home Back next Map

 

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY,
IOWA  1880

BIOGRAPHICAL

Washington cont.

610

SMYTH, MAJOR WILLIAM, farmer and stock-shipper; was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, near Old Harmony, where the Harmonites settled
in 1778; he there received the advantages of the common schools and was raised as a farmer, continuing the same until his marriage; he then purchased 240 acres of the valuable land in Pennsylvania; on the 16th of October, 1862, he was commissioned major of the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Pennsylvania volunteer infantry; participated in the battle of White House, Virginia, and various others of note; he served with his regiment during their term of service, and July 31, 1863,was mustered out at Harrisburg Pennsylvania; he then returned home, and in 1866 moved with his family to this county, locating in Washington, where he now resides; he owns a fine farm of 480 acres situated two and a-half miles east and one north of Washington; he makes a specialty of the raising of fine cattle, and has a fine herd of shorthorns and good graded stock; his farm is one of the best improved in the county; be has been in the stock business for thirty-four years past, and in this he has been very successful; on the 11th of January, 1849, he was united in marriage with Miss Catharine Young, a native of Old Harmony, Pennsylvania; she was born October 12, 1829, and was raised in that place; their family consists of ten children; Sabina (now Mrs. Quin, of Vinton,. Iowa), Lucetta (now Mrs. Hickey of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), Sarah G., Susannah, Alice J. (now Mrs. Wade, of this county), Abraham L., Jeannette, Anna, Carrie A. and Philip H.; lost one: Birdie O.

STEWART, W. G., deceased; one of Washington county's most deserving citizens; was born in Virginia December 25, 1819, and lived there until sixteen years of age, and then removed to Maryland; he was. raised a farmer and followed it in connection with stock-raising and stock-shipping until his death, which occurred June 16, 1864; he married Miss Hannah Patterson in 1841; she was a native of Maryland and was born October 30, 1822; they came to this county in 1843 and were among, the early settlers of the county; their family at the death of Mr. S. consisted of eight chi1dren: John G., Charles W., W. Sylvester, Lavenia E. (wife of F. Geisler, of Muscatine), Franklin,. Lloyd S., Hannah M. and George W.; Lloyd died September 13, 1864,. aged nine years; Mr. Stewart, as a business man, was upright, honorable and honest, a man endowed with rare good sense and a well-balanced mind; he took a great interest in the Bible Society; he was one of the organizers of the United Brethren Church, and contributed liberally to its support; Washington county was fortunate in having men of solid merit for its founders and its early settlers gave a good reputation to the town and that reputation still abides.


STORY, REV. ALEX., editor of the "Washington Gazette"; was born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, in 1820, and was raised there; he received his education in Jefferson College, and graduated from that institution in 1841; he pursued his

611

theological studies at the same place, and graduated in 1845, and was licensed to preach the same year by the Presbytery of Shenango; in 1847 he was ordained and for several years was engaged in the mission field; in 1853 he received a call as pastor to a church in Columbus City, Iowa, and this relation existed 23 years; he came to this county in 1876, and in 1877 he commenced editing the "Washington Gazette", a paper which has large claims on the citizens of Washington county; it has been the aim of the editors to raise the standard of weekly newspapers, and the "Gazette" will always be found on the side of morality in championing every good cause; Mr. Story was married to Miss M. Easton, in 1847; she was born in Putnam county, New York; their family consists of three children: George E., Jane and Mary.

STURGES, O. M., harness and saddle maker (of the firm of Sturges & Son); was born in Licking county, Ohio, in February, 1832, and was raised there; he learned his trade in Columbus, Ohio, and came to this county in 1855, and engaged in his present business, and has followed it as an occupation since that time, with the exception of a short interval; as a man of integrity and firm principle is an honor to the town in which he resides; he was married to Miss M. A. Evans in 1855; she was a native of Wales; their family consists of three children: George M., Helen A. and Wilber E..; GEORGE M. was; born in Washington county in 1857; he learned his trade with his father, and is associated with him in business; he was married November 13, 1879, to Miss Lizzie Adams.

