 
 
 In December, 1907, Mr. Smith married EHzabeth Graper, a member of a 
 cultured Kentucky family. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have a pleasant home here 
 where their many friends are sure of being suitably entertained. 
 
 So many of the rnen in charge of various departments in Davenport are 
 still young in years, although thoroughly experienced. It appears to be the 
 desire of the heads of the various institutions to secure young men, believing 
 that their energy, enthusiasm and new ideas will inject fresh blood and work out 
 for ultimate good. There are few men of his age who have accomplished more 
 in their appointed lines than Mr. Smith, who not only is fulfilling every expecta- 
 tion of his company but has won the friendship of his men and obtained from 
 them the best results. 
 
 During 1910 the Bettendorf Company did some extensive building, among 
 which is the new erecting shop, a building having three hundred and sixty thousand 
 square feet floor area. This building and the steel materials therein was super- 
 intended by Mr. Smith and stands as the largest single building in the world 
 and is one of the sightseeing points of Davenport. 
 
 JOHN H. HAMANN. 
 
 A valuable farming property of two hundred and sixty acres in Sheridan 
 township is the result of what John H. Hamann has accomplished since coming 
 to America, for he possesses the industry, thrift and preseverance so charac- 
 teristic of the German race. He was born in Holstein, Germany, September 
 18, 1834, a son of Henry and Dorothy Hamann. The father served in the army 
 and followed the occupation of farming as a life work. He passed away in 
 Germany but his wife, who emigrated to the United States about 1863, died 
 in this country in 1886. 
 
 From the reports which came to John H. Hamann in his early manhood, he 
 was convinced that America offered better opportunities to the ambitious young 
 man than did his own country, and accordingly, after he had completed his 
 studies and was ready to start out in the business world, he set sail for the 
 United States, the year 1857 witnessing his arrival in New York. From that 
 place he at once made his way to Scott county, where for five years he was 
 employed at farm labor. He then established a home of his own by his mar- 
 riage, after which he located in Davenport and engaged in teaming for five 
 years. However, farming seemed to appeal to him and accordingly he rented 
 

 o 
 5 
 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 845 
 
 a tract of land in Sheridan township, which he cultivated for six years. Dur- 
 ing these years he had been successful, each year gathering good crops, which 
 brought to him a sum of money that enabled him to purchase one hundred and 
 sixty acres, which constitutes a portion of his present acreage. Locating on his 
 newly acquired possessions, he at once began to further improve and develop 
 the place and now has a fine country residence, surrounded with substantial barns 
 and outbuildings. He has since added one hundred acres and now has a farm 
 comprising two hundred and sixty acres, all of which is in a cultivable state. In 
 addition to carrying on general farming he raises shorthorn cattle and Poland 
 China hogs, and he is today accounted one of the leading farmers and stock- 
 raisers of Sheridan township. 
 
 It was on the 31st of January, 1863, that Mr. Hamann was married to Miss 
 Anna Neilsen, who came to the United States from Germany in 1862, making 
 the trip alone. She was born in Schleswig, Bredstedt, Germany, on the 28th of 
 May, 1837, a daughter of Dietrich and Cathrina (Tackmann) Neilsen. By her 
 marriage Mrs. Hamann has become the mother of two sons and two daughters. 
 Rosie is. the wife of Julius Grell, of Aliens Grove township, and they have a 
 daughter and son, Margaret and Carl. August, the second member of the family, 
 wedded Minnie Leptien and they reside on his father's farm. They have four 
 children: Leona, August, Luther and Elma. Augustus and Bertha are still with 
 their parents. 
 
 Mr. Hamann gives stalwart support to the democratic party and on that 
 ticket was elected township trustee, which office he filled very acceptably for six 
 years. He has also been road supervisor and school director. He is methodical 
 and systematic in his work, as is apparent in the conduct of his farm, all fields 
 being platted and arranged so that the best results may be obtained from the 
 labor expended. The outbuildings and barns are also arranged with a view to 
 convenience and a glance at his attractive and well kept place, which is located 
 within three miles of Eldridge, is in itself a lesson in thrift and industry. 
 
 JOSEPH D. BARNES. 
 
 Joseph D. Barnes has for sixty-six years been a resident of Scott county, 
 nearly that entire period being passed in Le Claire. There are interesting chap- 
 ters in his life record, not the least of which is relative to his service as a soldier 
 of the Civil war. Moreover, he comes of an ancestry that has always manifested 
 the greatest loyalty to the country when warfare has been in progress. His 
 great-grandfather, Benjamin Barnes, at the age of sixteen years became a sol- 
 dier in Fort William Henry on Lake George, New York, and when it was cap- 
 tured by General Montcalm he was among the number who were made pris- 
 oners of war. However, he succeeded in making his escape and reached the 
 'American lines in safety. His early experiences proved an excellent training 
 school for his military service about twenty years later, when he became a cap- 
 tain of the American troops in the war of the Revolution, participating in the 
 battles of Lexington, Bunker Hill and other engagements. 
 
846 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Elijah Barnes, a son of Captain Benjamin Barnes, was a resident of the 
 state of New York, where he remained until the outbreak of the war of 1812, 
 when he enlisted for service in the second war with England and participated 
 in the battle of Plattsburg. He was afterward ordered to Niagara and en- 
 gaged in the battles of Lundy's Lane and Chippewa. His health failing, he was 
 granted a furlough that he might return nome. He started but had proceeded 
 only as far as Greenbush, New York, when he was sent to a hospital and soon 
 afterward died leaving a widow and six children. 
 
 Dennis Barnes, son of Elijah Barnes, was born in Essex county. New York, 
 December 22, 1806, and at the age of nineteen years left home, going to New 
 York city, where he shipped on an outward bound vessel for the East Indies. 
 He followed the life of a sailor for seven years, after which he went to New 
 Orleans and engaged in the steamboat business in the Cincinnati and New Or- 
 leans trade. To that business he devoted his energies for nine years. In 1836 
 he married Emily Danforth, of Cincinnati, and unto them were bom four 
 children: Norman L., Albert A., Joseph D. and Laura A. He was one of the 
 early pioneers of Scott county, to which he made his way in 1842, entering land 
 from the government. In 1844 he removed his family to his claim, whereon he 
 spent much of his life. He died, however, in Davenport at the Fejvery Home at 
 the age of ninety-two 'years. 
 
 Joseph D. Barnes, a son of Dennis and Emily Barnes, was born in the city 
 of Cincinnati, March 11, 1843, ^nd was brought to Scott county by his parents 
 the following year, the family landing at Le Claire from the steamboat Osprey. 
 Since that time Joseph D. Barnes has resided almost continuously at Le Claire. 
 At the outbreak of the Civil war he was a young man of nineteen years. His 
 patriotic spirit was aroused by the attempt of the south to overthrow the 
 Union and he enlisted as a private of Company K, Twentieth Iowa Volunteer 
 Infantry, to serve for three years or during the war. He participated in the 
 battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, December 7, 1862, and for meritorious con- 
 duct on the march and in battle he was promoted to the rank of orderly ser- 
 geant. He also participated in the siege and capture of Vicksburg, which capitu- 
 lated July 4, 1863, and in the siege and capture of Fort Morgan, Alabama, 
 which was terminated September 6, 1864. He also aided in the siege of Fort 
 Blakely, Alabama, and the assault thereon on the 9th of April, 1865. This was 
 the last general engagement of the Civil war and for good conduct and strict 
 attention to duty he was commissioned first lieutenant of his company. His rec- 
 ord was a most creditable one, characterized by unfaltering loyalty to the fed- 
 eral government. When the war closed he returned home and for two years 
 followed rafting on the river, after which he turned his attention to farming 
 near Port Byron, Illinois. 
 
 In the year 1873 Mr. Barnes was united in marriage to Miss Florence E. James, 
 the eldest daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth James, of Le Claire. Unto them 
 have been born five children, namely: Raymond J., Fannie Albertine, Laura 
 Irne, Frank S. and Rolla T. 
 
 In the year 1878 Mr. Barnes returned with his family to Le Claire, where he 
 has since made his home and is one of the respected residents there. He was at 
 one time commander of the Grand Army post and has always been an active 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 847 
 
 worker in the organization. He has recently been commissioned a special aid- 
 de-camp on the staff of S. R. Van Sant, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army 
 of the Republic, with the rank of colonel. He was a member of the town coun- 
 cil for twelve consecutive years and a member of the board of education for six 
 years. As a Scott county pioneer he takes great interest in the early history of 
 Le Claire and this section of the state and, being possessed of a wonderful mem- 
 ory, he can recall events and happenings that have long since largely been for- 
 gotten. He has watched with interest the progress and events that have oc- 
 curred and at all times has rejoiced in what the county has accomplished. 
 
 Raymond J. Barnes, the eldest son of Joseph D. and Florence E. Barnes, 
 was born near Port Byron, Illinois, November 12, 1874, and soon afterward' 
 the family removed to Le Claire, where he lived with his parents until twenty 
 years of age, at which time he settled in Des Moines. On the outbreak of the 
 Spanish-American war he enlisted with Captain Frank Lyman of the Twelfth 
 United States Signal Corps and served for eleven months in Cuba. In the year 
 1904 he was united in marriage with Miss Bessie Young, of Des Moines, and their 
 two children are Jewell May and Raymond J., Jr. It will be seen that each 
 successive generation when the country has become involved in warfare that 
 the Barnes family has been loyal to the best interests of the nation and has 
 sought to give substantial proof of loyalty by active service in the field. 
 
 JOHN SOLLER. 
 
 John Soller is a prominent contractor and builder of Davenport and has 
 been an active factor in promoting the building interests of the city, being ac- 
 counted one of the substantial citizens and business men of this section of the 
 state. He was born in northern Germany, April 20, 185 1. He was reared and 
 educated in the land of his nativity and came as a young man to the new world. 
 He located first in Cincinnati, Ohio, and there learned the carpenter's trade, 
 which he followed in that city for about eleven years. He then took up his 
 abode in Davenport and here engaged in contracting and building on his own 
 account. He has erected many prominent business and residence structures in 
 this city and has attained a reputation which has placed him in a position second 
 to none in his particular field of activity. 
 
 Mr. Soller was married April 9, 1875, the lady of his choice being Miss 
 Jennie Hagemeyer, a daughter of William and Christina (Petersen) Hagemeyer, 
 of Cincinnati, where the father is a manufacturer of cigars. One son and three 
 daughters grace the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Soller: Minnie, the wife of Rev. 
 Frank Hertzler, by whom she has three children. Merle, Esther and Miriam; 
 Alice and Florence, both at home; and John, Jr., who wedded Miss Margaret 
 Mahan, by whom he has a son, John. 
 
 Mr. Soller is a republican in his political faith and at one time served as 
 president of the board of supervisors. He has attained high rank in Masonry, 
 belonging to the blue lodge, chapter, commandery and the Mystic Shrine. He is 
 likewise identified with the United Workmen and the Elks, while in religion 
 
848 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 he is a member of the German Methodist church. He has won distinction in 
 the business world through sound and conservative methods, while in social circles 
 he is also popular, for he possesses a genial, kindly nature that always wins 
 warm and admiring friends. His home, a beautiful residence on Kirkwood 
 boulevard, is a most hospitable one and here the family take great delight in 
 entertaining their many friends and acquaintances. 
 
 MRS. HARRIET A. SCHAEFFER. 
 
 Mrs. Harriet A. Schaeifer, well known in Davenport, where she has many 
 friends, has long been a resident of Scott county and is able to speak with au- 
 thority corjcerning many events which have left their impress upon the history 
 of this section of the state. She has lived to witness remarkable changes here, 
 for modern progress has wrought a transformation in this section of the country 
 no less marked than in other parts of the Union. 
 
 Mrs. Schaeffer is the widow of Francis J. Schaeifer, who was born in Alsace- 
 Lorraine, France, May 12, 1819. He acquired his education there and at the 
 age of seventeen years came to the United States. He had older brothers in 
 Kentucky, and that fact influenced him to first make his way to the Blue Grass 
 state, where he continued until 1849, when, attracted by the discovery of gold 
 in California, he crossed the plains to the Pacific coast. He did not seek his 
 fortune in the mines, however, but engaged in business as proprietor of stores 
 in San Francisco and Marysville. He continued a resident of that state until 
 during the Civil war, when he disposed of his interests there and came to Daven- 
 port. Soon afterward he purchased a farm in Rockingham township, upon 
 which he and his wife took up their abode and which Mrs. Schaeifer still owns, 
 the property embracing forty-five acres. As the years passed by he diligently 
 and persistently carried on the work of the fields until they returned to him 
 rich and bounteous harvests and his farm became one of the well improved 
 properties of that portion of the state. He took active part in politics while a 
 resident of Rockingham township, was a recognized leader in the ranks of the 
 democratic party and held the oiifices of trustee, assessor and school director. He 
 was instrumental in establishing the Fairmount school and did everything in his 
 power to promote the caiise of public education. 
 
 It was on the 5th of July, 1862, at Sag Harbor, Long Island, that Mr. 
 Schaeifer was united in marriage to Miss Harriet A. Rogers, who was born at 
 Branford, Connecticut, and is a daughter of Isaac and Sallie (Franklin) Rogers. 
 Her father was a farmer and the Rogers at one time owned nearly all of the 
 land in their native township. Her mother was born at Black Isle, a part of 
 Rhode Island, and is a representative of a very old and prominent eastern family 
 to which Benjamin Franklin also belonged, Mrs. Rogers being his niece. Mr. 
 Rogers served as a ^oldier through the war of 1812. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Schaeifer was born one daughter, Harriet Frances, who 
 became the wife of Morris R. Williams, who is a member of one of the old 
 
FRANCIS J. SCHAEFFEl; 
 
R. ]). LEO.\Ai;i» 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 853 
 
 families of Scott county and now lives at Cordova, Illinois. They have three 
 children: Leonard, Rolland and Margaret. 
 
 The death of Mr. Schaeffer occurred November i, 1905. He had removed 
 to Davenport in 1901 and spent his remaining days in the enjoyment of rest 
 which he had truly earned and richly deserved. His life was ever a. busy and 
 useful one, and not only did he win success in business, but also gained that 
 honorable name which is rather to be chosen than great riches. 
 
 Mrs. Schaeffer's sister, Mrs. Leonard, lives with her. She is the widow of 
 Rolland D. Leonard, who was born in New York in 1826, but lived for many 
 years in Scott county. He was the first county auditor of Scott county and held 
 the office of county clerk at the time the position of auditor was created. He 
 was then appointed to the latter office and later was elected, serving in all three 
 terms. He also served as assistant treasurer of Scott county and was one of 
 the leaders of the repubhcan party in this section of the state. In December, 
 1864, he wedded Miss Niobe Rogers and soon afterward they became residents 
 of this county, where Mr. Leonard passed away January 9, 1904, aged seventy- 
 eight years. His uncle and foster father, Rolland Day, was at one time a United 
 States senator from New York state. 
 
 WILLIAM F. HAHN. 
 
 William F. Hahn, who is now living retired in Davenport, was for a long 
 period profitably engaged in the drug business in Lowden, Iowa, and during 
 the years of his residence in that city was a prominent factor in public affairs. 
 Rare ability, geniality and breadth of sympathy were salient features iii his 
 success and united with a wise utilization of opportunities and an unswerving 
 adherence to honorable principles, gained for him the prosperity he now enjoys 
 in the evening of life and the respect of his associates. 
 
 William F. Hahn was born in Lensahnerhof, Holstein, Germany, October i, 
 1835, and received a good education in the public schools of his native land, 
 where he grew to manhood. He heard the call of the new world, however, and 
 as it proved irresistible he crossed the Atlantic and on the 4th of August, 1854, 
 landed in New York. He first went to Baltimore, remaining there a couple of 
 years, and then, in February, 1856, came westward. On reaching Rock Island, 
 Illinois, he crossed the river on the ice to Davenport, and continued his journey- 
 to Dewitt, Qinton county, Iowa. There he secured a position as clerk for 
 Judge McNeil, of the county court, and proved a valuable man in that capacity, 
 for he had been well educated in his native land and had not been in the United 
 States very long before he was proficient in the use of English. He remained 
 with Judge McNeil for two years, after which he was elected township asses- 
 sor. He also served as deputy county recorder and treasurer of Clinton county 
 for a number of years. Later he engaged in the mercantile business and then 
 went to Cedar county, Iowa, where he took up the study of pharmacy and later 
 opened a drug store at Lowden, which he conducted with great success for twenty- 
 seven years, becoming one of the prosperous business men of that county. He 
 
854 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 also occupied a prominent position in local affairs. He was appointed postmaster 
 of Lowden, but after three years he resigned, and at the same time served as 
 county supervisor, in which capacity he served two terms. Later he was chair- 
 man of the county board, was elected mayor of the city, and was a member of 
 the school board eighteen years. He also had the powers of notary public. In 
 every capacity he exercised his prerogatives with discretion and for the welfare 
 of the community, and it was a cause of, general regret when he felt that ill 
 health necessitated his resignation arid retirement from active life. He has 
 since made his home in Davenport, where he has mg.de a host of friends, who 
 are drawn to him by bis genial personality, his broadmindedness and his liberal 
 culture. 
 
 On the sth of April, 1862, Mr. Hahn was united in marriage to Miss Marie 
 Therese Petersen. She was bom in Hoptrup, Schleswig, Germany, not far from 
 Mr. Hahn's birthplace, and is a daughter of a minister of the Lutheran church. 
 In 1854 she and her parents came to Iowa and the Petersen family became 
 prominent in those early days. Mr. and Mrs. Hahn have had three children: 
 Marie Louise Henriette died at the age of eleven months ; Herman August William 
 wedded Miss Bertha Andresen, and they have three sons, Herbert William, 
 Walter Ludwig and Robert Herman; EmiHe Marie Mathilde became the wife 
 of Charles H. Hubbell, and they have two children, Edward Lawrence and Dor- 
 othy Marie. A brother of Mr. Hahn's, Augustus, served in the Civil war under 
 the name of Haun and was killed in battle at Pittsburg Landing. 
 
 Mr. Hahn has now passed the seventy-fourth milestone on life's journey, 
 and as he looks back over the past he has no reason to regret that he hearkened 
 to the insistent voice of the new world. His has been a life of singular activity, 
 which has been directed toward promoting the public welfare as well as his own 
 interests, yet he has derived a large measure of prosperity from his undertak- 
 ings. A man of broad education, he has enlarged the scope of his culture through 
 extensive travel, so that association with him means expansion and elevation, 
 and a large circle of friends are the better for his influence among them. 
 
 E. E. COOK. 
 
 E. E. Cook needs no introduction to the readers of this volume for he is a 
 representative of one of the old and prominent families of Scott county and 
 even before the admission of the state into the Union the name has figured con- 
 spicuously in connection with the legal history of this district. Choosing as his 
 life work the profession which had engaged the attention of his father, he has 
 made steady progress as one of its representatives and is today widely recognized 
 as a learned and able lawyer of Davenport. 
 
 E. E. Cook was born in Scott county, August 13, 1843. His father, John 
 P. Cook, was a native of Oneida county. New York, born in August, 1817. 
 At the age of nineteen years he came to Scott county with his father and they 
 settled on what was known as the Cook farm, comprising the western portion 
 of the city. In a year or two he prepared for the practice of law by entering 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 855 
 
 the office of his brother Ebenezer Cook,, of Davenport, and later he removed to 
 Tipton, Iowa, where he was admitted to the bar in 1842. The same year he 
 married Miss EHza A. Rowe, of Pleasant Valley, Scott county, and they main- 
 tained their home in Tipton until 1851, when the returned to Davenport, where 
 John P. Cook engaged in the practice of law until his death. During his resi- 
 dence here he was elected to congress and represented his district in the thirty- 
 third session of the national law-making body. His early political allegiance 
 was given to the whig party and on its dissolution he joined the ranks of the 
 democratic party, with which he labored earnestly through his remaining days. 
 He was long recognized as one of the eminent members of the Davenport bar, 
 gaining distinction in the days when Iowa was a territory. During the pioneer 
 epoch James Grant, G. C. R. Mitchell and John P. Cook had practically a monopoly 
 of the law business in Scott and adjoining counties. Mr. Cook was very alert, 
 determined, energetic and resourceful, qualities which were manifest in his 
 relation to public interests as well as in his chosen life work. He was a iluent 
 speaker, strong and able in debate and logical in argument and his energy and 
 ability carried his firm to the highest pinnacle of legal fame in this section of the 
 state. A few months prior to his death his brother Hon. Ebenezer Cook passed 
 away. They were very devoted and the loss of the brother came as an almost 
 unsupportable blow to John P. Cook, who survived for only a brief period and 
 died on the 17th of April, 1872. 
 
 E. E. Cook pursued his education in the schools of Washington, D. C, Roch- 
 ester, Albany and Geneva, New York, and in Griswold College in Davenport, 
 becoming the first student in the collegiate department of that institution. With 
 the lasting example of his father before him to inspire and encourage him and 
 to serve as a standard for professional labor, E. E. Cook entered upon prepara- 
 tion for the bar and was graduated from the Albany law School in May, 1863. 
 He was then admitted to practice by the supreme court of New York and, re- 
 turning to Davenport, was admitted at the May term of the district court in the 
 same year. He then entered his father's office and on the ist of January, 1865, 
 became a member of the firm of Cook & Drury. On the ist of January, 1871, 
 changes in the partnership led to the adoption of the firm name of Cook & 
 Bruning, which connection continued until the death of John P. Cook. In May, 
 1872, the son E. E. Cook entered into partnership with Judge J. S. Richman as 
 a member of the firm of Cook, Richman & Bruning and following the retirement 
 of Mr. Bruning, in December, 1875, the firm became Cook & Richman and so 
 continued until May i, 1880, when the firm of Cook & Dodge was formed. On 
 the 1st of June, 1909, William Dodge retired from the firm and removed to 
 Salt Lake City, and the name was changed to Cook & Balluflf, the members be- 
 ing E. E. Cook, R. B. Cook and Walter M. Balluff. The zeal with which the 
 firm have devoted their energies to the profession, the careful regard evinced 
 for the interests of clients and an assiduous and unrelaxing attention to all the 
 details of their cases have brought them a large business and made them very 
 successful in its conduct. 
 
 Mr. Cook has always given stalwart support to the democratic party and is 
 a valued advisor in party councils, but has steadily refused to become a can- 
 didate for office although various positions have been profifered him. Aside 
 
856 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 from his profession his interest centers in his home and on the 20th of Decem- 
 ber, 1866, he married Ellen K. Dodge. They have two sons: R. B., now a prac- 
 ticing lawyer; and George C, who for a time was a teacher of English litera- 
 ture in the L-eland Standford University of California. 
 
 Such is the life record of one who now occupies an enviable position in 
 professional circles in Davenport. Few lawyers have made a more lasting im- 
 pression upon the bar of the state, both for legal ability of a high order and for 
 the individuality of a personal character which impresses itself upon a com- 
 munity. Of a family conspicuous for strong intellects, indomitable courage and 
 energy, he entered upon his career as a lawyer and such has been his natural 
 qualifications that he has overcome all obstacles and written his name upon the 
 keystone of the legal arch. 
 
 HERMANN H. STEFFEN. 
 
 Hermann H. Steffen needs no introduction to the readers of this volume, for 
 he is one of the best known citizens of Davenport, his connection with hotel 
 interests bringing him a wide acquaintance and also gaining for him the sub- 
 stantial success which enables him to live retired. He was one of the early Ger- 
 man residents here, his birth having occurred in Holstein, Germany, July 21, 
 1831. His parents, Peter E. and Whipke Steffen, both spent their entire lives 
 in that country. Peter E. Steffen was a goldsmith by trade and to that occupa- 
 tion turned for the success which would enable him to provide a comfortable 
 living for his family. One of the uncles of Hermann H. Steffen was colonel of 
 a regiment under Napoleon and participated in the memo'rable Prussian cam- 
 paigns. 
 
 In the schools of his native country Hermann H. Steffen acquired his educa- 
 tion and soon after his school days were over he sought and secured a position 
 as cabin boy, leaving Hamburg on a vessel that carried a load of merchandise to- 
 the West Indies, landing at St. Thomas. From there he went to the isle of 
 Santo Domingo, where they took on board a cargo of tobacco, mahogany and 
 rare woods, which they carried back to Germany. They made their next trip with 
 a load of tin and merchandise, sailing from Liverpool to St. Thomas, where they 
 were compelled to remain for a long time on account of the war between Holstein 
 and Denmark, from 1848 until 1850. Later they went to Haiti, where the ship 
 was sold. The new owners wished Mr. Steffen to return to Germany as one of 
 the ship's crew, but he did not care to do so. There was a United States ship in 
 port at the time and he obtained a position on her as steward. The vessel was 
 bound for New York with a load of sugar. While crossing the Gulf of Mexico 
 they encountered a terrific tornado and were compelled to throw a part of their 
 cargo overboard but finally managed to reach New York. This was in 1849. 
 Mr. Steffen remained for a time in that city and in 1851 sailed on an American 
 ship out of Baltimore for Valparaiso, Chile. The trip consumed about ninety- 
 four days and a hard storm was encountered while they were rounding Cape 
 Horn, so that they lost a part of their sails. Some of the crew ran away at Val- 
 
HEEMANN H. STEFFEN 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 859 
 
 paraiso, but Mr. Steffen went with the ship to Ecuador, where there was a revo- 
 lution in progress. The boat was then purchased by the government for war 
 purposes. Mr. Steffen was paid off there and later he shipped as an able seaman 
 on board another vessel, commanded by a German captain, for California, his 
 wages being one dollar per month. The vessel's cargo was flour, and after 
 sailing for forty-eight days they passed through the Golden Gate in the spring 
 of 1852. 
 
 Mr. Steffen had intended to quit the sea and locate in California, but the coun- 
 try was so dry and hot that he concluded that he could not do well there. He met 
 a sailor friend in San Francisco and they decided to return east. They left on 
 the same boat that brought him to California and landed at Valparaiso, whence 
 they shipped on a German bark that took them to Bolivar, Peru. There they 
 took on a load of saltpeter and went around Cape Horn to Hamburg, Germany. 
 From the fatherland Mr. Steffen sailed for New York and then, making his way 
 into the interior of the country, arrived at Davenport, December 3, 1855. He se- 
 cured work on a steamboat here under Captain Clark and when the war broke out 
 went on the government boat Metropolitan in 1862. They proceeded down the 
 Mississippi river to Cairo and took Pope's division from that place to Fort Pillow. 
 They landed at Shiloh with twenty-one steamboat loads of reenforcements three 
 days after the battle was fought. In 1864 Mr. Steffen was drafted for service and 
 became a member of Company B, Tenth Iowa Infantry. He went with Sher- 
 man on the march to the sea and was honorably discharged at Washington in 
 June, 1865, following the close of the war. Returning to Davenport, he then 
 opened a cafe on Brady street, which he conducted for thirteen years, after which 
 he became proprietor of the St. Louis Hotel on Second street and thus re- 
 mained in business for about four years, or until he retired. 
 
 In December, 1855, Mr. Steffen was married to Miss Henrietta Tiedemann, 
 a daughter of Christian and Anna Tiedmann, and they have five children : Emil, 
 of Lincoln, Nebraska, who married Hattie Tracy and had five sons — Harry, 
 Roy, Claud, Ralph and James, the last named being deceased ; Harry, of Daven- 
 port, who wedded Mary Denkmann and has three children — Herbert, Florence 
 and Mary; Mary the wife of Frank Meier, of Davenport, by whom she has five 
 sons — ^Walter, Arno, Robert, Frank and Victor; Theresa, the wife of John 
 Krouse, of Davenport; and Arabelle, who died when seven years of age. 
 
 Mr; Steffen is a member of the Old German Pioneers, a society formed 
 among the citizens of German birth who have long been residents of Davenport. 
 He is also connected with the Turners and the German Shooting Society. He 
 lives with his wife in a fine residence which they own on West Third street. They 
 celebrated their golden wedding in December, 1905, on which occasion all of their 
 children and grandchildren were present. Mr. Steffen relates many interesting 
 incidents of his different voyages, in which he gained intimate knowledge of var- 
 ious lands, their people and customs. While on his first trip to America he was 
 told by the captain to climb up the rigging and see if he could see land. He did 
 so but reported that he could not see anything but a black cloud. He was told 
 to come down and look through a spy glass which the captain had and then saw 
 that his cloud was the Isle of San Salvador, which was his first sight of America. 
 It was this same isle on which Columbus landed when the new world was dis- 
 
860 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 covered. His life has been one of varied experiences such as do not come to the 
 man who confines his attention to industrial or commercial pursuits, and his 
 conversation is enriched with many amusing and interesting anecdotes. He now 
 well deserves the rest which he is enjoying and in Davenport he has a large circle 
 of warm friends, not only among the people of his own nationality but among all 
 the different classes of Davenport's citizenship. 
 
 JUERGEN SCHMIDT. 
 
 Juergen Schmidt, a retired farmer of Sheridan township, is the owner of 
 eighty acres of fine farm land in Scott county, upon which he now resides. It is 
 situated about a mile and a half south of Eldridge and constitutes a good farm, 
 being well developed through the energy and business ability of the owner. 
 The name indicates his German ancestry. He was born in Holstein, January 
 24, 1833, and is a son of Claus and Anna Schmidt. The father was a farmer in 
 Germany and there died. 
 
 Juergen Schmidt remained in his native country until nineteen years of age, 
 when in 1852 he came to the United States, landing at New York, after a voyage 
 of seven weeks. He was accompanied by his mother, his two brothers, Hans 
 and Agert, the latter now deceased, and two sisters, Anna and Kathrina, who 
 have also passed away. The family started westward from New York, making 
 their way by rail to Chicago, and thence by wagon and boat to Davenport. After 
 reaching their destination Mr. Schmidt purchased a farm of eighty acres of 
 partially improved land in Sheridan township in partnership with his two broth- 
 ers, and lived thereon for two years. He then left that place but his brother 
 Hans rernained upon the property. It was at that time that Juergen Schmidt 
 took up his abode upon his present farm. He and his brother Agert purchased 
 at that time one hundred and sixty acres, of which each took half. Upon his 
 place Juergen Schmidt has since lived and he has made all of the improvements, 
 adding a modern dwelling, good barns and other necessary outbuildings for the 
 shelter of grain and stock. His fields are well tilled in the production of the 
 cereals best adapted to climatic conditions and everything about the place is in- 
 dicative of the care and labor bestowed upon it by the owner. 
 
 Mr. Schmidt was married in September, 1885, the lady of his choice being 
 Miss Matilda Ronge. Their union was blessed with five children, four daughters 
 and a son, namely : Emma, a resident of Davenport ; August, of Pipestone, Min- 
 nesota; Alvina, also of Davenport; Dorothy, at home; and Elsie, also under the 
 parental roof. The wife and mother departed this life April 8, 1901, at the com- 
 paratively early age of thirty-five years. She is buried at Pine Hill cemetery. 
 
 Mr. Schmidt has served as road supervisor for one year but has never been 
 an office seeker, preferring to give his time and attention to his business af- 
 fairs. He belongs to the German Pioneer Society of Scott county, having made 
 his home within the borders of the county for fifty-eight years, during which 
 period he has witnessed notable changes as the wild land has been transformed 
 into beautiful and attractive farms, while the work of advancement has been 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY ' 861 
 
 carried just as steadily forward in the cities. The success that he has won has 
 come as a direct reward of his own labor and effort and indicates what may be 
 accomplished when one is willing to work. He has gained the respect and 
 friendship of many and especially of those who have long been associated with 
 him and have had the opportunity to witness the honorable course that he has 
 pursued during the long years of his residence here. 
 
 ANNE MARY SHULER, M. D. 
 
 While women are today found in every department of business life, especially 
 where intellect dominates, the field of medicine was among the first profes- 
 sions into which she made her way. For this woman is particularly qualified 
 because of the ready sympathy and almost intuitive perception which are hers. 
 These qualities combined with that knowledge which is gained from text-books 
 and the skill which is won through experience have brought her notable success 
 and prominence. Among the practitioners of Davenport is numbered Dr. Anne 
 M. Shuler, who has offices in the Lane building. She was born in 1880, in Rapids 
 City, Illinois, and is a daughter of Charles and Jane (Gilchrist) Shuler. Her 
 early education was acquired in the schools of Gilchrist, Illinois, to which place 
 she was brought at the age of three years, and she completed her course in Dav- 
 enport at St. Katharine's Hall, where she was graduated in 1899 with class hon- 
 ors. She afterward pursued a commercial course in Davenport but, attracted 
 toward a professional life, she entered the Woman's Medical College of Penn- 
 sylvania at Philadelphia and was graduated therefrom in 1904. She afterward 
 became an interne in the Women's and Children's Hospital at San Francisco, 
 California, and greatly broadened her knowledge through the varied experience 
 of hospital practice. Returning to Davenport in 1906 she opened her office 
 in the Lane building and is now enjoying a large and growing practice. She is 
 a member of the Scott County Medical Society, the Iowa State Medical Asso- 
 ciation and the American Medical Association and is medical examiner for the 
 Maccabees and the Tribe of Ben Hur. She makes her home with her father at 
 No. 1516 East River street and is well known professionally in this city. 
 
 P. W. RECK. 
 
 The record of P. W. Reck is that of a strenuous life— the record of a strong 
 individuality, suire of itself, stable in purpose, quick in perception, swift in de- 
 cision, energetic and persistent in action. All these find proof in the fact that 
 in twenty-three years he has worked his way up from the position of an ap- 
 prentice through all the intermediate stages until he was made general super- 
 intendent of the mammoth plant of the Bettendorf Axle Company in 1902. A 
 native of Mendota, Illinois, he was born July 15, 1866. His father, William 
 Reck, was born in Westerhousen am Rhein, Germany, but came to the 
 
862 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 United States in his childhood, his parents settling in Illinois, where he grew 
 to manhood and engaged in farming. He was united in marriage to Miss Eliza- 
 beth Eich, a native of Cologne, Germany, who was also quit^ young when her 
 parents came to the new world and settled in Illinois. 
 
 P. W. Reck attended the schools of Mendota and also worked upon his fath- 
 er's farm until nineteen years of age, when he started in business life for him- 
 self. Having a strong predilection for mechanics, he secured a situation with 
 the Bettendorf Axle Company, of Davenport, and has since been connected with 
 this important corporation. As an apprentice he made steady progress and in 
 twenty-three years has made continuous advancement in connection with the 
 business, having been appointed superintendent in 1902 of an enterprise which 
 is known not only throughout this country but throughout the world. Mr. 
 Reck was also one of the organizers of the Bettendorf Savings Bank and became 
 its first president. 
 
 It was in March, 1888, that Mr. Reck was united in marriage to Miss Minnie 
 E. Eike, a native of Guttenberg, Iowa. Her parents were old and respected set- 
 tlers of that section of the state and she holds the distinction of having been 
 the first white child baptized in the Guttenberg Catholic church. Two sons 
 have been born unto them, Edgar William and Leroy M. Mr. Reck holds mem- 
 bership with the Commercial Club and the Auto Club, of Davenport, and the 
 Western Railway Club of Chicago and enjoys pleasant fraternal relations with 
 the Modern Woodmen of America. A man of genial and pleasing person- 
 ality, he also • possesses distinct executive ability with a power to guide and 
 control others, so that he has been a most competent official in the responsible 
 position which he has filled for the past eight years. Moreover he has been one 
 of the active promoters of the town of Bettendorf. He was one of its incor- 
 porators, served on its first board of councilmen and was elected mayor later, 
 filling that position for one year, when he resigned. He has since continuously 
 served as councilman with the exception of one year. He was also instrumental 
 in having a fourth-class postoffice estabhshed at this place. For six weeks 
 he labored for that purpose and at the end of that time Bettendorf was placed 
 on the United States mailing map. 
 
 THOMAS B. MAW. 
 
 Thomas B. Maw, who owns and cultivates a farm of one hundred and sixty 
 acres of productive land in Winfield township and is also part owner of a tract 
 of twenty acres of timber land on the Wapsie, was bom in Aliens Grove town- 
 ship, Scott county, November 20, 1845, a son of Johnson and Julia (Thomp- 
 son) Maw. The father, a native of England, was born in 1814, acquired his 
 education in the schools of that country and afterward learned the tailor's trade. 
 In the year 1834 he sailed for the United States and settled in New York, where 
 he spent two years. About 1841 he came to the middle west and established his 
 iiome in Aliens Grove township, Scott county, Iowa. This was several years be- 
 fore the state was admitted to the Union and even the counties bordering the 
 
THOMAS B. MAW 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 865 
 
 Mississippi were but sparsely settled, the work of improvement and cultivation 
 being scarcely begun. Wild game was quite plentiful and the prairies were 
 covered with their native grasses. Mr. Maw entered raw land from the govern- 
 ment, for which he paid the usual price of a dollar and a quarter per acre He 
 began with about eighty acres and as the years passed he added to his original 
 holdings from time to time until he was the owner of more than three hundred 
 acres at his demise. He was diligent and persevering in business and the careful 
 manner m which he cultivated his farm made it a valuable and productive prop- 
 erty. He also took an active part in community affairs and held most of the 
 township offices, also serving as as school director and trustee. He was elected 
 on the democratic ticket and always remained a stanch advocate of the de- 
 mocracy. He was also one of the organizers of the Grange and did everything 
 in his power to advance agricultural interests in this part of the state. 
 
 Johnson Maw died in 1899, while his wife passed away at the age of sixty- 
 five years. She was born in Virginia and came with her parents to Scott county, 
 Iowa, about 1840, the journey being made with ox-teams across the country from 
 the Old Dominion. The Thompson family also established their home in Al- 
 iens Grove township and in this locality Mrs. Maw continued to reside until 
 called to her final rest. By her marriage she became the mother of ten children, 
 namely : EHzabeth, the wife of John Riley, of Aliens Grove township ; Thomas B., 
 of this review ; John E., Who makes his home in Nebraska ; George, a resident of 
 Davenport; Hannah, the wife of R. K. Brownlee, of Long Grove, this county; 
 Frederick, a resident of Idaho; Linnie, who became the wife of a Mr. Fuller and 
 is now deceased ; Nellie, of Long Grove ; Stephen, who lives in Nebraska ; and 
 Morgan, of Davenport. 
 
 Thomas B. Maw has spent his entire life in this county and his memory goes 
 back to the time when the homes were widely scattered, when the land was largely 
 uncultivated and when there were few of the advantages known to the older east. 
 In his childhood he attended the district schools of Aliens Grove township and 
 there learned the carpenter's trade, for about ten years assisting in the erection of 
 many houses and buildings in Scott county and especially in Aliens Grove town- 
 ship. At length he abandoned that trade to resume the occupation of farming and 
 for a few years rented land from his father, during which period he carefully 
 saved his earnings until his capital was sufficient to enable him to purchase eighty 
 acres of land in Winfield township. It was an improved tract, upon which he 
 made his home for twelve years, when he sold out and bought his present farm, 
 which he purchased from John Little, who had bought it from the government. 
 Upon this place Mr. Maw has remained continuously since and has made nearly 
 all of the improvements which constitute this one of the attractive farms of the 
 district. The fields are carefully tilled and return him good crops, while upon 
 this place he keeps good grades of stock. 
 
 On the i6th of March, 1882, Mr. Maw was married to Miss Jane Whistler, 
 a daughter of Thomas and Betsey Whistler, of Aliens Grove township. Mrs. 
 Maw was born in Buffalo, Scott county, and is fifty-five years of age. By her 
 marriage she became the mother of two children : Ruby, who married George Clapp 
 and has one child, Zella ; and OUie E., who was killed by a horse in 1908, when 
 eighteen years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Clapp reside with her parents. 
 
866 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Mr. Maw has served as school director of Winfield township and has ever 
 been interested in the cause of education, reaHzing how valuable is intellectual 
 training as a preparation for life's practical and responsible duties. For sixty-five 
 years he has witnessed the growth and development of the county as it has thrown 
 off the evidences of pioneer life and taken on all the conditions which indicate 
 modern progress. He has seen the wild land transformed into rich fields, the 
 pioneer homes replaced by commodious and substantial residences, while villages 
 have been converted into enterprising towns and cities. At all times he has been 
 interested in the welfare of the community and rejoices in what has been accom- 
 plished. He is now practically living retired, leaving the active work of the farm 
 to his son-in-law but retaining the ownership of the property he derives therefrom 
 a substantial annual income. 
 
 HENRY GOETTSCH. 
 
 Among the native sons of Scott county who are seeking their fortunes in the 
 tilling of the soil is Henry Goettsch, whose birth occurred in Davenport on the 
 8th of March, 1858. His parents are Jochim and Bertha Goettsch, both natives 
 of Germany, where the former was born on the 19th of October, 1838. He came 
 to the United States when about eight years of age with his parents, who landed 
 at New Orleans and made their way direct to Scott county, within the borders 
 of which their remaining days were passed. The father was for many years en- 
 gaged in the occupation of farming and today owns a valuable property of one 
 hundred and sixty acres in Cleona township, although he is now living retired 
 and resides in Davenport with his wife. He is the father of four children, of 
 whom our subject is the eldest, the others being: Theodore, a resident of Durant; 
 Laura, the wife of Frank Peterson ; and Clara, who lives with her parents. 
 
 Henry Goettsch was brought to Cleona township when but two years of age 
 and acquired his education in the district schools of that township, being reared 
 to manhood upon his father's farm. Amid the wholesome scenes and environ- 
 ment of rural life he early acquired habits of industry, perseverance and integ- 
 rity — habits which formed an excellent foundation stone upon which to build his 
 business career — and in the work of the home fields gained thorough and prac- 
 tical experience in farming which proved of much benefit to him when he entered 
 the business world on his own account. Agricultural pursuits have ever claimed 
 his attention and that he has been successful in this line of activity is indicated 
 by his present high standing in agricultural circles, where he is recognized as a 
 substantial, progressive and representative business man. He is the owner of 
 the farm upon which he now makes his home, consisting of one hundred and sixty 
 acres of valuable land which adjoins the county line and constitutes the northwest 
 quarter of section 19. He also owns another quarter section in Farmington town- 
 ship. Cedar county, about one mile from his home place, which is operated by a 
 tenant and returns good annual rental. On the home farm he carries on gen- 
 eral farming and is systematic and methodical in his methods, while everything 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 867 
 
 about the place indicates that he is in close touch with the modem spirit of 
 progress which is manifest in agricultural lines. 
 
 Mr. Goettsch laid the foundation for a happy home Hfe of his own in his 
 marriage, on the 19th of February, 1886, to Miss Caroline Feldham, who was 
 born near Racine, Wisconsin, on the 25th of February, 1864, and with her par- 
 ents came to Iowa in 1865. She is a daughter of Martin and Caroline (Mar- 
 tin) Feldham, both natives of Germany, the former having passed away in 
 1900 when eighty-one years of age, while the latter survives and makes her 
 home in Durant. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Goettsch have been born nine children: 
 Ella, Caroline, Albeft, Emil, Lulu, Rosa, Bertha, Vera and Viola. With the 
 exception of the eldest, who is now the wife of Charles Schneckloth, of Durant, 
 all are yet unmarried and make their home under the parental roof, the family 
 circle remaining unbroken by the hand of death. 
 
 Mr. Goettsch exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and 
 measures of the democratic party but has never sought nor desired public office 
 for himself. He is well known throughout the community where his entire life 
 has been spent and has gained the unqualified respect, confidence and good will 
 of all with whom he has been associated, for his life has ever been actuated by 
 high and honorable principles and in his relations with his fellowmen he dis- 
 plays substantial qualities and a kindly and just spirit. 
 
 WILLIAM HOERSCH. 
 
 William Hoersch, who as a member of the Davenport bar gives his attention 
 to civil rather than criminal law and to advisory work rather than to trial prac- 
 tice, is regarded as one of the most learned representatives of the legal profes- 
 sion here. His life record is in contradistinction to the old adage that "a prophet 
 is never without honor save in his own country," for Mr. Hoersch, a native of 
 Scott county, has so directed his labors here as to gain signal recognition for 
 his ability and for the energy and intellectual force which have carried him into 
 important professional relations. 
 
 His birth occurred about two miles north of Walcott, June 30, 186 1, his par- 
 ents being John J. and Mary (Hausmann) Hoersch, both of whom were na- 
 tives of Germany. The year 1849 witnessed their arrival in the new world and 
 in 185 1 they became residents of Davenport, while in 1854 their marriage was 
 celebrated in this county. When their son William was two years of age the 
 family home was established in Davenport. Arriving at school age, Mr. Hoersch 
 of this review, pursued his studies in the graded and high schools of Daven- 
 port, gaining thus a fair literary education around which as a nucleus has gath- 
 ered the information and knowledge that years have brought as the 
 result of experience, reading, research and investigation. Determining upon 
 the practice of law as a life work, he devoted two years to study in the office of 
 Stewart & White, attorneys of Davenport, and then matriculated in the law 
 school of Iowa University, from which he was graduated in June, 1882. 
 
868 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 In the spring of the following year Mr. Hoersch engaged in practice inde- 
 pendently and has remained alone throughout his professional career. But while 
 he has had no partners, his office has been a favorite one with students in which 
 to read law and with novitiates in practice who have sought employment with 
 him. Several of the younger members of the bar have made their start with 
 Mr. Hoersch and all admit that their habits of close application, thorough re- 
 search and careful preparation are largely due to his example and counsel. As 
 previously stated, Mr. Hoersch does not care for trial practice. Perhaps the 
 knowledge of law and the finesse required in his chosen field is much greater 
 than is that of an advocate — certainly it is no less — ^but laws and their practical 
 use are to him familiar and with common use thoroughly understood. To him 
 the law pertaining to estates, real estate, abstracts of title and to loans and col- 
 lections furnishes a favorite tilting ground and here he finds his greatest pleas- 
 ure, his surest victories and quickest remuneration, while' his clients implicitly 
 rely on his judgment and accept without demur his decisions. His practice 
 is large and valuable, perhaps one of the largest in the city in examination of 
 abstracts, while in loans and collections it is far from inconsiderable. He has 
 an old and well established clientele, including many who would feel at an utter 
 loss where to seek counsel if his services were denied them. 
 
 On the 29th of October, 1890, Mr. Hoersch was united in marriage to Miss 
 Amelia Peterson, a daughter of August Peterson, and they have become parents 
 of two sons and a daughter. The family attend the German Methodist church, 
 to the support of which Mr. Hoersch is a liberal contributor, giving generously 
 to various lines of church work and as well to many charities and benevolences. 
 His interest centers in his home and in his practice, precluding activity in po- 
 litical or pubHc lines. The standards which he sets up for himself, however, are 
 high and constitute him a devoted husband and father, a faithful citizen and a loyal 
 advocate of whatever cause he espouses. No member of the profession enjoys in 
 larger measure the high regard and esteem of the members of the Davenport 
 bar and no individual is perhaps more worthy the genuine friendship accorded 
 him. He is a champion of Davenport and its interests and yet has always pre- 
 ferred that his public service should be done as a private citizen through in- 
 fluence and quiet support rather than as an incumbent in public office. He has 
 wisely and conscientiously used the talents with which nature has endowed him 
 and has thus come to be known as one of the representative lawyers and citi- 
 zens of Scott county. 
 
 HENRY STEFFEN. 
 
 Henry Steffen was born in Scott county, July 14, 1867, and has paid the county 
 the highest compliment within his power by always remaining within its borders. 
 He is the son of Claus and Silke (Lamp) Steffen, who came to this country in 
 1866 and were soon afterward married here. The father came into possession of 
 a tract of one huridred and twenty-two acres on section 31, Aliens Grove town- 
 ship. The young couple prospered through their industry and good management 
 
HENTvV STEFF'EX 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 871 
 
 and three sons, of whom Henry Steffen is the eldest, were born to inherit America's 
 freedom and opportunity. When the subject of this sketch was only about twelve 
 years of age he was unfortunate enough to lose his father and he began at once to 
 share the burdens which had fallen with unusual weight upon the shoulders of the 
 mother. Together they continued the improvement of the farm, which is today 
 a valuable and highly developed piece of property. In 1904 the mother ended 
 a courageous and useful Hfe at the age of sixty-five years. The other sons are 
 William, living in Chicago, and Gustaf, who is at present located in South Dakota. 
 
 Henry Steffen makes his residence upon the family homestead, where he en- 
 gages in general farming and has the good fortune to prove himself adapted to 
 his calling-. In 1902 he laid the foundation of a happy domestic life by his mar- 
 riage to Miss Alfreda Herbst, like her husband a native of Scott county, born 
 March 4, 1879, and also like him of German parentage, her father being Frederick 
 Herbst, a blacksmith whose native land was Germany. They have three children : 
 Viola, and twins named Herbert and Harry. 
 
 The bone and sinew of any civilization is found in its agricultural element 
 and Henry Steffen is a representative of this element, being thrifty, progressive 
 and active in his furtherance of the general good of the community, to which he 
 is particularly attached by reason of a life-long residence. 
 
 CHARLES M. ROBERTSON. 
 
