Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

CHILD - Smith M. CHILD, present Post-Master at Dunlap, ranks amongst the very earliest pioneers of that place, as may be seen by the subjoined notice.  He is a native of Bath, Grafton County, N. H., born October 5, 1836. He is the son of David and Charlotte M.(MOULTON) CHILD, both natives of the Granite State. The mother died in 1886, at Nevada, Iowa, at the age of seventy-five years, and the father died in Illinois, in April, 1891, aged eighty-six years. They were of English ancestry and were among the pioneers of Story County, Iowa, and came to the State in the spring of 1855.

Our subject was one of a family of seven children. His education was obtained in the public schools and academies of the East. At the age of seventeen years, he started out for himself, traveling over many of the Western States and territories, until the spring of 1862, when he enlisted in the Thirty-second Iowa Infantry, being mustered out in the spring of 1865. He made a faithful soldier, and belonged to the Sixteenth Army Corps under A. J. SMITH, and was in the battle of Pleasant Hill, Nashville, Tupelo, was with Sherman on his Meriden expedition; also on the Red River raid. After his service in the Rebellion, he entered the employ of the Chicago & NorthWestern Railway Company, commencing as clerk at the Nevada office, which was at that time the end of the road. At the end of one year, he was placed in charge of several important points along the line and in the winter of 1867, he was located at Woodbine, and in June of that year came to Dunlap, and opened the depot office, in a box-car, before there had been a single building erected in the place. He built one of the first residences of the place, in which he still lives. He remained as station agent at Dunlap, until 1873, since which time he has been variously engaged, but principally in the stock business. He traveled for a commission firm some five years and was Deputy Sheriff, of Harrison County for four years. He was also special agent for the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company.

In February, 1890, he received the appointment of Postmaster at Dunlap, under President HARRISON'S administration. He is a supporter of the Republican party, and of late years, has been active in the political work of his county.  He is a member of SHIELDS Post of the Grand Army of the Republic, of which he has been Commander twice. He is Vice Chancellor of the Knights of Pythias order.

Mr. CHILDS was married June 10, 1867, to Miss Rachel L. TRUMBLE, of Delaware County, Ohio, where she was born April 2, 1844, and the daughter of Samuel and Harriet (WELLS) TRUMBLE.

Mr. and Mrs. CHILDS are the parents of two sons, Edward T., and David T., both at home. The former is at school and the latter is his father's assistant in the Post office.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 458-459
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BARRETT - Michael BARRETT, one of the representative business men of Dunlap, has been a resident of Harrison County since 1868. Having been a prominent factor in Harrison County, it is appropriate in this connection, that the subjoined sketch of him should appear.

Mr. BARRETT is a native of the Emerald Isle, born in County Mayo, Ireland, November 11, 1834. He is a son of Jacob and Mary (O'CONNELL) BARRETT, who emigrated to America in 1847, and located in new York State, and two years later removed to Madison, Ind., where the family remained until 1852, then moved to Clinton County, Iowa, where they made their home until 1868. During that year our subject came with his family to Harrison County; having been here the year previous, just as Dunlap was being platted, and located lands in Shelby, Crawford and Harrison, purchasing some thirteen hundred acres. He moved his family to his farm, one mile south of Dunlap, where they remained two years. In 1870, he is company with two of his brothers, engaged in the mercantile business, under the firm name of BARRETT Bros., which firm continued until 1879; Martin BARRETT, however retired in 1875. In 1879 J. H. retired leaving our subject in full control of the business, and in 1884 the firm name was changed to BARRETT & Sons, composed of Michael BARRETT, E. H. BARRETT and M. J. BARRETT, which firm put in a stock of general merchandise with a cash capital of fifteen thousand dollars. The firm has always done a general business, and is now carrying a stock of twenty-five thousand dollars, their annual sales amounting to seventy-five thousand dollars. The business is conducted in a fine two-story brick building, which was the first brick business house erected in Dunlap, it being completed in 1874. This building is twenty-five feet front, by one hundred feet in depth. M. J., one of the firm, managed a branch store at Ute, Iowa, for four years. They are also extensively engaged in stock raising, principally standard grad horses, and have turned off some very fine trotters; having reared some animals of the 2:30 class. At this writing they have fifteen standard bred horses. Among them might be mentioned, "Almont Wagoner," "Fred Dunlap" and "Young Ranger." They have in and around Harrison county, over thirty thousand dollars worth of real estate, as connected with their farming and breeding ranch enterprises.

The parents of our subject came to Harrison Township, in 1870, where the father died July 1, 1887, at the age of eight-two years. The mother is still living aged seventy-nine years. They reared a family of six sons and four daughters; Michael, our subject; Ann, widow of L. DEVITT, a resident of Dunlap; Mary, wife of Thomas HIGGINS, of Dunlap; Martin, a resident of Dunlap; Rose, deceased; Catherine, deceased; Jacob H., president of the Omaha Vinegar Works, and the owner of a cattle ranch in Nebraska; Edward and Thomas, both deceased.

