FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.

BEAN, J. W., farmer; Sec. 6; P. O. West Chester; was born March 24, 1833, in Concord, New Hampshire; he was educated in the common schools and Concord Academy; at the age of sixteen years he left home and friends to brave the trials of a cold world, coming to La Salle, Illinois, in 1849; he went to work on the C., R. I. & P. R. R., and followed its construction clear through to Council Bluffs, working .as laborer, walking boss, and contractor; he was also a contractor on the U. P. R. H.., and spent two or three years in Texas at the same business; in 1873 he came to the farm where he now lives and began its improvement, and it is now a splendid farm of 252 acres; he was married July 4, 1854, to Miss Esther A. Van Natta, a native of Michigan; by this union they have four children: Frank, Rosa, Freddie, and Billie; all living.

COCHRAN, WILLIAM, farmer; Sec. 25; P. O. Washington; was born in Indiana, February 5, 1825, and was there raised on a farm; has followed farming as an occupation most of his life; in the milling business from 1858 until the fall of 1865; in 1856 he came to Iowa and located. in Keokuk county, near What Cheer, and built the grist mill near that place, running it until 1865; came to this county in 1866 and located on his present farm consisting of 82 acres; is quite an extensive stock-raiser and feeder; was married March 4, 1827, to Miss Elizabeth Wallace, a native of Indiana; they have one child: Alonzo W. living; he lives with his father on the farm.

COMBS, DR. J. B., retired physician and farmer; Sec. 15; P. O. Washington; the subject of this sketch was born October 23, 1824, in Ohio; there he grew to manhood

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and was educated at the Miami University; in 1848-9 he studied medicine at Oxford, Ohio and attended the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati where he graduated as M. D. in 1851 and the same year came to this county and began the practice of his profession in Washington, which he continued for six years, when he concluded to change his business to farming; he engaged in the sheep trade, the raising of which he carried on quite extensively for several years; he came to his present farm in 1866 and has resided here since; financially he has been very successful, as he has saved up a competency for his declining years; owns a farm of 320 acres of well improved land; he was married November 8, 1855, to Miss Mary J. McClelland, a native of Pennsylvania; they have a family of four children: Clara, John, and Alice living, and one deceased.

FIGGINS, GEORGE, farmer; Sec. 32; P. O. Washing-ton; was born January 22, 1829, in Ohio, and in 1839 he came to this State locating in English River township, this county; he came to this farm in the spring of 1873 and has lived there ever since; owns 40 acres of land; August 29, 1850, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Snyder, a native of Virginia; they have eight children: Jackson, Lorenzo Dow, Ludicia, Ida, Amanda, Ella, George and Rolla; they have lost two; Mr. Figgins has held the office of town trustee and several minor offices.

GILLESPIE, JAMES H., dealer in general merchandise and grain, West Chester; was born in Licking county, Ohio, December 10, 1831; was raised on a farm and followed farming until 1873; he came to Iowa in 1854, settling in this county, and has been engaged in farming most of the time since; he owns a nice farm of 60 acres well stocked with different grades of cattle; it is situated three-fourths of' a mile from West Chester; in January of 1874 he bought out the firm of Robertson, & Brother, and engaged in the mercantile business; in 1879 he engaged in the grain business with Mr. G. W. James, and this firm is doing a large share of the trade in the county; Mr. Gillespie has held the office of postmaster for three years; August 17, 1854, he married Miss Margaret Southard, a native of Licking county, Ohio; she was born on the 24th of July, 1836, and resided in Ohio until her marriage; they have one child living: William J., born September 12, 1857; have lost two: Charles E., born November 11, 1855, died August 11, 1872, and Howard, born June 3, 1860, died July 18, 1861 ; Mr. G. is the owner of a good dwelling and two lots besides his place of residence.

GRIFFITH, GEORGE W., farmer; Sec. 28; P. O. Washington; was born in Ross county, Ohio, January 22, 1844; remained there until 1848 when he carne to Iowa and located in Clay township; here he has grown to manhood and has been educated in the common schools and High School of Brighton; in the spring of 1871 he moved on the farm he now occupies; owns 330 acres of land well improved with a fine residence, commodious barn, etc.; in 1867 he went to California by water, starting from New York and landing at San Francisco in December of that year; he was there engaged in farming for two years and remained there for two years more being engaged in other business; May 1, 1871, he started for home by rail and came across the continent in this manner; his farming has been very successful as his large estate signifies; he was married February 25, 1874; they have no children.

