IowaJones/Biographies/W. Abel

W. Abel–B. Ahrendsen

William Abel
Born 1847

WILLIAM ABEL, livery and boarding stable, Monticello; was born in Scotland July 16, 1847; when 7 years of age, his parents came to Canada; in 1865, he came to Illinois, and learned the blacksmith trade; in 1863, he came to Jones Co. and located at Monticello, and engaged in carriage and wagon making, and carried on a large business for ten years. In September, 1870, he married Miss Sophia Yousse, from Monticello; they have three children—Walter, Willie, Vessie.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, 1879, page 659, and submitted by Lori J. Mentzel

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J. E. Acheson
Born 1828

J. E. ACHESON, farmer, Wayne Twp., Sec. 16; P.O. Langworthy; born in Ohio in 1828; in March, 1855, he came to the State of Iowa; came to Jones Co, in 1866; owns 160 acres of land in Wayne, and 35 acres in Richland (timber-land). Has been Collector of his town. Mr. Acheson has been married three times; the maiden name of his first wife was Elizabeth McCullough, a native of Ohio, and died two years after their marriage; the maiden name of his second wife was Catharine Heasty, also a native of Ohio; they were married in 1857; she died in 1869; the present wife's name was Mary Jane Brush; she, too, was from Ohio; they were married in 1871; had, by his second wife, seven children, three of whom are now living—R. H., James M. and J. L. Mr. and Mrs. Acheson are members of the U.P. Church; he is a Republican.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 620.

Elisha Ackerman
Born 1791

ELISHA ACKERMAN, farmer, Wayne Twp., Sec. 5; P.O. Langworthy; born in Saratoga Co., 8. Y., in 1791; came to Jones Co. in 1852. His wife's maiden name was Betsey Brundage. also a native of New York; they were married, in their native State, in 1811; have had eleven children, nine of whom are living—Rachel, Olivia, Eleanor, Erastus, Nancy, Delilah, De Witt Clinton, Isaac, Margaret and Jane; of these, one, a son, Isaac, was in the late civil war; he enlisted, in 1863, in an Iowa regiment; discharged at the close of the war, in 1865; was wounded by being thrown from a horse while in the service, and disabled for life. The subject of this sketch, Mr. Elisha Ackerman, was in the war of 1812; he enlisted in 1814, and was in about four months, a member of Capt. Collimore's company, No. 2. He has children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, numbering, all together, over one hundred; a number of his grandchildren were also in the late war of the rebellion (seven of them). Mr. Ackerman is nearly 90 years of age. and is one of the oldest men and oldest settlers of Jones Co.; his health is quite good for one of his age, has a good memory, and converses readily, and, aside from a lameness that he has, has no serious physical trouble. He owns eighty acres of land where he lives, and forty acres of timber-land in Monticello Township. He is a Republican.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 620.

Lyman J. Adair, M.D.
Born November 28, 1840

L. J. ADAIR, physician and surgeon, Anamosa; is a native of Akron, Summit Co., Ohio, and was born November 28, 1840; he grew up and received his education there and commenced reading medicine; when the war broke out, he enlisted in the three month's service, in Co. K., 19th Ohio V.I.; after his time expired, he reenlisted in Co. 13, 104th Ohio V.I.; he served as Orderly Sergeant for eighteen months, and, for six months, was in command of the company; among the battles he was in, were battles of Nashville, Franklin, through the Atlanta campaign, and many others, some twenty-four battles in all being on their battle-flag; he was wounded at Pine Mountain and at Etowah River; their brigade received the arms of Gen. Johnston when he surrendered; he was mustered out June 28, 1865; after his return from the service, he resumed the study of medicine, and graduated at Rush Medical College, Chicago, in 1868; he came to Iowa and located at Anamosa in 1870, and, since then, he has practiced his profession here. Dr. Adair was united in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Porter, from Hartford, Conn., October 19, 1871; they have had three sons, two of whom were taken away by scarlet fever; Fred is their only son.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 549.

This honored member of the medical profession, whose office has been established in Anamosa for many years is a native of New York and was born in Monroe County, November 28, 1840. When quite young he was taken to Summit County, Ohio by his parents, Alfred and Martha (Chamberlain) Adair. There the father engaged in business for many years, but during later life engaged in farming and became the owner of a farm in Summit County. The paternal grandfather of our subject bore the name Andrew Adair and was of Scotch-Irish ancestry.

The subject of this sketch passed the years of youth in Summit County, and until reaching his nineteenth year, attended the schools of the neighborhood. He then entered Hiram College, where he was a student at the outbreak of the war. During the early months of the rebellion, he offered his services and was mustered into Company K, Nineteenth, Ohio Infantry, Commanded by Col. Samuel Beatty. After his term of three months had expired, he again enlisted, this time as a member of Company H. One Hundred and Fourth Ohio Infantry, in which he served as Orderly Sergeant for eighteen months, and was often in command of his company. He participated in the battles of Nashville and Franklin and experienced all of the hardships of the Atlanta campaign. In twenty-four engagements he took part, some of which were among the most important battles of the war. At Columbia, Tenn. He was slightly wounded in the face. With his company he witnessed the surrender of General Johnston, and at the close of hostilities was mustered out June 28, 1865.