 Charles M. Robertson, who carries on general farming in Sheridan township, 
 where he is the owner of eighty acres of fine farm land lying on section i, about 
 two miles northeast of Eldridge, is numbered among Iowa's native sons, his 
 birth having occurred at Long Grove, November i, 1872. His parents were 
 William D. and Margaret O. (Murray) Robertson, who were among the earliest 
 settlers' of this county. They were both natives of Scotland, the father born 
 January 12, 1844. He wis brought to the United States in June, 1853, by his 
 parents, William and Marion (McKenzie) Robertson, and his two sisters were 
 also of the party. William Robertson was a tailor by trade and followed that 
 business in Scotland, but after coming to the United States gave his attention 
 to general agricultural pursuits. It was in the year 1849 that he severed the 
 connections that bound him to Great Britain and sailed for New Orleans, whence 
 he made his way up the river to Scott county. He took up his abode in Winfield 
 township, near Long Grove, where he purchased eighty acres of prairie land. It 
 was wild and unimproved, not a furrow having been turned or a stick of timber 
 cut thereon. He at once began to cultivate the land but lived with relatives until 
 the family came in 1853. They, too, landed at New Orleans and at once pro- 
 ceeded to Long Grove. Later William Robertson built a house and both he and 
 his wife resided on the old homestead until called to their final rest, his death 
 occurring. August 9, 1889, when he was eighty-three years of age, while his wife 
 passed away in 1889, at the age of seventy-nine years,, her birth having occurred 
 in 1810. As time passed on Mr. Robertson added to his original holdings but 
 later sold much of his land. He twice entered land from the government and 
 
872 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 at the time of his death had about one hundred and eighty acres. In his busi- 
 ness affairs he was practical and was recognized throughout the community as a 
 man of unfaltering industry and perseverance. He served as a school director 
 in Winfield township and also as road supervisor and was faithful to every trust 
 reposed in him. While in Scotland he held membership in the Presbyterian 
 church but in this country attended the Christian church at Long Grove. His 
 family numbered three children : Marion S., living in Scott county ; William D. ; 
 and Jane C, the widow of James Cameron, who was city plumbing inspector of 
 Davenport. 
 
 The second of the family William D. Robertson, was the father of Charles 
 M. Robertson and was but nine years of age when he became a resident of Scott 
 county. He had previously attended school in his native country and he con- 
 tinued his education at Long Grove. Reared to the occupation of farming, he 
 made it his life work and remained with his parents up to the time of his mar- 
 riage in 1870, when he removed to a farm of eighty acres in Winfield township. 
 There he lived until 1889, when his mother died and he returned to the old home 
 place, residing thereon until his retirement from active business Hfe in 1906. 
 His three remaining years were spent in the enjoyment of well earned rest and 
 on the 7th of May, 1909, his death occurred. He had ever been a stalwart cham- 
 pion of the cause of education and served as a school director. In fact, he always 
 stood for progress and improvement along many lines and his influence could 
 ever be counted upon to favor the best interests of the community. His wife 
 came to the United States about 1850 with her parents, Charles and Barbara 
 Murray, who also cast in their lot with the pioneer residents of Scott county. 
 Mrs. Robertson survived her husband for only a few months, passing away 
 July 12, 1909. There were three children in the family, but William W., the 
 second in order of birth, died in September, 1902, at the age of twenty-seven 
 years. The youngest, John K., is still living on the old homestead. 
 
 Charles M. Robertson, the eldest of the family, has always made his home in 
 Scott county and attended school at Long Grove, dividing his time between the 
 duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the work of the 
 home fields. When he put aside his text-books he concentrated his energies upon 
 the farm work and continued with his father until his marriage, which was cele- 
 brated on the 19th of February, 1902, the lady of his choice being Miss Daisy 
 May Price, a daughter of Nathaniel and Catherine (Baker) Price. Her father 
 was born in England, February 6, 1841, and came to the United States when a 
 young man, settling in Scott county. He was a gardener and followed that pur- 
 suit in Davenport township. His wife, who was bom in England, August 12, 
 1847, died November 12, 1903. She had come to Scott county with her parents 
 in her girlhood days. By her marriage she became the mother of three children : 
 Sarah, deceased; Mrs. Robertson; and Edward Nathaniel, at home. 
 
 Following their marriage- Mr. and Mrs. Robenteon removed to their present 
 farm on section i, Sheridan township, purchasing the property from R. K. 
 Brownlee. He has since made some improvements upon it and is busily en- 
 gaged in tilling the soil, which responds generously to the care and cultivation 
 which he bestows upon it. He thus annually harvests good crops and is meet- 
 ing with continued success in his chosen life work. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 873 
 
 Mr. Robertson is a member of the Woodmen of the World of Long Grove 
 and has held office in that order and also in the Odd Fellows lodge of Long Grove. 
 His friends find him cordial and courteous and he enjoys the high esteem of 
 those who know him. The attractiveness of Scott county as a place of residence 
 is indicated in the fact that many of her native sons remain within her borders. 
 Mr. Robertson has ever felt that he could find no better opportunities in other 
 parts of the country than in the rich fanning section of Iowa, and, devoting his 
 attention to general agricultural pursuits, he is now winning a substantial re- 
 ward for his labors. 
 
 PETER FEDDERSEN. 
 
 Peter Feddersen, who owns one hundred and twenty acres of rich farm land 
 in Davenport township and a handsome town residence on Vine street, Daven- 
 port, in which he is now living in retirement, is one of the older German settlers 
 of Scott county. He was born in the province of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, 
 December 5, 1828, a son of Peter and Katherina (Hendricksen) Feddersen. 
 The former was engaged in agricultural pursuits in the old country and, like 
 his wife, spent his entire life there. 
 
 Peter Feddersen was reared and educated in the land of his birth and as- 
 sisted his father in the operation of the farm until he entered the German army. 
 He took part in the Holstein war with Denmark from 1848 to 1850 and later 
 served three years in the Danish army, returning to agricultural pursuits at the 
 expiration of that period. In 1857, on one of the first steamers, he and three 
 friends came to America. About sixteen days were consumed in crossing the 
 ocean, and they landed at New York, whence they came directly to Davenport, 
 the trip across the country requiring a month in those days. He and his friend, 
 Peter Hendricksen, remained in the city but the other two went west. 
 
 For two summers Mr. Feddersen worked as a farm hand and then in conjunc- 
 tion with another bought one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land in Liberty 
 township. The two men put up a frame house and operated the place for two 
 years, the wife of Mr. Feddersen's partner keeping house for them. Then the 
 land was divided and after Mr. Feddersen's marriage he built a house upon the 
 eighty acres which was his share, in which he and his wife lived for nine years 
 subsequent. During that time, as he found opportunity, he purchased one hundred 
 and sixty acres more. In his endeavor to get ahead he overworked, so that he 
 was compelled on account of ill health to give up active farming. Accordmgly 
 he sold his property in Liberty township and purchased the fine tract he owns 
 in Davenport township and removed to the city. He bought first a residence on 
 Eighth and Warren streets, in which he lived for five years, when he sold it 
 and bought Washington Garden, where he lived until 1885 and then removed to 
 his present property on Vine street. In 1885 he erected the fine large residence 
 
 he has since occupied. 
 
 On the 9th of November, 1859, Mr. Feddersen was united in marriage to 
 Miss Katherina Dora Thea, a daughter of John Thea, who lived and died m 
 
874 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Feddersen have had three children. Kate made her 
 home with her father and- died November 9, 1909. Peter, president of the Dav- 
 enport Malting & Grain Company, married Miss Elizabeth Von Doehren and 
 they have two sons, Richard and Edgar. Mary became the wife of P. B. Fuh- 
 lendorf and lives in Davenport with her father. Mrs. Feddersen died March 8, 
 1898, at the age of sixty-six years. She came to Davenport when twenty-six 
 years old and the subsequent forty years were passed in Scott county. 
 
 Mr. Feddersen is a member of the Old German Settlers Society and a stock- 
 holder in the German Savings Bank, the Iowa National Bank and in the Daven- 
 port Malting & Grain Company. A man of laudable ambition, he is now one of 
 the substantial citizens of the city and county. He spared no effort to accom- 
 plish his desires even to the detriment of his own health. 
 
 GUSTAV H. POSTEL. 
 
 Farming has constituted the life work of Gustav H. Postel, who is now the 
 owner of a good tract of two hundred acres in Winfield township. He brought 
 to his work the sterling qualities of the German race — ^industry and economy — 
 when as a youth of sixteen he started out in this country to earn his livelihood, 
 and it is to those qualities that he largely owes the success that has attended 
 his undertakings. He was born in Holstein, Germany, June 20, 1853, a son of 
 Franz and Minnie Postel, also natives of the fatherland, where the father was 
 engaged in farming. He came to the United States with a part of his family 
 in 1869, and the last years of his Kfe were spent in Scott county. 
 
 Gustav H. Postel came to America a few months before his father, and on 
 landing in New York came direct to Scott county, Iowa, where a brother was 
 living. He was able and eager to work and after his arrival lost no time in se- 
 curing employment, working for two years as a farm hand. Then he rented 
 land in Cleona township, which he operated for twelve years, at the end of 
 which time his circumstances justified his investing in real estate. Accordingly 
 he purchased from John Bruhn what was known as the old August Brandt 
 farm and it has remained his home to the present. In the intervening years, 
 however, he has made many improvements which have greatly changed the ap- 
 pearance of the place, for he has cleared away considerable timber, has tiled his 
 fields, put up buildings for the shelter of grain and stock and done other things 
 to make it a model farm of the twentieth century. Nor did he neglect the soil, 
 but through study of its properties and through careful and systematic cultiva- 
 tion he has brought it to a high state of productiveness. In consequence he 
 annually gathers and markets rich harvests, which bring him large returns for 
 his labor. 
 
 At Davenport, on the 27th of February, 1877, was celebrated the marriage 
 of Mr. Postel and Miss Mary Barker, a daughter of John and Sophia Barker, 
 and they have become the parents of four children, namely: Alvina, now the 
 wife of William Radlef, of Eldridge; Qara, the wife of Chris Van Dorn, of 
 Eldridge; Theresa, at home; and Gustav, also at home. Mrs. Postel was bom in 
 
> 
 
 
 
 o 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 877 
 
 Buffalo, New York, and her parents were among the early settlers of Walcott, 
 Iowa. 
 
 Mr. Postel deserves great credit for what he has accomplished, for he came 
 to this country a poor boy with nothing to aid him in the battle of life in a new 
 country, where even the language was strange to him, save the power and will- 
 ingness to work. The large farm which is now his, therefore, shows the youth of 
 today what may be accomplished by pluck, industry and perseverance. 
 
 CHARLES S. SIMPSON. 
 
 Charles S. Simpson, while maintaining his residence in Davenport, is well 
 known as the president of the Le Claire Savings Bank at Le Claire, Iowa. He 
 was born in Miami county, Ohio, near the city of Troy, January i, 1856, and 
 comes of a family of Scotch ancestry founded in America by his great-gi-and- 
 father, who, leaving the land of hills and heather, sailed for the new world and 
 became one of the early settlers of Miami county, Ohio. He entered land near 
 Troy and C. S. Simpson still owns eighty acres of the original tract and has the 
 old parchment deed signed by James Monroe, then president of the United States. 
 Benjamin Simpson, the grandfather, and David W. Simpson, the father of our 
 subject, were both born on the old homestead in Ohio and in the same locality 
 occurred the birth of Fannie Martin, who became the wife of David W. Simp- 
 son. She died in 1899, at the age of sixty-five years, and is still survived by 
 her husband, who yet makes his home in Troy, Ohio, where he was born May 
 17, 1831. They were the parents of six children: Olidia, now the wife of Frank 
 Ross, of Dayton, Ohio; Charles S. ; Laura, the wife of William Hayner, of De- 
 troit; Samuel, of Dayton; Amanda; and Ida, the wife of R. T. Shepperd, of 
 Hamilton, Ohio. 
 
 Charles S. Simpson acquired his education in the public schools of Troy and 
 when he put aside his text-books engaged in the nursery business, which his 
 father and his grandfather had previously followed. Later he devoted his at- 
 tention to agricultural pursuits and in 1894 came to Scott county, Iowa, where 
 he has since made his home. 
 
 It was on the 20th of November of that year that Mr. Simpson was rnarried 
 to Miss Amelia Gross, a daughter of Joseph and Margaret (Schweine) Gross, 
 of Le Claire. Her father was born January 26, 1824, at Alsace on the Rhine, 
 at that time a province of France. Coming to America in 185 1, he located in Le 
 Claire, Iowa, and the following year married Miss Margaret Schweine, by whom 
 he had seven children, but only two of the number are now living: Mrs. Nelson 
 M. Smith, of Le Claire; and Charles S. Simpson, of Davenport. Mr. Gross 
 was a cabinetmaker by trade and for over twenty years was engaged in the fur- 
 niture and undertaking business in Le Claire, selling out two years prior to his 
 death, which occurred March 16, 1888. He had made his home in Le "Claire for 
 thirty-seven years and was honored and respected by all who knew him. 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Simpson have been born two children but Charles A. died 
 
878 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 in early life. The living son is Albert G., who was born October 8, 1898. Mrs. 
 Simpson is a native of Le Claire. 
 
 Mr. Simpson was one of the organizers of the Le Claire Savings Bank, which 
 was established in 1901 with about thirty stockholders, the capital stock of ten 
 thousand dollars being all taken by people of that locality. C. S. Simpson was 
 elected president, with Dr. Gamble as vice president and J. E. Park as cashier. 
 On the board of directors, in addition to the officers, were W. P. Headley, N. M. 
 Smith, S. E. Bammer, R. Hose, F. F. Schutter and John Wilson. The present 
 officers are : C. S. Simpson, president ; W. A. Shirk, vice president ; T. C. Michael, 
 cashier; and H. T. Gault, assistant cashier. 
 
 Mr. Simpson is a member of the Odd Fellows society of Troy, Ohio, and has 
 attained the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite in Masonry and the Knight 
 Templar degree in the York Rite. He served as alderman of Le Claire for 
 eleven years during the fifteen years of his residence there, being elected on the 
 republican ticket. He has always been an earnest republican with firm faith in 
 the principles of the party and in all matters of citizenship he takes a progressive 
 stand, believing that the best interests of good government are conserved thereby. 
 In his life he exemplifies the spirit of the modern business man who is watchful 
 and appreciative of opportunities, knowing that he must be ever alert and enter- 
 prising in this age where competition is great. He is seeking success along care- 
 fully defined lines of labor and has made the Le Claire Bank one of the safe 
 and substantial financial institutions of the county. 
 
 HENRY THODE. 
 
 Henry Thode, who worked his way upward from a humble beginning and 
 gave proof in his life that success is the outcome of clear judgment, experience 
 and indefatigable energy rather than the result of fortunate circumstances or 
 propitious environment, was born in Neustadt, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, 
 February 15, 1828. In his youthful days he learned the wagon maker's trade, 
 which he followed in his native country until he came to America in 1852. 
 Crossing the Atlantic on one of the old-time sailing vessels, he landed at New 
 Orleans on the 3d of October and made his way northward to Iowa. At Rock 
 Island he secured employment, there working at his trade for a year. On the 
 expiration of that period he came to Davenport where he opened a wagon 
 maker's shop and conducted business on bis own account. For a time after his 
 arrival he was in partnership with a Mr. Linke in the ownership and conduct 
 of a blacksmith shop on Harrison street, continuing in the business for eight 
 years. He afterward formed a partnership with his father-in-law, Mr. Goss, 
 who was a wagon maker by trade and came to this country from Holstein, Ger- 
 many, in 185 1, at the age of fifty-five years. He entered the wholesale liquor 
 business in 1866, in connection with Mr. Langfeldt, on West Second street, under 
 the firm name of Langfeldt, Thode & Company. The partnership was dissolved 
 in 1874 and Mr. Thode continued to carry on business in that line until his death. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 879 
 
 On the 28th of October, 1854, was celebrated the marriage of Henry Thode 
 and Miss Augusta Goss. Her father died many years ago but his wife lived 
 until about 1893, when she passed away at the venerable age of ninety-one years. 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Thode were born eleven children, eight of whom yet live, 
 namely : William, Laura, Carl, Hugo, Edward, Dora, Mary and Emma, the last 
 named being now the wife of H. J. Garstang. The death of Mr. Thode oc- 
 curred October 18, 1893, after a residence in Davenport of about forty years. 
 He was well known in the Odd Fellows society, holding membership in Scott 
 Lodge, No. 37, and in the encampment. No. 3. He was also an honorary mem- 
 ber of the Schuetzen Society. He was much interested in the German schools of 
 Davenport and in his fellow countrymen, whom he assisted in many ways. His 
 life stood to them as an example of patriotic American citizenship and of enter- 
 prise and energy in business affairs, for the success he achieved in life was at- 
 tributable entirely to his own labors. 
 
 GUSTAVE A. AND RUDOLF SCHROEDER. 
 
 The gentlemen whose names introduce this sketch are enterprising and well 
 known farmers of Buffalo township, where they own a valuable farm compris- 
 ing two hundred and twenty-three acres. They are sons of J. H. and Mina 
 (Hoffman) Schroeder, both of German birth, the former a native of Wernings- 
 hausen. Saxony, born September 13, 1840, and the latter born in Baden on the 
 1st of January, 1845. They came to the United States in early life and were 
 married in Davenport. Prior to his marriage the father lived for a time in 
 Black Hawk, Iowa, which is now a part of Davenport. He is a cabinet-maker 
 by trade and followed that purstiit after coming to the new world. Eventually, 
 however, he took up farming on the Locust road but is now living a retired life 
 in Davenport, enjoying in ease the fruits of his former labor. 
 
 Gustave A. Schroeder was bom on the home farm in Scott county, January 
 20, 1873, while Rudolf, two years his junior, was born on the 2d of October, 
 1875. They were trained to the duties of the farm during the spring and sum- 
 mer months, while in the winter seasons their time was devoted to the acquire- 
 ment of an education in the district schools. In 1888 the family removed to a 
 farm near Mount Joy in Scott county, and the sons remained on the homestead 
 there until 1896, when, ambitious to start out upon an independent venture, they 
 purchased their present farm of two hundred and twenty-three acres in Buffalo 
 township. This tract is well improved, having on it substantial buildings, while 
 the land is in an arable state and their knowledge of farming is such that each 
 year they harvest good crops as a reward for the labor bestowed upon the fields. 
 From the time of early spring planting until their crops are harvested in late 
 autumn they are busily engaged, and their work is ever carried on according to 
 the most honorable business principles. 
 
 The Schroeder brothers have one sister, Miss Lizzie Schroeder. In politi- 
 cal belief they are democrats, believing firmly in the principles of the party. 
 They are stockholders in the Bufifalo Savings Bank, of which Rudolf is a direc- 
 
880 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 tor. Alert to every opportunity presented for advancement, they are steadily 
 working their way upward and are classed with the representative farmers of 
 Buffalo township and Scott county. 
 
 JAMES A. HANLEY. 
 
 There has been no esoteric phase in the life record of James A. Hanley, who 
 has always resided in Scott county, his history, therefore, being a familiar one to 
 his fellow citizens, who instinctively accord him respect and honor for what he has 
 accomplished. It is often under the stimulus of opposition and the pressure of 
 adversity that the best and strongest in man is brought out and developed — a 
 truth which finds exemplification in the life of Mr. Hanley, who, thrown upon 
 his own resources at an early age, is today one of the successful and able mem- 
 bers of the Davenport bar, capable of crossing swords in forensic combat with the 
 most learned members of the profession. 
 
 Mr. Hanley was born in Le Claire, this county, on the 8th of March, 1863, 
 and is the fifth son and sixth child of Dennis and Bridget (O'Shaunessy) Han- 
 ley, natives of Ireland, where they spent their youth and were married. They 
 then determined to seek their fortune in the new world and on crossing the 
 Atlantic established their home in Le Claire. The father was a laboring man, 
 diligent and industrious, but his death occurred on Christmas day of 1869, when 
 his son James was but six years of age. Two children had been added to the 
 family after the birth of our subject, but the daughter died in infancy. The 
 support of the family of seven sons and one daughter then devolved upon the 
 mother, who was a noble-hearted, self-denying woman, her whole ambition be- 
 ing to rear her sons to be good men, well qualified for life's work. She con- 
 sidered no sacrifice on her part too great if it would promote the happiness or 
 welfare of her children. She lived to see her ambition gratified for all became 
 successful and respected men. Four of her children, Thomas B., James A., Wil- 
 liam H. and Kate E. became school teachers. Later Thomas B. became a prom- 
 inent attorney, settling in Tipton, Iowa, where he practices as a member of the 
 firm of Wolf & Hanley. He has served as mayor of Tipton and in other prom- 
 inent positions, and is recognized as a leading lawyer of that place. Dennis 
 Hanley, Jr., engaged in boat-building until his death in 1878. Daniel R. and 
 Michael L. took up steamboating and became licensed engineers and successful 
 business men. William H. turned his attention to the profession of law and has 
 attained a gratifying position as a member of the bar of Dubuque, Iowa. 
 
 The mother taught her children to be self-reliant, reliable and trustworthy, 
 also frugal and industrious. She encouraged thrift and economy by taking 
 care of the wages of her sons as they were able to start out in life and sup- 
 port themselves. James A. Hanley pursued his early education in the schools 
 of Le Claire and when in his fourteenth year began earning his own livelihood, 
 becoming cook on a raft boat on the river at what would seem ridiculously low 
 wages at the present time. The working season lasted seven months each year 
 and from his earnings he saved enough to enable him to attend the country 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 881 
 
 schools three months each year. He won gradual advancement until he became 
 clerk on one of the river boats and the utilization vi^hich he made of his oppor- 
 tunities for promoting his knowledge enabled him at the age of eighteen years 
 to secure a teacher's certificate. He then engaged in teaching through the win- 
 ter months in the district schools, while in the summer seasons he was upon the 
 river until twenty-two years of age, when he left the river and matriculated in 
 Ames Agricultural College, his scanty earnings being supplemented by a sum 
 of money which he borrowed from his mother. He left that institution at the 
 end of a year on account of his Hmited financial resources, but was eager to 
 obtain an education and prepare for a professional career, and in September, 
 1886, began a two years' law course in the State University of Iowa, which 
 granted him his diploma on the 19th of June, 1888. This admitted him to prac- 
 tice in the state and federal courts. Up to this time his had been a very laborious 
 life but his ambition had sustained him. 
 
 On completing his law course Mr. Hanley returned to Le Claire, where he 
 arrived with a single dollar in his pocket, while his indebtedness to his mother 
 amounted to two hundred and fifty dollars. He immediately opened an office 
 and began practice, applying himself most diligently to the legal work that was 
 entrusted to him. Realizing the necessity for thorough preparation, which he 
 never failed to give, he won recognition in the courts as an able, earnest lawyer, 
 whose reasoning was sound and whose application of legal principles was cor- 
 rect. Feeling that his efforts were circumscribed by the narrow confines of the 
 village, in April, 1891, he removed to Davenport, where he has since made 
 steady progress in his chosen profession. One of the local papers said of him : 
 "The habits inculcated by a good mother have given him a business, social and 
 moral stamina which is the best possible foundation for his life work. Honest, 
 trustworthy and ever with a deep respect for the law and an eye single to his 
 clients' interests he has won the good opinions of his fellow members of the bar 
 and of the public, and is frequently consulted by the former and unhesitatingly 
 trusted by the latter." While Mr." Hanley still continues in general practice his 
 attention is largely confined to civil business and mainly to office work. 
 
 Mr. Hanley has also gained a notable place in political circles, not by reason 
 of the fact that he has been very active as an office seeker but owing to his stal- 
 wart advocacy of principles in which he firmly believes. He has delivered 
 many campaign addresses and is a popular speaker, whose arguments carry 
 weight and whose statements are a clear exposition of the isues of the cam- 
 paigns. In 1903 he was elected alderman at large for a term of two years and 
 in 1892 was appointed the president of the commission on insanity of Scott 
 county, in which position he still continues. He has never allowed office hold- 
 ing, however, to interfere with his practice. To this he gives his attention ver> 
 largely but is also known in financial circles as a director of the Citizens Trust 
 & Savings Bank. 
 
 On the 14th of December, 1892, Mr. Hanley was married to Miss Ida B. 
 Davisson, a native of Michigan, and they have two daughters, Bernace and 
 Eloise. The family find their chief enjoyment in their home and their greatest 
 happiness in the society of each other. Mr. Hanley belongs to the Commercial 
 Club and is well known in fraternal circles as a Knight of Pythias and an Elk. 
 
882 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 He also belongs to the Modern Brotherhood of America. In manner he is genial, 
 with a pleasant word and smile for everyone, and his social qualities have made 
 him deservedly popular. He is never too busy to be cordial or too cordial to be 
 busy and is, in fact, a man of well balanced character and interests, whose strug- 
 gles and trials in earlier years have given him force and determination, enabling 
 him to' correctly judge of life's values. 
 
 FRANK HOLM. 
 
 Frank Holm, the recorder for Scott county, was born in Davenport, December 
 15, 1864, a descendant of sturdy German parents. His father, Theodore Holm, was 
 born in Hamburg, Germany, but came to Davenport in 1856, where he pursued 
 his trade as a decorator. He had gained a proficiency in this line of work in the 
 land of his birth and was accounted one of the most artistic as well as successful 
 men here. He was also a musician, and when the Civil war broke out, on the 
 1st of August, 1861, he volunteered and served in the regimental band of the Forty- 
 fourth Illinois Infantry, until September, 1862, when he was discharged. As the 
 war was not yet over, he reenlisted, being assigned to one of the hospital corps 
 for a time. It was as a citizen of Davenport, however, that he will be longest 
 remembered, for he was ever actuated by a large measure of public spirit. He 
 was one of the active members of the original hook and ladder company and in 
 the late '50s was one of the organizers of the Davenport German theater, so that 
 in his death the city lost one of her valued and respected citizens. He married 
 Miss Caroline Baurose, who was also of German nativity but came to Daven- 
 port with her parents in 1846 when she was only two years old. The family 
 landed in New Orleans and ascended the Mississippi river to this city, where 
 Louis Baurose, her father, found employment at his trade of a stone-mason. 
 Like Mr. Holm he was one of the original volunteers of the fire department of 
 Davenport. Unto Theodore Holm and his wife were born four children : Frank, 
 the subject of this review; Mamie, now Mrs. Plamback, of Omaha; Ludovig, 
 who died in infancy; and Louise, who is at home. 
 
 Frank Holm, who has proved himself worthy of every responsibility assigned 
 to him, attended the public schools of Davenport, and after he had completed 
 the prescribed course of study began his commercial career. He was associated 
 first with the Petersen Dry Goods Company, in the minor position of cash boy, 
 but through diligence and application rapidly rose in their esteem until at the end 
 of the six years he spent with them he held the position of salesman. He then 
 entered the employ of the Wadsworth Wholesale Dry Goods Company, with 
 whom he remained eleven years, at the end of that time returning to his former 
 employers, the Petersen Dry Goods Company. He was associated with them 
 for the second time for about eight years, when, in 1906, he was elected on the 
 democratic ticket to the office of county recorder. He had always been active in 
 political matters from his young manhood, although he had not previously re- 
 ceived any indication of the confidence his fellow voters placed in his judgment, 
 his ability and his integrity. 
 
FRANK HOLjr 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 885 
 
 In 1896 Mr. Holm was united in marriage to Miss Emma Soechtig, a native 
 of South Bend, Indiana, and unto them has been born one daughter, Thelma, 
 whose birth occurred January 7, 1902. Mr. Holm belongs to several of the 
 German and other organizations of a fraternal and social character in Daven- 
 port among whose members he is very popular. Indeed his genial personality, 
 and his willingness to exert himself in assisting others, united with his wide busi- 
 ness experience, make him a most efficient official. 
 
 RUDOLPH SCHUETT. 
 
 Scott county numbers among its native sons Rudolph Schuett, a representa- 
 tive and progressive farmer, whose birth here occurred on the 5th of March, 
 1873, on the farm which is still his home. He is a son of Theodore and Anna 
 (Meier) Schuett, who were both born in Schleswig-Holstein, the former on the 
 i8th of January, 1848, and the latter on the 30th of December, 1850. Coming 
 to America in 1867 in search of better business opportunities than were offered 
 in Germany, the father made his way at once to Scott county, Iowa, where he 
 purchased a farm upon which he continued to reside until 1906, when he re- 
 tired from the active duties of business life and removed to Davenport, where 
 he is now living retired in the enjoyment of well earned rest. He took an active 
 part in community affairs, holding the office of trustee of Blue Grass township 
 for some time and later serving as township clerk for a number of years. 
 
 In the district schools near his home Rudolph Schuett acquired his education, 
 and when not engaged with his text-books was busily at work in the fields, early 
 becoming familiar with the tasks that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. Amid 
 the wholesome scenes and environment of rural life he was reared to manhood, 
 learning lessons concerning the value of industry, integrity and perseverance. 
 With the exception of four years, during which time he was employed as a farm 
 hand in Scott county, and the year 1899, when he was engaged in the creamery 
 business in Boone county, his entire life has been spent on his present farm. In 
 1906, when his father retired from active business duties, he took charge of the 
 homestead and has since directed his efforts toward its further development and 
 cultivation. It is a very well improved property, consisting of eighty acres, and 
 the soil, naturally rich and fertile, yields abundant golden harvests in response 
 to the care and labor bestowed upon it. Progressive and up-to-date in all of 
 his methods, Mr. Schuett has made a close study of agriculture and has been 
 most successful in this line of activity, so that he is now ranked among the pros- 
 perous and substantial farmers of the community. In connection with his gen- 
 eral farming pursuits he makes a specialty of raising Poland China hogs, and 
 this branch of his business is proving a profitable source of revenue. 
 
 Mr. Schuett laid the foundation for a happy home life of his own in his 
 marriage, on the 28th of November, 1906, to Miss Fannie Bein, a daughter of 
 Henry Bein, of Scott county, who is now deceased. This union has been blessed 
 by one child, Zella, who is the light and life of the household. Democratic in 
 his political allegiance, Mr. Schuett is now serving as township clerk, which po- 
 
886 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 sition he has filled for the past three years. Early trained to habits of industry, 
 economy and integrity, the success which he today enjoys is well merited and 
 comes as the reward of well directed efforts and intelligently applied labor. His 
 life record is well known to the citizens of Blue Grass township, where he has 
 spent practically his entire life, and the fact that many of his best friends are 
 those who have known him from boyhood is an indication that his actions have 
 ever been guided by the principles of honorable and upright manhood, and his 
 salient characteristics have been such as to inspire the confidence, respect and 
 good will of his fellowmen. 
 
 EDWARD FREUND. 
 
 Prominent in farming and dairying circles is Edward Freund, who owns and 
 operates a farm of one hundred and nine acres of land in Davenport town- 
 ship, and also has, another tract of forty-two acres in the same township. He 
 was born on a farm near his present home, September 9, 1875, the youngest in 
 a family of eight children, whose parents were Peter and Maggie Freund, na- 
 tives of Germany. The father was about twenty-five years of age when he 
 came to the new world, and he arrived in Davenport with but twenty-five cents 
 in his pocket. Immediate employment was a necessity and for a time he worked 
 at anything that would yield him an honest living, while later he operated rented 
 land for a time. Eventually he purchased eighty acres in Pleasant Valley town- 
 ship, on which he erected a house and made it his home until 1876. He then 
 disposed of that property and invested his money in the farm which is now 
 owned by the son. On this place stood a dilapidated house and barn, which in 
 due time were replaced by more substantial buildings. He also placed the fields 
 under a good state of cultivation and devoted his energies to farming throughout 
 the remainder of his days. Prior to coming to the new world, however, he had 
 worked at the shoemaker's trade and had also served his country as a soldier in 
 the army. He was a communicant of the Catholic church in Davenport and died 
 in that faith February 19, 1897, when seventy-two years of age, while his wife, 
 surviving for only about two years, passed away May i, 1899, when sixty-eight 
 years old. Their sons and daughters are as follows: George and J. A., both of 
 Scott county; Frances, the wife of Mathew Banscher, a resident of Carroll 
 county, this state; Ignatius, of Scott county; Joseph, who has departed this life; 
 Albert, of Pleasant Valley township; Katherine, the deceased wife of P. L. 
 Rogge, also of Scott county; and Edward, whose name introduces this record. 
 
 The last named was but a year old when his parents removed from the farm 
 on which his birth occurred to the place which is now in his possession. At the 
 usual age he entered the district schools, and during the periods of vacation his 
 time was employed in the usual manner of farm lads. He has spent his entire 
 life on his present farm and after the death of the father assisted the mother 
 in the management and operation of the place. Soon after the death of the 
 latter he wedded Miss Elizabeth Clause, of Scott county, their marriage being 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 887 
 
 celebrated June 22, 1899. Two sons grace their union, Elden Edward and 
 Herbert John. 
 
 Mr. Freund devotes the greater portion of the farm to the cultivation of crops 
 but he reserves some of the land for pasturage, as he keeps a number of cows 
 for dairy purposes. He is enterprising in his work and displays sound judg- 
 ment m the management of his business affairs. He is a communicant of the 
 Catholic church. Having spent his entire life in Davenport township, he is one 
 of Its best known and most highly respected citizens. 
 
 JAMES H. WIESE. 
 
 Among those who have come from foreign lands to take a place among the 
 well known agriculturists of this county is James H. Wiese, who owns and 
 operates a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Sheridan township, about 
 three and a half miles west of Eldridge. He was born in Holstein, Germany, 
 December 20, 1852, a son of Peter and Bertha Wiese. The father was a la- 
 borer in the old country and in 1865 with his family sailed for America. Land- 
 ing at New York, he came direct to Davenport, where his daughter Lena, who 
 married Henry Meier, was living, and then rented a farm in Winfield township. 
 Later he bought the place in Sheridan township on which his son James now 
 makes his home, living thereon until about four years before his death, when he 
 retired and removed to Eldridge, where he passed away. His widow is still liv- 
 ing in the village at the age of ninety-seven years. She is the mother of five 
 children: Lena, the wife of Henry Meier; Kathrina, who married Mr. Haller, 
 of Buffalo, Iowa; Amelia, the wife of Henry Schneckloth, of Minden, Iowa; 
 Marie, the wife of William Meier, of Sheridan township; and James H., of 
 this review. 
 
 James H. Wiese had attended school a little in Germany and after the family 
 home was established in Scott county he became a pupil in the district school of 
 his locality. When his lessons were over he devoted his entire time to farm- 
 ing, assisting his father in his work until he was twenty-four years of age, when, 
 having married, he desired to establish a home and engage in agricultural pur- 
 suits on his own account. Accordingly he rented a farm in Slopertown, Sheri- 
 dan township, where he lived twenty-eight years, at the end of which time he 
 removed to his present place, which he had previously purchased of James 
 Calderwood. He has worked industriously since then to improve his farm, has 
 built all the barns and outbuildings, has tiled his land, and done other things 
 to make it a representative farm of the twentieth century, modern in every 
 detail. He raises various crops adapted to soil and climate, and as the years 
 have passed he has met with success in his agricultural interests, owing to his 
 untiring labor and excellent business management. 
 
 At the age of twenty-four years Mr. Wiese wedded Miss Emma Keppe, and 
 they became the parents of six children, as follows : Amelia, who is now the wife 
 of Fritz Speth, of Davenport, and has six children: Henry, who married Anna 
 Batram and lives on the old home place at Slopertown; Reda, who is the wife 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 of Emil Oetzmann, of Sheridan township, and has two children, Clarence and 
 Edna; Frank, who married Emma Oetzmann and lives in Lincoln township; 
 Emma, a resident of Donahue ; and Walter, who lives in Eldridge. Mrs. Emma 
 Wiese died in 1891 and was buried at Pine Hill, and on the 14th of March, 1893, 
 Mr. Wiese married Miss Alvina Claussen. She was born in Schleswig-Holstein, 
 Germany, and in 1888 emigrated to America with her parents, William and 
 Marie Claussen. They landed at Baltimore, whence they came direct to Scott 
 county, Iowa. The father died here at the age of sixty-three years, but the 
 mother is still living and makes her home in Davenport. Four children have 
 been born of this union : Maggie, Emil, Alfred and Elmer, all of whom are at 
 home. 
 
 In politics Mr. Wiese affiliates with the democratic party, on whose ticket he 
 was elected to the offices of trustee of Sheridan township and road supervisor. 
 He was faithful in the discharge of his duties and gave his support to every 
 measure for the public good, so that he holds the respect and good will of his 
 fellow citizens. He is a member of the Turners Society of Eldridge and the 
 Shooting Society of Maysville, and is widely known as a man who is always 
 honorable in his dealings and has gained his success by methods that are above 
 reproach. 
 
 ADOLPH PETERSEN. 
 
 The simple narration of the incidents in the early life of Adolph Petersen 
 and the struggles which disciplined him into usefulness in this community add 
 to the weight of testimony that the stamp of leadership among men cannot be 
 obscured by untoward circumstances nor obliterated by the marks of hardship. 
 He is a native of Struxdorf-Angeln, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where he 
 was born November 22, 1858. His father was principal teacher in the school 
 of the village, and when he died circumstances caused the emigration to America 
 of the widow and her five children in 1872. While in New York, on the very 
 threshold of the new world of opportunity, the little family met with disaster, 
 the loss of all their means by theft, and they reached Davenport with no re- 
 sources whatever. 
 
 Upon Adolph, the eldest of the four brothers, then twelve years old, de- 
 volved the responsibility of contributing as liberally as possible to the support 
 of his widowed mother and the younger children. His first work was in a sash 
 and door factory and from there he went on a farm, doing plowman's work be- 
 fore he was fourteen. Back into town he came and worked as a painter and 
 as handy boy in grocery stores. His education was forwarded as circumstances 
 permitted. For one and a half terms he attended the public night school con- 
 ducted by Principal Roderick Rose, afterward mayor of Davenport. The next 
 chapter of his life has its setting in a printing office, where he engaged as inky 
 devil and nimble footed carrier in 1876. Here he seemed to feel that he had 
 discovered his calling and life work and learned the printer's trade in its various 
 branches, taking up as a consequence newspaper work, particularly on the Ger- 
 man press. 
 
ADOLPH PETKKSEN 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 891 
 
 In July, 1884, he founded his own paper, the Iowa Reform. Soon after he 
 was joined in partnership by his brother Gerhard and this business arrangement 
 has continued to the present time. The Reform was at first a weekly paper but 
 later was given semi- weekly publication, and as such has been published regu- 
 larly with growing favor. In 1909 occurred the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 
 iirst appearance of this sterling German paper, the Iowa Reform. A splendid 
 silver jubilee illustrated edition was issued to mark the occasion and this edition, 
 going into thousands of homes, was greatly complimented and appreciated. 
 
 From its beginning until the present time Adolph Petersen has been man- 
 ager of the newspaper enterprise. In the editorial and technical departments he 
 has enjoyed the expert assistance of his brother Gerhard and also John Jebens, 
 who has been associated with him for more than twenty years, August West- 
 phal, and others. 
 
 Adolph Petersen has borne an important part in planning new enterprises 
 for the welfare of Davenport and in forwarding them to success. His activity 
 for public measures has had a wider scope than that bounded by corporation lines. 
 It has been natural that the German portion of the community should have the 
 major portion of his labor and his solicitude, and for the German people, es- 
 pecially of this region of his adopted country, he has toiled indefatigably and 
 intelligently. 
 
 These efforts have been recognized in good measure. He is at this time 
 president — first speaker — of the great Davenport Turngemeinde, also president 
 of the German-American Press Association of the West, an organization cov- 
 ering the states of Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota and Nebraska, and in 1910 hold- 
 ing its annual convention in Omaha. 
 
 Adolph Petersen, a loyal and patriotic American, has found nothing in- 
 consistent in cherishing a deep loye for the land of his birth and an abiding ad- 
 miration for her spirit, her traditions and her language. In his editorial writ- 
 ings he has steadily advised parents of German birth or descent to teach the 
 noble mother tongue to their children, that their heritage in all that is best in 
 the land beyond the sea be not lost to them. 
 
 J. D. CANTWELL, M. D. 
 
 Dr. J. D. Cantwell, deserving of mention with the able and representative 
 members of the medical profession in Davenport, his native city, was born in 
 April, 1877. His father was Dr. A. W. Cantwell, for many years a distinguished 
 physician of Davenport, of whom extended mention is made elsewhere in this 
 volume. The mother was Mrs. Martha (Dalzell) Cantwell, and unto them were 
 born two sons, the elder being James Y. Cantwell, who served in the Spanish- 
 American war in the Fifty-second Iowa Infantry and was afterward transferred 
 to the Fourth Division of the regular army. He was at length honorably dis- 
 charged in Cuba on account of disability and is now a commercial traveler. 
 
 In the public schools of this city Dr. J. D. Cantwell pursued his preliminary 
 education, which was later supplemented by study in the State University. He 
 
892 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 was graduated from the medical department with the class of 1901 and in April 
 of the same year at once entered upon practice in Davenport, where he is mak- 
 ing rapid progress toward the front rank of the profession. Conscientious in 
 the performance of all his professional duties, careful in the diagnosis of his 
 cases and with thorough understanding of anatomy and the component parts of 
 the human body and the onslaughts made upon it by disease, he has, during the 
 nine years of his connection with the profession here, done good work in his 
 efforts to restore health and check the ravages of disease. He is a member of the 
 County and State Medical Associations and the Iowa and Illinois District Medi- 
 cal Association. He is now treasurer of the United States pension board in this 
 district. 
 
 It was in March, 1904, that Dr. Cantwell was united in marriage to Miss 
 Mary Edna Taylor, and unto them have been born two children, Edna Mary 
 and John Dalzell. 
 
 Dr. Cantwell is prominent in Masonic circles, belonging to Trinity Lodge, 
 No. 208, F. & A. M.; Davenport Chapter, No. 16, R. A. M.; St. Simon of 
 Cyrene Commandery, No. 9, K. T., of which he is past eminent commander; 
 Zarepath Consistory, No. 4, S. P. R. S. ; and Kaaba Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. 
 He likewise belongs to Prosperity Lodge, No. 704, I. O. O. F. His record sets 
 at naught the old adage that a prophet is never without honor save in his own 
 country, for in the state where his entire life has been passed Dr. Cantwell has 
 demonstrated his professional worth and it has gained for him recognition in a 
 liberal practice. 
 
 FRANK KEPPY. 
 
 In the front rank of the columns which have advanced the civilization of 
 Scott county, the Keppy family has led the way to its substantial development, 
 progress and upbuilding, and Frank Keppy of this review has been particularly 
 active in the growth of Donahue, where he now makes his home. He was born 
 in Slopertown, Scott county, April 17, 1856, a son of Andrew and Bertha Keppy, 
 both of whom were natives of Germany. The father came to the new world in 
 the '40s. He was a carpenter by trade and followed that calling in his native 
 land but after coming to Scott county engaged in farming throughout his busi- 
 ness career. He was married twice and by the first union he had two daughters 
 and three sons but the daughters all died ere the emigration of the family to the 
 United States. By the second union there were two sons and two daughters 
 but the latter are also deceased, the elder brother of our subject being Herman 
 Keppy, a resident of Davenport. The mother died when Frank Keppy was but 
 two years of age. The father survived for many years and departed this life in 
 Davenport, when he had reached the extreme old age of eighty-eight years. He 
 became an influential citizen of Scott county, being numbered among her most 
 worthy pioneers. 
 
 Frank Keppy was reared to farm life, remaining under the parental roof 
 throughout the period of his boyhood and youth. He assisted his father in the 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 893 
 
 work of the fields until the family removed to Davenport, where they spent two 
 years, after which they again located on a farm. The son gave his father the 
 benefit of his services for six years thereafter and then engaged in farming on 
 his own account, for it was about this time that he established a home of his 
 own by his marriage on the 2d of September, 1875, to Miss Mary Rohwer, who 
 was born in Aliens Grove township, Scott county, on the 9th of February, 1855. 
 Her parents, Claus and Margaret (Koehler) Rohwer, were likewise natives of 
 Germany, the place of their nativity being Holstein. The father was born Decem- 
 ber 22, 1819, while the mother was born on the 28th of May, 1825. They were 
 married in Scott county on the 3d of March, 1854, both having come alone to 
 America. The father bade adieu to the land of his birth on the 28th of March, 
 1848, and after a tedious voyage, covering almost two months, he landed in Dav- 
 enport on the 19th of May, following. The lady whom he afterward made his 
 wife arrived here in the fall of 1853. After reaching Scott county, Mr. Roh- 
 wer began work as a laborer but through his economy and industry it was not 
 long ere he was able to purchase land, for in 1849 he became the owner of one 
 hundred and forty-three acres in Aliens Grove township. This proved but the 
 starting point of his later success for in time his possessions embraced fourteen 
 hundred acres but he has since given to each of his children a good farm. He 
 has engaged in farming all his life and still makes his home in Aliens Grove 
 township. At one time he owned the land on which a part of the village of 
 Donahue has since been built. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Rohwer were bom four 
 daughters and three sons, of whom Mrs. Keppy is the eldest, the others being: 
 Jette, the widow of Charles Thodt, of Hickory Grove township, who is men- 
 tioned elsewhere in this work; Sophia, the wife of Emil Burmeister, a resident 
 of Sheridan township ; Emma, who died in infancy ; Henry, a resident of Aliens 
 Grove township; August C, who died when but two years old; and Ernest, of 
 Sheridan township. 
 
 Following their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Keppy located on a farm of two 
 hundred acres in Winfield township. After a few years he engaged in merchan- 
 dising in connection with his farming operations. In 1880 he took up his abode 
 in the village of Donahue and since then has been actively identified with various 
 enterprises and with the building up of the town. In that year he was appointed 
 postmaster of Donahue and has since held the position through reappointment. 
 For five years he operated a creamery but has since abandoned that pursuit. He 
 still conducts his mercantile establishment, handling a general stock of goods and 
 agricultural implements, and he also buys and sells live stock. He is president 
 of the Donahue Savings Hank. In 1892 he erected his store building, forty by 
 seventy-two feet, this being divided into two rooms, and in addition to this he 
 also owns three residences in the village, while his wife is the owner of a valu- 
 ble farm of two hundred acres, located a half mile east of Donahue in Winfield 
 township. In every relation of life Mr. Keppy has always conformed to the 
 strictest rules of integrity and honesty. 
 
 A republican in his political views, Mr. Keppy has served as school director 
 for five years, while for three years he was president of the Aliens Grove school 
 board. He is not an office-seeker, yet he has nevertheless exerted immeasure- 
 able influence in the village, with whose interests he has been associated for 
 
894 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 almost three decades, and in his daily life and his methods of doing business has 
 set a good example for his sons, Frank C. and Louis A., to follow. Both are 
 enterprising young business men of Donahue, the latter being his father's able 
 assistant, and both are mentioned elsewhere in this volume. The only daughter 
 and the youngest of the family is Clara, now the wife of Henry Klindt, Jr., who 
 is likewise mentioned in this work. 
 
 HENRY SCHROEDER. 
 
 Henry Schroeder is so situated that he enjoys the advantages of both coun- 
 try and city life, for his home farm is only about seven miles northeast of Daven- 
 port — a valuable farm of one hundred and seventeen and a half acres on section 
 33, Lincoln township. In addition to this tract he owns two hundred and forty 
 acres on section 3 of the same township and his extensive realty holdings make 
 him one of the well-to-do farmers of the county. 
 
 He was born October 21, i860, in the township which is still his home, his 
 parents being Claus and Catherine (Hagge) Schroeder, both of whom were na- 
 tives of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, the father's birth having occurred July 
 24, 1830, while the mother was born August 23, 1832. The former came to the 
 United States in 1854, arriving at New York, whence he made his way westward 
 to Indiana. After a brief period there passed he removed to Scott county, 
 Iowa, where for two years he was employed as a farm hand and then entered into 
 partnership with Hans Shuemann. Together they purchased eighty acres of 
 land in Lincoln township and about a year later Claus Schroeder bought eighty 
 acres on section 33 of the same township. He built a house thereon and removed 
 to that farm, which was all prairie land. With characteristic energy, however, 
 he began to cultivate the fields and as the years passed on gathered rich crops. 
 Upon that place he resided from i860 until 1874, when he purchased a part of 
 the farm now occupied by Henry Schroeder and removed to that tract. During 
 the time he lived on section 33, Lincoln township, he bought one hundred and 
 sixty acres more adjoining and made all of the improvements upon the place, his 
 labors transforming it into one of the very desirable farms of the district. He 
 made it his home until about 1886, when he retired and removed to Davenport, 
 Iowa, where his death occurred July 23, 1892. His widow survived him for 
 about five years, passing away May 20, 1897. They were the parents of two 
 children, but the younger, a daughter, died when only four years of age. 
 
 Henry Schroeder is today the only survivor of the family. He has spent 
 almost his entire life in Lincoln township and after acquiring his preliminary 
 education in the district schools he attended Duncan's Business College at Daven- 
 port. Subsequently he went west to California and Washington, where he re- 
 mained for a few years, after which he returned to Scott county and was mar- 
 ried, the lady of his choice being Miss Katie E. Mohr, a daughter of John and 
 Katherine Mohr, of Davenport. Mr. and Mrs. Schroeder were married on the 
 4th of March, 1886, and have become parents of two daughters and two sons: 
 Hattie, now the wife of Alexander L. Mulinax, of Cable, Wisconsin, by whom 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 895 
 
 she has one child, Arletha; Harry, at home; Edward, a student at Ames Col- 
 lege ; and Mabel, at home. 
 
 After .his marriage Mr. Schroeder took his bride to the old home farm and 
 has since occupied it. He carries on general farming and has made most of the 
 improvements upon the place. The buildings are in a state of good repair, the 
 latest improved machinery is used to facilitate the work of the fields, and an- 
 nually rich crops are gathered as a reward for the care and labor of Mr. 
 Schroeder. He is also an active factor in community interests and is now serv- 
 ing as county supervisor, to which office he was elected on the democratic ticket 
 in 1906. He has held nearly all of the township offices, serving at different 
 times as trustee, assessor, clerk and school director. He is a stockholder in the 
 Davenport Malt & Grain Company and is a man of good judgment and enter- 
 prise, who recognizes and improves his opportunities. He is largely famihar 
 with the history of the county, having for a half century resided within its 
 borders, so that he has witnessed many of the events which have shaped its an- 
 nals. Wherever known he is held in high esteem, and most of all where he is 
 best known. 
 
