History of Sac County 
by William H. Hart - 1914

EARLY, CHARLES L. -----The annals of the West teem with stories of young men of ability and energy who have come from eastern points and been successful in many lines of endeavor. Some have succeeded in commerce and as agriculturists, while others have made marked progress in the useful line of endeavor as public officials. The name of Early is one that is well and favorably known in Sac county. The name attaches to itself a significance that the bearer has achieved marked success along his chosen path of endeavor.  Charles L. Early, postmaster of Sac City, is ranked among the pioneers of the county, who came here and seized the opportunity which presented itself and has succeeded, not only in a wordy way but enjoys the respect and esteem of a large concourse of friends and well wishers. Public spirited to a high degree, he has served the people in many capacities for a long period of years, as a county official, in the halls of the state Legislature, and lastly as an accommodating and conscientious postmaster.

Mr. Early is a native son of the Buckeye state and was born on a farm in Brown county, Ohio. July 27, 1854. He is the son of David Watson Early, a native of Kentucky, and was of Irish ancestry. The ancestors of Charles L. Early came from Ireland in 1740 and settled in the Old Dominion (Virginia). Here they figured in the colonial and revolutionary period as became natural to members of a race who became Americans easily. David Watson Early was the son of David Early, son of Thomas, who was son of William Early, who is said to have emigrated from Ireland about the middle of the eighteenth century.

David was the youngest son of William Early, of Virginia, who migrated to Kentucky in about 1784 and took an active part in the stirring scenes incidental to the settlement of the state. Further research determines the fact that the original progenitors of the Early family in America were Jeremiah and William. From these two brothers have sprung the different members of the family, many of whom have achieved fame, not only in civic affairs but in the pursuit of war. Gen. Jubal Early, of Civil-war fame, was a direct descendant of Jeremiah Early The father of Charles L. Early was fifteen years of age when the family removed from Kentucky to Ohio, in the year 1835, and became one of the pioneer families of the state which has contributed her sons and daughters to the upbuilding of many of the greatest western commonwealths. David W.  lived to a good old age and died in 1908 at his Brown county home. His wife was Sarah Jane Hook, a native of Adams county, Ohio, and who was reared on the farm adjoining that of the Earlys. She was born in the year 1824 and was deceased in 1885. They reared a family of four children: John Quincy, who resides on the old homestead in Brown county, Ohio; Walter David, deceased; Charles Lee, of whom we are writing; George Andrew, an agriculturist in Brown county, Ohio.

Charles Lee Early was reared to young manhood on the farm. His primary schooling was obtained in the district school not far from the old homestead. Being ambitious, he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, and also studied in the Bentonville Normal College. For a period of three years he followed the profession of teaching in Brown and Adams counties. Ohio. Believing that the West offered a better and more prolific field for the exercise of his talents, in the year 1876 he came to Iowa, first locating in Sac City. where he taught school for one term in Clinton township in the winter of 1876. The following year he was employed in the Sac County Bank, one of the pioneer banking institutions of the city. He served as deputy county treasurer from 1878 to 1882. inclusive. He then formed a partnership with Phil Schaller for the purpose of conducting a real estate and loan business, the firm being known for a period of six years as Schaller & Early. It is said that this firm accomplished a great deal in the promotion of the settlement of Sac county and assisted many farmers in various wavs through the troublesome times incident to the settlement of the county.  Mr. Early turned his attention to civic affairs and in the fall of 1888.  was elected clerk of the district court, in which office he served the people ably and well for four years. This did not seem to be sufficient reward for his attainments, and in the fall of 1893 the people of Sac county sent him to the state capital to sit in the halls of the state Legislature. He was re-elected to this important office for the second term and served in the sessions of 1894 and 1896, and also during the extra session of 1897. It is to Mr. Early's credit that while in the legislative body as a member he carefully looked to the interests of the people and his constituents.

