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HENRY A. TERRY.
Henry A. Terry, a retired nurseryman now living
at Crescent, was born in Cortland county, New
York, July 12, 1826, and has therefore long passed
the scriptural limit of three score years and
ten. He was a son of Otis and Cynthia (Ruggles)
Terry, who were natives of Worcester, Massachusetts,
and of Irish and Scotch descent. They were reared
in the state of their nativity and were married
in 1816. The father generally followed the occupation
of farming and was engaged in the raising of garden
vegetables. Removing to New York, he lived at
several places in that state and in 1836 became
a resident of Oakland county, Michigan. The following
year he removed to Livingston county, Michigan,
where he followed farming until
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1845, when he went to Knox county, Illinois.
Two years later he established his home in Decatur
county, Iowa, and in 1847 came to Pottawattamie
county. Here he lived until about 1853 or 1854,
when he went to Utah, where he died at the very
venerable age of ninety-three years. His wife
died in Decatur county, Iowa, in 1847 at the age
of fifty-three years. They were members of the
Church of the Latter Day Saints.
Henry A. Terry was reared to farm life upon the
frontier at a time when much of the labor was
performed by hand. In fact none of the modern
farm machinery was then in use and it required
much arduous toil to bring the fields under cultivation.
His educational privileges were only those afforded
by the common schools of the middle west at an
early day. At the age of twenty years he left
home (at which time his parents were living in
Nauvoo, Illinois) and started out in life on his
own account. He followed farming at Garden Grave,
Iowa, until 1847. The first money which he could
call his own he earned in teaching a subscription
school in Mercer county, Missouri, in the winter
of 1846-7. In the fall of the latter year he came
to Pottawattamie county, Iowa, and during the
succeeding winter taught school on Honey creek
in what is now Rockford township. Thus he became
closely associated with the early development
of the county along educational as well as material
lines. In September, 1848, he married and removed
to Crescent, where he engaged in merchandising
in the first store in the town and the second
one in the county. Two or three years later he
sold out there and went to New Haven, Connecticut,
traveling by steamboat most of the way. There
he remained for two years, clerking in a stare
for a brother-in-law.
On the expiration of that period, however, Mr.
Terry returned to Pottawattamie county, settling
at Council Bluffs, then called Kanesville, where
he engaged in the seed and grain business. In
1857 he removed to Crescent, where he continued
in the same line of business until 1860, when
he sold out, having in the meantime -- in 1856
-- established a nursery. This was the first permanent
nursery of the county and to H. A. Terry the people
of Iowa are largely indebted for a demonstration
of the fact that the state and especially the
western portion of it is specially adapted to
fruit growing. He proved that those tender varieties
that were popularly supposed to be too delicate
for this climate could be cultivated here. Not
only did his efforts and his nursery stack constitute
the nucleus of many thriving orchards of western
Iowa but in the cultivation of an orchard of his
own he proved that the tenderest fruits can be
successfully and profitably raised in this climate
if given the needed care and attention. The effect
of his labors is largely incalculable but all
acknowledge the worth of his work in demonstrating
the possibilities of Iowa for fruit production.
During his life here Mr. Terry has taken a helpful
part in every movement organized in the state
for the benefit of its agricultural interests.
He is emphatically a public-spirited man and though
now eighty-one years of age he still takes an
active and helpful interest in all that pertains
too the welfare of the community. Though retired
from the nursery business, he now gives his attention
to the propagation and raising of flowers. He
has hundreds of varieties on his place, having
produced many new kinds. A plum of his own propagation
is known every
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where as the Terry and has become a popular fruit.
Mr. Terry conducted his business successfully,
so that today he is well-to-do, being enabled
to enjoy a well earned rest because of his activity
in former years.
In September, 1848, was celebrated the marriage
of Henry A. Terry and Mrs. Rachel T. Sirrine,
who was born near New Haven, Connecticut, in 1824
and died July 18, 1873. Her parents were Eliphaz
and Amarilla (Sanford) Gillette, and at the time
of her marriage to Mr. Terry she was a widow.
There were six children born of that marriage,
of whom three are now living: H. S. Terry, who
was the first white male child born in Crescent
township and now a resident of the village of
Crescent; Lillian, the wife of William Nusum,
of Woodbine, Harrison county, Iowa; and Francis
Rutherford, of Council Bluffs. On the 15th of
October, 1873, Mr. Terry wedded Esther J. Hough,
who was born November 5, 1844, in Montrose, tee
county, Iowa, a daughter of S. M. and Eliza J.
