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Kinyon Digital Library

History of Cedar
County, Iowa, 1878.

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Biographies - Red Oak Township

N - Z

Newsons, J. F., farmer, Section 21; Post Office Tipton.

Neely, Wm., farmer and stock raiser; Section 20; Post Office Tipton; born in Ireland, 1813, and came to America in 1833; lived in Philadelphia three years; lived in Pennsylvania until 1846, when he came to Iowa to Cedar County; located in Center Township, and engaged in farming, and has lived here thirty-one years; only had $100 when he came, and now owns 325 acres of land; used to cart grain to Muscatine, and also dressed pork and sold it for $1.75  per hundred pounds.  Married Margery Moffit from Ireland, April 1, 1836; they have six children--Elizabeth, Robert, Margaret, William F., Lucinda and Anna; lost one son.  Robert was in the army, in the 24th Regt.  Iowa Infantry, Company C; was in several battles; was wounded twice the same day in battle at Champion Hill; was shot through left leg and in right hand, and was discharged on account of wounds received, and allowed a pension.

Patton, Henderson, farmer, Section 4; Post Office; Mechanicsville.

Paterson, James, farmer and stock dealer, Section 23; Post Office Tipton; born in Aberdeen, Scotland, February 10, 1841; came to this county in infancy with his parents; they came to Ashland County, Ohio, where he lived until 1853, and then came to this county, and has resided here since; is engaged in buying grain in Tipton; holds office of Assessor of Red Oak Township, and has been constable several years.    Married Miss Isabella Shearer, from Edinburg, Scotland, December 25, 1863; she died April 17, 1873, leaving a family of three children, one son and two daughters--Effie I., Joseph A. and Mary L.

Paterson, Joseph, farmer, Section 23; Post Office Tipton; born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, April 1, 1818; emigrated to America in 1841; lived in Ashland County, Ohio ten years, and came to Cedar County June, 1853, and located where he now lives; engaged in farming and stock raising; owns 217 acres of land; has held office of Justice of the Peace and School Director.  Married Barbara Beveridge from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, March, 1840; they have one son--James Paterson, born February 10, 1841.

Reeder, W. B., farmer, Section 23; Post Office Tipton.

Rickard, William E., farmer, Section 13; Post Office Tipton; born in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, May 12. 1834; lived there nine years, and came with parents to Cedar County; they came by team, and was three months on the way; arrived here August 20, 1843; they were early settlers; engaged in farming; owns farm of 140 acres; was in the army; enlisted in 11th Regt. Iowa Volunteer Infantry Company K.; was in battles of Shiloh, Corinth, siege of Vicksburg, Atlanta and taken to Andersonville and Florence, and was released after seven months, and being nearly starved; he has held office of Justice of the Peace, and is Town Trustee.  Married Miss Ellen Hart, from Michigan, December, 1865; they have five children--Edgar, Ruth, Rosa, Emeline and Sidney; lost one son--Chester.

Rickard, W., farmer, Section 13; Post Office Tipton.

Rowser, Samuel S., blacksmith, Red Oak Grove; Section 11; Post Office Shiloh; born in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, August 24, 1826; lived in Pennsylvania seventeen years; came to Davenport, Iowa, in 1844, and learned his trade there; then returned East and lived there until 1856; when he came to Cedar County and engaged in his business here at the Grove, and is the only blacksmith in this town; owns house and lot and small farm; has held office of Justice of the Peace, Town Clerk, Town Trustee and Secretary School Board.  Married Fanny Drollinger, from Pennsylvania; they have nine children--John M., Ann E., Anthony W., Nancy, Ella, Irving, Charles, Eddie and Mable; lost one son--George.

Safley, Alfred, farmer, Section 13; Post Office Tipton.

Safley, George, farmer, Section 25; Post Office Tipton; born in Scotland, August 12, 1810; lived there thirty-two years; came to America in 1842, and came to this State (to Linn County) the same year; lived there five years, and came to this county in 1847; engaged in farming; entered land from Government; there were Indians here then, and they used to come into their cabin to warm; he has carted  wheat to Muscatine and Davenport and sold it for 30 cents per bushel and pork for 1 1/2 cents per pound; he owns 190 acres of land; has held road offices.  Married Janet Brown, from Scotland, June 21, 1839; she was born in 1819; they have eight children--Ellen, Adam, Agnes, Lottie, Jennie, George, Willie and Lewis; lost two; John W. was in the army, in Company B., 24th Regt. Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and died in Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis.

Safley, James, farmer, Section 13; Post Office Tipton.

Safley, James, farmer and stock raiser, Section 25; Post Office Tipton; born in Scotland, October 24, 1812; came to America in 1835; lived in La Grange County, Indiana, about two years and went to Albany County, New York, and lived there until 1840, when he started for Iowa; came to Chicago, which was then in its infancy, and from there came by team to Linn County; lived there three years, and came to this county in 1843, and settled on the farm where he now lives, and has lived here thirty-four years; one of the early settlers; has carted wheat to Muscatine and sold it for 40 cents per bushel, and as a special favor got one-half cash, and sold dressed pork in Iowa City for $1.25 per 100 pounds; used to haul pork to Dubuque and Wisconsin to find a market for it; he owns 550 acres of land; has held school and road offices; was elected Justice of the Peace but refused to serve.  Mr. Safley has been married three times; married Janet Safley, from Scotland, in 1837; she died in 1846; they had four children--John, Robert and Socrates; one died in infancy.  Married Eliza Tryon, from Vermont, in July, 1848; she died in 1858; they had four children--Hulda, Laura and George; lost one, Mary.    Married his present wife, Margaret Ritchie, from Scotland, September 18, 1860; they have six children--Clarence, Nellie J., Arthur, Effie, Archie and Agnes.   He had three sons in the army--John G. enlisted in Company K, 11th Regt. Iowa Volunteer Infantry, was promoted to Captain, and was wounded at Atlanta July 22, 1864; Socrates was in Company K, 11th Regt. Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and was killed in battle at Atlanta; Robert was in Company C, 24th Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and died at Milliken's Bend.

