Lucas County >> 1881 index

History of Lucas County, Iowa
Des Moines, State Historical Company, 1881.

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Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton.

MALLORY, HON. SMITH H., president First National Bank of Chariton, post-office, Chariton. A leading citizen and prominent railroad man of Southern Iowa. Was born in Yates county, New York, in 1835, and is the son of the Hon. Smith L. Mallory, a prominent citizen of Yates county, New York, and grandson of Meridith Mallory. In 1850, he removed to Batavia, Illinois, and soon after to St. Charles, where he was engaged as clerk in a store for a short time. In 1851, he was employed as axeman in an engineer's corps on the Galena & Chicago Union railroad, from Chicago to Elgin, and in August following, engaged as rodman in the survey of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad west of Aurora. Soon after the completion of the road to Burlington, he was appointed its engineer, which position he held until 1857, when he resigned and went to Fairfield, Iowa, and engaged in the real estate business for one year. He was then appointed division engineer of that part of the B. & M. railroad between Rome and Ottumwa, and shortly afterward road-master of the line, when he removed to Burlington. In 1861, he was engineer of the C., B. & Q. road from Chicago to Aurora, having his headquarters in Chicago. In the fall of 1865, he contracted to build the bridges from Ottumwa to Chariton, and afterward, all the bridges on the main line to Council Bluffs, and also on the Nebraska City branch of the same road. Upon the road being completed to Council Bluffs, he was appointed assistant superintendent, and afterward chief engineer of the road, which position he resigned in 1873, to engage in railroad contracting, in which business he has been exceedingly successful. Mr. Mallory came to Chariton in 1867, and has since been actively engaged in building up the town. He owns a large amount of land in Lucas county, and a great deal of property in Chariton, including the Opera block, a steam elevator, and several business houses. He is engaged in banking in Chariton and Creston, and has large interests at other places along the line of the C., B. & Q. and its branches. Mr. Mallory has devoted a great deal of attention to agricultural matters, and especially to the raising of blooded stock, being the owner of a large farm near Chariton. He has been a director of the State Agricultural Society, and was president of the Iowa state board of centennial managers. He was elected a member of the seventeenth general assembly of Iowa, from Lucas county, in 1877. Mr. Mallory married a daughter of the Hon. Mordecai Ogden, who was born at Elmira, New York. They have one child - a daughter - Jessie O., grown to young ladyhood, who, with her parents, spent many months in European travel prior to May, 1881. Mr. M. is genial and unostentatious in manner, generous in his feelings, enterprising, and public-spirited, and in him Southern Iowa has a citizen they could ill afford to lose.

MITCHELL, I. B., principal of Lucas schools, Iowa . Is a native of Iowa , born in Monroe county, Feb. 27, 1856 . At the age of eight, Mr. Mitchell came with his parents to Lucas county, where he was reared and educated. He attended Prof. Simson's Academy next, Mrs. Stewart's Academy, and then engaged in teaching. When twenty-three, he entered a normal school in Indiana , taking a preparatory course of nine months in medicine; also a business course. He then returned to Lucas county, and entered the office of Dr. Culley, with whom he is now reading. Mr. M. is a promising young man, and a member of I. O. O. F.

MITCHELL, JOSEPH C.

whose portrait appears elsewhere in this work, was born in Monroe county, Indiana, in January, 1849. His parents moved to Chariton in the fall of 1850. In 1856 they moved to Osceola, where the mother still resides, the father having died in the army in 1861. Joseph's home continued to be in Osceola up to 1873, when he returned to Chariton and commenced the practice of law. His father, James Mitchell, volunteered on July 4, 1861 , being the first man to volunteer in any company that left Clarke county. That company was F, sixth Iowa infantry. He died in September, 186l, being the second soldier from the county to die in the service. On the death of the father, Mrs. Mitchell was left a widow, with four little children, Joe being the eldest, and without any means of support. From his father's death up to about January 1, 1866 , Joe had somewhat of the roughness incident to a poor boy's life. During all that time, however, he always had work. He worked for months on a farm at seven dollars per month; drove stage; drove peddling wagon; worked some in a printing office, and also for some months in a woolen factory. The greater portion of his wages he gave to his mother. H. C. Sigler, in 1866, took a notion to him and started him to school at Mt. Pleasant . For three years Mr. Sigler paid all his expenses Ñ books, clothes, boarding, and tuition, etc. During the summer vacations he worked for Mr. Sigler at farming, teaming, and all other kinds of work Mr. Sigler's multiplicity of business called for. For the next two years he worked his way on through school by his own exertions, except occasional assistance from Mr. Sigler. He graduated in 1871, and was the valedictorian of his class. He then read law in Mt. Pleasant, in the office of Amblers & Babb, and shortly after being admitted to the bar, commenced practicing at Chariton, where he has ever since resided, and practiced his profession. He is devotedly attached to Mr. Sigler. He differs from Mr. Sigler in politics and religion, but in no way or manner can his temper be so quickly aroused, as by hearing his former patron disparaged in any manner whatever. His gratitude and respect toward Mr. Sigler, are equal to the love of a son for his father. He thinks that if it had not been for Mr. Sigler's generosity, he would, in all probability, be to-day driving stage some place on the frontier.

MOLESWORTH, A., farmer, section five, post-office Belinda. Prominent among the pioneers of this county, is the subject of this sketch, born in Harrison county, Ohio, January, 1828, and residing there till the age of twenty-four, assisting on the farm and attending school. In 1852 he moved to Illinois, and the next year came to Iowa, stopping a few months in Jefferson county, then coming to Lucas and settling on his present farm. Was married in March, 1855, to M. J. Kizer, of Pennsylvania. They have eight children (girls): Mary E., Barbara A., Jessie B. F., Minnie C., Lily M., Lulu Etta, Elsie J. and Ethel T. Mr. M. has a good farm of 285 acres, well improved, with good house and barn, orchard, etc., all of which are the results of his diligence, economy and industry. May he live long to enjoy the fruits of his labors.

MORRIS, WM. farmer, section 12, post-office, Russell. Is a native of Beaver county, Pennsylvania , was born October 29, 1829 ; spent the early part of his life in farming the soil of the "Keystone," receiving the advantages of common schools. He came with the early pioneers to Iowa , in the fall of 1856. Was married in February, 1854, to Miss Margaret Miller. His wife was also born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania . She is the mother of one child, Wm. McCague, born September 28, 1855 . Mr. Morris is proprietor of seventy-six acres of good land, with a nicely located and handsomely built residence, and fine, large orchard. He is a member of the U. P. Church, and a respected and honored citizen.

MUSSELMAN, D. E., farmer; post-office, Oakley.  Was born in Johnson county, Indiana, November 4, 1834.  In 1853, he came to McDonough county, Illinois, and next year to this county, and located on his present place in 1874.  He went to Idaho in 1862 and engaged in mining for one year and returned then to this county.  August 31, 1856, he married Miss E. Grimes, of Indiana.  They have been blessed with ten children: Millard, Mary M., Sarah T., Eliza, Clara, John W., Charles, Henry F., Rosa and Jennie R.  They are members of the Primitive Baptist Church.  Mr. M. has a good farm of eighty acres, and is an intelligent farmer and a man of integrity.