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HOWCK, A.M., farmer and stock raiser; Sec. 17; P. O. Washington; was born January 16, 1826, in Wayne county, Ohio; in the fall of the same year his parents moved to Licking county; here he grew to manhood on a farm and was educated in the common schools; in 1846 he came to Illinois and located in Tazewell county, and after one year returned to Ohio and engaged in driving stock across the mountains to Philadelphia; this he continued till 1850 when he came to McLean county, Illinois, where he engaged in farming; in 1853 he came to this county and located where he now lives; he had, however, come to Iowa in 1852 and entered his land to which he has added until he now owns a fine farm of 600 acres which he has under a fine state of cultivation; he is one of the first settlers of the township; he helped to organize the township and voted at the first election held in the township, casting his ballot in a hat, as they were not provided with a ballot-box; he is one of the largest feeders and stock-raisers in the township, a business to which he and his farm are well adapted; he was married October 12, 1853, to Miss Margaret Orendorff, of McLean county, Illinois; she died July 12, 1864, leaving three children, of whom Helen (wife of Dr. James Robinson), and James are living, and Elmer deceased; he married a second time May 7, 1866, Mrs. Maria Riley, a native of Illinois; by this union they have one child, Charles, living.

JAMES, GEORGE W., merchant and station agent, West Chester; was born in Delaware county, Pennsylvania November 16, 1848, and was there raised; be received the advantages of a graded school education and there prepared himself for the business pursuits of life; he engaged in the mercantile business at Philadelphia and other points until 1869, when like other young men, he resolved to seek a fortune in the west and came to this State stopping in Louisa county in 1870; remained there for some two years in the employ of J. & F. Colton, dealers in general merchandise; from there he came to this county, locating at West Chester; he is a partner in the firm of James & Gillespie, and has at present the post-office, which through his influence was established at this. place; was appointed postmaster in 1873 when the office was established; in 1876 he was elected justice of the peace and has filled the office to the present time; is also agent for two fire insurance companies: the Phoenix, of Hartford, and the American, of Chicago; April 23, 1871, he was married to Miss S. E. Garner, daughter of colonel W. W. Garner, of Columbus City, Louisa county; she was born in Iowa in May, 1849; they have three children: Laura G., born in January, 1872, Bessie C., born in October, 1875, Aggie G., born in December, 1878; one son, Chester, who was born in July, 1873, died in infancy; he was the first white child born in West Chester.

KLEESE, ISAAC, farmer; Sec. 9; P. O. West Chester; was born February 28, 1837, in Pennsylvania; there he was raised on a farm and was educated in the common schools; in 1855 he went to learn the blacksmith's trade with James Green at Hughesville, Pennsylvania, and after learning the trade followed it till the breaking out of the rebellion; he enlisted August 6, 1861, in company F, One hundred and sixth Pennsylvania infantry, and served his three years and was discharged September 10, 1864, at Philadelphia; at this time he went to work for the government at his trade and continued it till the spring of 1864, when he returned to his home in Huntersville, Pennsylvania, where he again resumed his trade; in 1869 he came

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to this State and located in Jackson .township, this county, and went to farming; he came to his present farm, where he owns 160 acres in 1872 and has continued farming since, although he does a little work at his trade at odd times; he was married November 17, 1866, to Miss Emma F. Gortner, a native of Pennsylvania; they have three children: Walter M., Harry D., and Maggie N., all living.

McCONNAUGHEY, DAVID P., farmer; Sec. 17; P.O. Washington; was born November 14, 1805, in Venango county, Pennsylvania; his parents moved to Beaver county, Pennsylvania, in 1808; there he was raised on a farm and was educated in the common schools; at the age of twenty he went to learn the hatter's trade with Jacob Courtney, of Darlington, Pennsylvania; after getting his trade he worked at journey work about two years; in 1829 he went into partnership with Robert Tate in the hatting business at Mr. Jackson, Pennsylvania, where he remained about two years; in 1832 he :started his business on his own account in New Bedford, Pennsylvania, where he remained till 1850, when he sold out and went to farming, which he continued about three years; in 1853 he came to Iowa and located in Denmark, Lee county, where he lived two years coming to this county in 1855 and locating where he now lives; he owns a farm of 200 acres which is well improved; he is one of the oldest settlers now living in the township and has seen the ups and downs of a pioneer's life; he was married in October, 1830, to Miss Catharine Thompson, a native of Mercer county, Indiana; they .have had nine children: David S., John, Samuel, and Lizzie (wife of Mr. P. B. West, of Missouri), living, and five deceased.

