IowaJones/Biographies/L. N. Pitcher

L. N. Pitcher–F. Porter

L. N. Pitcher

L. N. PITCHER, Anamosa; buying and shipping horses; is :L native of Cattaraugns Co., N.Y.; his parents camc to Du Page Co., Ill., when he was only six years of age; hc grew up mostly there and in Kane Co., Ill., and came to Iowa in 1856 and located in Jones Co., Cass Township; he was engaged in farming for some years. In November, 1871, he came to Anamosa and engaged in thc livery business and continued two years, and since then has been engaged buying and shipping horses East. While living in Cass Township, he spent five years in Colorado and on the Pacific Coast; at the Democratic Convention recently held to nominate county officers, Mr. Pitcher received the nomination for Sheriff. Re-married Miss Lena Scroggs, from Anamosa, March 30, 1865; they have three children—Allen, Samantha and Irwin.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 572.

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John K. Pixley
Born February 28, 1828

JOHN K. PIXLEY, cashier of the First National Rank of Wyoming; was born February 28, 1828, at Piermont, N.H.; he is the son of Dr. Alfred Pixley and Eliza L. Kimball; Dr. Pixley died at Enosburg, Vt., in 1863, and his widow still resides at the old homestead. John K. is one of a family of eight children, six of whom are now dead. His brother, Lieut. Charles H. Pixley, of the 1st Vt. V.C., was drowned in 1863 while heroically endeavoring to ford a stream in the discharge of his military duty. John K., the subject of this sketch, was married September 12, 1855, at Poultney, Vt., to Miss Sarah Augusta Hooker, daughter of S. P. Hooker, who is a descendant of Rev. Thomas Hooker, D.D., who was born in England in 1586, and was one of the founders of the Connecticut Colony; they have three children—Mary E., born May 7, 1860; Anna H., January 29, 1863, and Charles H., February 25, 1871. From the age of 16, when he left his father's home, he has been in constant employment; a portion of the time, he was general ticket agent and paymaster of the Troy & Boston Railroad; afterward, acted as teller of the bank at Poultney, Vt., and then as cashier of the First National Bank at Sandy Hill: N.Y., for four years; at the formation of the First National Bank of Wyoming, Iowa, in 1872, he came West and took charge of the same as cashier, which position he still occupies. Since 1355, he has been an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church; for twenty-five years, he has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; he is also a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen; he has been an earnest, active Republican ever since the formation of the Republican party, but has never held a political office; he has been a member of the Board of Education in this city, and for several years has been on the Board of Trustees of Cornell College, at Mount Vernon, Iowa. Mr. Pixley is a man of strong convictions of duty, and adheres to his purposes, whether he win smiles or frowns; he is public-spirited, and seeks the development and prosperity of the city, both financially and morally; he is the friend and supporter of all causes which tend to the improvement of society; with a high sense of honor, a kind heart and a generous hand, he is valued as one of the reliable, substantial citizens of Wyoming. The First National Bank of Wyoming, of which he has been the only cashier, was organized January 26, 1812, by F. D. Hodgeman, of Fort Edward, N.Y., a prominent capitalist and philanthropist, and by Wallace T. Foote, a wealthy capitalist and iron-manufacturer, of Port Henry, N.Y.; they came West in 1871, and selected this city in which to locate a national bank. The present officers of the Bank are: President, Wallace T. Foote, Port Henry, N.Y.; Vice President, James A. Brunson, Wyoming, Iowa; Cashier, John K. Pixley, Wyoming, Iowa; Teller, George Gilbert, Jr., Wyoming, Iowa; Directors—W. T. Foote, Joseph E. King, James A. Brunson, J. B. Wherry, J. W. Wherry, Thomas Green, F. H. Foote and J. K. Pixley; capital, $60,000; Bank Attorney, W. J . Chamberlain, Wyoming, Iowa. One-half of the bank stock is owned by benevolent and Christian purposes, not in impulsive, random gifts, but according to an intelligent system of benevolence. Rev. Joseph E. King, D.D., a prominent educator of Fort Edward, N.Y., is also a heavy stockholder; so, also, is Hon, Wallace T. Foote, President of the Bank and one of the wealthiest capitalists of New York. The Bank is doing a safe and extensive business, and has high standing at home and in the commercial world.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 605.

John Platner
Born 1832

JOHN PLATNER, farmer, Wayne Twp., Sec. 36, and keeper of county farm; P.O. Center Junction; born in Ulster Co., N.Y., town of Kingston, in 1832; came to Jones Co. in 1866; there is, in the farm belonging to the county, 200 acres with the various outbuildings; a new barn will be built in the spring of 1880; in addition to the land belonging to the county, there is rented fifty-five acres more, which is also used for county purposes; average number of acres sown to wheat, 20; of fall wheat, 16; of rye, 14; of corn, 50; of oats, 15; buckwheat, 5; there are, at the time of writing, twenty inmates of the County House. The stock upon the Farm is as follows: Cows, 13; 1 two-year-old; yearlings, 8; calves, 7; bulls, 1; hogs, 90; horses, 5; mules, 2. The County House is 30x40, two stories and basement, and an L upon each side of it. Mr. Platner is a School Director also in his town. Wife's maiden name was Kimball, a native of New York also; they were married in October, 1853; have three children, named George G., Tice Irvin and Florence Irene; have lost two—Mary Katherine and John Howard. Mrs. Platner is a member of the United Presbyterian Church. Mr. P. is a Republican; he owns lands as follows: 180 acres in Madison Township, 57 in Jackson, 20 in Wyoming-all in Jones Co., besides 80 acres in Woodbury Co.; also 174 lots in Center Junction, and a house and barn in the same place.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 631.