 GEORGE SCHICK. 
 
 The name of Schick is a well known and familiar one in connection with the 
 transfer and storage business in Davenport, for since the city has been of such 
 magnitude as to support such trade interests members of the family- have been 
 connected therewith. He whose name introduces this review is at the head of 
 Schick Brothers Express & Storage Company. 
 
 George Schick was born in Davenport, April 20, 1877, a son of John and 
 Minnie (Kuehl) Schick. The former is a son of John Schick, Sr., who organized 
 the first express company in Davenport, his first equipment being a one-horse 
 dray. Later when the business grew to one of more importance he associated 
 with him his son John, while still later he admitted two other sons to a partner- 
 ship, and they conducted business for many years, becoming one of the leading 
 concerns in this line in Davenport. 
 
 George Schick at the usual age entered the public schools and therein mas- 
 tered the branches of learning that fitted him for the practical duties of life. 
 In the meantime, during the periods of vacation, he assisted his father and 
 through this means qualified for carrying on the business on his own account 
 in later years. Eventually the firm was incorporated and made a stock company, 
 in which our subject was an active member. In December, 1905, however, the 
 sons bought the father's interest and organized Schick Brothers Express & 
 Storage Company, of which George Schick is the head. They are engaged in 
 teaming and all such work and also are fitted for storing goods. This is the 
 leading concern of its kind in Davenport and the firm not only retains its former 
 customers but is adding daily to its Hst of patrons. They also have a government 
 contract for carrying the mail from the postoffice to the various railway stations, 
 this contract being in efifect for two and a half years. 
 
896 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Mr. Schick was married in 1899 to Miss Mayme Truelsen, a daughter of Hans 
 Truelsen, and their union has been blessed with one son, Robert John, who is 
 now in school. Mr. Schick belongs to the Masonic order and to the Fraternal 
 Order of Eagles. He possesses a high order of business talent, which has served 
 him well in the conduct of his enterprise and all with whom he has dealings 
 find him true to the terms of a contract. Having spent his entire life in Daven- 
 port — his native city — he is interested in her welfare and is numbered among 
 her most substantial business men. 
 
 MRS. MELVINA POPE FANNING. 
 
 Mrs. Melvina Pope Fanning, who is well and favorably known in Princeton^ 
 where the greater part of her Hfe has been passed, owns considerable property 
 in the village and thirty-five acres of farm land in Princeton township. Her 
 father, Isaac Tracy Pope, was one of the early settlers of Scott county and was 
 a descendant of pioneers, for his ancestors came to America from England, 
 when this continent was first being colonized Those who established the family 
 on this side of the Atlantic were Thomas and John Pope, who crossed the ocean 
 on the Mary and John, landing in Massachusetts September 3, 1634. John Pope 
 was a freeman of Dorchester and in his will, drawn up in 1646, mentioned his 
 brother Thomas, who is supposed to have been Thomas Pope of Plymouth. 
 
 Isaac Tracy Pope, a lineal descendant and the father of Mrs. Fanning, was 
 born in Oswego county, New York, August 13, 181 1, a son of Squire S. and Sallie 
 (Angle) Pope, who came west in 1835 '^"d settled in Quincy, Illinois. Isaac 
 Tracy Pope received a common-school education in the east, married there and 
 in 1840 came to Linn county, Iowa, where he secured a tract of government 
 land, upon which he built a log cabin, and there lived until 1854. Being in lim- 
 ited circumstances he and his wife had to endure many hardships attendant upon 
 the primitive state of the country and the strain of poverty. However, he was 
 energetic and ambitious and in the course of years his labors brought him a gen- 
 erous competence. In 1854 he removed from Linn county to Scott county, where 
 he engaged in farming until his death, which occurred March 17, 1863. His wife 
 survived him more than twenty years. She was Miss Mary A. Rathburn, in her 
 maidenhood and a daughter of Washington and Eunice Rathburn. Born in Os- 
 wego county, New York, March 15, 1814, she there grew to young womanhood 
 and was married to Mr. Pope, January 28, 1834. She endured the hardships of 
 pioneer life in Iowa in the early years of her wedded life, and when the Scott 
 County Pioneer Society was organized became one of its honored members. 
 Hers was a life of courage and devotion to her family, and she was deeply mourned 
 when, on the 30th of December, 1886, she was called to her final rest. The last 
 fourteen years of her life were passed in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Fan- 
 ning. Nine children were born to her and her husband, as follows : Sarah, who 
 became the wife of James Wood, of Princeton; William H., who wedded Miss 
 Mary Allen and is now deceased ; Melvina, who is the subject of this sketch ; James 
 K., who married Miss Mary Green and is now living at Princeton; George W., 
 
Mli. ANH MRS. JOHN A. PANNING 
 
MR. AND MRS. ISAAC T. POPE 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 901 
 
 who wedded Miss Anna Maria Van Eppyand is now a resident of Pleasant Valley 
 township; and four who died in infancy. William H. Pope was born October 12, 
 1840, and was a young man of twenty-one when, on the 14th of October, 1861, he 
 enlisted in the Second Iowa Cavalry under Colonel Egbert. He saw considerable 
 active service during the Civil war and was discharged October 4, 1864. 
 
 ^ Mrs. Melvina Pope Fanning was born in Linn county, Iowa, near the town of 
 Lisbon, January 30, 1845, and accompanied her parents when they came to Scott 
 county. She attended the common schools of Pleasant Valley township, although 
 she was not permitted to give much time to the preparation of lessons, for at the 
 age of fifteen her father bought a hotel in Princeton and placed her in charge of 
 it. She conducted the hostelry with success, displayed good business judgment, 
 and became favorably known in the village and the vicinity as a young woman 
 of large ability. 
 
 At the end of four years she gave her hand in marriage to John A. Fanning, 
 who was born at Clayton, Jefferson county, New York, May 20, 1835. In 1857 
 he came west, settling first in Moline, Illinois, where he Hved until 1859, when he 
 eame to Princeton, Scott county. After the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted 
 from this village in Company C, Second Iowa Cavalry, and in the three years of 
 his service participated in many of the hotly contested battles of the great struggle. 
 Upon his return to civil life he took up his residence in Princeton, where he fol- 
 lowed his trade as a blacksmith, and where, October 31, 1864, he was united in 
 marriage to Miss Melvina Pope. The couple passed along the highroad of life 
 together for more than a score of years, before their union was broken by the 
 death of Mr. Fanning, who passed away in 1885. 
 
 Mrs. Fanning is well known and highly respected in Princeton township, where 
 she has spent so many years. She has shown courage and ability in meeting the 
 several problems that have confronted her, and while she has exhibited a keen 
 business sagacity on many occasions, she is endowed with those womanly traits 
 that make her beloved and venerated among a large circle of friends. 
 
 CHARLES VAN EVERA. 
 
 An excellent farming property of two hundred and eighty-six acres located 
 in Davenport township pays tribute to the care and labor which Charles Van 
 Evera bestows upon it, and in the fine crops which he annually harvests he is 
 continually adding to his financial resources. He was born in the Empire state, 
 March 2, 1847, a son of Rynier and Katherine (Stowits) Van Evera. The 
 family came originally from Holland but have lived in America since before the 
 Revolution. Rynier Van Evera was also born in New York, a son of John Van 
 Evera. He was married in that state and in 1837 came west with his family, 
 establishing his home in Muscatine county, Iowa. He located on one hundred 
 and twenty acres of land which he purchased and thereon made his home for six 
 years. He then disposed of that tract and removing to Scott county, rented 
 various tracts of land until 1867, when he purchased the farm which is now in 
 
902 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 possession of the son Charles. For many years he was identified with the de- 
 velopment and improvement of this farm and passed away March 9, 1883, while 
 his wife survived him for only two years, her death occurring March 23, 1885. 
 They had a family of five children, namely: Miranda, the widow of Cornelius 
 Wilkin, who now makes her home with our subject; Joshua, of Florida; Charles, 
 of this review ; and John and Henry, deceased. 
 
 Charles Van Evera was a little lad of seven years when he was brought by 
 his parents to Iowa, the family home being established in Muscatine county. He 
 started to school at the usual age in New York state and after removing to 
 Muscatine county attended school there, while later, the family removing to 
 Scott county, he attended the district schools here, but his education was com- 
 pleted in the high school at Davenport. After putting aside his text-books he 
 gave his attention to farming, having assisted his father during the periods of 
 vacation while pursuing his studies. 
 
 Mr. Van Evera established a home of his own by his marriage on the 30th of 
 December, 1874, to Miss Henrietta Kepler, a daughter of John and Ann (Doug- 
 lass) Kepler, of Scott county. He then began work in earnest, following the 
 pursuit to which he had been reared and this has been his occupation to the 
 present time. He now owns two hundred and eighty-six acres in Davenport 
 township, which was formerly the old home place, the house which stands on 
 the farm having been erected by the father. Mr. Van Evera since taking pos- 
 session has made other needed improvements and the place is now one of the 
 most valuable in Davenport township. He carries on general farming and also 
 raises stock, both branches of his business bringing him a good profit. His suc- 
 cess has been won through the most honorable methods, so that it is all the more 
 gratifying. 
 
 As above stated, Mr. Van Evera wedded Miss Henrietta Kepler, who was born 
 in Pennsylvania, a daughter of John and Ann Kepler. The father was born in 
 Blair county, Pennsylvania, October 21, 1831, while the mother was bom in 
 Cambria county, that state, November 17, 1832. In 1856 a removal was made 
 to Scott county. The family lived for a few years thereafter in Le Claire town- 
 ship but in 1 86 1 took up their abode in Lincoln township, where the mother's 
 death occurred on the 2d of February, 1877, when she was forty-five years of 
 age. The father survived for many years and passed away in Chicago, Illinois, 
 December 18, 1893, when he was sixty-two years old. Their family numbered 
 eight children, as follows: Henrietta, now Mrs. Van Evera; T. B., of Tama 
 county, Iowa; W. D., of Lincoln township; G. M., formerly of this county; W. E., 
 a resident of Oregon; William D., of Tama county, this state; M. H., who makes 
 his home in Worth county, this state ; and R. P. of Toledo, Iowa. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Van Evera has been blessed with nine chil- 
 dren : Rynier, who died in infancy ; Grace, at home ; Carl, who wedded Josephine 
 Seaman and lives in Davenport township, where he follows farming and stock 
 raising, his specialty being red polled cattle; Katherine, who is engaged in teach- 
 ing in Minnesota ; Kepler, who is studying for the ministry in McCormick The- 
 ological Seminary, at Chicago; Anna, the wife of B. S. Bonnell, a resident of 
 Lincoln township; Rodger, who married Zella Barr and is farming the home 
 place; Benjamin, also at home; and Donald, who died when six years of age. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 903 
 
 Mr. Van Evera is a republican in his political belief and has served as school 
 director but otherwise has filled no public office. His religious faith is indi- 
 cated by his membership in the Presbyterian church at Summit, in which he is 
 now acting as treasurer. Fortunate as has been his life, his record is untar- 
 nished and the name of Charles Van Evera stands for honesty, integrity and up- 
 right manhood. 
 
 THEODORE KRABBENHOEFT. 
 
 The name of Theodore Krabbenhoeft is an honored one in mercantile and 
 financial circles in Davenport, where he is widely known as the president of the 
 Davenport Cigar Box Company and as a director of the Davenport Savings 
 Bank. What he has accompHshed represents the utilization of the innate talents 
 which are his, the recognition of opportunity and keen discrimination in deter- 
 mining that which is essential in the successful conduct of business enterprises. 
 One of Davenport's native sons and a representative of one of its pioneer fam- 
 ilies, he was born August 14, 1859, his parents being J. H. and Lizzette (Haak) 
 Krabbenhoeft. The father was a native of Germany, born in the little village 
 of Noehr near Kiel. He acquired his education in the schools of that country 
 and there learned the mechanic's trade. His interests aroused by the favorable 
 reports which he heard concerning the new world and its opportunities, he de- 
 termined to try his fortune on the western continent and after bidding adieu to 
 friends and family, sailed for New Orleans. He then made his way up the 
 Mississippi river to St. Louis, where he remained until, attracted by the dis- 
 covery of gold in California, he crossed the plains to the Pacific coast in 1849, 
 remaining for about a year in the far west. He was among those who met suc- 
 cess in the search for the precious metal and on his return brought with him sub- 
 stantial evidence of his labors. Again making his way to the Mississippi val- 
 ley, he proceeded to Davenport instead of St. Louis and settled on a farm in the 
 vicinity of this city. Again he was attracted by gold discoveries when the pre- 
 cious metal was found on Pike's Peak, and, making his way to Colorado, he 
 remained there for some time. On his return to Scott county he resumed farm- 
 ing in Davenport township, owning there a good tract of land which responded 
 readily and generously to the care and labor which he bestowed upon it. Unto 
 him and his wife, who was also a native of Germany, there were born seven 
 children: George, deceased; Theodore, \^hose name introduces this record; 
 Emma, the wife of Chris Niemand; Gus; Laura and Edward, both deceased; 
 and Julius, who married Emma Pahl. 
 
 At the usual age Theodore Krabbenhoeft entered the common schools, 
 wherein he completed his education. His early experience in the business world 
 came through clerking in various commercial houses in the city and he made his 
 first independent step as a grocer, opening a store which he conducted for some 
 time with substantial success. Hoping to find a still broader field of labor, he 
 disposed of his mercantile interests to his brother-in-law and entered the field 
 of manufacturing in connection with the Davenport Cigar Box Company, which 
 
904 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 had been organized about a year previous. Soon after becoming connected 
 therewith Mr. Krabbenhoeft was chosen general manager and upon the reor- 
 ganization of the business accepted the presidency and has since remained at the 
 head of what is now regarded as one of the leading concerns of the city. 
 
 On the 5th of November, 1882, Mr. Krabbenhoeft was married to Miss 
 Emma Struck, a daughter of Henry Struck, of whom extended mention is 
 made elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Krabbenhoeft belongs to the Benevolent 
 and Protective Order of Elks and the Turner Society, in which organization he 
 is very active. Diligence and perseverance constitute the keynote of his char- 
 acter, and as he has steadily progressed in business circles each forward step has 
 brought him a broader outlook and wider opportunity which he has fully utilized 
 in the development of business interests that are now important and of exten- 
 sive proportions. 
 
 CAPTAIN WARNER LEWIS CLARK. 
 
 Captain Warner Lewis Clark enjoys the distinction of being the oldest liv- 
 ing settler of the state of Iowa and also of being the son of the first white man 
 to establish a claim in Scott county. He was bom on the Wabash river, near 
 Mount Carmel, Wabash county, Illinois, November 14, 1822, a son of Ben- 
 jamin Warren and Mary (Beard) Clark. The father was a native of Virginia, 
 but the mother was born in Kentucky and did not survive the birth of her 
 son. The earliest memories of the childhood of Captain Warner Lewis Clark 
 are connected with the Indians, for at the time of his birth they were much 
 more numerous than the white settlers. Indeed, in 1827, when the family re- 
 moved to Rock Island, the Black Hawk, Keokuk and other tribes surrounded 
 them and were their daily companions. As boys he and his brother, John P. 
 Clark, played with them at ball, shooting arrows and other games which they 
 taught them, and having learned the Indian language became conversant with 
 many of the customs prevalent among the red people. On the ist of June, 1833, 
 with the rest of his family. Captain Clark removed to the Black Hawk pur- 
 chase and they were the first to settle where is now the village of Buffalo, this 
 county. Many are the memories of those early days, when the face of a white 
 brother was infrequently seen. It was, indeed, a great event when the first school 
 was taught here in 1836, and in it in the winter of 1838 Captain Clark received 
 his last instruction in the rudiments of English education. On the 25th of October, 
 1839, occurred the death of his father, and a month later his stepmother also 
 passed away, leaving eight children to struggle against the hardships that con- 
 fronted them. The character of the life, far from discouraging them, taught them 
 the invaluable lessons of industry and hopefulness, which were productive of 
 large results if we are to judge from Captain Clark's career. 
 
 For a number of years after the death of his parents. Captain Clark lived 
 upon the old homestead in Buffalo township and then, in 1847, removed to Dav- 
 enport. Seven years later he and the late Captain Leroy Dodge bought a half 
 interest in the packet line running between Keokuk, Davenport, and Rock Isl- 
 
HISTORY OF ^COTT COUNTY 907 
 
 and. Captain Clark received the contract for handling the United States mail. 
 In 1857 he left Davenport to take up his residence in Buffalo, in order that 
 he might operate the coal mines which were upon his place and thus supply his 
 boats with coal. In the course of years he became very wealthy, although in 
 the panic of 1859 he lost heavily, but had enough left to establish him comfortably 
 and give him a good start again in life. During the year 1865 he opened an 
 addition to the village of Buffalo, which still bears his name. Of course in late 
 years he has taken little active part in the life that is going on about him, but 
 he is, nevertheless, an eager spectator of events and has not remitted one bit of 
 his interest in the things that pertain to the general welfare. He is able to con- 
 trast the present with its conveniences with the hardships of the past, and while 
 he cannot but acklowledge the great advancement that has been made, he is 
 loath to say that better men are produced now than then. In fact those early 
 days, while they called into play the sternest qualities of a nature, demanding 
 courage and perseverance above all things, inculcated those principles upon 
 which the highest success is built. 
 
 On the 9tli of December, 1841, when he was but nineteen years of age, Captain 
 Clark was united in marriage to Miss Harriet Baker, who was one year his junior. 
 She was a daughter of Maurice and Margaret (Waters) Baker, the former a native 
 of Maryland, the latter of Kentucky. Eight children were born to the Captain and 
 his wife: Benjamin Warren, who wedded Miss Lizzie Evans, of St. Louis, Mis- 
 souri, and passed away May 29, 1905 ; Emma M., who became the wife of General 
 Jesse M. Harrison, of Dubuque, Iowa; Clara M., who is the widow of Charles 
 F. Elmes, of Chicago; Florence L., who is the wife of W. L. Orrick, of Du- 
 buque, Iowa; Lincoln L., who died unmarried August 28, 1882; Kate M., who 
 died May 13, 1884; Anna M., who passed away August 27, 1889; and Charles 
 C, who is engaged in the milling business in St. Louis, Missouri. Mrs. Clark 
 died March 30, 1891. 
 
 Politically Captain Clark has always been in sympathy with the democratic 
 party, and he is a member of the Episcopal church. He is a stanch defender of 
 religion and his own life is lived in strict accord with the rules of Christian con- 
 duct. He is temperate in all his habits, with a certain justifiable pride attrib- 
 uting the many years of his life to that fact. 
 
 FRANK C. KEPPY. 
 
 The financial interests of Donahue find a worthy representative in Frank C. 
 Keppy, who is acting as cashier of the Donahue Savings Bank. He was born 
 April 5, 1876, the eldest of three children born unto Frank and Mary (Rohwer) 
 Keppy, his younger brother being Louis A. Keppy, while the sister is Clara, the 
 wife of Henry Klindt of Maysville, Scott county. All are mentioned elsewhere 
 
 in this work. 
 
 Frank C. Keppy was reared on the home farm to the age of seven years, and 
 his parents then removed to Donahue, where his entire life has been spent, with 
 the exception of when away at school. He was given excellent educational ad- 
 
908 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 vantages that he might start out in life well equipped for the strenuous and ex- 
 acting service of the times. He attended high school in Davenport and subse- 
 quently attended Duncan's Business College in that city. Returning home, he 
 became manager of his father's merchandise establishment in Donahue, being 
 thus engaged for ten years. In 1905, upon the organization of the Donahue 
 Savings Bank, Mr. Keppy was made its first cashier and has filled that position 
 to the present time. The bank is established upon a firm basis, its stockholders 
 being some of the best known and wealthiest citizens of that section of Scott 
 county. The president and vice president are Frank Keppy and Albert C. 
 Klindt, of Donahue, respectively, who with Emil Fellner, G. C. Mohr, Henry 
 Meyer, Henry Schult and George Gollinghorst constitute the directorate. 
 
 Conducting his private interests in a successful manner, Mr. Keppy is also 
 willing to lend his aid to the prosecution of pubHc interests. He has followed in 
 his father's political foosteps as a stanch supporter of the republican party, on 
 which ticket he was elected mayor of Donahue, being the first man to fill the 
 office. He is also acting as treasurer of the Aliens Grove township school board 
 and of the Donahue Percheron Horse Company. His fraternal relations are 
 with the Knights of Pythias lodge at Dixon. 
 
 Mr. Keppy was married March 9, 1897, the lady of his choice being Miss 
 Ella Meyer, who was born in Hickory Grove township, November 22, 1876. She 
 is a daughter of Fritz and Rebecca (Shuck) Meyer, the former deceased and 
 the latter now a resident of Davenport. By her marriage Mrs. Keppy has become 
 the mother of an interesting son and daughter, Dennis B. and Etta C. The 
 parents are prominent and popular in the social circles of the community, for 
 they have here spent their entire lives and are therefore well known. 
 
 THOMAS PEACOCK. 
 
 A well improved farm. of twenty-seven acres, located in Buffalo township, is 
 the home of Thomas Peacock, who was born near Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1849 
 and was a little lad of five years when brought to the new world by his 
 parents, William and Jeannette (Crabb) Peacock, the year 1853 witnessing their 
 arrival in the United States. The father died soon after reaching this country, 
 having contracted a fever while on shipboard. The mother located near Potts- 
 ville, Pennsylvania, where she remained until 1863, when she removed with her 
 family to Bedford county, that state, and the son remained in the latter district 
 three years, when in 1866 he came west. For a few years thereafter he engaged 
 in mining and farming at intervals, and in 1871 he settled in Scott county and 
 prospected for coal, working in the mines of this district for three years. 
 
 His lot up to this time had been rather a hard one. Deprived of his father 
 at an early age, he had little opportunity of attending school, as he had to provide 
 for his own support from a very early age, and practically all the knowledge he 
 gained from his books was by study at night after he had completed his day's 
 work. As above stated, he had worked at farm labor after coming to Scott 
 county and through this means had ample opportunity to test the worth of the 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 909 
 
 land and its possibilities. He was convinced that he could win success in this 
 way and accordingly, in 1874, located on his present farm of twenty-seven acres 
 in Buffalo township, to which he has since bent his energies 
 
 Soon after coming to the west Mr. Peacock was married in Scott county in 
 1873, to Miss Elizabeth M. Kearney, a daughter of John Kearney, of Buffalo 
 township. Mrs. Peacock was bom April 17, 1855, and by her marriage has 
 become the mother of four living daughters : Mrs. Jeannette M. McCollough 
 who IS with her parents; Elizabeth, the wife of William Kohl, residing near 
 Linwood, Iowa; Annie, the wife of John Kohl; and Emma A., at home. Three 
 sons died in youth. 
 
 Mr. Peacock is a republican in his political views and has been called by his 
 fellow townsmen to fill various township offices, having served as assessor and 
 trustee, and he has also filled other minor positions, in all of which he has dis- 
 charged his duties faithfully and conscientiously. He belongs to Banner Lodge, 
 No. 16, K. P., at Buffalo. Starting out in life for himself, with but a limited 
 education and with no capital he has steadily worked his way upward and today 
 commands the esteem and respect of the entire community. Over the record of 
 his public career and private life there falls no shadow of wrong, for he has ever 
 been most loyal to the ties of friendship and citizenship, and his history well 
 deserves a place in the annals of his adopted state. 
 
 FRED THORNBLOOM. 
 
 A well improved farm of one hundred and twenty acres, situated in Buffalo 
 township, is the home of Fred Thornbloom, a worthy representative of the 
 Swedish race. He was born in Sweden in 1861 and made his home there until 
 he was thirty-two years of age. Having learned of the opportunities afforded 
 in America, he decided to try his fortune in the new world, and accordingly, in 
 1893, crossed the Atlantic. He settled in Moline, Illinois, where for a few years 
 he was employed in the shops of the Deere Plow Company. In 1895, believing 
 that he could better provide for his family on a farm, he rented a tract of land 
 near Moline and for several years gave his attention to its cultivation. In 1897 
 he rented a two hundred acre farm near Hillsdale, Illinois, where he lived five 
 years. 
 
 In 1903 Mr. Thornbloom came to Scott county and since then has been en- 
 gaged in farming one one hundred and twenty acres in Buffalo township. He does 
 general farming, raising the cereals best adapted to soil and climate, and each year 
 he gathers good crops as a reward for the care and labor he bestows upon the fields. 
 He finds in the cultivation of the rich soil of Iowa ample scope for his energy — 
 his dominant quality — and as the years pass he is adding to his financial resources 
 
 Mr. Thornbloom was married ere he emigrated to the new world, the lady 
 of his choice being Miss Annie Anderson. They have eight children: Henry, 
 Anna, Carrie, Swan, Iver, Casper, Thera and Sadie. All are at home with the 
 exception of Annie, who is now the wife of Claus Hagberg, a resident of Mo- 
 line, Illinois. 
 
910 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Loyal to the best interests of his adopted county. Mr. Thornbloom is not 
 slow in advocating every movement or measure for the improvement and prog- 
 ress of this section of the state and all who know him have for him high 
 esteem. 
 
 EDWARD R. SCHNECKLOTH. 
 
 Edward R. Schneckloth is numbered among the younger farmers of Scott 
 county who have won success by well directed effort and energy. He is now 
 living on a fine farm of one hundred and twenty acres owned by his mother on 
 section 5, Lincoln township, and pleasantly and conveniently situated about three 
 and a half miles east of Eldridge. 
 
 It was upon this farm that his birth occurred April 7, 1882, his parents being 
 Thomas and Silkie (Fink) Schneckloth, both of whom were natives of Ger- 
 many. The father, who was born in that country December 2, 1842, came to 
 the United States at the age of nine years with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry 
 Schneckloth. They landed at New Orleans and thence made their way up the 
 river to Davenport. Soon afterward they went to Moline, Illinois, where they 
 remained for two months, after which Mr. Schneckloth purchased eighty acres 
 of partially improved land in Scott county and took up his abode thereon. For 
 a long period he continued to engage in tilling the soil and became recognized as 
 one of the representative farmers of the community, but about 1891 retired 
 from active life and removed to Davenport, where both he and his wife passed 
 away. 
 
 Thomas Schneckloth began his education in the schools of Holstein, Ger- 
 many, and continued his studies after he came to this county with his parents. 
 In the summer months he worked in the fields and throughout his life carried 
 on general farming. He remained upon the old homestead until his death, 
 which occurred June 9, 1901. In the meantime he had added to the boundaries 
 of the original farm by the purchase of an adjoining tract of land of forty acres. 
 He made all of the improvements upon the place, added substantial buildings for 
 the shelter of grain and stock, fenced his fields, brought his land under a high 
 state of cultivation and utilized modern machinery in planting, caring for and 
 harvesting the crops. He carried on general farming and was also a stockholder 
 in the Farmers Creamery Company of Eldridge. His study of the political 
 issues and questions of the day led him to give earnest support to the republican 
 party and his interest in the cause of education prompted his efJRcient service as 
 school director for many years. 
 
 His wife was born in Holstein, Germany, March 29, 1845. She pursued her 
 education in the fatherland and also in America, • coming to the United States 
 when eight years of age with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Fink. They 
 landed at Galveston, Texas, and after a few days went to New Orleans and 
 thence proceeded up the river to Scott county, taking three weeks to make the 
 trip, and then settling on a tract of land adjoining the Schneckloth place. There 
 Mr. Fink purchased eighty acres, but after farming for twenty years in Scott 
 county he sold his property here and went west, where he purchased one hun- 
 
•z. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 913 
 
 dred and sixty acres and later two hundred and sixty acres, living there until he 
 was eighty-two years of age. Both he and his wife died in Tama county, Iowa. 
 Their daughter Mrs. Thomas Schneckloth is still living, her home being now in 
 Davenport. By her marriage she became the mother of thirteen children: 
 Theresa, the wife of John Horst, of Lincoln township ; Anna, the deceased wife 
 of Christ Evers, of Garwin, Iowa ; Henry, who is living in Chicago, Illinois ; Gus- 
 tave and Herman, both deceased ; Minnie, the wife of Dr. J. W. Benadom, of Den- 
 ver, Colorado ; Laura, the wife of Adolph P. Arp, of Lincoln township ; Adolph, 
 who is living in Davenport, Iowa; Edward, of this review; Adelheit who is 
 living with her mother in Davenport; Arthur, who resides in Eldridge, Iowa; 
 Julius, deceased; and one who died in infancy. 
 
 Throughout his entire life Edward R. Schneckloth has resided upon the 
 farm which is yet his home. He attended district school No. 7 and after ac- 
 quiring a good practical English education, began devoting his entire time and 
 attention to the work of the fields and in 1907 took charge of the farm. He 
 carries on general agricultural pursuits and the place, with its one hundred 
 and twenty acres of rich land, responds readily to the care and cultivation which 
 he bestows upon it. 
 
 Mr. Schneckloth was married on the 19th of December, 1906, to Miss Laura 
 Hill, who was born in Butler township, this county, and is a daughter of Ernest 
 and Emma ( Stoltenberg) Hill, who were early settlers of this county and, like 
 many of the county's worthy citizens, the father was of German birth. He was 
 bom in Holstein, April 20, 1847, and remained in his native land until twenty 
 years of age, when the favorable reports which he heard concerning the new 
 world and its opportunities constituted for him an irresistible attraction, and he 
 crossed the Atlantic, making his way to Scott county, Iowa, where he continued 
 to engage in farming for some time. His wife was born in this county and 
 they are now living in Clinton county, Iowa, being numbered among the repre- 
 sentative farming people of that community. They own three hundred acres 
 of land in Orange township. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Schneckloth has been blessed with one child, 
 Lloyd Ernest Thomas, who was born March 8, 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Schneck- 
 loth are well known in their community and the hospitality of its best homes is 
 freely accorded them. His stanchest friends are those who have been acquainted 
 with him from his boyhood days, a fact which indicates that his life has been 
 well and honorably spent. 
 
 STEWART GILLMOR. 
 
 The name of Gillmor is an old and familiar one in Scott county, the family 
 having been associated with the agricultural life of eastern Iowa from pioneer 
 times down to the present, and he whose name introduces this review was one 
 of the influential and substantial farmers of Aliens Grove township, where he 
 spent much of his life after coming to the new world, and it was on his home 
 farm here that he died December 16, 1902. 
 
914 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Mr. Gillmor was a native of County Sligo, Ireland, born July 27, 1832, a son 
 of Stewart and Rebecca (Hart) Gillmor. The latter had previously been mar- 
 ried to a Mr. Baker and had one son, Nicholas, who was drowned in the Wapsi- 
 pinicon river. Mr. and Mrs. Gillmor emigrated to America, arriving in Daven- 
 port on the I2th of April, 1847. The father first purchased forty acres of land, 
 which he planted to wheat, this tract being located where the Orphans Home now 
 stands. After residing in that section of Scott county for a period of four or 
 five years, the father preempted eighty acres of land north of Long Grove, 
 which became his permanent place of abode, and where the parents reared their 
 family of four sons and two daughters, as follows: Eliza, who married Samuel 
 Ramsey but she has since passed away; Stewart, of this review; Isaac, who de- 
 parted this life in 1909 ; his home being in Denison, this state ; John, who died in 
 youth; Margaret Jane, the deceased wife of Alexander Boyle; and Hugh, who is 
 also deceased. 
 
 Stewart Gillmor, the eldest son and second in order of birth, shared with the 
 other members of the family in the trials and privations they had to bear in es- 
 tablishing a home in a new and unsettled country. He remained under the 
 parental roof until he reached mature years and then, in connection with his 
 brother Isaac, secured from the government three hundred and twenty acres of 
 land in Winfield township, this tract lying north of Donahue. Stewart Gillmor 
 at once began the cultivation and improvement of the land and made his home 
 thereon until about the close of the Civil war, when he disposed of that property 
 and invested his money in three hundred and twenty-three acres located on sec- 
 tions 26, 27, 34 and 45, Aliens Grove township, and since his demise the family 
 have added twenty-seven acres to it on section 27. Mr. Gillmor gave his time 
 and attention to the improvement and further development of this farm and it 
 is now a valuable property. Although he was modest and retiring by nature, 
 little inclined to conversation, he was a man of much influence in the community 
 and it was due to his efforts and largely to his financial aid that the house of 
 worship, known as the Church of God, was erected on his farm. Aside from his 
 many other acts of kindness, which will long be remembered, this will stand as 
 a lasting monument to his religious zeal. 
 
 Mr. Gillmor, also in a quiet way, exerted his influence in the political circles 
 of Scott county. He was stanch in his advocacy of the republican party and its 
 principles and cast his first presidential vote for Fremont, while his last ballot 
 supported William McKinley. Mr. Gillmor had passed his seventieth year, when 
 on the i6th of December, 1902, he was called from this life. His ideals, his per- 
 sonality, the history of his life and his profound sense of integrity and honesty 
 could be made the text of a lesson from which the younger generation could 
 study success. 
 
 Mr. Gillmor had spent forty-four years of wedded bHss with his wife, who 
 bore the maiden name of Mary A. Connor, their marriage being celebrated in 
 1858. She was born in Perth, Ontario, Canada, June 26, 1839, a daughter of John 
 and Ellen (Bryan) Connor, who were natives of Ireland but spent some years in 
 Canada and came to Scott county in 1846. With the widow seven children sur- 
 vive the death of Mr. Gillmor, these being: John Stewart, who conducts a hotel 
 in Los Angeles, California ; Margaret J., who is with her mother ; R. Ellen, who 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 915 
 
 is engaged in teaching in Durango, Colorado ; William L., a practicing physician 
 in Kansas City, Missouri ; Hugh H., who resides on a part of the homestead 
 farm; Frank A. E., who is with his mother and manages the remainder of the 
 farm; and I. Fenton, who is a student in the Iowa State University. Mrs. Gill- 
 mor is a lady of many estimable qualities and enjoys the high regard of a large 
 circle of friends and acquaintances. 
 
 H. H. GILLMOR. 
 
 H. H. Gillmor was born on his present home place, November 19, 1870. At 
 the usual age he began his education in the public schools, after which he pursued 
 a course in Drake University. Subsequently he took a business course in the 
 Iowa Business College, at Des Moines, from which he graduated in 1880. Dur- 
 ing the periods of vacation he assisted his father in the work of the home farm 
 and after completing his business course he acted as salesman for the Smith 
 Premier Typewriter Company at Des Moines,, remaining in their employ for 
 three and a half years. He then returned home and resumed farming on a por- 
 tion of the old homestead place, operating one hundred and twenty acres on his 
 own account. He is still giving his time and attention to this tract and is meet- 
 ing with well merited success. 
 
 Mr. Gillmor was married in 1904 to Miss Julia Zindel, who was born in Lib- 
 erty township, Scott county, in July, 1875. She is a daughter of Andrew and 
 Mary (Schaser) Zindel. The father, who is now deceased, was a native of 
 Switzerland. The mother was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, but is of Swiss 
 parentage. She still survives and makes her home in Davenport. Both Mr. 
 and Mrs. Gillmor are popular young people with a wide circle of friends. 
 
 HERMAN C. LAGE. 
 
 Herman C. Lage, who is the last of his branch of the family in Davenport, 
 where for a number of years he has occupied a notable and honorable position 
 in business circles, is now well known as a leading shoe merchant of this city, 
 controlling a trade of large proportions, his success coming to him as the merited 
 reward of his close application, business enterprise and diligence. 
 
 He was born in Germany in 1862 and is the son of C. H. and Dorothy (Ziethan) 
 Lage. The father was a mechanic who spent his entire life in his native land, 
 where he died when fifty years of age. The elder son of the family having come 
 to this country, the other members of the household also crossed the Atlantic 
 and the mother spent her last days with her son Otto in Hickory Grove town- 
 ship. She was buried in Moline in September, 1884. The family includes Mrs. 
 Anna Wiechert, who is living in Moline, Illinois ; Henry J., who died in Colorado 
 in 1900; Doris, the wife of Johannes Hagen, a retired farmer living at No. 1301 
 Brown street in Davenport; Otto J.; Emma, the wife of Henry Hahn, a farmer 
 
916 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 of Scott county; and Minnie M. C, the wife of Richard J. Waters, who is in 
 the store as a partner of the subject of this review. 
 
 In the schools of his native country Herman C. Lage began his education and 
 with his mother he came to the new world, remaining here until the winter of 
 1888-9, which he spent at his old home in Germany. He then came again to 
 this country and pursued a commercial course in Duncan's school. Thus well 
 equipped for the practical duties of business life he accepted a position in Mo- 
 line, Illinois, where he remained for twelve years save for a period of a year, 
 which he spent on the Pacific coast, during which time he was employed as 
 bookkeeper on the Rancho Del Capitan. Subsequently he returned to his old 
 position in the grocery business in Moline. He continued there until he be- 
 came connected with the shoe trade in Rock Island in 1903. For about three 
 years he was engaged in business in that city, but on the 29th of May, 1906, sold 
 out and crossed the river to Davenport. Here he purchased the business of the 
 AVnold-Lettie Shoe Company, which he has since removed to his present quar- 
 ters at No. 308 West Second street. He has a well equipped store, carrying a 
 large and carefully selected line of shoes and the tasteful arrangement of his 
 place as well as his reasonable prices and honorable dealings, constitutes a fea- 
 ture of his success. 
 
 On the 30th of June, 1904, Mr. Lage was married to Miss Elizabeth M. Frye 
 and they have many friends in Davenport, while their own home is a most hospi- 
 table one. Mr. Lage became a member of the Masonic fraternity of Rock Is- 
 land and he belongs to the Boat Club of Davenport. A friendly disposition and 
 social qualities render him popular with those with whom he comes in contact, 
 while his business integrity and diligence make him a representative merchant 
 before whom are opening out constantly broadening opportunities. 
 
 LUDOLPH GRABBE. 
 
 On the roll of Davenport's respected dead is inscribed the name of Ludolph 
 Grabbe, one of the more prosperous German residents of the city, who was the 
 proprietor of a barber shop at 305 Second street. A native of the fatherland, he 
 was born October 13, 1829, in Meldorf, where he grew to manhood, learned his 
 trade and was married. In 1853, in the hope of bettering his fortune he took 
 ship at Hamburg for America. He resided in New York, the port of landing, 
 for a time, but later came to Davenport and opened a barber shop on Second 
 street over a market. He made several removals as his business grew and cir- 
 cumstances warranted larger quarters, and finally bought property at 305 Sec- 
 ond street, where he was engaged in business until about ten years ago when he 
 retired from active life. His was one of the well known places of its kind in the 
 city and was especially popular among the Germans, for Mr. Grabbe made 
 every effort to accommodate his patrons and was endowed with a personality 
 that attracted and rarely repelled others. A man of keen business sagacity, he 
 was very successful financially as is indicated by the fact that he held considerable 
 bank stock and real estate in this city. Nor were his commercial operations con- 
 
LLTDOLPH ORABBE 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 919 
 
 fined to one field, for he was secretary of the Plate Glass Insurance Company 
 and was interested in several other concerns which were developing the re- 
 sources of Davenport. In 1868, accompanied by his first wife, he made a trip to 
 Germany and in the '90s, accompanied by Mrs. Augusta Grabbe, he made another 
 journey to the fatherland, but he was always loyal to the country of his adop- 
 tion, which had aflForded him the opportunities for advancement he sought. 
 
 Mr. Grabbe's first wife died in 1894 and two years later he wedded Miss 
 Augusta Bierlenberg, who survives him, as does their adopted son, Lee. Mr. 
 Grabbe belonged to the Schuetzen Verein and to the Turners Society of Daven- 
 port and was prominent among his compatriots of this city. He was also a mem- 
 ber of the Thursday Bowling Club, and his favorite recreation was hunting. 
 He had no reason to regret having come to America, for not only did he gain a 
 substantial success from his undertakings but he made a large circle of friends, 
 who coming to know him intimately respected and loved him as a man of genial 
 personality and honorable life. By them and by his family, to whom he was 
 ever faithful and affectionate, he was deeply mourned when, on the 7th of No- 
 vember, 1907, his long and useful life was brought to a close. 
 
 JOHN T. HANSEN. 
 
 Practical and progressive in his work, John T. Hansen is engaged in farm- 
 ing in Sheridan township, where he operates a tract of one hundred and forty- 
 seven acres, which he rents, and on which he makes his home, this being known 
 as the Vogt place. He is a native of Davenport, bom November 28, 1858, of the 
 marriage of Henry and Margaret Hansen, who were born in Holstein, Germany, 
 the former on the 26th of January, 1814, and the latter on the 12th of April, 
 1815. The father learned and followed the blacksmith's trade in his native coun- 
 try and also served for five years in the Danish army. In the fall of 1851 he 
 came with his wife to the United States. Landing at New Orleans, they made 
 their way up the Mississippi river, reaching St. Louis on Christmas day. The 
 river was frozen and they could get no farther, so that they were compelled to 
 remain in the latter city until navigation opened in the spring, and they then 
 continued their journey to Davenport, arriving here on the ist of April, 1852. 
 Soon afterward the father opened a blacksmith shop and continued to follow 
 his trade until 1859, when he made a trip to Pike's Peak. He returned to 
 Iowa in the fall of i860 and opened a shop in Calamus, Qinton county, conduct- 
 ing the same during the winter of 1860-61, but in the spring following he pur- 
 chased a tract of land in Sheridan township, Scott county, this being located near 
 the Five Mile House. Here he resumed work at the blacksmith's trade, con- 
 ducting a shop until 1894, when he went to Nevada to visit his son and his death 
 occurred there two years later, the date being June 12, 1896. He had reached 
 the venerable age of eighty-two years and had the respect of all with whom he 
 was so long associated in Scott county. He was a member of the German Shoot- 
 ing Society at Davenport. The mother of our subject departed this life on the 
 29th of August, 1893, when she was seventy-eight years of age. Mr. and Mrs. 
 
920 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Hansen had but two sons, the brother of our subject being Carl, who makes 
 his home in Nevada. 
 
 John T. Hansen, the younger of the two sons, was a little lad of three years 
 when in 1861 the family removed to Sheridan township. At the usual age he 
 entered the country schools, acquiring his education in district No. 7. After 
 putting aside his text-books he learned the blacksmith's trade under the direction 
 of his father and worked at the same until he attained his majority. He then 
 purchased a threshing machine and for eleven years engaged in its operation 
 during the harvest season, at the same time engaging in farming. On the ex- 
 piration of that period he disposed of his thresher and gave his entire attention 
 to farming, which he has followed to the present time. He lives on one hundred 
 and forty-seven acres, which he rents and cultivates, and he owns a quarter sec- 
 tion of land in Garfield county, Oklahoma. 
 
 On the I2th of March, 1887, Mr. Hansen was united in marriage to Miss 
 Emma Horst, a daughter of Peter and Catherine Horst. Mrs. Hansen was bom 
 in Sheridan township, her parents being numbered among the pioneer German 
 families of this section of the state. Both were natives of Holstein, Germany, 
 and in his native land the father served in the war of 1848-50. It was in the 
 year 1851 that they emigrated to the new world and made a permanent settlement 
 in Scott county, where the father still survives, making his home in Hickory 
 Grove township. The mother, however, has departed this life, her death occur- 
 ring in 1881. Mrs. Hansen is also deceased, her death occurring October 6, 
 1897, at the comparatively early age of thirty-five years, for her birth occurred 
 on the 13th of April, 1862. She was buried in Pine Hill cemetery. Mr. Hansen 
 has with him his four children, Carrie, Carl, John and Florence. 
 
 Mr. Hansen gives his political support to the republican party. For two terms 
 he served as justice of the peace, his decisions ever being marked by strict hon- 
 esty, while for ten years he acted as school director. Fraternally he is identified 
 with the Woodmen of the World at Long Grove. He ever adheres to honorable 
 business methods and is counted among the substantial farmers of the community. 
 
 CHARLES BOLL. 
 
 Farming has furnished such a profitable means of occupation to Charles Boll 
 that he has never found occasion to abandon this business for other pursuits. 
 He now owns a well improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres, located on 
 section 3, Hickory Grove township, and twenty acres of timberland in Aliens 
 Grove township, located on section 20. 
 
 Mr. Boll was born on a farm in Liberty township, Scott county, February 
 21, 1878, a son of t)iedrich and Margaret (Hansen) Boll, both of whom were 
 natives of Germany, the former born in Holstein, August 23, 1828, while the 
 latter claimed Schleswig as the place of her birth, her natal day being August 
 II, 1839. The father came to America in 1857 and located in Scott county. 
 For a time he worked as a laborer on dififerent farms of the neighborhood and 
 later, in partnership with Hans Ewaldt, rented a farm in Hickory Grove town- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 921 
 
 ship. As soon as opportunity presented, he purchased farm land and estab- 
 lished a home of his own by his marriage to Miss Hansen, who had come to the 
 new world during the Civil war, or a few years later than her husband's ar- 
 rival. They made their home in Liberty township throughout their remaining 
 years and there reared a family of eight children, three sons and five daughters, 
 the record being as follows : John, who makes his home in Dixon, Iowa ; Mary, 
 the wife of William Meyer, a resident of Hickory Grove township ; Anna, the 
 wife of Henry Koester, who resides in Liberty township; Emma, the wife of 
 Thomas Hansen, of Luveme, Minnesota ; Henry, a resident of Cleona township ; 
 Tena, the wife of Theodore Weick, also of Luverne, Minnesota; Charles, of 
 this review ; and Lena, the wife of William Rock, of Adrian, Texas. 
 
 The father became a well-to-do man and at one time his possessions em- 
 braced one thousand acres of cultivable land in Scott county but he later divided 
 his property with his children. For many years he was actively interested in the 
 public welfare of this section of Iowa, which he chose as a place of abode upon 
 his arrival in the new world, and at his death, which occurred on the 17th of 
 March, 1903, when he was seventy-five years of age, the county lost one of its 
 influential and substantial citizens. The mother died several years previously, 
 her death occurring March 31, 1894. 
 
 Charles Boll was reared under the parental roof to the age of twenty-one 
 years. In connection with his brother Henry he then began farming in Cleona 
 township, their sister Lena acting as their housekeeper in the summer months. 
 He was thus engaged until about 1903, when he located on his present farm of 
 one hundred and sixty acres, which was formerly owned by his father. This 
 tract lies on section 3, Hickory Grove township, and he likewise owns twenty 
 acres of timberland in Aliens Grove township. Mr. Boll has made most of the 
 improvements on his farm and it is now a valuable property, rich in its agricul- 
 tural resources and attractive in appearance. He is largely engaged in general 
 farming but makes a specialty of stock, buying, feeding and shipping cattle. 
 
 Mr. Boll was married February 17, 1904, to Miss Dorothea Frauen, who was 
 born in Hickory Grove township, July 8, 1882, a daughter of George and Dor- 
 othea (Duge) Frauen, who are mentioned elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Boll have two interesting little children, Elsie D. and Raymond C. The 
 parents are well known in this section of their county, for their entire lives have 
 there been passed and their many good qualities have gained for them warm 
 and lasting friendships. * 
 
 Henry Boll, who was formerly a partner with his brother Charles in busi- 
 ness, is equally well known in the county. He was likewise born on the home 
 farm in Liberty township, February 5, 1874. He assisted in the work of the 
 home farm until he was twenty-five years of age and, then, as above stated, he 
 and his brother engaged in farming together, their interests being allied for four 
 years. At the end of that time they divided their interests and Henry Boll is 
 now engaged in business alone. He owns two hundred and seventy-five acres, 
 the home farm being a tract of eighty acres on section i, Cleona township, while 
 one hundred and sixty acres lie across the road on section 6, Hickory Grove 
 township, and the remaining thirty-five acres is on section 36, Liberty township. 
 This land is in one body, where the three townships corner. It is a well im- 
 
922 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 proved property and Mr. Boll is meeting with well merited success in his farm- 
 ing operations. 
 
 Henry Boll was married November i6, 1899, to Miss Anna Hansen, who was 
 born in Schleswig, Germany, February 8, 1879, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 
 Carsten Hansen. The mother is deceased but the father still survives and yet 
 makes his home in Germany. Two others of their six children are in America, 
 William and Louise Hansen, but Mrs. Boll came alone in the spring of 1898. 
 By her marriage she has become the mother of two daughters, Helen and Alice. 
 
 MRS. ALWIN KATTENBROOKER, M. D. 
 
 One of the most efficient and highly regarded physicians of Le Claire is Dr. 
 Alwin Kattenbrooker. For more than forty years she has ministered to the 
 needs of those who have sought her aid with an ability that makes them rise 
 up and refuse to let her resign, as she would like to do. She owns five acres 
 of land in Le Claire township besides a fine town residence encompassed by 
 spacious lawns along the bank of the Mississippi river. A native of Germany, 
 she was born March 23, 1840, a daughter of Peter and Julia (Hanson) Oel- 
 lerich. Her father had died in his native land when she was but eight years 
 old. He was a stone-mason by trade but was also engaged in farming. In 
 1854 her mother came to the United States, settling in Long Island, where she 
 remained until her daughter completed the medical course in New York city. 
 Then, about 1867, she came with her to Davenport, removing thence to Le Claire, 
 where her death occurred July 26, 1872. Two children were bom to her but 
 the older died in infancy. 
 