Our subject was united in marriage at Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, in July 1853, to Rose CAULFIELD, born in Ireland in 1835. Mr. and Mrs. BARRETT are the parents of ten children; Anthony, deceased; Bessie, wife of M. C. DALLY, a resident of Dunlap; Jennie, wife of J. M. SMITH, of Dunlap; Edward H., a member of the firm of M. BARRETT &Sons; M. J., a member of the same firm; Mary, wife of Dr. William BEATTY, of Dunlap; Ella, wife of James H. PURCELL, of Omaha; Josephine, deceased; Jacob, deceased, and James F. at home.

Politically, our subject is a stanch supporter of the Democratic party, and has held his share of local offices. He has been a member of the school board, as well as one of the Town Council. He and his family are members of the Roman Catholic Church, and have always been liberal donators to their own church, as to those of other denominations. Our subject has improved six farms in this and adjoining counties, besides erecting several substantial buildings.

The man, of whom this sketch is written, together with his family, is a true example of what honest industry can accomplish, under our form of government. It will be remembered that our subject exchanged his native land Ireland, for American when he was a mere boy, and hence has made all he has since coming to our shores.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 456-457-458
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DEAN - Frank A. DEAN, druggist, Dunlap, Iowa, is a native of Clinton County, Iowa, born October 2, 1866, son of H.F. and E. P. (PELHAN) DEAN, natives of New York State, but now residents of West Side, Iowa.

The father of our subject removed to Iowa from the Empire State in 1857. He was married in 1865, at the close of the war. He served in company H, Twenty-sixth Iowa Infantry. He entered the service as Color-Sergeant and was discharged as First Lieutenant. He has always followed farming and stock raising. He and his wife are the parents of seven children; Frank A., Alfred S., a resident of Gowrie, Iowa; Jessie is a teacher in the Dunlap schools; Dasie, Grace, Boran and Claude

Frank A. was educated in the common schools, and when twelve years of age entered the drug store in West Side, where he remained one year and then went to Arcadia, where he remained five years.

The next year he spent in Carroll, and in 1885 came to Dunlap and entered the employ of L. G. TYLER, with whom he was employed for one year, at the end of which time he formed a co-partnership with Ed. Lehan, under the firm name of F. A. Dean & Co., who are now carrying about a $6,000 stock, and their sales amount to $20,000 per annum. They have a fine business house, well furnished with all that pertains to a first-class drug store.

Mr. DEAN was married October 7, 1887, to Miss Minnie BICKFORD. They are the parents of two children; Minnie, born July 29, 1888, Hazel, March 16, 1891.

Mr. DEAN is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Hospitable Lodge, No. 244, A. F. & A. M.; Golden Rule Lodge, No. 179, I. O. O. F. , of which he is Vice Grand and Secretary. He is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America

Politically Mr. DEAN is a Republican and has held many of the local offices in his community, and is the present City Treasurer of Dunlap, and was Recorder for two term; he is also a member of the School Board.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 455
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HARVEY - Samuel R. HARVEY, a blacksmith, who wields the sledge, and fans the forge at the village of Modale came to Harrison county in the spring of 1880, first operating a shop at California Junction, in partnership with Rance DEWELL. In the autumn of that year he bought Mr. Dewell out and continued the business alone, until the spring of 1881, when he sold and went to Council Bluffs, where he worked at boiler repairing and also constructed some new boilers, being in company with A. S. McCREARY. In August of the same year he came to Modale and formed a partnership with Rance DEWELL, which continued until the fall of 1882, when he built the shop he now occupies; the same being 16x42 feet. He is a skillful mechanic and can construct almost any article made from iron.

He was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, August 7, 1848. He remained at home until twelve years of age, and for the next two years worked on a farm, at the end of which time he commenced to learn the blacksmith trade at Wellsville, Ohio, serving an apprenticeship of three years. After having mastered his trade, he continued in the shop for six months, and then went to dressing tools for the C.P. & W. R. R. Company, with whom he remained for six months, and then became a fireman on the same road. After serving in that capacity for six months, he became engineer of that road and followed it for one year and a half and then went to blacksmithing again. He was at Liverpool, Ohio, and on the Ohio River, for eighteen months, where he learned steamboat engineering. We next find him in Wellsville, Ohio, where he was made foreman in the shop in which he learned his trade. He remained there until the autumn of 1876, and then went to the oil regions of Pennsylvania and followed his trade for three years and then came to Harrison County, Iowa.

He was united in marriage in Beaver County, Pa., on July 5, 1875, to Miss Lizzie MARKER and they were the parents of seven children; Samuel S., Lelia F., and Bertha. The deceased are William, Charles, Emma and a boy who died in infancy.