Returning to Summit County, Ohio, our subject taught school at Copley. In 1867, a favorable opportunity being presented for the study of medicine, he entered the office of Dr. Morse, with whom he remained for three years, and at the expiration of that time moved to Manchester, Iowa. A short time thereafter he entered Rush Medical College of Chicago, from which he was graduated in 1868 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Immediately after receiving his diploma he returned to Manchester, where he continued in practice until 1870, the date of his advent into Anamosa. Not only is his professional reputation in this city one of the best, but by reason of the faithful discharge of his duties as a citizen he is looked upon with great respect by his professional Associated and fellow-citizens in general.

October 19, 1871, Dr. Adair married Miss Sarah J. daughter of Giles M. Porter. Mrs. Adair was born in Hartford, Conn., and is an estimable and cultured lady. The Doctor is physician at the Anamosa Penitentiary, which position he has held for seventeen years. He is Local surgeon for the Chicago & Northwestern and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroads, and is identified with the National Association of Railroad Surgeons. Socially he is connected with the Iowa State Medical Society and American Association. He belongs to Anamosa Lodge No. 56, F.&A.M., and is past commander of Fred Steel Post No. 4. G.A.R. Politically he is and uncompromising Republican, always taking great interest in political matters.

From Biographical Record of Dubuque, Jones and Clayton Co., Chicago, 1894, page 323, and submitted by Sharon Davis.

Rev. Harvey Adams
Born January 16, 1809

REV. HARVEY ADAMS, Pastor of the Congregational Church, Bowen's Prairie; was born in Cheshire Co., N. H., January 16, 1809; he prepared for college at Montpelier Academy, Vermont; entered the University of Vermont in 1835, where he graduated in 1839; graduated at the Andover Theological Seminary in 1843; he came to Farmington, Van Buren Co., Iowa, in the fall of that year, where he remained as Pastor of the Congregational Church for seventeen years; thence to Council Bluffs in 1860, where he remained three years; then returned to Farmington, where he continued three years; thence to New Hampton, Chickasaw Co., where he remained about four and a half years; thence to Fairfax, Linn Co.. four years; he assumed his present charge in July, 1865. He was married to Rhoda M. Codding, a native of Massachusetts; they have four children—Sarah L. Stoddard, Emily J. Babcock, Edward E. and Kate F.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 688.

Henry Adams
Born 1837

HENRY ADAMS, farmer, Wayne Twp., Secs. 5 and 6; P.O. Langworthy; owns 166 acres of land. He was born in Cumberland Co., Penn., in 1837; came to Jones Co. in 1865. His wife's maiden name was McLain, a native of Iowa; they were married in 1859; have five children—John Franklin, Benjamin Douglass, William Alexander, Henry, Katherine Elizabeth. Mr. Adams is a Democrat.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 620.

Ben Ahrendsen
Born March 4, 1859

One of the representative German farmers of Madison township, who has proved the truth of the statement, believed in so implicitly by his brothers in the land of his birth: That the United States is a land of golden opportunities is Ben Ahrendsen. By his own exertions he has made success his possession and has gained a substantial and respected place in the world. A native of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, he was born 4 Mar. 1859, and is the son of Lawrence R. and Christina (Perterson) Ahrendsen. After their son had been over here about 4 years the parents came to the United States. The mother has since passed away, but the father is still living and makes his home with his son.

Ben Ahrendsen received his education in the public schools of Germany before he came to this land. Arriving in the United States in 1882, he made his way almost immediately to the west, where he secured work as a farm hand in Clinton county, Iowa. He remained there about two years and then came to Jones county, continuing to work as an employe for three years, when he believed the time ripe to engage in farming on his own responsibility. In 1887 he rented a tract of land in this county, and there he laid the foundation of the success that has attended his later efforts. For about nineteen years he lived there, and then in 1906 came to Madison township, where he purchased what was known as the A. N. Reade farm, a tract of eighty acres of rich land, well improved. This has been for the last six years his home and has afforded him ample opportunity to prove his skill as an agriculturist.

Mr. Ahrendsen has never married but a sister Louisa has lived with him and graced his home with the comforts that only a woman's presence can give. When he was given his papers making him a citizen of this republic, Mr. Ahrendsen straightway turned to the democratic party as his guide in the world of politics. He has since adhered steadfastly to its platform, which has seemed to him the better one for the government of the nation. Aside from casting his ballot at elections, Mr. Ahrendsen has not entered into public affairs, his life, however, by the example it sets of industry, thrift and good management, is sufficient warrant of the high character of his citizenship.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Past and Present, R. M. Corbitt, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910, p. 454.