History of Guthrie and Adair Counties, Iowa
Springfield, Ill: Continental Hist. Co., 1884.
Orient Township
Transcribed by Bobbi Pohl
William F. Armstrong, a farmer and stock-raiser on section 27, Orient
township, owns seven hundred and sixty acres of land in a good state of
cultivation, and is one of the best farmers in the township. He was born in
Oneida county, New York, on the 29th of October, 1840, and is the son of Thomas
and Elizabeth (Roberts) Armstrong. His father was a native of Ireland, and his
mother of England. Mr. Armstrong attended Whitesborough seminary, and when
sixteen years of age, he emigrated with his father to Illinois, where he settled
in Henry county, and there remained about fifteen years. He then came to Iowa
and located in Adair county upon section 27, Orient township. He was united with
Miss Hannah H. Thacher in marriage in 1870. They have five children--Warren N.,
Nattie E., Willis R., Neva D., and an infant. Mr. Armstrong is strictly
republican.
Reuben Dillow - The pioneer settler of the territory now known as Orient township is found in
the personage of Reuben Dillow, a native of Ohio, who emigrated to Iowa and
entered land upon section 26, in July, 1860. He immediately set to work erecting
asmall shanty for himself and family, which after completed, admitted rain and
snow. He tells some interesting but pitiful circumstances of hardships endured
in early days. He together with his family lived here by themselves for five
years before another family came to the township. Their nearest neighbors at
that time were some fifteen miles distant. He was acquainted at that time with
every person in the entire county, which only contained sixty-two voters. They
used to go to Afton and Winterset for milling and provisions, it being the
nearest point, some twenty miles distant. Mr. Dillow never received any
schooling, learning to read after he was thirty years of age, but, nevertheless,
was naturally a shrewd manager and quick at figures--mentally speaking. He was
prosperous from the first after he emigrated to Iowa, and accumulated
considerable property, but through reverse of circumstances and his generosity
in assisting others by indorsement, he has lost everything. He resides now upon
section 36, and as he is too old to work, his sons remember him substantiallly
in his old age.
Reuben Dillow was born in Ross county, Ohio, in the year 1812. He was the son
of John and Elizabeth (Durflinger) Dillow, who were both natives of Virginia.
His father died the year he was born, 1812, in Ross county, Virginia. In 1833,
accompanied by his mother, he went to Indiana, where he remained eleven years
engaged in farming, after which he returned to Ohio, where he remained until
1860, when he emigrated to Iowa, settling in Adair county upon section 26,
Orient township. His mother died in 1845 in Indiana. He was first married in
Hamilton county, Indiana, August 16, 1835, to Julia A. Peck, 'Squire Z. Buckweth
officiating. She died July 10, 1840, leaving two children--William M. and
Elizabeth. He was married the second time January 6, 1842, in Hamilton county,
Indiana, to Mary A. Rife, Rev. Huffaker officiating. The union was blessed by
the birth of five children, three of whom are living--Catharine A., Mary E. and
Pleiades. His second wife died May 18, 1855, in Montgomery county, Ohio. He was
again married November 9, 1856, to Eliza A. Welsh, in Mongomery county, Ohio,
Rev. William R. Rhinehart officiating, following which six children were born to
them--John R., Frederick J., Reuben L., Peter M., Joseph M. and Charles S.
David J. Eatinger was born in Portage county, Ohio, on the 3d of December,
1825, his parents being John and Christina (Crumrine) Eatinger, natives of
Maryland, and who are both dead, his father dying in Portage county in 1828, and
his mother at the same place in 1856. David went to Illinois in 1853, where he
remained until 1865, when he came to Iowa and settled in Greenfield, Adair
county, where he remained for nine years enaged in farming, part of his farm
being in the city park in Greenfield. He removed to his present location in
March, 1875, where he has one hundred and sixty three acres of land, three acres
of which are timber and the balance improved, and has two orchards which contain
five and a half acres. He has one hundred and fifty head of sheep, and also
raises graded Durham cattle. He was married in Marshall county, Illinois, in
August, 1855, to Miss Mary A. Hauk, a daughter of Augustine and Mary A. Hauk.
They have ten children living--Mary E., Clara, Lizzie, David J. Rachel, Conrad,
Christina, Barbara, Augustine and Bert. They have lost one child--Grant.
S. N. Garlock is a native of Montgomery county, New York, born on May 21,
1835. He is the son of George S. and Elizabeth (Nellis) Garlock; his father a
native of New York, died in 1880, and his mother died in 1883. S. N. came to
Iowa in October, 1857, and located in Muscatine county, soon after coming to
Scott county, where he remained until the spring of 1877. He moved to Cedar
county, and there remained until May, 1881, when he came to Adair county, and
settled on section 16, Orient township, where he owns one hundred and seventy
acres of land, ten acres of which are timber-land, the balance all being nicely
improved, and has a small orchard of bearing trees. He was married in Scott
county, in February, 1861, to Miss Emily Metteer, a daughter of one of the
oldest settlers in that county. They have three children living and one dead--Nellis
L., Elbert F. and Libbie M. living and Charles G., dead. Mrs. Garlock's father
was a soldier in the war of 1812.
