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.

     Alytte R. Dunn

Alytte R. Dunn, known as Ale, a farmer and stock-raiser of section 23, Logan township, Ida County, was born in Scott County, Iowa, in 1854, a son of A.R. and Margaret (Grace) Dunn, natives of Ohio and New York, respectively. When a young man the father located in Allen's Grove, Scott Co., IA, and at that time Davenport contained only seven log houses. He was married in that county, where he was engaged in farming until 1890, and in that year the parents went to California.  They still reside in that State. The grandparents of our subject, John and Eleanor Dunn, were among the early pioneers of Scott Co., IA, where they afterward died. Grandfather Grace removed from New York to Scott County in the early settlement of that locality, where he spent the remainder of his life. Mr. and Mrs. A.R. Dunn were the parents of five children, viz.: Amzey, married, and resides in Cherokee Co., IA; Alice, wife of Alvin Fowles of Sac County; Jerry, who resides near Trenton, Hitchcock Co., NE; A..R. our subject; and John, married and also resides in Hitchcock County.
     A.R. Dunn, the subject of this sketch was reared and educated in his native county, where he was early inured to farm labor. In 1877 he entered land in Silver Creek and Galva townships, Ida Co., IA, where he remained until 1881, and in that year purchased 100 acres of raw land in Logan township. His land is now well improved, and in the all of 1882 he erected a fine residence, and in 1890 a good barn, 28 x 23 feet. Mr. Dunn's place is well watered with wells and creeks, and he is engaged in general farming and stock raising. In his political views he votes with the Republican party. In 1877, in Mahaska Co., IA, our subject married Miss Cora Andre, a native of Ohio, and daughter of Jonathan and Cecelia (Johns) Andre, natives also of that state. In the early days they removed to Scott County, IA, and thence to Mahaska Co. where the father now resides. Mr. and Mrs. Dunn have two children: Maggie and Verlin.
    Mr. Dunn has witnessed many changes in Ida County. At the time of his settlement the nearest markets were Denison and Aurelia, was obliged to ford streams, and all he now owns has been made by his own efforts, as he had only $85 when he landed in Ida County.
Ale was killed when his buggy was hit by a passenger train near Ida Grove, Iowa, on 17 January 1907.

"Hit By the Train"
on way home from Dennis Cain's sale.

     Ale W. Dunn, one of the oldest, best known and most prominent of Ida County farmers, was struck and almost instantly killed by the westbound passenger train Thursday afternoon, January 17, 1907, and Joe Rice, another old time citizen who was riding in the buggy with him at the time, was severely injured. Train number 3 with Conductor Berry, engine 665, Engineer Joe Bancroft, was running a half hour late, and the accident occurred at the Dennis Cain crossing about a mile west of Arthur. Cain had a big public sale that afternoon and a big crowd of farmers from all parts of the county were driving home from that sale. Dunn and Joe Rice were in a buggy followed closely by four or five other rigs, and Bancroft says he whistled once but saw that the men in the rigs paid no attention to the whistle so he immediately slapped on the emergency brakes and tried to stop. The train was a half hour late, and by the time it was a mile out of Arthur was under full headway and running 50 miles an hour or better. Engineer Bancroft says the horse got across the track, and that the buggy was square on the track as could be when the engine struck it, the pilot going between the front and the back wheels. He said he looked out the window just as they struck and saw Dunn thrown higher than he ever saw a man thrown before, and he says he must have been thrown at least 70 feet in the air. Dunn was sitting on the side next to the engine and was struck first. Rice was thrown as far but not so high in the air. The train came to a stop, and Rice was able to walk to the baggage car with assistance. Dunn was placed in the baggage car also and died on the way to Ida Grove in a very short time. At Ida Grove the remains of Mr. Dunn were taken to the E.C. Mill Morgue, and Rice was taken to Heilman & Houlihan's office. Rice was able to stand and to walk with assistance to the office but he was not conscious. He came to about an hour after the terrible accident and about 6 o'clock was taken to the home of Albert Putzier. Dunn was Venerable Council of the Camp 1142 Modern Woodmen at Ida Grove, and this carries $2,000 insurance with it. In the absence of Coroner Heilman, Justice Brannan impaneled a coroner's jury composed of A.B. Bell, Ben Noble and Tom Anderson, and proceeded to hold an inquest. A number of witnesses were examined, who testified that the whistle was not blown. There was no testimony indicating that there was fast driving. The jury adjourned Thursday night till Friday noon.  ``At 1 o'clock Friday noon the jury met to hear the testimony of Conductor Berry, Engineer Joe Bancroft, Fireman Merrill and the brakeman. Bancroft testified he blew the whistle and did everything to avert the accident. The bell had been ringing continuously since the train left Tama as it was not working just right and they let it ring all the time. It is an automatic air bell ringer. Fireman Merrill testified that the rigs approaching the crossing were trotting at ordinary speed, and that he expected them to stop before they reached the track. He said the man on the right who was driving - Dunn had his face turned away from the train and was looking toward the west. The jury held its final meeting Monday at which time it rendered a verdict to the effect that Mr. Dunn came to his death by accident. The blame is not fixed in the verdict.

