Guthrie County >> 1884 Index

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

Dodge Township
Transcribed by Bobbi Pohl

John A. Anderson, who came originally from Buffalo, New York, was born December 17, 1837, and is the son of Alexander and Ulericha C. (Larson) Anderson. He moved with his parents to Burlington, Iowa, where the old folks still reside. He moved to his present location on section 35 [Dodge township], in April, 1879. He was married in Henderson county, Illinois, in 1869, to Miss Anna L. Faust, a daughter of John and Christine (Samuel) Faust. They have five children--Edward, Minnie, Arnold, Anna and Myrtie; Frank, died in June, 1883. John owns two hundred and eighty acres of land, one hundred and sixty acres of which is under cultivation.

Maurice E. Cain, son of John and Jane (Edds) Cain, was born in the Isle of Man February 1, 1857. He emigrated with his parents to his country in September 1872, settling in Warren county, Illinois, where they lived on a farm. They moved to Greene county, Iowa, where Mrs. Jane Cain died in November, 1880. Maurice and his father then moved to Guthrie county in 1883, settling on section 20 [Dodge township], their present location. He was married, November 7, 1878, to Miss Luella Hidlebaugh, daughter of David and Margaret (Moles) Hidlebaugh. The have two children--Effie Maud and David O. Mr. Cain follows general farming, and is a member of the Methodist church of Bagley.

Stephen T. Caslow, a farmer and stockraiser on section 36, was born in York county, Pennsylvania, in Febuary, 1846, being the son of Samuel and Margaretta (Thoman) Caslow. He moved to Fulton county, Illinois, in 1872, where he was married three years later to Miss Rebecca Fitz, a daughter of John and Mary Fitz. They have three children living--Ellis, Lawrena and Moses; Matilda died September 18, 1879, and was the third child. In the spring of 1877 Stephen moved to his present quarters on section 36 [Dodge township], where he owns one hundred and sixty acres of land, all under cultivation. He holds the positions of road supervisor and school director.

Isaac Clark was born in July, 1843, in St. Joseph county, Indiana. He moved with his parents, John and Susanah (Penterbaugh) Clark, to Victory township, Guthrie county, in 1853, where they remained one year, and moved to Dodge township, settling on section 32, where his father was engaged in farming until his death, in 1875. His mother died in 1868, leaving Isaac on the old homestead, where he still resides. He was married in July, 1868, to Miss Sophia Mingus, daughter of Louis and Mary Ann (Reter) Mingus. Mrs. Clark was born in Piqua county, Ohio, in January, 1851. They have seven children--Laura E., John I., Mary S., David E., George R., Lillie and Isaac W. He enlisted in 1861, in Company C, 4th Iowa infantry. He participated in the engagements at Vicksburg, Lookout mountain, Missionary ridge, Ringgold, Georgia; Arkansas post, Chickasaw bayou and several skirmishes. He mustered out in 1865. He was captured at Claysville, Alabama, in March, 1864, and was taken direct to Atlanta, Georia where he remained one week and was then taken to Andersonville, where he was kept imprisoned until September. He was then taken to Charleston, and kept three days, when they sent him to Florence, South Carolina, where they kept him imprisoned until November, when he was discharged. He has held the positions of trustee, sub-supervisor and assessor, and at present is clerk. He is a member of Orange lodge, No. 123, A. F. and A. M., also a charter member of May's post, G. A. R.