 Dr. Kattenbrooker had received her literary education before she came to 
 this country, attending Heidelberg University for a time, and after reaching 
 New York she studied medicine under the tutelage of Dr. Thompson. Two 
 years later she entered Bellevue Hospital of New York city, where she remained 
 three years, at the end of that time receiving her physician's certificate from 
 the state board of health. She was a member of the homeopathic school and 
 her license bears the date of November 17, 1887. She lived in the east for 
 about seven years after coming from Germany and then with her mother came 
 to Iowa. For a time she lived in Efavenport and then. May 23, 1867 married and the 
 day following started for Le Claire with her husband and mother. This town has 
 since been her home and the scene of her professional labors. While she has been a 
 most successful practitioner, her personality has endeared her to her patients, 
 who are unanimous in their praise of her skill, her tenderness and her sympathy. 
 Her husband, Charles Kattenbrooker, was a son of Charles and Elizabeth Kat- 
 tenbrooker, both of whom had died in Germany, and he was the only one of his 
 . family to come to America. He crossed the ocean in 1852 and after reaching our 
 shores went to Detroit, Michigan. While in Germany he had received a good ed- 
 ucation in the public schools and in Lemgo College and had learned the machinist's 
 trade, at which he worked in Detroit for about a year and then went to St. 
 Louis, Missouri, where he worked for a time before coming to Scott county, 
 
CHAP.LES KATTENBROOKER 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 925 
 
 Iowa. After remaining for a few months in Buffalo, he removed to Le Claire, 
 where he and his partner, Adolph Weithe, built a machine shop and established 
 a foundry. They ran out of funds, however, and were compelled to go to some 
 city, where they might earn money. Accordingly, they went to Chicago, Illi- 
 nois, and in a few years had saved sufficient to enable them to start their busi- 
 ness again in 1859. In conjunction they conducted it until the death of Mr. 
 Weithe, when Mr. Kattenbrooker and his sons operated it until the death of 
 the former, August i, 1904. He was bom November 16, 1825, and in the long 
 span of years which were allotted him had given proof of his strong character 
 and a capacity to exert himself in noble endeavor. He was prominent in the 
 fraternal order of Masons, while the citizens of Le Qaire will long remember 
 him as one of their mayors and a treasurer, in whose integrity. they placed the 
 greatest reliance. 
 
 The union of Mr. and Mrs. Kattenbrooker was blessed with four children: 
 Charles, who married Miss Lela Wilson and is a machinist in Chicago, Illinois ; 
 William, who died at the age of three years; one who died in infancy; and 
 Harry, a physician in New York city, who wedded Miss Marie Bondwell. 
 
 For many years past Dr. Kattenbrooker has been anxious to resign from 
 active practice, but those of Le Claire who have become accustomed to calling 
 upon her to minister to their physical needs, refuse to accede to her desires, 
 constantly offering reasons why she should remain at the head of her profes- 
 sion here. Surely this is a tribute to her long years of service, which cannot but 
 be gratifying to Dr. Kattenbrooker herself as well as showing to others the 
 measure of her success. 
 
 CHRISTOPH BUTTENOB. 
 
 Christoph Buttenob is a prosperous and progressive farmer of Blue Grass 
 township, owning two hundred and forty acres of land, which has been in pos- 
 session of the family for many years. He is a native of Scott county, born on a 
 farm, August 9, 1864, of the marriage of Michael and Louise (GoUinghorst) 
 Buttenob, both of whom were natives of Germany. The former was born in 
 Schleswig-Holstein, in 1822, and in early manhood, in 1848, emigrated to Amer- 
 ica. He made his way to Scott county, Iowa, and worked for a time on the 
 old government dams, which were under construction at that time. He had, 
 however, worked at the cabinet-maker's trade in his native country but did not 
 follow his trade in the new world. Soon after coming to this county he pur- 
 chased eighty acres of land in Blue Grass township, this being located on sec- 
 tion 13. In 1861, having in the meantime added to his financial resources, he 
 was enabled to purchase an adjoining tract of one hundred and sixty acres, 
 while later he increased his holdings by a tract of similar size in Davenport 
 township and another of eighty acres in the same township. In 1878 he bought 
 two hundred and forty acres near Maysville and in 1887 came into possession 
 of two hundred and forty acres in Blue Grass township, which is now owned 
 by our subject. Mr. Buttenob deserved much credit for what he accomplished, 
 
926 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 for when he landed in the new world he had but limited means and was ignorant 
 of the language, manners and custom of the people, but as time passed he availed 
 himself of every oportunity that was presented and became a very successful 
 man, owing at the time of his demise in 1901, twelve hundred and twenty acres 
 of land, all lying in Scott county. He was married in this county in 1852 to 
 Miss Louise GoUinghorst, who was born in Hanover in 1833, and they reared a 
 family of three sons and one daughter: Anton, a resident of Davenport; Chris- 
 toph, of this review; George; and Maggie, the wife of Christian Volquardsen, 
 also of Davenport. 
 
 Christoph Buttenob was reared on the home farm in Blue Grass township 
 and attended the district schools of the neighborhood during the winter months, 
 while in the spring and summer seasons he assisted his father in the work of the 
 home farm and under the latter's instruction became qualified for carrying on 
 agricultural pursuits on his own account in later life. He now owns a tract of 
 two hundred and forty acres in Blue Grass township, which was formerly the 
 property of his father, and to its cultivation he is now bending his energies. The 
 place is improved with substantial buildings, while a nice country home adds to its 
 attractive appearance. In addition to this farm he also owns a section of land 
 in Spink county. South Dakota, and is financially interested in the Farmers Mutual 
 Elevator Company of Walcott and is a stockholder in the Walcott Savings Bank 
 and the Farmers Savings Bank of Walcott, and he also owns stock in the Blue 
 Grass Savings Bank, of which he is a director. 
 
 Mr. Buttenob was married on the 29th of March, 1894, to Miss Rosa C. 
 SchnooT, a daughter of Claus Schnoor, a resident of Davenport. They have 
 three living daughters, Elsie B., Qara R. and Martha L., aged respectively four- 
 teen, twelve, and seven years, while the third in order of birth, Hilda, died at the 
 age of two years. 
 
 Mr. Buttenob gives his support to the men and measures of democracy and 
 since 1896 has served as township trustee, while for a similar period he has 
 been a director and president of the school board. He takes a deep interest 
 in the schools and is a firm believer in the employment of competent teachers 
 that his own children and others of the neighborhood may be well fitted in ear/y 
 life for meeting the stern responsibilities that will later come to them. He is 
 well known in the community which has always been his home and his many 
 friends esteem him highly for his personal worth. 
 
 LOUIS DAURER. 
 
 A deep feeling of sadness spread throughout Buffalo township when it was 
 announced that Louis Daurer had passed from this life, but while those who 
 knew him remain, his memory will be cherished, not so much on account of the 
 splendid success which he achieved in business but because of his life of help- 
 fulness, of good cheer, of broad sympathy and his deep interest in and labors 
 for the benefit of his fellowmen. Louis Daurer was born on a farm in Buffalo 
 township, November 4, 1861, and, as the name indicates, came of German par- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 927 
 
 entage. His father, John Daurer, was born in the fatherland, May lo, 1824, 
 and when twenty-five years of age came to the United States, where he was 
 married to Miss Johanna Swinster, who was born in Holstein, Germany, their 
 wedding being celebrated December 12, 1857. Immediately thereafter Mr. 
 Daurer took his bride to a farm which he had purchased. This tract was located 
 in Buffalo township and he was thereafter until his death identified with the 
 farming interests of this section of the county. 
 
 It was on the farm above mentioned that Louis Daurer was born. He at- 
 tended the public schools of Scott county and. after completing his studies as- 
 sumed the management of the home place for his father, at whose death he came 
 into possession of the land. It then consisted of two hundred and forty acres 
 but Mr. Daurer afterward added to it until he owned two hundred and sixty- 
 seven acres. > He carried on general farming and also found time to devote to 
 community interests, being deeply interested in the welfare and progress of the 
 locality in which he always made his home. 
 
 Mr. Daurer was married April 29, 1885, to Miss Annie M. Brus, a daughter 
 of Jacob Brus, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work. The children, eight 
 in number, are as follows : John J., who married Alma Kantz and follows farm- 
 ing in Buffalo township ; and Rosa, Emma E., Lena E., Harry E., Louis, Lillie 
 M. and Norma M., all at home. 
 
 Mr. Daurer was a democrat in his political views and served as school director 
 for a number of years. He was fond of hunting and each year made a trip to 
 indulge his love of the sport. He passed away February 24, 1904, at the com- 
 paratively early age of forty-three years. Of upright conduct and kindly purpose, 
 he is greatly missed in the community where he had spent his entire life, but most . 
 of all is his loss felt in the family circle, where he was known as a devoted 
 husband and father. 
 
 AUGUST PLETT. 
 
 August Plett, who figured prominently in business circles in Blue Grass 
 as the manager of the Blue Grass Repair & Implement Company, one of the 
 leading industries of the locality, is numbered among Scott county's native sons, 
 his birth occurring in Buffalo township on the 2d of August, 1868. His father, 
 H. F. Plett, was born in Germany in 1812, and at the age of thirty-eight years 
 came to America, locating in Scott county, Iowa. Here he engaged in farming 
 for a number of years, and in 1866 went to Buffalo township, where he operated 
 a farm for about six years in the capacity of renter. At the expiration of that 
 period he moved to Muscatine county, where he remained for five years and 
 then returned to this county. Six years later he settled permanently in Mus- 
 catine county and there followed the occupation of farming until eleven years 
 before his demise, his remaining days being passed in well earned retirement. 
 Aside from the subject of this review, his family consisted of the following 
 children : Lizzie, who resides with her brothers, George and Frank, in Muscatine 
 county; Henry, the postmaster of Blue Grass; Louis, who follows blacksmith- 
 
928 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 ing in Blue Grass ; William and John, agriculturists of Blue Grass township ; and 
 Herman and Charles, both farmers of Muscatine county. 
 
 Reared under the parental roof, August Plett acquired his education in the 
 district schools near his father's home, and when not busily engaged with his 
 text-books assisted in the work of the fields, early becoming familiar with the 
 best methods of tilling the soil. After completing his education he remained 
 at home for several years, carrying on agricultural pursuits in connection with 
 his father, and later learned and followed the carpenter's trade for about nine 
 years. He arrived in Blue Grass in the spring of 1898, and has continued to 
 make his home here to the present time. In 1907 the Blue Grass Repair & Im- 
 plement Company was organized as a stock company, being incorporated for 
 eight thousand dollars, with a paid-up capital of forty-five hundred dollars. 
 They deal in all kinds of farming implements and carry on a general repair 
 business, their trade, which has already reached ample proportions, continually 
 increasing in extent and importance. From its inception Mr. Plett has been 
 its manager, his excellent business ability, his close application and his wise 
 discrimination beng potent elements in making this one of the important in- 
 dustrial concerns of the county. 
 
 Mr. Plett holds membership in Hillside Camp, M. W. A., of Blue Grass, 
 while his political views are in accord with the principles of the republican party. 
 Although he has never sought nor desired public office, yet he is public-spirited 
 in his citizenship, his influence ever being on the side of progress, advancement 
 and improyement. As a business man he is honored among his fellow citizens, 
 who are familiar with his record from early boyhood days, and the fact that 
 his stanchest friends are numbered among his oldest acquaintances is an indication 
 of the commendable policy and upright course which he has always followed. 
 Throughout his connection with the industrial world he has never incurred obli- 
 gations that he has not met nor made engagements that he has not filled, so 
 that his name has become known in the business circles of Blue Grass as a 
 synonym for business integrity. 
 
 HENRY SUHR. 
 
 Henry Suhr, deceased, was one of the retired merchants to whom success 
 in life came as the reward of carefully executed business plans and the strictest 
 integrity in commercial dealings. He was bom in the village of Suderau, Schles- 
 wig-Holstein, Germany, on the 31st of May, 1845, a son of Eric and Anna (Van 
 Tagen) Suhr. His father was engaged in the lumber business in Germany, where 
 he spent his entire life, and the mother is still living there. 
 
 Henry Suhr pursued his education in the schools of Germany and there learned 
 the grocery business through service as an employe in a grocery house in his 
 native province. The favorable reports which he heard concerning business 
 conditions in America led him to determine to seek his fortune on this side the 
 Atlantic and after bidding adieu to home and friends he sailed for the new world 
 in 1868, when a young man of twenty-three years. He first settled in Walcott, 
 
HENEY SUHR 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 931 
 
 where he was employed by Bemhard Schwarting for three years. He then came 
 to Davenport in 1871, at which time, in connection with Jacob Brammann he 
 bought the grocery stock and good will of Jens Lorenzen on Harrison street. 
 For eighteen years they conducted business together and then dissolved partner- 
 ship in 1889, after which Mr. Suhr opened a grocery store at No. 2io>4 Harri- 
 son street. There he carried on a prosperous business for ten years, or until 
 1899, when he retired. He had. erected an elegant home on the west side of 
 Davenport but did not live to enjoy it for any length of time as he soon became 
 ill and passed away. 
 
 On the 31st of May, 1879, Mr. Suhr was married to Miss Wilhelmina Frahm, 
 a daughter of Frederick and Kathrina ( Schlichting) Frahm, who were early 
 settlers of Scott county. They were married in 1853 and the father died Feb- 
 ruary II, 1883, while his wife died January 4, 1897. Mrs. Suhr was born in 
 Blue Grass township and was reared upon one of the pioneer farms of the 
 locality. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Suhr was bom one son, John E., who died in 
 infancy. The death of the husband and father occurred March 17, 1905, and was 
 the occasion of deep regret to many friends as well as tO' his wife. He was a 
 prominent member of the Turners Society of Davenport and was of a friendly, 
 pleasant nature, numbering his friends by the score. His reliability and enter- 
 prise in business, his progressive and public-spirited citizenship and his faith- 
 fulness in friendship all won for him high standing in the community where he 
 made his home. 
 
 RICHARD SCHAEFER. 
 
 Richard Schaefer for many years has been a prosperous farmer of Davenport 
 township, where he owns and operates one hundred acres of well improved land, 
 on which he has made his home since 1884. He was born on a farm situated just 
 across the township line in Pleasant Valley, December 24, 1862, a son of Wil- 
 liam and Lena (Housemann) Schaefer, who were German pioneer settlers of 
 Scott county. Both were born in the fatherland in 1834, the former on the 
 30th of March, and the latter on the 4th of May of that year. They were married 
 February 26, 1858. The father clerked in a dry-goods store in his native land. 
 Immediately after their marriage he and his young bride sailed for the United 
 States. Landing at New York, they at once made their way to Scott county, 
 Iowa, where the father rented land for a time and later purchased one hundred 
 and thirty acres in Pleasant Valley township. After a residence of seven years 
 in that township, he took up his abode on a farm of one hundred and twenty 
 acres in Davenport township, which he improved and operated during the re- 
 mainder of his active career. In the meantime, however, he purchased other 
 lands, owning at the time of his death four hundred and sixty acres. Late in 
 life he retired and took up his abode in Davenport, his death there occurring 
 December 5, 1908, when he was seventy-four years of age. Prominent and 
 influential in the community, Mr. Schaefer served for a long term as road 
 supervisor and was a member of the German Pioneers Association of Scott 
 
932 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 county. His widow still survives and occupies the family home at 1457 West 
 Fourth street in Davenport. They were the parents of ten children, as fol- 
 lows: William, who follows farming in Pleasant Valley township; Richard, of 
 this review; Alexander, also of Pleasant Valley township; Hugo, who lives in 
 Davenport; Otto, of Pleasant Valley township; Albert, who resides in Daven- 
 port township ; Meta, the wife of William Carstens, of Davenport ; Emil, who 
 died when a youth of fourteen years ; and two who died in infancy. 
 
 Richard Schaefer at the usual age began his education in the district schools 
 near the homestead farm and completed his studies in the German school at 
 Davenport. When starting out to make his own way in the world he chose the 
 vocation to which he had been reared. He now owns a fine farm of one hun- 
 dred acres, the rich soil of which yields bounteous harvests in due season. Mr. 
 Schaefer also feeds cattle, keeping good grades of stock. Since taking up his 
 abode on the farm in 1884, he has made many improvements, remodeled the 
 house, built a good barn and other outbuildings, and altogether it is a valuable 
 piece of property. 
 
 Mr. Schaefer was married December 5, 1884, to Miss Rose John, a daughter 
 of Claus and Katherine (Horst) John, residents of Lincoln township. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Schaefer have two daughters and three sons, all at home, Hilda C, 
 Oscar W., Elsie A., Richard E., Jr., and Raymond W. Mrs. Schaefer was born 
 in Sheridan township, her parents being numbered among the early German set- 
 tlers of this county. The father served in the German army from 1848 until 
 1850 and two years later emigrated to the new world, his death occurring in 
 Scott county in 1880 when he was fifty-six years of age. His wife also died in 
 1880 at the age of sixty-one. Mrs. Schaefer is the youngest child and the only 
 daughter of the family, her two brothers being Emil and John, the former a 
 resident of Summit and the latter of Davenport. 
 
 Mr. Schaefer is a democrat and on that ticket was elected constable and 
 road supervisor, and he has likewise filled the ofiSce of school director. He be- 
 longs to the Modern Brotherhood and the East Davenport Turner Association. 
 Both he and his wife are worthy representatives of pioneer German families, 
 who took an active part in the early development of this region. Mr. Schaefer 
 stands today as a high type of German-American manhood, who has won suc- 
 cess in a useful field of business and gained the respect and honor of his fel- 
 lowmen by his public service and private life. 
 
 CARROLL BROTHERS. 
 
 The caption of this article is also the name of one of the leading firms of 
 attorneys and abstracters of Davenport. It is composed of three brothers, 
 A. E., W. H. and E. J. Carroll. The first named was born in Princeton town- 
 ship, Scott county, Iowa, January 22, 1866, while W. H. Carroll was born April 
 16, 1869, and E. J. Carroll on the 19th of June, 1874. Their father, James Car- 
 roll, a native of Ireland, was born April 16, 1833, and in 1842 came to the 
 United States with his father, Alexander Carroll, who settled for a time in 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 933 
 
 Springfield, Ohio, where he engaged in farming. His son James Carroll was 
 reared to agricultural life and remained a resident of Ohio until 1858, when 
 he determined to establish his home in the middle west, thinking that better op- 
 portunities might be enjoyed in a district less thickly settled. Therefore, he 
 came to Iowa and took up his abode in Le Qaire, where he followed farming 
 for many years. As time passed on he brought his fields under a high state of 
 cultivation and" came to be recognized as one of the representative agriculturists 
 of the community. He has now retired from active business and makes his home 
 in Clinton, Iowa. 
 
 The three sons who constitute the firm of Carroll Brothers acquired their 
 early education in the public schools of Princeton township, afterward attended 
 the Normal School at Dixon, Illinois, and the State University of Iowa, in which 
 they were all law students. A. E. Carroll was graduated in the class of 1893 
 and practiced in Clinton for three years, after which he removed to Detroit. In 
 1894 W. H. Carroll joined him in organizing the firm of Carroll Brothers, having 
 just graduated from the State University. E. J. Carroll completed his course 
 there in 1897 and was then taken into the partnership. Not only have they en- 
 gaged in the practice of law but also conduct an abstract office, which they 
 opened in 1900. They are all young men of excellent business ability and, more- 
 over, have that comprehensive knowledge of the law which is the fundamental 
 of all success of the bar. Their devotion to their clients' interests is proverbial 
 and their preparation of cases is thorough and exhaustive so that when they 
 enter the courts they are well prepared to clearly define the legal position of 
 their clients and prove the justice of their cause. They have never been office 
 seekers, although active in every good work for the community. W. H. Carroll 
 has served, however, as deputy county attorney in Qinton county for three 
 terms. 
 
 A. E. Carroll was married in 1899 to Miss Emma J. Menaugh, a native of 
 St. Louis. W. H. Carroll was married in the same year to Miss Elizabeth 
 Streib, a native of Clinton, Iowa, while in 1904 E. J. Carroll was married to 
 Miss Lydia J. Keller, also a native of Clinton county. 
 
 The three brothers are active members of the Knights of Columbus and W. 
 H. Carroll has served as grand knight of Clinton county. They are most highly 
 respected citizens, loyal to the best interests of the community, their cooperation 
 and aid being always counted upon to further any movement for the public good. 
 In law practice and in the abstract business they have secured a liberal clien- 
 tele and are most devoted to the interests of thoss whom they represent. 
 
 AMBROSE C. FULTON. 
 
 Ambrose C. Fulton was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, in 181 1, and 
 worked on his father's farm until 1827, when he went to Philadelphia and be- 
 gan a career of adventure. He went to sea, landed in New Orleans and engaged 
 in trade with the West India islands, accumulating money to build several busi- 
 
934 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 ness houses in New Orleans. He raised a company and aided Texas in its re- 
 volt against Mexico. 
 
 In 1842 Mr. Fulton located in Davenport, Iowa, where he built the first 
 flatboat that made the trip to New Orleans from that city. In company with 
 others he selected a mill site on the Wapsipinicon river in Budianan county and 
 built a dam and flouring mill. In 1848 he built a large flouring mill in Davenport 
 and was one of the first to project the railroad which was built west from this 
 place. 
 
 In 1854 Mr. Fulton was elected by a union of the whigs and anti-slavery 
 voters to represent Scott county in the state senate and helped elect James Har- 
 lan to the United States senate to take he place of George W. Jones. For more 
 than forty years Mr. Fulton was engaged in nearly all public enterprises for 
 the development of Davenport and during that time erected thirty-seven build- 
 ings. He was always one of the leaders and promoters' of public enterprises 
 to advance the development of the city and state. He was an intelligent writer 
 for the leading newspapers and did much in that way to bring settlers into the 
 city and men of capital into the state. 
 
 CLAUS SCHNECKLOTH. 
 
 Among the pioneers of whom Scott county is justifiably proud is Claus Schneck- 
 loth, who possesses a fund of interesting reminiscences of the old days. Although 
 now living in Davenport, he resided for many years in the neighboring country 
 district and pursued the vocation of an agriculturist. He was one of the nu- 
 merous colony from Holstein, Germany, his birth having occurred there August 
 6, 1831, his parents being Hans and Celia (Miller) Schneckloth, with whom he 
 came to America. The family arrived in 1847 and located in Scott county, 
 Iowa, where they bought forty acres of partially improved land in Davenport 
 township, now Sheridan township. The Indians had not yet entirely retreated 
 before the onward march of civilization and Mr. Schneckloth on one occasion 
 met no less than five hundred of them. He was naturally terrified, but they did 
 not molest him. The father built what he expected would be a temporary shanty 
 in which to live until a better house could be finished in the following autumuj 
 and in this latter abode he and his wife resided until their deaths. At the time 
 of their demise they owned eighty acres of la-nd. The father had served in the 
 German army and was a shoemaker by trade. He had two children: Claus, 
 the subject of the sketch ; and Bertha, who married M. F. Rohlflf and resides in 
 Davenport.' 
 
 Claus Schneckloth received his education in the German schools. For the 
 first five years of his residence in this country he assisted his father upon the 
 home farm. About 1852 the latter purchased one hundred and sixty acres in 
 Lincoln township and entrusted his son with the task of breaking the land and 
 otherwise improving it, which consumed the greater part of 1854 and 1855. He 
 built a house and began the cultivation of the land and in 1857 married and went 
 to live there, making it his home for nearly forty years. He retired in 1894 
 
. HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 937 
 
 and removed to Davenport. Beside the homestead he possesses one hundred 
 and twenty acres m Lincoln township and one hundred and seventy-three in 
 Hickory Grove township. 
 
 On April 12, 1857, Mr. Schneckloth was united in marriage to Miss Kathryn 
 Weise, a daughter of Peter and Bertha (Plambeck) Weise, both natives of 
 Germany. Mrs. Schneckloth is likewise by birth a subject of the kaiser, as she 
 was born in the old country, April 27, 1839. They have become the parents of 
 five children. Celia, the eldest, married Charles Schneckloth and lives in Lin- 
 coln township. She is the mother of eight children, Kathryn, Malinda, Ella, 
 Harry, Hugo, deceased, Rudolph, Albert and Grace. Peter, the second child, 
 now a resident of Lincoln township, married Johanna Hoist and has two children, 
 Rona and Herbert. Gustave, who lives on the old home place in the original 
 house built by his father, married Anna Willodt and has two children, Irma and 
 Camilla. Bettie is at home with her parents in Davenport. Charles resides in 
 Medford, Oregon. Mrs. Schneckloth's parents came to this country in 1856 and 
 settled in Lincoln township, this county, where they ultimately came to possess 
 one hundred and sixty acres. On the 12th of April, 1907, Mr. and Mrs. Schneck- 
 loth celebrated their golden wedding. 
 
 Mr. Schneckloth is a public-spirited man and for some time served as school 
 director of Sheridan township. After a long life of thrift and industry, it is 
 now his fortunate lot to be able to spend his declining years among the comforts 
 secured by his former labor, to exchange reminiscences with the old neighbors 
 who have watched with him the amazing progress of the county since pioneer 
 days, and to enjoy the society of those new friends whom he and his wife have 
 won in their new home. 
 
 AUGUST STEFFEN. 
 
 August Stefifen, who to the time of his death was numbered among Daven- 
 port's most substantial citizens, his business activity contributing in large meas- 
 ure to commercial progress and development, testified in his life record the 
 force and value of persistent efifort and indefatigable energy. It was those qual- 
 ities which gained him distinction as one of the leading wholesale merchants of 
 the city. He was truly a self-made man and as the architect of his own fortunes 
 he builded wisely and well. 
 
 Mr. Stefifen was born in Herford, Westphalia, Germany, October 24, 1824, 
 and continued to reside in his native land to the age of twenty-four years, when 
 the opportunities of the new world constituted a call which he heard and heeded, 
 landing in New York, in September, 1848. He had previously learned the to- 
 bacco manufacturing business and was connected therewith throughout the 
 period of his residence in Germany. Severing the ties, however, that bound 
 him to his native land, he embarked for the new world, and after a long voyage 
 of thirteen weeks reached his destination in September, 1848. He did not tarry 
 on the eastern coast but, at once made his way to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he 
 secured employment at his trade. His financial condition rendered it imperative 
 
938 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 that he immediately obtain a position and for two months he worked there, after 
 which he shipped on a river boat for New Orleans, where he engaged in the 
 bakery business for a time, and then went to Natchez, Mississippi. He stayed in 
 both places but a short period and in 1850 started overland for California. Al- 
 though San Francisco was his destination, he spent a short time in Sacramento. 
 He then went into the gold fields and met with fair success in his search for 
 the precious metal, but in so doing endured all the hardships and privations 
 which fell to the lot of the miner in that region far remote from civilization. 
 
 After four years spent on the Pacific coast, Mr. Steffen returned to St. 
 Louis, Missouri, by way of the isthmus of Panama, and utilized his recently 
 acquired earnings in the establshiment of a partnership with Ferdinand Rodde- 
 wig. Removing to Davenport they opened a grocery store at No. 224 West Sec- 
 ond street, but soon afterward Mr. Steffen purchased the interest of his partner 
 and carried on the business alone. Five years later he became connected with 
 the grain trade and was very successful in that venture, which constituted the 
 nucleus of his more recently acquired fortune. On the 7th of September, 1879, 
 he purchased the dry-goods business of M. Weidemann and placed it upon a 
 profitable footing, so that at the end of three years he extended the scope of his 
 activities by adding to the retail a wholesale department. In 1876 he erected 
 the August Steffen building, which at that time was the largest business block 
 in Davenport. He continued the management of the business along new lines 
 until about three years prior to his death, when he closed out the retail depart- 
 ment and retired from active life, while his son, August, who had been asso- 
 ciated with him since 1883, took over the complete management of the whole- 
 sale business. The stock of the company is now all owned by the heirs of our 
 subject. Mr. Steffen developed his trade along lines of natural and healthy 
 expansion and the business from the outset proved profitable. Not only as a 
 merchant but in other ways was he connected with Davenport's most success- 
 ful enterprises, being financially interested in a number of important concerns. 
 For years he was president of the Davenport Plow Company and was also a 
 director of the First National Bank from its organization and likewise of the 
 Davenport Savings Bank. The soundness of his judgment made his cooperation 
 in these concerns a valuable factor. 
 
 In 1856 Mr. Steffen was married to Miss Margarethe Gehrlicher, a native 
 of Coburg, Germany, and a sister of E. S. Carl, now deceased, who was cashier 
 of the Citizens National Bank. They became the parents of seven children, of 
 whom four are living: Meta, the wife of Dr. Carl Matthey; Adele, the wife 
 of B. F. Auf derheide, and August, all of Davenport ; and Alfred, who is engaged 
 in the brewing and malting business. The pleasures of Mr. Steffen's life were 
 his home and his business. In his home he was kind, indulgent and generous, 
 finding his greatest joy in the companionship of his wife and children. Rel- 
 atives and friends were also many times recipients of his kindness and gener- 
 osity and to public charities he never gave grudgingly, but with hearty spirit to 
 render efficient aid where it was most greatly felt. In his business he was the 
 soul of integrity. In fact he was frank and outspoken in all of his transactions 
 and conscientiously honest, he despised tricks and subterfuges of any character. 
 He gave liberally to the support of many enterprises which he thought worthy. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 939 
 
 being ever ready to open his purse for public improvements, and his judg- 
 ment in such matters was largely depended upon. He died October 8, 1899, 
 after close identification with the interests of Davenport for more than forty 
 years. With effort unhampered by the drawbacks of caste or class, which he 
 would have known in his native land, he resolutely put forth effort that brought 
 him to a prominent position in commercial circles and at the same time made his 
 activity of benefit to the city. 
 
 JAMES H. GREER. 
 
 James H. Greer is a representative farmer of Sheridan township, owning and 
 operating eighty acres of land, conveniently located three miles west of Eldridge. 
 He is a native of the state of Indiana, born in Dearborn county, June 29, 1847. 
 His parents Nathan and Rebecca Greer, were both born in Pennsylvania. In 
 early life the father learned the brick mason's trade and during the pioneer set- 
 tlement of Scott county made his way to this section and followed his trade 
 here. In 1857 he brought his family to Scott county and purchased a quarter 
 section of prairie land in Sheridan township. He at once set to work to improve 
 the place and erected substantial buildings thereon. After getting his family 
 comfortably located he left the farm in charge of his sons, while he resumed 
 work at his trade, which he followed until the time of his death, which occurred 
 in 1866. The mother survived for a long period and was called to her final rest 
 in 1902, when she had reached an advanced age. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Nathan 
 Greer six children were born: Simon, who died during his service in the Civil 
 war; George, who has also passed away; James H. of this review; Ford, who 
 died at the age of about seventeen years ; Agnes, the wife of James Clark, a 
 resident of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and John, who graduated from Grin- 
 hell College and is now principal of a high school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 
 
 James H. Greer was a little lad of about nine years at the time of the removal 
 of the family to Scott county from Indiana. He began his education in the 
 schools of that state and after coming to Scott county resumed his studies in 
 the public schools, while later he entered Grinnell College but shortly afterward 
 his father became ill and died. It was then imperative that the son return home 
 and his plans were necessarily changed. He then resumed work on the farm 
 and this has been his occupation to the present time. 
 
 It was on the 7th of December, 1875, that Mr. Greer was married to Miss 
 Mary Madden, a daughter of John and Helen (Spencer) Madden. They were 
 both natives of England, whence in 1849 they emigrated to the new world, es- 
 tablishing their home in Winfield township, Scott county, and it was here that 
 their daughter Mary was born on the 28th of September, 1854. Their family 
 numbered eleven children, namely: Daniel, deceased; Margaret, who became 
 the wife of John R. Thompson but has also passed away; Nellie, the deceased 
 wife of Christ Marti; William S. and John H., who have also departed this 
 life; Mary, now Mrs. Greer; Isabelle, also deceased; James G., who makes his 
 hom'e in Winfield, township; Robert, deceased; George, a resident of Kansas; 
 
940 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 and one who died in infancy. The parents have likewise departed this Hfe, the 
 mother passing away in 1881, when fifty-five years ,of age, while the father, 
 surviving for only a few short years, passed away in 1884, when sixty-five 
 years old. 
 
 The union of Mr. and Mrs. Greer has been blessed with two daughters. Nel- 
 lie Estella is the wife of John J. Dempster and the mother of two sons, John 
 G. and Keith G. Gertrude is the wife of Frank M. Sherman and they make 
 their home in Grinnell, Iowa. The family is one of high standing and respecta- 
 bility in Sheridan township and, having long been identified with its interests, 
 Mr. Greer takes a helpful part in the work of improvement along agricultural 
 lines, while his own farm is indicative of his enterprising spirit. 
 
 HARRY J. McFARLAND. 
 
 On the roster of county officials in Scott county appears the name of Harry J. 
 McFarland, who has served as clerk of the district court since January 7, 1907, 
 and has proven a faithful, prompt and efficient incumbent in that position. 
 Moreover, he is numbered among the worthy native sons of this county, his 
 birth having occurred in Davenport on the 30th of May, 1871. His parents 
 were Daniel and Anna (Toher) McFarland. His father was born in County 
 Tyrone, Ireland, and left his native land at the age of six years accompanied 
 by his father, James McFarland, and arrived in the United States in 1854. 
 After a short stay in the city of Philadelphia, he came west and settled at Dav- 
 enport, Iowa. Entering the service oi the Rock Island Railroad Company, he 
 was employed in the capacity of car inspector at the Perry street passenger 
 depot for twenty-five years, while for the past eleven years he has been in the 
 service of the Rock Island arsenal. His wife, who bore the maiden name of 
 Anna Toher, was a native of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and came of Irish par- 
 entage. She came west with her parents at an early age and received her educa- 
 tion in this city. They reared a family of seven children, six of whom still 
 survive. 
 
 Harry J. McFarland, who is the eldest child in his father's family, obtained 
 his preliminary education in St. Marguerite's parochial school at Davenport and 
 subsequently attended St. Ambrose College, graduating from the latter institu- 
 tion. He likewise attended the Iowa Commercial College of Davenport and 
 received the benefit of a business course. After putting aside his text-books, 
 he secured a position in the freight department of the Rock Island Railroad 
 Company, being thus employed for five years. Subsequently, he entered the 
 services of the Western Railway Association in the capacity of freight inspector 
 and thus acted for a period of eight years. Since attaining his majority, he 
 has taken a deep and helpful interest in politics and in all matters of public 
 concern and is one of the most universally popular young men in Scott county. 
 His fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, have called him to var- 
 ious positions of trust and responsibility, and he has ever proven himself worthy 
 of the confidence reposed in him. In 1902, he severed his connection with the 
 
H. J. i\I(?FARLAND 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 943 
 
 Western Railway Association and accepted the position of deputy clerk of the 
 district court and held the same for two years. A change in administration 
 produced a like change in the clerk's office, and he became identified with the 
 Guaranty Mutual Life Insurance Company and the American Security Com- 
 pany. In 1907, he was elected clerk of the district court and is still the incum- 
 bent in that position, discharging the duties devolving upon him in a manner 
 highly satisfactory to all concerned. When the federal court was established in 
 this city he was appointed the first deputy clerk of the United States circuit 
 and district courts and also United States jury commissioner for the southern 
 district of Iowa and still holds said offices. His political allegiance is unfalter- 
 ingly given to the cause of democracy. When the Bank of Dixon, of Dixon, 
 Iowa, failed, he was appointed receiver by the Hon. Smith McPherson, judge 
 of the United States courts. After the crash, when there was not a dollar in 
 sight and it looked as if the depositors would lose all their savings, he by skill- 
 ful management succeeded in collecting sufficient assets of the bank to pay fifty 
 cents on the dollar to the depositors. He also acted as receiver for the Schicks 
 Express, Transfer & Storage Company, likewise for the Benadom Sanitarium 
 Company, both of which cases he settled with satisfaction to all concerned. 
 
 Fraternally, Mr. McFarland is prominently identified with. the Elks, the 
 Woodmen of the World, Knights of Columbus, Western Catholic Union, Dav- 
 enport Turner Society and the Ancient Order of Hiberians. He served four 
 terms as counsel commander of Carnival Camp, No. i. Woodmen of the World, 
 and three terms as grand knight of Loras Council, No. 532, Knights of Colum- 
 bus. In August, 1909, he was honored by being selected as delegate to the 
 national convention by the Knights of Columbus, at Mobile, Alabama. Through- 
 out the county in which his entire life has been spent he is most widely and favor- 
 ably known, having ever displayed a genial cordiality and an unfailing courtesy 
 that have won for him manv friends. 
 
 DAVIS THOMAS. 
 
 Davis Thomas, a retired farmer now living in McCausland and one of the 
 honored veterans of the Civil war, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, 
 November 13, 1833. His parents were William and Jane Thomas. The former 
 was a teamster by occupation and as there were no railroads in the early days 
 he engaged in teaming between Philadelphia and Pittsburg and at length met 
 with an accidental death, being killed by his team. 
 
 Davis Thomas is indebted to the public-school system of his native county 
 for the educational opportunities which he enjoyed. After leaving school he 
 learned the stone-mason's trade but never followed it to any great extent. The 
 opportunities of the growing western country attracted him and in 1855 he came 
 to Scott county in company with Ed Robinson, being at that time twenty-two 
 years of age. He entered the employ" of Mr. Robinson and worked for him 
 as a farm hand until 1861. 
 
944 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Mr. Thomas responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting as a mem- 
 ber of Company C, Second Iowa Cavalry, at Davenport, on the 14th of August, 
 1 86 1. The regiment was fully organized about September ist at Davenport and 
 was mustered in two weeks later. The troops were in' training at Camp Mc- 
 Clellan and Camp Jo Holt at Davenport until December 10, 1861, when the regi- 
 ment removed to Benton Barracks, proceeding thence to Birds Point, February 
 17, 1863. They participated in the expedition against Thompson's forces from 
 the 25th to the 29th of February, moved to New Madrid, Missouri, March 4th, . 
 and took part in the action there on the 13th and 14th of that month and also In 
 the operations at Island No. 10 from the i6th of March to the i8th of April. 
 Then came the expedition to Fort Pillow, Tennessee, and from the i8th until 
 the 22d of April they were at Hamburg Landing, Tennessee. With the regiment 
 Mr. Thomas took part in the action at Birmingham, April 24; at Monterey, 
 April 28-9; the advance on and siege of Corinth from the 29th of April to the 
 30th of May. They were at Glendale May 8th and Farmington the following 
 day and in the expedition to Boonville covering the 28th and 30th of May. 
 Then came the occupation of Corinth; later the battle of Tuscumbia Creek, 
 and of Blackland, near Baldwin, on the 6th of June ; the reconnaissance to Gun- 
 town, Baldwin, etc. June 9-10; Boonville, July i; Brown Springs, July 21; 
 Rienzi, August 26; Peytons Mills, September 19; luka, September 19-20; the 
 battle of Corinth, October 2-4; pursuit to Ripley, November 2; Grant's cen- 
 tral Mississippi campaign from November, 1862, until January, 1863, includ- 
 ing Warshaw creek, November 6, 1862; the reconnaissance from La Grange, 
 November 8 and 9; Coldwater, November 8; Hudsonville, November 9; the 
 reconnaissance to Holly Springs, November 12 and 14; the expedition to Rip- 
 ley, November 19 and 20; the engagement at Ripley, November 20; Waterford, 
 November 29-30; Tallahatchie river, November 30; about Oxford, December 
 1-8; Yocona river and Springdale bridge, December 3; Water Valley, December 
 4; Coffeeville, December 5; the expedition against Mobile and Ohio Railroad, 
 December 14-19; Ripley, December 23-25; Prairie Station, February 21, 
 1863; expedition to Mount Pleasant, April 5-7; Pontotoc, April 19; Palo 
 Alto and Okolona, April 21-22; Birmingham, April 24; scout from La 
 Grange into northern Mississippi, April 29 to May 5; expedition to Panola, 
 May 11-15; Walnut Hill and Pigeon Roost, May 14; Tullahoma, May 15; ex- 
 pedition to Senatobia, May 21-28; Senatobia, May 23; Hernando, May 28; 
 operations in west Mississippi, June 15-22; near Holly Springs, June 16-17; 
 Coldwater bridge, June 18; Matthews ferry, Coldwater river, June 20; Jackson, 
 July 13; La Grange, July 16; expedition from Memphis to Grenada, August 14- 
 23; Grenada, August 17; expedition to Hernando, October lo-ii; operations 
 on Memphis and Charleston Railroad, November 3-5; Collierville, and Cold- 
 water, November 3 ; Moscow, November 5 ; operations against Lee's attack on 
 Memphis and Charleston Railroad, November 28 to December 10; SaUsbury, 
 December 5 ; Wolf Bridge, near Moscow, December 3-4 ; pursuit of Forest, 
 December 22-30; ColHerville, December 17-28; at Memphis until February 5, 
 1864; Smith's raid from Collierville to Okolona, February 11-26; Wall Hill, 
 February 12; West Point, February 20-21; Ellis Bridge and Okolona, February 
 21 ; Ivy Hill, near Okolona, February 21 ; Smith's expedition to Tupelo, July 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 945 
 
 S-21; near Sibley» July 7; Camargo's Cross Roads, near Harrisburg, July 13; 
 Tupelo, July 14-15; Oldtown creek, July 15; Smith's expedition to Oxford, Au- 
 gust 1-20; and Shoal Creek, Alabama, November 16-20, 1864; Butlers Creek, 
 November 22; Campbellsville and Lynnville, November 24; in front of Colum- 
 bia, November 24-27; Lawrenceburg, November 27; Mount Carmel, Novem- 
 ber, 29; battle of Nashville, December 15-18; pursuit of Hood, December 17- 
 28; West Harpeth River, December 17; Spring Hill, December 18; Ruther- 
 ford Creek, December 19 ; Lawrenceburg, December 22 ; Lynnville and Richland 
 Creek, December 24; Richland Creek and Kings Gap, near Pulaski, December 
 25; at Huntsville and Florence, Alabama, Eastport, Mississippi, Gravella 
 Springs, Alabama, and Selma, Alabama, until June, 1865. 
 
 At the close of his term Mr. Thomas returned to the north, being mustered 
 out at Davenport, in October, 1864. He then took up farming and bought one 
 hundred and sixty acres in Princeton township, which he cultivated for five 
 years. He then sold that property and invested in eighty acres in the same 
 township, making his home thereon until February, 1900, when he retired from 
 active business life and took up his abode in McCausland, where he has since 
 lived, enjoying the fruits of his former toil. 
 
 Mr. Thomas was married September 12, 1861, to Miss Jane Hire, a daugh- 
 ter of Daniel and Jane Hire, who were among the first settlers of Scott county, 
 coming to Iowa with their family when Mrs. Thomas was five years of age, her 
 birth having occurred in Indiana, June 3, 1831. Her father made the journey 
 with teams and drove cattle all the way. He had covered wagons and at places 
 forded the streams. On reaching his destination he settled in Princeton town- 
 ship. The land was all prairie, hardly a furrow having been turned or an im- 
 provement made in that section of the county. Mr. Hire built a double log 
 cabin and for a month Madison Pineo occupied a portion of it until his house was 
 finished. Mr. Hire made the first wagon track to Princeton in 1837 and was 
 closely identified with the early substantial development of the county. He 
 made two trips to California with ox-teams and his various experiences made 
 him well acquainted with the conditions, hardships and environment as well as 
 with the pleasures of pioneer life. Both he and his wife died in this county. 
 Their daughter Jane was twice married and by her first union had one son, 
 John S. Underwood, of Princeton township, who married Clara De Boise, and 
 has two children, Altha and George. The former married Edward Hebley, 
 of Butler township, and they have one child, Vesington, so that Mrs. Thomas 
 is a great-grandmother. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have been born three 
 sons. Charles E., of South Dakota, is married and has two children, Julia 
 and Davis. Harry is at home. Jesse R., of Dubuque, is married and has two chil- 
 dren, Gladys and Olla. 
 
 Mr. Thomas belongs to the Grand Army of. the Republic and maintains 
 pleasant relations with his old army comrades, taking delight in the camp fires 
 and other meetings which again bring the boys in blue together. He is as true 
 and loyal to his country today as when he followed the old flag on southern 
 battlefields. Mrs. Thomas is with one exception the oldest permanent resident 
 of Scott county, coming here shortly after the arrival of Captain Clarke, of 
 Buffalo. Here she has remained continuously since and she can well remember 
 
946 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 the time when Indians were frequently seen in the neighborhood and when deer 
 roamed at will over the prairie, which in June was starred with millions of wild 
 flowers and in December was covered with one dazzling and unbroken sheet of 
 ice. She has lived to witness many notable changes as the county has become 
 thickly settled and its lands have been taken up and improved for the purpose of 
 man's support. 
 
 L. M. FISHER. 
 
 The Fisher family, in both the lineal and collateral branches, is distinctively 
 American in that it has been represented in New England from early colonial 
 days. Among its members were those who valiantly served in the Revolutionary 
 war. Maturin L. Fisher, the father of L. M. Fisher, was a native of Danville, 
 Vermont, and on coming to Iowa in 1849 settled in Clayton county. He had 
 previously, however, been a resident of Worcester, Massachusetts, for a num- 
 ber of years and while there residing occupied the position of postmaster for ten 
 or twelve years. He was a strong man in his connection with public interests and 
 an ardent democrat. Coming to Iowa, he won for himself a place of prominence 
 in the public life of the state and left the impress of his individuality upon its 
 political history. For two sessions he was president of the Iowa senate and in 
 1857 was superintendent of public instruction. The previous year the state had 
 gone republican but Mr. Fisher was among those who succeeded in reversing 
 the vote in 1857, gaining a decided victory for the democratic forces. He oc- 
 cupied an eminent position among the statesmen of that day and continued an 
 influential factor in public life for many years. On the outbreak of the Civil 
 war he was appointed on the commission to negotiate a war loan and defend 
 bonds of the state. While there were those opposed to him politically, there 
 were none who questioned the patriotism of his motives nor the honesty of his 
 convictions. In early manhood he wedded Caroline Pratt, a native of Worcester, 
 Massachusetts, who was born in the same house in which occurred the birth of 
 Bancroft, the historian. She passed away in 1862 and Mr. Fisher, surviving for 
 about seventeen years, died on the 5th of February, 1879. 
 
 L. M. Fisher, whose name introduces this record, was a pupil in the Clayton 
 county schools through the period in which he accquainted himself with the 
 fundamental principles of knowledge. He afterward entered the Wisconsin State 
 University, from which he was graduated with honors in 1872. Determining 
 upon the practice of law as a life work, he next entered the law department of 
 the University of Iowa and in 1873 was graduated as valedictorian of his class. 
 Choosing Davenport as the scene of his professional labors, he has continued 
 through thirty-six years as a member of the bar of this city and is recognized 
 as one of the ablest lawyers of Scott county. He is at home in all departments 
 of the law, from the minutiae in practice to the greater topics wherein is in- 
 volved the consideration of the ethics and the philosophy of jurisprudence and 
 the higher concerns of public policy. In argument he is felicitous and clear. 
 
L. M. FISHKK 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 949 
 
 thoroughly in earnest, full of the vigor of conviction, yet never abusive of his 
 adversaries. His political allegiance has always been given to the democratic 
 party and for years he was an active worker in its ranks, but in the latter period 
 has devoted his time almost exclusively to his practice. He was city attorney 
 from 1885 until 1891 and was nominated by the bar convention for district judge 
 but declined the honor. In 1906 he was named by his party as candidate for 
 judge of the superior court. 
 
 On the 17th of October, 1883, Mr. Fisher was married to Miss Laura Provost, 
 a native of Montreal, Canada, and their children are Maturin L., Harriet P. 
 and Laura M. The elder daughter is a graduate of Vassar College, of 1907. 
 The family are prominent socially and Mr. Fisher is a splendid representative 
 of the class of lawyers who, holding to the highest standard of professional 
 ethics, maintain that the counsel should aid the court in the administration of 
 justice and ever avoid leading the court astray in a matter of fact or law. He 
 gives to his client the service of great talent, unwearied industry and com- 
 prehensive learning and is an able, faithful and conscientious minister in the 
 temple of justice. 
 
 JURGEN KAHLER. 
 
 Jurgen Kahler is numbered among the representative American citizens who 
 claim Germany as the place of their nativity and who in this country sought 
 and found opportunities for advancement in business lines. Born on the is- 
 land of Fehmarn, Schleswig-Holstein, on the nth of November, 1857, he is 
 a son of Hans J. and Katharine ( Mildenstein) Kahler, the former a laborer 
 by occupation. The parents are both now deceased, their entire lives having 
 been spent in the old country. In their family were six children, namely : Henry ; 
 Nicholas, deceased; Mrs. Dorothy Brogen, of Nebraska; Martha,, who wedded 
 P. H. Simpson, a resident of Kansas; Jurgen, of this review; and Hans, of 
 Kansas. The entire family with the exception of the parents emigrated to Amer- 
 ica, the eldest son, Henry, being the first to come to the new world. He arrived 
 in the United States in 1866 and came to Iowa, residing in Davenport for some 
 time. 
 