After serving in the Legislature he again turned his attention to the real estate and loan business being rewarded with his usual success until his appointment as postmaster of Sac City in 1906 under President Roosevelt. He was reappointed in 1910, and at this writing is serving his second term. His career in his official capacity has justified the confidence reposed in him by the government and his friends and fellow citizens. At no time in the history of the post office in Sac City has the office received greater undivided attention and been more ably conducted than during Mr. Early's regime. Mindful of the fact that land is the basis of all values and that nothing is more valuable than real estate ownership, Mr. Early has acquired three hundred and twenty acres of excellent land in his home county, and is also the owner of a half section of land in North Dakota. He has one of the finest homes in the city which he has recently remodeled and provided with accessories for the indulgence of his hobby, if it can be called such. For, be it known, like many other successful men, he has never neglected to follow up the development of mind commenced in his younger days. Mr. Early is an amateur astronomer of known ability and attainments. For years he has studied the heavens from a scientific point of view. He has probably the only appropriately equipped observatory in western Iowa, and it is said that he knows nothing better than to ensconce himself in the glass enclosed chamber erected on the roof of his dwelling and spend hours in gazing through his telescope and making observations of the heavenly bodies.

Mr. Early is a man of considerable inventive ability and the present day adding machines are constructed along ones originally designed by him about 1882. At that time he perfected a model embodying the essential features of the machine and filed a caveat in the patent office, but unfortunately permitted this to lapse, and thus lost the recognition deserved, though it is quite generally known among those directly interested that his genius conceived the primary idea. He claims to be the original inventor of the adding feature of all the modern adding machines. His invention provided for a bank of eighty-one keys and the adding was automatic the same as the comptometer.  He makes no claim to inventing the printing and listing features of the present day adding machines.

Mr. Early is a director in the Sac County State Bank, one of the strongest financial institutions in western Iowa. He has had considerable banking experience during his career, having at one time, from 1882 to 1884, operated a bank in the town of Schaller, Iowa, in partnership with Phil Schaller and which was known as the Schaller & Early Bank. During his residence in Schaller he had considerable to do in the upbuilding of the new municipality, taking an active part in the incorporation of the town and being one of the prime movers in planning the town and arranging the perspective of the beautiful city park of which every resident of Schaller is exceedingly proud.  He is prominent in Masonic circles, being a member of the Sac City Blue Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, holding a membership in the chapter and commandery in Sac City, and valuing very highly his membership in the Mystic Shrine of Des Moines.

Mr. Early's home life has been a happy one in many ways. In June.  1888. he was wedded to Agnes Waddell, a native of Wisconsin and the daughter of Christopher Waddell. To them were born two children: Ruth I., a graduate of St. Catherine's College of Davenport, Iowa, and Esther Early, who is deceased.

EARLY, HON. D. CARR -----Invulnerable integrity and high purpose characterized the life of Hon.  D Carr Early, an honored citizen and representative businessman of Sac City, who left an indelible impress upon the civic and industrial annals of the county and upon whose record there rests no shadow of blemish. His strength was as the number of his days, and not only did he accomplish much in connection with the practical affairs of life, but his nature, strong and vigorous, found devotement in kindly tolerance and human sympathy, generous deeds and worthy service. He was a lawyer by profession, who served his county in several important positions of public trust with signal honor and ability, but a greater part of his long and active career was one of close and fruitful identification with business interests, especially in the line of banking, in which he gained marked prestige.

