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James V. Billings settled on
section 32 in 1864, where he still resides. He purchased
of Stephen Morse, who removed to Grundy county, where he
died in March, 1881. Mr. Morse purchased the farm of the
government. Mr. Billings was born in Montgomery county,
New York, March 16, 1811, where he lived till thirty-six
years of age. His father, Caleb Billings, was also a
native of Montgomery county, and died in the house in
which he was born. James V. lived the first thirty-six
years of his life in the same house, and a brother of
Mr. Billings still owns the homestead of his father. Mr.
Billings married Temperance Jane Bunn, also a native of
Montgomery county. They removed to Rock county,
Wisconsin, in July, 1849, where they lived until they
removed to this county. They have eleven children-Earl,
born in 1835; William H., born in 1837; Winfield S.,
born in 1839; Henrietta, born in 1841; George W., born
in 1843; J. B., born in 1846; Margaret E., born in 1848;
Temperance J., born in 1851; Sarah M., born in 1854;
Alice A., born in 1856, and Addie C., born in 1858. They
lost one child, Nellie, born in 1860 and died the same
year. Mr. Billings' farm contains 220 acres, also seven
acres of timber. He formerly owned forty acres within
the present limits of Parkersburg. Facilities for
emigrating have greatly improved since Mr. Billings
began his pioneer life in Wisconsin in 1849. His route
to Wisconsin was by way of the Erie canal to Buffalo,
and thence to Racine by way of the great lakes. The boat
on which he and family took passage from Buffalo was
wrecked near Conoatt, Ohio, and sank, but the passengers
were all rescued. The entire journey occupied three
weeks, two of which were spent on the
lakes.
David Caywood resides on
section 13, where he settled in 1866. He has been a
resident of this county since 1863. Mr. Caywood was born
in Tompkins county, New York, but brought up in Chemung
county, where he lived from the time he was four years
old until he was 38. He was married in Chemung county to
Mary Boyer, who died August 9, 1866. His present wife
was Susan Davis, born in Lewis county, New York. Mr.
Caywood has three sons by his first wife-James, George
and Grant. He has two children by his present wife,
twins-Mary and Wilbur, born in 1869. Mr. Caywood's farm
contains 220 acres.
Thurman S. Chapel resides on
section 13, where he settled in the fall of 1870. He was
born in Erie county, New York, in 1827; he removed from
his native State to Illinois, and from thence to Butler
county in the fall of 1868; he has been a resident of
this township since that time. Mrs. Chapel's maiden name
was Ann E. Brown, a daughter of James Brown. Mrs. Chapel
has the deed of this farm, which she obtained from her
father, who received it of John Bicknell in 1860. Her
father never resided here, but six of his children, four
sons and two daughters, settled in this township, all of
whom have since removed, except Mrs. Chapel. Mr. Chapel
enlisted in 1861, in the Fifty-second Illinois Infantry,
Company H, and served in the army three years. He was at
the battle of Shiloh, the Siege of Atlanta, and with
Sherman's March to the Sea. Mr. Chapel has been twice
married; has two children by his first wife-May A., now
Mrs. Francis Upton, of Michigan, and Odelbert. Mrs.
Chapel has also been twice married; her first husband
was Miles P. Dean, by whom she had three children-Mrs.
Julia A. Grandon, Anna and Fremont. Mr. and Mrs. Chapel
have two children-James W. and Roy. The farm contains
eighty acres. They have also 160 acres on sections 11
and 14.
Joshua R. Culp, settled on
section 29, in the spring of 1869. He bought his farm of
W. H. Billings. Mr. Culp was born in Niagara county, New
York, January 1829. He removed with his parents to
Coldwater, Branch county, Michigan, when nine years of
age: His father, Nicholas Culp, died in Michigan. Mrs.
Culp was born in Coldwater, Michigan. Her maiden name
was Harriet Gage. Her father, Elias Gage, is now
deceased; her mother is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Culp
have three children-Orissa, Harry J. and Aurelia. The
youngest child was born in Albion township; the others
were born in Michigan. Mr. Culp has 80 acres of land. He
was the first settler on his
place.
Charles L. Gleason lives on section
28. This farm was entered by H. B. Wemple. Mr. Gleason
has lived here since the spring of 1878. He was born in
Massachusetts, in 1836. He is the son of Luther H.
Gleason of Beaver township, Grundy county, who settled
there in 1857, purchasing his farm of N. Drew. Mr. L. H.
Gleason was born in Middlesex county, Massachusetts, in
1812; he learned the trade of a shoemaker, which he
followed till coming here. He married Mary Felch, a
native of Massachusetts. They have four children-Charles
L., Etta, Halina, wife of James Daniels; and Martha,
wife of Elijah Lamb. Charles L. married Mary Cramer,
daughter of Samuel Cramer, born in Canada West, in 1843.
They have two children-Grace, born in 1865, and Edith,
born in 1868. Mr. Gleason was one of the first business
men of Parkersburg; he located there in 1866, being the
first who manufactured boots and shoes in that village.