John Clark

The first settlement in this locality [Dodge Township] was made by John Clark on the 1st of April, 1854. This gentleman was a native of the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, but in early life had moved to Darke and Champaign counties, Ohio, and later to St. Joseph county, Indiana, from whence, in July, 1853, he emigrated to Guthrie county. He at first located in what is now Victory township, but upon the date mentioned above, came into Dodge and located upon section 32. He was a staunch republican of the old free soil, or abolition school, and was unyielding in his devotion to the principles of right and justice. When he first settled here, he went to work and after putting up a log-cabin, prepared a small piece of land that he might raise some corn. He chopped holes in the broken sod with his woodman's ax, and committing his seed to the kindly soil, recived when harvest time had rolled around, some forty bushels to the acre of good corn from this primitive mode of agriculture. In 1856 he planted and raised some sorghum, which he believed to have been the first in the United States, he having received some seed from a friend who had received them from the patent-office. Mr. Clark continued a resident of Dodge township until December 5, 1875, when he was called on by the "king of terrors," to cross the "dark river" into the "realms of light," leaving a large circle of friends to mourn his death.

Benjamin Corsaut, son of Hhenry and Rachael (Frallick) Corsaut, was born September 7, 1842, in London, Canada West. His father was born in Mohawk Flats, New York, and his mother in Canada West. He moved with his parents to Ogle county, Illinois, in the spring of 1843, where his father lived on a farm until his death in 1872, which occurred on a visit to Canada. His mother died in Kansas in 1880, where she had gone with her son Charles. Benjamin was married in Ogle county, January 8, 1866, to Miss May Williamson, daughter of Caleb and Julia (Startzman) Williamson. They have six children--Willaim H., George B., Julia May, Dora Belle, Mary Grace, and Mabel Elizabeth. While in Ogle county he worked at farming by the day until 1868, when he went to Johnson county, Iowa, where he bought a farm, which he sold in March, 1869, and came to Dodge township, settling on section 16, which farm he sold in the spring of 1878, and came to his present location on section 8. He had only one hundred and ninety dollars when he came to this county, and now owns one hundred and sixty acres of land and twenty acres of timber. He has held the positions of trustee and school director, and is at present president of the school board. In April, 1861, he enlisted in company K, 13th New York infantry, and was mustered out in July of the same year. He was in the first battle of Bull Run. He re-enlisted in company C, 3d New York cavalry, in August,1861. he took part in the engagements at Ball's Bluffs, Winchester, and Yorktown. He then went to Newburn, North Carolina, and was taken prisoner, being imprisoned four weeks in Salsbery prison. He was then in Warsaw and Forbor raid in North Carolina. In the engagements of Little Washington and the Wilderness, where he was wounded, and, being left on the field, was taken prisoner, and was discharged after nine months' imprsonment. He is a trustee in the Methodist Episcopal church at Bagley.

Gerardus J. Cramer, a prominent farmer on section 34 [Dodge township] was born in Saratoga county, New York, in 1854. He was married in 1878 in the same county, to Miss Matilda J. Barker, a daughter of Walter and Elizabeth (Weston) Barker. They have three children--Hiram W., Chester J. and Susan. He moved to Marshall county, Iowa, in 1877, and in 1882 he moved to his present location in Dodge township, owning land in sections 33 and 34, where he follows general farming and raises different kinds of stock.

Joseph M. Davis, son of Aaron and Ruth (Edwards) Davis, was born in Stark county, Ohio, September 14, 1833. He moved with his parents to Muscatine county, Iowa, in 1847, where he was married to Miss Sarah Murphy, daughter of Andrew J. and Sarah Murphy, in 1856. They have had five children--Matilda, married in 1879 to J. W. Smith; Hannah, married in 1881 to L. D. Phipps; Emma, married to J. R. Phipps in 1882; Louis J. and Henry. Mr. Davis moved to Whiteside county, Illinois, in 1860, where he followed farming until 1862, when he came to Burt county, Nebraska, where he remained until 1871, when he came to Guthrie county, settling on section 26, [Dodge township] where he still resides. His father died in Portsmouth, Ohio, where he had gone in 1856; his mother died in Cedar county, Iowa, where she had returned with her son, after her husband's death. He has been trustee and city constable.