Among the important factors in the settlement and final development of Sac County, perhaps no one man did more and stood higher in the estimation of his fellow citizens than Judge Early, who was a resident of Sac City and vicinity for more than forty-seven years. In the settlement of new counties there are two classes always found-one, the short stayer, and the other, the permanent settler, who sets his stakes and builds worthily for the oncoming years. The latter class included Mr. Early, whose name is now and ever will be mentioned in connection with Sac county, by reason of his energy and tact, as well as for his actual accomplishments.  Judge Early was born April 21, 1830, near the village of  Feesburg, Brown county, Ohio, the son of Andrew Early, a native of Kentucky, whose wife's name was Fanny Summers. Mr. Early's ancestors came from Ireland in the eighteenth century and settled in Hampshire county, Virginia.  Thomas Early was the great-grandfather of Judge Early and the father of David Early, who was born in Hampshire county, Virginia, in 1774. David Early removed to Kentucky in 1778 and settled in Fleming county, where Andrew Early, father of D. Carr Early, was born. Andrew was born December 4, 1803, and removed to Brown county, Ohio, in the year 1826.  D. Carr Early was reared on a farm, but diligently improved every spare moment in gaining an education. At the age of eighteen years he commenced school teaching, at the same time taking up the study of Latin. His father allowed him two acres of kind, which he planted to corn and tobacco.  The first season he made one hundred and forty-five dollars, with which money he went to school at Felicity, Clermont county, Ohio, called Springtown Institute, where he was especially proficient in mathematics. He then went to Nelson county, Kentucky, where his uncle, Walter Summers, lived.  There he taught school for one year, with the proceeds of which he was enabled to attend school further. He then returned to Ohio and began reading law with H. L. Penn of Georgetown. By money earned as a teacher, he continued his studies and at the end of two years was admitted to the bar of the supreme court. He then taught two years longer, as he needed the money in starting out as a lawyer. In 1856 he set his face toward the West, making nearly the entire trip on foot. He had determined to be the owner of a quarter section of government land, with timer upon it if possible and he found that tract in Sac county, Iowa. He and Andrew J.  Taylor, a companion, selected claims May 5, 1856. He went on foot to the land office at Sioux City to file his pre-emption papers, while Taylor, his chum, remained and cut logs and made clapboards for a cabin, which was erected on the line of the two claims. Here the two young men dwelt in rude fashion as real pioneers of Sac county, for three months, until they could pay for their lands under the pre-emption laws.

Mr. Early went back to Fleming county, Kentucky, and there taught school the next winter, but in the spring of 1857 returned to Sac county, coming back by boat to Sioux City. During this water trip he freed himself of the fever and ague which had troubled him the season before. He then located in Sac City, then a village of only three or four log houses, including one erected for a schoolhouse. He at once engaged to teach the pioneer school, but after teaching seven days he resigned to accept the office of county treasurer and recorder; F. M. Cory had been elected, but preferred to have another perform his duties. Mr. Early was an expert penman and an excellent accountant. He was called upon to draw many legal papers for the incoming settlers, in connection, generally, with their land claims and titles.  Much of the land was known as military land and had been taken up with army scrip. He kept a careful list of all non-resident lands and paid taxes for the owners of the same, and thus laid the foundation for his future fortune.

Sac County was heavily in debt and county warrants were at a discount, from fifty to sixty cents on a dollar being all they were actually worth, but when taken in payment for taxes were worth their face. He sold his land and bought county warrants, doubling his money by using them in payment of taxes for his clients. At the end of Mr. Cory's term as treasurer and recorder, Mr. Early was elected to take that combined office, and was repeatedly re-elected several years. He served as county judge one year, but refused further to hold such office, or any other, save that he did consent to serve as mayor of his city and was a national delegate for James G.  Blaine in 1884. He drifted into the banking business and made money rapidly. He was director and president of the Sac County Bank-later known as the Sac County State Bank-and was also director of both state and national banks in Sac City. He reaped his reward, as progress went forward in the new country, but he never forgot those less fortunate and was ever public spirited and generous. He put many thousand dollars into the old railroad line from Sac City to Wall Lake, and finally donated the same to the Chicago & Northwestern Company when they agreed to operate the road for not less than twenty years. The court houses, churches, the old institute and many other local enterprises received liberally from his purse.  In 1876 he built his fine brick mansion-then the best in western Iowa-at a cost of twenty thousand dollars. and aided in building the opera house block, he owning- three-fourths of the stock in the company.  D. Carr Early was happily married December 9, 1859, to Harriet V.  Wren, who died March 26, 1864, and three days before her death her second child was born. The issue by this marriage was Ossian Carr, of San Jose, California, and Walter Francis, deceased at the age of twenty years, while attending college at Valparaiso, Indiana. On January 1, 1865, Mr. Early was married to Sarah A. Wren, who was born in Montgomery county, Indiana, and when a child of eleven years came to Iowa with her parents, Washington Wade and Maria (Frame) Wren, in the fall of 1857 and settled on a farm five miles south of Sac City, where they pre-empted land. To Judge and Mrs. Early four children were born as follows : Quincy Eugene, who died in 1909; Lulu Maud, deceased; Lola Mae, wife of George B. Perkins; Doud Cady, who died at the age of nine years.