TERRY, J: L. L., harness maker, whose name appears frequently in this work, was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, March 19, 1817; his father, whose name was James Terry, was born in Virginia, and his mother in Kentucky; in 1820 the family removed to Louisiana, and on the 21st of July, 1821, the father died; the remainder of the family returned to Kentucky. and lived there until 1832; our subject then removed to Illinois, and lived in Fayette and Tazewel1 counties; in 1837 he was employed in the United States surveying service, and while thus employed assisted in sectionizing the south part of the county; he made a claim in Washington county in 1839, and in 1844 became a resident of the county; his claim included what is now a portion of the town of Ainsworth; he held the office of county commissioners' clerk for four years, and in 1847 was county assessor, and has held the office of city assessor for five years; of the many men in the county who have passed the ordeal of pioneer life, none are more deserving of extended ,remarks than the subject of this sketch; as a man he is a close observer, and has gained a large fund of information; his private character and his public record are untarnished; hl was married in 1839 to Miss S. J. Mounts, a native of Switzerland county, Indiana, but who was raised at Grand Gulf, Mississippi; they have three children living: Marcus O. (a practicing physician in Brighton), Josie T. (wife of Dr. McConnaughey, Riverside), and William M.; have lost five: Catharine, Laura, James H. (who was killed in the war), Sarah J. and Ellen J.

THOMPSON, J. A., jeweler and watchmaker.

WATERS, L., editor of the "Washington Democrat"; was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, December 31, 51; he lost his father when three years of age; he ren1ained in Pennsylvania eight years and came to this State in 1860 and was engaged in farming until

612

fourteen years of age; after passing through many strange vicissitudes be finally settled down to learn the trade of printer; he worked for some years on the "Washington Gazette;" he afterwards went to Nebraska and edited the "Lone Tree Courier" before he was twenty-one years old; he also edited for a time the "Lone Tree Sentinel"; owing to impaired health he took a trip through Colorado, Mexico and Texas; he had quite a number of strange experiences and thrilling adventures; having regained his health in a large measure and after becoming tired of roaming about, and by close observation acquiring a large fund of knowledge of men and things, he returned to Iowa and studied law nine months; when he was, about, ready to be admitted to the bar an inviting field was opened up for him to again enter the newspaper business; the "Washington Democrat" was for sale by reason of the retirement from that journal of Ken & McCracken; in conjunction with Mr. Hood he bought the "Democrat"; the first number issued under his editorial management appeared in September, 1879; Mr. Waters is a most affable gentleman and a writer of no ordinary ability; under his able and energetic management the "Washington Democrat" is achieving a wide-spread reputation and now ranks among the leading organs of that party in the State.

WEEKS, C. H., farmer; Sec. 33; P. O. Washington; son of T. N. and Alluy (White) Weeks; was born in Licking county, Ohio, July 27,1846; he came with his parents to this county in November, 1855; he received a good common school education supplemented with a commercial education; he was acting deputy treasurer of Washington county four years, commencing in June, 1874, to July, 1878; his father was born in Licking county, Ohio, February 1, 1820; his mother in the same county December 31. 1824, and were married June 5, 1845, the subject of this sketch being the only living child; have lost three; he and his father own a well improved farm of 120 acres; as au official he was prompt, perfectly reliable and very efficient; he is a man of excellent character and a valuable citizen and commands the respect of all who know him.

WILLIAMS, J. ALBERT, dealer in boots and shoes: was born in East Hartford, Connecticut, in 1834, and was educated and resided in his native place until 1852 when he went to Boston, and after a mercantile experience of twelve years, came to this county and settled in Washington and formed a partnership with W, P. Upham under the style of Williams & Upham, dealers in. boots and shoes; this relation existed until July, 1868, when Mr. Williams purchased Mr. Upham's interest in the business, which he has since conducted with eminent success; a marked characteristic of Mr. Williams during his business career, has been his untiring energy and enterprise; a man of strong will and determined purpose, and as a result has secured that reward and success which must follow persistent, honorable effort; he has never
sought or desired political honors; he has always shown a worthy public-spiritedness and has heartily sympathized with all local improvements and enterprises; he was married in 1859 to Miss Cornelia 1., adopted daughter of C. Judson, of Boston, Massachusetts, a native of Connecticut; their family consists of one daughter: Hattie F.

