Delatus M. Aspinwall was born in Vermont in 1810. He spent his early days on a farm, and received a common-school education. He was married in 1846, in New York state, to Miss Bates, a sister of Dr. Bates, now of Fontanelle. She died in 1884 in Wisconsin. He removed from New York to Jefferson county, Wisconsin, and represented that county in the state legislature. He afterward left that state for Iowa, and has since made his home in this county.

Alexander M. Gow was descended from New England ancestors on the father's side, and from Scotch-Irish ancestors on the side of the mother. The latter settled in Western Pennsylvania when it was a wilderness. His maternal great-grandfather, the Rev. Matthew Henderson, was the first missionary of the Scotch Secession church, who settled west of the Alleghany mountains. His grandfather, Alexander Murcoch, was a prominent citizen of Washington county, who occupied positions of honor and trust among the people. Alexander M. Gow was born on the 18th of March, 1828, in Washington, Washington county, Pennsylvania, and graduated at Washington college in the fall of 1847--a classmate of the Hon. James G. Blaine. Shortly after graduation, he commenced the study of the law in his father's office. As the common schools of his native town were insufficient, Mr. Gow was induced to suspend his legal studies for a time and attempt this reformation. In this work he was engaged without interuption for seven years. He was admitted to the bar in 1857. Accepting an invitation to take charge of a literary institution, he removed to Dixon, Illinois, in the fall of 1857. The financial convulsion of the succeeding year overwhelmed the new enterprise, and in 1859 he became superintendent of the Dixon public schools in which he labored three years. For two years he was editor of the Illinois Teacher, the organ of the department of public instruction, and of the state teachers' association. From the city of Dixon he was called to a wider field of labor, as superintendent of the Rock Island city schools, where he resided until the fall of 1867, when he removed to Indiana to take charge of the public schools of the city of Evansville. In this city he has resided nearly ten years, eight of which were spent as superintendent of the schools, which increased during his incumbency from about forty teachers to one hundred and ten. During his stay in Indiana he was chosen president of the state teachers' association, and as a member of the state board of education, was identified with some of the prominent educational reforms of the state. As a member of this board he assisted the able state superintendent, James H. Smart, in the preparation of the educational exhibit of the state in the Centennial exposition, and remained in Philadelphia in connection with other members of the board, for nine weeks in its superintendence. In the fall of 1876 he was called to take charge of the schools of Council Bluffs. He was re-elected the second year, but resigned the position and removed to Washington, Pennsylvania, to take part of the management of the Washington Reporter as co-editor and proprietor. In this occupation he was engaged about six years, when he disposed of his interest in the paper, and removed to Iowa in the spring of 1884, to take charge of the Exchange bank, of Fontanelle, in company with D. Heaton, the well known banker of Greenfield. Mr. Gow was married in the fall of 1852 to Miss Sybil C. St. John, of Fulton, Oswego county, New York. Of this union there have been six children, five of whom survive.