Judge Early was an enthusiastic Freemason, having united in 1852 and helped to develop the order in Sac City. He was an honored member of Occidental Lodge No. 178; Sac City Chapter No. 18, Order of the Eastern Star; Darius Chapter No. 58. Royal Arch Masons: Rose Croix Commandery No. 38, Knights Templar; Des Moines Consistory No. 37, Scottish Rite Masonry: Za-Ga-Zig Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mvstic Shrine.

Judge Early's father and grandfather were both of the Presbyterian faith, but he was not truly a Christian by profession until aged about fifty years, when he united with the Presbyterian church at Sac City and gave liberally toward the support of that as well as towards all other denominations in his vicinity.

Politically, he of whom this memoir is written was an uncompromising Republican-never scratched his ticket and always attended caucuses and primary elections. He was greatly beloved by the poor people in his community, as well as by those upon whom fortune had smiled.  Of such worthy characters the world has none too many.  Judge Early was called by death August 4. 1903, and the community felt a distinct loss in the passing of this esteemed citizen. His influence had touched with beneficence the civic and business life of his home county and city and his name merits a place of honor on the roster of those who have contributed in generous measure to the development and progress of the city and county which was so long the scene of his earnest and effective endeavors.

EDSON, CHARLES AUSTIN -----Specific mention is made of many of the worthy citizens of Sac county within the pages of this work, citizens who have figured in the growth and development of this favored locality and whose interests have been identified with its every phase of progress, each contributing in his sphere of action to the well-being of the community in which he resides and to the advancement of its normal and legitimate growth. Among this number is he whose name appears above, peculiar interest attaching to his career from the fact that thirty years of his life have been spent within the borders of this county. 

Charles A. Edson, a prosperous farmer, public-spirited citizen and distinguished Son of the Revolution, was born in September, 1847, in eastern Canada, on the Vermont line. He is one of the fortunate few who are able to trace their ancestry back to the body of American citizens who came over in the “Mayflower” in 1620. Alexander Edson, the great-grandfather of C. A.  Edson, was in the Revolutionary War and his grandfathers on both sides, Alexander Edson and Timothy Wyman, were in the War of 1812. After the War of 1812 Alexander Edson settled on the Vermont-Canada line, where they lived the remainder of their days. The parents of C. A. Edson were Truman and Amanda Edson, who were natives of Maine, and never left their native country. They were the parents of three children, who are still living: C. A., whose history is portrayed here, Mrs. Mary Dexter, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Mrs. Eliza Boynton, of Tacoma, Washington. 

C. A. Edson left the parental home when he was eighteen years of age, came west and located near Joliet, Illinois, in Will county. He stayed in Illinois until after his marriage, in 1870, and came to Sac county in 1885, where he bought three hundred and twenty acres of his present farm, in Eureka township, for which he paid thirty-seven and a half dollars an acre.  The land at this time was but partially improved, and since he has acquired it he has built a new house and barn, and fenced and drained it in such way as to increase its value. Since buying the first three hundred and twenty acres he has never felt that he could successfully manage any more land, and consequently has devoted all his energy to the development of this half section.  He raises a large amount of stock each year, specializing in cattle and hogs.  In 1913 his farm produced seventy head of cattle and one hundred and twenty-five head of hogs, for which he found a ready market at a good price. 

Mr. Edson was married September 11, 1870 to Elizabeth Barr, a native of Ireland. Mrs. Edson lost both her parents when she was an infant, and she came to this country from the north of Ireland when fourteen years of age with her sister and three brothers. Mr. and Mrs. Edson are the parents of four children: John T., who now manages the Lakeside farm at Storm Lake, and was for many years a banker at Schaller, Sac county; Willis C, who is an attorney in Storm Lake, Iowa; Mrs. Margaret Mandeville, of Brookings county. South Dakota, and Emma, who is still with her parents. 

In politics, Mr. Edson has always allied himself with the Republican party, but in 1912 he felt that the best interests of the country demanded a return of the Democratic party at the head of national affairs and, in accordance with this belief, he voted for Woodrow Wilson. He has always taken a prominent part in local politics, and has served as school director and township trustee for ten years in his township. He has filled these positions to the entire satisfaction of all of the citizens of the township, irrespective of their politics. Mr. Edson has been a man of strict integrity and a high sense of honor. In the score and a half years which have elapsed since he became a resident of the township he has built up a reputation which has won for him the confidence and esteem of a large circle of friends and acquaintances.