NASH, I. S., farmer; Sec. 18; P.O. Dublin; was born August 24, 1815, in the State of Vermont; his parents came to Licking county, Ohio, in 1829; there he grew to manhood on a farm and was educated in' the common schools; in 1854 he took the western fever and came to the broad prairies of Iowa, and located where he now lives; at the time he settled here there were but two houses between his house and Washington; he has held the office of justice of the peace five or six terms, as also several minor offices; has a fine farm of 266 acres of well improved land, upon which he has made an the improvements himself; he was married February 13, 1851, to Miss Elizabeth O'Neal, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio; they have a family of five children: V. B., John D., Laura A., Isaac N., living, and an infant deceased.

ROBERTSON, A. C., farmer; Sec. 34; P.O. Washington; was born in Kentucky, July 8, 1839, and in the fall of 1848 he moved to Knox county, Ohio; came to Iowa in the spring of 1860 and located in Louisa county, and in the fall of the same year came to this county locating where he now resides; he owns 70 acres of land; was married December 23, 1863, to Miss Elizabeth J. Covit, a native of Pennsylvania; they have seven children living: Elmer E., John E., Charles W., Ella M., Dessie A., George L., and Annie E.; Mr. Robertson has held the office of constable for two terms.

SCHILLING, JOHN M., farmer; Sec. 16; P.O. Washington; he was born in Bavaria, Germany, April 11, 1823; at the age of twenty-two he came to the United States and landed ill New York in November, 1845; there he remained about three years working on a farm at six dollars per month for two months, and seven dollars

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for the balance of the year; in 1848 he went to Maryland, where he Jived about two years, working most of the time in a brick yard at one dollar per day and board himself; he then went to Virginia, where he remained about three years, working most of the time at the weaver's trade, which he learned in the old country while young; he then returned to Maryland, where he remained till 1856, when he came to Washington, this county; he engaged in the grocery trade, which he continued till the spring of 1871, when he moved. onto his present farm, which consists of 205 acres of well improved land, which he had purchased in 1869; in 1875 he moved to Lucas county, where he lived three years, at the end of which time he returned to his farm, where he has since remained; he was married June 3, 1851, to Miss Sarah A. Twigg, a native of Maryland; they have a family of eleven children: Thomas M., Norman, Minnie A., Zimri, Sarah A., Stasi a E., Garrison, Lana, and Harrison living, and two deceased; John F. and Nora.

SINGMASTER, FRANKLIN, farmer; Sec. 14; P. O. Washington; was born in Pennsylvania, January 7, 1837, and in 1839 he moved to Missouri, and came to Iowa in 1858, locating in this county; he located on his present farm of 140 acres in 1875, and his farm is well supplied with stock; August 27, 1864, he married Miss N. J. Iams, a native of Iowa; she died April 5, 1876, leaving three children: Sarah, Mary, and Fannie; was again married December 19, 1878, to Miss Lizzie Van Etten, a native of Pennsylvania.

SMITH, WESLEY, farmer; Sec. 7; P. O. West Chester; he was born October 25, 1844, in Franklin county, Ohio; his parents came to Iowa in 1856, and located in Dutch Creek, this county, where they now live; he was raised on a farm and educated in the common school; he came to his present farm in 1876; he owns two hundred acres of land which is under a high state of cultivation, and is well stocked; his principal product from his farm is corn, which he always feeds instead of hauling to market; he was married December 27, 1870, to Miss Maria Wells, daughter of W. W. Wells, of Dutch creek, township; they have one child: Sidney S. living.

SOWASH, WM. N, farmer; Sec. 8; P. O. West Chester; he was born November 28, 1843, in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania; there he was raised on a farm and educated in the common schools; his parents came to Iowa in 1855, and located near where now lives; he came onto his present farm of 80 acres in 1868, and has lived there since; he enlisted in August. 1862, in company H, Seventh Iowa infantry, and served tm the close of the war, and was discharged in June, 1865, at Olinton, Iowa; he was in an the battles in which his company was engaged while he was in the service; he was married November 27, 1866, to Miss Hannah E. Dayton, a native of Maryland; they have two children: Zueleta M., and Earl D., both living.

STEWART, JOHN G., farmer and stock-raiser; Sec. 9; P, O. Washington; the subject of this sketch was born December 28,1842, in the State of Maryland; his parents came to Iowa in 1844, and located in township 76; there he grew to manhood on a farm; he was educated in the Wesleyan College of Linn county, and Washington College, of this county; he has made farming and stock-raising his business all his life; he now owns what is known as the Clemmons' Grove farm, which consists of 200 acres of fine land well adapted to the use to which he is putting it, and is as fine a stock farm as there is in the country; he now owns and has upon his farm a fine herd of twenty head

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of short-horn thorough-bred cattle, at the head of which he places the celebrated Bell Duke, No. 11,357, A. M. H. B., and the Duke of the Plains, No. 29,383, two years old, an animal of great merit; as to females, Mattie Highland, by Highland Lad, No. 6,871, stands at the head; while these are of the purest blood, still Mr. Stewart is selling at a price which will barely justify him in raising them; he is also raising the pure blood Berkshire hogs, and so popular has his stock become that he can scarcely supply the demand for them; anyone desiring any of the above class of stock will do well by calling on Mr. Stewart before buying; he came upon his present farm in the spring of 1867,and it is known far and wide as being the farm upon which the first herd of short-horned cattle ever brought to Washington county was placed by Mr. Clemmons; Mr. Stewart was married September 27, 1864, to Miss Mary L. Bradford, a native of Indiana; by this union they have two children: Charles Wm., and Mary C., both living.