(Allen) Hough and a sister of Warren Hough. She
was in her second year when the family removed
to this county. Unto this marriage there were
born six children, of whom three survive: Florence,
the wife of Henry Williams, of Crescent; Grace,
the wife of Thomas Adams, of Council Bluffs; and
Howard A., also of Crescent. Those deceased are
Clara M., Myrtle and Otis.
Mr. Terry has always been a democrat since age
conferred upon him the right of franchise. He
has held various township offices and has been
treasurer of the school board. He is one of the
oldest of the early settlers of the county. The
land which he converted into a nursery was wild
prairie when he bought it. Sixty years have come
and gone since he arrived in this county and he
was one of its earliest representatives of educational
interests. In many ways he has contributed to
the growth and upbuilding of the county, aiding
in laying broad and deep the foundation for its
present development and progress. At all times
he has been the champion of progressive public
measures but. perhaps greater credit is due him
for his work as a nurseryman than for any other
effort of his life. In proving the possibilities
of the state for fruit culture he accomplished
a work that has been of inestimable value to Iowa,
connecting his name closely with its history,
so that no record of Pottawattamie county or the
western part of the state would be complete without
mention of him. On the organization of the first
Agricultural Society, in 1856, J. E. Johnson was
chosen president; L. M. Kline, vice president;
H. A. Terry, secretary; and L. W. Babbitt, treasurer.
The following years our subject was made president.
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John W. Camp, who for twenty-one years has conducted
the drug business which he now operates and who
is one of the substantial business men of Council
Bluffs, was born in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, September
19, 1860. At the age of two years he accompanied
his family on their removal to Janesville, Wisconsin,
and three years later to Delavan, Wisconsin. It
was
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in the latter place that he received his education
in the public schools. As a lad he was much interested
in the drug business and at the age of eighteen
he entered a drug store, where he was employed
until 1884. He was a most efficient employe, eager
to master all the details of the business and
work ever for the interest of his benefactors.
When he came to Council Bluffs he accepted a clerkship
in Foster Brothers' drug store. At the end of
two years he felt that he was prepared to conduct
a business of his own and in 1886 opened the drug
store which he is still conducting.
Mr. Camp was married in 1883, in Chicago, to
Flora F. Ellis, and their union has been blessed
with one son, George B. Mr. Camp is a member of
the Royal Arcanum and of a lodge of Elks. He has
always been a stalwart republican, and though
never seeking its honors or offices, has been
ready to lend his aid to those who have. He is
an enterprising member of the Commercial Club
and is always foremost in. its activities. Genial
and social, he wins friends wherever he goes and
has built up his thriving business by honest straightforward
methods. Public-spirited in everything which may
assist in the growth of the city, he has never
been anxious to figure in the public eye, but
has been devoted to his business and to his home.
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Albert D. Annis, of the firm of Squire &
Annis, real-estate and loan agents, is numbered
among the esteemed residents of Council Bluffs.
It was on a farm in Calhoun county, Michigan,
that he was born in July, 1864. He received his
early education in that county, attending the
district schools in the winter and working during
his summer vacations in the fields upon his father's
farm. When twelve years old he was obliged to
lay aside his school books and enter actively
into any employment which would secure him a living.
Being versed in agriculture, he naturally began
work in that capacity, locating in Greene county
on a farm which he was interested in improving
and putting into shape, thus making it modern
in every particular.
But the arduous work which the fields entailed
was never very agreeable to Mr. Annis and he felt
that in the business world he would attain more
success. In 1882 he accordingly came to Council
Bluffs where he entered into the real-estate and
loan business, in which he has been most successful.
He has always promoted enthusiastically every
measure which would add to the growth of the city
and in this way has indirectly benefited his own
business. Every piece of land which he has owned
or in which he has been interested he has improved
and has thus added to the city's value. His business
is one in which a man can afford to be generous
in public spirit, and Mr. Annis has chosen this
side of the business rather than the selfish one.
His political affiliations have always been with
the republican party but he has never sought its
public offices nor taken any active part in politics,
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preferring to devote his attention to his business
and to other interests which mean more to him.