THE DUNN FUNERAL

     The funeral of Mr. Dunn was held Sunday afternoon at the Methodist Church and was attended by a great gathering of 500 people, who came to pay the last tribute to the good man who had died. The clergymen of the various churches united in conducting the service. The sermon was preached by Rev. W.M. Yates, D.D. upon the text "No man dieth to himself". Rev. S.L. Chandler spoke briefly to friends upon the thought "Time may partly assuage grief but love abideth and increaseth forever". The Male Quartette composed of Messrs, Jas. Reid, I.N. Shearer, I.B. Haymond, and R.S. Wasser sand "Savior Comfort Me", "Art then Weary", and "Tarry With Me". The pall bearers were C.H. Cabbage, W.S. Young, C.C. Williams, J.I. Hess, J.H. Stough and H.W. Cheeney.  At the interment which was in the Ida Grove Cemetery the Modern Woodsmen who had escorted the funeral party used their impressive ceremonies.  Mr. Dunn was greatly esteemed as a kind and true friend, an upright citizen, an affectionate husband and father.

Peter Morrison

Peter Morrison was reared and educated in New York where he learned the trade of a carpenter, and was engaged there in railroad contracting. In 1867 he came to Ida County, Iowa, in 1872 located in Garfield township, and in 1874 settled in Battle Creek when that place contained only a post office. He immediately began contracting and building.

In 1861, in Dane County, Wisc., he enlisted in Company H, 8th Wisc. Infantry, known as Runnell's Guards. He took part in the battles of Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Antietam, Murfreesboro, Lookout Mountain, and in the Peninsular Campaign. He was twice wounded and carries the two bullets. He was discharged after serving 5 years, 2 months, and 23 days. He is a member of the Mathew Gray Post, No. 93, at Ida Grove.

Peter and Emma Morrison had 6 children: James, Sarah, Martha, Matilda, Mary, and George.

Thomas Crane

Thomas Crane was born on the Isle of Man, March 25, 1844. His father, William Crane, was a soldier in the British army and died of cholera while in the Indias when Thomas was 18 months old. His mother, Catherine (nee Faragher), was born on the Isle of Man. His brother was William Crane and they lived in a sod house thatched with straw and had an earth floor. At the age of eleven, Thomas came with his uncle, C. Faragher, to America, landing at New Orleans after a voyage of 6 weeks and 2 days. They then went up the river to Dubuque, Iowa, and across the country with oxen to Monticello, Jones County, Iowa. He married Miss Elizabeth Jones, a native of Kentucky, on December 25, 1864.
Thomas came to Ida County in 1877 with his capital consisting of two teams and wagons, five cows and six shotes, and settled on 160 acres of land in Maple Township, Ida County, Iowa. The land cost him $17.50 per acre. He built a house and for a time used his wagons for stable and granary. He tied the cows with hay ropes and made a pen for his shotes with willow bark. For many years, he successfully practiced as a veterinary surgeon dehorning the first 6,000 cattle in Ida County. He had a farm of 320 acres in Section 14, Maple Township, Ida County, Ia.
Mr. & Mrs. Crane had eight children: Elmer Ellsworth, Frank Siegel, George Henry (born Sept. 23, 1868, died Mar. 31, 1931), William Wesley (born April. 5, 1870), Jennie Frances, Charles Enoch (born Nov. 23, 1873, died May 16, 1961), Ed Harrison, and Eudell Thomas. He served as a member of the School Board and as a Township Trustee.