WILSON, C. H., grocer; was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1834, and was raised there; in youth he learned the printer's trade; when he came to Iowa he first settled in Muscatine, and printed the first issue of the Muscatine "Journal"; he came

613

to this county on the 28th day of August, 1858, and since that period has been intimately connected with the growth and prosperity of' the county, and has ever been recognized as one of Washington's best business men; he was elected to represent this county in the Fourteenth General Assembly of the State Legislature; as a business man he is cautious and prudent, and his career has been both honest and successful, and he has the confidence of the community in a high degree; he has been twice married: first to Miss Lucy Gray in 1857; she was born in Greene county, Ohio, and died in 1862; his second wife was Miss Mary Beard, born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania; has five children: Ella C., Charles, Frank, Robert and Laura.

WILSON, MICHAEL, farmer; Sec, 29; P. O. Washington; among the pioneers of this county who deserve more than a passing notice is the subject of this sketch, a native of Alleghany county, Maryland; was born August 13, 1808; when only four years of age his parents removed to Perry county, Ohio, where he lived till twenty-five years of age, working on his father's farm; his education was received in the schools of that commonwealth, but this he has supplemented by extensive reading, and being a close observer, and a man of large experience, he has acquired an education of no mean order; three years previous to his leaving Ohio he engaged in tobacco culture, in which he was very successful; thinking that the west offered a wider field and better advantages for a young man he came to this State, and with his earnings he entered several hundred acres of land in this county in the spring of 1840, and at the present time he owns 575 acres in this county and 220 acres in Mahaska county; he is also one of the stockholders and a director of the Second National Bank of Washington; February 15, 1849, he was married in Ohio to Miss Catharine, daughter of Judge Charles C. Hood, of that, State, and by this union their family consists of three sons and one daughter: Charles J., Thomas T., William and Alice; he is among those who have been longest identified with the interests of the county, has shared all the hardships incident to pioneer life, and a marked characteristic of Mr., Wilson during his entire career has been his untiring energy and enterprise; a man of strong will and determined purpose, he turned the whole current of his life force into one channel, and as a result has received that reward and success which must follow persistent, honorable effort.

WILSON, R. T., merchant; was born in Londonderry, Ireland, in 1832, where he was raised and educated; in 1852, he came to the United States to visit an uncle, who was a minister preaching in New Jersey; he had permission of his parents to remain three months; while enjoying his visit he became so impressed with the opportunity for a young man with energy and economy to succeed that he had the consent of his parents to remain; and instead of returning at the end of three months his absence was prolonged twenty-one years; he settled in Coshocton county, Ohio, and lived there one year; and then emigrated to Iowa, and settled in Muscatine; he came to this county in 1859, and has been in business continuously for a longer period than any other dry goods house in Washington, in connection with which he conducts a merchant tailoring department in which he has won an enviable reputation, as his trade in this and surrounding cities will testify; a marked characteristic of Mr. Wilson during his

614

entire career has been his untiring energy and enterprise; a man of strong will and determined purpose, he turned the current of life force in one channel, and as a result has secured that reward and success which must follow persistent, honorable effort; his character as a business man may be inferred from the success which has attended his career; he was married in November, 1863, to Miss Ida Bell, a native of Lexington, Kentucky, a lady of refined tastes and domestic habits; their family consists of five children: Mary, Willie, Fannie, James and Nellie; have lost two: Robbie and Ida; in 1873, Mr. Wilson visited his native home, where, out of a family of ten, all except himself reside within two miles of their birthplace.

WILSON, WM., JR., dealer in hard ward and agricultural implements, seeds, etc.; was born in Uniontown, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1832, and was raised there with a mercantile experience; it may be said he was bred a man of business, and the success which has attended him thus far in life may be attributed to his early training; in 1853, he emigrated to Iowa and settled in Muscatine, and remained there three years, and came to Washington county in 1856, and engaged in his present business, and is the pioneer house in his line in the city, and of the many worthy citizens who have made their home in this county none are deserving of more extended notice than the subject of this sketch; he is a man of independent thought but of a kind and obliging nature; a man of the people, and one true to the highest principles of honor and honesty; he is endowed with rare good judgment and a well balanced mind, and his character as a business man may be inferred from the success which has attended his career, and a residence and mercantile experience of twenty-four years has proved him to [to] be public spirited and enterprising, and one identified with the best interests and substantial progress of the city; while he has made money legitimately he has spent it liberally; when friends are needed to aid churches, build railroads, and foster enterprises that have a tendency to promote religious, educational, commercial and other interests, he has always contributed liberally; he is a director' in the Washington National Bank, and was a member of the first city council and has taken great interest in educational matters, whether in office or private station; he is a worker and it would be well for the city had they more such; he is an active member of the M. E. Church and a delegate to the general conference.