He is associated with the Episcopal church and
fraternally is a member of the Elks and is a Noble
of the Mystic Shrine. Honest and upright in all
his undertakings, he is justly entitled to the
high esteem in which he is held by his fellow
citizens.
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Roscoe Barton, a representative member of the
Pottawattamie county bar, living in Avoca, has
the ability which ranks him with the strong and
successful representatives of the legal fraternity
in this part of the state. In no profession does
advancement depend more entirely upon individual
merit, and he who wins a large clientage must
possess comprehensive knowledge of the principles
of jurisprudence, together with the skill to accurately
apply such principles to the points in litigation.
Mr. Barton's talents, natural and acquired, have
well qualified him for his chosen field of labor.
A native of Iowa, he was born in Osage, March
3, 1867, his parents being Walter C. and Dianthia
(Dewey) Barton. The father was born in the state
of New York but on the Pennsylvania border, March
26, 1833, and was there reared. When a young man
he went to Wisconsin, locating just outside the
city limits of Osage, where he engaged in farming
and teaming. In 1870 he came to Pottawattamie
county, Iowa, where he purchased a farm of one
hundred and sixty acres lying in Valley township.
He resolutely began its development and improvement,
and as the years passed he added to this place
from time to time until he became owner of more
than a section of land which later, however, he
divided among his sons. He still owns two hundred
and fifty-five acres of this farm and derives
an excellent income therefrom. In 1892 he retired
from active life and removed to Avoca, where he
has since made his home. He is a republican in
politics and has always been interested in community
affairs to the extent of giving active co-operation
to many movements far the public good. In 1882
he was called upon to mourn the loss of his first
wife. They were the parents of five children,
all of whom are yet living, namely: Marion L.,
a resident of Napa, Nebraska; Rosa D., the wife
of L. Palmer, of. Winona, Minnesota; Orion W.,
living in Avoca, Iowa; Roscoe, of this review;
and Florence, the wife of Fred Bombay, editor
and proprietor of the Canby Herald, of Canby,
Minnesota. After losing his first wife the father
was again married in 1895, his second union being
with Mrs. Hannah Altig.
Roscoe Barton was reared in his father's home
and acquired his education in the Shenandoah Normal
College at Shenandoah, Iowa, and in Cornell College
at Mount Vernon. His literary course being thus
completed, he entered upon preparation for the
bar, and in the fall of 18R8 became a student
in the law department of the University of Michigan
at Ann Arbor, from which he was graduated in the
class of 1890. He was then admitted to the Michigan
bar and soon after his return to this state was
admitted
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to practice at the Iowa bar. He located in Avoca,
where he opened his office, and in the seventeen
years which constitute the interim from that day
to this he has built up an enviable law practice,
which classes him with the able lawyers of the
county. He prepares his cases with great thoroughness
and, care, presents them with clearness and farce,
and never fails to impress court or jury in an
argument, while in many instances he has won notable
forensic victories.
In 1892 Mr. Barton was married to Miss Lulu Burks.,
of Harlan, Iowa, and they now have one child,
Roscoe H. Mr. Barton is a supporter of democratic
principles and recognized as one of the leaders
of his party in this locality. He served for two
terms as mayor of Avoca and five years as city
attorney, and in both offices discharged his duties
with promptness and fidelity. In his social relations
he is connected with the Knights of Pythias and
with Atlantic lodge, B. P. O. E. He has made many
friends during his residence in Avoca, bath in
professional and social lines, and is recognized
as one whose strength of character and laudable
ambition constitute the basis of his success and
prominence.
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Fred S. Childs, a representative agriculturist
living an section 25, Garner township, within
whose borders he was born October 22, 1861, has
spent his entire life in this locality, his only
removal being from the old homestead to his present
place of residence. His father, William F. Childs,
was born in New York and is now living in Hardin
township, where he owns an excellent farm property.
His wife bore the maiden name of Adolphia Snelson
and was born in Illinois. In the fall of 1854
they arrived in this county, settling in Garner
township, where for many years they lived upon
a farm belonging to his brother. Later he purchased
a farm in Hardin township, where he now resides.
He and his wife are among the few surviving early
settlers, having for more than half a century
lived in this locality -- interested witnesses
of its growth and active participants in the many
changes that have led up to its present substantial
improvement.
