Ida County Iowa Biographies

These Ida County Biographies have been provided by Conley Wolterman, if you would like to request additional information, just click on her name.

 David Warnock

             In  the spring of 1869, two families, David Warnock and Joseph Ferguson,  were crossing Iowa to settle in Ida County.  The Warnock family had originated in Ireland and had been at Dubuque Co., Farley, Iowa.  They traveled the distance to Ida County  from Dubuque Co. in a covered wagon, and arrived on June 10, 1869.  Only 7 families resided in Ida County at that time.  Soon after they arrived, they broke the sod on their land.
     Richard Warnock was Dave Warnock’s father, and Dave’s mother was Frances.  The parents were Irish.  They waited a year or two before they left Farley, Iowa, for Ida County near where Battle Creek is today, to join their sons’ families.  Their children were David, James, Margaret, Samuel, George, Frank, William, and Lowry.
     David had married Mary Ferguson on his covered wagon travels to Ida County, and then established  a blacksmith shop in the winter of 1870 on the east side of the hill directly south of where the Maple River bridge was later built.  He had the shop for 6 or 7 years.   If he needed to collect a bill, he’d “go after it.”    Dave was born at Allegheny City, Pa. on Sept. 5, 1846.  At the age of 8 he was living with his family at Dubuque, Iowa, and helped his father on the farm.  He did hold a position of fireman on a steam boat, covering the river route from Dubuque to St. Paul before coming to Ida County.  When in Ida County, he carried mail for 3 years, via the pony express, between Ida Grove and Mapleton.  The pony express was discontinued in 1877 when the railroad was completed through Battle Creek.  His first homestead was staked by himself, just south of Battle Hill.  A Land Co. attempted to jump his claim.  Dave had to journey a distance of 65 miles to Sioux City by foot and arrived within 14 hours to establish and procure his rightful deed.  He had encountered the Sioux River swollen and the country flooded, and swam the angry waters to get there.  His family first lived in a soddy and replaced it with a frame house.   Dave and Mary had 4 children: Margaret, Frances, Joe, and Beulah.  Margaret and Frances were born in the homestead built in the south side of Battle Hill.  Dave towed a lot of machinery and wagons across the Maple River, and rescued many cattle from the flood waters.
       The railroad came through Battle Creek in 1877.  The railroad had stockyards down by the tracks and cattle were fed and “finished” there for sale in Chicago.   By 1915, Battle Creek called itself “the world’s largest shipping center of fat cattle.”  The cattle traveled by train to the market in Chicago.
     Richard Warnock hauled all the crude lumber by team and wagon from Denison, Iowa, to build a home and some sheds on land they settled south of the Maple River near where Battle Creek, Iowa, is today. 
     A ‘trail’ that later became a road passed by the buildings a short distance away.  This trail was used as a racing trail ‘track’.  The Indians delighted in racing and yelling and leaping off and back on their horses.  The Indians did not harm the people, and were of a friendly nature, especially with those ready to do ‘barter trading’ with them.”

Harrison  Hackett - (Civil War Veteran)

       Harrison Hackett, one of the early settlers of Ida County, Iowa, was born in Orange County, Vermont, May 6, 1832.  He was the son of Emery and Amanda (Hines) Hackett, both natives of Vermont, with the ancestors coming to this country from England generations ago.
       Harrison’s brothers and sisters were:  Homer, Hellen, Henry, Angeline, Louisa, Edna, Arabell, John, Harriett, Clifton, Charley, and Augusta.  Four of the brothers were in the Civil War.  Harrison enlisted in June 1864 in Company G, Third Minnesota Infantry, and was mustered out in the fall of 1865 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.
       When Harrison was 14 years old, he entered the employ of the Vermont Central Railroad Co., first in the shops at Northfield, Vt., afterward fired on an engine, and later had charge of one.  After 6 years with the railroad company, he purchased some wild woodland in Minnesota, and developed a farm.
       He married in October 1852 to Almina Hatch, daughter of Henry and Nancy (Rollins) Hatch, of Vermont.  They had 2 children: Alma and Augusta.  He wife died February 1888.
     In 1876, he came to Ida County and purchased 320 acres of wild prairie land in Section 34, Silver Creek Township.  He piled his furniture out on the prairie until he had his house erected.  He built a frame house and began cultivating his land, making a specialty of corn.  He fed a large amount of stock, cattle and hogs.  He purchased more land, and in 1888 he bought a home in Ida Grove at the corner of 5^th and Burns Streets.  In March, 1889, Mr. Hackett married Elizabeth Howser.  She had 4 children by her former marriage:  Cora M., Carrie M. (a teacher in Ida County), Chester M., and C. Maud.  He was a member of the G.A.R., Matthew Gray Post No. 93

Andrew Preston

        Andrew Preston was a  proprietor of “Bonnie Brae” stock farm and a dealer in shorthorn cattle.  He was born near Dundee in Forfarshire, Scotland, May 8, 1850.  His parents were John and Matilda Preston of Scotland.  When Andrew was nine years old, he came to America and located in Chicago, Illinois.  Then he went to Dundee, Kane County, Illinois and attended school one winter. 
     In 1872, he came to Ida County, Iowa and moved on wild land there.  In his eight-acre grove, he planted one acre of walnuts, one acre of maples, one acre of evergreens, hedges, windbreaks, etc.  He planted fruit trees.  He had a cottage home, two barns, and other farm buildings.
     When Andrew was 24 years of age, he married Elvira M. Smith in Ida County.  She was born in New York, daughter of Samuel Smith.  Elvira died in 1879 leaving one son, Ellson G. Preston.  In November 1882, he married Anna J. Ferguson.  She was born in Chicago and was a daughter of D. C. Ferguson.  Andrew had four children with his second marriage, namely:  Archibald C., Howard H., Matilda E., and Winifred H.
     For four years, Andrew served as secretary of the Ida County Agricultural Society.  He had been a United States Crop Reporter for the county.  He served as Township Trustee, as Assessor and secretary of the school board for Maple Township.

D. Countryman

       D. Countryman was a farmer and stock raiser of Section 31, Grant Township, Ida County, was born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in 1841, a son of Peter and Margaret (Nicholas) Countryman.  He was reared and educated in Rock County, Wisconsin.  He began farming for himself in Linn County, Iowa.  In 1875 he came to Ida County, and was the first settler in what is now Grant Township (then Maple Township).  He bought 65 acres of raw Iowa land on the West Soldier River.  He at once began improving the land, and erected a small shanty.  After breaking 20 acres, he returned to Linn County to get his family.
      He was married in Linn County, Iowa, in 1865 to Lydia Usher.   She was a native of that county and a daughter of Hiram and Lucinda (Williams) Usher, natives of Ohio.  Lydia and her husband had seven children, namely: Ida M. (Mrs. A. J. Menter); Rosa (deceased at age of 13 years); C. C.; Sylvia; Hiram (deceased at age of 5 years); Lawrence; and Pearl.
      D. Countryman raised good draft horses, and had a fine carriage team (took first premium at the Ida County Fair in 1891).  He did serve on the school board of Grant Township and was the first Assessor of Grant Township.  In 1893, he owned 292 acres of well cultivated land, and had erected a good two-story residence in 1890.  Three acres of his place was devoted to a grove and orchard.  He had seven brothers and sisters, namely:  Horace (an excellent millwright of Stillwater, Montana); Alexander; Eli; Lewis; John; George; and A. J.