A. A. Barrick

He was one of the representative business men of Battle Creek, Ida County, Ia., since 1881. In 1878, he married Hannah Gillmore of Jackson County, Iowa. They had two children: Roy and Archie.  He is a native of Chicago, Illinois, born June 5, 1852, son of William and Elizabeth Barrick, natives of England. When A. A. was a year old, his father moved to Clinton County, Ia., and on a farm he grew to manhood. He served an apprenticeship to the blacksmith's trade and was engaged in business on the Maquoketa road one year. He engaged in blacksmithing in Morris County, Ks., for 3 years. In 1881, he came to Battle Creek to do blacksmithing and in 1889 he opened up a stock of farming implements. He had Caultmen threshers and Goodhue and Globe windmills.
He had been a member of the City Council 6 years.

J. O. Crawford

James O. Crawford, a farmer of Garfield Township, Ida County, was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, February 17, 1828, a son of Alexander and Mary (Floyd) Crawford, natives also of Scotland. The father was a farmer and weaver by trade. The parents reared a family of four children: William, James O., Alexander, and John.
James O. was reared and educated in his native land. He was there engaged for many years in a cotton factory, then in boiler making, and ship building. He then became a member of the police force in Glasgow.
In 1879 he came to America, locating near Cascade, Dubuque County, Iowa, and resided there and in other sections of Iowa until 1882. In 1882, he purchased wild land in Garfield Township, Ida County, to which he has since added until he now owns 620 acres of Ida County's finest soil. Mr. Crawford residence was 16 x 24 feet, with an "L" 16 x 16 feet, a barn 32 X 34 feet, a modern windmill with 700 feet of pipes sending water through all his buildings, stock scales, and many other conveniences. Five acres of his place was devoted to a beautiful grove and orchard.
James O. was married at the age of 28 years old to Miss Janet Scott, a native of Douglas Castle, Lanarkshire, Scotland, and a daughter of James and Lilly (Muir) Scott. To this union eight children were born: Lilly, Alexander, Mary, James S., Thomas D., Janet, Agnes B, and William S. Lilly married Manley Kelley of Delaware County, Iowa. Mary married Jesse Norton of Garfield Township, and Janet married Jacob Spotts of Maple Township.

H. F. Gilbert

H. F. Gilbert resided on a farm of 160 acres in Section 3 of Maple Township, Ida County, Iowa. He settled on the land in Maple Township in 1888. His father had purchased the land in 1883.
He was born in Herkimer County, New York, September 26, 1856, son of S. L. and Eveline (Seaman) Gilbert, natives of New York. His grandfathers were Amos Gilbert and Jacob Seaman. He married Mary E. Doherty in Jones County, Iowa, January 1, 1881. Mary was a native of Springfield, Massachusetts, and a daughter of P. F. and Mary Doherty. When Mrs. Gilbert was 6 or 7 years old, she came to Iowa and was reared and educated in Iowa. Mr. Gilbert and his wife had five children: Earl L., Elva M., Irma L., Willie H., and Clifford D.

William Crane

William Crane was born on the Isle of Man, May 16, 1841. His father, William Crane, was a soldier in the British army for 3 to 4 years, and died of cholera while in the Indias at the age of 33. His mother, Catherine (nee Faragher), was born on the Isle of Man. His brother was Thomas Crane and they lived in a sod house thatched with straw and had an earth floor.
When he was 21 years old, he married Miss Margaret Bolt, born in the Isle of Man, daughter of James and Ann (Faragher) Bolt. William came to Ida County in 1884 to Corwin Township, Ida County, Iowa. He moved from Jones County, Iowa, where he had lived 30 years, pursuing his life work of farming. In 1892, he bought a farm of 160 acres in Corwin Twp. On the farm was a cottage 14 x 30 feet.
Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. William Crane: Alice (married R. M. Jamison), John, Emily (married F. W. Fletcher of Garfield Twp.), Henry, Lizzie and Mary, twins of Elijah and Mate, Maggie, and Thomas. He served as a member of the School Board.