Fred S. Childs is one of a family of eight children,
three of whom survive. His boyhood and youth were
quietly passed amid rural surroundings, and when
twenty-one years of age he started out in business
life, following the occupation to which he was
reared. He first rented the farm where he now
lives, it being the property of his father-in-law,
Herman M. Sarr, and in 1892 he purchased the place,
which was improved. He has since added to and
remodeled the house, has built some of the barns,
granaries and other outbuildings and now has a
well kept place, recognized as one of the best
farms of the township, being equipped with all
of the accessories and conveniences of a model
farm property.
On the 22d of October, 1882, the anniversary
of his wife's birth, Mr. Childs was united in
marriage to Miss Ellen Sarr, a native of Polk
county,
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Iowa, and a daughter of Herman M. and Lorinda
(Childs) Sarr, of whom mention is made on another
page of this volume. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Childs
have been born three sons: Freeman, who married
Ruby Swartfager and is living in Council Bluffs;
and Herman and Chester, both at home.
Mr. Childs exercises his right of franchise in
support of the republican party, and for three
terms has been township clerk, while at the present
writing he is township trustee. For fifteen years
he has served on the school board, filling the
position at this writing, in the fall of 1907.
His entire life has been passed in Garner township
and, removing only from his birthplace to his
present residence, his life has been continuously
devoted to general agricultural pursuits, while
the substantial qualities he has manifested in
business and in citizenship make him a leading
resident of the community.
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Chris Hinz, successfully operating his farm of
two hundred acres on section 22, Knox township,
is a native of Germany, having been born in Holstein
on the 6th of August, 1870. His parents were Hans
and Margaret (Gesler) Hinz, both of whom passed
away in Germany, their native land. They had become
the parents of five children, four of whom still
survive: Mary, the wife of Gus Puck, of Germany;
Frederick, who also makes his home in the fatherland;
Chris, of this review; and P. W., who is a farmer
of Pottawattamie county.
Chris Hinz acquired his education in the schools
.of his native country, and there remained until
he had reached the age of seventeen years. He
had become imbued with a strong desire to seek
his fortune in the new world and crossed the Atlantic
in 1887, first locating at Walnut, Pottawattamie
county, Iowa, where he worked on a farm for a
year. On the expiration of that period he came
to Avoca, and here also worked as a farm hand
by the month until1893, when he was married. After
this important event in his life he secured employment
with the Rock Island Railroad Company as a section
hand, but after two months he began working for
the Consigny Brothers in their mill and elevator
at Avoca. After he had been thus engaged for a
year and a half, however, he rented a farm here,
which he operated successfully for nine years.
On the expiration of that period he purchased
a farm in Missouri and lived thereon for three
years. Wishing, however, to give his children
the advantages of a good schooling, he sold his
farm and returned to Avoca, purchasing two hundred
acres on section 22, Knox township, Pottawattamie
county, where he is now successfully conducting
his farming interests.
In 1893 Mr. Hinz was joined in wedlock to Miss
Anna Wasser, a native of Pottawattamie county
and a daughter of Jacob and Mary (Steele) Wasser,
whose family numbered six children. Unto Mr. and
Mrs. Hinz have been born four children as follows:
Frederick W., Rosy C., Ernest L. and Clarence
E.
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Mr. Hinz gives his political allegiance to the
republican party, while fraternally he is connected
with the Odd Fellows lodge, No. 220, at Avoca,
in which he has filled all of the chairs. Both
he and his wife support the German Lutheran church
at Avoca, and are esteemed throughout the community
as people of sterling and commendable traits of
character. Although yet a young man, he has already
met with marked success in his business career,
because he has utilized his opportunities to the
best advantage at all times, and is therefore
numbered among the worthy sons of his adopted
land.
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Christian C. Mass, a farmer and stock-raiser
residing on section 25, Keg Creek township, is
a native of Holstein, Germany, where his birth
occurred on the 8th of August, 1860. The parents,
Cay P. and Catherine (Coleman) Mass, were both
natives of Germany, and in 187 4 crossed the Atlantic
to the new world, locating on sixty acres of land
in Mills county, Iowa, which the father purchased.
In 1876 he sold this tract and bought eighty acres
of partly improved land in Pottawattamie county.
