EARLY SETTLERS OF THIS AREA
As presented in History of Crawford County, Published in 1911.

(Ida Koester Wunder remembers her father buying this large, two-volume set of books for $7.50 a book. One book contains general history of the county, the other book has biographies of the early settlers. Ida said only those people who purchased the books had their stories included in the review.)

THOMAS W. BELL is the son of Samuel and Jennie Bell, both natives of Scotland. Thomas was a cloth finisher, and in 1854 decided that America offered better opportunities for a livelihood. He first lived at Massachusetts and then Vermont, but concluded there were better possibilities in the middle west, thus coming to Crawford County in 1873. At that time much of the land was still in its wild state and there were only two houses between his home in East Boyer Township and the village of Vail.
Thomas was 11 when he accompanied his parents west. He remained home until 27, then began farming on his own in Hayes Township in 1889. He made his home there until 1904, when he moved to Manilla. He moved to Denison in 1911, but still owns 247 acres in Hayes Township.
He and his wife Addie have three children, Myron, Clarence, and Queen.

C.J. BOHNSACK is residing on a highly improved farm of 160 acres in section 13 of Iowa Township, which he purchased in 1902. During the nine years of his ownership he has wrought many improvements on the place, having erected one of the finest residences of any form in the county.
Mr. Bohnsack, born in 1864 in Germany, came to this country with his parents in 1881. The family moved to Manning in 1883. When his parents moved to Audubon County, C.J. rented 80 acres in section 27, Iowa Township, from 1885 until 1888. He then rented the farm he now owns.
He was married in 1887 to Anna Mason, and they have seven children, William, Henry, Dora, Augusta, Louis, Emma, and John. Mr. Bohnsack has always taken an active interest in public affairs, and served as assessor four terms, road supervisor four years, and as school board member for 12 years, 10 as secretary of the board.

ANDREW BOSS, who has had a 160 acre farm in section 36 of Iowa Township for the past seven years, originally came to Crawford County in 1893, when he leased land about 1 1/2 miles north of his present farm. Boss made practically all the improvements upon his present farm, and he makes a specialty of breeding Shorthorn cattle and other graded stock.
He was married in 1895 to Helen Sanders, and they have four children, Alfred, George, William and Edna.

WILLIAM EWOLDT, born in 1871 to Henry and Dora Vinke Ewoldt, came to Carroll County with his parents in 1879; the family moved to section 22 of Hayes Township in 1888, where they lived six years. They then moved to Arcadia and then to Manning.
William lived with his parents and 13 brothers and sisters until he was 24, when he began farming in section 14 of Hayes Township. He was there for 13 years; in 1909 he moved to his present farm in Hayes Township. He makes a specialty of raising Hereford cattle.
He was married in 1896 to Katie Kruse, and they had three children, Carl (deceased), Edward and Emil.

WILLIAM GOTTSCH, son of Peter and Elsie Gottsch, was born in 1868 in Germany and came with his parents to America in 1881. They located in Carroll County. William moved to Crawford County, West Side Township, when he reached manhood.
In 1896, William married Mary Kruse, who was born in Hayes Township in 1873 to Otto and Metha Kruse. Her parents were born in Germany and came to America in 1856, settling in Crawford County.
William and Mary have four children, Alfred, Hilda, Rudolph and Gilmer.

HENRY HAGGE, who has now retired to West Side, was born in 1838 in Germany. He emigrated to the United States in 1864, locating near Davenport. As was customary in those primitive days, he broke the prairie land by the aid of oxen and continued to follow farming in that locality for the ensuing four years. He then came to Crawford County and bought 160 acres, which he also broke in the same primitive way. He now owns 340 acres, plus 240 acres which he gave to his son.
March 10, 1868, he was married to Sophia Grage. They had nine children, of whom the following eight survive: John, West Side; Stena, married to John Strathman of Crawford County; Anne, wife of John Schelldorf of Crawford County; Amilia, wife of Henry Ort, Manning; Emma, wife of Henry Frahm of Carroll County; Henry and Julius, residents of Crawford County; and Dora, wife of Henry Frahm of Crawford County.

JOHN HAGGE was born in June, 1869, to Heinrich and Sophia Magdalena Grage Hagge. He lived at the home farm until age 22, and then rented 200 acres in Crawford County for five years. He then bought 160 acres in Hayes Township, where he continues today.
He was married in 1892 to Anna Thiedeman, daughter of Claus and Margaretta Thiedeman of Crawford County. They have one daughter Gertrude, born in 1904.