James H. Hulbert, the most extensive stock-dealer and raiser in Adair county, was born in Huron county, Ohio, May 24, 1841. His father Harley Hulbert, was a native of New York, but was reared in Ohio, going to that state when about nine years old. James was the second child of a family numbering eleven children. The mother was Elmira Day, born in Huron county, Ohio. She still lives, beloved by her grown sons and daughters, with whom she makes her home. Her husband passed to the silent realms of death in Fulton county, Illinois, to which place he had removed from Wapello county, Iowa, in 1857. Wapello county claimed Mr. Hulbert as a citizen from 1854 to '57. When James Hulbert's fathr died great responsibility was thrown upon James, the family being without the necessary means to sustain themselves, of course he was obliged to exert himself to support the mother and other smaller children. So at the age of twenty-one years we find him without a dollar of resources. At this time he was offered a chance to purchase stock, and for this purpose went into Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota, at the time living in Fulton county, Illinois. He was quite successful and made some considerable money out of each investment, till at last he was taken into partnership with his old employer, Jefferson Louk, of Fulton county, Illinois, each to share the profits half and half, Mr. Hulbert to do the buying. The mode of traveling was on horseback, riding a distance of five hundred miles to the fields which he was operating in. By this business he became possessed of considerable means, at least when in 1868 he emigrated to Adair county, he purchased eight hundred acres of land in Washington township on sections 23, 24, 23 and 14. This farm he improved, and has since added on to the old homestead so that in one body there he now owns two thousand acres. This is one of the finest farms in the state of Iowa, fenced all around with barbed wire and cross fences of the same material. The farm is used exclusively for stock. It was here the first herd of short-horn cattle that were brought to the county was turned out, the admiration of all who saw them. They were purchased in Kentucky by Mr. Hulbert, who made this line of business very extensive from 1868 to '74, but in connection he bought and shipped cattle, first driving to Afton, then to Creston, and so on, as the railroad was completed to each point. His operations were widespread, and consequent upon the failure of Jay Cooke & Company, of Philadelphia, in 1873, he was, for a time, financially embarrassed. Not from due want of financial ability, but from depression in business circles generally was Mr. H. obliged to partially suspend operations. Being a man of good business tactics, and resolute will, and strong physique, he came again to the front with flying colors, and is now one of the foremost men in Adair county. Mr. Hulbert at present is engaged in shipping live stock, buying and feeding all that can be obtained at this point and at Orient. He has for a partner in the stock business James Jackson, of Chicago, with whom he is in the commission business there handling live stock. They own a farm of one thousand acres in Orient township, which is devoted to grass and corn. The old farm in Washington township is devoted to horses mostly--as far as breeding is concerned--of the Norman and Clydesdale stock, having at present eighty of these horses. Both farms are well watered by the Nodaway which supplies the stock in summer, and wells, with wind-mills near the buildings, for winter. Great quantities of evergreens are set out as a break in winter to the cold blasts, and miles of willow hedges surround the land. In 1880 Mr. Hulbert removed to Fontanelle, and in 1882 built his fine residence in the south part of town. This structure, with good outbuildings, is an ornament to even larger places than Fontanelle. He also owns land in Eureka township, which is nicely cultivated and improved. He was married on the 20th of December, 1868, to Miss Mary Dunlap, a daughter of Joseph Dunlap. The have five children living--Charles F., Maggie L., Adda B., Mary, Clio and Pearl J. In politics he is a democrat; he is now serving his second term as chairman of the board supervisors of the county.

Wendel Mathes was born on the 12th of September, 1840, in Orleans county, New York. He was reared on a farm and learned the cooper trade, which he followed until 1861, when he removed to Illinois and there followed farming in 1865. He removed to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and there remained until 1869, when he came to Adair county,, settling on a farm in Summerset township, and in 1871 moved his locality to Jackson township, where he owned a large farm on sections 27, 28 and 33. He remained there until 1882, when he came to Fontanelle, where he now owns a nice residence. He was united in marriage in Octover, 1873, to Miss Emma Simpson, a native of Iowa. They have four children--Alice I., Walter C., George and Frederick.

M. A. Rany, the present postmaster of Fontanelle, and editor and proprietor of the Observer, was born in Montgomery county, Indiana, near Lafayette, in 1856. While quite an infant, his parents removed to Warren county, Illinois, where they resided until they came to Fontanelle, in 1866. Manley attended school at Battle Ground, Indiana, during the years 1874 and '75, receiving the finishing touches that were lacking in the district schools of this locality. On the 21st of July, 1877, he was united in marriage with Miss Francisca McManigal, a daughter of F. R. McManigal, late a resident of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, but then a citizen of Casey, Iowa. M. A. resided at Stuart until 1879, engaged as a compositor in the office of the Locomotive, and then removed to Exira, Audubon county, editing the Audubon county Defender during 1880. In the spring of 1881 he went to Pennsylvania, with the intention of remaining in that state, but returned to Fontanelle and purchased the Observer, then on its third volume, with a meagre circulation of less than two hundred, and has continued up to the present time as its editor and proprietor. Mr. Rany is a member of the blue lodge and chapter of Fontanelle, and of Bethany commandery, K. T., of Creston, Iowa, and of the Odd Fellows fraternity. He was appointed postmaster March 15, 1882, and still holds the office. His marriage has been blessed with four children, whose names are, respectively: Clyde B., Kate H., Roscoe J. and Earl M.