Safely, John, farmer and stock raiser, Section 13; Post Office Tipton; born in Edinburg, Scotland, December 25, 1806, and emigrated to America in 1834; lived in Connecticut and New York, and came to Indiana in 1835; in 1836 he started with an ox team, in company with John Ferguson and Charles Dallas, for Iowa; they were twenty-eight days on the way, and crossed the river in September; they reached the grove two miles below Moscow and stopped for the Winter; they were taken sick and the prairie fire burned all the hay they had cut for their stock; they crossed over into Illinois and were very lucky to get a log house near Hendersonville wherein to stay during the Winter; it cost them about $30 to live while there; the following April, he came with the others here to Red Oak Grove; he lived one year with John Ferguson, then settled on his own claim and has lived here ever since (over forty-one years), and is one of the very few in this county or State who have lived on the claim they made from government over forty-one years ago; in the Fall of 1837, he went to Hendersonville, Illinois, ninety miles, after seed wheat; took some of it to Knoxville to get it ground; the miller was drunk and he had to take his oxen and got a boy to drive them while he ground the wheat; he was gone about three weeks; he took a load of pork to Iowa City, sold it for $1.25 per cwt. and gave 100 pounds of pork for a yard of Kentucky jeans; he and Capt. Higginson once drove from Chicago in six days, and all it cost for themselves was 95 cents; he drove to Chicago and hauled the first reaping machine ever brought here, in 1849, and cut 200 acres that harvest; has held town and school offices; has been President of the School Board owns 480 acres of land.  Married Elizabeth Davis, from Pennsylvania, in 1839; she died in August, 1874, leaving eight children--four sons and four daughters.

Shea, B. S., farmer, Section 6; Post Office Mechanicsville.

Slater, Geo., farmer, Section 1; Post Office Tipton.

Slater, Thos., farmer, Section 1; Post Office Tipton.

Smith, James, farmer and stock raiser, Section 4; Post Office Mechanicsville; born in Scotland, November 7, 1825; lived there twenty-seven years and came to America in 1852, and came to Cedar County the same year; located on the farm where he now lives; engaged in farming and stock raising, and has lived here over twenty-five years.  Owns 310 acres of land; holds office of Justice of the Peace, and Secretary of the School Board, and has held other town and school offices.  Married Miss Margaret Lindsay, from Scotland, May1, 1855; they have six children--Susie E., Matie B., Hattie H., Willie L., Anna M., and Harry S.

Williams, Elias, farmer, Section 16; Post Office Tipton.

Williams, L., farmer, Section 16; Post Office Tipton.

Williams, Theo., farmer, Section 9; Post Office Mechanicsville; born in Maryland March 15, 1833; went to Ohio and lived there fifteen years, and in Indiana two years; they came by wagon to this county in April, 1851, and located near Gower's Ferry; has lived in this county over twenty-six years; engaged in farming and stock raising; owns a farm of 160 acres, and has held school and road offices.  Married Susan C. Lindsay, from Scotland; they have three children--James L., Ida May, and Susan; lost two daughters--Ida May, and Ada Barbara.

Williams, Thos., farmer, Section 16; Post Office Tipton.

Willis, J. C.

Wisner, A., farmer, Section 20; Post Office Tipton.

Yule, A. farmer, Section 3; Post Office Shiloh.

Yule, James, farmer, Section 10; Post Office Shiloh.

Yule, John, farmer, Section 10; Post Office Shiloh

Yule, Samuel, farmer and stock raiser, Section 10; Post Office Shiloh; born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, August 12, 1815; lived there twenty-one years and emigrated to America in 1836; lived in Ohio one year, and came to this county August 8, 1837; located on the farm where he now lives; made the claim and entered it from the Government when it came in market.  He commenced work by the month. He, John Chappell, and Peter Wilson kept "bach" for some years on this farm; only six settlers here then; the nearest mill was at White Oak Grove, Illinois, seventy-five miles, and the nearest store, blacksmith and post office, was forty miles distant.  He had to practice rigid economy to save money to pay postage on a letter.  He only had $8 when he came here and now owns 415 acres of land; has held town and school offices; was Secretary and Treasurer of the Town School Board, and he is President of the Old Settlers' Association of Cedar County.  Married Serepta A. Clark, from Wayne County, New York, July 1, 1848; she died in 1863 and left six children--Delia M., Ann A., Agnes E., John F., Ormus F. and Emma S.; lost one.  Married Mary Ann Porter, from Essex, England, October, 1863; they have seven children--Charles E., Albert E., Susan E., Fred W., Edgar H., Elmer and Adelaide.

Zoop, A. M., farmer, Section 22; Post Office Tipton.

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