Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

BARNES   (portaits - Nathan & Elizabeth; Uzal & Sallie)
Nathan D. BARNES, who came to the county July 1, 1866 and now resides on Six-Mile Creek, on the north side of Six-Mile Grove, upon section 18, was born in Luzerne county, Pa., June 20, 1828, and lived with his parents until sixteen years of age, then came to Lee County, Ill. With his father's family, who in 1845, settled at Dixon, Lee County, July 5, which was the day after the murder of Col. Davenport at Rock Island. Our subject remained at home until twenty-one years of age, and then commenced life's work for himself, engaging at masonry and carpenter work, which he followed for about seven years. In 1854 he established a grocery and bakery business at Dixon, Ill., which he operated a year and a half. During the financial crash of 1856-57, he failed in business, as did thousands of other men at that time. We next find him in Chicago, attending the Commercial College, from which institution he received a diploma, and at once went to Carbondale, Jackson County, Ill., where he served as bookkeeper, and clerk for one year. From that date to 1866, he farmed in the vicinity of Dixon. Upon coming to Harrison County, he went to grading on the railroad, for which he received $8 per day for himself and two teams. He bought the farm he now occupies, taking possession August 10, 1866. The place had no improvements except a one-story house, 16x20 feet, and two miles of rail fencing. His present improvements in the way of buildings, feed lots, etc. are of the best character. His farm now consists of two hundred and twenty acres, on section 18 and eighty acres on sections 5 and 7, making three hundred acres in all. Of this tract one hundred acres are cultivated, the balance being timber and pasture land. At the time our subject came to the township, there were only about a dozen other settlers.

The father of our subject was Uzal O. Barnes, born in Warren County, N.J., June 8, 1806. He was the father of thirteen children, of whom our subject was the eldest. The father died May 2, 1888, at Dixon, Ill. Our subject's brothers and sisters were Nathan D., James D., Susanna C., Eleanor V., John A., Sarah A., Hannah M., Mary Elizabeth, Eliza M., Sidney M., George N., Melissa and Uzal O. Barnes Jr. Of these children, ten grew to manhood and womanhood.

Our subject's mother's name was Sallie (HUTCHISON) DODSON, born December 31, 1803, in Columbia County, Pa., and died at Dixon, Ill., October 26, 1890.

Our subject was married June 19, 1855, Dixon, Ill., to Elizabeth H. MOSEMAN, born at Bedford, Westchester County, N.Y., October 26, 1835. To our subject and his wife have been born nine children, seven of whom are living; Annie B., born April 18, 1857; Gacia M., June 12, 1859, (deceased); Charles N., March 5, 1862; Alice r., February 25, 1865; Della D., September 5, 1867; Josephine, January 7, 1870; Dioclesian L, October 9, 1875 (deceased); and Maude E., August 12, 1878.

Politically our subject is a supporter of the Republican party. In his religious convictions, he is a believer in John Wesleyan Methodism.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 903-904.
Barnes Family Researcher: Sharon and Ron Kelley.
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CHATBURN and TUCK - Jonas CHATBURN and J. J. TUCK.
There are many stories about Jonas CHATBURN and his family in the Harrison Co. history books. He was a Judge and a leader in the RLDS Church. His son Thomas W. was a sheriff and one point and was also in the milling business with his Father. Jonas first located on farming land close to Magnolia, where he eventually built a mill on a local creek. He sold that mill and built one close to Woodbine, sold it and moved on to Harlan where he built another mill. He and his son Thomas build a mill in Shelby also. The mill stone is on display in the local park there. Thomas married Selina TUCK, the daughter of J. J. and Elizabeth TUCK.

J. J. TUCK was b. in England in 1824, as was Elizabeth in 1828. Selina, their daughter, was b. 1854 in the Wind Lake area. The family moved to Woodbine about the same time that the Chatburns did....abt. 1855. I presume that the family became close friends as a result of the marriage of Selina and Thomas. J. J. was a brick maker, by trade. I don`t know if the Tuck family ever moved to Harlan, however, both families are buried alongside each other in the Harlan cemetary. J.J. and Elizabeth had three children in addition to selina; Julia b. 1854, Marion (m) b. 1860 and a child (?) b. 1857. Jonas and his wife Mary (Burton) both b. England, had seven children; Thomas Wellington b. 1841, Jane b 1844, Mary Ellen b. 1847, presumably all b. England, Margaret Ann b. 1852, Iowa, Sarah Ann b. 1857, Iowa, Cicely b. 1858, and George Richard b. 1863, Iowa.

Thomas W. and Selina had four children; Myra (my ggrandmother), Ward, Nell, Mame. Thomas became an active circuit preacher of the RLDS, traveling Iowa and Mo. Eventually he and the family located in Independence Mo. where he bought a mill and continued his ministry. Myra married John Brackenbury and their son Arthur J. married Bernice Hobson. Their daughter Helen was my mother. All are buried in the RLDS cemetery in Independence.

Chatburn/Tuck Family Researcher: Edward F Schulenberg [Updated email address needed! NPJN86A@prodigy.com no longer valid].
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CROM - JAMES H. CROM, a farmer located on section 18, of Lincoln Township, and who came to the county April 1, 1853, will form the subject of this sketch.

He was born in Wood County, Ohio, April 6, 1846. His parents were Josiah and Mary HUTCHINSON, who had nine children; James H., Walter S., Margaret, Matilda, Nancy, Jennie, Minnie, Olive (deceased), and Martha. Our subject was married January 1,1868, to Ellen DUDLEY, daughter of John and Sarah DUDLEY, the father a native of new Hampshire, and the mother of Vermont. They were the parents of four children, our subject's wife being the youngest. The children were Francis, Myron, Mary, who was a twin sister of Myron, but now deceased, and Ellen.

