Trails to the Past

Iowa

Adams County

Biographies

 

Progressive Men of Iowa
1899

DAVIS Francis Marion, a well-known and successful attorney, residing at Corning, Adams county, was born on a farm in Franklin county, Ohio, August, 13, 1831.  His father, Joseph Davis, was a prosperous farmer, living eight miles north of Columbus, Ohio, for a number of years. John Davis, grandfather of Francis M., was a revolutionary soldier, who fought seven years in the war for independence, and was on General Lafayette's staff. He joined the continental army at Valley Forge; fought at Princeton, and in every battle, including the surrender at Yorktown. The gun carried by him at Valley Forge and Princeton is a highly-prized relic, now owned by Mr. Davis at Corning. His grandmother, Ann Simpson Davis, was a near relative of Hannah Simpson, the mother of General Grant, and Mr. Davis says he well remembers the time when Grant, the cadet at West Point, visited the Davis home, on the farm near Columbus, in 1848, dressed in a roundabout, with stiff leather collar and white gloves. His mother's maiden name was Edith Amanda DeFord. Her mother was a Quakeress, captured by the Indians in the Mohawk valley when a child and taken to Canada about the year 1746. She never knew her own name. She was married to Count Aumile De Ford, one of General Montcalm's officers, and, after the close of the revolutionary war, they settled in the state of Delaware. Their daughter Edith and Joseph Davis both went west and were married in Franklin county, Ohio, about the year 1824.

Francis M. worked upon a farm, attended the common schools and a private school until 1847, when he entered Blendon college now Otterbien university, Ohio, and afterwards graduated in the Latin scientific course at the Ohio Wesleyan university at Delaware, Ohio, in 1851. He passed a year in the south, then returned to Ohio and commenced the study of law with Governor Dennison and Mr. Carrington at Columbus, Ohio, and in 1855 settled in Adams county, Iowa, commencing an active business career as surveyor, lawyer and land agent. He had thirty-seven cases on the first court docket of that county.  Mr. Davis was instrumental in organizing the first armed volunteer military company in southern Iowa, called the "Quincy Guards." The company was afterwards known as Company H, Fourth Iowa volunteers, and was offered to and accepted by Governor Kirkwood for service in the war of the rebellion as early as December 10, 1860, Mr. Davis believing from observation and travel in the south that war would surely follow the election of Lincoln to the presidency. Public duties prevented him from going with the company in 1861, but in 1862 he enlisted as a private and was afterwards elected first lieutenant, and promoted to be captain of Company D, Twenty-ninth Iowa. He was afterwards promoted to be first captain of his regiment, and served in the field with staff officers Generals Rice, Pyle, Drake, Bussey, and Colonels Benton, Patterson, Solomon, and others, during the Vicksburg campaign.  During the siege of Fort Pemberton, on the Yazoo, Captain Davis received a wound in the right groin, March 26, 1863. This wound was not considered serious at first, but subsequently disabled him for further service, and he was discharged by order of the secretary of war, the order taking effect April 20, 1864, when he retired from the service.

Mr. Davis helped organize the first republican caucus in Adams county in February, 1856, and has always been a stalwart republican. He was prosecuting attorney of the county for two years, 1856-58, and was elected a member of the Fourteenth General Assembly of Iowa in 1871, being active in re-codifying the code in 1873. He served on the special committee, and wrote the report condemning the foun-dation of the capitol, which was taken out and rebuilt for the present capitol. He was also on the special committee to devise methods for protecting funds in state and county treasuries from defalcation. He was also the means of getting a law passed limiting the powers of corporations; to authorize suing in local courts on insurance policies in case of loss, and many other laws still in force. His first case in the supreme court was that of Sands v. Adams County. The case was won by him and is still a leading case in tax questions, reported in the Eleventh Iowa report. 

Mr. Davis has been twice married, and is the father of six children. The eldest, Lillian D., is the wife of Rev. Howard H. Russell, of Delaware, Ohio; Avanelle is the wife of Grover C. Gray, a banker of Montpelier, Idaho; Frederick, died in infancy, 1867; Edith Estelle, Joseph Simpson, and Francis Marion, Jr., all minors, live at home in Corning.

Mr. Davis was a member of the Methodist church from 1857 to 1876, but since that time has been a Congregationalist Aside from his law practice, he is also quite extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising.

VERNON, Carlton Hullet, for many years one of the modest and unassuming, yet influential and valued citizens of Oskaloosa has just removed his home to Corning, Adams county, June 14, 1899. He is president of the Mahaska County State bank, and has served as member of the city council and director of Oskaloosa schools, in both of which positions he earned the thanks of an appreciative tax paying public by reason of his wisdom in the management of public affairs and his keen regard for the interests of those upon whom the burden of municipal expense rests. Clean, honorable, straightforward, progressive and generous, his friends, both in public and private life, are many.

His is the story of a boy who rose from the farm to a high place in the financial and political circles of an intelligent and thoroughly business-going community. He was born in Monroe county, Ohio, August 22, 1845, on the old homestead owned by his father, and there lived until he had become a man. He is the son of Jacob Vernon, a conspicuous and highly honored farmer, and Catherine Smith Vernon, who comes of one of the first families of that well-known name in Pennsylvania.  Following the completion of the common school course of Monroe county, he entered the Fairbank academy at Woodsfield. His school days were alternated with work on the farm and trapping fur animals. It was in the trapping business that he earned his first dollar. Later his father gave him an acre of land, or rather the use thereof, which he planted in tobacco, and so successful was he in the cultivation of the plant that a considerable sum was realized from the sale of the crops.