His farm contains 128
acres.
Mrs. Sally S. Hersey, living
on section 15, is the widow of William Hersey, who was
born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in 1822. His parents
died when he was a boy. He was brought up in
Massachusetts; was married at Natick, in that State;
removed to Grafton, where he lived ten years, and came
to Butler county in 1864 and settled on section 15. Mr.
Hersey died May 3, 1877. Mrs. Hersey was formerly Salty
S. Felch, a native of Massachusetts. She has nine
children, three sons and six daughters-Levi F., Martha
I., Sarah F., Lucy E., Mary S., Esther A., Nancy G.,
William H. and Thomas T. G., all born in Massachusetts.
Mr. Hersey was quite a large land owner, and a
successful farmer. He owned at one time about 600 acres,
a portion of which has been conveyed to the
children.
Elias S. Hovey resides on section
2, where he located in 1875. He purchased his land of
non-residents, and has made all of the improvements upon
it. He was born in the town of Brookfield, Orange
county, Vermont, in 1823; but brought up in the town of
Albany, Orleans county. He was reared to the occupation
of farming; came to Iowa in November, 1855, and settled
in Buchanan county, where he purchased an improved farm.
In 1867, with his brother, Elijah A. Hovey, he engaged
in the well business. Another brother, George Hovey,
became a member of the firm in 1871. In 1873 they
secured a patent on a drive-well. George, subsequently,
became sole proprietor of this patent. It was claimed by
Andrews that the invention of the Hovey brothers was an
infringement on what is known as Greene's patent for
drive-wells. Andrews being the agent employed by Greene
to collect royalty on the drive-wells of the country.
The case is still pending in the courts. Mr. Hovey is a
large land owner and stock dealer. He has 440 acres in a
body, where he resides, and 120 acres on section 12. He
is the present postmaster of Swanton, though the office
is kept at the residence of Mrs. Marcia A. Hovey, in
Jefferson township. His wife was formerly Martha M.
Fisk, born in Brookfield, Orange county, Vermont. They
have three children -Almira M., wife of Charles H.
Little; Horace N. and Carrie. The eldest was born in
Vermont; the others in Buchanan county,
Iowa.
John Knapp settled on section
8 in 1867, where he now lives. He purchased of Martin
Manser. The farm was entered by E. W. Babcock. Mr. Knapp
was born in Steuben county, New York, in 1839. He went
to Illinois when 18 years of age; enlisted in the Eighth
Illinois Cavalry, Company G. He served two years and
three months in the army; was wounded at Beverly Ford,
Virginia; being disabled, he was discharged, and came to
Iowa in 1865, settling on section 4, in this township.
He afterwards removed to section 6, where he lived one
year, then to present location in 1867. He made all the
improvements on his farm. His father came here in 1866,
and died at the residence of his son, in 1874. His
mother died September, 1867. Mrs. Knapp's maiden name
was Emma Chesley, daughter of Nathaniel Chesley, who
settled on section 3, of this township, in 1855. Mr.
Chesley was born in Vermont, moving to the State of New
York, where he married Phoebe Parish; they moved to
Ohio, where they lived eight years, and thence to this
county. They had 12 children, eleven of whom are still
living, only two of whom are residents of this
county-Mary J. wife of Henry Brown, of Monroe township,
and Mrs. Knapp; all the others live in Clay and O'Brien
counties, except George, who resides in Fall City,
Nebraska. Mr. Chesley removed to Clay county, with his
family, in 1870. Mr. and Mrs. Knapp have three children-
Elon J., Cora A. and Andrew Guy. Mr. Knapp's farm
contains 80 acres.
Jacob Mundinger lives on section 6,
where he settled in 1869. He was born in Michigan, in
1839; when fourteen years of age he removed to Dubuque
county, Iowa, with his father, where he lived about ten
years. He went to Montana Territory in 1864, and engaged
in mining; was absent about five years; returning to
Iowa he settled in Jones county. His wife was Phoebe E.
Rolston, daughter of David Rolston, who settled in Jones
county, in 1853, where he still lives. Mr. and Mrs.
Mundinger have five children-Ira, Clarence, Eunice,
Frank and Harvey. The parents and a brother of Mr.
Mundinger came here in 1876, and reside in the
township.
Henry Weeks settled on
section 6, in 1866. He bought his farm of Henry Mead,
who purchased of Babcock, the original owner of the
farm. Mr. Weeks was born in Middlesex county,
Massachusetts, in 1823, going to Illinois in 1854, and
settling in Ogle county. He married Jane Gibson, a
native of Canada. They have three children-Joseph, born
February, 1863, Mary E., born here in 1867, and Charles
F., born May 29, 1877. Mr. Weeks is the only one of his
father's family living in Iowa. Two brothers of Mrs.
Weeks, Joseph R. and Theophilus, live in Shell Rock. Mr.
Weeks has about 270 acres of
land.
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