 Jurgen Kahler was reared in the place of his nativity, obtained his educa- 
 tion in the common schools near his home and remained a resident of the father- 
 land until after his marriage. In 1883, however, thinking to find in the ad- 
 vantages offered by the new world better opportunity for advancement in busi- 
 ness lines, he left home and country and crossed the Atlantic to America, mak- 
 ing his way at once to Iowa. He was accompanied by his wife and two chil- 
 dren, the family home being first established in Durant. There he worked as a 
 laborer for about six years and then became identified with agricultural pursuits 
 in the capacity of renter, being thus engaged for twelve years. Throughout 
 that period, however, he had been imbued with the desire to some day carry on 
 an independent enterprise in which his efforts might more directly benefit him- 
 self, and so, when he had acaimulated sufficient capital to justify such a step, 
 
950 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 he purchased the farm upon which he now resides, to the development of which 
 he has since directed his energies. He owns the entire southwest quarter of 
 section 19, Cleona township, with the exception of the right of way granted 
 to the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company. Through his industry 
 and perseverance it has been brought under a high state of cultivation and under 
 his wise and careful management has become one of the well improved farming 
 properties of the township. Most of the buildings which stand upon the place 
 were erected by him and include an attractive modern residence and substantial 
 and commodious barns and outbuildings, all in excellent condition. He is en- 
 gaged in general farming and stock-raising and both branches of his business 
 are proving gratifying sources of remuneration, for he is up-to-date and pro- 
 gressive in his methods and manifests good business ability and wise judgment 
 in the conduct of his affairs. 
 
 In 1881, in Germany, Mr. Kahler was united in marriage to Miss Dorothy 
 Herman, whose birth occurred on the 28th of November, 1855, on the same 
 island upon which her husband was born. She is a daughter of Hans and 
 Louisa (Bockwoldt) Herman, who came to the United States about two or 
 three years after the arrival of our subject. The father has now passed away, 
 while the mother survives and makes her home in Durant. Unto Mr. and Mrs. 
 Kahler have been born eleven children, all born in this country with the ex- 
 ception of the two eldest. They are as follows : Katharine, the wife of Wil- 
 liam Kraft, of Cleona township; Matilda, the wife of Peter Ruhser, of Cedar 
 county; Hans; Nicholas, a resident of Durant; Herman, of Cleona township; 
 Emil, making his home in Nebraska; and Frieda, Fritz, Christina, Alma and 
 Helena, all yet under the parental roof. Politically Mr. Kahler is identified 
 with the republican party, giving stalwart support to the principles of that or- 
 ganization, although the honors and emoluments of public office have never held 
 any attractions for him. Although born across the water and still maintaining 
 a love for the land of his birth, his interests center in the United States and he 
 is thoroughly identified with American life and institutions, Scott county hav- 
 ing no more loyal citizen than this adopted son, who is a credit alike to the 
 land of his nativity and that of his adoption. He has never had occasion to 
 regret his determination to seek his fortune in the new world, for here, where in- 
 dividual effort is unhampered by caste or class, he has forged his way upward in 
 the business world and is numbered among the substantial and representative agri- 
 culturists of Cleona township. 
 
 J. H. C. PETERSEN. 
 
 Perhaps no man in Davenport has done more toward advancing the mer- 
 cantile interests of the city than J. H. C. Petersen, who has now retired from 
 active life and lives in the enjoyment of well earned rest at No. 510 West Sixth 
 street. He was born in Germany and as a young man crossed the Atlantic in 
 i860, determined to prove the truth of the reports which he heard concerning 
 the opportunities of the new world and hoping that he might secure advantages 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 951 
 
 which would lead to substantial progress in business lines. He came direct to 
 Scott county and his limited financial resources made it imperative that he se- 
 cure immediate employment. For a year, therefore, he worked as a farm hand 
 but regarded this only as an initial step to broader and more important labor. 
 In 1862 he turned his attention to merchandising and in that field continued for 
 a long period, his labors being attended with a most gratifying measure of suc- 
 cess. The beginning was a humble one and for a few years he was associated 
 with a partner, to whom he later sold his interest. In the meantime the business 
 had been substantially developed and his experience had brought him valuable 
 knowledge concerning the best methods of conducting mercantile interests. In 
 1872 he established business independently, being then located at No. 219 Sec- 
 ond street. The growth of his trade enabled him later to include No. 220 Second 
 street as a part of his store and still later he utilized the building at No. 217- 
 2\yy2 Second street. His operations embraced many fields of activity. No po- 
 tential demand of his patrons was unnoticed and while his own enterprise grew 
 in size it was also advancing mercantile progress throughout Davenport. In 
 time it became one of the foremost mercantile establishments of the city and 
 largely set the standard for activity in his especial field. He is recognized as 
 one who has contributed much toward the city's financial prosperity and com- 
 mercial interests and up to the time of his retirement was regarded as one of 
 the most prominent and honored merchants here. 
 
 In 1844 Mr. Petersen wedded Miss Johanna Elsbeth Hansen. They became 
 the parents of ten children, five of whom are deceased. The living are : M. D., 
 W. D., Johanna Fridericke Luetje; H. F. and Marie Bush. The mother died in 
 1892 but the father still survives and is now eighty-nine years of age. He en- 
 joys good health for one of his years and feels that life has given much to him 
 in pleasure and success. When he came to this section of the state Davenport 
 was a small town and he has watched with interest and satisfaction its growth 
 and development and is numbered among those who have contributed to its 
 progress and improvement. 
 
 ASMUS WOLF. 
 
 Asmus Wolf, a veteran of the Civil war, is a retired agriculturist of Daven- 
 port and still owns three hundred acres of fine farming land in Butler town- 
 ship. His birth occurred in Holstein, Germany, on the 20th of September, 1839, 
 his parents being Andes and Elizabeth Wolf. The father followed farming 
 in that country. Asmus Wolf obtained his education in the schools of his native 
 land and after putting aside his text-books acquainted himself with the butcher- 
 ing business. In 1861, when a young man of twenty-two years, he crossed the 
 ocean to the United States, landing at New York, whence he came direct to 
 Davenport, Iowa. 
 
 After working as a farm hand for six months he enlisted for service in 
 the Union army, joining Company B, Sixteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, at 
 Davenport on the 26. of November, 1861. With that regiment he went to St. 
 
952 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Louis, where he remained for about a week and subsequently participated in 
 the battle of Shiloh, where he was slightly injured by a ball. The regiment next 
 went to Corinth, Mississippi, where they expected another battle but the rebels 
 had left during the night. They remained in that vicinity about six months, 
 marching to different places, and then took part in the two days' battle at Corinth. 
 Afterward they went to Memphis, Tennessee, and there boarded a steamer for 
 Vicksburg, participating in the engagement at that place. Subsequently Mr. 
 Wolf reenlisted in Company B for three years' service and went to Meridian, 
 Mississippi, where on the 7th of February, 1864, he was taken prisoner while 
 foraging in company with three other men. They were sent to the Cahaba prison 
 in Alabama, where they were incarcerated for two months,' on the expiration 
 of which period they were taken to Andersonville and there imprisoned for five 
 months, enduring many and severe hardships. For twenty-three days they were 
 compelled to sleep on the bare ground. From Andersonville they were removed 
 to Charleston, South Carolina, where they were kept in the jail yard and also 
 in a stockade at the fair grounds for a time. They were then sent to Florence, 
 North Carolina, and their lot was no better there than it had been at Anderson- 
 ville, but Mr. Wolf finally escaped the enemy by pretending illness and went 
 back to Charleston, where he took a boat for Baltimore, Maryland. Obtaining 
 a three months' furlough, he returned to Davenport and when his leave of ab- 
 sence had expired rejoined his regiment, but hostilities were brought to a close 
 about that time and he was mustered out on the 19th of July, 1865. His military 
 record is one of which he has every reason to be proud, for he proved a valiant 
 and faithful soldier, never faltering in the performance of any task assigned 
 him. 
 
 Soon after returning from the war Mr. Wolf was married and for about a 
 year he worked in the vicinity of Davenport. He then bought eighty acres of 
 land in Butler township, where he made his home for two years, at the end of 
 which time he disposed of the property and purchased another farm of one 
 hundred and forty acres in Butler township, residing thereon from 1871 until 
 1898. In that year he put aside the active work of the fields and took up his abode 
 in Davenport, where he has since lived retired in the enjoyment of well earned 
 rest. As his financial resources increased he bought more land from time to time 
 and he yet owns three hundred acres in Butler township. His agricultural in- 
 terests were carefully managed and he has long been numbered among the sub- 
 stantial and respected citizens of the county. 
 
 Mr. Wolf has been married twicfe. On the 26th of August, 1865, he wedded 
 Miss Kathrina Buck, a daughter of Jergen and Kathrina Buck. This union was 
 blessed with six children. Alvipa, the eldest, married Christ Petersen, of Daven- 
 port, and became the mother of seven children, namely; Lulu; Arthur; Engeba, 
 who is deceased; Walter; Asmus; Viola; and LeRoy. Ferd, who is now de- 
 ceased, wedded Miss Alvina Miller, by whom he had four children: Delma, 
 Ruman, Howard and Lulu. Theresa, who gave her hand in marriage to Herman 
 Carsens, of Davenport, now has seven children, as follows : Willus, Max Hilda 
 Ferd, Thekla, Paul and Erma. Amanda, the wife of John Henry, of McCaus- 
 land, Butler township, is also the mother of seven children, namely: Blanche 
 Alonzo, Ruth, Margaret, John, Benjamin and an infant. Ernest, living at Long 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 953 
 
 Grove, wedded Miss Anna Litsher, by whom he has two children, Inez and 
 Bernard. Thomas is a resident of Butler township. Mrs. Kathrina Wolf, whose 
 birth had occurred in Germany on the 9th of October, 1848, was called to her 
 final rest on the 3d of August, 1898, and lies buried in Butler township. On the 
 4th of April, 1900, Mr. Wolf was again married, his second union being with 
 Pauline Priest, who was born in 1852. Her parents, Hans H. and Kathrina 
 (Mottis) Priest, came to this country from Germany in 1850 and took up their 
 abode in Pleasant Valley township, Scott county, Iowa, where they built a rock 
 house which is still standing. Hans H. Priest passed away in May, 1882, and 
 his wife died the following August. They became the parents of six children, 
 three of whom pa-ssed away in Germany. The others are as follows: Mary, 
 who gave her hand in marriage to Godfrey Henry and is now deceased ; Doris, 
 the widow of Asmus Rohlf and Mrs. Wolf. The last named has also been mar- 
 ried twice, her first husband being Herman Rohde, by whom she had four chil- 
 dren : Richard and Herman, both of whom are residents of Davenport ; and two 
 who are deceased. 
 
 Mr. Wolf gives his political allegiance to the men and measures of the re- 
 publican party. While living in Butler township he served as road supervisor, 
 township trustee and in other positions of public trust. He is a member of the 
 United Veterans Union. Coming to the United States in early manhood, he 
 made good use of the opportunities afforded in a land unhampered by caste or 
 class and in his adopted county has steadily worked his way upward to a posi- 
 tion of prominence. The period of his residence in Scott county now covers 
 almost a half century and the favorable regard entertained for him by his fellow 
 townsmen is proof that his life record has been an honorable one. 
 
 ALBERT WERNER. 
 
 Albert Werner, the well known and capable postmaster of Walcott, who 
 for many years was closely identified with the business interests of this town, 
 is numbered among the residents of Scott county who claim Germany as the 
 place of their nativity, his birth occuring in Pommern in 1853. His parents were 
 Frederick and Caroline (Mailing) Werner, who were also natives of Germany. 
 The father, who was born in Pommern in 1813, was a soldier in the German 
 army prior to his leaving the fatherland, and in 1862 came to America, landing 
 at New York. He arrived here while the country was in the midst of civil war 
 and at once took up the cause of the Union, organizing a company in New York. 
 He went to the front as its captain and did valiant duty until the time of his 
 death, it being supposed he was killed at the battle of Gettysburg. 
 
 Reared and educated in his native country, Albert Werner came to America 
 when twenty years of age and made his way direct to Iowa, arriving in Walcott 
 in 1873. For about seventeen years he was here engaged in the blacksmith's 
 trade, at the expiration of which period he became identified with industrial 
 pursuits, deahng in implements of all kinds, buggies and furniture. In addition 
 to this he also conducted a plumbing enterprise and both branches of his busi- 
 
954 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 ness proved most profitable. Industry, excellent executive ability and careful 
 management were salient elements in his business career and he won a most 
 gratifying measure of success, his business steadily increasing in volume and im- 
 portance with the passing of the years. In 1891, however, he was appointed post- 
 master of Walcott and he withdrew from business life in order to take up the 
 duties of his new position. He has since remained in that ofifice, proving a 
 most excellent official, his record ever being such as has not only brought honor 
 to himself but has reflected credit upon his constituents. He is known in 
 financial circles as a director in the Walcott Savings Bank and is the owner of 
 a farm in Cleona township and also a quarter section in North Dakota, all of 
 his various interests proving a source of most gratifying remuneration which 
 has placed him among the substantial and prosperous citizens of the community. 
 It was in 1877 that Mr. Werner was united in marriage to Miss Anna Moeller, 
 a daughter of Gotthard Moeller, a farmer residing in Cleona township. Unto 
 this union have been born two children: Alma, still at home; and Ernest, who 
 married Anna Riessen, of Walcott. Fraternally Mr. Werner is a member of 
 lodge No. 316, K. P., of Walcott, and in politics he is a stalwart republican. Prior 
 to his appointment as postmaster he served as a member of the city council 
 and for two terms was also a school director, the cause of education finding in 
 him a warm champion. Preeminently a public-spirited citizen, although born 
 across the water he is as closely identified with the interests of this country 
 as the native born American, and he is not only a credit to the land of his na- 
 tivity but also to the land of his adoption. In business he combined his sturdy 
 native talents with the more American spirit of progress and the result was a 
 very successful career. In public office he has been true to every trust re- 
 posed in him and efficient, conscientious and faithful in the discharge of his 
 duties, so that he ranks today among Walcott's most representative and valued 
 citizens. 
 
 ADOLPH P. ARP. 
 
 Adolph P. Arp is well known as a leading stockman and farmer of Lincoln 
 township, being the proprietor of the Lincoln Stock Farm, of two hundred and 
 forty acres, situated on section 2. Here he has engaged in raising some of the 
 finest stock that has been produced in the county and as proof of his business 
 ability and enterprising spirit it has been cited that he has been actively con- 
 nected with the promotion of several commercial interests of importance. He 
 was born on the farm which is yet his home, December 7, 1875, and is a son 
 of Detlef and Bertha (Weise) Arp, both of whom were natives of Schleswig- 
 Holstein, Germany, the father's birth having there occurred January i, 1831, 
 while his wife was born on the 23d of March, 1838. Detlef Arp acquired his 
 education in the schools of his native country and in his youthful days worked 
 on his father's farm, but the favorable reports which he heard concerning 
 America and its opportunities awakened in him a desire to seek his fortune on 
 this side the Atlantic. Accordingly, when nineteen years of age, he bade adieu 
 to home and friends and sailed for New Orleans, whence he made his way up 
 
S) 
 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 957 
 
 the river to Davenport. After reaching Scott county he was employed in various 
 ways, early securing a job on the Rock Island railway near Walcott. He was 
 afterward employed as a farm hand and he also owned and operated a threshing 
 machme, bemg engaged throughout the community to thresh the crops of the 
 various farmers. About i860 he and Claus Horst purchased one hundred and 
 sixty acres of land, which constitutes a part of what is now the Lincoln Stock 
 Farm. There they began keeping bachelor's hall while devoting their energies 
 to the cultivation and improvement of the place. The land was productive 
 praine, which they cultivated together for several years and during that time 
 erected a number of substantial farm buildings on the place. Later Mr. Horst 
 was married and the two men then divided their interests, each taking eighty 
 acres. Mr. Arp then continued to live alone until March 2, 1868, when he was mar- 
 ried and brought his bride to the farm which he had already cultivated for a 
 number of years. Subsequently he purchased eighty acres of land adjoining 
 from James Long and later bought the other eighty-acre tract from Mr. Horst, 
 so that his farm embraced two hundred and forty acres. Year by year he car- 
 ried on the work of the farm with gratifying success until 1899, when he re- 
 tired and removed to Eldridge, where for ten years he made his home, enjoying 
 the fruits of his former toil. There he died October 31, 1909. He was a mem- 
 ber of the Turners Society of Eldridge, and there was also an interesting mili- 
 tary chapter in his life record, for he was one of the veterans of the war of 
 1848-50 between Holstein and Denmark. For a year he had survived his wife, 
 who died October 8, 1908. They were the parents of eight children: Claus, 
 Johannes, Herman, Edward, William, Adolph, Emma and Emiel. All are de- 
 ceased with the exception of our subject, Adolph P., who is the sixth in order 
 of birth. 
 
 Adolph P. Arp has spent his entire life on the farm which is yet his home, 
 so that he knows every acre upon the old place that is endeared to him through 
 the memories of boyhood as well as the association of later years. He attended 
 the district schools in his youth and supplemented his early training by a course 
 in Duncan's Business College at Davenport and also by a course in the agricul- 
 tural department of Ames College. Putting aside his text-books, he took up 
 the active work of the farm, to which he has since devoted his energies, and in 
 connection with the tilling of the soil he has always followed stock-raising, 
 handling thoroughbred red polled cattle. He has learned how to best utilize time 
 and effort so that substantial results follow his labors, and as he has met suc- 
 cess in his undertakings he has extended his investments, becoming a stockholder 
 in the Eldridge Savings Bank, the Eldridge Elevator, which is a farmers' eleva- 
 tor, and in the Scott County Mercantile Company at Davenport, of which he is 
 one of the directors. He is a man of notable business abihty and carries for- 
 ward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. 
 
 On the 29th of November, 1899, Mr. Arp was united in marriage to Miss 
 Laura P. Schneckloth, a daughter of Thomas and Silka Schneckloth, who were 
 early German settlers of this county. Her father was a little lad of seven years 
 when he crossed the Atlantic to the United States and became a resident of 
 Iowa. He died June 7, 1902, at the age of fifty-eight years, and is still survived 
 by his widow, who yet resides in Davenport. Mrs. Arp was born on her father's 
 
958 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 farm in Lincoln township and by her marriage has become the mother of two 
 children, Roma A. and Alvin D. Mr. and Mrs. Arp are hospitable people who 
 always extend a cordial welcome to their many friends. They are both native 
 citizens of Scott county and, having long resided here, have a wide circle of 
 acquaintances. Mr. Arp is now filling the office of township clerk and has 
 served in that capacity for several terms and also has served as president of the 
 school board. He belongs to West View Grange, No. 2034, of which he is 
 master, and is deeply interested in this organized effort to promote agricultural 
 interests. 
 
 CHARLES LAWRENCE BAREWALD, M. D. 
 
 Prominent among the physicians and surgeons of Davenport and this section 
 is Dr. Charles Lawrence Barewald, one of Iowa's native sons, his birth having 
 occurred in Muscatine county on the 9th of September, 1869. Of German par- 
 entage, he is a son of Frederick and Matilda (Wiese) Barewald, both natives of 
 the fatherland. The father came to the United States when about thirty years 
 of age, locating in Muscatine county, Iowa, where he engaged in the harness 
 business until his death, which occurred in 1872. The parents were married 
 in the United States, and, appreciating the opporttmities offered in this country 
 for their children, inculcated lessons of honesty, sobriety and patriotism which 
 have borne excellent fruit. 
 
 Reared in the county of his nativity, at the usual age Dr. C. L. Barewald 
 became a pupil in the public schools and, continuing through consecutive grades, 
 completed his preliminary training by graduation from the high school at Wil- 
 ton Junction, Iowa, and later received his B. S. degree at the Norton Normal 
 and Scientific Academy at that place. He then entered the medical department 
 of the University of Iowa, graduating therefrom in 1891, and immediately 
 thereafter opened an office for practice in Muscatine, where he remained for 
 two years, after which he came to Scott county, locating in Buffalo in 1893. 
 Ten years were there devoted to the general practice of medicine, at the expira- 
 tion of which time he came to Davenport in order that he might be in constant 
 touch with his duties as county physician, to which office he had been elected 
 on the 1st of January, 1904. In that official capacity he had charge of the regu- 
 lar medical work of the county hospital and the emergency work of the jail and 
 police station. . These duties were at all times faithfully performed and with 
 credit to his skill and humanity. In the meantime he had become well known 
 as a most capable and proficient physician and surgeon, and when, after setving 
 in the capacity of county physician for three and a half years, he returned to his 
 private practice he was accorded a liberal patronage which has continued to 
 grow in extent and importance. From the first he has been highly successful, 
 impressing all with whom he has come in contact with his trustworthy char- 
 acter, his earnestness, zeal and scrupulous regard for the ethics of his profes- 
 sion. He has proven himself skillful in diagnosis, sure in prescription, thought- 
 ful and tactful in attendance and prompt and efficacious in emergency. He has 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 959 
 
 not only sought to extend his knowledge and efficiency by continued study and 
 research, but keeps in touch with the advance made in the medical world through 
 his membership in the Scott County and State Medical Associations. 
 
 In March, 1893, Dr. Barewald was united in marriage to Miss Grace Urban, 
 a native of Chicago and a lady of excellent traits of character, who occupies a 
 high place in social circles in Davenport. Although a large private practice de- 
 mands his time and talents, leaving little opportunity for the amenities of life, 
 Dr. Barewald nevertheless finds time to keep up his interest in things municipal 
 and social, and holds membership in Wilton Lodge, No. 167, A. F. & A. M., 
 while he also belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity and other societies. 
 Early in life he became interested in the politics of the country and, forming his 
 own opinions and rules of conduct, has given stalwart allegiance to the prin- 
 ciples of the republican party since age conferred upon him the right of fran- 
 chise. Public-spirited and loyal in his citizenship, he has ever been a worker 
 for the best interests of Davenport and Scott county along both professional 
 and civic lines, and his adopted city has profited by his efforts in her behalf and 
 accords him a place of prominence in the forefront of her valued and representa- 
 tive citizens. 
 
 HIRAM PRICE. 
 
 Hiram Price was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, January 10, 
 1810. He worked on his father's farm in boyhood, attending school during the 
 winter months. He was a great reader, borrowing books of neighbors and thus 
 acquiring an education. In 1844 he removed to Iowa, locating in Davenport, 
 where he opened a store. In 1847 he was chosen school fund, commissioner 
 and a year later was elected recorder and treasurer of Scott county, holding the 
 position eight years. Mr. Price was a radical advocate of temperance and was 
 one of the founders of the order of "The Sons of Temperance." He was one of 
 the framers of the first bill for the prohibition of the liquor traffic in the state, 
 which was enacted into law by the fifth general assembly in 1854. He was the 
 editor of the Temperance Organ, a state paper devoted to prohibition. He had 
 been a democrat in politics up to the time of the attempt to force slavery into Kan- 
 sas, when he left that party and was one of the organizers and founders of the 
 republican party of Iowa. Upon the enactment of the state bank law Mr. 
 Price was one of the organizers of the Davenport branch and was the second 
 president of the state bank officers. 
 
 When the war of the Rebellion began he assisted in raising the money to 
 enable Governor Kirkwood to equip the first two Iowa regiments. He was the 
 first paymaster of Iowa troops and was untiring in his support and assistance to 
 the governor in raising men and money to meet the calls of the president. In 
 1862 he was elected by the republicans of the second district to congress and for 
 six years was one of the ablest members of the house. He was an earnest ad- 
 vocate of the most energetic war measures and of legislation to strengthen the 
 credit of the goverrmient. 
 
960 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Mr. Price was one of the founders of the Soldiers Orphans Home. In 
 1876 he was again elected to congress and served until 1880. In 1881 he was 
 appointed by the president commissioner of Indian affairs, in which position 
 he served with distinguished ability for four years. He made many reforms 
 where abuses had grown up in dealing with the Indians. He was one of the pio- 
 neers in railroad building in Iowa. In 1853, when the first railroad was being built 
 from Chicago toward Iowa, Mr. Price was chosen to traverse the counties on 
 the projected line through the state to the Missouri river to create an interest 
 among the people and towns. In 1869 when a railroad was projected from 
 Davenport in a northwesterly direction Hiram Price was elected president of 
 the company which constructed the road. One of his last public acts before 
 removing to Washington was to endow a free reading room in the public library 
 of Davenport, his old home. He was a life-long and prominent member of the 
 Methodist church. He died in Washington, D. C, May 30, 1901. 
 
 HENRY E. RONGE. 
 
 Henry E. Ronge, county superintendent of schools of Scott county, was born 
 in Davenport, March 9, i860, a son of Charles F. C. and Elizabeth Katherine 
 (Ruge) Ronge, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father was bom 
 in July, 1828, and came from Mecklenburg to the new world in 1857. Establish- 
 ing his home in Davenport, he was numbered among the worthy citizens here and 
 was accounted an influential man among those of his own nationality. His death 
 occurred in the year 1899. The family numbered four children, of whom Henry 
 is the eldest. The others are : Mrs. Emma Kuehl, who was formerly a teacher 
 in the public schools of this city ; Edward C. ; and Lizzie, who was at one time 
 a public-school teacher and died in 1896 at the age of twenty-one years. 
 
 Henry E. Ronge completed the public-school course by graduation from the 
 high school with the class of 1878. He also received instruction in the Iowa State 
 University through the summer terms and thus qualified for teaching. He took 
 up that profession in 1878 and was connected with the rural schools of Butler 
 township until 1892. In that year he became principal of the schools of Buffalo 
 and was afterward principal of the schools of Pleasant Valley and Walcott. 
 Early in the year 1909 he abandoned the profession of teaching, however, and 
 went upon the road for the Davenport Roofing Company but on the death of 
 the county superintendent of schools, W. D. Wells, Mr. Ronge was offered the 
 appointment to fill out the unexpired term and accepted, as the work was con- 
 genial and offered to him a good field in which to do valuable service for the 
 interests of public education. He is well fitted for the position and already there 
 have been heard many favorable comments concerning the work that he has 
 done in connection with the office. 
 
 Professor Ronge spent two years in business in Florida as his health was poor. 
 He found the southern clime beneficial and returned much improved. He was 
 married in 1906 to Miss Mary M. Hess, a native of Davenport, and in this city 
 they have many warm friends in the more intelligent and cultured social circles. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 I niaiUKy ue bCOTT COUNTY 963 
 
 Professor Ronge is a charter member of the Knights of Pythias lodge and is also 
 a member of Fraternal Lodge, 221, A. F. & A. M. He has directed his efforts 
 in those lines of life demanding strong intellectuality and offering an unlimited 
 field for advancement, and with high ideals he has done good work for the bene- 
 fit of the public schools. 
 
 JOHN H. STOUFFER. 
 
 John H. Stouffer has gained a creditable place in financial circles, serving at 
 the present time as the cashier of the Walcott Savings Bank, and is also closely 
 identified with the business and political interests of the community. He was 
 born in Muscatine county, Towa, on the 3d of February, 1867, and is a son of 
 John and Caroline (Hill) Stouffer, natives of Pennsylvania. They came to 
 Iowa at an early date and continued to make their home in Muscatine county 
 until the father's death, when the mother removed to Moline, Illinois, and later 
 came to Walcott. 
 
 John H. Stouffer was reared at home and acquired his early education in the 
 public schools of Moline and Walcott, while later he pursued a course of study 
 at Duncan's Business College in Davenport. Thus well equipped for the prac- 
 tical and responsible duties of business life, he started out to earn his own 
 livelihood as bookkeeper in the employ of the Stockdale & Dietz Company. He 
 remained with that firm until 1899, in which year he was elected cashier of 
 the Walcott Savings Bank, continuing in this capacity to the present time. The 
 bank was organized in 1893 with a capital of thirty thousand dollars, H. C. Kohl 
 being appointed its first cashier. Since his connection with the institution its 
 business has so increased that on May i, 1908, its capital was extended to sixty 
 thousand dollars, its deposits amounting to eight hundred and fifty thousand 
 dollars. The policy of the house is safe and conservative and under its present 
 efficient management has become one of the sound and substantial financial in- 
 stitutions of the county, its patronage being large and of an important charac- 
 ter. Mr. Stouffer's ability, accuracy and fidelity have constituted him an ex- 
 cellent official and his uniform courtesy and prompt attention to all who have 
 business with the bank have made him very popular. Although he is deeply 
 interested in the affairs of the bank with which he is connected and is ever faith- 
 ful in the performance of his duties, nevertheless he has had time to direct his 
 attention into other channels and has become identified with the fire insurance 
 business, being agent in Walcott for several large insurance companies. He has 
 been very successful in this enterprise and in the conduct of his afifairs typifies 
 the progressive spirit of the times, his diligence and labor constituting him a 
 representative factor in the business life of the town. 
 
 On the Sth of September, 1894, in Walcott, Mr. Stouffer was united in 
 marriage to Miss Bertha Hinz, a daughter of Louis Hinz, the vice president 
 of the Walcott Savings Bank, and unto this union have been born three chil- 
 dren, namely : Lloyd H., Verona N. and Elmore J. Mr. Stouffer is well known 
 and prominent in fraternal circles, being a member of Walcott Lodge, No. 312, 
 
964 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 K. P.; Modern Brotherhood of America; and Walcott Lodge, No. 6, Highland 
 Nobles. He has ever taken an active and helpful interest in community affairs 
 and has been called to fill positions of trust and honor. For some time he was 
 a member of the city council and is now serving as city clerk, having been the 
 incumbent in that office since March, 1899. He is president of the school board 
 and the cause of education finds in him a warm friend. At the time of the in- 
 stallation of the waterworks system in Walcott he was one of the principal 
 movers and has cooperated in many other measures which have been of per- 
 manent and substantial benefit to the community. He has become well and 
 favorably known in this county as a man of sterling character and worth, for 
 in business he has made an unassailable reputation and in private life has 
 gained that warm personal regard which arises from the possession of those 
 traits which in every land and clime command confidence and admiration. 
 
 ALFONS LUDWIG HAGEBOECK. 
 
 Alfons Ludwig Hageboeck, dependent upon his own resources for his edu- 
 cational opportunities in advance of those offered by the public schools, has 
 throughout his entire life had been actuated by a laudable ambition that has brought 
 him not only success in a material way but also that broader culture which en- 
 riches life. Davenport has benefited not only by his intense and well directed 
 activities in commercial, industrial and professional circles, but also by his ad- 
 vocacy and support of the movements which promote intellectual and aesthetic 
 culture, bringing into life the highest of art and literature. A native son of 
 Davenport, Dr. Hageboeck was born on the 14th of March, 1867, and while 
 spending his boyhood days in the home of his parents, Gustav and Anna Hage- 
 boeck, he enjoyed the educational advantages offered by the pubUc schools but, 
 unsatisfied with that, his laudable ambition in educational lines prompted him 
 to work his way through the State University by teaching. He won his pro- 
 fessional degree from that institution in 1889 but still ambitious for further 
 training that would promote his efiiciency in his efforts to alleviate human suf- 
 fering and check the ravages of disease, he went abroad and spent two years in 
 post-graduate work in Berlin, Vienna and Paris, at the same time acting as 
 correspondent for the Philadelphia Medical News and doing other journalistic 
 work. 
 
 Upon his return to Davenport in 1891 he entered upon the practice of his 
 profession, making a specialty, however, of surgery. During the years of his 
 active practice he made six trips to Europe in the interests of his profession, 
 gaining broad knowledge in visiting the leading clinics of the old world and in 
 receiving instruction under some of the most eminent physicians and surgeons 
 of London, Munich, Paris and Vienna. He has always kept in touch with the 
 old-world masters of surgery and was recognized as one of the most skillful 
 surgeons not only of Davenport but of Iowa and the entire middle west. His 
 success along professional lines is the result of the penetration of his mind 
 and the skill of his hands. He is cool, logical, unflinching and determined, but 
 
hem;y e. R(.ix(:iE 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 965 
 
 his dominant trait is his resourcefulness. He is a tireless worker and his devo- 
 tion to his profession, combined with his zeal and ambition, led to his constant 
 study of everything bearing upon this branch of scientific knowledge. He sup- 
 plied his office with the latest equipment known to medical and surgical science 
 and a contemporary biographer said of him : "His years of experience have not 
 only added to his wisdom and his skill but have deepened his sympathies until 
 his work of relieving suffering seems a religion rather than a business. Like 
 all of the best men of his profession, he gives constantly of his efforts without 
 expectation of compensation. He has the practical humanitarianism of the 
 physician who loves his work and self-sacrifice has become an unconscious part 
 of his life." Dr. Hageboeck continued in active practice until 1907, when his 
 own impaired health forced him to put aside the arduous duties of the profession. 
 Since then he has spent over two years abroad but has recently returned to his 
 native country and resumed active connection with various business interests, 
 for while widely known as a physician and surgeon, he is also a successful 
 business man whose labors have constituted an important element in the com- 
 mercial and industrial development of the city. 
 
 Dr. Hageboeck has fostered various industrial enterprises becoming one of 
 the leading manufacturers of the three cities. He was one of the founders and 
 the first secretary and treasurer of the Davenport Locomotive Works, one of 
 the most rapidly growing industries of the city, and at the present writing he is 
 vice president and in charge of the commercial management of the business. He 
 was also president of the Newcomb Loom Company, the product of which is 
 widely known; president of the Whitehead Company; and at present is presi- 
 dent of the American Pneumatic Action Company; vice president of Andrews 
 Chemical Company; and a director in various other enterprises. His real-estate 
 interests in the city are large and include a number of residences, the Hageboeck 
 flats and the Hageboeck business block, and from his realty holdings he derives 
 a substantial annual income. 
 
 On the 23d of October, 1892, Dr. Hageboeck was married to Miss Ida 
 Pauline Haller, a daughter of Louis and Margaret (LadehoflE) Haller. Their 
 two children are Alfons Edward and William Peter. Dr. Hageboeck is con- 
 nected with various fraternal and social organizations, while in more strictly 
 medical lines he is connected with all the medical societies, has been president of 
 the Scott County Medical Society and at one time was chairman of the State 
 Medical Society. He belongs to the Contemporary, Golf, Automobile and Out- 
 ing Qubs, was one of the promoters of the Commercial Qub and is affiliated with 
 the Masons and the Elks. He is fond of golf and other manly outdoor sports 
 and takes great deUght in motoring. His business and private interests, how- 
 ever, have never excluded his active participation in affairs relative to the 
 welfare of the city. He has served as a trustee of the Carnegie library and of 
 the Techentin Free Bed in St. Luke's Hospital and has been and is a patron 
 of various charitable and public interests of the city. He has the fine perception 
 and sound judgment of a man of large affairs and his record is a matter of 
 pride to Davenport, while his labors have been of the utmost value to the city. 
 To his personal friends his chief charm lies in the breadth of his interests and in 
 spite of his busy life he is a man of broad culture. A sincere lover of books. 
 
966 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 fluent in German and French, his Hbrary indicates the keenest discrimination in 
 selection. He has for years taken great dehght in the study of continental liter- 
 ature and he is also a patron of art whose knowledge thereof ranks him as a con- 
 noisseur. In his travels abroad he has come into contact with the best that 
 the world has produced in the plastic as well as the painter's art and a reten- 
 tive memory makes him rich in the possession of those things which, once seen, 
 can never be taken from us. In all of his life he has never been willing to 
 choose the second best but has sought that advancement which brings us to the 
 highest and, never self-centered, his life closely touches the general interests of 
 society and its influence has ever been along the lines of progress and improve- 
 ment. 
 
 GENERAL ADDISON H. SANDERS. 
 
 Addison H. Sanders was born on the 13th of September, 1823, in Cincin- 
 nati, Ohio. His education was begun in a printing office of his native city and 
 completed at Cincinnati College. In 1845 and again in 1846 he came to Daven- 
 port where his brother, Alfred, was struggling to put his Gazette on a paying 
 basis. During each of these visits he stayed several months taking editorial 
 charge of the paper and thus relieving his overworked brother so that he might 
 bring the business department into better condition. When the city had grown 
 large enough to demand a daily paper, Addison H. Sanders removed to Daven- 
 port, in October, 1856, took editorial charge of the Daily Davenport Gazette and 
 continued in that position until he entered the Union army. At the beginning of 
 the Civil war no newspaper in Iowa had wider infl.uence than the Daily Gazette 
 of Davenport. 
 
 Early in 1861 Addison H. Sanders was commissioned aid to Governor Kirk' 
 wood, serving with Judge Baldwin of Council Bluffs and later in the year he was 
 placed in command of Camp McClellan, at Davenport, where the Union volun- 
 teers were mustering for the organization of regiments and for drill. The Six- 
 teenth Regiment was organized early in the winter of 1862 and Governor Kirk- 
 wood was so impressed with the excellent work and superior qualifications of 
 Addison H. Sanders that he offered him the position of colonel of the new regi- 
 ment. But having observed the disadvantage of placing inexperienced officers 
 at the head of new regiments, he declined the command, urging the selection of 
 a regular army officer for the place. The governor and General Baker realized 
 the wisdom of such a selection and Captain Alexander Chambers of the Eighteenth 
 United States Infantry was appointed colonel and Mr. Sanders was commis- 
 sioned lieutenant colonel. The regiment received its "baptism of fire" at the 
 desperate and bloody battle of Shiloh and at Corinth Lieutenant Colonel San- 
 ders was wounded very severely. He did gallant service during the war, often 
 in command of the regiment. At the battle of Atlanta, July 22, 1864, Colond 
 Sanders was taken prisoner, suffering everything but death in the Confederate 
 prison, and when exchanged was so low with starvation and fever that for a 
 long time his recovery was doubtful. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 967 
 
 On the 2d of April, 1865, General Sanders was discharged from the service 
 for disability, having been brevetted brigadier general for gallant conduct on 
 many battlefields. Upon his return home he was appointed postmaster of Dav- 
 enport. In 1870 he was appointed by President Grant secretary of Montana 
 territory and became acting governor. In 1872 he was appointed registrar of the 
 United States land office for Montana. He returned to his old home at Davenport, 
 where for many years he was engaged in editorial work on several of the 
 daily papers. As a writer General Sanders for a third of a century ranked 
 among the ablest in the state. He is now enjoying the reminiscent twilight of 
 a long and active life in his latest home in sunny Georgia. 
 
 SEVERIN SCHINDLER. 
 
 Severin Schindler, deceased, who for many years was identified with min- 
 ing and agricultural interests in Scott county, was born in Baden, Germany, on 
 the 2d of September, 1835. There he was reared and educated and in 1854 
 came to America, thinking in this country to find better opportunities for busi- 
 ness advancement than were offered in the old world. He located first in Penn- 
 sylvania, where he was engaged in farming and coal mining for about twenty- 
 two months, and then removed to Pomeroy, Ohio, where he worked in the roll- 
 ing mills, stone quarries and salt mines until the spring of 1858. He then went 
 to St. Paul, Minnesota, and soon after settled in Minersville, Illinois, where 
 he was employed in the mines for some time. Subsequently he came to Scott 
 county, locating in Buffalo, where he mined for Captain W. L. Clark, a Mr. 
 Langley and Captain LeRoy Dodge. Later he opened up a mine of his own, 
 which he operated for two years, and then, in 1870, settled upon a farm in Buf- 
 falo township, where he continued to make his home until the time of his death. 
 The property consisted of ninety acres of land, upon which he carried on gen- 
 eral agricultural pursuits, and in this line of activity he was very successful, as 
 he had ever been* in his various other business enterprises, industry, energy and 
 perseverance being his salient characteristics. 
 
 On the 1st of March, 1859, Mr. Schindler was united in marriage to Miss 
 Emma Weaver, a native of Hessen, Germany, and a daughter of Otto and Ka- 
 trina Weaver, also born in the fatherland. Unto this union were born three 
 children, two daughters and one son, namely: Rosa, the wife of Charles Brus, 
 of Blue Grass township; and Anna and John, still under the parental roof. 
 Mr. Schindler was called to his final rest on the 8th of June, 1903, and his death 
 was the occasion of deep regret not only in the home where he had been a 
 loving father and husband, but also in the community where he had gained many 
 friends who held him in the highest respect and esteem because of his many ex- 
 cellent traits of character. 
 
 John Schindler, the son, who was born on the 29th of December, 1871, at- 
 tended the country schools near his father's home in the acquirement of an 
 education, and has always remained upon the home farm, wisely choosing as 
 his life work the occupation to which he had been reared. He has had entire 
 
968 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 charge of the homestead since the death of his father and has never married, 
 devoting his time to the care of his widowed mother and one sister who still 
 resides at home. The family are all members of the Catholic church and oc- 
 cupy a high place in the social circles of the community, while in politics John 
 Schindler is a stalwart republican. The honors and emoluments of ofifice, how- 
 ever, have had no attraction for him, as he prefers to concentrate his energies 
 upon the conduct of his business affairs, which, capably managed, are proving 
 a source of substantial profit. He is a young man who, having passed his entire 
 life within the borders of Buffalo township, has gained a circle of friends which 
 is almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances and is numbered among 
 the progressive and enterprising agriculturists of the locality. 
 
 GEORGE W. BAWDEN. 
 
 The history of the Davenport bar contains no more illustrious name than that 
 of George W. Bawden, whose professional integrity and honor were unquestioned, 
 while his skill and power in the conduct of litigated interests are evidenced by 
 the court records, which chronicle many cases that he won through his elocu- 
 tion, logic and correct application of the law. He was born in Norristown, 
 Pennsylvania, in 1859, and when but two years of age was brought to Daven- 
 port by his parents. Theodore Roosevelt has said that "the best type of Ameri- 
 can citizens are those of eastern birth and western training," and such was the 
 life of Mr. Bawden, who in the environment of a growing western city spent 
 his youthful days, acquiring his education in its public schools, his studies being 
 continued until he completed the high school course. He determined upon the 
 practice of law as his life work and to this end entered the Iowa State University, 
 in which he completed the law course and was graduated. Following his ad- 
 mission to the bar he returned to Davenport and entered the office of C. A. 
 Ficke, with whom he remained for a short time, in 1880. He had but just at- 
 tained his majority when he entered upon the practice of law and, with the 
 energy and determination of young manhood, he sought to prove his strength 
 in the legal field in competition with lawyers of broad experience and twice his 
 years. He went to Muscatine and took advantage of a legal opening, and con- 
 tinued as a representative of the bar in that city until October, 1895, when he 
 returned to Davenport and entered upon practice here in connection with the 
 late Julius Lischer, under the firm name of Lischer & Bawden. In 1901 the 
 admission of a third partner led to the adoption of the firm name of Lischer, 
 Bawden & Neal, which was retained until the death of the senior partner in 1902, 
 after which the firm of Bawden & Thueman was organized. Mr. Bawden be- 
 came recognized as a conscientious and able lawyer, devoting himself to the 
 interests of his clients yet never forgetting for a moment that there were certain 
 things which he owed to his own self-respect and to the righteous administration 
 of the law. 
 
 He rendered capable service to his city through two terms' connection with 
 the council as representative from the fifth ward. He declined to serve longer. 
 
GEO] ;(;!•: W. r.AWKKN 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 971 
 
 although his constituents wished to retain him in office, and he also declined to 
 accept the candidacy for mayor. For one year he was a citizen member of the 
 board of health. His political support was always given to the republican party, 
 of which he was one of the local leaders, his opinions carrying weight in its 
 councils. He eagerly embraced every opportunity to aid in the city's develop- 
 men and progress and he gave not only valuable legal counsel but also the en- 
 thusiasm of a patriotic man toward securing the building of the Iowa Ill- 
 inois Interurban line from Davenport to Clinton. As counsel for the Iowa & 
 Illinois Railroad he piloted that company through the legal entanglements that 
 beset the securing of a franchise and again and again appeared before the city 
 council to argue contested points. 
 
 Mr. Bawden was married in 1885 to Miss Jennie Eldridge, a daughter of 
 J. M. Eldridge, one of the best known and most honored residents of Daven- 
 port to the time of his death. Mr. and Mrs. Bawden had three sons : Albert R., 
 George Ray and Harry. The death of Mr. Bawden occurred on the 23d of 
 March, 1905. He was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian church, be- 
 longed to the Davenport Turner Society and was one of the most esteemed 
 members of the Scott County Bar Association. His ability and integrity as a 
 lawyer were recognized by all, his honesty being one of his strongest characteris- 
 tics. He would never urge a client into a suit for the sake of the fees, but on 
 the contrary hesitated in taking any case unless he was assured of the justice of 
 the case — a course from which there are too many professional lapses. No rep- 
 resentative of the bench and bar has been more honored by the legal fraternity 
 of Davenport, not only because of his professional honor and ability but also on 
 account of his personal worth in all life's relations. 
 
 C. B. SNYDER. 
 
 The great development which has marked the passage of years in this county 
 and state has been witnessed and participated in by C. B. Snyder, who came 
 with his parents to Aliens Grove township twenty-six days before Iowa was 
 admitted to statehood. On the last day of November, 1846, after dark, the 
 family crossed the Mississippi river, on the old horse ferry that was then in 
 use, and located one mile east of where the town of Dixon now stands. There 
 was little at that time, however, to indicate the future growth of this section 
 of the state, but the father believed that he was not making a mistake in locating 
 here. Years have proved the correctness of his choice, both in the case of his 
 own achievements and those of his son, C. B. Snyder. 
 
 The latter was born in Huron county, Ohio, near Chicago Junction, May 
 18, 1838, a son of Simon and Susannah (Jacobs) Snyder. The parents were both 
 natives of Pennsylvania, the father of Mount Bethel, and the mother of Phila- 
 delphia. They were married in Tompkins county, New York, however, for 
 there Mr. Snyder, who was following the tanners' trade at that time, had built 
 a tannery. Later they removed to Huron county, Ohio, and thence to Scott 
 county, Iowa, where the remaining years of their lives were spent. Here Mr. 
 
972 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Snyder followed farming with, such profit that before he divided his property 
 among his children he was possessed of several hundred acres. Seven children 
 had been granted to him and his wife. Ephraim is deceased. Roswell B. and 
 Richard J. were drowned in the Wapsie river in 1848. Rudolph S. enlisted, 
 'August, 1861, in Company C, Second Iowa Cavalry, serving until the close of 
 the Civil war. He is now a resident of Dixon. C. B. is the subject of this sketch. 
 Daniel enlisted in the Second Iowa Cavalry and served during three years of the 
 Civil war. He is now living in Grand Mound, Clinton county, Iowa. John is 
 a resident of Aliens Grove township. He was strong in supporting the principles 
 of the republican party in the early days and was a Methodist in religious be- 
 Hef. 
 
 C. B. Snyder was about eight years of age when his parents came to Scott 
 county, where he has since resided, living upon the homestead in Aliens Grove 
 township until he reached the age of twenty-five, when he engaged in agriculture 
 for himself. He then bought the three hundred and thirty acres in Liberty 
 township adjoining the corporate limits of the town of Dixon, which has since 
 been his home. Now it is highly cultivated but the improvements and even 
 the cultivation of the greater part of it are the result of Mr. Snyder's own ef- 
 forts, for much of the land he had had to be broken when it came into his pos- 
 session. Many large and handsome buildings adorn the ground, including a 
 commodious dwelling house and ample accommodation for the shelter of his 
 stock, to which he has given much of his attention. Indeed, Mr. Snyder chal- 
 lenges any man in the state to exhibit a finer herd of cattle than the ninety head 
 which are his at present. They are full blooded polled Angus stock, started 
 from imported animals, and as he has been making a specialty of breeding this 
 strain for the past twenty years, he has as excellent cattle of that kind as may 
 be procured. Until the past year, Mr. Snyder also made a specialty of raising 
 sheep, but he has now forsaken that industry. He has made a fine reputation 
 for himself as a stockman and farmer and has won a large and substantial rev- 
 enue in compensation for his labors. 
 
 While of necessity so much of his time has been given to his private con- 
 cerns, Mr. Snyder has not failed to devote many years to the service of his fel- 
 low citizens, by whom he has been several times honored with evidences of their 
 confidence in him and his ability. During the administration of Abraham Lin- 
 coln he was postmaster of Dixon. He also served as township trustee for two 
 terms, acted as justice of the peace for a number of years, was a member of the 
 township school board and its president for a long period and was also a mem- 
 ber of the board of education of Dixon. Under Governor Stone he held a com- 
 mission as second lieutenant, which has never been recalled, and for a short time 
 he also held a commission under Adjutant General Baker. 
 
 On the 1st of February, 1863, Mr. Snyder was united in marriage to Miss 
 Harriett Irene Haile, who was born in Liberty township, this county, February 
 10, 1843, three years before Iowa became a state. Her parents were James and 
 Elizabeth (Heller) Haile, who were natives of Brookline, Massachusetts, and 
 Ohio respectively. In 1835 they came to Iowa, where they were married and 
 passed the remainder of their lives. For a number of years Mr. Haile ran the 
 old Wilson ferry at Davenport, when it was operated by horse power. Three 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 973 
 
 children were born to him and his wife, namely: Mrs. Snyder; Charles of Os- 
 kaloosa, Iowa ; and Cornelius, who died young. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have had thirteen children: Charles D. a resident 
 of Parma, Idaho ; James Smith, who went to Alaska during the excitement at- 
 tendant upon the discovery of gold there and has not been heard from since; 
 John F., of Alfalfa, Washington ; Ella, the wife of S. M. Skelton, of Caldwell, 
 Idaho; Elizabeth, the wife of E. T. Fox, of Parma, Idaho; Mary, the wife of 
 M. E. Bowling, of Davenport; Henry, of Dixon; Lee H., an engineer upon the 
 Rock Island Railroad, who makes his home in Rock Island, lUinois; Rudolph, 
 the United States inspector of stock at Lemoore, California ; Edith and Edna, 
 twins, the former the wife of J. H. Smith, of Washta, Iowa, the latter at home ; 
 Raymond, who lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he is in the employ of the 
 Great Northern Railroad; Maude H., a bookkeeper in Davenport; and Nancy, 
 who was an orphan reared by Mr. and Mrs. Snyder and is now the wife of 
 B. U. Shaw, of Big Hole Valley, Montana. 
 