F. G. Podhaski
Born June 20, 1844

F. G. PODHASKI, manufacturer of harness, Monticello; was born in Austria June 20, 1844; he grew up there until 17 years of age, and emigrated to America in 1861; he came to Iowa and located in Cedar Rapids, and learned his trade of harness-maker there; lived there eight years, and came to Jones Co. and located in Monticello July 6, 1869, and engaged in manufacturing harness, and he has built up a successful business; he only had very little when he began business; he now owns two houses and lots, and he built the store he now occupies in carrying on his business, during the present year-1879; his success is owing to his industry and good management. He belongs to the Order of Workmen. He married Miss Annie Simberski, a native of Austria, July 22, 1868; they have four children—Frank, Joe, Willie and Eddie.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 677.

William Port
Born September 16; 1833

WILLIAM PORT, milk dairy business, Anamosa; is a native of England; was born September 16; 1833; he grew up to manhood and received his education there; he emigrated to America in 1852, and came to Iowa the same year and located in Jones Co.; he arrived in Anamosa in August, and was one of the early settlers here; he learned the milling business; taught school four years, and afterward engaged in farming for eight years, and since then has been engaged in his present business; he owns his stock and the place where he lives. On the 8th of October, 1851, he married Miss Angeline Lockwood, a native of Indiana; she came to Iowa when very young; they have five children—Frank W., William H., Rebecca A,, Minnie B. and Glenn A.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 572.

Charles L. Porter
Born 1833

CHARLES L. PORTER, President of Olin College; born at Prattsburg, Steuben Co., N.Y., October 19, 1833; graduated at Amherst, Mass., in 1852; admitted to the bar at Urbana, Ill., in 1858. Prof. Porter is a skillful scientist and linguist, being acquainted with six different languages, and organized the Olin College in September, 1878; incorporated August 1, 1879. He is a direct lineal descendant of the family represented by Noah Porter, President of Yale College. Was in the war of the Union, and acted Adjutant General to Gen. Thomas Ewing, when in command at St. Louis; was three times promoted, once for bravery in the field; was honorably discharged from the officers' hospital, on Lookout Mountain, in 1865. Married first wife, Nettie V. Penney, of Cape Girardeau, Me., in 1862. Their daughter, Annie, died in 1867, in her second year. Mrs. Porter died in 1871; was again married to Emma D. Blanchard, of Wheatland, Iowa, in 1872; their son, Charles, died in 1876, aged 2 months.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 650.

Frank Porter
Born May 8, 1864

Frank Porter, one of the thrifty farmers of Jackson township, who owns one of the finest farms in his part of Jones county, comes of a pioneer family and has experienced many of the hardships and privations connected with the life of the early settlers anywhere. He was born in Jackson township, May 8, 1864, a son of Matthew and Almyra (Arnold) Porter, natives of Licking county, Ohio. They were married there, and about 1850 came to Jones county and settled in Jackson township, buying the present home of their son Frank when he was six years old. This they occupied until 1893, when our subject bought it, and they retired to Anamosa. It was in that city that they both passed away, the father in 1899, when seventy-two years of age, and the mother in 1904 when seventy-seven years old. Matthew Porter had two hundred acres of land which represented his life of hard work. The children born to him and his wife were: Jane, who married C. P. Atwood of Anamosa; Andrew, who lives at Center Junction; John, who died in Cherokee county, Iowa, in 1884 when thirty-three years old; Louis, who lives in Cherokee county, Iowa; Olive, who married David Kramer, sheriff of McHenry county, North Dakota; Frank, who was the sixth in order of birth; and Clara, who married Delbert Meeks, of South Dakota.

Frank Porter has spent his life in Jackson township with the exception of two years, when he lived in Cherokee county, Iowa, before he was married. In 1893 he bought his father's homestead of two hundred acres, and in 1906 he bought one hundred acres adjoining. His farm is a magnificent one with fine buildings and other improvements, all of which have been placed here by Mr. Porter. The farm lies on section 15, Jackson township, with the exception of twenty acres on section 10. He feeds about three carloads of stock annually and carries on general farming. His hogs aggregate about one hundred and twenty-five head annually, and he milks fifteen cows. About eighty-five acres of his farm is devoted to corn.

Mr. Porter is a republican and is at present township trustee, now in his seventh year in that office. On April 3, 1889, he married Lottie James, who was born in Jackson township, February 23, 1869, a daughter of Walter and Mary (Sherman) James, who reside in Wyoming, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Porter have five children: Eugene, Floyd, Lula, Stella and Elda. While eminently successful in his business, Mr. Porter has held progressive views of life and keeps well posted on current events. He takes a deep interest in politics, although in no sense a politician, and can be depended upon to do all in his power to advance the welfare of his community.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Past and Present, R. M. Corbitt, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910, p. 469.