The Wheeler Families of Boone County, Iowa

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Oram, the wedding being celebrated in Oneida county, June 6, [855. The lady was a native of Canada.

In the spring of [856 Air. heeler came with his young wife to Iowa, locating in Madrid, where he engaged in the hardware business for a few years. In the year of his arrival he purchased the land upon which he now resides. This he broke, fenced and improved. I [e also built upon 11. and opened up a good farm, and has for many years carried on general farming and stock-raising. He lost his first wife here in August, iSiij. and after her death he returned to Xew York and joined the army, becoming a clerk in the quartermaster's department, in which capacity he served until the close "I the war. He afterward worked with his brother in Utica in the stove foundry. For seven years he was a clerk and bookkeeper, and. about that time was again married.

On the 6th of October. [869, Mr. Wheeler was joined in wedlock to Lucy Xourse. a native of Xew York, born in Herkimer county, where she was reared. She acquired her education in the Whitestown Seminary and on the completion of liar course was graduated in [865. She is a 'laughter of Elisha Xourse, a native of Vermont, in which state he was reared and man ied. Aider the death of his first wife lie was married in Xew York to Lucy 11. Xew land, who became the mother of Mrs. Wheeler. In [872 our subject and his wile returned to [owa, locating upon his pi:sen1 farm, mi which he has since placed many excellent improvements. The pleasant and substantial outbuildings are surrounded by well tilled fields; the neat appearance A the It nne is very attractive; in front are ornamental trees which cast a

50o grateful shade in summer, and an orchard yields its fruits in season. In fact, the farm is one of the best equipped in this locality and indicates the enterprise of the owner.

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3 Christian Temperance Union of thai pi. uc and belongs to the American

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As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

CHARLES A. WHEELER.

There are many representatives of railway interests in Boone, which is a division point on the Chicago & Northwestern. This company Charles A. Wheeler now represents as passenger engineer. He has been in its service for the past thirty-eight years, or since 1876, entering railway circles as a brakeman, while subsequently he was advanced, having for the past thirty years been in the engineering department. Illinois numbers him among her native sons, his birth having occurred in Oregon, Ogle county, on the 21st of (October, 1856. He is a son of Silas F. and Athelia (Mathewson) Wheeler, both of whom were natives of Wheelock, Vermont, where they were reared and married. In the early '50s they removed westward to Illinois and the father, who was a photographer by profession, conducted a studio at Rochelle for a number of years, there residing until 1862, when he removed to Lyons, Clinton county, Iowa. At that place he made his home until he returned to Wermont, in which state his wife died on the 25th of April. 1873, when forty-two years of age. The father afterward came to Iowa and passed away in Toledo, this state, in 1895, at the age of sixty-three years. The greater part of his life was devoted to photography. Mrs. Wheeler was a member of the Freew-ill Baptist church.

In the family were seven children, of whom three sons reached adult age, the brothers of Charles A. Wheeler being Orley T. and Merton A., both of whom became firemen on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad and died at Boone in early manhood. Charles A. Wheeler spent his boyhood days in the Green Mountain state and attended school at Omaha and other points, but his educational opportunities were somewhat limited, for he was the oldest in the family and began to work when quite young, since which time he has been dependent entirely upon his own resources, so that whatever success he has achieved is the merited reward of his labor. For some years he worked upon a farm in the east and then turned his attention to railroading in 1876. He has since followed that pursuit and after working for some time as a brakeman he became a fireman and later was promoted to the position of engineer, in which capacity he has served for thirty years, acting as engineer in passenger service for fifteen years.

Throughout this entire time there has been no accident occasioned through any fault or negHgence on his part.

In 1878 Mr. Wheeler was united in marriage to Miss Mary Windett, who died in 1890, leaving a daughter, Mary A., who is now the wife of Graham Ray of Berkeley, California. For his second wife Mr. Wheeler those Bertha Kail, whom he wedded in 1892, and they have become parents of two children, Charles and Lois, both of whom are in school. Mrs. Wheeler was born in Wayne county, Iowa, but in young womanhood came with her parents to Boone, where she has since made her home. She belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, and the family attend its services. Politically Mr. Wheeler is a progressive republican. He cast his first presidential vote for James G. Blaine in 1884 and gave stalwart support to the party until, believing that the progressive movement was a step in advance, he became identified therewith. He belongs to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and is the present secretary and treasurer of the local organization. He is identified with both the subordinate lodge and the Uniform Rank of the Knights of Pythias, and his wife is a member of the ladies' auxiliary of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and also of the Pythian Sisters. In these organizations both Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler have gained many warm friends.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOSEPH FRANKLIN WHEELER.