T. [Thomas] M. Reynolds is a native of Belmont county, Ohio and was born January 1, 1853. His father, Cyrus Reynolds, was also born in the same county, and followed the trade of tailoring. The family removed from Lowellsville, which had previously been their home, to Henrysburg, in the same county, and here Thomas was educated. After leaving school he commenced to learn the blacksmithing and machine trade. He finished his trade with Hall & Bro., carriage-makers, in Smyrna, Ohio, where he worked one and a half years, and became proficient in his trade, until he is now capable of doing anything in his line with the precision and nicety of the most skilled artisan. He was married in Henrysburg, September 1, 1874, to Miss Mary M. Whitington, a native of Harrison county, Ohio. They have two hildren--Willie B. and Maud M. Before removing to Iowa, he spent two years on a farm, where he also carried on work at his trade. On coming to Fontanelle, he commenced his present business, and he has since made a name here for fine workmanship.

W. H. Simmons, the present mayor of the city, and insurance and real-estate dealer in Fontanelle, was born in Pennsylvania on the 25th of December, 1849. His father died when he was quite young, and his mother died when he was about twelve years of age, leaving him alone in the world. After the death of his father, his mother married again, and W. H. lived with his step-father until the death of his mother. He then went to Stark county, where he worked on a farm until 1871, when he came to Davis county, Iowa, and in 1874 came to Fontanelle. Here he was engaged as clerk in a store until 1884, when he opened his present business. He is a member of the I. O. O. F and of the Iowa Legion of Honor. Mr. Simmons was married on the 1st of January, 1872, in Davis county, to Miss Anna Smith, a daughter of Abraham Smith of that county.

John Taylor came to Fontanelle in November, 1863, from Knox county, Illinois, where he had been operating in Galesburg, as carpenter and jobber, the same business which he has followed Fontanelle. In 1879 he commenced handling lumber in connection with Rutt & Rutt. They were located near the depot in East Fontanelle. The firm continued about eighteen months, when Mr. Taylor purchased the interests of his partners and continued to operate until November, 1882, when he sold out his business to Mr. Green with the understanding that he should again resume control of the yard November, 1884. He has a good office, sheds and yards, and as a dealer and contracor has given general satisfaction. He has superintended the erection of the most of the better buildings in the village and surrounding country, besides buying a number of farms in the county, and erecting buildings thereon and selling out, and has made a good competency by so doing. He now owns a beautiful residence in the east part of town over-looking the eastern business portion of Fontanelle, and thirty-three acres of land joining. He also owns one other farm in the county. His birth was April 27, 1831, and the place, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. His father, James Taylor, was a native of Pennsylvania,and of German origin. John's mother was Hannah McDonald, also a native of Pennsylvania, born at Pittsburg, and of Scotch extraction. They were farmers, and it was on a farm that the subject of this sketch was born and reared, and at the same time had learned the carpenter trade. In 1855 he removed to Galesburg, Illinois, where he remained till 1861, when he removed to Warren county, where they remained till 1863, and as before stated, came to Fontanelle this year. His marriage occurred April 27, 1858, his wife being Lucinda J. Snyder, a native of Warren county, and daughter of George and Lydia Snyder. They have three children--Fonta and William living at home, and Andrew, born February 15, 1870, and died June 29, 1884; a child of promise, who was beloved by all his friends and schoolmates. Mr. Taylor is a member of the Masonic order, and also of the I. O. O. F.