 Mr. Snyder has always been a republican and is a member of the Christian 
 church of Dixon, in which he is a trustee and elder. Among his other com- 
 mercial interests he is connected with the M. V. Boies Company, of Davenport, 
 the first undertaking firm established in the city, which for more than thirty years 
 has been conducted under the same name. Mr. Snyder is now its president, 
 proving himself as able a man of business as a successful farmer. The long 
 years of his life have been attended with prosperity and he enjoys the unbounded 
 respect and esteem of his associates and friends. 
 
 LOUIS BROCKMANN. 
 
 Louis Brockmann has retired from active farming and now in his declining 
 years is able to look back over a well spent life. His present residence is in El- 
 dridge. His birthplace was Mecklenburg, Germany, his natal day being April 
 13, 1839, and his parents Frederick and Doris Brockmann. The father was in 
 the Napoleonic wars, his service including the year 1813. He was one of the 
 town officials and a prominent member and officer in the Lutheran church. He 
 did not leave his native land and departed this life in 1858. 
 
 Mr. Brockmann secured his education in the schools of Germany and in 
 course of time married. In 1866, some years after the death of his father, he 
 came to America with his wife and mother. They landed upon the eastern coast 
 and then after some consideration came to Davenport, Iowa. Mr. Brockmann 
 looked about him for some means of livelihood and secured work as a farm laborer. 
 As soon as opportunity presented he rented land in Butler township and pros- 
 pered steadily, in 1880 finding himself in a position to buy a farm of one hun- 
 dred and twenty acres near Long Grove. It was while living upon this property 
 that his mother died. In 1895 Mr. Brockmann and his family removed to a 
 farm in another part of Scott county. He added to his property by purchasing 
 eighty acres in Princeton township but subsequently sold all his farming land 
 
974 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 and bought property in Eldridge, to which he removed upon his retirement in 
 1901. 
 
 Previous to his coming to the United States, Mr. Brockmann married Miss 
 Eliza H'agen, November i, 1865. Three children were born to this union: Hugo, 
 of Princeton township, who married Emma Koch and has three children, Ma- 
 mie, Hilda and Viola ; Carl, a resident of Hickory Grove township, who married 
 Laura Meyer and has three children, Lona, Mildred and Arnold ; and Meta, who 
 is now Mrs. Herman Holtz and has a daughter, Wilma. 
 
 Mr. Brockmann's success has come entirely through his own efforts and it 
 has been considerable in view of the fact that he came to America with no 
 capital. Nothing is more intimately associated with the prosperity of a nation 
 than its agricultural interests and as a progressive and representative agriculturist 
 he has added to the sum total of American well being. 
 
 JULIUS C. VOGT. 
 
 Julius C. Vogt is now living retired in the village of Mount Joy, but he was 
 for a number of years actively identified with the agricultural interests of Sheridan 
 township, where he owns one hundred and seventy acres of land. A native of Scott 
 county, he has passed his entire life in this section of Iowa, and as he looks at 
 the success which has attended his labors on the farm, he has no reason to regret 
 that he remained in a locaHty whose soil is so fertile. 
 
 He was born in Sheridan township. May 2, 1862, and is a son of Christian and 
 Cathrina Vogt, both natives of Holstein, Germany. The father was born May 
 22, 1822, and the mother March 5, 1823. In the land of his birth Christian Vogt 
 received a fair common-school education and gained some experience as a farmer. 
 When about twenty-fiVe years of age he married and shortly afterward, accom- 
 panied by his wife, embarked upon the ocean voyage to America, reaching New 
 York, July 4, 1847. He came immediately to Scott county, and as he had a little 
 money he bought three hundred and forty acres of prairie land in Sheridan town- 
 ship, for which he paid one dollar and a quarter an acre. He broke the soil, 
 built a house, made other improvements and engaged in general farming with such 
 success that about 1870 he was able to add one hundred and forty-six acres to 
 the original purchase. He had experienced many of the hardships of pioneer 
 life but had derived from his diligent cultivation of his fields a large income and 
 consequaitly in 1885 felt he was justified in removing to Davenport to spend 
 the rest of his life in retirement. There his death occurred March 31, 1905. 
 When admitted to citizenship, he espoused the cause of the republican party and 
 ever gave stanch allegiance to it. He was not an office seeker, however, although 
 as road supervisor and in other capacities he rendered the community efficient 
 service, his record ever being one which commanded universal respect. His wife 
 had died about two years before him, her death having occurred April 11, 1903. 
 They were the parents of seven children, namely: William, of Grinnell, Iowa; 
 Louisa, the deceased wife of Hugo Stange; Adolph, who has also passed away; 
 
Mli. AND MRS. JULITS (' VOCT 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 975 
 
 Emily, the wife of J. B. Frahm, of Davenport; Henry, deceased; Alvena, who 
 resides in Davenport; and Julius C, the subject of this sketch. 
 
 Julius C. Vogt has spent his entire life in Sheridan township and has been 
 identified with its agricultural pursuits from the time he was able to assist in 
 plowing, cultivating or harvesting. When of suitable age he became a pupil in 
 the district school near his home, therein deriving that fundamental training 
 that fitted him for later responsibilities. After he put aside his text-books he 
 operated the home farm in conjunction with his father until 1885, when he mar- 
 ried and assumed the full burden of its care, for Mr. Vogt, Sr., retired then and 
 removed to Davenport. For almost a quarter of a century after that date Julius 
 Vogt devoted all his time and thought to cultivating the one hundred and seventy 
 acres which are his and with each year saw a substantial increase in the value of 
 the harvests he reaped, for he spared no labor and made a thorough study of the 
 soil so that he obtained the best results possible. At the same time he managed 
 his affairs with sound business judgment that conserved his resources and made 
 possible his retirement to Mount Joy, in November, 1909. Although so sig- 
 nally successful as a farmer, he was not blind to advantages to be gained through 
 connection with the financial world and accordingly secured stock in the Farm- 
 ers & Mechanics Bank, of Davenport. 
 
 On the 26th of March, 1885, Mr. Vogt was married to Miss Amelia Kuehl, 
 like her husband a native of Sheridan township and a daughter of Claus and 
 Elizabeth (Thomson) Kuehl. Her father was born December 3, 1830, and died 
 May s, 1.892, while her mother was born October 5, 1837, and died March 24, 
 igoS. They came to Scott county in the early years of its settlement, and both 
 are now deceased. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Vogt have been born five children, as 
 follows: Christ, who is at home; Emil, who married Miss Blanch Muhs and 
 lives on the old homestead ; Henry and Carl, who are twins and live at home ; 
 and Hilda, also at home. 
 
 Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise, Mr. Vogt has stanchly 
 supported the democratic party, on whose ticket he was elected to the office of 
 township trustee. For nine years he discharged the duties devolving upon him 
 while serving in that capacity. At present he is residing in Mount Joy, in a 
 pleasant home he built in 1909, where a generous hospitality is extended by both 
 Mr. and Mrs. Vogt to their large circle of friends. He belongs to the Turner 
 Society in Eldridge. 
 
 JOHN B. MICLOT. 
 
 John B. Miclot, assistant street commissioner, is as his name indicates, of 
 French origin, although a native of Davenport, where he was born August 12, 
 1863. His parents were Joseph M. and Julie (Nathan) Miclot, the father's 
 birthplace being in France, where he enjoyed the advantages of a good educa- 
 tion and a thorough musical training. Upon coming to the land of the stars and 
 stripes and settling in Davenport he secured employment upon what is now a 
 part of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. Later he engaged in the 
 
976 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 grocery business on Brady street and proved sufficiently successful to continue 
 in it for eighteen years. He enjoyed a short retirement from business prior to 
 his death, which occurred November i8, 1901. The mother of our subject was 
 born on Brady street where Trinity church now stands. Her father, Bryan Na- 
 than, was one of Davenport's oldest settlers, arriving here in 1838 when the 
 town was in a decidedly primitive condition. Mr. Miclot, Sr., was survived by 
 his wife less than a year, her death occurrring May 18, 1902. 
 
 John B. Miclot was educated in St. Anthony's school and crossed the thres- 
 hold of his business career as a printer. Later he took up the trade of molder, 
 continuing in it for several years, and finally accepting a position with the Bet- 
 tendorf Manufacturing Company. Here for six years he climbed steadily up- 
 ward and was successively foreman, assistant and superintendent. He then en- 
 tered the employ of the Bettendorf Axle Company, where he gave his services 
 for nine years. He severed this association to make an entire change of busi- 
 ness and commenced dealing in real estate and insurance, in which his fair methods 
 and keenness of perception have enabled him to acquire a fine clientage. 
 
 On October 11, 1893, Mr. Miclot was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie 
 Gallagher, of Long Grove, Iowa, a daughter of James and Bridget (McDonald) 
 Gallagher, the father a prominent farmer. They reside at 329 East Thirteenth 
 street, which property they own. 
 
 Mr. Miclot is a man of force and one who stands high in the esteem of his 
 fellowmen. He has numerous social affiliations. Of the Catholic faith, he holds 
 membership with the Knights of Columbus and the Sacred Heart Society and 
 is also identified with the Modern Woodmen, the Eagles and the Red Men. 
 
 H. J. FLICK. 
 
 One of the well known citizens of Dixon is H. J. Flick, who for more than a 
 quarter of a century has been the agent of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul 
 Railroad at this point. On his arrival in Scott county there was little to indicate 
 the presence of a village at the place where Dixon is now located nor that it 
 would become so prosperous a community. Not only has Mr. Flick witnessed 
 its growth and development but has the satisfaction of knowing that his ef- 
 forts have contributed no small share toward producing this state of affairs. 
 
 He was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, January 26, 1838, a son of 
 George and Eliza (Shult^) Flick, both natives of the same county. The father 
 was of Hungarian parentage, while the maternal grandparents were of Pennsyl- 
 vanian nativity. In 1853 George Flick moved his family to Columbiana county, 
 Ohio, where he engaged in farming and stock raising. A well deserved success 
 attended his efforts and the last years of his life were spent in Ohio in the en- 
 joyment of a substantial income. Eight children were born to him and his wife: 
 Mary, now the widow of John Brough, of Cleveland; Sarah, who became the 
 wife of Lewis Bleum, both now deceased; H. J., the subject of this sketch; 
 Chauncey William, who died in Columbiana county, Ohio, and served valiantly 
 in the Civil war as a member of the One Hundred and Fourth Ohio Volunteer 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 977 
 
 Infantry ; Norman, who served for almost four years in the heavy artillery and 
 died in Salem, Ohio ; Ellen Minerva, the wife of Daniel. Richey, who resides near 
 Salem, Ohio; Wilson, who died at the age of four years; and Catherine, who 
 died in infancy. 
 
 H. J. Flick removed with his parents to Salem, Columbiana county, Ohio, 
 in 1853, and there was employed in the mail service for two years. Later he 
 engaged in farm work under the direction of his parents and then became in- 
 terested in the oil wells in Beaver county, Pennsylvania. He remained there, 
 however, but one year, coming April 19, 1867, to Davenport and the following 
 day to Dixon, where he joined a brother-in-law, Thomas Graham. After work- 
 ing upon his farm for several years he became the agent for the railroad which 
 was then known as the Davenport & St. Paul but which has now been incorporated 
 into the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul systems. It was upon the 26th of 
 January, 1872, that he assumed his duties, which he has discharged with such 
 satisfaction that, though he desired to resign his position, the railroad would not 
 permit it. Accordingly, as his own health necessitated his relinquishing the 
 heavier duties, he engaged another to perform the work which was entrusted to 
 him. In the years that he has been agent he has also done considerable work upon 
 the construction of the railroad, in more than one way contributing to the ad- 
 vancement of Dixon. He has always been particularly interested in the welfare 
 of this community and when it was incorporated into a village in the spring of 
 1909 he became one of the aldermen. 
 
 In 1861 Mr. Flick was united in marriage to Miss Anna Jackson, who was 
 born in Columbiana county, Ohio, June 28, 1829. Her parents were John and 
 Roxanna Jackson, natives of England and Northumberland county, Pennsyl- 
 vania, respectively. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Flick: 
 Carrie A., the wife of Marion Fitzgibbon, of Mount Vernon, New York ; Joseph 
 H., who is Hving in Chicago and is a railroad constructor; and Charles E., who 
 is engaged in the same business in Illinois. The sons were started in life with 
 one dollar in their pockets but they have proved successful business men and 
 are now well advanced along the road to success, having followed in their father's 
 footsteps both as to occupation and as to the means for getting ahead. These in 
 the case of the older man have proved most efficacious for he has so ordered 
 his life that his employers, who have had perhaps the best opportunity of dis- 
 covering his character, are determined to keep him upon their payroll. 
 
 ERNST ZOLLER. 
 
 Ernst Zoller, president of the Independent Brewing & Malting Company, of 
 Davenport was born in California, May 10, 1859, a son of Ernst and Amelia 
 (Guisler) Zoller. The father was born in Germany, and came to Davenport in 
 1848, but after a short stay, became infected with the gold fever of 1849, and 
 went to California, which remained his home until 1859. Having attained suc- 
 cess in his mining ventures, he returned to Davenport, where he embarked in a 
 
978 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 brewing enterprise at Black Hawk, in a small way, thus continuing until his 
 death in 1874. His widow survived him until 1906. 
 
 Ernst Zoller, Jr., was educated in the public schools and about 1885 engaged 
 in the malt production business in conjunction with his brothers August and 
 Charles. In 1890 they resumed the operation of their father's brewery at 
 Black Hawk. In 1895, they felt justified in establishing themselves in Daven- 
 port, where they organized the Independent Brewing & Malting Company, with 
 Ernst Zoller as president and Herman Zoller as vice president. The business has 
 been remarkably profitable. Many additions and improvements have been made 
 to the plant and offices, which are fully equipped in the most modern manner. 
 Recently a new building has been added, three hundred and eighty by one hun- 
 dred and fifty feet. The business is extensive and covers a wide territory, Mr. 
 Zoller himself traveling considerably to look after the orders of their most im- 
 portant customers. Mr. Zoller is a director of the Union Savings Bank and in- 
 terested in other concerns here. 
 
 In 1880 Mr. Zoller was married to Amelia Green, and they have three chil- 
 dren: Fred, who is secretary and treasurer of the company; Etta; and Lillie. 
 Mrs. Zoller died in 1895, and later Mr. Zoller married her sister Lina. Mr. 
 Zoller belongs to the Knights of Pythias, and is popular in his lodge. He is a 
 good citizen, honorable in business methods, and possesses a number of warm, 
 personal friends. 
 
 WILLIAM POHLMANN, JR. 
 
 Although William Pohlmann, Jr., has been proprietor of the Iowa Steam Laun- 
 dry for only about a year he has, in this brief period, built up the trade until- his 
 is one of the important concerns of this character in Davenport. He comes of 
 German parentage, his birth having occurred in Davenport, December 30, 1871, 
 a son of William and Margaret (Ehlers) Pohlmann, the former born in Holstein, 
 Germany, and the latter near that place. The father was reared and educated in 
 his native land and there learned the tailor's trade. He came to America in the 
 hope that he might better earn a livelihood for himself and family in the new world 
 than he could in his own country. After spending some time in New York, he con- 
 tinued his journey westward and became a pioneer settler of Davenport. He is 
 still living at the advanced age of eighty-four years, and his wife also survives at 
 the age of seventy-six years. 
 
 William Pohlmann, Jr., was reared under the parental roof and acquired his 
 elementary education in the common schools, while later he fitted himself for 
 a business career by pursuing a course in a commercial college. His first business 
 undertaking was with the Citizens National Bank of Davenport and after a service 
 of many years this bank was consolidated with the German Savings Bank and 
 Mr. Pohlmann continued with the new enterprise, serving in all about twenty-two 
 years with the two concerns. He was one of the bank's most trusted employes 
 and no doubt could have remained indefinitely but at the end of that time, be- 
 coming imbued with a desire to engage in an independent venture he purchased 
 
WILLIAM POHLMANN, JR. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 981 
 
 the Iowa Steam Laundry and continued business at the old stand. The business 
 soon developed into a growing and profitable enterprise, so that it became neces- 
 sary to seek more spacious and commodious quarters and Mr. Pohlmann now oc- 
 cupies the upper floor of the building, both floors being utilized in the conduct of 
 the laundry. It is fitted with the best machines of modern type, while thirty em- 
 ployes are required for carrying on the work. The business has already increased 
 fifty per cent since it has been under the management of Mr. Pohlmann, which is 
 a strong indication of his capabilities and powers and if this increase has been 
 possible in one year's time, no doubt the years to come will bring added success. 
 
 Mr. Pohlmann was married on the 14th of May, 1902, to Miss Anna Price, who 
 is a representative of one of the oldest families of Davenport, being a daughter of 
 James and Mary Price, both of whom were born in this city. Her paternal grand- 
 parents settled there in 1841. The grandfather was a native of Wales, while his 
 wife, who bore the maiden name of Ann Dyke, was born in England. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Pohlmann have two interesting little sons : William, the third bearing that 
 name; and Richard. 
 
 Mr. Pohlmann is a Mason and also belongs to the Turner society and to the 
 Davenport Schuetzen Association. Always having the one aim in view — that of 
 becoming established in business for himself — he carefully saved his earnings until 
 the opportunity was presented that he might carry out his plans and although he 
 has been numbered among the independent business men of Davenport for only a 
 brief period he has already gained a prominent place in this rank. 
 
 J. T. GASSELING. 
 
 J. T. Gasseling, one of the prosperous farmers and stockmen of Hickory 
 Grove township, was born on the place where he now lives February 10, 1862, a 
 son of John Herman and Hannah Marie (Kemper) Gasseling. The former 
 was born in Holland, November 23, 1823, and when about thirty-one years of 
 age came to the United States. For about six months he worked in a lumber 
 yard in New York and then in the spring of 1855 came to Iowa, finding employ- 
 ment in a sawmill in Davenport. He remained at that occupation only two 
 months, however, when he hired out as a farm hand for one hundred and twenty 
 dollars a year and board. The next year he worked by the month, receiving 
 twenty dollars during the summer and thirteen dollars during the winter. In 
 this way he continued to live for some time, until he had saved enough to warrant 
 his engaging in farming for himself. Accordingly in partnership with Will 
 Goering he rented a tract of one hundred and twenty acres for one year, pay- 
 ing three dollars an acre for it, and at the expiration of that period leased it for 
 five years. In 1863 the partnership was dissolved and Mr. Gasseling bought 
 the farm, continuing its operation. The following year he bought eighty acres 
 more, so that he held a tract of two hundred acres in Hickory Grove township. 
 It remained his home until May 21, 1900, when he passed away. 
 
 In Davenport, in 1861, John Herman Gasseling wedded Miss Hannah Marie 
 Kemper, a native of Germany and unto them were bom nine children: J. T., 
 
982 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 the subject of this sketch; Johanna, the widow of Theodore Mollenbeck, of 
 Davenport; Maggie, the wife of John Mollenbeck, of Hickory Grove township; 
 Mary, the wife of WilHam Goering of Hickory Grove township; Elizabeth, the 
 wife of Harry Goering, of Davenport township; Barney, a resident of Hickory 
 Grove township; Adelaide, the wife of Antone Mollenbeck, of the same town- 
 ship; Herman, who died July 9, 1906; and Henry, who passed away at the 
 age of sixteen years. Mrs. Gasseling died June 21, 1908. 
 
 Having been reared in Hickory Grove township, J. T. Gasseling has passed 
 all of his life here and has devoted his energies to farming. Until he was twenty- 
 six years of age he worked for his parents and after he attained his majority 
 received a share of the result of his labor. In 1888 he married and began farm- 
 ing for himself. He continued to operate his father's place, a part of which he 
 now owns, although as the years brought him success he added to his heritage 
 until now he is in possession of two hundred and ten acres on section 32, Hickory 
 Grove township. In connection with his purely agricultural interests he con- 
 ducts a stock farm, making a specialty of shorthorn cattle, of which he has a 
 herd of about seventy head, and he also gives particular attention to the breeding 
 of Belgian, Percheron and Hackney horses, owning a registered stallion. He 
 has won a well deserved success and has the good will of his associates. 
 
 In 1888 Mr. Gasseling was married to Miss Jennie Goering, who was born 
 in Blue Grass township, this county, in September, 1861, a daughter of Henry 
 and Mary (Robinson) Goering. Four daughters have been born of this union: 
 Mary, Lillian, Blanche and Bernice. 
 
 Mr. Gasseling has always been a life-long democrat and has been active in 
 political and local affairs. For a number of years he has been a member of the 
 central committee, for the past twelve years he has been school director and 
 for ten years has been clerk of the township. He also fulfilled the duties of road 
 supervisor for a long period, served as justice of the peace for three years, and 
 is at present county supervisor, having been reelected after his first term of 
 three years to serve an equal period. In short he is a man of influence in Hickory 
 Grove township. Successful in his private concerns, he has also exhibited a 
 commendable amount of public spirit, and the citizens who have placed reliance 
 upon his integrity and ability have had no occasion to regret their choice. 
 
 J. C. TEUFEL, M. 1>. 
 
 Although Dr. J. C. Teufel, of Buffalo, is one of the younger representatives 
 of the medical fraternity, he has already built up a good patronage and is demon- 
 strating his ability in the line which he has chosen as his life work. Born in 
 Muscatine county, Iowa, October 21, 1880, he is a son of John and Otilda (Wiese) 
 Teufel, both of whom are natives of Germany, the former born in Tuttlingen, 
 Wurtemberg, December 27, 1849, ^-nd the latter in Arnsfeld, West Prussia, Sep- 
 tember 23, 1844. The father came as a young man to America, arriving in the 
 new world in April, 1868, and shortly afterward he located in Muscatine county 
 and engaged in the hotel business at Moscow. He was married December 17, 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 983 
 
 1870, to Mrs. Otilda (Wiese) Barewald, who had come here in 1865 when a 
 young girl. Mr. and Mrs. Teufel still reside in Muscatine county, the father 
 now living retired. 
 
 Dr. Teufel of this review has two brothers: WiUiam, of Blue Grass; and 
 Herman, of Durant. He also has two half brothers : C. L. Barewald, a prac- 
 ticing physician of Davenport ; and Albert Barewald, of Tipton, this state. The 
 only sister, Regina, is the wife of George Marolf, of Moscow, Iowa. 
 
 Dr. Teufel at the usual age entered the public schools of Muscatine county 
 and completed his course by graduation from the Wilton high school with the 
 class of 1900. In the meantime, after due consideration, he had decided upon 
 the practice of medicine as a Hfe work and to this end entered the Iowa State 
 University College of Medicine, graduating from that institution of learning with 
 the class of June, 1904. Immediately thereafter he went to Davenport, where 
 for one year he acted as assistant county physician, and in June, 1905, came to 
 Buffalo, where he has since been engaged in general practice. Of a studious na- 
 ture, he is not content to sit idle but during his leisure moments peruses his 
 books that he may learn more of the principles and methods of medical science. 
 He has already built up a good practice, which, if the present is any criterion to 
 go by, will increase materially as the years pass. He has served as both city and 
 township health officer. 
 
 Dr. Teufel was reared and baptized in the faith of the Lutheran church but 
 attends the Methodist church at the present time. He is a Mason, belonging to 
 Fraternal Lodge, No. 221, at Davenport, and he likewise belongs to Banner Lodge, 
 1^0. 16, K. P., at Buffalo. He is medical examiner of the latter organization as well 
 as of the Woodmen of the World at Buffalo, the Modern Woodmen of America, 
 Royal Neighbors, New York Mutual Life, Pennsylvania Mutual, Guaranty Mu- 
 tual of Davenport, and was elected supreme medical director of Industrial Work- 
 ers Benefit Association. In the line of his profession he holds membership with 
 the American Medical Association, the Iowa State Medical Society and the Scott 
 County Medical Society. 
 
 REV. N. J. PEIFFER. 
 
 Rev. N. J. Peiffer, priest in charge of St. Peter's church at Buffalo, is num- 
 bered among the younger members of the clergy in Scott county, his birth hav- 
 ing occurred on the 20th of June, 1881, at Keokuk, Iowa. As the name indi- 
 cates, he is of German descent, his parents being Nicholas and Anna R. Peiffer, 
 both natives of Prussia, where the former was born on the 2Sth of January, 
 1837, and the latter on the 26th of January of the same year. The father came 
 to America in 1851, locating in Iowa, where he later purchased a farm and was 
 engaged in agricultural pursuits for a number of years. It was in this state that 
 he was united in marriage on the 17th of December, 1859, and here his family 
 was reared. The subject of this review has eight brothers, all living, six of 
 whom follow the occupation of farming, while the other two are engaged in the 
 
984 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 hardware business at Harper, Iowa. He also has three sisters, one of whom, 
 Mary Theresa, makes her home with him. 
 
 Father Peiffer received his early education in St. Francis Seminary, near 
 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and later, having decided upon the ministry as his chosen 
 life work, completed his studies in St. Paul's Seminary at St. Paul, Minnesota. 
 He was graduated from that institution with the class of 1905 and was ordained 
 to the priesthood on the loth of June of the same year. Returning to his native 
 state, he held several temporary charges in Iowa, and then went to Davenport 
 as the assistant of Monseigneur Nierman, with whom he remained until 1908. 
 In July of that year he came to Bufifalo as pastor of St. Peter's church, being the 
 first resident priest appointed to take charge of that parish. This church had 
 been built by Monseigneur Nierman in the year 1878 and previous to the 
 arrival of Father Peiffer services had been held by visiting priests and fathers. 
 Although he has been at this place for only a short time, he has nevertheless 
 built up a very good congregation and under his supervision the work of the 
 church has been well organized in various departments. It was through his 
 efforts that the new and handsome parsonage was built, the structure being com- 
 pleted on the 1st of August, 1909, and he has been a source of stimulation along 
 other lines of endeavor as well. In connection with the church at Buffalo he 
 also has charge of the parish at Keota, Keokuk county, Iowa, holding services 
 there on the second and fourth Sunday of every month. He is a man of literary 
 taste and scholarly habits, and his studies and labors are continually promoting 
 his efficiency. He has become very popular in this community and is much be- 
 loved by his flock, who, although he is still young in years, come to him with 
 matters of temporal as well as spiritual guidance and find in him a helper and 
 friend. 
 
 JOHN STOLTENBERG. 
 
 John Stoltenberg, chief of the fire department of Davenport and a man of 
 unusual strength of character and purposeful methods, was born here, January 
 7, 1863, a son of Henry and Mary (Jehring) Stoltenberg, both natives of Ger- 
 many. The father came to Davenport in the 'sos, establishing himself in a 
 butchering business, in which he prospered. However, when his adopted country 
 had need of his services, he enlisted in the Second Iowa Volunteer Infantry and 
 served until honorably discharged. Returning home, he resumed his business 
 and continued to follow the butcher's trade until his death in 1889. 
 
 John Stoltenberg was educated in the public schools of the city, after which 
 he was engaged in various lines of business. At one time he worked on a 
 river steamer and again was in the employ of a railroad. On May 22, 1884, he 
 joined the Davenport fire department and rose successively on merit through the 
 various grades of promotion until he was made chief August 15, 1906, to the en- 
 tire satisfaction of the department and the people of the city generally. Since 
 he joined the department it has been revolutionized. He was one of the sixteen 
 men employed when he entered it, now he has forty-six men under him, and the 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 985 
 
 appliances of today bear but little resemblance to those with which he and his 
 companions were expected to fight fires in those early days. The present equip- 
 ment of men and appliances is so complete as to make the department the best 
 in this part of the state. 
 
 In March, 1890, Mr. Stoltenberg married Meta Ramm, who was born in 
 Davenport a daughter of John Ramm. They have two daughters: Mary and 
 Hattie Mr Stoltenberg belongs to the Woodmen of the World and the Frater- 
 nal Order of Eagles. He is a man who understands his work thoroughly, having 
 passed through all of the positions, and, being brave and resourceful, he is the 
 best man that could be found to head the department which conserves the safety 
 of the people of so large a city as Davenport. 
 
 GEORGE T. BAKER. 
 
 Prompted by laudable ambition at the outset of his career George T. Baker 
 has advanced steadily until he is now one of the most prominent men of Daven- 
 port and few men of this city are deserving of higher regard. He was born in 
 Iowa county, Iowa, July 9, 1857. His father, A. W. Baker, who was a native 
 of Connecticut, born in 1820, came to Davenport in 1853 and the following year 
 went to Iowa county. He was an architect and builder by profession, but as 
 his health had failed he bought a large tract of land and engaged extensively in 
 farming and stock raising. He was a successful man at the time of his death, 
 which occurred in Iowa county, 1869, when he was less than fifty years of age. 
 His wife, who was Miss Freelove M. Kenyon in her maidenhood, was also a 
 native of Connecticut and is still living at the advanced age of eighty-nine. 
 
 George T. Baker received his education at a private school and later attended 
 the Iowa State University, whence he entered Cornell University. There he 
 specialized in civil engineering and after completing a special course entered the 
 employ of the Rock Island Railroad, with whom he remained for five years. From 
 1885 to 1888 he was engaged by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Com- 
 pany to locate land and assist in the construction of the road from Kansas City to 
 Chicago. The following year he was chief engineer of the Soo & Southwestern. 
 Later he became chief engineer of high bridges at Muscatine, Clinton and 
 Winona until 1892, when with others he organized the Edwards & Walsh Con- 
 struction Company of Davenport, which has now passed out of existence. Since 
 1898 Mr. Baker has been vice president and general manager of the Tri City 
 Construction Company, which is one of the most important and prosperous of 
 the many similar firms engaged in business in this city, its success being in no 
 small measure due to Mr. Baker's ability, wide experience and business acumen. 
 He is also president of the West Davenport Improvement Company and vice 
 president of the Davenport Wagon Company, while he is interested in the 
 street car lines of Clinton, Iowa, in the lumber regions of the south and farm 
 lands of Oklahoma. 
 
 Although so many years have been devoted to interests akin to the profes- 
 sion of civil engineering Mr. Baker has not been loathe to engage in wider fields 
 
986 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 of activity, and with a large and commendable public spirit has identified him- 
 self closely with the public affairs of Davenport and Scott county. In recognition 
 of his ability and sterling character the people of Scott county elected him their 
 representative in the Iowa state legislature from 1895 to 1897 and at the ex- 
 piration of his term there he was chosen as mayor of Davenport. Two years of 
 his administration, those of 1898 to 1900, were marked by a government of a 
 character which may not soon be duplicated here or elsewhere. Many improve- 
 ments were inaugurated and malpractices abandoned. In 1900 he was the dele- 
 gate at large to the democratic convention at Kansas City, Missouri, and is now 
 a member of the state board of education. 
 
 When he was just embarking upon his career, which has been so singularly 
 successful in 1879, Mr. Baker was united in marriage to Miss Clare I. Poole, a 
 native of New York. Three daughters have been born to them : Ethel M., Georgia 
 E. and Sue A. The eldest is the wife of L. H. Brandt and Sue A. is now Mrs. 
 R. C. Williamson. Mr. Baker belongs to the college fraternity. Beta Theta 
 Pi, to several of the Masonic bodies and to the Elks. One of the most progres- 
 sive and public spirited of men by education and experience, he is fitted to do 
 big things and through the years of his life has proved that few opportunities 
 have escaped him which he did not make steppingstones to a larger future. As 
 Davenport has profited most widely from his abilities she regards him proudly 
 as one of her finest citizens. 
 
 JOHN AND AUGUST KRESS. 
 
 One of the spacious and well tilled farms of Bufifalo township is that which 
 is operated by the brothers, John and August Kress, both natives of Scott county. 
 The former was born December 25, 1867, the latter August 15, 1857. The 
 father, who was born in Hesse, Germany, in 1830, came to Buffalo in i860 and 
 there he began the mining of coal. For about two decades he continued in this 
 business, although in the meantime he had purchased farming property, later 
 giving his attention to its cultivation throughout the remainder of his active 
 life. He met with well merited success so that in 1904, when his death occurred, 
 he was possessed of two hundred and forty acres of some of the richest land 
 in Iowa. Mr. Kress had married Miss Theresa Weber, who was also a native 
 of Germany, her birth having occurred in 1837. Of the children born to them 
 three sons and two daughters still survive. Two are the subjects of this re- 
 view; one daughter, Amelia, makes her home with them, another, Margaret, 
 is the wife of William Kolway, of Buffalo township ; and the other son is Severin 
 Kress, a farmer of Buffalo township. 
 
 John and August Kress were pupils in the district schools of Scott county, in 
 which they obtained a training in the fundamental branches of English educa- 
 tion that prepared them for the practical responsibilities of life. They also worked 
 upon the home farm from early boyhood days, learning well the secrets of tilling 
 the soil, and the invaluable lessons of industry and frugality. When their father 
 decided to lay aside the more onerous of his cares, he consigned the operation of 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 987 
 
 the place to them, and upon his death it came into their possession. They have 
 cuhivated Its fields with a success that places them among the more prosperous 
 of the farmers of Bufifalo township, while the record of their days spent in hon- 
 est toil has gamed for them the respect of their neighbors and friends. 
 
 The home of the brothers is presided over by their sister, Amelia, who is 
 a good housekeeper and a gracious hostess. They are members of the Catholic 
 church, while since their young manhood they have given their support in po- 
 litical matters to the democratic party. The greater part of their lives having 
 been spent upon the farm on which they now live, they are well and favorably 
 known in this community. 
 
 J. A. SAIITH. 
 
 J. A. Smith is a market gardener, owning twenty-eight acres of land in Le 
 Claire township, which is devoted to the raising of vegetables, his specialty being 
 onions. He is a native of Blair county, Pennsylvania, born December 27, 1847, 
 of the marriage of George and Frances (Bosweir) Smith, in whose family were 
 two sons and a daughter, the younger brother of our subject being Sidney C, a 
 resident of Blair county, while the sister, Mary Jane, died in 1865. The father 
 worked in the woolen mills of the east and died in early life, leaving the children 
 to be reared by the mother, who survived until 1899. 
 
 J. A. Smith lived at home to the age of nineteen years and during this period 
 acquired his education in the district schools of Blair county. He also worked for 
 a time at farm labor in the east but, beHeving that the west offered better oppor- 
 tunities to the ambitious young man, in the spring of 1866 he journeyed to Scott 
 county and for two years worked by the month for different farmers of this sec- 
 tion. He then rented land, which he operated on his own account and in 1900 
 purchased the place where he now lives. This tract comprises twenty-eight acres 
 and is pleasantly located in Le Claire township on the banks of the Mississippi 
 river. He has made many improvements on the place in the way of substantial 
 outbuildings and a comfortable residence, and he gives his time to raising garden 
 products, making a specialty of onions. He disposes of his vegetables in the city 
 market, where he finds a ready sale. 
 
 Mr. Smith was married March 2, 1869, the lady of his choice being Miss Kath- 
 erine Ann Bealer, a daughter of Christopher and Susan (Akerman) Bealer, of 
 Scott county. Five children have been born of this union. Lettie is the wife of 
 J. L. Brown and the mother of three children : Paul R., Claud C. and Hazel D. 
 Frank H., a resident of Le Claire, wedded Miss Mary Morrie, by whom he has 
 four children : Mildred, Verna M., George and Erma. Calvin, the third member 
 of the family, wedded Miss Mary Graham and lives in Le Claire township. They 
 have five children : Bertha M., Ralph R., Earl A., Delma and Howard Taft. Bert 
 G. and Flossie M., the other members of the Smith family, are at home. 
 
 Mr. Smith endorses by his vote the principles and policy of the republican 
 party and has served as school director and road supervisor of Le Claire town- 
 ship. His fraternal relations connect him with the Court of Honor. Having 
 
988 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 come to Scott county during its early development, he has seen many change^ as 
 this district has assumed its present appearance of advanced civilization and 
 feels that he made no mistake in coming here in .early days to cast in his lot with 
 the settlers of Le Claire township. 
 
 HENRY T. HAHN. 
 
 Holstein, Germany, has surrendered numerous of her sons and daughters to 
 Scott county, Iowa, and among them were the parents of Henry T. Hahn, one of 
 Hickory Grove township's prominent agriculturists. They were Wulff and Mar- 
 garetha (Stoltenberg) Hahn, the father born in Wiesch, Holstein, January 14, 
 1813, and the mother in Vebargen in the same duchy, July 31, 1820. While yet 
 residents of the fatherland they were married and in 1847 they came to America, 
 arriving in New Orleans and making the rest of the journey by water. They had 
 one child at that time. The father took up farming and spent his active years in 
 this vocation. Beside the home place in Davenport township he also possessed 
 one hundred and sixty acres of land in Tama county, Iowa, together with some 
 property in the state of Washington and in Hickory Grove township, Scott county, 
 owning two hundred acres. He also owned milling stock in Davenport. After a 
 useful and prosperous career, he and his wife removed to the city, where they were 
 permitted to enjoy a well earned rest. After a devoted married life of many years 
 it was indeed fitting that they should be united in death, the mother passing away 
 August 3, 1894, and the father surviving only until the 14th of the same month. 
 
 They were the parents of the following eight children: Ida Kruse, deceased; 
 Katherine, the wife of Charles Kahler, of Davenport; Minnie, wife of T. F. 
 Blunck, of Davenport; Henry T., the subject of this sketch; Emma, the widow of 
 C. L. Suksdorf, of Davenport; Augusta, the wife of Paul Seberine, of Davenport; 
 Johannes, who died at the age of ten years ; and Julia, the wife of Georgfe Klindt, 
 of Davenport. The father enjoyed the respect of his associates and among the 
 trusts imposed upon him was that of township trustee. 
 
 The birth of Henry T. Hahn occurred July 17, 1853, while his parents were 
 residing on their farm in Davenport township, and there he resided up to 1882, 
 when he removed to Hickory Grove township, where he still makes his home. His 
 farm, a well improved property of two hundred and forty acres, is located on sec- 
 tion 36 and is devoted to general farming and stock raising. As additional prop- 
 erty interests Mr. Hahn owns a farm of two hundred and seventy-one acres in 
 Washington county, Iowa. 
 
 On April 5, 1881, Mr. Hahn was united in marriage to Miss Emma E. Lage, 
 also a native of Holstein, born in Schoenberg, November 6, 1858, her parents being 
 C. H. and Dorothea (Sitan) Lage. Her father died in Germany, but her mother 
 came to America in 1880, two years after her daughter had taken up her home in 
 this country. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Hahn has been blessed by the birth of 
 seven children as follows: Hertha, who died in infancy; Wilma; Grover; Zoe; 
 Hilda, the wife of Wilbert Frye, living near Independence, Iowa; Bruno; and 
 Vera. 
 

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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 993 
 
 Mr. Hahn places his political confidence in the democratic party and in evi- 
 dence of his good citizenship are the several public trusts which have been im- 
 posed upon him. He served twelve years as school director and nine years of 
 that time as president of the school board; four years as township trustee, in 
 which capacity he is at present serving; one term as justice of the peace; and he 
 has also served on the grand and petit juries. As to his affiliations, he holds 
 membership in the Maysville branch of the Modern Brotherhood of America, 
 and the Walcott Lodge of Knights of Pythias. His desire to do all in his power 
 to advance every cause contributing to the public welfare is generally recognized 
 and admired. 
 
 JULIUS T. HALLER, M. D. 
 
 Dr. Julius T. Haller, a native of Davenport, was born October 20, 1878. 
 His father, William Haller, was of German birth and came to Davenport in 
 the '50s, while his mother, who was Miss Anna Rohlf, before her marriage, was 
 bom in Scott county. 
 
 Reared in the city of his birth. Dr. Julius T. Haller attended the public 
 schools from which he passed to the high school, where his preparation for col- 
 lege was completed. After his graduation from the secondary school he was 
 enrolled as a pupil of the University of Chicago, from which he received his 
 B. S. degree in the spring of 1901. The following fall he entered the medical 
 department of Johns Hopkins University of Baltimore, Maryland. The subse- 
 quent four years were spent in diligent study and finally in 1905 the degree of 
 doctor of medicine was conferred upon him. That same year he came to Dav- 
 enport, and engaged in active practice. In the years that have elapsed, few as 
 they have been. Dr. Haller has proved that he is a young man of ability, of 
 ambition, and entitled to success. He has won the confidence of those who have 
 come in contact with him and his patients have found him skillful, painstaking, 
 and sympathetic. He belongs to the Scott County, the Iowa State, and the 
 American Medical Associations, while he obtains his social relaxation in com- 
 pany with his brother Elks. 
 
 JA'MES MADISON BOWLING. 
 
 No history of Davenport would be complete without detailed and specific ref- 
 erence to James Madison Bowling, long connected with its business interests in 
 mercantile lines. He came to the city when it was a small and unimportant town 
 and took active part in shaping its commercial development and at the same time 
 cooperated in many movements for its upbuilding along other lines. He was born 
 in Virginia and was a son of Jeremiah Bowling, a representative of one of the 
 first families of that state— first not only by reason of priority of residence but 
 
994 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 also owing to that prominence which arises from fidelity and helpfulness in citi- 
 zenship. 
 
 James Madison Bowling continued his residence in the Old Dominion through 
 the period of his boyhood and youth and during that time acquired his education. 
 After putting aside his text-books he turned his attention to merchandising and 
 in young manhood he came to Davenport to follow his early business training here. 
 He first became connected with George L. Davenport and they were numbered 
 among the pioneer merchants of the city, whose labors were an effective force 
 in advancing the early commercial progress of Davenport. On his arrival here 
 Mr. Bowling also took up government land in Blue Grass township, after which 
 he returned to the Old Dominion and was there married. With his bride he then 
 came again to Iowa and here they reared their family of nine children, namely: 
 George Davenport ; Margaret V. ; Sarah C. ; Henry, who was killed in the Civil 
 war ; Cornelia M. ; Jane Alberta, who has also departed this life ; Laura E. ; John 
 C. ; and Emery, who died in infancy. 
 
 As stated, James Madison Bowling, following his removal to the middle west, 
 became connected with George L. Davenport in a mercantile enterprise. The 
 Bowlings were also connected with the Davenports through marriage ties, for 
 Colonel Davenport wedded a sister of Jeremiah Bowling. With many events of 
 early prominence that left their impress upon the history of the city, James Madi- 
 son Bowling was connected. His intelligence and wise judgment made him a 
 leader in matters of public thought and action and at all times he manifested an 
 unselfish devotion to the public good and cooperated in matters of general benefit 
 from an unselfish desire to promote the progress of the community and thus aid 
 in the upbuilding of the state. His upright life was in harmony with his profes- 
 sions as a member of the Presbyterian church. He was president of the Old Set- 
 tlers Society and no citizen of the community was held in higher or more heart- 
 felt esteem and regard than James M. BowHng. 
 
 RUDOLPH ARP. 
 
 That the rich soil of Iowa offers to the agriculturist possibilities unexcelled 
 by any and unequaled by many another state in the Union, is proven in the fact 
 that so many of her native sons who have been reared to farm life have, upon 
 starting out to make their own way in the world, remained within her borders. 
 This is true of Rudolph Arp, who was born on the place which is now his home, 
 July 15, 1874, a son of Hans and Abel (Vieths) Arp, in whose family were the 
 following named: Alvena, the wife of Henry Untiedt, a resident of Jackson 
 county, Minnesota; Cecelia, the wife of Henry Stender, who is mentioned else- 
 where in this work ; Henry, a resident of New Liberty, Iowa ; Agnes, the wife of 
 George Dietz, of Manning, Carroll county, this state; Emma, the wife of Edward 
 Puck, a resident of Cleona township; Minnie, the wife of Conrad Dietz, also of 
 Manning; and Rudolph, of this review. 
 
 The last named, the youngest in the family, was reared on the home farm and 
 acquired his education in the common schools. He is today the owner of three 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 995 
 
 hundred and twenty acres of land, forty acres of which constituted the old home- 
 stead farm upon which he was reared. On the farm are found two sets of build- 
 ings, some of which were erected by the father, while the others have been built 
 by Mr. Arp of this review. He is extensively engaged in farming and stock- 
 raising, making a close study of his work, so that he obtains the best results. He 
 is hkewise a stockholder in the Farmers Elevator at Walcott and in the Security 
 Bank of Davenport. 
 
 Mr. Arp chose as a companion and helpmate for the journey of life Miss 
 Louisa Schlichting, whom he wedded February 15, 1899. Mrs. Arp was born in 
 Blue Grass township, Scott county, August 21, 1880, a daughter of Thomas and 
 Margaret (Hoist) Schlichting, who were both natives of Schleswig, Germany, 
 the former born January 23, 1836, while the latter's birth occurred on the 28th of 
 November, 1834. The father was a little lad of ten years when he accompanied 
 his parents to the new world, and the mother accompanied her parents to America 
 in 1858, and two years later, in i860, she was married to Thomas Schlichting. 
 He became a well-to-do farmer, owning at the time of his death a section of land 
 in Blue Grass township, this being divided into several farms. Unto him and 
 his wife were born three daughters and three sons but the sons all died in infancy. 
 The daughters are : Clara, the wife of Willie Soenke, a resident of Blue Grass 
 township; Bertha, the wife of Louis Otto, of Davenport; and Louisa, the wife 
 of Rudolph Arp. Both the parents are now deceased, the mother passing away 
 December 11, 1899, at the age of sixty-five years, while the father, surviving for 
 only about five years, departed this life November 14, 1904, when sixty-eight years 
 old. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Arp have been born three sons and two daughters : Ray- 
 mond, Hilda, Leona, Arthur and Rudolph. Both Mr. and Mrs. Arp have spent 
 their entire lives in Scott county and are therefore well known in the section 
 where they make their home. In his business dealings Mr. Arp is always found 
 honorable and upright and he commands the respect and high regard of his fel- 
 low citizens. 
 
 GEORGE H. BLANCHARD. 
 
 There are found in the business world men who seem equal to every emer- 
 gency and who are fitted to keep pace with the world's progress. Such a man is 
 George H. Blanchard, president of Blanchard Brothers, Incorporated, manufac- 
 turers of and dealers in advertising novelties. He was born in St. Louis, May 23, 
 1873, and is a son of John H. and Emma (Barker) Blanchard. The son at the 
 usual age entered the public schools of his native city and was there reared to 
 years of maturity. After putting aside his text-books he became connected with 
 a lithographing company, wherein he learned the business in principle and detail. 
 He then came to Davenport in 1,900 and organized the Tri City Lithographing 
 Company, which was the beginning of his business connection here. He was 
 connected with that firm for about seven years but in the meantime had organized 
 the firm of Blanchard Brothers, Incorporated, managing both interests for some 
 
996 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 time. However, about three years ago he severed his connection with the former 
 and is now giving his entire time to the latter, acting as its efficient president. 
 They are engaged in the manufacture of advertising novelties, such as pencils, 
 pen holders and various other devices, which are sold throughout the entire coun- 
 try. Mr. Blanchard's powers of management and executive control have led 
 him to an important position in the business circles of Davenport. Studying the 
 question of advertising from every possible standpoint, he has sought to give to 
 the public a means of advertisement that is not only attractive but is of practical 
 use as well His brother, John H. Blanchard, who formerly traveled in the inter- 
 ests of the house, is likewise proving himself capable of handling the interests to 
 which he is now bending his energies, while he is also acting as secretary and 
 treasurer of the firm. He located permanently in Davenport five years ago and 
 the two sisters, E. Josephine and Delia M., also make their home here. 
 
 Mr. Blanchard was married on the 23d of May, 1908, to Miss Margaret 
 Brown, a daughter of Mark and Luella (Muckle) Brown. They have an inter- 
 esting little son, Robert O., who is the light and life of the household. 
 
 Mr. Blanchard is prominent in Masonic circles, being a member of that or- 
 der. Choosing a particular line in life, he has sought to advance along that lini 
 until he has found place among the substantial business men of Davenport. He 
 has a wide acquaintance here, and those who see him in daily associations find 
 him a most pleasant and agreeable gentleman. 
 
 FREDERICK DICKINSON LETTS. 
 
 It is a recognized fact that the lawyer is more prominent in public affairs 
 than any other class of citizen. This is due to causes which are evident and need 
 no explanation, for the qualities which fit one to appear before the bar in sup- 
 port of litigated interests also qualify the individual to discuss intelligently, logi- 
 cally and conclusively the questions of vital political importance. Frederick Dick- 
 inson Letts is numbered among the members of the Davenport bar who, in ad- 
 dition to professional activity, are taking a prominent part in promoting the 
 public interests of the city. He was born in Ains worth, Iowa, April 26, 1875, and 
 is a son of David G. and Hannah (Gale) Letts. The father was also a native 
 of this state. The grandfather, Nehemiah Madison Letts, one of Iowa's pioneers, 
 came from Ohio to this section of the country before the state was admitted to 
 the Union and settled at and founded the town of Letts, which was so named 
 in his honor. He was a farmer by occupation and was closely associated with the 
 pioneer development of the community in which he made his home. His son, 
 David G. Letts, became an extensive farmer and stockman but died in 1884, at 
 the age of forty years. His widow, a native of Virginia, still survives. They 
 were married in Muscatine, Iowa, in 1873, but afterward became residents of 
 Ainsworth. 
 
 In the public and preparatory schools of his native town and Fairfield, Iowa, 
 F. Dickinson Letts pursued his education and was graduated from Parsons 
 College, in the latter city, with the class of 1897. He afterward spent one year 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 997 
 
 as a law student in Columbia University, of New York city, and completed his 
 [ law course m the Iowa State University, from which he was graduated in 1899. 
 Soon afterward he opened an office in Davenport and entered upon active prac- 
 tice, m which he has made rapid strides. He is thorough, patient and persever- 
 ing and his understanding of legal principles is being continually augmented by 
 his readmg and research. He understands that the greatest work of the lawyer 
 is done in his office, as he prepares his cases for the court, closely investigating 
 every point of evidence and law applicable thereto. 
 