Forty acres of the land had been broken and a
small house and barn stood upon the place. Here
the father successfully carried on agricultural
pursuits, tilling the fields and adding many improvements,
until 1886, when he retired from active life and
took up his abode in Silver City, where he still
resides. He has now attained the age of eighty-six
years, while his wife passed away in 1907 at the
age of seventy-eight. In their family were eight
children, seven of whom are yet living: John,
of Mills county, Iowa; Mrs. Doris Schultz, residing
in Silver City, Iowa; Henry, who lives in Omaha.,
Nebraska; Christian C.; of this review; Mrs. Mary
Halehan, who makes her home in Deloit, Iowa; Mrs.
Margaret Rummel, of Silver City, Iowa, and Mrs.
Kate Kruse, living in Pottawattamie county.
Christian C. Mass was a youth of fourteen years
when he accompanied his parents on their emigration
to the United States and remained under the parental
roof until he had attained the age of twenty-four
years, when his father gave him eighty acres of
land in payment for the assistance which he had
rendered in the development and cultivation of
the home farm. This eighty-acre tract was located
on section 25, Keg Creek township, and has since
been his place of residence. He has brought the
fields under a high state of cultivation and has
made many modern improvements in keeping with
progressive agriculture. He has extended the boundaries
of his farm until it now comprises one hundred
and sixty acres and has a peach orchard of four
hundred trees, which adds much to the attractive
appearance of the place. He is also extensively
engaged in raising cattle and hogs and. this branch
of his business has also proved a good source
of profit to him. In addition to the home place
he owns three hundred and twenty acres of rich
and productive land in Silver Creek township,
which he rents. His landed
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holdings are therefore extensive and he is numbered
among the prosperous and enterprising agriculturists
and stock-raisers of the county.
On the 24th 'Of November, 1883, Mr. Mass was
united in marriage to Miss Doris Hoeck, a native
of Halstein, Germany, and a daughter of Hans and
Catherine (Toge) Hoeck, in whose family there
were four children: Mrs. Lena Green, of Nebraska;
Mrs. Lizzie Spetman, residing in Silver City,
Iowa; Mrs. Emma Schoening, who makes her home
in Treynor, Iowa; and Mrs. Mass. The wife of our
subject was born of the second marriage of her
father and has three half-brothers, who were born
of Mr. Hoeck's former marriage: Christian, living
in Nebraska; Henry, of Davenport, Iowa; and Frederick,
residing in Mineola, Iowa. The father was married
a third time, to Miss Eliza Benning, who passed
away in 1900. Mr. Hoeck was called to his final
rest in November, 1897, when he had attained the
age of seventy-four years, while the mother of
Mrs. Mass died in 1881 at the age of forty-five
years. They had come to America about thirty years
ago, locating on a farm near Silver City, Mills
county, Iowa, where they passed away. Unto Mr.
and Mrs. Mass have been born ten children: Edward,
at home; Annie, the wife of Ed Miller, of Keg
Creek township; Pauline, at home; Katie, who became
the wife of John Mass and resides in Keg Creek;
and Carl, Ida, George, Ferdinand, Edna and Harry,
all at home.
Mr. Mass is a democrat in his political views
and has held various school offices and also served
as road supervisor. He and his family are members
of the German Lutheran church, and in the community
where they reside are widely recognized as people
of genuine personal worth and upright lives. Far
almost a quarter of a century he has carried an
agricultural pursuits on his own account in Pottawattamie
county, and the success which has come to him
is entirely the result of his own labor and untiring
perseverance.
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John Buell, who resides on section 2, Pleasant
township, was born in Holstein, Germany, November
20, 1867, his parents being Mr. and Mrs. Joren
Buell, also natives of the fatherland, where they
spent their entire lives. Of their six children
four are yet living as follows: Henry S., of California;
Anna, of Germany; John, of this review; and William,
also of Germany.
John Buell and his oldest brother, Henry, came
to America in 1882, first settling in Minden,
Iowa. The former was then a youth of fifteen years
He began to provide for his own support by working
as a farm hand and was thus employed for fourteen
years. On the expiration of that period he bought
a farm of eighty acres on section 2, Pleasant
township, Pottawattamie county, and taking up
his abode thereon has since cultivated his place,
greatly improving the property by the erection
of a comfortable dwelling and by building a good
barn, grain cribs and sheds. He makes a specialty
of raising and feeding cattle and hogs and his
live-stock interests are an
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important branch of his business. At the same
time he raises good crops, and his well tilled
fields present a very attractive appearance.