Stephen E. Davis, son of James and Elizabeth (Rippley) Davis, was born February 22, 1841, in Washington county, Indiana. His father died in Washington county August 14, 1844. His mother moved to Muscatine county, Iowa, in the fall of 1847. In 1869 they moved to their present location on section 7, Dodge township, where they still reside. Stephen has held the position of road supervisor. His brother David was born in December, 1838, in Washington county, Indiana. He enlisted in Company H, 11th Iowa infantry, in October, 1861. He was with Sherman at Shiloh, Corinth, siege of Vicksburg, campaign in Savannah. He was discharged in July, 1865. Their mother, Mrs. Davis, was born in December, 1808, in Virginia, being the daughter of David and Elizabeth (Vance) Rippley. Her parents moved to Kentucky in 1811, and remaining there a short time they moved to Washington county, Indiana, where she was married to James Davis, who died at that place in 1844. In 1869 they moved to their present location on section 7. She had four children--Lydia Rebecca, married William Hidlebaugh in December, 1859, died in December, 1867; David N., Stephen E., and Elizabeth Ellen married William Hidlebaugh. David and Stephen both live at their present location with their mother.

William L. Edwards, son of Thomas and Nancy (Kinser) Edwards, came to Guthrie county, Iowa, September 5, 1878, settling near Tuttle's Grove, where he remained one year, when he came to Dodge township, settling on his present location on section 36. He was born in Martin county, Indiana, July 5, 1842. His parents moved to Monroe county, Iowa, in 1848, where they remained until 1868, when they moved to Putnam county, Missouri, where they now reside. William was married in Monroe county, Iowa, in February, 1866, to Miss Julia A. Webb, daughter of Abraham and Rebecca (Hinton) Webb. They have had eight children--Otis, Grace, Mabel, Lillian, Willard, died in February, 1878; Warren, Allen, died November 25, 1882. he moved to Putnam county, Missouri, in 1869, where they remained nine years, when they came to their present location. He has held the offices of school director, road overseer, and justice of the peace, and in the fall of 1884 was a candidate on the greenback and democratic ticket for clerk of the courts. His occupation is farming and stock-raising.

Orimill Hall was born March 10,1836, in Leoni, Jackson county, Michigan, and is the son of Elisha and Denty (Lumbard) Hall. He was married July 4, 1854, to Miss Amelia Lester, daughter of Thomas and Harriet (Caywood) Lester. Mrs. Hall is a native of New York, her parents moving from there to Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Hall have had a family of ten children--Ida Della, wife of William Langford; Sarah E., who is dead; Thomas E.; Louis, who is dead; Denty, Harriet, Alice and Charles, both of whom are dead; Lizzie, and Willie, who is dead. Mr. Hall left Leoni, Michigan, going to Hancock county, Illinois, in December, 1864, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising. In September, 1879, he removed to his present home on section 16, Dodge township. He owns two hundred and forty acres of fine land in sections 16 and 17, and having rented his farm follows stock-dealing as a business. He is a trustee of the Methodist church, and is school treasurer, his term expiring in September. His parents moved to Illinois in February, 1865, his father dying in April, 1877, his mother dying afterward in Hancock county, Illinois.

Wallace Hemphill, a prominent citizen of Dodge township, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, July 5, 1809, being the son of Thomas and Mary (McWilliams) Hemphill. He moved, with his parents, to Ohio county, West Virgina, where they both died. Wallace was married on September 12, 1833 to Miss Mary A. Roberts, a daughter of William and Mary (Bradley) Roberts. They have had ten children--John, Thomas, Margaret, Elizabeth, Alice, William, Joseph, Albert, David and Clinton. Seven living and three dead--Margaret died in Cedar county. Thomas died in the service of the civil war. He was a soldier of Comapany I, 35th Iowa infantry. Joseph died in Saline county, Nebraska. John is living in Tennessee, William and Elizabeth in Nebraska, Alice, Albert, David and Clinton are residents of Dodge township. Mary A., wife of Wallace Hemphill, died in Dodge township, August 31, 1880.

