History of Guthrie and Adair Counties, Iowa
Springfield, Ill: Continental Hist. Co., 1884.
Lee Township
Transcribed by Bobbi Pohl
James A. Woodward's parents were Rev. Enos Woodward, whose ancestors came from Boston , and settled in Kentucky . The family had come fifteen years after the Mayflower; they were from Ipswich , England . The mother was of a Scotch family from Ayershire, named Murphy, who emigrated to this country through Maryland . On both sides the family was educated and respectable, and is tracd far back both in this country and in England and Scotland . They had a farm of eight hundred acres, and several manufactories, and their place was afterward the county seat of Bracken county, now called Brookfield . The brick mansion is still occupied, and some of the trees still flourishing. They preferred to follow the fortunes and removals of the Gospel ministry, and movved from Kentucky when James was five years old, first to several places in Ohio, then to Pittsburg, then to Brownsville, then to St. Andrew's and St. Mary's, Chester county, thirty-three miles from Philadelphia. James A., named for a friend of great merit and goodness--James Armstrong--attended several excellent schools, notably, Howe's Academy, Lancaster , Ohio , and the Western university of Pennsylvania . Afterward he taught school in Connellsville, then was elected principal of the preparatory department of Madison college, with sixty pupils, where Bishop Simpson had been a predecessor. Graduated, B. A., and entered the seminary of the Protestant Episcopal church, near Alexandria, Virginia, and Washington, District of Columbia, where having pursued a full course of three years, he graduated and was ordained deacon, by Bishop Mead in Christ-church, Alexandria. Then appointed agent of the American Bible Society. Then appointed with the concurrence of all the bishops of the church, missionary of the general board, in St. Mary's , Georgia , and operating also in Florida . Then was graduated as M. A. of Kenyon. The rector of two churches, one in Chester the other in Berks county, in one of these, St. Thomas', Morganown, was ordained Presbyter by Bishop Alonzo Potter, then rector of the church of the Evangelists, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, then missionary of the general board in Oregon, then succeeding his father, as rector of St. Andrew's and St. Mary's, Chester county. While here, having a glebe farm and parsonage house, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Kissam, daughter of a well-known and respected family in New York city . While here, their son, William H. was born. Then appointed by the advancement society of Pennsylvania , missionary in McKean and Potter counties. In the form of which, he was also elected principal of the acedemy, which had been assisted, like Madison and several others, by President Madison. Some of his vestry men in Chester county churchs having emigrated to La Salle county, Illinois, built a church and called him to be their rector which, being now married and desiring to found a family home, he accepted and became the rector, and built a comfortable residence, connected with ninety acres of land. Here their daughter, Sarah, was born. He afterward was appointed by the general board missionary of LaSalle city and Utica , and several times had charge for weeks of the churches of Ottawa , and afterward in Streator, and labored as missionary in Henry county, and in Pontiac , to found a church organization. Then invited by Bishop Vail, removed to Paola, Miami county, Knasas, and under the appointment of the bishop, the general board and the American Missionary Society operated as missionary in Miami , Johnson and Franklin counties, and visiting and officiating in Fort Scott and Baxter. Afterward recalled by Bishop Lee to Iowa and called by Hope church, Fort Madison , and Grace church, Montrose, under the appointment of American Missionary Society, and was for two years associate chaplain of the state penitentiary. Then removed to his home in LaSalle county, Illinois, laboring as missionary of the diocese and organizing the church in Pontiac, Livingston couty, besides a great deal of duty in LaSalle county, in Streator, Ottawa and St. Andrew's Farm Ridge. Was the first to organize a temperance society of which he was elected president, and in several of his parishes where it seemed his duty, has organized the temperance society. He heard Gough in his first tours on his life mission. He was a member of the society from his seventeenth year. He worked during the war to send men, and supplies, and money to the army. Afterward he removed to Adair county as missionary of the docese of Iowa . Appointed to Stuart and Greenfeild. His son occopies a house near, and farms three eighties. He was married to Miss Ida A, daughter of Alfred and Eliza Diehl, neighbors in Illinois . Mr. Diehl being a thrifty farmer, and has been supervisor of the county. William H. and wife have three children. He is engaged in agriculture and stock-raising. The daughter of the family, Sarah, is married to William F. Mason, a school teacher and farmer. They live within two miles.
W. J. Davis - Among those whom we must not fail to notice in this volume is W. J. Davis, who was born in Oneida county, New York , on the 16th day of December, 1847, being the son of John W. and Mary (Hughes) Davis, the former being a native of Wales and the latter of New York . John W. Davis, the father of W. J., died in New York in 1869, and Mary Davis, his mother died July 3, 1883 in Oneida county, New York . The subject of this sketch came to Iowa in 1871, and settled in Winnesheik county, where he remained nearly three years, at the expiration of which time he came to Lee township, Adair county, settled on section 34, and now owns three hundred and twenty acres of well-improved land, on which is a bearing orchard of one acre. He was married in 1869, in Utica , New York , to Miss Emily E. Miller, the Rev. Reddy officiating. They have nine children--William H., Mary, John W., Elias, Frank P., Adelbert, Walter, Pearl , and Dora. In politics Mr. Davis affiliates with the republican party. In addition to farming he raises considerable stock.
Samuel Reed, a prominent citizen of Lee township, was born in Ireland on the 13th day of August, 1832, being the son of Robert and Martha (Steel) Reed, who were also natives of Ireland , the former dying in Philadelphia in 1877, and the latter in 1868 in the same place. Samuel came to America with his parents in 1846, and settled twenty-one miles west of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , where he remained until 1861, engaged in teaming, then going to Henry county, Illinois , where he farmed and remained for ten years. In 1871 he came to Lee township, Adair county, Iowa, and settled on section 4, where he has eighty-one acres of well-improved land, upon which he has an orchard containing about one acre, and has considerable small fruit of all kinds. He was married in Pennsylvania on the 25th of December, 1857 , to Jane Conehy, the Rev. Henry Rendenbaugh officiating. They have had the misfortune to lose two children--Eliza and Samuel. Mr. Reed is a member of the Presbyterian church, an Odd Fellow and a republican.
Thomas J. Shinn - As permanent settlement did not practically commence for several years after those mentioned above, Thomas J. Shinn was probably the next settler, coming in September, 1868, and locating upon section 16 [Lee twp] where he still resides. Mr. Shinn is a native of Fulton county, Illinois , being born July 31, 1838 . He was the son of Hiram and Dorcas Shinn, natives of Virginia .
John P. Speirs was born in Indiana on the 9th of November, 1851, and is the son of Robert and Mary Speirs, natives of Indiana, who are now residing in Keokuk county, Iowa. John came to Iowa in 1874, settling in Keokuk county, where he remained about two years, when he came to this county, and settled upon section 34, Lee township, where he owns forty acres of good improved land and an orchard of about two acres. Mr. Speirs was married in Indiana , in 1876, to Miss Martha C. Manring, Rev. Peck officiating. They have three children--Sarah and Mary (twins) and Harvey.
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