Lizzie (MARKER) HARVEY was born in Liverpool, Ohio, and when a girl her parents moved to Hancock County, Va., where she remained until the date of her marriage. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Politically, our subject affiliates with the Republican party. During the Civil War he belonged to the Ohio State Militia, and helped capture John MORGAN, who made his noted raid through Ohio. Our subject belonged to Company I, and was only thirteen years old at the time he enlisted.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 454-455
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WILSON - Lucian WILSON, settled on section 16, of Washington Township, in the spring of 1867, where he bought a quarter-section of wild land, and built a frame house, 14x18 feet, one story and a half high, to which he has made two additions. At the time of his coming to this locality, there was but little improvement in what is now Washington Township. There was a log school house at WALKERS' Grove, and a few settlers living here and there; but generally speaking, this part of the country was a sea of prairie grass. Since coming to the county, he has added to his farm until he now has a half section of well-improved land. Four years after coming in, there was a schoolhouse built within one mile of his place. At first he had to go to Logan or Woodbine to trade, but upon the construction of the Rock Island Road, he went to Neola and Shelby, until the building of the Milwaukee lines through Persia.

Our subject comes from good old Puritan stock, and was born February 16, 1835, in Berkshire county, Mass. At the age of nineteen went out into the world for himself, and followed agriculture, until he came to Harrison County.

He was married in the county of his nativity, March, 1856, to Miss Mary CHURCHILL, by whom two children have been born, Adaline L., and a boy which was still-born. The mother, for reasons best known to themselves, did not come West, but the little daughter did, and has lived a portion of the time in this county with her father, but is now married and living in York State. After coming West, Mr. Wilson obtained a divorce, and married Miss Frances PLACE, of York State, with whom he had been acquainted since he was a child. She died in 1869, leaving him with a girl baby, Sophronia Amanda, one year old, who died in 1889, with typhoid fever.

He married his present wife, Sara C. SHAW, a resident of Harrison Co., in 1872.

The father of our subject, James WILSON, was born in Berkshire County, Mass., in 1803, and died in the same county during the month of August, 1880.  
The mother of our subject, Amanda (GARFIELD) WILSON, was born in Berkshire County, Mass., and died in the same county.

Politically, our subject is in sympathy with the Republican party. In his religious views, was raised a Methodist, but never united with the church.

Mr. WILSON does a general farming and stock-raising business, and is a breeder of Hereford cattle, having a present eighty head, every one of which are white-face, and, as a herd, this looked upon as the finest in Western Iowa. Every acre of this man's farm is under the plow, except what is in tame grass, with about ten acres timber.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 453-454
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BRIGGS - Chester J. BRIGGS, proprietor of one of the markets at Missouri Valley, will form the subject of this biographical notice. He was born in Windom County, Vt., October 15, 1833. He is a son of Thomas and Philena (STANCIFF) BRIGGS. Both parents were of English ancestry, the grandfathers on both sides coming from England. Our subject's mother died when he was but fourteen years of age, and his father survived until August 17, 1891, aged eighty years. Our subject had one brother and one sister; the former is deceased and the latter lives in Halifax, Vt.

Mr. BRIGGS' early education was received in the Green Mountain State where he usually worked at farming; also spent three years at the butcher business, prior to coming west.

August 29, 1862, he enlisted as a wagoner of Capt. David BALL'S Company, which was "D," of the Sixteenth Vermont Militia Volunteers. He served nine months and was injured and laid in the hospital two weeks.

In 1871 he moved to LEE County, Ill., where he farmed three years, and in 1874, settled in Cass County, Iowa, where he farmed seven years, after which he conducted a meat market for two years at Anita, the same county. From there he removed to Griswold, and in 1886, came to Missouri valley, since which time he has operated a first-class meat and provision market.

He was united in marriage January 29, 1859, at South Londonderry, Vt., to Laura L. ROBINSON, whose parents were very early settlers in Windom County, Vt. Her father died April 18, 1889, aged seventy-one years, while his good wife is a resident of Corning, Adams County, Iowa. Laura L. ROBINSON was born October 5, 1842.

Mr. and Mrs. BRIGGS are the parents of eight children; Adelbert C., born November 20, 1859, at home; Fred R. April 4, 1862, married and living in Missouri Valley; Albert T. July 28, 1865, at home Minnie E. April 16, 1867, died at twelve years and six months of age; she was buried in Cass County; Myrta L. born July 3, 1869, at home; Cora L. January 16, 1878, at home; Maud I., January 27, 1880, at home; Ada, February 26, 1882, at home.

Our subject and his wife are members of the Baptist church at Missouri Valley, and in his political belief, Mr. BRIGGS is a Democrat.   Fred R., son of our subject, is also a butcher by trade. He married Miss Nora SPROLL, a native of this county. They are the parents of two children Sadie Lula and Bessie R.

Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 448-451
Family Researcher: NA To Page Index--- To Bio Index

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