David Hidlebaugh, son of John and Susan (Williams) Hidlebaugh, was born in Jackson county, Ohio, October 4, 1836. His parents moved to Rock Island county, Illinois, in 1849, where they were engaged in farming. His mother died in Rock Island county, in the fall of 1851. His father went to live with his son John, in Mercer county, where he died in January, 1856. David left Rock Island county in the spring of 1855, coming to Muscatine county, Iowa, where he was engaged in prairie breaking and farming. He was married September 17, 1855, to Miss Margaret Moles, daughter of Francis and Rebecca (Fresh) Moles. Her mother died in July, 1866, in Louisa county, Iowa where they moved in 1863; her father died September 30, 1872, at the same place. David enlisted in Muscatine county, in company F, 35th Iowa infantry, in August, 1862. He took part in the engagements in Jackson, Mississippi, Vicksburg, Henderson's Hill, Louisiana, Fort Derusa, Yellow Bayou, Nashville, campaign of Mobile. he was mustered out in August, 1865. He then went to Louisa county, Iowa, where his wife joined him, and remained there until the fall of 1872, when they came to their present location, on section 5, Dodge township. The have ten children--Frank O., Luella R., David W., Nellie E., Charles E., William W., and Mary Annette, twins, Edwin Scott, Elliott Grant and Jessie Belle. He has been trustee and school director, and is also a member of the May's Post G. A. R. of Bagley.

William W. Hidlebaugh resides on section 7, Dodge township. He was born in Albemarle county, Virginia, June 8, 1834. He is the son of John and Susan (Williams) Hidlebaugh, with whom he moved to Jackson county, Ohio, in the fall of 1835, where they remained until 1849, when they moved to Rock Island county, Illinois, where his mother died in 1850. He moved to Muscatine county, Iowa where he was engaged in prairie-breaking and farming. He married there in 1859, to Miss Lydia Rebecca Davis, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Rippey) Davis. Mrs. Hidlebaugh was born in Indiana in 1837, and died in the winter of 1867. William was married in May, 1874, to Miss Elizabeth E. Davis, a sister of his first wife (born in Indiana in 1845). The have three children--James D., Mary E. and Effie A. From Muscatine county he moved to Guthrie county, in 1869, settling on their present location. Mr. Hidlebaugh enlisted in company H, 11th Iowa infantry, in 1862. He took part in the siege of Vicksburg, Atlanta, Georgia, and a number of skirmishes. He was with Sherman in his march to the sea. He was mustered out in 1865. He is a member of May's Post No. 264, and has been township trustee.

John King, son of John and Mary (McAlpin) King, was born in Nassaguay township, Canada West, March 21, 1838. He moved with his parents to Oxford county, Canada West, in the spring of 1844. John came to Dallas county, Iowa in 1866, where he remained until 1871, when he came to Guthrie county, settling in Cass township, where he remained two years. He then went to Valley township and remained five years, when he came to his present location on section 28, Dodge township. He was married in Boone county, Iowa, in February, 1867, to Miss Anna R. Caldwell, daughter of Matthew and Harriet (Hoover) Caldwell. Mrs. King was born in Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, August 8, 1850. She moved to Boone county, Iowa, in 1856, where she was married. They have had six children--Mary, died January 23, 1873; Harriet, John W., Matthew Leander and James Alexander (twins) and Peter. Mr. King has been road supervisor and school director. When he came to Iowa he had but $20 and afterward received $500 from Canada, but was swindled out of over $1000 since. He now owns eight hundred and sixty-two acres of good land, five hundred of which are under cultivation.