 The name of F. D. Letts is well known in political circles and he is in demand 
 as a campaign speaker of the republican party. His activities thus far have 
 brought him no official reward and it is doubtful if he has any ambition in that 
 direction, for he regards the practice of law as his first interest and is devoted 
 thereto. Fraternally, however, he is well known and is an exemplary represen- 
 tative of the Masonic lodge, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and 
 the Knights of Pythias. He, moreover, belongs to two college fraternities, the 
 Beta Theta Phi and the Phi Delta Phi. He is also connected with the Business 
 Men's Association and the Commercial Club and is an agreeable and popular 
 gentleman, esteemed by the representatives of the bar as well as by the general 
 public. 
 
 HENRY BECKER. 
 
 Henry Becker was well known as a representative business man of Scott 
 county. He had the ability to discern opportunities that others passed by heed- 
 lessly and his enterprise and laudable ambition prompted him to take advantage 
 of these with the result that as the years passed he won substantial and gratifying 
 success. A native of Prussia, he was born in Solingen about the year 1820 and 
 his youthful days were passed in his native coui|J:ry, where he was an interested 
 witness of that spirit of political uprise that was manifested throughout Europe 
 and had its culmination in Germany in the revolution of 1848. 
 
 It was in that year that Mr. Becker came to America to enjoy the liberty of- 
 fered in this land. For four years thereafter he was a resident of St. Louis and 
 then came t6 Scott county, settling in Le Claire, where he remained until his 
 death. In 1858 he returned to Germany and after a short visit at his old home 
 and among the friends of his boyhood and youth he embarked on the steamer 
 Austria for America. When ten days out this steamer took fire and burned to 
 the water's edge. Mr. Becker with over three hundred others jumped overboard. 
 He lost all of his possessions save his money, which was fastened around him 
 in a belt. When he came to the surface he caught hold of a window frame that 
 would help him keep afloat. Later, with two other men, he took hold of a plank, 
 eight feet long, a foot wide and an inch and a half thick. To this the men clung 
 for three and a half hours, at the end of which time they were picked up by the 
 French bark Maurice. On that vessel all of the rescued were taken to the island 
 of Fayal, one of the group of Azores. After remaining there for nine days they 
 
998 . HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 were taken aboard the British ship Valorous and brought to the United States. 
 It was an experience which Mr. Becker never forgot. 
 
 Following the establishment of his home in Le Claire he was here married, 
 and at his death left a wife and four children. A few years before his demise he 
 retired from active business and was succeeded by his two sons. He was pre- 
 eminently a business man, loyal, energetic and determined. At the time of the 
 war he foresaw the rise in values and, taking advantage of the same, won wealth 
 by dealing in whiskey and cotton goods. In all of his business undertakings he 
 manifested the keenest discernment, a quality which is too often lacking and leads 
 to failure. In matters of business judgment, however, he was always sound and 
 reliable and won substantial success, enabling him to leave his family in very com- 
 fortable financial circumstances. Following his demise Mrs. Becker retained her 
 residence in Le Claire but the daughter. Miss Hilda Becker, has now made her 
 home in Davenport for some time and has a wide circle of acquaintances here. 
 
 EMMETT M. SHARON. 
 
 The specific and distinctive ofifice of biography is not to give voice to a man's 
 modest estimate of himself and his accomplishments but rather to leave the per- 
 petual record establishing his character by the consensus of opinion on the part 
 of his fellowmen. Throughout Davenport Emmett M. Sharon is spoken of in 
 terms of admiration and respect. His life has been varied in its activity, honor- 
 able in its purpose and far-reaching and beneficial in its effects^ and in the prac- 
 tice of his profession and in his relations with municipal projects he has left an 
 impress upon the annals of the city. In no sense a man in public life, he has 
 nevertheless exerted an immeasurable influence upon Davenport's welfare and 
 progress. 
 
 A native son of New York, Emmett M. Sharon was born near Watertown 
 in Jefferson county, a son of Thomas S. and Mary (Keon) Sharon, who were 
 natives of New York and Ireland respectively. After mastering the branches of 
 learning taught in the public schools of Watertown, Emmett M. Sharon became 
 a student in Hamilton College at Clinton, New York, and as an extra course pur- 
 sued the study of law until the date of his graduation in 1875. He afterward 
 continued his law reading under the direction of Judge Bishop, and in the year 
 1878 was admitted to the bar at Waterloo, Iowa. During the years of his pro- 
 fessional practice he has been continuously connected with the Iowa bar. Open- 
 ing his ofifice in Black Hawk county, he there remained until 1887, during which 
 time he made steady progress in his chosen vocation and also won popularity 
 among his fellow citizens, who, recognizing his worth and devotion to the public 
 good, called him to the office of mayor of Laporte City. His administration was 
 businesslike and progressive and added to the already high reputation which 
 he enjoyed. 
 
 Mr. Sharon's identification with the Davenport bar dates from 1887, ^^ which 
 year he opened an office in this city, and his conduct of litigated interests soon 
 attracted wide attention, evidencing his knowledge of the law, his close examina- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 1001 
 
 tion of witnesses and his thorough understanding of the facts in relation to the 
 case. Wit, humor, elocution and indisputable logic have all constituted elements 
 in his presentation of his cases before the courts and, while he has ever been 
 loyal to his clients' interests, he has never forgotten for a moment that he owes a 
 still higher allegiance to the majesty of the law. Called by popular sufifrage to 
 the office of city attorney, he served in that capacity for seven years and was 
 also for several years on the law committee of the State Bar Association. 
 
 With the interests of Davenport in the many phases of municipal life Mr. 
 Sharon has been connected, standing as a stalwart champion of all measures 
 and projects which have for their object the advancement and welfare of the 
 city. To this end he has cooperated with the Business Men's Association, in 
 which he holds membership. He has served as a director of the Commercial 
 Club and of the Home Building Association and is interested in numerous busi- 
 ness ventures and in real-estate investments. Since 1906 he has been a member 
 of the library board. His judgment is sound, his enterprise unfaltering and 
 therefore his business activities have been crowned with success. 
 
 The year which chronicled Mr. Sharon's admission to the bar was also the 
 year of his marriage, the lady of his choice being Miss Ida Bishop, the daughter 
 of his former law preceptor. Their home is justly celebrated for a warm-hearted 
 and cordial hospitality. His social nature finds further expression in his member- 
 ship with the knights of Columbus and the Woodmen. In the various relations 
 which have constituted the salient features of his life he has measured up to 
 the full standard of manhood and, recognizing his own capacities and powers, 
 has so directed his labors that others have benefited thereby, while he himself 
 has received therefrom substantial benefit. 
 
 JOHN BRAGONIER. 
 
 Princeton numbers among her population many men who, through cultivating 
 the rich soil of Scott county, have met with a success that now enables them to 
 spend the evening of their lives in honorable retirement, and it is to this class 
 that John Bragonier belongs. He was born in Fulton county, Pennsylvania, Feb- 
 ruary 12, 1847, a son of Jacob and Matilda (Thomas) Bragonier, who were like- 
 wise natives of the Keystone state, born in Franklin county, the former on the 
 nth of November, 1821, and the latter on the 4th of December, 1826. Following 
 their marriage they established their home in the east and there four children 
 were born to them. The date of their arrival in Scott county was November 12, 
 1854. Here the father purchased one hundred and sixty acres of raw land in 
 Princeton township, paying for the same six dollars per acre. On the place stood 
 a small house, one and a half stories high, but the dwelling had not been finished 
 sufficiently for the family to live in comfort. The father finished two rooms and 
 here took up his abode. He at once began to cultivate the land and in due course 
 of time the fields yielded abundant harvests, so that he was able from time to 
 time to add to his original holdings until he became the owner of seven hundred 
 
1002 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 and thirty-five acres. He made his home on his first farm for eighteen years and 
 during this time six more children were added to the household. On the expira- 
 tion of that period he went to live in another part of the township and there made 
 his home till the time of his death, which occurred on the 24th of November, 1898, 
 when he was seventy-seven years of age. He had survived his wife, who had' been 
 called to her rest about four years previously, her demise occurring July 20, 1894, 
 when she had reached the age of sixty-eight. They were numbered among the 
 county's most worthy and respected pioneer settlers and were consistent and 
 faithful members of the Lutheran church. The father also took a deep interest 
 in all public movements that tended to improve this district and acted as road 
 supervisor and as school director for many years. The record of the family is 
 as follows : John, of this review ; Abraham J., who was born March 29, 1849, and 
 lives in Omaha, Nebraska ; Henry C, who was born September 5, 1850, and makes 
 his home in Tacoma, Washington; Martha V., who was born October 5, 1852, 
 and lives in Tama, Iowa ; Amy A., who was born March 24, 1855, and died in 
 1869; David J., who was born July 9, 1857, and lives in CaHfornia; George M., 
 born June 29, i860, who departed this life in 1866; Mary, whose birth occurred 
 on the 25th of March, 1864, and has also passed away ; Clark E., who was bom 
 May 19, 1869, and lives in Tama ; and Howard O., who was born June 16, 1871, 
 and lives in Clinton, this state. 
 
 John Bragonier, the eldest of the ten children, began his education in the 
 schools of Pennsylvania but, being a lad of little more than seven years when the 
 family removed to Scott county, his education was mostly acquired in the district 
 schools of this section. As soon as he was old enough to work in the fields he 
 was assigned various tasks incident to farm life and as his age and strength permit- 
 ted he assumed larger responsibilities, assisting in the work of the home farm until 
 he was twenty-eight years of age. He then engaged in farming on his own ac- 
 count on a tract of rented land, but in 1881 purchased his farm of one hundred and 
 eighty acres in Princeton township and thereon took up his abode. Although the 
 farm was fairly well improved, Mr. Bragonier made more modern and substan- 
 tial improvements until it is now one of the valuable properties of eastern Iowa. 
 He was identified with the cultivation of that place for many years but in 1904 put 
 aside business cares and removed to Princeton, where he has since lived retired. 
 He still retains possession of his farm, however, and its rental supplies him with 
 d good annual income. 
 
 It was on the i8th of March, 1873, that Mr. Bragonier was married to Miss 
 Hyantha Amelia Zimmerman, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Houck) Zim- 
 merman. Mrs. Bragonier was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, and both 
 her father and mother passed away there. She is the seventh in order of birth 
 in a family of thirteen children, the others being Katherine, William H., Martha 
 J., Marcile C, Sarah M., Mary E., Georgia, John M., Jeremiah D., Amy E., Car- 
 rie E. and Joseph S. Mrs. Bragonier has become the mother of six children. 
 Alice is the wife of John Hartman, their home being on her father's farm. They 
 have four living children, Mildred, Harry, Ethel E., and Ruth, while the third, 
 Earl, has passed away. The next in order of birth died in infancy. Cornelia is 
 the wife of J. A. Fletcher, a resident of Princeton township, and they have three 
 children: Harry A., Earl J. and Mervine. Harry, the fourth member of the 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 1003 
 
 family, died when a youth of seventeen years. Lettie M. and De Witt are still 
 under the parental roof. 
 
 The fainily are members of the Presbyterian church at Princeton, and are 
 prominent in social circles. Personally Mr. Bragonier is quiet and unassuming 
 in manner, refusing political preferment and avoiding publicity. In former years 
 he led a busy and active life, finding little time for outside interests, and yet he 
 was not unmindful of the duties of citizenship. His greatest pleasure now is in 
 the companionship of his wife and children and he can look back over a life well 
 spent and feel that his rest is well deserved, for it has come not through the 
 timely aid of others but as the result of his own labors and the careful manage- 
 ment of his business affairs. 
 
 WILLIAM KOBERG. 
 
 A well improved farm of one hundred and fifty-three acres, most of which 
 lies on section 15, Hickory Grove township, stands as a monument to the thrift, 
 economy and industry of William Koberg. He was bom in Germany, his natal 
 place being Schleswig, and the date July 19, 1852. His parents, Wilhelm and 
 Anna (Moeller) Koberg, have spent their entire lives in the land of their nativity, 
 as has also the eldest son, Frederick, who still makes his home in Schleswig. The 
 second son, Detlef, is deceased, while Claus is a resident of Davenport. 
 
 William Koberg, the other member and the youngest of the 'family, was reared 
 in Germany and was there educated in the common schools. His brother Claus 
 had emigrated to the new world after reaching mature years and through him our 
 subject heard favorable reports concerning the opportunities here offered, and 
 at the age of nineteen he was induced to join his brother in America. Accord- 
 ingly, in 1871, he set sail for New York, whence he made his way direct to Dav- 
 enport, arriving in the latter city on the 3d of July of that year. The following 
 day he joined his brother Claus in Aliens Grove township, he having lived in this 
 section for three years. On the 5th of July William Koberg found employment 
 at binding barley and from that date he has been busily engaged to the present 
 time. He worked as a farm hand for two years, all the time his ambition leading 
 him to something higher and more remunerative. .He then purchased a threshing 
 outfit, which he operated during the harvesting season for nine years. In the 
 meantime he also engaged in farming on his own account, having purchased his 
 present place of one hundred and fifty-three acres, all of which is under cultiva- 
 tion except thirty-three acres, which is covered with timber and lies on sections 
 16 and 9, while the remainder is on section 15, Hickory Grove township. When 
 Mr. Koberg bought this property the only improvements were a small shanty and 
 a barn. He has since erected a substantial country dwelling and a large barn, 
 while sheds and granaries afford shelter for grain and stock. For nine years he 
 also operated a creamery known as The Country Creamery. He did a big busi- 
 ness, amounting to from twenty-six thousand to thirty thousand dollars per year. 
 One month he handled cream to the amount of twenty-four thousand and fifty 
 dollars, besides the cream which was furnished by his own cows, for he kept a 
 
1004 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 number on his farm. After giving his attention to this business for nine years he 
 abandoned the same and has since devoted his entire time to general farming. He 
 possesses good business ability and is meeting with success in his work. 
 
 Mr. Koberg was married on the 4th of March, 1876, to Miss Adelia Meyer, 
 who was born in Davenport township, January 14, 1856, and has always made 
 her home in Scott county. She is a daughter of Hans and Cecelia ( Stoltenberg) 
 Meyer, of whom extended mention is made in connection with the sketch of Ed- 
 ward Meyer, a brother of Mrs. Koberg, on another page of this work. Unto 
 Mr. and Mrs. Koberg have been born seven children, as follows : Alvina, who be- 
 came the wife of William Wunder and died leaving one child, Alvina, who lives 
 with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Koberg; Cecelia, the wife of William Rug- 
 genkamp, a resident of Davenport township ; Herman, a resident of Davenport ; 
 Laura, the wife of Rudolph Weis, of Sheridan township; Carrie, at home; and 
 Hertha and Harvey, also still at home. 
 
 Mr. Koberg is a most public-spirited citizen and has been called by his fellow 
 citizens to fill various offices, having served as road supervisor, township trustee 
 and school director for many terms. His political allegiance is given to the dem- 
 ocratic party. He is a member of the Maysville Shooting Society. Practical 
 and progressive, he has not always confined himself to the limits of farming but 
 has used various means to gain a start in life and in this way has acquired a 
 property that supplies him with a good living for himself and family and enables 
 him to lay something by for his declining years. 
 
 HENRY J. WUESTENBERG. 
 
 An enterprising and progressive spirit has characterized the life work of Henry 
 J. Wuestenberg, who is now a resident of Donahue. He was born in Davenport, 
 February 28, 1866, a son of August and Dorothea (Schlapkohl) Wuestenberg, 
 both- of whom were natives of Holstein, Germany, the former born March 6, 
 1829, and the latter July 2, 1834. They were married, however, in Davenport, 
 in 1852. The father, who was a shoemaker by trade, followed that occupation in 
 the land of his nativity and also for some years after coming to Scott county. In 
 1870 he engaged in farming and at the time of his demise had acquired three 
 hundred acres of land, located in Aliens Grove township, four miles north of 
 Donahue. Mr. and Mrs. August Wuestenberg had ten children, the record being 
 as follows : Minnie, the wife of Henry Grell, of Aliens Grove township ; Sophia, 
 the wife of Jacob Hendrickson, also of that township ; Emma, the wife of Conrad 
 Hess, a resident of this section of the county ; Henry J., of this review ; Lizzie, 
 the wife of Peter Jacobson, who resides in Donahue ; Ferdinand, who makes his 
 home in Aliens Grove township ; Otto, who died at the age of sixteen years ; Gusta, 
 who passed away in 1884 .when about eleven years of age, her birth having oc- 
 curred in 1873 ; and John and William, twins, who were born in 1876. The for- 
 mer makes his home in Aliens Grove township, but the latter died in 1884, when 
 about eight years of age. The parents have likewise been called to the home be- 
 yond, the mother's death occurring October 25, 1897, while the father survived 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 1005 
 
 for a few years and passed away on the 28th of January, 1904, when in his sev- 
 enty-fifth year. 
 
 Henry J. Wuestenberg was reared in Davenport to his fourth year, at which 
 time the family took up their abode on a farm in Aliens Grove township. As soon 
 as old enough he was set to work in the fields and continued to assist his father 
 until 1888, when, a young man of twenty-two years, he purchased a threshing 
 outfit and began operations in this line. In 1897 he opened a feed mill in Donahue, 
 which he still conducts. In 1903 he equipped himself for moving houses and has 
 since been ready to meet all demands in this line of activity. Anything along 
 mechanical lines is of interest to him and although his business is diversified, it 
 will be seen that it all follows in this particular direction and is conducted success- 
 fully. In his earlier years he worked at railroad construction and he there 
 proved his aptitude in mechanics, which* he has since made his life work. 
 
 Mr. Wuestenberg was married September 23, 1896, tO' Miss Emma A. Quis- 
 torf , who was born in Liberty township, Scott county, March 7, 1875, a daughter 
 of F. A. and Lena (Steffen) Quisdorf, both natives of Holstein, Germany, whence 
 they came to Scott county in 1848 and now live in Dixon. They are mentioned 
 elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Wuestenberg have three sons : Raymond, 
 Elmer and Clarence. They lost their only daughter, Adeline, the youngest in 
 the family, at the age of three years. 
 
 A democrat in principle and practice, Mr. Wuestenberg's interests are closely 
 allied with everything of a public nature. For ten consecutive years he has 
 served as township assessor and he has also been assessor of Donahue. Upon 
 the recent incorporation of the. village he was elected street commissioner and is 
 still the incumbent in that office. He is a stockholder in the Donahue Savings Bank 
 and takes a deep interest in this and other enterprises of Donahue. His fraternal 
 relations are with K. P. lodge, No. 299, at Dixon, the Evening Star Lodge, the 
 'Ancient Order of United Workmen at Davenport and the Home Guards of the 
 World at Dixon. He is true to the terms of a contract and is deserving of the 
 success he has attained in industrial circles. 
 
 JOSEPH HELBLE. 
 
 Joseph Helble, who carries on general farming and has also devoted consider- 
 able time to the butchering business, was born in Davenport, August 6, 1858, a 
 son of Gerhardt and Amelia (Snow) Helble, both of whom were natives of Ger- 
 many. The father, who was born in Wurtemberg, December 27, 1826, came to 
 America in early life and in Wisconsin wedded Miss Amelia Snow. They are still 
 living and are now residents of Princeton. The father has followed farming dur- 
 ing the greater part of his life. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Gerhardt Helble 
 were six children, namely: Joseph; WiUiam, who is a resident farmer of Butler 
 township • Mary, who died in Princeton in the year 1906; Clara, the wife of John 
 Schlotfeldt a brewer residing in Allensburg, Washington; Emma, the wife of 
 Herman Schlotfeldt, who is a brewer living in Port Townsend, Washington; and 
 
1006 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 John, who married Emma Hening and is a farmer residing on the old family 
 homestead. 
 
 Joseph Helble acquired his education in the district school of Butler township 
 and early became familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the 
 agriculturist. In young manhood he also learned the butcher's trade and he has 
 given his time and energies to that business and to general farming. He has al- 
 ways been diligent, active and enterprising and his success has come as the reward 
 of earnest, persistent labor. 
 
 On the 17th of February, 1882, Mr. Helble was married to Miss Sophia Faes- 
 ser, a daughter of Jacob and Genevieve Faesser, both of whom were residents of 
 Princeton township at the time of their death. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Helble have 
 been born seven children : Charles, who married Rhoda Carter and is now cashier 
 and manager in a department store at Falls City, Oregon, where he resides ; Car- 
 rie, the wife of Edward Holtz, who is living on a farm in Butler township and 
 has three children; Lydia, who is with her parents in Princeton; and Arthur, 
 George, Elmer and Ernest, also at home. 
 
 Mr. Helble gives his political support to the republican party but has never 
 sought nor desired office, preferring to concentrate his time and energies upon 
 his business affairs. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
 the Modern Woodmen of America and the Royal Neighbors, all of Princeton. For 
 a quarter of a century he has been a member of the Lutheran church and his well 
 spent life has gained him the esteem and confidence of all who know him, while 
 his activity and energy in business have been the source of the success which has 
 made him one of the substantial citizens of the community. 
 
 WILLIAM ARP. 
 
 William Arp, who owns a fine farm of one hundred and seventy-nine acres 
 in Sheridan township, is one of Scott county's native sons, who derives a ccan- 
 fortable income, from tilling the soil. He was born in Walnut Grove, Butler town- 
 ship, A'pril II, 1863, his parents being Peter and Minnie (Fellener) Arp. The 
 father was for a long period identified with the agricultural life of Sheridan town- 
 ship but is now living retired in Davenport. He was born in Holstein, Germany, 
 February 5, 1830, and is a^son of Peter and Wiepke Arp, who spent their entire 
 lives in the fatherland, where Peter Arp, Sr., worked at the tailor's trade. Our 
 subject's father was about twenty years of age when he decided to come to Amer- 
 ica and after crossing the Atlantic disembarked at New Orleans, where he took 
 a river boat to come to Iowa. He was two months ascending the Mississippi, how- 
 ever, as quantities of ice impeded progress, and on the 9th of March, 1850, he 
 landed at Davenport, where a sister was already living, she having come to this 
 state in 1847. After his arrival Mr. Arp secured employment in a brickyard and 
 later obtained work as a farm hand, but he was frugal and industrious and in the 
 course of a few years had saved enough to buy one hundred and twenty acres of 
 prairie land in Sheridan township. In 1853 he married and that he and his wife 
 
MK 
 
 . AXT) :^rR!^- wiLT.TAM .vrtr 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 1007 
 
 might have a home he bought an old dwelling which he moved to his land, making 
 it serve for his residence until he was able to put up a better structure. The tract 
 he had purchased proved to be rich and arable. He plowed the first furrow on that 
 farm and during the five years it was his place of residence it gave him a gratify- 
 ing return for his labors. After he had made a number of improvements upon the 
 place he traded it for one hundred and sixty-five acres in Winfield township, about 
 twelve miles from Davenport on the Dubuque road. That place had a small house 
 upon it and some other improvements had been made, but Mr. Arp brought the 
 land to a higher state of cultivation and after four years sold it, thereupon return- 
 ing to Sheridan township, where he owned a tract of fifty acres and also rented 
 some land from Benjamin Barr, on which he lived for a year. At the end of that 
 time he removed to the fifty acres he owned, bought another fifty acres, built 
 thereon a house, and there made his home for the next twenty-six years, or during 
 the remainder of the time he was actively engaged in farming. In the meantime, 
 however, he bought land as he was able, owning more than half a section at one 
 period in his life, the extent of his landholdings indicating the success which at- 
 tended his labors and the good management conspicuous in his business dealings. 
 In addition to being a prosperous agriculturist he was also a man well known in 
 his township, and the record of his official service was one that brought him the 
 respect of his fellow citizens, when in October, 1892, he decided to retire and re- 
 moved to Davenport. 
 
 Mr. Arp was married September 2, 1853, to Miss Minnie Fellener, a daughter 
 of Earnhardt and Fredrica Fellener. She was born in Germany, emigrated to this 
 country when about nineteen years of age, and through her marriage became the 
 mother of seven children. Charles, now deceased, married Kathryn Runfeldt, 
 and they had two children, Minnie and Charles. Emma became the wife of 
 Henry Jarchow> of Davenport, and they have two sons, William and Jacob. 
 Henry married Louisa Petersen and lives in Minnesota, where he is rearing his 
 two children, Mary and Paul. William is the subject of this review. John, now 
 living in Sheridan township, wedded Bertha Weise, and has four children, Ella, 
 Alfred, Aileen and Edward. Elizabeth became the wife of Henry Soil, of Daven- 
 port, and they have two children, Edna and Hugo. The other died in infancy. 
 The parents are members of the Lutheran church, ^yhile Mr. Arp gives stanch 
 allegiance to the democratic party, and on its ticket was elected to the office of 
 trustee of Sheridan township. 
 
 William Arp, whose name introduces this review, was about one year of age 
 when his parents removed from Butler to Sheridan township, and in the latter 
 township has spent the greater part of his life. He was a pupil in the school of 
 district No. 6, and after he put aside his text-books engaged in farming with the 
 intention of making it his means of livelihood. He remained with his father until 
 he was twenty-eight years of age, when he married and, desiring to establish a 
 home of his own, he bought the farm on which he now lives. It is a fine tract of 
 one hundred and seventy-nine acres situated upon the Long Grove road in Sheri- 
 dan township, on which Mr. Arp raises the cereals best adapted to soil and climate 
 and also has ample pasturage for the stock he raises and feeds in large quantities. 
 He has ever been a man who is not only industrious and frugal but also ambitious 
 and determined to make the best use of the opportunities that lie before him. That 
 
1008 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 he has been successful beyond the average is indicated by the appearance of his 
 property and the fact that he owns stock in the Eldridge Elevator Company. 
 
 On the 28th of January, 1891, Mr. Arp was united in marriage to Aiiss Eliza 
 Soil, who was born in Davenport township, and is a daughter of Christian and 
 Anna Soil. Her parents were natives of Holstein, Germany, and were numbered 
 among the early German settlers of this section of Iowa, for her father came here 
 when eighteen and her mother when a girl of nine years. They are now living 
 in Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Arp have had four children but the first two died in 
 infancy. The others are : Walter, who was born January 4, 1895 ; and Viola, born 
 October 2, 1897. Both are at home. 
 
 Mr. Arp has always given stalwart support to the democratic party and upon 
 its ticket was elected to several offices of public trust, for he served as trustee 
 of Sheridan township for three years as road supervisor for thirteen years and as 
 school director for another long period, in each capacity performing his duties 
 carefully and honorably, so that he has the respect and esteem of a large circle 
 of friends, many of whom have known him from boyhood. He is well known in 
 Eldridge and belongs to the Turners Society there. 
 
 FRITZ KARDEL. 
 
 Among those in Scott county who through the cultivation of its rich soil have 
 gained a competency that now enables them to live retired, is Fritz Kardel. Born 
 in Holstein, Germany, December 22, 1834, his parents were John and Minnie 
 (Evers) Kardel. The father, a carpenter by trade, followed that work as a means 
 of livelihood in his native land. In 1853 he emigrated with his family to the new 
 world. Landing at New York city, he continued his journey to Davenport, 
 making the trip by rail and by team and wagon to Rock Island, Illinois, whence 
 he crossed the Mississippi river to Davenport, arriving here on the 4lh of July, 
 1853. The trip was a long and arduous one, requiring steady travel for two 
 months. The mother died about four weeks after their arrival in the new world, 
 and the father, having in the meantime purchased one hundred and twenty acres 
 of land in Hickory Grove township, subsequently removed with his daughter and 
 two sons to the place. The daughter acted as housekeeper and the father and 
 his two sons undertook to develop and improve the farm. As above stated, he 
 was a carpenter by trade and this proved a valuable asset to him in improving his 
 place. On the farm stood a small shanty, while twenty acres of the land had 
 been cleared and forty acres were enclosed with fence. In addition to the culti- 
 vation of the farm the father and his son Fritz also did carpenter work, building 
 shanties along the line of the first railroad that was under construction through 
 the west. In his later years he put aside business cares and removed to Daven- 
 port, where he had previously purchased a nice home and here he passed away in 
 1886. He became a valued and influential citizen of this section of the county 
 and although he had to face many obstacles when he arrived in the new world, he 
 possessed that tenacity of purpose that led him upward to success and at the 
 time of his death he was a well-to-do man. The daughter, Frederica, became the 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 1009 
 
 wife of Henry Luwe, of Davenport, but she is now deceased. Henry is living 
 retired in Davenport, owning six hundred acres of valuable land in Hickory Grove 
 township. He wedded Miss Katherine Hagedorn, a daughter of Claus and 
 Margaret Hagedorn, of Scott county, on the i8th of November, 1864. They 
 have three children. John married Katherine Stoltenberg, lives in Scott county 
 and has one child, Gilbert. Amanda is the wife of Ferdinand Stoltenberg, of Du- 
 rant, Iowa, and they have two daughters, Lillie and Lulu. Theodore, who lives in 
 Scott county, wedded Anna Koberg, by whom he has one son, Robert. 
 
 Fritz Kardel, the other member of the family, was educated in the schools of 
 Germany and was a youth of nineteen years when he accompanied the family on 
 the emigration to the new world. He proved a valuable assistant to the father 
 in gaining a start in the new world and the knowledge he himself gained also 
 proved a factor in later life when he started out to make his own way in the 
 world. In 1880 he purchased two hundred and one acres of land in Cleona 
 township, to which he removed, and after operating the place for about seven 
 years he abandoned business pursuits and removed to Davenport, where he owns 
 and occupies the residence purchased by the father many years ago. He still 
 owns his farm and the rental of this supplies him with all the comforts of life. 
 
 Mr. Kardel was married October 29, 1861, to Miss Margaret Klindt, a daugh- 
 ter of Henry and Katherine Klindt, of Scott county. Mrs. Kardel came alone to 
 the new world from Germany when a young lady of eighteen years. Her parents 
 came later and both passed away in Scott county. She is the eldest in a family 
 of five children, the others being : Claus ; Henry ; Katherine, the wife of John 
 Sindt; and Helen, deceased. Both Mr. Kardel and his brother are members of 
 the German Pioneer Society. In early life he shared with the other members of 
 the family in the hardships incident to establishing a home in a new country, 
 where the language, manners and customs are unfamiliar to those of foreign 
 birth. He, however, addressed himself to the task and his activity in business 
 not only contributed to his individual success but was also a factor in the devel- 
 opment of Scott county and he is now accounted one of the honored pioneer set- 
 tlers and retired residents of Davenport. 
 
 EDWARD R. TAYLOR. 
 
 Edward R. Taylor is giving his entire time to the raising of fruit on forty acres 
 of land in Bufifalo township. He was born in Preston, Minnesota, April 5, 1866, 
 a son of William Murray and Carohne R. (Noble) Taylor, the former born in 
 Jamestown, New York, in 1825, and the latter in Essex Junction, Vermont. The 
 father was a merchant tailor in Preston for many years but in 1894 came to Scott 
 county, where he has since made his home. 
 
 Edward R. Taylor was reared in the place of his nativity and acquired his edu- 
 cation in the public schools. After putting aside his text-books he was employed 
 as a clerk and as buyer of wheat in a flour mill at Preston for a time but in 1886, 
 seeking the broader opportunities to be enjoyed in a city, he went to Minneapolis, 
 md for several years was engaged as reporter on the Minneapolis Tribune. In 
 
1010 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 1894 he came to Buffalo township, Scott county, with his father and mother, and, 
 the latter having inherited forty acres of land from her father's estate, the tract 
 having been settled by him in 1836, Edward R. Taylor took up his abode on the 
 farm. He is devoting this to horticultural pursuits, his principal products being 
 grapes, plums, pears, peaches and all kinds of berries. He has made a close 
 study of fruit-raising, understands thoroughly the care of his trees and shrubs 
 so that they will bear good crops in their respective seasons and thus he is meet- 
 ing with success in his field of labor. He finds no difficulty in disposing of his 
 products in the Davenport market, where it demands good prices, owing to its 
 fine quality. 
 
 Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Jennie McKim, a daughter of 
 Daniel R. McKim, of Troy, Indiana. The father now makes his home with his 
 daughter. Mr. Taylor votes for the men and measures of the republican party 
 but is not a man in public life in the sense of office seeking. He prefers to devote 
 his full time to his private business affairs and his labors are bringing him a 
 merited reward. Both he and his wife are people of sterling worth and com- 
 mand the respect of neighbors and friends. 
 
 HENRY A. ARP. 
 
 Henry A. AVp, admitted to the bar in 1896, has practiced in Davenport since 
 1898 and has built up an extensive loan and mortgage business. As legal coun- 
 selor he has been active in promoting the interests of various business concerns in 
 this part of the state and in general practice has become known as a strong and 
 able lawyer. He was born in this county. May 3, 1868, a son of Heinrich Arp, 
 who was bom in Germany and came to the United States in 1847, landing at 
 New Orleans. He at once left the Crescent city, however, proceeding by boat 
 up the Mississippi to Davenport. After a short time he took up his abode in 
 Davenport township, where he engaged in general farming for many years, bring- 
 ing his fields under a high state of cultivation and adding many modem improve- 
 ments to his place. He retired from active work a few years before his death, 
 which occurred in 1895, when he had reached the age of seventy years. It was 
 subsequent to his arrival in Scott county that he married Miss Caroline Fey, and 
 unto them were born thirteen children, of whom nine are yet living. The mother 
 had come to this county in her girlhood days from Germany with her father, Wil- 
 liam Fey, who was a respected and representative farmer in Davenport town- 
 ship in pioneer times, Heinrich Arp was also numbered among the worthy pio- 
 neer settlers whose labors had constituted an important element in bringing about 
 the present prosperity and progress of the county. He never had occasion to re- 
 gret his determination to come to America, for in the improvement of the oppor- 
 tunities here offered he won substantial success and enjoyed the friendship and 
 regard of many of the residents of the community in which he established his home. 
 
 In the public schools Henry A. Arp mastered the elementary branches of learn- 
 ing and subsequently attended the Duncan Business College, receiving there a 
 training which has been of value to him in his later connection with business af- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 1011 
 
 fairs. Taking up the study of law, he completed a course in the law department 
 of the Iowa State University in 1896 and opened an office at Le Mars, where he 
 practiced for two years. He then removed to Davenport and formed a partnership 
 with A. J. Noth. For eight years they were associated and since that time Mr. Arp 
 has been alone, conducting a successful practice in the conduct of various litigated 
 interests. He is strong and resourceful in argument and in the presentation of 
 his cause his deductions follow in logical sequence. He does not indulge in gen- 
 erahties but gives specific proof of his points, and is seldom, if ever, at fault in the 
 'application of a legal principle or a precedent. He is also conductng an extensive 
 loan and mortgage business and he has assisted in organizing a number of country 
 banks, which he represents in a legal capacity, these including banking institutions 
 of Scott and adjoining counties. 
 
 On the 8th of April, 1897, Mr. Arp was married to Miss Clara C. Sindt, a 
 daughter of Thies Sindt, who was born in Germany and after coming to the new 
 world engaged in the tinware business in Davenport in the early days. He af- 
 terward turned his attention to farming, which he followed in Davenport town- 
 ship until his retirement from active life with the competence which had been 
 acquired through his previous earnest and unremitting labor. Mr. Arp gives his 
 political allegiance to the democracy and is active in the ranks of the party but is 
 not an office seeker, preferring to concentrate his time and energies upon his pro- 
 fessional and business interests, which are now extensive and of an important 
 character. 
 
 JOHN C. F. PALM. 
 
 John C. F. Palm makes his home on a well improved farm of forty acres in 
 Le Claire township and he also owns another tract of forty acres in the same 
 township, which he rents. He was born in Germany, October 24, 1828, a son of 
 John and Mary (Jalt) Palm, who lived and died in Germany. The father was a 
 tailor by trade and he also engaged in farming to some extent. They reared a 
 family numbering two sons and two daughters but our subject is the only one who 
 survives, the others being Theresa, Christopher and Mary. 
 
 John C. F. Palm was educated in the schools of his native country and, ac- 
 cording to custom, served five years in the German army. He also learned the 
 carpenter's trade, which he followed for four years prior to his emigration to the 
 new world, he being a young man of twenty-five years when he sought a home 
 in America. He located at Le Claire, in Scott county, and owing to the improve- 
 ment which this section was then undergoing, he had no difficulty in securing work 
 at his trade, -being first employed by a Mr. Longbottom. He carefully saved his 
 earnings and in course of time purchased of his employer three and a half acres 
 of land in Le Claire township and, as his financial resources increased, he kept 
 adding to his tract until it now embraces forty acres. There had been some 
 improvements made on the land by the former owner but Mr. Palm erected a new 
 house and made other improvements, so that the place is now supplied with sub- 
 stantial buildings. In the meantime he continued to engage in carpentering and 
 
1012 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 also cultivated his land, his time being thus occupied until 1890. Today a large 
 number of residences in this immediate section stand as monuments to his handi- 
 work. 
 
 Mr. Palm was married to Mrs. Mary Kathryn Church in 1875. She was like- 
 wise born in Germany and was left an orphan at the age of four years, after 
 which she was reared by an uncle in France. Her death occurred in 1903. 
 
 Mr. Palm is not narrow in his political views but votes for the men whom he 
 regards as best qualified to fill office, irrespective of party ties. His first vote 
 after coming to America was cast for Abraham Lincoln and on the democratic 
 ticket he was elected as councilman of Le Claire. He lives on his farm and de- 
 votes his time to its cultivation, while from his neighbors and friends he receives 
 esteem and admiration. 
 
 THEODORE ZABEL. 
 
 The business interests of Theodore Zabel are those represented in a fine farm 
 of one hundred and twenty acres of valuable land on section 8, Lincoln township, 
 and also in another tract of eighty acres on the same section. He devotes his 
 time and energies to farming with good results and the neat and thrifty appear- 
 ance of his place is indicative of the progressive spirit of the owner. He was 
 born in Mecklenburg, Germany, August 17, 1863, and is a son of William and 
 Sophia Zabel. The father was a blacksmith in his native country, where he 
 remained until 1869, when the opportunities of the new world attracted him and 
 he crossed the Atlantic, landing at New York. He at once made his way to Scott 
 county and for four years was a resident of Davenport, after which he removed 
 to Butler township, purchasing a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, whick 
 he occupied for thirteen years, when his wife died, and he returned to Davenport. 
 He still makes his home in the city and is now living retired. In their family 
 were eight children ; William, a resident of Winfield township ; Fritz, a resident 
 of Butler township; Charles and Albert, who make their home in Lincoln town- 
 ship; Amelia, who is the widow of Andrew Schwartz and resides on the old 
 homestead property ; Meta, the wife of Henry Thoede, a resident of Butler town- 
 ship; Alvina, deceased; and Theodore, the subject of this review. 
 
 Theodore Zabel acquired his education in the district schools and has followed 
 farming throughout his entire life. He gave his father the benefit of his services 
 until twenty years of age, after which he secured work in the neighborhood as a 
 farm hand and was thus employed until the time of his marriage in 1888. Wish- 
 ing to have a home of his own, he purchased his present farm from his father-in- 
 law and has now occupied it for twenty-two years, making all of the improvements 
 here, setting out all of the trees and continuing the work of progress until his. 
 property is regarded as one of the valuable and attractive . farms of the district. 
 As the years passed by and he prospered he made further investment in land, 
 becoming the owner of eighty acres which was the old Samuel Stanley farm. 
 
 On the 1st of March, 1888, Mr. Zabel was united in marriage to Miss Wilhel- 
 mina Horst, a daughter of Claus and Marietta Horst, who were early settlers 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 1013 
 
 here, coming to Scott county about 1850. The father had served in the war be- 
 tween Holstein and Denmark from the year 1848 to 1850, and had then crossed 
 the Atlantic, arriving in Scott county when it was still a pioneer district. He 
 purchased prairie land and turned his attention to farming. In the course of 
 years he owned two good farms and was numbered among the leading agricultur- 
 ists of the community. Both he and his wife and three sons are now deceased. 
 Mrs. Z^bel and Mrs. John F. Kuendel were born in Lincoln township, where their 
 girlhood days were passed. The former was frained in the work of the house- 
 hold and pursued her early education in the district schools. Unto Mr. and Mrs. 
 Zabel have been born four children : Walter, Alfon, Grover and Hulda. 
 
 Mr. Zabel is a member of the Modern Woodmen camp. No. 8971, at Eldridge, 
 and has held office in the order. He is also connected with the Turner Society 
 at Eldridge and he gives his political allegiance to the democratic party. He has 
 served as trustee of his township and as school director, and the cause of educa- 
 tion finds in him a stalwart champion. His attention, however, is chiefly given to 
 his farming interests and in the cultivation of his fields he raises diversified crops 
 and he always keeps on hand good grades of stock. He has been diligent and 
 persevering in business, watchful of all details pointing to success, and his close 
 application and energy have made him one of the substantial agriculturists of the 
 community. 
 
 SEVERIN KRESS. 
 
 The characteristics of economy, energy and determination that are usually 
 found in the German race are strongly manifest in the life of Severin Kress, who 
 is successfully following agricultural pursuits in Buffalo township. He was born 
 near Coal Valley, Illinois, October 7, 1859. His father, who was bom in Hessen, 
 Germany, in 1830, came to the United States when a young man, and in i860 lo- 
 cated in Buffalo and commenced mining coal, continuing work along this line for 
 two decades. In the meantime he had purchased farming property and even- 
 tually he removed to his tract of land and gave his attention to its cultivation 
 throughout the remainder of his business career. At the time of his death, which 
 occurred in 1904, he owned two hundred and forty acres of rich Iowa land. Mr. 
 Kress was married to Miss Theresa Weber, who, like her husband, was bom in 
 the fatherland, in 1837. Of this marriage there survive three sons and two 
 daughters, those besides our subject being: John and August, who operate the 
 dome farm in Buffalo township ; Amelia, who makes her home with her brothers ; 
 md Margaret, the wife of William Kolway, of Buffalo township. 
 
 Severin Kress was but an infant when he was brought from his native state 
 :o Scott county. The period of his boyhood and youth was spent in assisting his 
 Father in the work of the home farm, his time being thus employed through the 
 spring and summer months, while in the winter seasons he pursued his studies 
 n the district schools of the neighborhood. He remained under the parental 
 ■oof until he was thirty-two years of age and then rented a tract of land, which 
 le operated for a few years. He later purchased of the Brus estate one hundred 
 
1014 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 and sixty acres and removed to that farm and in due time he purchased one hun- 
 dred and twenty acres adjoining. He sold this entire tract in 1907 and invested 
 the money in his present farm on section 7, Buffalo township, and is now giving 
 his attention to this place. His farm is improved with substantial buildings 
 which are kept in good repair, while through the rotation of crops, the use of 
 fertilizers and strict adherence to practical and modern methods of agriculture, 
 he keeps his fields in a cultivable state. 
 
 Mr. Kress was united in marriage in 1891 to Miss Rose Brus, a daughter 
 of Jacob Brus, whose sketch appears on another page of this work. Three 
 daughters and one son grace the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kress : Ida, Alice, Theo- 
 dore and Clara. 
 
 Mr. Kress is a democrat in his political views but aside from casting his bal- 
 lot takes little interest in pubhc affairs. He has, however, served on the school 
 board for six years and in more direct business lines is a stockholder in the 
 Blue Grass Savings Bank. He is a communicant of the Catholic church. Quiet 
 and unassuming in manner, he thoroughly enjoys home life and takes great pleas- 
 ure in the society of his family and friends, while in his business affairs he. 
 ranks among the substantial men of this section of the state. 
 
 THOMAS CONVILL. 
 
 Thomas Convill, an enterprising and progressive farmer of Buffalo township, 
 Scott county, who for many years was identified with mining interests in Illi- 
 nois and Colorado, is a native of England, his birth occurring in Manchester on 
 the 15th of April, 1855. His parents, Alexander and Elizabeth (Larety) Con- 
 vill, were also born in Manchester, the former in 1806 and the latter in 1821. 
 They emigrated to America in 1857, locating first in Humphreysville, Connecti- 
 cut, and later came west, settling in Illinois. In 1861, at the time of the outbreak 
 of the Civil war, Alexander Convill was residing in Monmouth, that state, and he 
 enlisted in the Union army as a member of the Fiftieth Illinois Regiment, serving 
 for two years. After leaving the army he returned to the Prairie state, where 
 his remaining days were passed. 
 
 No event of special importance came to vary the routine of life for Thomas 
 Convill during the period of his boyhood and youth, which was mostly spent in 
 Mercer county, Illinois. There he acquired his education in the country schools, 
 and early in life began mining coal in Illinois, being thus engaged for some time. 
 He later took up agricultural pursuits in connection with his father, in which 
 line of activity he continued until after the latter's death, when he went to Col- 
 orado and was there engaged in prospecting and mining. In 1904 he returned 
 to Illinois and continued to make his home there until 1908, in which year he 
 sold his farm and came to Buffalo township, where he purchased the tract of 
 two hundred and fifteen acres upon which he now resides. He has since de- 
 voted his energies to the further development and improvement of this farm, 
 which he has brought under a high state of cultivation. The soil, which is nat- 
 urally rich and fertile, responds readily to the care and labor bestowed upon 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 1015 
 
 it and the^fields yield abundant golden harvests as the result of his industry and 
 energy. Systematic, methodical and progressive in his methods, he is carefully 
 managmg his interests in a way that is bringing to him a creditable degree of 
 prosperity, and he is ranked among the representative and substantial agricul- 
 turists of the community. 
 
 Mr. Convill holds membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows 
 at Cable, Illinois, and his Hfe record is in harmony with the basic principles of 
 that organization. His political views are in accord with the principles of the 
 democratic party and he keeps well informed on the issues and questions of the 
 day, so that he is able to support his position by intelligent argument. He does 
 not seek nor desire office, however, but prefers to concentrate his energies upon 
 his business affairs. Although one of the more recent arrivals in Buffalo town- 
 ship, he has nevertheless gained many warm friends during his brief residence 
 here, and by reason of his honorable and upright manhood has commanded the 
 respect, confidence and good will of his fellowmen. 
 
 HANS STOLTENBERG. 
 
 The strong qualities of industry and frugality which are marked characteris- 
 tics of the German race were conspicuous in securing for Hans Stoltenberg the 
 success which enabled him to retire from the active life of the farm and live 
 in the enjoyment of many comforts in Davenport. He was born in Germany, 
 September 20, 1828, his parents being Hans and Anna (Mundt) Stoltenberg. 
 With his wife and twelve children the father came to America in 1847. He 
 landed at New Orleans and later ascended the Mississippi river to Davenport. 
 In Scott "county he bought seven hundred acres of fine farm land about five 
 miles from the city. Unfortunately, however, he was not permitted to enjoy it 
 or to see the success of his children for he died about two months after his 
 arrival. 
 
 His son Hans Stoltenberg was about eighteen years of age when he left his 
 native land. He had received all his education in the public schools there and 
 after coming to this country assisted the family in settling upon the new farm. 
 After the father's death he and his brother Claus remained there for six years 
 and the tasks were many and hard that were laid upon their shoulders in order 
 to care for their brothers and sisters until this land, which had been but little culti- 
 vated, was producing richly. At the end of six years the homestead was divided be- 
 tween the children and for the next twenty-two years Hans Stoltenberg re- 
 mained upon his share of the estate. A skillful farmer, he soon had his fields 
 lighly cultivated and his place well improved, winning therefrom large and ample 
 ■etums for his labor. With advancing years he determined to give up the 
 ictive operation of the place and came to Davenport in 1887, where he devotes 
 limself to looking after his several interests, for besides retaining possession of 
 lis farm he holds some stock in the Farmers & Mechanics Savings Bank. 
 
 Mr. Stoltenberg was married in 1854 to Miss Elda Baresa and they had seven 
 hildren: Minnie, the wife of Richard Petersen and a resident of Davenport; 
 
1016 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Henry, who wedded Miss Tillie Speck and has seven children; William, who 
 married A. Hoss; Amelia, who is the wife of E. Stoltenberg; Louis, who wedded 
 Melia Deckman; Edward; Mrs. Theresa Miller; and Caroline who became the 
 wife of William Mann. For his second wife Mr. Stoltenberg wedded Miss 
 Elizabeth Hoss. The family have been raised in the Lutheran church in harmony 
 with whose teachings they endeavor to order their lives and in whose support Mr. 
 Stoltenberg has always been liberal. He belongs to the Society of Old Settlers 
 here and, having witnessed and participated in the growth of Davenport, the 
 memories of his past years are rich in reminiscences of the early days and the 
 incidents and hardships connected with them. His home is at 911 West Seventh 
 street. 
 
 FRED B. SHARON. 
 
