HANER -
James HANER, ranks among the earliest settlers of Harrison
County, emigrating with his father, William HANER, arriving November 8,
1854. He located on section 3, of La Grange Township, where he rented
land for one year. He traded a yoke of oxen for forty acres of land in
Union Township, and on this place remained until the spring of 1857,
and for two years rented land, then traded for one hundred and twenty
acres of land on section 26, and a small house at Reeder's Mills, which
had belonged to Norman SQUIRES. On this place they remained until
William HANER died October 5, 1859, after which his property was
divided, and of this, James received $75. Three years before his
father's death, James commenced working at the blacksmith's trade at
Reeder's Mills, then known as "Hardscratch," and followed that for a
livelihood. In the fall of 1864 he went to Warren County, Iowa,
remained two years, and then returned to Harrison County and settled at
Mondamin, building the first blacksmith shop in the place, in the
summer of 1867. In 1872 he returned to Reeder's Mills and resumed
blacksmithing and the next year was made postmaster, and in 1874, built
an addition to his blacksmith shop, and put in a stock of groceries
which he still retails.
Mr. HANER was married in Harrison County January 1, 1860, to Sarah M.
LOSS, a native of the State of New York, born December 7, 1843, and the
daughter of Benjamin B., and Almira (REYNOLDS) LOSS. Mr. and Mrs. HANER
are the parents of seven children -- William B., born November 13,
1860; Almira J., December 25, 1862 and died October 16, 1864; Mary A.,
born February 20, 1865 and died June 5, 1884; Charles A., born August
22, 1867; Anna, September 26, 1869; Inez E., June 27, 1871; and Warren
W., November 1, 1873.
Our subject was born in McLean County, Ill., January 18, 1836, and is
the youngest son of a family of seven children. He is the son of
William and Mary (STEELE) HANER.
At an early age when this family of whom we now write were pioneering,
their nearest trading point was Council Bluffs, to which they went
fifty-six times, fifty times of which were made with ox teams. Our
subject's father had two yoke of oxen and a horse team. Like most of
the early settlers in this portion of Iowa, this family passed through
many hardships. Soon after coming to the county, MR. HANER entered
eighty acres of land, and as the "Club Law" was in effect at that time,
members of the club called upon Mr. HANER and told him that he must
relinquish his claim, and they threatened to come blackened, to which
he replied as there were no negroes in the country that if they came to
molest him he had three guns in the house, and he would find out who
three of their number were. They afterward called upon him with a rope
to hang him, so he finally made the deed for the land.
Politically Mr. HANER affiliates with the Democratic party, having
voted with them since arriving at his majority. He has held office of
School Director and Treasurer for many years, retiring five years ago
as Director but was Treasurer until Sept 21, 1891. In 1872 he was made
postmaster at Reeder's Mills, under a Republican administration, and
has held the office ever since, with the exception of three months. In
connection with his store and post-office, he still follows the
blacksmithing trade to some extent.
Both he and his wife have been members of the Latter Day Saints church (the Logan branch) since July, 1878.
Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 343-344 Haner Family Researcher: Sharon Rowe [Updated email address needed! rowe@pilot.msu.edu no longer valid].
REILLY -
Joseph W. REILLY, deceased, of Jackson Township, came to Harrison
County in 1865, just at the close of the Civil War, and located on section 3,
after having rented land a short time near Missouri Valley, of Robert McGavren.
He bought eighty acres of land in Cincinnati Township, the same being county
swamp land. Here they built a log house and made other substantial improvements,
and lived for about seven years, when he moved to Sioux City, and remained
three years, at the end of which time he purchased the farm, his widow now
occupies in Jackson Township. The first year they lived in a dug-out, and
then moved into a log cabin, 12x16 feet, to which was added a frame structure,
12x14 feet. They commenced on this poor place, not having one dollar in
money. From time to time, more land was bought until his his wife now
possesses two hundred and eighty acres, one hundred and twenty-five of which
are under the plow. The place contains a good orchard, a barn, 30x40 feet,
graneries, cribs, etc.
Mr. REILLY was born in Pennsylvania, the son of Edward and Susan REILLY,
natives of Ireland and Virginia respectively, who had a family of seven
children, three of whom are living: Edward, William(deceased), John, Mary(deceased),
Anna and Eliza.
Our subject lived in the Keystone State until twenty years of age and came
to Iowa, at the commencement of the Civil War. He enlisted at Missouri
Valley, under Capt. ACKER, and served three years and three months until
the war closed, when he was mustered out at Sioux City.
He was united in marriage December 25, 1864, to Margaret LONG, the
daughter of Patrick and Mary M. LONG, natives of Ireland, who were the
parents of the following children; Patrick(deceased), Anna(deceased),
Bridget, Margaret, Julia, and Walter (No.2).
Mr. and Mrs. REILLY were the parents of ten children -- Edward, born Jul 7
1866; Robert, Sept 13, 1867; Thomas, Apr 24, 1969; Eliza, Apr 22, 1870;
Susan, Sept 29, 1873; Maggie, Aug 15, 1874; William, Febr 22, 1875;
Burney, Jul 30, 1876; John, Apr 25, 1878; and Anna, Nov 7, 1880.
Our subject and his estimable wife were both devout members of the
Catholic Church.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County.
Reilly Family Researcher: Lynda Booker.
REEL -
Henry REEL (deceased), better known to the people of Logan as "Uncle
Henry REEL," was the founder of the town of Logan, and named the same in
honor of one of the chieftains of the Civil War -- General John A. LOGAN.