Among those to whom success has come as the result of diligence and intelligently directed effort is Joseph Franklin Wheeler, who is now living retired, although he still occupies the home farm on section 14, Harrison township. A native of Maine, he was born on the 4th of March, 1845, son of Joseph and Elmira (Langster) Wheeler, who in the year 1877 arrived in Boone county, where they lived for a number of years. Both are now deceased.

Joseph F. Wheeler passed his boyhood days in the Pine Tree state, being about twenty years of age when he went west to Illinois, where he was employed as a farm hand for about two years. He enlisted at Dixon, Illinois, as a member of Company G, Fifteenth Illinois Infantry, with which he served for seven and one-half months. Following the close of his military service he returned to Illinois, where he remained for a year, when on account of ill health he returned to New England, establishing his home in Penobscot county, Maine, where he lived for six years. In 1877 be came to Boone county, where he has now made his home for thirty-seven years, and throughout this period has been identified with agricultural interests. He has worked hard, earning his success by the sweat of his brow, and as the years have passed by he has advanced steadily step by step until he is now numbered among the men of affluence in Harrison township.

On the 15th of March, 1875, Mr. Wheeler was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Gates, a daughter of Abel and Catherine (McFadden) Gates. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler have four children: Joseph F., who married Carrie Stoll and follows farming in Harrison township; 'william Arthur, living in Scotia, California; Ella I., the wife of Charles Allen, who follows farming near Stanhope, Iowa; and Mary Agnes, the wife of Irving Ross, a resident farmer of this state living near Ogden.

With an automobile it is not difficult for Mr. Wheeler and his wife to reach the city and even more remote points, and the fact that he is now living retired enables him to enjoy motor trips through the country. In politics he is a republican but without ambition for office. He belongs to the Methodist church, and his fraternal relations are with E. L. Sheldahl Post, No. 439, G. A. R., of Story City, by which means he maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades who wore the lille uniform during the darkest hours in the country's history. He is today as true and loyal to the government as when in times of war he followed the old flag upon the battlefields of the south.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

SCHUYLER J. WHEELER.

Schuyler J. Wheeler is one of the extensive landowners of Boone county, owning fourteen hundred acres in Harrison township. His residence in this county covers a quarter of a century, as he arrived here on the 31st of March, 1888. With the exception of a quarter section which he inherited he has acquired his large holdings by his own exertions and good business judgement. He was born in Benton county, Missouri, on the 13th of November, 1862, a son of Commodore P. and Eytchie (West) Wheeler, who were early settlers in Missouri, having removed to that state from Indiana. The father carried on farming and stock-raising and was known as an enterprising agriculturist and public-spirited citizen. His birth occurred in Wyoming county, New York, where his father conducted a tannery. Both the father and mother of our subject passed away many years ago. There were eight children born to their union, all of whom are living, although Schuyler J. is the only one who is a resident of Boone county.

The subject of this review was reared in Missouri and after leaving the public schools he attended college at Sedalia. The formal training of schools, however, was not his only education, as he learned much of agriculture and stock-raising through assisting his father upon the home farm. Upon reaching manhood he put his training to practical use and has successfully followed general farming and stock-raising. He has shipped cattle and hogs quite extensively and has now one hundred head registered Aberdeen Angus cattle. He is known throughout the county as a breeder of registered stock and also raises a good grade of Duroc Jersey hogs. Part of his present farm was entered in 1855 by his grandfather, Schuyler Wheeler, a resident of the vicinity of Fort Wayne, Indiana, who, however, never lived on the property. Most of the many improvements on the farm have been made by our subject, who is an excellent farmer and understands how to co-ordinate the various branches of agriculture so that a maximum profit is secured. As success has come to him he has invested in more land until he is now the owner of fourteen hundred acres in Harrison township.

Mr. Wheeler was married in Boone county, Iowa, in 1908, to Miss Eva Carlson, a native of this county and a daughter of John A. Carlson, a farmer and early settler of Harrison township. Mrs. Wheeler attended normal school at Boone and for some years was a teacher in this county. By her marriage she has Iecome the mother of a son, Waldo Francis, whose birth occurred on the 8th of August,

The family are liberal in their religious views, emphasizing the necessity of justice and brotherly kindness and feeling that matters of creed and dogma are of little moment. Mr. Wheeler gives his political allegiance to the democratic party and is an intelligent student of public affairs. He has done much to aid in the agricultural development of the county and has also won the respect of his fellowmen by reason of his upright life and many principles of conduct.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.