WILLIAMSON, REV. W. C., pastor of the First LT. P. Church; was born in Greene county, Ohio, in 1842; his early life was that of a farmer boy; he was educated at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1865, and pursued his
theological studies at Xenia, Ohio, and was licensed to preach in 1868; his first charge was in Kansas City under the charge of the missionary board of the U. P. Church; there he succeeded in building up an active and prosperous Church, and in collecting funds and building a church edifice; he received a call to the First U. P. Church in Washington, and for over nine years has served very acceptably as its pastor.

YEARIOK, R., merchant tailor; was born in Mifflinsburg, Union county: Pennsylvania, December 23, 1823, and lived in this an Centre counties until he removed to Wayne county, Ohio; he learned his trade in Ohio and followed it very successfully as an occupation,

615

and engaged in business on his own account; he came to Iowa in 1853, ;and eleven years of the time since that period, he spent on a farm; he -engaged in his present business at the end of that time, and has built cup a good trade, and justly earned a high reputation in his line; Mr. Yearick is quite a horse fancier, and drives the best team in the county, but he never lets his taste in this direction interfere with his business; as a business man he has the confidence of the entire community; he has never been an aspirant for po1itical favors, but when urged he felt compelled to serve as a member of the city council, until he steadfastly refused to serve longer; as a public spirited citizen it would be well for Washington county if she had more such; he was married in 1845, to Miss Mary J. Daymude a [a] native of Ohio; she died in 1873; leaving two children: Albert S., and .Alice M. (now Mrs. S. Armstrong); he married for his second wife, Sarah S. Morris. a native of Ohio.

YOUNG, JOHN. A., cashier of the Washington National Bank; was born in Rush county, Indiana, on the 29th day of July, 1838, and is the son of James M. Young, and Sallie nee Eyestone; the former was a native of Kentucky, and the latter of Ohio; the subject of this sketch was brought by his parents to Iowa, in 1843, where he was raised on a farm; he enlisted during the late war as a private in the Twenty-fifth Iowa infantry, and was promoted to second lieutenant, also
to first lieutenant, and mustered out as captain; he has held the office of county auditor, and is serving his second, term as mayor of the city; in 1874, he became connected with the bank of which he is now cashier; and his financial ability and integrity have never been questioned; careful and accurate, he has the fullest confidence of the people; as a man upright, reliable and honorable; he is a genial gentleman, a quick observer and as prompt in his business relation as he is generous in his social relations; he married Miss Elizabeth A. Runyon, October 4, 1860; she is a native of Jefferson county, Indiana; they have two children: Ella A. and Harvey S.; lost one son: John W.

YOUNG, J. H., cashier of the Washington Savings Bank; was born in Kentucky May 9, 1841, and lived there until seven years of age, and was brought by his parents to this county in 1849; he was raised a farmer and followed it as an avocation until the outbreak of the war when he enlisted in the Nineteenth Iowa infantry; he has been connected with the Washington Savings Bank since its organization in 1876: he was married in 1867 to Miss Lizzie Lawhead, a native of Indiana.

 

divider bar

next

Moon and Back logo

divider bar

Mardos Memorial Library logo

Mardos Memorial Library

More Iowa History

 

AHGP-USGenNet logo

This nonprofit research site is an independent affiliate of the American History and Genealogy Project (AHGP),, and proud to be hosted by USGenNet, a nonprofit historical and genealogical Safe-Site Server™ solely supported by tax-deductible contributions. No claim is made to the copyrights of individual submitters, and this site complies fully with USGenNet's Nonprofit Conditions of Use

Copyright © 2000 - 2002 D. J. Coover All Rights Reserved Webmaster: D. J. Coover - ustphistor@usgennet.org