Joseph L. Myers, a prominent farmer in Dodge township, came to his present location on section 36 in March, 1883, where he farms and raises thoroughbred shorthorn cattle, on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He was born in Carroll county, Maryland, in 1833. He removed to Whitesides county, Illinois, in 1856, where he was married in 1864 to Miss Ruthanna, daughter of Elida and Sarah John, who died in the winter of 1873, leaving three chilren--Sadie A., Joseph W. and Mattie. Joseph L. enlisted in Company A, 34th Illionis infantry, and was detailed brigade carpenter. After the battle of Chickamauga he was ordered to report to the regiment who were guarding the pontoon bridge about thirty miles from that point. While on his way there, he was taken prisoner by the rebels, was exchanged after about five months' confinement on Belle Isle, and was mustered out in 1864, having served three years. He was married in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in December, 1875, to Mrs. Matilda Beitler, a daughter of Michael and Susan Trostle. They have one child--Mary Elizabeth. He is a member of the German Baptist church, and has preached that faith for the last fifteen years.

David Neal was the next [fourth] to settle in this township [Dodge], locating upon section 32 on October, 1863, where he still resides. He was born in August, 1833, in Champaign county, Ohio, being the son of Richard H. and Charlotte (Childes) Neal, with whom he moved to Noble county, Indiana, in 1841, where they remained until 1857, when they removed to Davis county, Iowa. Mr. Neal was married in Noble county, in 1853, to Miss Maria K. Wead, daughter of Henry and Polly Wead. Mrs. Neal died in 1862, leaving four children--Mary, married Robert Truax; Sarah J., died in 1874; Zilla A., married William Knapp, of Indiana; Charles R. still at home. David was married again to Mrs Margeret Cammack, daughter of John and Elizabeth Dixon. They have five children--Howard Willie, David Calvin, Samuel A. died 1870; Albert E., Dora Agnes, died 1876. The subject of this sketch moved to his present quarters on section 32, in 1864. He has been school director about twelve or fifteen years; has been trustee and school treasurer and has held the position of constable.

Adna E. Russell, the son of Nehemiah H. and Mary A. (Sampson) Russell, was born January 6, 1828, in Malone, N. Y. His parents went to Hogansport in the spring of 1832, where his father followed the occupation of shoemaking. In the spring of the next year they went to Williamson, Wayne county, N. Y., and from there to Ladies' Boy, on Lake Ontario, remaining there until 1837, when they returned to Williamson, going from thence to Clinton county, Iowa, in 1842. Mr. N. H. Russell died September 20, 1843, and his wife died April 6, 1858. While in Clinton county Adna E. followed farming. He was married May 5, 1862, to Miss Matilda J. Brown, daughter of John and Candace (Lougeway) Brown. Mrs. Russell was born April 14, 1843, in Canada, her parents going from there to Isle Lamott, Vermont, and, in 1849, moving to Plattsburg, New York. In 1861 they went to Iowa, where Matilda was married. Her mother died September 24, 1875, in Lynn county, and her father now lives in Scranton, Greene county. Mr. and Mrs. Russell have three children--Curtis A., Frank H., and an infant. They moved to Lynn county in 1866, to Carroll county in the spring of 1876, to Greene county, where they engaged in the hotel business for two years, and at last located where they now live, on a farm in section 29 of Dodge twonship. Mrs. Russell is noted as being an excellent artist in crayon.

Amos B. Schoonover, son of Adolphus and Rhoda (Bardsley) Schoonover, was born March 7, 1828, in Tompkins county, New York. His parents moved to Champaign county, Ohio, in 1837, crossing lake Erie in sleighs. Adolphus Schoonover was a physician, and as a practitioner was quite successful. In 1840 the family removed to Fort Jefferson, at which place the mother died, and the father went to Dayton, Ohio, where he died in 1864. Amos in 1844 left Fort Jefferson and went to Cass county, Michigan, where he was married March 7, 1850, to Miss Lydia Hall, a daughter of Benjamin and Mary Ann (Pratt) Hall; they had eleven children--Julia, married August 15, 1869, to Eli Bangs; Willaim, married November 8, 1876, to Miss Emily Thompson; Theodosia, married in 1876, to Mr. Eugene Kitchmgt, parted July 1, 1880; again married in 1882 to Kansford Keplogle; Nathan, married January 1, to Miss Artie Phipps; Rhoda, Martin, Noah, Amy, Lynus and Amos, died, and they have a little child not named. Mr. Schoonover removed to Kendall county, Illinois, in 1850, where he remained until 1854; and thence to Page county, Iowa, in 1870. He was resident of Kansas a few years, and in 1875 he came to Guthrie county, settling on his present farm on section 27, Dodge township. Mr. Schoonover is an enterprising citizen and a good neighbor.

