ROCKLEY BARBER, a
farmer of section 11, Nishnabotny (note the correct spelling is Nishnabotna)
Township, was born in England in 1824. The family came to America in 1828, and Rockley
was reared principally in eastern Pennsylvania,
working in the woolen factory with his father from the age of six to 21 years.
He then engaged in shoemaking from 1849 until 1871, when he came to Crawford
County. He now owns a good farm of 360 acres, where he has two acres of shade
and ornamental trees, a good two-story dwelling, 14 x 32 feet, with an L, 18 x 18 feet, and fine barns.
He and his wife Sarah have witnessed the entire development of Crawford County,
passed through the grasshopper raid, and both he and his wife are respected
pioneers of this area. They had seven children, Edward, Allen, Carrie, Mary
(Mrs. Isaac Hurd), Greely, and two who died in infancy.
JOHN R. BROCKELSBY,
who has been identified with the farming interests of Hayes Township since
1874, is a native of England. He came to the United States in 1868 and located
in Clinton County. Six years later he came to his present location, then a wild
stretch of country. He at first bought 80 acres, and now owns 160 acres. His
cottage home is 16 x 22 feet, with an L 16 x 40 feet, surrounded by grove and
orchard. His barn, 20 x 32 feet, his granary, cribs, yards, feed lots, fences, etc., are all arranged with reference to
convenience and are kept up in good shape.
He is married to Alice Cousins, also a native of England.
They have six children, William H., Charles E., George Thomas, John Earl, Alica
and James. They lost three children, Thomas, aged seven months, Ross, 11, and Merritt, 7.
W.H. BROCKELSBY, came
to Crawford County in 1872, and the following year he settled on 80 acres in
section 8 of Hayes Township. At the time this part of the country was wild land
and frequently wolves and deer were seen here. He has developed a fine farm,
with a house of 14 x 18 feet, a story and a half, with a one-story L 16 x 18
feet. It is near a beautiful grove of maple trees. He is engaged in general
farming and stock raising, having some thoroughbred Poland-China hogs, and he
has a fine pond stocked with carp.
He was married in 1870 to Malinda Milligan and they
have five children, Richard, Edward, Winfred, Margaret, and Elisa.
JOHN BRUS, a
gentleman who holds the important office of Trustee for Hayes Township, is a
resident of section 22, post office Westside. He located in this township in 1882,
coming from Scott County. He was born in 1844, and in 1847 his parents, Henry
and Beatrix, and his seven brothers and sisters left
Germany on a sailing, vessel. After a voyage of 49 days, they landed in New
Orleans, coming thence by steamer to St. Louis. In 1850 they settled near
Walcott, in Scott County, Iowa, where the father bought a three-acre tract, paying $50 an acre for it.
John was married in 1870 to Anna Grage, and he then spent
eight years in the hotel business in Davenport. He then turned his attention to
farming, and now has 345 acres of land on which he raises considerable stock.
The couple has eight children, Henry, Lillian (Mrs. William Jensen), John, Charley, Hugo, Otto, Allie, and Clara.
J.B. GARDNER, a
physician and surgeon of Manilla, graduated in medicine in March, 1882. He was
married at Aspinwall to Miss Mary E. Offineer, daughter of F.M. and Rachel Wolf Offineer, who owned
the land to the east of where Aspinwall now stands.
Dr. Gardner is a self-made man, having worked at anything he
could find to do while receiving his medical education. After the city of
Manilla was started he went there, and has paid strict attention to his
profession. He has a beautiful residence worth $5,000, of modern style and
furnished in an elegant and tasteful manner.
Dr. and Mrs. Gardner have two children, Bessie and Grace.
ERNAN HATHAWAY is
a native of the Hawkeye State, born in Jackson County in 1856. In 1880 he
settled on 80 acres of wild land in Iowa Township. He now has 160 acres of good
land, divided into two 80 acre tracts, each having a story and a half cottage
house. At one place is a grove and orchard of nine acres. His barn is 18 x 36 feet.
He was married in 1879 to Melissa Hassou, who had
been a teacher. They have had four children, Ida, Beryl, and two who died in infancy.
DANIEL McGRATH came to the county May 23, 1872, and located where Manilla now stands. He owned 80 acres where the Manilla High School building now is placed. He improved the property very much by planting
normal'>Continued from page 9
trees. He was an Assessor, and his
was the only vote in the Democratic party in the township.
