Biographical Sketch of E. B. Baird

He was born in Onondaga County, New York, November 6, 1837, and was raised on a farm. In 1872, he came to Iowa and bought land in Maple Township, Ida County, Iowa. Mr. Baird was married at age of 30 to Harriet Conover, daughter of Isaac Talmage, in Scholarie County, New York. Their child was Edmund C. Baird. Mr. Baird married Matilda Preston in 1877. She was the daughter of John Preston, who was born and educated in Scotland. They had three children: Andrew E., Preston, and Mabel Laura. E. C. Baird was vice president and director of the Maple … Read more

Biographical Sketch of 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 … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mathias Clouse

Mathias Clouse was a pioneer of Silver Creek Township, Ida County, Ia. He was born in Alsace-Lorraine, France, in 1843. He was the son of Charles and Elizabeth (Fisher) Clouse, natives of same country. The Clouse family had once lived in Amsterdam, and were a trading family. When the sons became of age they were sent up the Rhine River to establish trading posts. They emigrated to America and settled in Erie County, New York. Mathias received his early training and education principally in New York state. The grandfather Clouse also emigrated to the country, dying in Ohio at the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James Brown

Jim Brown purchased land in Section 25 of Battle Township, Ida County, Iowa, on October 10, 1873. On March 29, 1874, he came back to live on the farm. James Brown was born in Perry County, Ohio, January 16, 1843. He was from a family of 13 children, nine sons and 4 daughters. His father was John Brown and he was born in 1800 in Waterford County, Ireland, and at the age of 15 came to the United States, landing at New Orleans. He worked for 7 years in the Carolinas and Georgia, and then located in Perry County, Ohio, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dr. E.C. Heilman

He located at Ida Grove, Iowa, August 20, 1877. He was born in Cedar County, Iowa, July 18, 1856, son of Samuel and Mary (Ranck) Heilman. His parents were natives of Pennsylvania and of German descent. He was reared in Iowa, received his literary education at Cornell College and took his medical course at the Medical College of Ohio at Cincinnati, graduating at the latter institution in March 1877. Upon his arrival here he entered into a partnership with Dr. F. D. Seeber, & was associated with him for 2 years. After conducting his practice alone for 2 years, Dr. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edward Eckman

He was an Assessor of Hayes Township, Ida County, Iowa, and was born in Sweden in 1858. He was the son of Frederic and Sophia (Anderson) Eckman, natives of Sweden. Edward was reared and educated in the schools of Sweden and De Kalb County, Illinois, arriving there in 1875. He was engaged in farm labor and in 1878 located on his farm in Hayes Township, Ida County, which he purchased in 1876. He served as Road Supervisor for 4 years for Hayes Township, as Constable two years, and was Assessor beginning 1890. He had a brother Peter, a sister Augusta … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Enoch Jones

Enoch Jones, a well-known citizen of Battle Creek, Iowa, was a resident of Ida County since 1883, and of Iowa, since 1852. He was born in Bourbon County, Ky., March 6, 1825. He was reared and educated in Kentucky, and learned the trade of blacksmith. John Jones, his grandfather, married a native of Wales. He was a prominent hotel man of Culpeper, Va. Moving to Bourbon County, Ky., he settled on Boone Creek, and was a participant in many of the Indian wars. His son, James Jones, father of Enoch, was born in Va., and married Dicie Gregory, a native … Read more

Biographical Sketch of I. V. Miller

He was the proprietor of the Rink Livery, Sale & Feed Barn, Battle Creek, Iowa. The building was 30 x 80 feet, well arranged, and equipped throughout. Mr. Miller kept a full line of carriages and buggies, with ten to sixteen good driving horses, speedy and gentle. His kind courtesy to patrons secured for him a good trade. He was born near Monroe, Green County, Wisconsin, September 24, 1858. His father, Charles Miller, was a native of Pennsylvania. His mother’s maiden name was Martha Adams, born in Tennessee, and moved to Martin County, Minnesota. I. V. Miller was the second … Read more

Biography of 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 … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James Anderson

He lived in Section 21, Silver Creek Township and was a stock raiser. He was born in the Emerald Isle, in Tyrone County on November 12, 1838. He was the oldest of 8 children born to Thomas and Phoebe (Cook) Anderson, natives of Ireland. He was educated in the common schools of Ireland, coming to America in 1871. He located first in Delaware County, Iowa, for 5 years and then came to Ida County to live on the same farm when he located in Ida County. He kept buying land until he owned a section, 640 acres. Silver Creek runs … Read more

Biographical Sketches of Sac County Iowa

Residence in Odebolt Iowa

These 85 biographies come from the History of Western Iowa, Its Settlement and Growth by the Western Publishing Company. Provided are the full biographies as they appeared in the manuscript.