THOMAS HAYES, born in 1860, is a son of Thomas and Emily Hayes. Thomas Sr. was a shoemaker, following his trade west from village to village from New Jersey to Burlington. In 1853 Thomas Sr. moved to Onawa, and from there to Crawford County and to the township which bears his name, as he was the first to break prairie there in 1869.
Thomas Jr., one of 10 children, remained at home until age 23, and then moved to Nebraska, as the unsettled lands of the west held great fascination to him. He later returned to Iowa and purchased land in Nishnabotna Township.
Thomas Jr. is married to Mary Milligan, and they are the parents of Clarence, Mabel (Mrs. George Massie), Howard, Thomas, Ruth, Joseph, Katie, and twins Irma and Enid.

FRANK HEMMINGER, who now owns 320 acres in sections 31 and 32 of Iowa Township, was born in Pennsylvania in 1858. At age 19 he came to Indianola, Iowa, and 1 1/2 years later, to Harlan. He had no money and the weather was extremely cold. He husked corn in the snow and froze two of his fingers so severely that the nails came off. He finally earned enough money to buy a pair of gloves. He worked out by the month for 2 1/2 years, then located on section 23 of Iowa Township, where he began farming raw ground. This was before the railroad was built through the county and Wayland was the nearest market point.
Mr. Hemminger prospered in his work, and his valuable farm on sections 31 and 32 has a beautiful home provided with all modern conveniences. When their house was first erected, Mr. and Mrs. Hemminger opened their residence as a schoolhouse for the fall and winter term, as there was no school in the neighbor-hood. It was this spirit of kindness that bound the settlers together and softened the hardships of earlier days. Mr. Hemminger remembers driving to Denison with eggs and butter when he received only 3c a dozen for eggs and 3c a pound for butter; he assisted in stacking hay on the ground where Manilla now stands the year before the town was founded, and he also assisted in hauling lumber for the first building in the new settlement.
He married Alice Berry in 1882, and they had seven children, Effie, Frances, Hazel, Allie, William, Gertrude and John. Mrs. Hemminger died in 1905.

GEORGE HOLDSWORTH came to Iowa Township in 1884 with his parents, John and Margaret Holdsworth. George, one of 12 children, now lives on the homestead of 154 acres; he also farms another 320 acres. In 1910 he completed the improvements by the erection of one of the most substantial barns in the county.
George and his wife Dora have five children, George Washington, Edward Henry, Alexander, Matilda Jane, and John James.

HENRY N. JAHN was born four miles from Davenport in 1860, a son of Claus and Louisa Kortum Jahn. Claus, a miller, arrived in America from Germany in 1853 with $1.50 in his pocket. Claus began a career as a farm laborer and worked with such diligence that by 1857 he was prepared to engage in farming on his own, and purchased land in Hayes Township of Crawford County.
Henry, one of six children, was nine when his parents came to Crawford County. He continued at home until 27, then for five years farmed a part of his father's land. In 1893 he moved to Manilla where he began buying and shipping hogs with his brother William, and they continued in business together for 10 years. In 1895 they built a steam elevator at Manilla, and also owned a half interest in the Isaac Hurd Lumber Company. In 1904 Henry formed a partnership with L.L. Hockett in the implement business which they had for four years. After the partnership was dissolved, Jahn continued in the implement business himself.
He and his wife May have two children, Wilbur and Ruth.

J.F. WILLIAM JAHN was born in Hayes Township, section 31, July 9, 1882, to Paul William and Catherine Lemster Jahn. There were nine children in the family, Lena (Mrs. Henry E. Kuhl), J.F. William, Minna (Mrs. Gus Meggers), Herman, Henry, Amanda (Mrs. Gus Peppers), Louis, Adelia, and Hugo.
J.F. William attended the country schools of Hayes Township. He continued with his parents until age 24, and then moved to a place of his own. He carries on general farming and gives special attention to the feeding of Hereford cattle for the market.
He was married in 1907 to Martha Peper, who was born in Iowa Township to George and Sophia Peper. They have two children, Hugo Paul George and Willette Catherina Fredericka.

HEINRICH EDMUND KUHL, born in Iowa Township February 14, 1878, is the eldest son of Marcus and Anna Kuhl, one of the original residents of this township. Heinrich was reared upon the family homestead, acquiring his early education in the district schools, one year of high school in Manning, then attending the college at Denison. He remained at home until age 26, then located a mile east of his present

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homestead. He remained there one year before moving to his present farm.
Heinrich was married in 1904 to Carolina Jahn, and they have three children, Elsie, Herbert and Melvina.