In 1878 the family moved to Soldier Township, where they live today.
Mr. McGrath is a native of Canada, and his wife Mary is from
Ireland. They have five children, Hattie, Thomas, Ellen, Daniel and Mary.
WILLIAM MARTENS,
of Hayes Township, post office Aspinwall, came to this area in 1879 and
purchased 80 acres of prairie land which he improved until he had one of the
finest farms in the county. He has built a nice frame farm house, surrounded by shade and ornamental trees.
William left Germany when he was 19, and came direct to
Clinton County where he engaged in teaching in the public and private schools
for 12 years. He also taught for four years in Hayes Township. He served as
Assessor for six years, was Secretary of the School Board, is now Justice of
the Peace and has been for many years.
William and his wife Margaret have eight children, Richard, Henry, Gus, Amelia, Willie, Emil, Kate and Henry.
DAVID POWERS was
an educator for 14 years, but because of failing health
caused by too much confinement, he was obliged to retire from the profession
and seek an occupation more conducive to health. He came to Crawford County in
1883, and bought 160 acres of wild prairie land 2 1/2 miles from Manilla. He now
has a nicely improved farm, with a 20 x 26 foot house surrounded by lawn, grove
and orchard. He has 4 1/2 acres set out in maple, ash and cottonwood trees. He
is engaged in general farming and stock raising, having some good grades of horses, cattle and hogs.
Powers and his wife Gertrude, also a popular and successful
teacher, take an active interest in advancing education, temperance, good morals and religion.
HENRY WALKER,
residing on a farm near Manilla, is one of the first settlers of this part of
the country. He dates his arrival here to 1871, when this section of the county
was a vast prairie, without any improvements whatever. He came with two teams
and wagons and 18 head of cattle and settled on the 160 acre farm.
Recently he has laid out an addition to Manilla, in which are some valuable
lots and good property. His farm adjoins the town, and the addition was named for him.
He was married in 1849 to Ann Watson, and they have three
children, John Henry, Abraham Coulson, and Hannah Elizabeth, who married John Bayles, another early settler.
CHARLES WENZEL, a
member of the Board of Supervisors, came to Nishnabotny
Township in 1873. He now has 80 acres in section 25 and 160 acres in section
24. His residence is 18 x 28 feet, an L, 16 x 24 feet, and kitchen, 10 x 24
feet, all being a story and a half except the kitchen. His barn is 24 x 28
feet. He has an attractive lawn, grove and orchard, and his farm is well fenced
and well watered.
Mr. Wenzel was married May 24, 1873, to Wilhelmine
Schwartz, and they have four sons, Siegfried, Reinhard, Hellmuth, and Bernhard, and six daughters, Marie,
Mathilde, Martha, Emma, Rosa and Amalia; Amalia and Bernhard are twins.
It should also be noted that Mr. Wenzel's parents also came
to America from Germany. His father, Phillip, died in Iowa Township in 1884,
and his mother Christena is now 70 and is a resident of Manilla. Of their children, Agusta Bahles and Fred both
live in Iowa Township and Bertha Schwieso lives in Manilla.
SELDEN E. WHITCHER
resides on a farm in section 34, Iowa Township, a half mile from Botna. At the
age of 13 he entered the army as a drummer boy, serving with the northern
forces in the Civil War battle of Gettysburg. He later enlisted with the Army
of the Potomac, and his regiment was sent west after the Civil War. He served
in the Apache War in Arizona, and he still has wounds that were received from
the Indians' arrows. For a while he was a mounted scout and was on duty 480 miles from any railroad.
After retiring from Government service, Whitcher went to California and was
engaged in staging for 14 years. In 1880 he came to Iowa and settled on wild
prairie land. He now owns 160 acres with a nice cottage home, grove and
orchard. He married Alice Moon and they have eight children, Emma, Mary, Flora,
Edna, Willie, Gracie, John and Ruby.
ODDS AND ENDS
A REMARKABLE PIG
A newly married lady who recently graduated from
Vassar College is not very well posted about household matters. She said to her
grocer not long since, "I bought three or four hams here a couple months
ago, and they were very nice. Have you got any more like them?"
Grocer, "Yes Ma'am; there are ten of those hams hanging
up there."
Lady, "Are you sure they are all off the same pig?"
Grocer, "Yes ma'am."
Lady, "Then I'll take three of them."
normal'>Manning Monitor, October 28, 1885