Since becoming a naturalized American citizen
Mr. Buell has given his political support to the
republican party. He never has desired office,
however, as a reward for party fealty, as his
time and attention are fully occupied by his business
affairs. Coming to America when in his sixteenth
year, he accumulated by the time he was thirty
years of age a sum sufficient to enable him to
purchase eighty acres of valuable farm land. His
prosperity is due entirely to his well directed
efforts and strong purpose, and his life record
proves to others what may be accomplished in a
land where labor is unhampered by caste or class.
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Miron Hough, who is engaged in general agricultural
pursuits on section 21, Center township, was born
at Boscobel, Grant county, Wisconsin, January
4, 1861, and in 1869 was brought to Iowa by his
parents, Hiram Clawson and Elizabeth (Matthews)
Hough. The father was a native of Ashtabula county,
Ohio, and the mother of Pennsylvania. His parents
were natives of Ohio and spent their last days
in Wisconsin. The family is of German lineage.
In childhood Hiram Clawson and Elizabeth Matthews
went to Wisconsin and were there reared and married,
after which they removed to Iowa in 1869. The
farther devoted his entire life to farming, following
that occupation in order to provide for his family,
and in Valley township he owned two hundred and
.forty acres of rich and productive land. In his
later years he retired to private life and both
he and his wife spent their last days in Oakland.
He was a republican in his political views and
was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hough were born five children:
Malina Silva, who became the wife of George Bower
and is now deceased; Charles Thomas, a substantial
farmer of Valley township; Miron; Frank, of Newman's
Grove, Nebraska; and Mary, who is with her brother
in Valley township.
As stated, the family came to Iowa in 1869, settling
near where the village of Hancock now stands.
A year later, however, they removed to Valley
township and Miron Hough spent the greater part
of his time under the parental roof until his
marriage. While at home he bought eighty acres
near Hancock, which he later traded for one hundred
and sixty acres in Wayne county, Nebraska. He
then kept bachelor's hall or boarded in that locality
for two years, after which he returned home and
was married. Later he sold his original farm and
purchased his present property of two hundred
and thirty acres on section 21, Center township.
Upon this place he has resided since his marriage
and it is now a well improved property, equipped
with all modern conveniences and accessories.
He raises both gratin and stock and his business
affairs are capably managed. He votes with the
republican party,
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but does not engage in active political work,
although he is neglectful of no duty of citizenship.
In 1890 Mr. Hough was united in marriage to Miss
Lottie Hackett, who was born in Boscobel, Wisconsin,
and arrived here with her parents in 1871. She
is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hackett,
the former a native of Ireland and the latter
of Wisconsin. They are now residents of Oakland.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hough have been born four children:
James Neil, Olive, Walter and Carl.
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Grant Pilling is one of the large landowners
of Pottawattamie county, having over eight hundred
acres, 1argely in Macedonia township. He resides
in the village of Macedonia, but gives personal
supervision to his extensive farming and stock-feeding
interests. He came to Pottawattamie county on
the 16th of August, 1888, from Ohio. He is, however,
a native of Illinois, having been born in Douglas
county, that state, on the 1st of August, 1868.
His father, John P. Pilling, who was formerly
a farmer, is now living retired in Ohio, where
he has resided for several years. The mother and
four sisters of our subject are also living, one
sister, Mrs. Clyde Coontz, being a resident of
Macedonia.
Grant Pilling went with his parents on their
removal from Illinois to the Buckeye state and
was there reared, acquiring a practical education
in the common schools. His privileges, however,
were somewhat meager, owing to the fact that at
the age of thirteen years he started out in life
on his own account and was employed as a farm
hand from that tiime until he had attained the
age of twenty-four years. He was twenty years
of age when he arrived in this county and for
some time thereafter he continued to work at farm
labor, but was ambitious to engage in general
agricultural pursuits on his own account and as
the years passed by he saved from his earnings
a sum sufficient to enable him to make his first
purchase of land. Gradually he has added to his
possessions, as his financial resources have increased,
until his property holdings are now very extensive,
embracing over eight hundred acres of the rich
and productive farming land of Macedonia township.