FRED J. LAHNDORF SR., was born in Germany in 1854. At the age of 11 he came with his parents to America; after four years in Scott County, they arrived at Hayes Township in 1874. Fred now farms the family farm of 160 acres.
Fred was married in 1882 to Cecilia Jetter. They had nine children, Fred J. Jr., Emma (Mrs. Ora Pipper), Edward, Helen (Mrs. R.C. Bradshaw), Henry J., Minnie, Clara, Ferdinand and William.

HARRY LAMP, born in Crawford County in 1884, is the second oldest child of Ferdinand and Dora Lamp. Harry acquired his preliminary education in the district schools of the county and then pursued a course in a commercial college. At the age of 20, he left home to accept a position with the Neola Elevator Company at Aspinwall. He was identified with that concern for one year and then entered the employ of the Pride Poultry Company for a year. He then became a yard man, and after a year, was promoted to general manager.
Harry is married to Amanda Wiese, daughter of Carl and Dora Wiese. They have had three children, Wayne, who died at the age of one year, Josephine, born in 1909, and Lloyd, born in 1910.

CHARLES MILLER was born May 2, 1852, in New York, three days after his parents arrived from Germany. They later moved to Iowa.
At the age of 19, Charles left home and came to Crawford County, where he worked as a farm hand for three years. Then he engaged in breaking prairie and threshing; he broke between 1200 and 1500 acres of prairie during his early years in this county, which was then sparsely populated. In 1878, he located on his present farm in Iowa Township.
He and his wife Minnie have seven children, C.F., W.A., John M., Eli Alfred, Hugh Edward, Guy Elijah, and Clarence Chester.

FREDERICK C. AND MARY (KRUSE) MOHR came to the United States from Germany in the early 1870s, and in 1892 moved to section 2 of Iowa Township. After cultivating this place for nine years, they moved 1/2 mile north, where the father continued to reside until retiring from active labor. He now makes his home with son George C., who has a 90 acre farm in Iowa Township. The mother passed away in 1902.
George and his wife Alfrida Molter were married in 1903. They have one child, Nellie.
George has four brothers and one sister. Otto and John G. live on a farm in Iowa Township; Maggie (Mrs. Fred Renfeldt), lives at Manilla; Peter is at Ute; C.D. lives in Iowa Township. John G. is married to Ida Lage, and they have three children, Freddie, Lena and Raymond.

JOHN D. SCHELLDORF, born in 1872, has lived in West Side Township since the age of 16.
John was married in 1900 to Emma Ohde, who was born in Hayes Township November 10, 1880, to George and Anna Everhardt Ohde. Her parents now live in Manning. John and Emma have five children, Marvel, Viola, Ranald, Rufert and Wilbur.

JOHN SCHUMANN of Hayes Township was born in 1869 to Nicholas and Johanna ( John began renting land at the age of 21, and in 1909 purchased 210 acres. He was married in 1890 to Amelia Ewoldt, and they have six children, Elsie, Laura, Lewis, Elizabeth, Leroy and Edwin.

JULIUS THIEDEMAN was born in Hayes Township in 1878 to Claus and Margaret (Gruenwaldt) Thiedeman. Julius attended the public schools of the township and then took the course of study at the Denison College. He left home at the age of 24, when he began farming in Carroll County for seven years. He operated his father's farm for a time, and then purchased the 200 acres in section 23 which is now his home. With the exception of the dwelling, Mr. Thiedeman erected all the buildings on the place.
Julius was married in 1902 to Anna Kruse, daughter of Otto Kruse. They have had three children, Harold, Gilbert (deceased) and Velma.

C.H. WIESE, born in 1862 in Germany, came to Westside with his parents, John Henry and Margaret Katrina Wiese. His mother died in 1885 and his father in 1904.
C.H. Wiese only attended school one year after the family moved to this country, and as soon as he was old enough to work, he obtained employment as a section hand, following that occupation in Aspinwall for four years. He then worked in a lumber yard four years, and then farmed in Iowa Township and later in Hayes Township. He now lives in Washington Township.
He and his wife Katrina have eight children, Minnie (Mrs. Detlef Peterson), Emil, Bridget, Emma, Ida, Florence, Etta and Elsie.