Axel Jacobson, one of the prominent farmers of Orient township, was born in
Sweden, December 1, 1843, his parents being Jacob and S. Jacobson, natives of
Sweden. Axel's father now resides with him, his mother having died while on her
way to this country. He came to this country in July, 1867, first settling in
Henry county, Illinois, but shortly afterward removed to Jefferson county, Iowa,
where he remained about five years, then going to Chicago, Illinois, where he
also staid for five years. At the expiration of that time he came to Orient
ownship, Adair county, Iowa, and located on section 27, and owns one hundred and
sixty acres of improved land, on which he has a bearing orchard of two acres and
about three acres of forest trees. He was married in January, 1876, in Jefferson
county, Iowa, to Miss Carrie Cassil, a daughter of Peter and Carrie Cassil, the
Rev. Oscar Swan officiating. They have three children--Peter W., Axel E., and
Carrie S. Mrs. Jacobson's parents were among the first Swedish families to
settle in Iowa, coming in 1842. He is a member of the Methodist church and in
politics is a republican.
Isaac Miars - Among the prominent men of Orient township we will not fail to mention Isaac
Miars, who was born in Tazewell county, Illinois, on the 24th of August, 1838.
His father was a native of Virginia, and his mother of Ohio. He spent his life
in Illinois, and was engaged in farming and stock raising until 1881, when he
came to Iowa and settled in Orient township, Adair county. He was married in
1858, in Illinois, to Miss Finetta Carpenter, by whom he has had six
children--Lewis M., Isaac E., Charley H., Anna, Mary E. and Burtie. Mr. Miars
owns eight hundred and eighty acres of land, and has leased some land in
addition to his own, and operates about one thousand acres, being one of the
largest farms in the county. He has large herds of cattle, and has several fine
graded horses, which took the prize at the Union county fair in 1883. He has
three houses on his farm, and occupies the entire part of section 22, which is
situated on the divide of the two great rivers of the United States. He has on
the east and west side of his place a stream of water, the one on the west side
emptying into the Missouri, and the one on the east side emptying in the
Mississippi. This is very desirable property, as it is half a mile from the
railroad and is well watered. His father located in Illinois in an early day,
and was there before the Black Hawk war in 1825.
David E. Mitchell was born in Union county, state of Indiana, the 12th day of
December, 1845. He is the son of Rev. Matthew and Sarah Mitchell, formerly of S.
E. Indiana conference of the Methodist church, and at present superannuated
member of the the Des Moines conference. He spent the earlier years of his life
in Indiana, finished his education at the Indiana, finished his education at the
Indiana Asbury university, migrated to the west spent a year or two in Missouri,
thence to Adair county, Iowa, where he has since resided. He was married to
Caroline McClure, daughter of Thomas H. and Mary A. McClure, on the 17th of
February, 1871, and settled in this township, where they still reside. They have
been blessed with six children--Thomas Dyson, Matthew Willis, D. Harry, Mary
Louisa, Maggie S. and James Wesley Emanuel. Mr. Mitchell was a soldier in the
late war. He was a member of Company F, 133d Indiana volunteer infantry. He is
one of the leading members of the Methodist church.
Orris A. Tuttle is a native of Oneida county, New York, born on the 31st of
December, 1842. His father died in 1877 in Orient township, Adair county, and
his mother now resides in this township. Orris moved to Illinois when he was
about five years of age, and there remained until 1868, when he came to Adair
county, Iowa and settled on section 8, Orient township. Reuben Dillow is the
only settler in the township now that was here when he came, and his mother is
now the oldest woman in the township, eighty-three years. He was married in
1867, in Illinois, to Mary A. Chamberlain, a daughter of Nathan and Sarah L.
(Jamison) Chamberlain. Her father was a native of Vermont, and died in 1866, and
her mother died in 1848, in Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Tuttle have been blessed with
five children--Alonzo A., Ralph R., Ara C., Effie M., and Amy L. Mr. Tuttle owns
three hundred and twenty acres of improved land, an orchard of about one acre,
and a fine herd of graded shorthorn stock. His farm is situated conveniently to
the railroad, and has a fine wind-mill, and everything necessary for farm use,
and he is a raiser of Duroc Jersy swine. When he first came to this county there
was but one store in Greenfield, kept by A. P. Littleton, of Greenfield. Mr.
Tuttle is also a breeder of Duroc-Jersey and Poland-Chana hogs.
Homer J. Yack was born in West Virginia on the 12th day of April, 1859. He
came to this county in 1879, and has since resided on an estate which his
brother ahd he have improved, and is now know as one of the best farms in the
twonship. Their farm is located on section 32, and has an orchard which yields
an abundance of fruit. In politics Mr. Yack is a republican. He is one of the
prominent men in the township, and is honored by all who know him. HIs brother
John C. Yack is a naibe of West Virginia, born on the 15th of February, 1853. He
is the son of John and Harriett Yack, natives of Pennsylvania. His father died
in 1866, in Illinois, and his mother died in 1874. John went to Illinois in
1865, where he remained until 1879, when he came to Iowa and settled in this
county. He now resides with his two sisters and a brother on a farm of 160 acres
of land and raises some stock.
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