STEWART, D. F., farmer; Sec. 23; P. O. Washington; was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, February 16, 1831, arid in 1844 he came to Iowa and located in this county; here he was raised and educated and in 1861 moved where he now resides; owns 115 acres of land well improved; he raises quite an amount of stock; was married July 11,1861, to Miss Mary J. Benson, a native of Ohio; she died January 2, 1866, leaving two children: Flora E. living, and one deceased; was again married March 11, 1868 to Miss Agnes Dill, a native of Ohio; they have one child: Mary L.

WALLACE, DR. G. C., physician and surgeon, Grace Hill; he was born, February 16, 1851, in Columbiana county, Ohio; his parents came to Iowa in 1856 , and located in Appanoose county; there he grew to manhood on a farm and was educated in the common schools; in 1870 he began the study of medicine with Drs. Huffman & Moravia, with whom he remained about two years, and then with Dr. Alverson, of Eldon, with whom he also remained about two years in a drug store of which he was half owner; he attended the Keokuk Co1lege of Physicians and Surgeons in 1874 and '75, where he graduated in 1877; he came to Grace Hill and began the practice of his profession in the spring of 1875 and has remained here since. except while attending medical lectures at Keokuk; he has a fine practice which he has built upon his own merits and skill in his profession; he was married, February 17, 1877, to Miss Mary E. Miksch, a native of Ohio; have two children: Sarah E., living, and Nettie E., deceased.

WARFEL, ELI, farmer; Sec. 25; P. O. Washington; was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, June 20, 1827, and in 1835, with his parents, he moved to Ohio; there grew to manhood, receiving his education in the common schools; he came to this county in 1855 and located where he now resides; owns 300 acres of well improved land; is of the oldest farmers in the county; his place used to be called the halfway house between Washington and the timber; has been town trustee several terms and has held several minor offices; married, March 10, 1870, to Miss Eliza Miller, a native of Illinois; have three children: Isabelle, Anna Laura and Frederick M.

WHITACRE, THOMAS, farmer; Sec 28; P. O. Washington; was born, in Pennsylvania on the 29th of August, 1833, and lived there until 1847, when he moved with his parents to Logan county, Ohio; came to Iowa in the fall of 1852 and located near Brighton and was here educated

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in our common schools; on the 3d of February 1859, Miss Isabelle E. Griffith, daughter of Robert W. Griffith, became his wife; she is a native of Ohio; have six children: Samuel G., Robert J., Mary K, Benjamin F., Edith K and George K.

YOUNG, JOHN, farmer, Sec. 23; P. O. Washington; was born in Kentucky, January 21, 1811, and there grew to manhood and received his education from the schools of his commonwealth; he came to Iowa in the spring of 1846 and located in Washington, where he lived till 1858 and then moved upon his present farm which consists of 240 acres of we11 improved land with everything to make farm life a pleasant one; he was married, August 31, 1838, to Miss Mary J. Adams, a native of Kentucky; have £ix children: James A., Robert 8., John N., Sarah A. (now Mrs. W. O. Bane of Pottawattamie county, Iowa), William H. and Mary A. A.; lost three.

YOUNG, ARCHIBALD, retired farmer; Sec. 26; P. O. Washington; was born June 15, 1829, in the State of Ohio; there he was raised on a farm; he was educated in the common schools; he came to Iowa in October, 1860, and located in Mahaska county and came to this county in 1864 and located on Sec. 15, where Mr. Cochran now lives; he came to his present farm in 1866; he has followed farming most of his life and has handled and shipped a great deal of stock; he is about to retire from his farm of 128 acres and move to Washington, that he may spend the rest of his days in a more quiet way; he has been married three times: first, March 6, 1851, to Miss Sabra J. Crawford; she died January 4, 1855, leaving no children living; again November, 20, 1855, to Rebecca Conner, who died January 6, 1870, leaving five children: Elmer C., Emmet W., Ulysses L., living, and two deceased; again January 12,1871, to Hannah K Reasoner, a native of Indiana; by this union they have two children: Clarence R. and Edna J., both living.

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