His fields bring forth good crops and he is engaged
in feeding cattle on an extensive scale. In all
of his farm work he is practical and methodical,
utilizes his advantages in the best possible way;
and as the years have gone by has met with a measure
of prosperity that places him among the foremost
of the representatives of agricultural life in
this county.
On the 1st of March, 1892, in Pottawattamie county,
Mr. Pilling was united in marriage to Miss Annie
Lewis, a daughter of William T. Lewis. They have
become the parents of four sons and a daughter:
Vernon Valentine, William Harvey, Cecil Loraine,
John Lawrence and Norris Grant. For four years
the family resided upon the farm, but during the
past eleven years have made their home in the
village, and from this point Mr. Pilling superintends
1141
his business affairs. His wife is a member of
the Presbyterian church and is an estimable lady,
who shares in the high regard which is uniformly
extended her husband. In politics Mr. Pilling
is an independent republican, endorsing most of
the principles of the party, yet not considering
himself bound by party ties. He has served as
a member of the town council and as a member of
the school board and is interested in measures
for public progress and improvement. Socially
he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of Macedonia.
His life record should serve as a source of inspiration
and encouragement to others, showing the possibilities
for successful accomplishment when one has the
will to dare and to do.
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Alfred E. Kincaid, filling the position of postmaster
in Walnut, is accounted one of the enterprising
residents of the village and is a citizen whose
public spirit and devotion to the general good
are above question. He was born in Leeds county,
Canada, on the 29th of August, 1852, his parents
being John and Lodeica (Wilke) Kincaid. In their
family were nine children, six of whom are yet
living: William, a resident of Chicago, Illinois;
Cordelia, of Smith Falls, Canada; Mary, the wife
of Edward Crummett, of Vermilion, South Dakota;
Addie, of Smith Falls, Canada; Alfred E.; and
Helen, the wife of James Scott, of Smith Falls.
The father, also a native of Canada, learned the
tanner's; trade at Brockville, Leeds county, and
afterward engaged in the tanning business on his
own account in Farmersville, mow Athens, Canada.
He was identified with that line of industrial
activity up to the time of his death and his success
was undoubtedly due in large measure to the fact
that he continued in a department of business
in which he embarked as a young tradesman. He
was am influential factor in the politics of his
district and for some years served in the office
of reeve in his county.
Alfred E. Kincaid was reared to his eighteenth
year in his native country and acquired his education
in the common schools there, but thinking to find
better business opportunities and to secure advancement
more quickly across the border he left home and
came to the United States. He was eighteen years
of age when he apprenticed himself to the tinner's
trade and in 1871 he made his way to Chicago,
where he worked for a year. He then removed to
Atlantic, Iowa, where he was employed at his trade
for ten or twelve years. In October, 1883, he
came to Walnut and established himself in business,
having for twenty-two years carried on his store
with excellent success. Throughout that period
he was classed with the leading merchants of the
town, but in 1905 he disposed of his interests
and retired to private life.
On the 20th of May, 1897, Alfred. E. Kincaid
was appointed postmaster of Walnut, his first
appointment being signed by President McKinley
and his second by Theodore Roosevelt. He is a
stalwart republican in politics, thoroughly am
sympathy with the principles and purposes of the
party, and he keeps well informed on the questions
and issues of the day. He has done
1142
effective work in behalf of the cause of education
as a member of the school board and he has served
on the town council, as township trustee and township
clerk. He has for years been a dominant factor
in local politics of this section of the county
and wields a wide influence in the party councils.
He is, moreover, a prominent Mason, belonging
to Morro lodge, No. 559, A. F. &. A. M.; Rabboni
chapter, No. 85, R. A. M.; Kedron commandery,
No. 42, K. T., and Za-Ga-Zig Temple of the Mystic
Shrine at Des Moines. He likewise affiliates with
Maria lodge, No. 327, I. O. O. F., with the Atlantic
encampment and with Walnut lodge, No. 92, of the
Homesteaders. He is justly accounted one of the
representative residents of this section of the
county, for his labors have been an element in
its growth land progress and his co-operation
a factor in its substantial development. He has
never felt that he had occasion to regret his
determination to establish his home on this side
the Canadian border, but, on the contrary, has
enjoyed and improved the opportunities which have
come to him here and as the result of his capable
management and diligence is now in possession
of a comfortable competence.
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