 The name of Fred B. Sharon is well known in connection with banking inter- 
 ests of Davenport, and to the Catholic membership throughout the country as the 
 publisher of the Catholic Messenger, one of the strongest church papers of the 
 United States. Moreover, his name figures largely on the records of Catholic 
 fraternal and beneficial societies in many of which he has been a guiding spirit. 
 He was bom at Sterlingville, Jefferson county, New York, within thirty miles of 
 the Thousand Islands that for miles adorn the majestic St. Lawrence. He is a 
 son of Thomas Sharon, who was born in 1816 and in his early youth had come 
 with his father, Patrick Sharon, from the ancestral home at Trim, County Meath, 
 Ireland, very near the famed Hill of Tara, with Carthage, New York, as their 
 destination. Both the father and grandfather of Fred B. Sharon were pioneers 
 of northern New York in a heavily timbered country at the foothills of the Ad- 
 irondack mountains. The grandfather died while Thomas, the oldest of his 
 eight children, was in his teens. This son removed the family to Sterlingville, a 
 place ten miles north of Carthage, where he puchased two hundred acres of forest 
 land which was cleared by cutting down the trees and converting them into char- 
 coal for the blast furnaces at Sterlingville. From that time on Thomas Sharon was 
 a farmer, continuing to cultivate the same tract of land until his death, which 
 occurred in 1871 at the comparatively early age of fifty-five years. He was a 
 prominent and influential citizen in his home locality and for fifteen years held 
 the office of justice of the peace. He was also called to many positions of private 
 trust, being noted for his honesty and faithfulness which inspired the confidence 
 of all who knew him. His wife, who in her maidenhood was Mary Keon, was born 
 in county Fermanagh, Ireland, in 1822, and accompanied her parents to this coun- 
 try in 1835. She was married in 1844 at Sterlingville to Thomas Sharon and 
 unto them were born ten children. The mother passed away in 1876 after a use- 
 ful and well-spent life filled with kindly deeds and charitable acts. 
 
 Fred B. Sharon was educated in the public schools of Jefferson county. New 
 York, until 1880, when he came to Iowa and continued his studies in the public 
 schools at Cedar Falls until the close of 1882. In December of that year he came 
 to Davenport with his brother, Thomas L. Sharon, who a few months before had 
 established the Iowa Catholic Messenger. Since that time Fred B. Sharon has 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 1017 
 
 been connected with the paper, assuming the business management upon the 
 death of his brother in 1888. He has been pubHsher of the paper since that date 
 and his management has been attended with great success, for the CathoHc Mes- 
 senger circulates over a large territory and is considered one of the best Catholic 
 papers in the western country. 
 
 Since coming to Davenport Mr. Sharon has been connected very closely with 
 the business interests of this city. He was one of the incorporators of the Union 
 Sayings Bank in 1891 and for eleven years was its vice president. He was also 
 one of the incorporators of the Citizens Trust & Savings Bank in 1906, and is 
 now one of its directors. He also became one of the incorporators of the Home 
 Building Loan and Savings Association in 1890 and is still one of its directors. 
 In 1889 he was one of the incorporators of the Hibernian Hall Association and 
 is now secretary and manager of the Hibernian Hall Building. He was one of 
 the charter members of the Davenport Commercial Club and is now one of its 
 active members. 
 
 ■ In politics Mr. Sharon is a democrat and while he has never held public office 
 has always been active in the councils of his party and a willing worker in its 
 ranks for the success of the party principles. He is a member of the Sacred 
 Heart Cathedral parish and is connected with the different parish organizations 
 in which he is an active worker. In 1884 he became a charter member of the 
 Davenport division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and has held many local 
 and county offices, while for, four years he was Iowa's state president. He has 
 also represented the state and local association at several national conventions. 
 In 1900 he became a charter member of Loras Council, Knights of Columbus, 
 was its treasurer for several years and has been prominent and influential in local 
 and state conventions since that time. He belongs to the Roman Catholic Mutual 
 Protective Society of Iowa and has been its state vice president for the past fifteen 
 years. He is also one of the charter members of Pelemorgues Court, Catholic 
 Order of Foresters of Davenport and from the organization in 1903 served for five 
 years as its first chief ranger. He has been a delegate to all national conventions 
 held since his admission to this society. His membership relations extend to the 
 Western Catholic Union and to the Good Samaritan Society. The foregoing 
 indicates that Mr, Sharon has been called to the leadership in all of the different 
 walks of life into which he directs his steps. Executive ability and keen insight 
 well qualify him for management of important affairs and his cooperation has 
 therefore been sought in the guidance of many important fraternal and political 
 as well as business interests. 
 
 ALPHONSE W. ARNOULD. 
 
 Alphonse A. Arnould, who is successfully and prominently identified with 
 the industrial interests of Davenport as a contractor, enjoys a liberal patronage 
 in this connection and now maintains his offices in the McManus building. His 
 birth occurred on Rock Island street of this city, his parents being Lewis and 
 Cotilde (Hout) Arnould. The father, a native of France, obtained his educa- 
 
1018 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 tion in the schools of that country and there also became familiar with the car- 
 penter's trade. In 1847 he crossed the Atlantic to the United States and after 
 residing for a time at Indianapolis, Indiana, he came to Davenport, Iowa, and 
 began work at his trade. 
 
 Alphonse A. Arnould obtained his education in the Davenport schools and 
 when about fourteen years of age began learning the carpenter's trade under the 
 direction of his father. This line of activity has claimed his attention through- 
 out his entire business career, with the exception of one year, during which 
 period he followed bridge building. When eighteen years of age he took up 
 contracting in association with his father and the partnership was maintained with 
 mutual pleasure and profit until 1884. Subsequently Mr. Arnould of this re- 
 view turned his attention to stair building, which is a trade in itself, and after- 
 ward he spent about two years in the shops of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pa- 
 cific Railway Company. Twenty years ago he embarked in business as a con- 
 tractor on his own account, becoming a member of the firm known as the Tri 
 City Construction Company, the interests of which he capably directed in the 
 capacity of vice president. About a year ago he severed his connection with 
 that concern and spent some two months in travel for educational purposes. 
 On returning to this city he opened an office in the McManus building and has 
 here since carried on his interests as a contractor with excellent success. 
 
 On the 27th of September, 1881, Mr. Arnould was united in marriage to 
 Miss Elizabeth Downes, a representative of an old and prominent family of this 
 city. Unto them were born eight children, namely: Marie and Lewis, who are 
 deceased; Edmond, Albert, Theresa and Aledo, all of whom have completed 
 their education and are at home; and Elizabeth and Marie, who are attending 
 school. Fraternally Mr. Arnould is identified with the Knights of Columbus. 
 His close application and unwearied industry have brought him a goodly measure 
 of prosperity, while his recognized skill and ability have gained him recognition 
 as one prominent in building circles. 
 
 EDWARD KAUFMANN. 
 
 The life record of Edward Kaufmann is not only an illustration of the fact 
 that success and an honored name may be won simultaneously but is also an 
 indication of what may be accomplished through the utilization of the opportuni- 
 ties which America affords to her young men. In this land where labor is un- 
 hampered by caste or class success follows earnest, persistent and intelligently 
 directed labor and it has been along this line that Edward Kaufmann has reached 
 his present important position as cashier of the German Savings Bank of Daven- 
 port. 
 
 Born in this city on the i8th of August, 1864, he is a son of John and Mary 
 Anna (Schissler) Kaufmann, the former a native of Germany and the latter of 
 Illinois. The father came to the United States in the early '50s and after spend- 
 ing a number of years in the east removed to Iowa during the latter part of that 
 decade, settling in Davenport township, Scott county, where he turned his atten- 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 1019 
 
 tion to farming. At the time of the Civil war, however, he put aside all business 
 and personal considerations and in 1861 enlisted in the Twelfth Missouri Volun- 
 teer Infantry, taking an active part in the war. He was severely wounded at 
 Vicksburg in 1863 and because of the injury he there sustained was honorably 
 discharged. Returning to Davenport he continued his residence in this city to 
 the time of his death, which occurred in 1902. 
 
 In the public schools Edward Kaufmann pursued his early education and 
 afterward had the benefit of instruction in a business college. He then accepted 
 a position in the office of a flour mill and in 1886 entered the German Savings 
 Bank, with which he has since been connected. His initial position was a very 
 humble one, but gradually he has worked his way upward, his ability and energy 
 winning him recognition in various promotions until he became assistant cashier. 
 He acted in that capacity for a number of years and in 1906 became cashier of 
 this important institution. 
 
 In 1898 Mr. Kaufmann was united in marriage to Miss Tillie Schmidt, who 
 was born in Davenport and is a daughter of Hugo Schmidt, one of the prominent 
 and respected pioneer residents of this city. Mr. Kaufmann was a member of 
 the library board and has served as its chairman. He is interested in everything 
 pertaining to the promotion of education and the welfare of the community and 
 his labors have constituted a cooperant factor in many measures and projects 
 which have had direct bearing upon the city's growth and advancement. He has 
 earned for himself an enviable reputation as a careful man of business and in 
 his dealings is known for his prompt and honorable methods which have won the 
 deserved and unbounded confidence of his fellowmen. 
 
 P. H. LEBUHN. 
 
 A life of earnest and unfaltering labor has brought P. H. Lebuhn a goodly 
 measure of success. He is living in Le Claire township where he and his brother 
 William own two hundred and seven acres of land. They have long been asso- 
 ciated in business and display a spirit of industry and enterprise in all that they 
 undertake. 
 
 P. H. Lebuhn was born in Le Qaire, Iowa, April 22, 1859, and is a son of 
 Mr. and Mrs. William Lebuhn, who were both natives of Germany. The father 
 was a lock and gunsmith and conducted a shop at Le Claire for a number of 
 years. He died November 28, 1890, at the age of sixty-nine years, and his 
 widow, long surviving him, passed away in 1909. She was the mother of six 
 children : William and Peter H., who are associated in business ; Henry, who lives 
 in Canada; Louis and Laura, both deceased; and Carl, whose home is in Daven- 
 port. William and Peter H. Lebuhn have always been associated in their busi- 
 ness interests. They were both pupils in the schools of Le Qaire and at an early 
 age were sent out to work, since which time they have provided for their own 
 support. They were employed by different farmers and by hard work managed 
 to save about nine hundred dollars. Peter H. Lebuhn began working when he 
 was twelve years of age and when about twenty-three years of age he and his 
 
1020 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 brother William invested in farm land upon which they now live, borrowing two 
 hundred dollars from their father to make the first payment on the place. Later 
 when the father's house burned at Le Claire they paid him back the borrowed 
 money. From E. Penry they purchased one hundred and one and a quarter acres 
 of land and P- H. Lebuhn afterward bought forty acres from John McCaffrey 
 and afterward secured about forty-five acres from Mr. McCarthy. Then from 
 Frank Merry they purchased two and a half acres and from Mina Werner a 
 tract of eighteen acres. Later they were infiuenced by Sam Kylor to enter into 
 a deal in cattle, grain and one hundred and fifty-six acres of land. For about 
 eighteen years they rented from two to three hundred acres which they cultivated 
 in addition to their own farm. In the cultivation of the rented land they made 
 most of their money, securing land from two to seven miles from their home. In 
 order to cultivate this they camped out. The life was pretty hard for they did 
 not always have j ust what they needed and were often caught in hard storms, but 
 it was their purpose to work with untiring diligence and perseverance when they 
 were young and had their health, so that they might enjoy their earnings as they 
 giew older. 
 
 There is much that is of interest in the life history of the Lebuhn brothers. 
 They were very prosperous about nine years ago and were recognized as among 
 the leading farmers, but a friend aproached P. H. Lebuhn one evening, telling 
 him that he and his brother were going to be put out of business by some people 
 who were jealous of them. Mr. Lebuhn said he did not see how it could be done, 
 for they were practically out of debt, and could sell the following day enough 
 stock to entirely discharge all indebtedness. The brothers, however, are perse- 
 vering in their course which they and many of their friends and neighbors be- 
 lieve to be right, and it is hoped that they will in time realize the full benefit and 
 fruits of their labors and enjoy the prosperity to which their earnest toil justly 
 entitles them. They are worthy and enterprising business men who have worked 
 hard to attain success and have at all times sought to deal justly with their fel- 
 lows. They are still the owners of a good farm of two hundred and seven acres 
 and in addition to its cultivation are engaged in raising hogs. 
 
 SAMUEL W. PIERCE. 
 
 Samuel W. Pierce, who was long prominently identified with the educational 
 and business interests of Davenport, is now living retired at his present home on 
 Brady street. He comes from the east, being born in Westboro, Worcester 
 county, Massachusetts, on the 19th of July, 1835, and is a son of Samuel and 
 Rebecca (Vorrell) Pierce, the former a native of Boston and the latter of Wells, 
 Maine. The father, who was engaged in the shoe business, never left his native 
 state. 
 
 Like most of the boys of his native state, Samuel W. Pierce received a good 
 practical education and for eight years he successfully engaged in teaching school 
 in Massachusetts. He was graduated from one of the best schools of Massa- 
 chusetts and also took a course at Worcester. On coming to Iowa he first located 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 1021 
 
 in Fairfield, where he continued his educational labors and organized the great 
 school system now in operation there. In 1867 he was asked to take charge of the 
 Soldiers' Orphans' Home at Davenport, of which he became superintendent and 
 his wife matrqn. For about twenty years he was connected with that institution 
 and his labors won the unqualified approval of the public and also of those espe- 
 cially interested in the school. After leaving there he was called back to put the 
 organization in perfect shape again. Having retired from teaching, Mr. Pierce 
 then turned his attention to the wholesale boot and shoe trade, to which he de- 
 voted his time and energies until he retired. 
 
 On the 30th of September, 1858, in Massachusetts, Mr. Pierce married Miss 
 Fannie Lord, a daughter of David and Lydia (Meserve) Lord, of the state of 
 Maine. Five children have been bom of this union, namely: Charles, who wed- 
 ded Mary Smith and has two children, Mary and Franklin ; May, the wife of E. 
 L. Hayward and the mother of one child, Lou ; Carrie, the wife of John K. Hall, 
 of Denver, Colorado, by whom she has a daughter, Edith; Nellie A., at home; 
 and Joseph, who married Frank Hawes and has two children, James and Phillip. 
 
 In his social relations Mr. Pierce is a prominent Mason, having attained the 
 thirty-second degree, and is a member of Kaaba Temple of the Mystic Shrine. 
 Throughout his long residence in Davenport he has won the respect and confi- 
 dence of all with whom he has come in contact either in business or social life and 
 has never had occasion to regret establishing his home in this city. 
 
 CAPTAIN JOHN McCAFFREY. 
 
 It was not until advancing years made active work almost impossible that 
 Captain John McCaffrey was able to resist the call of the river and take up his 
 residence permanently in Davenport. From the age of thirteen the Mississippi, 
 its rafts, boats, and steamers had been his home, and that despite of the fact 
 that several times in the course of years he felt inclined to seek another occupa- 
 tion. He was born in County Pronaren, Ireland, in 1842, a son of James and 
 Mary (Murray) McCaffrey. The parents came to this country when their chil- 
 dren were young and in Scott county, in Davenport and later in St. Louis, Mis- 
 souri, the father became a man of wealth and prominence. He died in the latter 
 city, but his wife survived him many years, for she reached the remarkable age 
 of one hundred and three years before death called her. 
 
 John McCaflfrey received his early educatibn in the schools of St. Louis and 
 of LeOaire, Iowa, but he has always been a student during all his life, so that 
 his days of learning did not end with the period of his youth, when he started 
 in life for himself. He was only thirteen when he secured employment as a raft 
 hand on the Mississippi, working out of St. Louis. As he grew to manhood he 
 decided to engage in other pursuits, but the spell of the water had already been 
 exerted upon him, and he was almost compelled to follow the old life. For a 
 few years he was clerk upon a boat, but he was at the same time making the 
 best use of his opportunities and learning the science of navigation, so that it 
 was not long before he was able to assume the responsibilities of a pilot. The 
 
1022 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 first year that steam power was put into use on the river Captain McCaffrey 
 ran his first boat. It was one of two owned by another river captain, was named 
 the Alvira, and was the beginning of forty years' devotion to that field of occu- 
 pation. During that time, however. Captain McCaffrey opened the coal fields 
 which had been discovered upon his property in this county, and as he had about 
 four hundred acres he made a good income while he operated them and later 
 when he disposed of the land made a handsome profit upon his investment. At 
 that time he had two steamboats and four barges, which loaded with coal sold it 
 at various places along the river. His became a name well known at all the ports, 
 while the story of his life and success was repeated again and again. 
 
 It was on the 24th of March, 1868, that Captain McCaffrey was united in 
 marriage to Miss Sarah J. Davenport, a daughter of A. J. Davenport, who was 
 well known as being one of the earlier settlers of this county. Four sons were 
 born to the couple: Frank D., Henry S., Jack and Duke. Captain McCaffrey 
 has always been deeply interested in the welfare of Davenport, and takes a 
 certain pride in its growth, for he may rightly feel that his labors as a navigator 
 contributed no small share to the advancement which has been so conspicuous 
 during the last half century. As a river man he was able to know most certainly 
 the increase of its commercial importance for the Mississippi has always been 
 one of the prime factors of its life, as it still is. 'Although his career really began 
 with steam navigation he can well remember the less adequate means of caring 
 for passengers and freight. His has been a life devoted conscientiously to the 
 hardest toil, which, having brought rich returns to him, is a gratifying record of 
 years well spent. 
 
 PETER JOENS. 
 
 Among the representative citizens of Blue Grass who claim Germany as the 
 place of their nativity is numbered Peter Joens, who first opened his eyes to 
 the light of day in Schleswig, September 26, 1847. He is a son of Henry and 
 Christina (Gibsen) Joens, also natives of that province, the former born on 
 the i6th of July, 1816, and the latter on the ist of July, 1818. The parents came 
 to America in 1865, making their way direct to Scott county, Iowa, where the 
 father worked on a farm until his demise, which occurred in 1872. 
 
 Peter Joens acquired his education in the schools of Germany and was a young 
 man of eighteen years when he accompanied his parents on their removal to 
 this country. Since his arrival here he has devoted himself continuously to the 
 occupation of farming, first in connection with his father and later on his own 
 account. In 1885 he went to Muscatine county, Iowa, remaining there until 
 1894, when he located in Blue Grass, Scott county, where he has continued to 
 reside to the present time. He owns a little farm near the corporation limits of 
 Blue Grass, in Buffalo township, where he is successfully carrying on general 
 farming, and is also known in financial circles as a stdckholder in the Blue Grass 
 Savings Bank, his connection therewith being an additional source of revenue to 
 him. 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 1023 
 
 Mr. Joens has been twice married. In 1874 he wedded Emma Kroeger, a 
 daughter of Jacob Kroeger, of Scott county, and unto this union were born three 
 children, namely: William, a farmer of Tama county, Iowa; Ardelia, the wife 
 of Frank Peterson, of Rock county, Minnesota; and Henry, also carrying on 
 agricultural pursuits in Tama county, Iowa. The wife and mother passed away 
 in 1884, and in i886 Mr. Joens was united in marriage to Gertrude Luetke, a 
 native of Germany. They are well known throughout the community in which 
 they reside and are prominent in social circles, where their many excellent traits 
 have made them popular with a large number of friends. 
 
 Mr. Joens holds membership with Blue Grass Lodge, No. 26, Modern Broth- 
 erhood of America, and also with the Columbia Sick Relief Society. Politically 
 he votes with the democracy on all national issues but in local matters he reserves 
 the right to cast his ballot in behalf of the men and measures which in his opin- 
 ion are best adapted to conserve the public welfare. He has never been active 
 in politics as an office seeker, preferring to concentrate his time upon his private 
 business interests which, successfully and carefully managed, claim his entire 
 attention. He is a worthy and highly esteemed citizen of Buffalo township and 
 is known among his business associates as a man of upright principles and honest 
 dealing. 
 
 NICK DENKLAU. 
 
 Nick Denklau, a prominent citizen of Eldridge, Iowa, now living retired, was 
 born in Germany on the loth of May, 1852, and is a son of Jacob Denklau, who 
 was a brick mason by trade and spent his entire life in the fatherland. Our sub- 
 ject was reared and educated in the land of .his birth and in 1871 came to the 
 United States, landing at New York. His destination, however, was Scott 
 county, Iowa, and he came at once to Davenport. He was first employed here as 
 a farm laborer, being thus engaged for several years. 
 
 In December, 1877, Mr. Denklau was united in marriage to Mrs. Amelia 
 (Diedrick) Klindt, a native of Germany and the widow of Peter Klindt. She 
 was the owner of a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Lincoln township, 
 this county, and upon this property they began their domestic life, continuing to 
 reside there for twenty-five years, when Mr. Denklau retired from active farming 
 and removed to Eldridge, where he now makes his home. Having prospered in 
 his undertakings he was able to add forty acres to the home farm, making a tract 
 of one hundred and sixty acres in Lincoln township, and in 1894 he purchased a 
 farm of two hundred and thirty-five acres in Sheridan township, to the cultivation 
 and improvement of which he devoted his energies until he retired from active 
 life. Besides his farm land he also owns town property in Eldridge. 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Denklau were born six children, namely: Gust, a farmer 
 of Sheridan township, who married Amanda Stoltenberg; Emma, who is now 
 the wife of Herman Miller, living on the old homestead in Lincoln township; 
 Meta, the wife of Rudolph Amhof, of Lincoln township ; and Tilhe, Laura and 
 Adolph, at home. By her former marriage Mrs. Denklau had three children: 
 
1024 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Louis; Minnie, now Mrs. Stoltenberg; and Wilhelm. All are residents of this 
 county. The family is widely and favorably known and Mr. and Mrs. Denklau 
 have a host of warm friends. 
 
 CHRISTIAN G. DUESER. 
 
 Christian G. Dueser, deceased, was for some years a prominent merchant of 
 Davenport. His early home, however, was on the other side of the Atlantic, for 
 he was born in Germany and was there reared and attended school. He received 
 an excellent education in his native land and also continued his studies after com- 
 ing to this country. On reaching America he came direct to Iowa and estab- 
 lished his home in Davenport, becoming identified with the business interests of 
 the city as a merchant. 
 
 In early manhood Mr. Dueser married Miss Matilda Ficke, a daughter of 
 Senator C. A. Ficke, who was one of the leading lawyers and prominent citizens 
 of Davenport. Two children were born of this union, namely : Dr. F. H. Dueser, 
 who married Eliza Lorenzen ; and Elizabeth, who is now the wife of F. J. Lane 
 and has one child, Frederick S. 
 
 In his social affiliations Mr. Dueser was an Odd Fellow. Starting out in life 
 with no capital, his success was due entirely to his own unaided eflForts and he 
 may well be classed among the self-made men who did much for the promotion 
 of Davenport's interests. 
 
 C. RAY KINDT. 
 
 One of Davenport's younger business men is C. Ray Kindt, manager of the 
 princess theatre. He was born in Milwaukee, January lo, 1888, and is the son of 
 Charles T. and Nellie (Stoddard) Kindt. His father is a very prominent the- 
 atre manager, who has charge of fifty-one houses in Iowa and Illinois. His 
 principal Davenport interest is the management of the Burtis theatre. He came 
 originally from Sandusky, Ohio, and he and his family have made this city their 
 home for nearly twenty years. The grandfather, Louis Kindt, was born in 
 Germany of French parentage and came to America when about fourteen years 
 of age. 
 
 It was during a brief residence of his parents in Milwaukee that the subject 
 of the sketch was born, and while he was still an infant they came to Davenport 
 where they have ever since resided. Mr. -Kindt attended the common schools 
 and in due time was enrolled among the students of the high school. He then 
 entered the University of Chicago and took a course in electrical engineering. 
 He subsequently returned to Davenport and his father assisted him in securing 
 a foothold in the world of affairs, a thing he was well able to do for he is one 
 of the principal theatre managers of the west. Mr. Kindt inaugurated the 
 Princess theatre a few months ago and it is already taking its place among 
 
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 1025 
 
 the successful amusement houses in the city, the greater part of his time -and 
 energy bemg devoted to its management. He belongs to the Greek letter society. 
 Lambda Sigma Delta, which he joined when in college. 
 
 O. F. MATTESON. 
 
 O. F. Matteson needs no introduction to the citizens of Davenport and Scott 
 county. As a man and official he is widely known and his record as deputy 
 United States marshal is one which has gained for him wide commendation. A 
 native son of Iowa, he was born in Marshall county, in the year 1871, his par- 
 ents being Orlando and Mary (Karman) Matteson. The father was a farmer 
 by occupation, following that pursuit until after the outbreak of the Civil war, 
 when he put aside all business and personal considerations in order to protect 
 the interests of the country on the field of battle. He became a member of Com- 
 pany E, Sixteenth Iowa Infantry, and saw four years' service, during which 
 time he was captured and incarcerated in Andersonville prison. The Matteson 
 family came from the east in the vicinity of New York city. The ancestry of 
 the Karman family is traced back to Bavaria, Germany, a representative of the 
 name arriving in Scott county, Iowa, in 1850. 
 
 Owing to the death of his parents, O. F. Matteson was educated in the Sol- 
 diers Orphans Home where he remained for about six years. He then went 
 to Muscatine, Iowa, where he supplemented his previous education by thorough 
 study in the public schools. Reading, experience and observation have also added 
 to his knowledge and he has eagerly availed himself of every opportunity for 
 advancement in educational lines. After leaving school he took a trip to the 
 west where he was employed as a cow puncher on the plains and in 1891 returned 
 to Iowa, after which he was employed in various ways until he began learning 
 the carpenter's trade. He followed that pursuit up to the time of his retirement 
 from the industrial field, his attention being now devoted to his official duties. 
 
 It was on the 21st of June, 1893, that Mr. Matteson was united in marriage 
 to Miss Mary L. Beyer, a daughter of Gerhart and Louise (Heike) Beyer, who 
 were of German and Holland lineage respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Matteson have 
 become the parents of seven children, Orlando W., Evelyn, Alice A., Raymond 
 H., Teddy T., George Christian and Hellena. Mr. Matteson and his family oc- 
 cupy an attractive home on Harrison street near Duck creek and he has in ad- 
 dition to his residence an acre of fine land. 
 
 Retired from business life, he is giving his attention to official duties, filling 
 the office of deputy United States marshal for the southern district of Iowa 
 with headquarters at Davenport. He was one of the prime movers in securing 
 the establishment of the United States federal court at Davenport and because 
 of his work in that connection the entire Scott County Bar Association endorsed 
 him for the position of deputy United States marshal, believing him to be well 
 qualified for the office. He is familiarly known among the federal employes 
 through the east and west as "Pink"-Ta name suggested by the efficiency of the 
 
1026 HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY 
 
 Pinkerton men and given to him in recognition of the fact that he is an untiring 
 scout when on the trail of criminals, never giving up until he has placed his man 
 behind the bars. He was one of those who at Council Bluffs took part in the 
 prosecution of the famous Mowbray gang of notorious swindlers, fourteen of 
 the fifteen being convicted and receiving penitentiary sentences, most of them 
 being now in Leavenworth. Unfaltering in the performance of his duty, his 
 name has become a menace to evil-doers, and brings a sense of security to all who 
 hold themselves amenable to law. 
 
INDEX 
 
 A 
 
 Abbott, R. M 273 
 
 Adler, E. P 14 
 
 Albrecht, Nicholas 545 
 
 Allen, W. L 60 
 
 Alt, C. H 600 
 
 Armil, J. L 783 
 
 Amould, A. A 1017 
 
 Arp, A. P 954 
 
 Arp, Claua 336 
 
 Arp, H. A 1010 
 
 Arp, J. A 114 
 
 Arp, John 447 
 
 Arp, Peter 427 
 
 Arp, P. W 115 
 
 Arp, Rudolph 994 
 
 Arp, William *. . . 1006 
 
 B 
 
 Bailey, W. W. 635 
 
 Baker, Emma 836 
 
 Baker, G. T 985 
 
 Baldwin, B. S 190 
 
 Ballord, E. S 348 
 
 BallnfiF, W. M 328 
 
 Bangert, John 376 
 
 Bannister, L. R 108 
 
 Barewald, C. L 958 
 
 Barnes, J. D 845 
 
 Barnes, W. A 643 
 
 Barr, C. W 731 
 
 Bawden, G. W 968 
 
 Bawden, S. P 151 
 
 Becker, Charles 334 
 
 Becker, Guatave 160 
 
 Becker, Henry 997 
 
 Beh, Frank X 56 
 
 Behrens, John 771 
 
 Beiderbecke, Charles 565 
 
 Bendixen, J. H 723 
 
 Bendixen, P. A 399 
 
 Benedict, John . 613 
 
 Bennewitz, Louis 586 
 
 Bemick, Fritz 456 
 
 Berwald, John 473 
 
 Best, L. P 352 
 
 Bettendorf, J. W 234 
 
 Bettendorf , W. P 366 
 
 Betty, H. B 578 
 
 Black, A. S Ill 
 
 Blair, W. A... 243 
 
 Blanchard, G. H 995 
 
 Bluedorn, Kathryn W 63^ 
 
 Boettger, H. H 551 
 
 Boll, Charles 920 
 
 Bollinger, A. L 470 
 
 Boudinot, A. R 395 
 
 Bowling, J. M 993 
 
 Bowling, M. E 535 
 
 Bowman, A. W 219 
 
 Bowman, E. S 351 
 
 Bowser, W. F 337 
 
 Boyle, P. A 598 
 
 Brady, E. W 7 
 
 Braithwaite, William 650 
 
 Braunlick, H. G 139 
 
 Briceland, Hugh 342 
 
 Brockmann, H. J 475 
 
 Brockmann, Louis 973 
 
 Bragonier, John 1001 
 
 Brown, C. J 745 
 
 Brownlee, Mary A 797 
 
 Brownlie, A. W 538 
 
 Bruhn, John 360 
 
 Brus, Edward and Theodore 440 
 
 Brus, J. H 448 
 
 Bms, Theodore 781 
 
 Bryson, Alonzo 392 
 
 Burch, Ira , 385 
 
 Burmeister, J. E 529 
 
 Burrows, P. T 556 
 
 Busch, Diedrich 330 
 
 Bush, A. G 187 
 
 Buttenob, Christoph 925 
 
 C 
 
 Cabel, W. G 195 
 
 Cable, G. W 22 
 
 Calderwood, M. H 799 
 
 Calvert, W. 534 
 
 Cantwell, A. W 833 
 
 Cantwell, J. D 891 
 
 Carl, E. S 282 
 
 Carroll Brothers 933 
 
 Chamberlin, W. M. 499 
 
 Chenoweth, W. S 338 
 
 Clapp, C. F 684 
 
 Clapp, D.J 379 
 
 Clark, W. L 904 
 
 Clausen, Otto 364 
 
 Clement, J. H 139 
 
 Cody, Isaac 820 
 
 Collins, Edward 730 
 
 Collins, M. A 306 
 
 Collins, W. S 305 
 
 ■Convill, Thomas 1014 
 
 Cook, E. E 854 
 
 Cook, H. 262 
 
INDEX 
 
 Ora-wford, J. P 96 
 
 Crook, J. 1 350 
 
 Crossett, E. S 16 
 
 Crouch, J. B 260 
 
 Crowley, J. W 542 
 
 Curtis, G. W 824 
 
 Curtis, Phineaa 146 
 
 D 
 
 Daniels, John 188 
 
 Daurer, Louis 926 
 
 Davis, James 409 
 
 Day, A. 315 
 
 De Armond, J. M 110 
 
 De Cock, Frank 766 
 
 De Lap, William 271 
 
 De Lescallle, J. J 655 
 
 Denklau, Nick 1023 
 
 Denkmann, Julius 758 
 
 Denkmann, Otto 117 
 
 Dettmer, Peter 655 
 
 Diedrlch, Kathryn 333 
 
 Dlehn, Henry, Sr 408 
 
 Dodds, Jesse 509 
 
 Doe, A. P 278 
 
 Donegan, M. F 644 
 
 Doolittle, H. B 476 
 
 Dorman, A. H 649 
 
 Dorrance, D. F 480 
 
 Dougherty, E. J 237 
 
 Dougherty, Thomas 385 
 
 Dow, J. F 517 
 
 Dueser, C. G 1034 
 
 Duncan, J. C 622 
 
 Dutcher, J. G 313 
 
 E 
 
 Earhart, E. N 196 
 
 Eckermann, Gustav 343 
 
 Eckhardt, Louis 506 
 
 Eekmann, Claus 255 
 
 Eckmann, Tlmm 162 
 
 Egbert, Henry 30 
 
 Egel, John 591 
 
 Egger, L. G 293 
 
 Ehlert, H. J 240 
 
 Ehlmann, H. D 131 
 
 Eldridge, J. M 500 
 
 Elmer, A. W 123 
 
 Emler, C. F 364 
 
 F 
 
 Falkner, Charles 50 
 
 Fanning, Melvina P 896 
 
 Feddersen, Peter 873 
 
 Feuerbach, Henry 697 
 
 Ficke, C. A 144 
 
 Ficke, E. 499 
 
 Fidlar, J. B 70 
 
 Fidlar, W. F 435 
 
 Finefield, H. F 775 
 
 Fisher, L. M 946 
 
 Flick, H. J 976 
 
 Follette, Marie L 740 
 
 Francis, Charles 250 
 
 Frank, H. J 693 
 
 Frauen, George 608 
 
 Freund, Edward 886 
 
 Fridley, H. H 690 
 
 *ries, Caspar 479 
 
 Frye, H. H 387 
 
 Fulton, Ambrose C 933 
 
 G 
 
 Garstang, James 544 
 
 Gartside, B. W. 316 
 
 Gasseling, J. T 981 
 
 Gast, H. C 798 
 
 Gehrmann, W. H lOO 
 
 Geisler, E. N. J 383 
 
 Gifford, I. L 835 
 
 Gilchrist, J. W 828 
 
 Gillmor, Stewart 913 
 
 Gillmor, H. H 915 
 
 Glynn, C. B 590 
 
 Goering, W. T 643 
 
 Goettsch, Henry 866 
 
 Goldschmidt, A. G 573 
 
 Gollnitz, Louis 398 
 
 Gould, Daniel 198 
 
 Gould, G. A 773 
 
 Grabbe, Ludolph 916 
 
 Grace, F. C 809 
 
 Greene, J. N 233 
 
 Greer, J. H 939 
 
 Grell, Gus 734 
 
 Grell, James 830 
 
 Grell, Julius 686 
 
 Grieve, Thomas 810 
 
 H 
 
 Haak, Ferdinand 303 
 
 Haak, John 631 
 
 Haase, August 780 
 
 Hageboeck, A. L 964 
 
 Hagedorn, P. H. 719 
 
 Hagemann, Franz 157 
 
 Hagen, Anne H 311 
 
 Hahn, H. T 988 
 
 Hahn, W. F 853 
 
 Haller, J. T 993 
 
 Halligan, T. F 80 
 
 Hamann, A. W , 571 
 
 Hamann, Charles 656 
 
 Hamann, J. H 842 
 
 Hamann, J. H. J 172 
 
 Hanley, J. A 880 
 
 Hansen, C. J. B 304 
 
 Hansen, J. T 919 
 
 Hare, Marmaduke 757 
 
 Harkert, Hans 774 
 
 Harned, R. H 537 
 
 Harrison, J. H 388 
 
 Hartz, Theodor 65 
 
 Hasler. J. C 525 
 
 Hass, C. F 462 
 
 Hass, J. H 416 
 
 Hayward, E. B 418 
 
 Hayward, V. E 832 
 
 Heden, A. N 647 
 
 Heinz, Fred 574 
 
 Heinz, John 309 
 
 Helbig, Otto 701 
 
 Helble, Joseph 1005 
 
 Hell, Claus 234 
 
 Hell, Henry 557 
 
 Hetzel, C. C 166 
 
 Hetzel, C. F 421 
 
INDEX 
 
 Heuer & Westphal ^g^ 
 
 High, H. J. 
 
 159 
 
 Hirschl, Felix ,^27 
 
 Hoerach, William 867 
 
 Hoffbauer, Hugo . ana 
 
 Hoffmann, G. O. » re 
 
 Holland, A. W .'■'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'." ill 
 
 Holland, H. Jj ' > a. 
 
 Holm, Frank 882 
 
 Horst, H. H. [ 3^]^ 
 
 Horst, Ida ' j^g 
 
 Horton, Mrs. H. A 744 
 
 Huschke, B. A ! ! ! ! ! 84 
 
 Ihms, E. H 653 
 
 Ineze, Elizabeth 677 
 
 Jacobsen, P. N 277 
 
 James, Elizabeth A 785 
 
 Jamison, J. W. 39 
 
 Janseii, Nicklaus 130 
 
 Joens, Peter 1033 
 
 Johannsen, Jacob 310 
 
 Johnson, William 203 
 
 K 
 
 Kahler, C. F 553 
 
 Kahler, Henry 464 
 
 Kahler, Jurgen 949 
 
 Kardel, Fritz 1008 
 
 Kattenbrooker, Alwin 923 
 
 Kaufmann, Edward 1018 
 
 Kegel, E. T 746 
 
 Keppe, Charles 403 
 
 Keppy, F. C 907 
 
 Keppy, Frank 893 
 
 Keppy, L. A 739 
 
 Ketelaen, Hans 767 
 
 Kindt, C. E 1034 
 
 Kindt, C. T 831 
 
 Kistenmacher, H. H ' 743 
 
 Klindt, Albert 840 
 
 Klindt, Henry ' 344 
 
 Klindt, Henry, Jr 662 
 
 Klug, Otto 367 
 
 Knox, John 800 
 
 Koberg, William 1003 
 
 Koch, Simon 132 
 
 Koehler, 0. C 724 
 
 Koester, G. A 504 
 
 Kohrs, Henry 776 
 
 Krabbenhoeft, Theodore 903 
 
 Krause, Robert 396 
 
 Kress, John and August 986 
 
 Kress, Severin 1013 
 
 Kreul, D. G 118 
 
 Kroeger, Claua 86 
 
 Kroeger, H. L 675 
 
 Knise, Hans 109 
 
 Kuelper, Fritz 400 
 
 Kulp, 0. W 407 
 
 Kulp, R. R 358 
 
 Kylor, S. W. 711 
 
 Lage, Cathrina 133 
 
 Lage, H. C , 915 
 
 Lambach, Frederick 455 
 
 Lamp, August H. 391 
 
 Lamp, A. H 422 
 
 Lamp, C, H 734 
 
 Lamp, Christina 584 
 
 Lamp, G. P 787 
 
 Lancaster, E. J 510 
 
 Lane, D. E 671 
 
 Lane, J. R 5 
 
 Lane, J. T 53 
 
 Lange, Rudolph 103 
 
 Langseth, John 603 
 
 Lardner, J. F 791 
 
 Lau, Charles W. 637 
 
 Learner, G. W. 150 
 
 Lebuhn, P. H 1019 
 
 Le Claire, J. A 433 
 
 Le Claire, L. A., Sr 750 
 
 Lembke, H. F 153 
 
 Lensch, John 331 
 
 Lerchen, Charles , 786 
 
 Letts, F. D 996 
 
 Lieberenz, Dorothy 733 
 
 Lillis, W. M 468 
 
 Lindsay, J. B 8 
 
 Littig, J. A 638 
 
 Logan, F. T 518 
 
 Lorenzen, Jens 46 
 
 Lueders, George 254 
 
 Luetje, B. F 768 
 
 Lunger, W. W. 679 
 
 M 
 
 McCaffrey, John 1021 
 
 McCarthy, D. J 410 
 
 MeCausland, D. C 663 
 
 McClelland, T. W. 140 
 
 McClelland, Wilson 158 
 
 McCowen, Jennie, M. D 1026 
 
 McFarland, H. J 940 
 
 McMahon, B. M 536 
 
 McMann, Walter 727 
 
 Maack, Louis 434 
 
 Maass, F. H 606 
 
 Madden, J. G 459 
 
 Maines, W. R 454 
 
 Mann, W. J 128 
 
 Marks, M. L 180 
 
 Marriott, J. H 269 
 
 Marti, Chris 347 
 
 Martindale, Thomas 311 
 
 Martzahn, A. F 314 
 
 Mason, J. L 793 
 
 Mason, J. T 794 
 
 Matteson, O. F 1035 
 
 Matthey, Carl 241 
 
 Matthey, Heinrieh 241 
 
 Maw, Thomas B 862 
 
 Meier, Charles 666 
 
 Meier, Fritz 714 
 
 Meier, Henry W 670 
 
 Mengel, George 338 
 
 Metzger, J. C 428 
 
 Meyer, Edward 349 
 
 Meyer, H. H 197 
 
 Miclot, J. B 975 
 
 Miller, Jacob 665 
 
INDEX 
 
 Miller, Severin 184 
 
 Mitchell, G. C. R 36 
 
 Moeller, C. H 488 
 
 Moeller, Henry 27 
 
 Moeller, Hugo 536 
 
 Moeller, Louis and Henry 560 
 
 Moeller, W. A 497 
 
 Moeller, W. M 440 
 
 Moflfatt, F. 1 194 
 
 Mohr, J. H 482 
 
 Moorhead, S. H 246 
 
 Morehouse, D. B 792 
 
 Morgan, J. B 217 
 
 Morgan, Philip 580 
 
 Morrison, T. N" 239 
 
 Mueller, A. C 15 
 
 Mueller, Christian 71 
 
 Mueller, E. C 73 
 
 Mueller, F. W 73 
 
 Mueller, W. L 74 
 
 Muhs, H. F 59 
 
 Mundt, F. W 233 
 
 Murphy, C. H 107 
 
 Murphy, T. A 417 
 
 Murray, Charles 404 
 
 Murray, J. C . 819 
 
 Murray, W. B 124 
 
 Murrison, William 702 
 
 Myers, R. D 546 
 
 N 
 
 Nagel, Thies 604 
 
 Nebergall, P. B 171 
 
 Neufeld, Frank 765 
 
 Nickels, W. L. E 532 
 
 Noel, J. T 284 
 
 Niermann, Anthony 154 
 
 Nissen, Hans 728 
 
 Noth, W. G 429 
 
 Nugent, George and David 386 
 
 
 
 Oberleitner, J. P 283 
 
 Oetzmann, Minnie 732 
 
 Otto, J. A 816 
 
 Overdieck, Elise 167 
 
 P 
 
 Padgham, James B., M. D 641 
 
 Palm, J. C. F 1011 
 
 Parkhurst, M. R 300 
 
 Parmele, Edwin 469 
 
 Paustian, August 79 
 
 Paustian, Charles 624 
 
 Paustian, James 453 
 
 Peacock, Thomas 908 
 
 Peck, W. F SS 
 
 Peekensehneider, D. P 135 
 
 Peiffer, N. J 983 
 
 Petersberger, Isaac 183 
 
 Petersen, Adolph 888 
 
 Petersen, Detlef 307 
 
 Petersen, J. H. C 950 
 
 Petersen, Theodore 607 
 
 Petersen, W. H 446 
 
 Peto, F. B 64 
 
 Peto, F. J 143 
 
 Phelps, J. F 101 
 
 Pierce, S. W 1020 
 
 Pinneo, C. W 629 
 
 Plambeck, H. C 121 
 
 Plett, August 927 
 
 Pohlmann, William, Jr 978 
 
 Pollock, D. Y 511 
 
 Porstmann, L. J 519 
 
 Porter, J. F 286 
 
 Porter, J. R ' 401 
 
 Porth, Otto 335 
 
 Postel, Gustav H 874 
 
 Price, Hiram 959 
 
 Priester, Adolph 549 
 
 Priester, Emil 695 
 
 Priester, Fritz 165 
 
 Proudfoot, Mathias 212 
 
 Pruter, William 664 
 
 Puccinelli, Pasquale 365 
 
 Q 
 
 Quinn, Bert 531 
 
 Quinn, W. 1 788 
 
 Quistorf, F. A 738 
 
 R 
 
 Rann, Fritz 618 
 
 Reek, P. W 861 
 
 Reimers, H. F 762 
 
 Richardson, D. N 294 
 
 Roberts, U. N 814 
 
 Robertson, CM 871 
 
 Robertson, J. G 319 
 
 Rock, Christian, Sr 709 
 
 Rock, Frederick 568 
 
 Rock, W. H 779 
 
 Roddewig, L. E 698 
 
 Roehs, Henry 672 
 
 Rogers, 0. C 346 
 
 Rohlf , Henry 45 
 
 Rohlflf, M. F 176 
 
 Rohwer, Henry 261 
 
 Ronge, H. E 960 
 
 Roth, Edward 514 
 
 Roth, John F 290 
 
 Runge, Henry 434 
 
 Ryan, E. H 256 
 
 S 
 
 Sander, Julius 599 
 
 Sanders, A. H 966 
 
 Schaef er, H. G 393 
 
 Schaefer, Richard 931 
 
 Schaefer, W. C 306 
 
 Schaeffer, Harriet A 848 
 
 Sehebler, F. J 485 
 
 Schick, George 895 
 
 Schiele, C. L 373 
 
 Schindler, Severin 967 
 
 Schlapkohl, Ferdinand 558 
 
 Schlapkohl, Rudolph 58 
 
 Schlichting, Hans 676 
 
 Schlichting, John 315 
 
 Schmalz, Anna C 487 
 
 Schmidt, B. H 463 
 
 Schmidt, B. L 573 
 
 Schmidt, Juergen 860 
 
 Schmidt, L. H 760 
 
 Schmidt, L. W 439 
 
 Schmidt, Maria 326 
 
 Schmidt, William 567 
 
INDEX 
 
 Schneckloth, Claus 934 
 
 Sohneckloth, E. R. 910 
 
 Schricker, Lorenzo ' _ _ _ 322 
 
 Schroeder, Ernst D .'. . . . 526 
 
 Schroeder, Gustave A. and Rudolf! . . . . . 879 
 
 Schroeder, Henry 592 
 
 Schroeder, Henry 894 
 
 Schroeder, Louis 275 
 
 Schuett, Rudolph 885 
 
 Schumacher, Henry 839 
 
 Scott, 6. w ;;; 25 
 
 Scott, Thomas 115 
 
 Sears, I. H 614 
 
 Sessions, F. J 530 
 
 Shannahan, W. P 669 
 
 Shai-on, E. M 998 
 
 Sharon, P. B 1016 
 
 Shaw, G. S 654 
 
 Shorey, Joseph 136 
 
 Shuler, Anne M 861 
 
 Siebengartner, M. L 220 
 
 Seig, Relnholdt 491 
 
 Sievers, J. H 381 
 
 Simpson, C. S 877 
 
 Sindt, Henry 627 
 
 Sindt, Henry 373 
 
 Sindt, Thies 168 
 
 Skelly, J. H 617 
 
 Skinner, P. C 523 
 
 Smith, F. E 841 
 
 Smith, J. A 987 
 
 Smith, M. J 806 
 
 Smith, W. G 430 
 
 Smith, W. M 413 
 
 Snyder, C. B 971 
 
 Snyder, John 725 
 
 Soenke, Hans 394 
 
 Soenke, Peter 823 
 
 SoUer, John 847 
 
 Speth, Henrich 392 
 
 Spink, 0. R 312 
 
 Stacey, S. P 450 
 
 Starbuck, T. D 678 
 
 Steffen, August 937 
 
 Steffen, Henry 868 
 
 Steflfen, H. H 856 
 
 Steinberg, L. W 404 
 
 Stender, Henry 638 
 
 Steward, William 173 
 
 Stichter, Hattie 441 
 
 Stoltenberg, A. H 839 
 
 Stoltenberg, daus 616 
 
 Stoltenberg, Hans 1015 
 
 Stoltenberg, Henry 442 
 
 Stoltenberg, John . . .' 984 
 
 Stoltenberg, Peter 327 
 
 Stouffer, J. H 963 
 
 Strohbehn, E. F 127 
 
 Struck, H. C 204 
 
 Suhr, Henry 928 
 
 Suiter, C. H 648 
 
 T 
 
 Tabor, L E 189 
 
 Taylor, E. R 1009 
 
 Teele, Warren 583 
 
 Teufel, J. C 982 
 
 Thede, Johannes 597 
 
 Thede, P. J 585 
 
 I- 
 
 Theophilus, William 175 
 
 Thode, Carl 566 
 
 Thode, Henry 878 
 
 Thodt, Charles 704 
 
 Thomas, Davis 943 
 
 Thomson, J. R 355 
 
 Thompson, Henry 6 689 
 
 Thornbloom, Pred 909 
 
 Thuenen, Henry 436 
 
 Tobin, M. J 259 
 
 Torring, Chris 316 
 
 Trombly, Katherine 759 
 
 U 
 
 Untiedt, William 772 
 
 V 
 
 Valentine, G. W 238 
 
 Vanderveer, W. 1 329 
 
 Van Evera, Charles 901 
 
 Van Patten, J. P 414 
 
 Vilmont, J. H ,. 752 
 
 Vogt, J. C 974 
 
 Vollmer, Pred 106 
 
 Vollmer, Henry 85 
 
 Vollmer, Karl 270 
 
 Voss, C. N 105 
 
 W 
 
 Wachter, Kasper 225 
 
 Wadsworth, W. C 66 
 
 Walsh, A. E 449 
 
 Walsh, P. T 374 
 
 Ward, E. K 543 
 
 Watts, William 223 
 
 Weber, J. S 308 
 
 Weeks, H. E 589 
 
 Weir, W. R 513 
 
 Wells, W. D 137 
 
 Wenzel, Charles H 359 
 
 Wernentin, Pred, Jr 621 
 
 Werner, Albert 953 
 
 White, S. T 680 
 
 Wicks, Z. H 299 
 
 Wiese, Christina 297 
 
 Wiese, Christine 152 
 
 Wiese, Heinrich 341 
 
 Wiese, Henry 57 
 
 Wiese, J. H 887 
 
 Williams, A. P 74 
 
 Wilson, W. H 512 
 
 Wirth, Cyrillus 691 
 
 Witt, C. H 710 
 
 Wolf, Asmus 951 
 
 Wolf, Ferdinand 550 
 
 Woods, 0. C 520 
 
 Wuestenberg, H. J 1004 
 
 Wulf , Hermann 749 
 
 Wulf, Wilhelm 594 
 
 WuHder, H. F 34 
 
 Y 
 
 Yocum, I. C 481 
 
 Yohn, S. B 751 
 
 Z 
 
 Zabel, P. C. A 717 
 
 Zabel, Theodore 1013 
 
 Zoeckler, J. L 116 
 
 Zoller, Ernst 977