Mr. REEL departed this life March 5, 1890. No more truly praiseworthy name
can be mentioned in connection with the history of Logan than the one heading
this sketch. He was of the old-fashioned back woods stripe of pioneers. He
loved the life of a frontiersmen, and wanted to be numbered with this class
throughout his days. But advanced civilized life and progress got ahead of him
when he came to Harrison County, at least not many years later. Mr. REEL was
born March 16, 1803, in Montgomery County, Virginia.
In 1822, he in company with his brother John REEL, removed from Dayton, Ohio,
to Putname County, Indiana,which section was then a wilderness indeed.
There the two brothers erected the first saw and grist mill in the community,
doing the most of the millwright work from wood fashioned by their own hands.
They had to go on foot to Lawrenceburg, on the Ohio River, a distance of one
hundred and thirty-five miles, to market. They usually had an axe strapped to
their backs, for the purpose of building camp-fires and contructing rude
"floats" or rafts, by which they were enabled to cross streams too deep and
angry to wade. But when the iron rails of the first railway penetrated the
forests of his farm land, "Uncle Henry" could no longer endure his Indiana
home, hence emigrated West, and finally settled where Logan now stands. He
procured the lands hereabouts, together with a mill site where the Roller
Mills are now situated. He came in the autumn of 1852 and built his log cabin,
and not many months after had a sawmill and "corn cracker" in operation. The
space allotted to any one man's sketch is all to short to embrace the many
deeds of pioneer hardships and genuine manhhod which went toward making up
this man's eventful life. His later history is woven in and records with that
of the city of Logan and the county of Harrison.
Among the special features of this old pioneer's life, may be mentioned his
unyielding integrity and uprightness; his religious convictions; his loyalty
to the Union of States, offering on the altar of his country as he did,
three sons, who perished by reason of the Rebellion.
He was a life-long walker, always preferring to walk, ather than to ride in
any sort of conveyance. Not unfrequently would he walk from Logan to Council
Bluffs, when teams were all along the way. He was a member of the Predestinarian
Baptist Church, and erected a church building at Logan for that denomination,
at his own expense. He held large landed interests, milling interests, town
site interests, and at one time owned the only newspaper at Logan. At the
time of his death the remnant of his family consisted of his wife and one
daughter, Mrs. William BRAYTON, of Logan. Mr. REEL's first wife was
Catherine STARR, who bore him seven children.
Thus one by one the scythe of time mows from the face of earth her children,
and they sink to sleep in the bosom of that mother earth whose embrace
shall at last envelop all mankind.
Source: 1891 History of Harrison County.
Reel Family Researcher: Don Harrold.
HUNT -
Jasen Ziba HUNT (deceased), came to Harrison County from
Edinburg, Saratoga County, New York, during the month of May, 1850, and
located a claim that season on section 13, Jefferson Township, the same
consisting of eighty acres, to which he has added from time to time,
making his entire farm two hundred and ninety-two acres. He lived on
his first claim ten years, then moved to his present farm on section
12, living in a small frame building for one year, during which time he
erected a brick house in which he has lived, which was probably the
second brick house built in the county. He and a hired man burned the
brick.
Mr. HUNT was born in Saratoga County, N.Y., February 20, 1822, and is
the son of Walter and Susan (DEMING) HUNT. The date of his death was
September 30, 1891.
Capt. Ziba HUNT, grandfather of our subject, was born in Connecticut
January 4, 1746, and died September 10, 1820, at North Hampton, N.Y.
His wife was Joanna BLOUNT, whom he married in early life, rearing a family of thirteen children.
Walter HUNT, the father of our subject, was born September 24, 1782, at
Stephentown, N.Y., and married Susanna DEMING at Edinburg, N.Y.,
December 5, 1802, and died at Edinburg March 23, 1863, his wife dying
at the same place in the month of October, 1872. They reared a family
of ten children, as follows: Amos, Joanna, Isaac, Betsy, Sallie, George
Washington, William W., Jason Ziba, Amanda M., Alonzo R.
Our subject and his wife were the parents of a family of six children;
Camilla S., born July 6, 1849; Livy M., April 25, 1852; Hattie M., June
12, 1855; Orville B., Sept 18, 1857, (died Sept 16, 1862); Mary E.,
born February 15, 1861; Charles W., Jan 2, 1864.
Mr. HUNT taught school in what is now Cass Township in 1852 a part of a
term, the remainder of which was finished by Stephen KING, the same
being the pioneer school of the township. In 1851, Mr. HUNT taught two
months in Council Bluffs (Kanesville).
To learn something of the earlier life of our subject, we will ask the
reader to trace his steps from the State of New York, by railroad to
Buffalo, then to Cincinnati down the Ohio River, up the Mississippi
River to St. Louis, thence up the Missouri to St. Joe, then by wagon to
Harrison County, remembering that he had attended school at Fairfield,
Herkimer County, N.Y., from 1844 to 1846, where he studied civil
engineering, of which he made much use after coming West.
In speaking of early days, he states that three times he had to walk to
Council Bluffs, once for an axe, having broken the one he had, and was
unable to proceed with his work without this trip. When one considers
that Mr. HUNT had but seventy-five cents upon arriving in Iowa, and
that at his death he was a prosperous farmer, it will be understood
that his had been a life of toil and good management.
Politically, Mr. HUNT voted with the Republican party. In their
religious convictions, Mr. and Mrs. HUNT were members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church.
Source: 1891 Harrison County Iowa History, pp. 330-331 Hunt Family Researcher: Deborah Bay .
Harrison County Iowa Biographies
