Guthrie County >> 1884 Index

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

Grant Township
Transcribed by Bobbi Pohl

James L. Abbott, a native of Massachusetts, born on November10, 1820, came to Grant township in 1866, and settled upon section 12, where he still resides. He was married in 1854, in Chicago, Illinois, where he was living at the time, to Miss Evaline Lewis, by whom he has one child--Homer L.

James Campbell was born in Scotland on the 17th of March, 1829, being the son of Hugh and Jane (Gunn) Campbell. In 1834 James left his native country and came to America, where he settled in Canada. But in the course of thirty-nine or forty years he immigrated to Illinois and took up his abode in Carroll county, where he remained three years. He then came to Iowa and settled in Grant township, Guthrie county, where he owns eighty acres of good land, all under a state of cultivation. He makes the raising of stock a specialty. James was married in Canada, in 1866, to Miss Kittie Oburn, by whom he has had four children--Dora J., Thomas W., Mary A. and Emma E. Mr. Campbell is member of the I. O. O. F. and of the Presbyterian church. He is a man of great ability, and by his intellectual powers has made his farm one of the best in the township.

George W. Cox, a farmer and stockraiser on section 20, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Linn county, Iowa, and was born on the 25th of May, 1850. In the spring of 1875 he came to Grant township and settled on section 20. He was united in marriage on September 8, 1880, to Miss Mary J. Trumbull. They have been blessed with two children--Mattie A. and George L. Mr. Cox owns four hundred and eighty acres of good land, all improved, and raises a number of stock, most of which is graded. Mr. Cox's father died in Linn county, on May 18, 1883, while there on a visit, and his mother died on the 7th of January 1880. Mr. Cox is a prominent and well known man in the township, and is highly respected as a neighbor and friend. His father, Isaac Cox, was born on the 1st of April, 1811, and died in Linn county in May, 1883. He was united in marriage, in 1831, to Nancy Largent, who was born on May 11, 1813, and died in 1880.

Joseph Cuttell, a prominent citizen of Grant township, was born in England, June 7, 1818, and is the son of David and Mary (Bailey) Cuttell. In 1843 Joseph came to this country, where he settled in Pennsylvania. He came to Iowa in 1859, and located in Clinton county, where he remained until 1874, when he came to Guthrie county. He settled on section 36, Grant township, where he now owns eighty acres of land, all of which is imporoved. He has improved his farm greatly, having now an orchard of small fruit, several wells, a grove of about six hundred trees, and is seeding his place with the intention of raising cattle and other stock. He was married in England in 1841, to Miss Ann Beardsell, by whom he had one child--Hannah. Mrs. Cuttell and child died in Philadelphia, in 1845. He was married again in 1852 to Ann Crowther, Rev. Mitchell, officiating. The have had nine children, three of whom are dead. Those living are--Ben, Mary, Ellen, Alice, Emma and Adah.

Christopher Drefahl was born in Germany, March 13, 1837, his parents being John and Mary (Jennings) Drefahl, natives of Germany. His parents both died in Germany--his father dying in 1842 and his mother in 1878. Christopher emigrated to the United States in January, 1864, settling in Linn county, Iowa, where he remained until 1877, when he came to Grant township and settled on section 6, where he owns one hundred and sixty acres of improved land, on which he has a bearing orchard containing one acre. He intends to build a fine residence and barn next spring. His marriage was solemnized in Germany in 1864, his wife being Miss Sophia Klockow, and the Rev. Mr. Stiffler officiating. They now have two children living--Mary C. S., and Louisa M. K. During the rage of diphtheria, in 1880, they were called upon to give up five of their children--John, Eureka, Elizabeth, George and Louie. Mr. and Mrs. Drefahl are members of the German Lutheran church, while in politics Mr. Drefahl is a democrat.

Joel James

The next (second) to make a settlement was Joel James, who, in May, 1858, located on the southwest quarter of section 14 [Grant township], where he still resides. Here he reared his humble cabin, and broke the sod of the prairie that had lain for countless ages untilled, and placed therein the seed that might germinate. The cabin that he raised has been replaced by his present frame cottage, and the neighborhood, then a perfect wilderness, has settled up with enterprizing citizens, and the days of pioneering have gone by, but Mr. James still remains to tell the tale of his early days. When his house was first built, he and his family lived in it all that summer without having any roof to it, but in the fall he made one of raw hides. Emigrants passing through would frequently lose a cow or an ox, which Mr. James would skin and dry the hide in the sun. These, stretched over pole rafters made an excellent rain and wind-proof roof.

James Henry, farmer and stock-raiser, was born in Ireland, October 24, 1840, being the son of Alexander and Margaret Henry, natives of Ireland. His mother died in Illinois in 1856, and his father lives at present in Viola, Illinois, at the advanced age of ninety years. James came with his parents to this country in 1849, settling in Mercer county, Illinois. In 1876 he came to Grant township, Adair county. His first marriage took place January 3, 1871, in Scott county, Iowa to Eliza Kelsey, the Rev. McBride officiating. By that marriage he has three chidren--Mary, Harriet J. and Elizabeth. Mrs. Henry died February 17,1879. He was again married, January 1, 1880, near Menlo, Guthrie county, to Emily A. Bickford, the Rev. Campbell officiating. They have two children--Margaret B. and Alexander V. Mr. Henry owns two hundred and ten acres of land on section 34, upon which he lives, besides one hundred and sixty acres on section 26. His land is mostly improved, and he has a bearing orchard of one acre. He raises considerable graded stock, and intends to make stock-raising a specialty. He also has some fine Poland-China and Duroc hogs, and has a fine grade of chickens. He has a fine recorded short horn Durham bull, red with white forehead, which was calved May 31, 1880, and is numbered 44,196, in the American herd book, Vol. XXII. Mr. Henry is a member of the Presbyterian church, and is a democrat in politics.

