Adair County >> 1884 Index

History of Guthrie and Adair Counties, Iowa
Springfield, Ill: Continental Hist. Co., 1884.

Eureka Township

Transcribed by Bobbi Pohl

Christian Eshelman - The subject of this sketch was born April 9, 1854, in Carroll county, Illinois. A son of Martin and Elizabeth (Stoner) Eshelman. Christian's father having died in Carroll, he with his mother, removed to Cass county, Iowa, in the spring of 1875. His marriage occurred at this place November 2, 1877, to Miss Anna M. Kingery, an adopted daughter of Daniel and Susan Kingery and four children have been born to them, Cora J., Ida, Stella and Albert--the three former are living. In the spring of 1878 the family removed to Eureka township, and in 1863 to their present location on section 27 [Eureka township], where Mr. Eshelman owns one hundred and sixty acres of good land; and has one hundred and thirty acres under cultivation. He raises grains and stock to a considerable extent.

Ferdinand A. J. Warner is a native of Wisconsin , and was born April 22, 1852 , his parents being William and Harrriet S. (Cooper) Warner. His mother died August 2, 1862 , in Wisconsin . With his father he moved to Kankakee county, Illinois , in the spring of 1867, and during the same year went to Rock county, Wisconsin . In the all of 1870 they came to Madison county, Iowa , and to Fontanelle, Adair county, in 1871, where his fther died December 12, 1874 . The subject of this sketch, in connection with his father, kept a meat market in Fontanelle. He was married there in December, 1873, to Miss Sophia H. Leabo, a daughter of Francis F. and Harriet (Bryant) Leabo. They have three children--Gertrude Irene, Alda Josephine and Bertha Adaline. Mr. Warner came to his present location in Eureka township, section 26, in January, 1876, and owns one hundred and sixty acres of improved land, a nice grove, an orchard and all kinds of small fruit. He is a very popular young man, and takes great pride in improving his farm, and deserves the success which is crowning his efforts.

Fred H. Cears was born May 14, 1847 , in Ritchie county, Virginia, a son of John and Phoebe (Tucker) Cears, and with his parents removed to Monroe county, Ohio , in 1852, and to Burlington , Iowa , in 1853, to Dallas county in 1854, and to Adair county in 1855, thence to Jackson township. He was married March 10, 1872 , to Miss Emma Trowbridge, a daughter of Edward and Catharine (Snyder) Trowbridge, and one child has blessed the union--Myrtle E. He removed to his present location on section 20, in 1876, having removed to the township [ Eureka ] in 1872. He owns a beautiful farm of two hundred and forty acres, all fenced , and divided in three separate fields. He pays particular attention to shorthorn cattle and Poland-China hogs. He is one of the best farmers in the township, and has occupied different offices since coming here, such as secretary and director of the school boards, and is at present constable. he was the first school-teacher in district No. 4, having been educated and made teaching a professsion before. Mr. Cears was a soldier in the late war, and the date of his enlistment April, 1865, being about sixteen years of age. He was in Company E., 47th Iowa infantry, enlisting from Jackson township. He served under General Prentiss, and was discharged September 28, 1864 .

Lewis Daniels, one of the prominent men of Eureka township, was born June 28, 1845 , in Putnam county, Illinois , his parents being Henry and Esther ( Dixon ) Daniel. With his parents moved to LaSalle county, Illinois , in 1860, and while a resident of that county was married on the 17th day of March, 1876, to Mrs. Josephine Williams, a daughter of Judge P. Payne. They have three children--Amy, Abbie and Leroy. Mr. Daniels came to his present location on the north half of section 2, in Eureka township, March 1, 1882 . He was a delegate to the late republican state convention, and is at present one of the trustees for Eureka township. He owns one of the nicest farms in the township, containing three hundred and twenty acres, which is all under cultivation, and has three orchards.

Albert Hadley, a native of Hendricks county, Indiana, was born on the 6th of October, 1854 , and is the son of Jonathan and Emeline (Marshall) Hadley. He was married, on the 18th of February, 1877 , to Miss Clista Diddy, daughter of Peter and Jane Diddy. They have been blessed with three children--Aura, Claude and Delman. Albert came to Dallas county, Iowa, in 1863, and 1875 he came to his present location on section 10 [Eureka township], and after his marriage he built a fine residence, where he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising, having some fine shorthorn cattle and Poland-Chana hogs.

Henry and Nicholas Henning - The first to settle in what is now Eureka township were Henry and Nicholas Henning, in 1860. They purchased the land on section 31, in this township, in 1857, but did not move on it until the year as above stated, although they improved and cultivated it. Henry Henning is a native of Hamburg , Germany , born November 1, 1827 , the son of Daniel and Annie (Osterndurf) Henning. He came to Baltimore , Maryland , in 1848, where he remained some three years. From there he removed to Rock Island , Illinois , in 1851, and 1856 to Adair county. Locating in Jackson townwhip, he purchased the land on section 31 in Eureka , and after remaining about a month, returned to Illinois . In May, 1857, he returned and lived on the middle Nodaway river, near the Jones farm, on section 4, Jackson twonship. Here he built a small frame house in the fall of 1857, and here he lived until May, 1860, when he removed to section 31, Eureka township. All this time he was improving his farm. He was married February 14, 1870 , to Miss Mattie Herr of Richland township, by whom he has one child--Frank.