Dennis Cain - (1844-1912)

     Dennis Cain, a farmer of Section 22, Blaine Township, Ida County, was born in Monmouth County, New Jersey, December 26, 1844, a son of William and Mary (Noon) Cain, natives of Roscommon County, Ireland.
The parents were married in Ireland, but in an early day came to America, locating in New Jersey. In 1856, they opened a farm near Libertyville, Lake County, Illinois. They were the parents of 9 children: Thomas (a furniture dealer of Racine, Wisconsin), Ann (married John Linberry of Libertyville, Illinois), Ella of New Jersey, John (resided near Libertyville), Kate (married James Mark of Chicago), William of Wisc., 2 are deceased, and Dennis. Dennis was the youngest in the family and when 12 years old moved with his parents from New Jersey to a farm near Libertyville, Illinois. In 1861, he began farming, and in 1864 enlisted in Company A, Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, served in the Western Army, took part in the Red River Campaign, in the Battle of Jackson, Mississippi, and 7 other engagements. He was discharged with honors at Houston on June 18, 1866 as Corporal. He had been engaged in guarding the frontier at Brownsville & Houston, Tx.
     On June 27, 1871, Dennis married Miss Anna Scott of Whiteside County, Illinois. In 1876, he came to Ida County purchasing 120 acres in Blaine Township, then adding to his land until he owned 266 acres of well-cultivated land. He brought his house from Waukegan, Illinois by rail, a one and a half story building, 16 x 24 feet, with two wings. He had dismantled his house and moved it to the new site 1/2 mile west of present day Arthur, Ia. He became a member of Matthew Gray Post, No. 93, G.A.R., Ida Grove, Iowa. He passed away on June 6, 1912 and is buried in the Ida Grove Cemetery, Ida County, Iowa.
     Anna Scott was born November 21, 1851 in Montmorency Town, Whiteside County, Illinois (a daughter of Asa and Elizabeth Taylor Scott), and died April 22, 1922 in Arthur, Ida County, Iowa, buried in the Ida Grove Cemetery, Ida County, Iowa.
    Dennis and his wife had 6 children: Sarah "Ida" (wife of John Hoagland) of Arthur; Thomas "Asa" Cain of Garden Plains, Canada; Anna Elizabeth "Bessie" Cain (married Darnell) of Oregon; Frances Ethel Cain (married Frank Cady) of Carlson Woods, Montana; Clarence Mason Cain of Canada; and Chandler Carroll Cain.

Bownam & Kranz Bros

     The firm of Bowman & Kranz Bros., lumber and coal dealers of Holstein, Iowa, was organized July 1, 1886, purchasing the business of S. H. Bowman Lumber Co., the pioneer lumber dealers of Holstein. Their large building, 80 x 100 feet, with all the smaller buildings, were located near the railroad depot.
H. G. Kranz was born in Altenberg, near Cassel, Germany, February 7, 1865, a son of Adam and Elizabeth Kranz. He received a good education in his native language, attending school until 15 years of age. When eighteen, he came to Odebolt, Iowa, Sac. Co., and found employment at Holstein, Ia., with the Bowman Lumber Co. He married Margaret McKay, a daughter of James McKay, of De Witt, Clinton County, Iowa. They had one child, Leslie H. Kranz.
     J. C. Kranz, also a member of the firm of Bowman & Kranz Bros., was born in Altenberg, near Cassel, Germany, a son of Adam and Elizabeth Kranz. He received an education in his native land, and in 1878, came to Odebolt, Iowa, where he was employed as a farm hand on the Wheeler farm. He held the position of foreman of the place, and later was superintendent and manager. After 8 years of employment at the Wheeler farm, he came to Holstein. He married Sallie Witt, who was born and educated in Davenport, Iowa. They had 2 children: Ervin and Enrine. J. C. Kranz was one of the directors of the National Bank, president of the Holstein Building Co., and treasurer/director of the Holstein Town Lot Co.

Collins F. Tillotson

     Collins F. Tillotson was a farmer of Maple Township, Ida County, Iowa. He purchased wild prairie land in February, 1874, when he came to Ida County and resided on 417 acres in Section 18. He was born in Onondaga County, New York, December 7, 1846. His father was Sanford P. Tillotson born in Connecticut and was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. His mother was, before her marriage, Miss Nancy Jane Ward. His grandfather, David Tillotson, was a native of Connecticut and served in the war of 1812. Collins was reared in New York and received his education in the common schools and at Monroe Collegiate Institute, Elbridge, New York. He attended Faley Seminary at Fulton, New York. He had a nice frame dwelling on his land, along with a barn, crib building, and hog house with a lean-to. He had cattle sheds, stock scales, windmill, and piping leading to the different yards.
     At the age of 24 years, Mr. Tillotson married in Onondaga County, New York to Miss Mary J. Clark. Mary was the daughter of Newton and Phoebe (Sprague) Clark. They had six children: Jessie, Fred, Charley, Francis, Mertie, and Mabel.