He came to Iowa in 1869 and located near Oskaloosa on a farm which his father had purchased. When he had reached the proper age, he was given a small tract of land by his father, and the same has not only remained in his possession ever since, but has been added to regularly until it is now a large and valuable farm.  He was married to Miss Mary Louisa Jones, November 18, 1872. They have three children: Cora Catherine, Edwin McPherson and Sarah Lena.

Mr. Vernon was reared a democrat, but was converted to republicanism during the Vallandigham gubernatorial campaign in Ohio, since which time he has been an uncompromising advocate of the principles and candidates of the last named party. In all the affairs of his section he takes an active interest, although not offensive in his manner of supporting those enterprises which he believes to be for the greatest good of the common people. He is a man of genial manner, easy of approach, and impresses one with his strong personality and high character.

Mr. Vernon has for some years been developing a magnificent farm in Adams county, where he now has about 1400 acres in one tract. He has purchased a fine residence in Corning, which will be his future home.

WELLS, Arthur Lee, a prominent attorney of Corning, Adams county, is a native of the state of New York. His father, Anson Wells, was born in Madison county, N. Y., in the year 1809, and was a farmer.  In 1833 he was married to Caroline M. Young, who was also a native of that county. In 1841 the young couple moved to Cattaraugus county, settled on a new farm in the pine and hemlock forests of that then wild region, and entered upon the slow, laborious work of clearing up the heavily-wooded land. Mrs. Wells was a devoted wife and mother, and early taught her children to adhere to truth and pure lives, and sought to awaken and stimulate in their minds a love of books and a desire for knowledge. She was descended from Scotch and English ancestors, one of whom came to America before the revolutionary war, settling at Martha's Vineyard. One of her brothers, Horace C. Young, was for two terms a member of each house of the New York legislature; another brother, Eugene, was a prominent physician in Illinois; and her youngest brother, William C., was major of the Eighth Wisconsin volunteers in the late war.  Mrs. Wells died in 1866.

Arthur L. Wells was born November 7, 1838, in Madison county, N. Y., and was brought up on his father's farm, spending his summer in all the various kinds of labor necessary in farm life. There were forests to clear off, brush to burn, and stumps to work among for many years.  During the winter months he attended the country district school. By hard study he acquired sufficient education to become a teacher, and, in the winter of 1857, taught his first school in the country village of Eddyville. He returned to farm work in the summer and taught school again in the two succeeding winters. In the spring of 1860 he entered the preparatory department of Hillsdale college in Michigan.  For the next five years he managed, by manual labor of various kinds and teaching school in the winters, to earn enough to pay his way through the whole college course. In June, 1866, he graduated in the classical course with a class of nineteen, with the highest honors. One year his standing was the highest in the college, with an attendance of 350 students.  He was a member of the Alpha Kappa Phi Literary society, the loading one of the college.

He entered the Albany law school after leaving college, and graduated in the class of 1867. He then came to Iowa, and traveled on foot from the terminus of the railroad at Chariton to Quincy, in Adams county. He taught a department of the public school during the winter, and at the spring term of the district court was admitted to the bar. He was twice elected recorder of the county, and served as treasurer a full term and also to fill a vacancy of a portion of a preceding term. When the county seat was located at Corning, in 1872, Mr. Wells removed to that place, and was three times chosen its mayor. In 1876 he entered into partnership with Hon. F. M. Davis in the practice of law, and is still a member of the firm. 

He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and has for seventeen years held the office of treasurer of Instruction lodge at Corning. His ancestors on the father and mother's sides were whigs in politics, and afterwards republicans, and Mr. Wells has always been a republican. He has served as chairman of the republican county committee several times, and has been a member of the judicial and congressional committees. He at one time owned a half interest in the Adams County Gazette, and for two years was its editor.

On the 15th of March, 1871, Mr. Wells was united in marriage with Miss Lucina Register, daughter of Dr. J. H. Register, of Quincy, formerly from Muskingum county, Ohio. They moved to Adams county, Iowa, in 1859.  Mrs. Wells is a prominent member and officer of the Eastern Star, being worthy matron of her chapter, Emblem No. 64; is president of the Ladies' Cemetery association; member of the board of trustees of the public library; secretary of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church of Iowa, and a mem-ber of the Presbyterian church. She is a scholarly woman, active in church, society, literary and charitable work, and a helpful and devoted wife and mother.  Two children have been born to them.  Carrie died in infancy. Arthur R. was born December 1, 1873; attended the public schools in Corning and several terms at the Corning academy, and finally graduated at Princeton college in the classical course with such standing as entitled him to deliver an oration at commencement exercises. He attended the law department of the State university, and was admitted to the bar upon examination before the supreme court, and in 1896 entered upon practice at Corning. He is rapidly rising to a high standing in his profession.  Mr. Wells acquired a taste for farming in early life, and after coming out onto the Iowa prairies had a strong desire to own a farm. After a time he was able to purchase 160 acres in Adams county, and has since enjoyed the pleasure of planning and carrying on its improvements from year to year. He is an exceptionally close reader and student, finding much of his gratification in literature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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