Ephraim F. Shaefer was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, November 5, 1849, and is the son of Isaac and Rosannah (Hoffman) Shaefer, who are also natives of the same county. When E. F. was twelve years of age his parents removed to Carroll county, Indiana, where he remained until 1869, then coming to Guthrie county, locating in Thompson township, where he bought forty acres of land which he traded in 1875 for a farm in Grant township, on section 1. He now has one hundred and twenty acres which is under cultivation. His intention is to make a specialty of stock-raising, and now has a number of Durham cattle. His home is the finest one in Grant township, and near which he has a nice orchard. Middle river runs across the south side of his farm and affords abundant water privilege. He was married in Carroll county, Indiana, March 1, 1864, to Miss Rachel McMahan, a daughter of Joseph and Rachel (Bird) McMahan, natives of Ohio. They have ten children--Benjamin F., Noah W., Effie M., Sadie, Amelia, William, Nelson, Herman, Arthur and Elmer. Mr. Shaefer enlisted in November, 1861, in company A, 46th Indiana infantry, and was mustered in at Longansport, Indiana, and served three years. He was engaged at Magnolia, Champion Hill, siege of Vicksburg and Red River expedition. At the expiration of his term of service he was mustered out at Indianapolis, Indiana. He takes an active part in politics and is a staunch republican, and has held the position of clerk and trustee of Grant township.

Alexander Stoner, a resident of section 23, Grant township, came to Guthrie county in 1875, and bought eighty acres of land, nearly all under cultivation. Alexander was born in Washington county, Maryland, on the 10th of October, 1826. His father died in Pennsylvania in 1864, and his mother died in the winter of 1883, being nearly ninety years of age. When quite young Alexander moved to Bedford county, Pennsylvania, where he remained twenty years, when he went to Ogle county, Illinois. After remaining there several years he came to Iowa, settling in Jasper county, where his home was until 1875, when he came to Guthrie county, as above stated. Mr. Stoner was married in 1867, to Miss Elizabeth Ripley, by whom he has had five children--Purdy, Armenda, Hurl, Martin, and Lula M. Politically he is a republican. About three years ago Mr. Stoner's crop of wheat was entirely ruined, and his house was shaken from its foundation. He has had poor crops for several years, but by hard work and economy he has regained a solid footing.

James M. Trumbull, a native of Essex county, New York, was born on July 15, 1830, and is the son of Ira and Dorcas (Washburn) Trumbull. They claim that their ancestors were with the Pilgrims when they landed at the Plymouth Rock in 1620. His mother died in Essex county, New York in 1868, and his fther still resides on the old homestead in Essex county. James went to Illinois when he was about twenty-five years of age, where he remained twenty-one years. He then came to Guthrie county, Iowa and located upon section 8, Grant township. He owns three hundred and twenty acres of land, most of which are improved. He has a fine orchard of one acre and raises some fine stock. He built an excellent barn in 1883, at the cost of about seven hundred dollars. Mr. Trumbull was married on the eleventh of April, 1855, in New York, to Miss Fanny Torrence. They have five children--Delia, Ira F., Mattie, Lucius and James M.

Christopher Wedemeyer came to Guthrie county in 1870, and for the first two years in the county he rented a farm. But in the course of that time he purchased a small farm on section 2 [Grant township], where he now owns two hundred and forty acres of nice land, and a good and comfortable house. Christopher was born in Hanover, Germany, on the 31st of December, 1838. When he was twenty-eight years of age he moved to Davenport, where he farmed for one year. He then came to Guthrie county. He raises considerable stock, and keeps his farm in good condition. Mr. Wedemeyer was married in Guthrie county in 1873 to Miss Minnie Uhlig, a native of Germany. They have been blessed with five children--Emma, Anna, George, Therena and Herman. He is a member of the Lutheran church.

Henry Wesack was born in Germany on the 13th of June, 1832, and is the son of August and Mary (Brinkman) Wesack. He came to America in the fall of 1854, and first located in Pennsylvania, where he remained three years. He then removed to Iowa, where he settled in Linn county, where he remained until 1862. He then went to Benton county until 1875, when he came to Grant township, Guthrie county, settling on section 8. He was married in Benton county in 1868, to Miss Katharine Miller. They have seven children--William H., Andrew P., George and Anna D. Mr. Wesack enlisted in 1863, in Company F, 20th Iowa infantry, where he served three years. He participated in the engagements at Perry Grove, Vicksburg, Fort Morgan and Fort Blackey. Mr. Wesack is a man of some capital, and owns one hundred and sixty acres of land all improved. He is a member of the German Reformed church.