Of our subject and his wife's children, the following gives their names and the date of their birth: James A., born February 21, 1869; Mary E., August 3, 1870; William W., March 11, 1872; Maggie E., January 18, 1875; Louis E., October 31, 1877; Walter F., November 5, 1879; Frederick E., February 7, 1881; Arthur R., March 30, 1883; and Olive I., May 2, 1888.

Mr. CROM was eight years of age when his parents came to Harrison County and his father located in Magnolia Township, where he purchased a squatter's claim, which proved to be seminary land, and was afterwards turned over to the State, after which he pre-empted it and paid $1.25 per acre for it, and lived upon it for twenty eight years. When our subject was twenty-two years of age he bought one hundred and twenty acres in Magnolia Township and put substantial improvements upon the same, and after one year sold the same for $600, it having cost him just one-half that amount. He leased land one season in this county and then went to Missouri, rented one year, came back to Harrison County and rented three years, and then purchased eighty acres in Allen Township, which cost him $5.75 per acre. He made good improvements on this place, remained there seven years, then sold out and bought a hundred and twenty-acre tract of partly improved land in the same township, upon which he lived three years, disposed of the same, and rented land for two years near Dunlap. We next find him on the place he now occupies, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, which was partly improved at the time he purchased it. The first few years of his residence I the county people had to go to Council Bluffs for their mail and marketing.

Politically, Mr. CROM votes with the Republican Party.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 764-765.
Crom Family Researcher: Tom Hardin.
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KNAUSS, Levi M., of Jefferson Twp, section 13, owns 268 acres. He was born in Nobles County, Ind, June 7, 1844, and came to Harrison County with his father in 1855. He was married March 16, 1865, to Miss Anna Eliza Henderson; a native of Illinois, born in December, 1842, and died 6/4/1886, leaving a family of 3 children -- John Wesley, Vira B, and Vinnia L.

After first starting for himself, our subject rented land of his father for one year and then moved to Kansas, where he remained about nine months, and then returned to Harrison Co., and a year later purchased a part of his present farm.

Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
Fouts Family Researcher: Colleen Lovan [Updated email address needed! jlovan@uky.campus.mci.net no longer valid].
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LAPORTE, Benjamin F, was an early Harrison County Iowa pioneer coming in May, 1852 with Daniel Jewell and working on Daniel's farm in Harris Grove. He spent time as a blacksmith in Magnolia from 1854 to 1857, at Reeder's Mills for two years, in Michiagn another two years, in Logan, at Whitesboro, and finally back to Logan in July, 1867.

Benjamin was born in Harrison County, Ohio on 5 May 1831. His father George was born in August, 1805 and died on 9 Jun 1886. Benjamin's mothers maiden was Ann Johnson, and she was a native of Virginia who died 3 Jul 1887 in Cass County, Michigan. Benjamin's grandfather LaPorte was from France.

Benjamin attended common schools in Michigan, where his parents moved when he was four years of age. He married in Magnolia on 31 Dec 1854 to Sylvia HARRIS, a native of Van Buren County, Michigan. They had two children, Frank and Nellie.

Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa.
LaPorte/Harris Family Researcher: Florada@aol.com.
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MULLEN - Peter R. MULLEN, a farmer residing on section 15, of LaGrange Township, came to Harrison County in the autumn of 1874, and settled on the farm he now occupies. He purchased two hundred and seventy-nine acres of land, two hundred and forty of which was farm land, and the remainder was timber. There were seventy acres of breaking on the place, and a small story and a half house, when he bought the property. He has built an addition to the house, erected two substantial barns, graneries, machine house, corn cribs, and is now building additional cribs and a barn, togethr. He has added to his farm until he now possesses three hundred and fifty-nine acres, one hundred and thirty-five of which are under the plow. The whole premises show him to be a man of thrift and enterprise.

Our subject was born in Dubuque County, Iowa, February 21, 1852. He remained there on the farm with his parents, until he came to Harrison County.

He was married in Harrison County, February 2, 1875, to Miss Ellen M. O'ROURKE, and they are the parents of nine children: John F., James P., Peter W., Mary A., Charles M., Ellen M., Catherine B., Martha G. and Cecelia J.

Mrs. Ellen (O'ROURKE) MULLEN was born in Dubuque County, January 8, 1850, and accompanied her parents to Harrison County, in June, 1873, and remained at home until the date of her marriage to Mr. MULLEN.

The father of Peter MULLEN was born in Ireland, in 1821, and died in Dubuque County, Iowa, May 1882. He came to America, with his mother and the remainder of the family, when he was ten years of age, and they first settled in Maryland, and from there moved to Pennsylvania, and in 1837, came to Jackson County, Iowa, took up a homestead, was among the pioneers of that section of Iowa, and in 1849 sold out, and went to California during the gold excitement. He was there two years, and then came to Dubuque County, and took up a homestead, and in 1852, again went to California, and remained until 1854, then returned to Dubuque County. His wife, the mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Margaret THORNTON, was born in Ireland, and in March, 1821, came with her parents to America, coming direct to Dubuque County, Iowa, where she remained until the date of her marriage.

Our subject's father built the first jail that was built in Jackson County, and was also prominent in the fight with the horse thieves.

Our subject and his wife are both members of the Roman Catholic Church, and politially, he is identified with the Democratic party.


Source: 1891 History of Harrison County Iowa, pp. 554, 557.
Mullen Family Researcher: Dennis Walsh
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