Anderson M. Smith was born in Adams county, Ohio, July 27, 1848. His parents, Samuel and Levina (Duffey) Smith, moved to Dallas county in the spring of 1877, settling near Dexter, and a short time afterward moved to Dexter, where they now reside. Anderson was married in Dallas county, Iowa, September 7, 1880, to Miss Lillie Graham, daughter of C. C. and Mary J. (Bell) Graham. Mrs. Smith was born in Warren county, Illinois. Her parents moved to Madison county, Iowa, in 1875, where they still reside. Mr. Smith is at present school director, and one of the oldest members of the United Brethren church at Bagley. He came to his present location on section 8 [Dodge township], in September, 1880.

H. Clay Smith was born in Huntington county, Pennsylvania, in 1848. He came to Scott county, Iowa, in 1856, where he remained until 1859 or '60, when he went to Jasper county. He was married in July, 1869, to Miss Sabra Armstrong, a daughter of Alexander and Susannah Armstrong. They have four children--Erwin E., Charles A., Asa R. and Frank W. They moved to Polk county, Iowa in 1871, and to Dallas county in 1872, where they remained untill 1881, when they came to their present location on section 8 [Dodge township]. He enlisted in Jasper county Iowa, in 1864, in Company D, 2d Iowa cavalry. He participated in the engagements at West Point, Decatur, Franklin, Nashville, Selma, Tupelo, and several others. He was mustered out in 1865, in Selma, Alabama. He is present assessor, clerk of the school and road supervisor. He is a member of May's post, No. 264, G. A. R., of Bagley.

James R. Smith, the son of Samuel and Lavina (Duffey) Smith, was born May 14, 1846, in Adams county, Ohio. He came to Warren county, Iowa, in the spring of 1869, where he followed farming as an occupation. In the spring of 1877 he came to Guthrie county, settling on his farm in Dodge township, on section 7. He was married near Noblesville, Hamilton county, Indiana, October 29, 1863, to Miss Lizzie Bell, daughter of Joseph and Susan (Coleman) Bell. Mrs. Smith was born in Adams county, Ohio, and with her parents came to Hamilton county, where she married. She died December 2, 1881, leaving one child, Jessie P., who is eleven years old, and lives with her father's parents at Dexter, where she is being educated.

William Stroup, was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, on August 24, 1827, where his father worked upon his farm until the summer of 1836, when they went to Mercer county, Illinois, where his father died, October 13, 1864. In 1868 his mother removed to Leavenworth, Kansas, where she died in December, 1871. William remained in Mercer county, and going to Ohio, where he staid (sic) a short time, he returned to Mercer. He was married in March, 1851, to Miss Emily Griffith, daughter of Joseph and Mary Griffith. They have four children. The family record runs thus: William Stroup, born August 24, 1827; Emily Stroup, (nee Griffith) born March 5, 1834; Alice, born September 28, 1853, married H. B. Reed, in March, 1873; Charles, born December 27, 1855, married Miss Josephine Cromer, October, 1880; Ameda, born September 12, 1863, married Thomas C. Buford, August 31, 1882; Sherman, born February 22, 1865, married January 1, 1873, in Muscatine to Miss Jennie Fyock, who was born August 31, 1852, and is the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Wright) Fyock. Mrs. Stroup's mother died November 13, 1870. Her father now resides with them. In 1880 they moved to their present quarters, on section 5, Dodge township, following farming and stock raising. Mr. Stroup has been school director, in Mercer county, has been commissioner and roadmaster, and has also been a great supporter of the prohibition law.