The Henning brothers started and ran the first brickyard in the county, in 1858. This was then in Washington township. The next year they followed the same line of business in Jackson township, on Alfred Jones' land, and in 1860, on sction 4. The brothers still live on the farms they laid out on section 31. Nicholas Henning, a native of near Hamburg , Germany , was born in October, 1853, and is the son of Daniel and Anna (Osterndurf) Henning. He immigrated with his brother to Baltimore , Maryland , in 1848, and there remained until 1851, when he came to Rock Island , Illinois , and on the 1st of May, 1857 , he moved on section 4, Jackson township, Adair county. He came to his present location on section 31, Eureka township, in 1860, where he owns 250 acres of land, under cultivation, and has a number of fine cattle and hogs. Mr. Henning was married on the 21st day of February, 1868, to Miss Eliza Little.

Charles E. Schenck, a resident of section 13, Eureka township, was born on the 3d of September, 1847 , in Onondaga county, New York , and is a son of Garrett and Emeline (Raymond) Schenck. In June, 1851, he came with his parents to Pike county, Illinois, and in 1854 he moved to Brown county where he remained until October, 1870, when he came to Washington township, Adair county, where on the 9th of March, 1873, he was married to Miss Jennie A. Stillwell, a daughter of John M. and Angeline (Skinner) Stillwell. They have two children--Albert and Lena . Mr. Schenck enlisted in Company B., 14th Illinois infantry, at Mount Sterling , in February, 1865. He enlisted in Company C., 137th Illinois infantry, when only fifteen years of age, but his brother had enlisted and parents would not consent. After his brother returned home he again enlisted (as above mentioned), and served until the close of the war. He returned home, and in 1875 came to Summit township, and there remained until 1879, when he came to Eureka township, and in March, 1883, he came to his present location. He was constable of Washington township two terms.

Darwin M. Schenck was born on August 13, 1843 , in Elbridge , New York , and is the son of Garrett and Emeline (Raymond) Schenck. He moved with his parents to Brown county, Illinois , in 1851, and in a short time to Pittsfield , Pike county, where he remained until 1854, when he moved back to Mount Pleasant , Brown county. He lived there the most of the time until he was eighteen years of age and enlisted in company G, 3d Illinois cavalry, on the 16th of August, 1861 at Mount Sterling, Illinois, and participated in the battles at Springfield, Missouri; Sugar Creek, Pea Ridge, Cross Hollows, Jacksonport, Batesville, Arkansas; Grand Gulf, Raymond, Champion Hills, Black River bridge, siege of Vicksburg, Jackson, Mississippi; Millikens' Bend, St. Mary's, Washington and several skirmishes on Bayou Tache, Louisiana; battles on Shanghi and Matagorda Islands, and Indianola, Texas; Forest's raid at Memphis, and several minor engagements. On the 19th of May, 1864 , was promoted to second sergeant of the company, and was discharged on the 26th of September, 1864 , at Springfield , Illinois . He was married at Quincy, Illinois, October 11, 1864, at the Sanitary Fair, in old style in the Yankee kitchen department in the presence of about two thousand, with twenty-four couples dressed in old style, as groomsmen and bridesmaids; to Miss Eilzabeth M. Crabb, a daughter of Edward and Eleanor Crabb, and lived in Brown county, Illinois, until April, 1869, when he settled in Washington township, Adair county, Iowa, living there eight years. He was a justice of the peace here about six years, and during tht time he married twenty-six couples, and was postmaster for about one year of the Adair post-office, but was afterward removed to Avondale. In the fall of 1876 he removed to section 35 in Summit township, and improved a place there with his brother, when he sold out and moved to his present location, on the east half of the southwest quarter of section 24, in Eureka township. He has served as township clerk of this township for two years. They have seven children living and two dead, one in Washington township and the other in Summit township. The names are as follows--Cora, Jennie, Willis W., Walter D., Enos R. and Alice R. (twins), Ethel M. and Arthur G. Mr. Schenck and wife and two oldest children are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Pleasant Hill . He and his wife and Cora J. are members of the Adair County Holiness Association, of which there are about eighty members. Mr. Schenck is a general farmer, but learned the shoemaker trade of his father when a boy at home, and a manufacturer of sorghum, having made seventeen hundred gallons last year, besides about two hundred and fifty gallons of vinegar. He owns eighty acres of land, mostly improved, an orchard, and has quite a grove of willow and maple set out. his daughter, Cora J., has been teaching school ever scince she was not quite sixteen, has taught seven terms, several in district No. 7. Mrs. Schenck also runs a carpet loom and has woven several hundred yards.

E. M. Smith is a native of Shelbyville, Shelby county, Indiana, and was born the 27th day of April, 1829, being the son of Jonas and Abigail (Mayhew) Smith, the former being a native of Vermont, while the latter was a native of Maine. The subject of this sketch went to Des Moines , Iowa , in October, 1855, and to Indianapolis , Indiana , in 1857, where he was married on the 21st of September, 1861 , to Missouri A Snow, the dughter of Hiram and Alida A. Snow, Syracuse , New York . They have seven children living--Herbert G., Eva M., Florella, Mellie, Hattie, Eda and Ernest. In the fall or 1863, Mr. Smith returned to Des Moines, Iowa, and remained in that vicinity up to March 1884, when he came to his present location in the northwest quarter of section 14 [Eureka township]. He was a carpenter and builder for twenty-five years, quitting the same some ten years ago, his last work in that line having been done in Des Moines . He now owns one hundred and sixty acres in this township, eighty-five of which is seeded to grass, it being his intention to run a stock farm, and he will buy a number of thoroughbred shorthorn cows next season. He now has some shorhorns, with a pedigreed bull at the head of the herd. He also raises Poland-China hogs. His farm is well improved and contains plum trees and other shrubbery.