Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-17
SOME REMINISCENT NOTES,
(By Rev. j. M. McElroy.)

Driving out a few miles north re.
Gently, to visit a sick friend, over
roads once familiar but of late untrav-
ersed, my thinkings and memories
were stirred up, and these | jot down
for the benefit of whom it may con-
Germ.
l notice the building activity on
North Court street, new and elegant
residences, clear out to the cemetery
and beyond.
Our City of the dead is growing in
extent and tasteful adornment How
beautiful and how silent! The lands
of or late friend Vogle are being di-
vided UP into town lots.
The Chappelle and Williams nursery
has disappeared. For many years
they supplied ornamental and fruit
trees to town and country. The pines
and other evergreens in the cemetery,
on the Clark Williams farm, on the
Newtin Hill farm, and elsewhere ara
mostly from their nursery.
On our left We pass the brick cottage
built by Nosler and owned later by
Miner Kirkpatrick, reminding us OF
James Nosler, the youthful soldier, and
of Sanford Kirkpatrick, the revenue of.
ficer, and brave soldier.
The Carter residence has desolate
look Mrs. Carriers two brothers, Fred
and James Hawley, were soldiers in
the civil war.
Adjoining Carriers on the northeast
is a farm owned in early days by Rev.
DR.. J. T. Robert, a Baptist minister
and owner of Roberts addition to our
city. His earliest farm tenants were
the Lyons family, the father and eld-
est son laying down life as soldiers in
the Civil war.
John Alexander owned and occupied
for forty years the farm next to Car.
ter's on the west.
Turning north We come to the stocM
farm and residence of the late Benjaa
min Randall.
Further on we pass the farm OF
Joseph Hill, pioneer farmer, then in
business in Ottumwa, his second wife
the widow of Albert Nudge.
The next farm was the home for
many years of David Gephart recent
ly deceased. He and his brother-in-
law, Newton Hill, were Ottumwa car
penters in 1855.
The Colonel Wolf farm on the right
was the early home of Alfred Lots
peich, long and favorably known ip
At the State road let us draw rein.
Northward on the right is the Van
Wrinkle place. where the aged grand
parents passed away almost 40 years
ago.
The Moore farm was tenanted 40
years ago by Stephen Wilson and fam
lily, choice people from Champaign
county, Ohio. They were not wealthy
but they made valuable contributions
to the Union army-their two boys
Joseph, who died in the hospital at st.
Louis, and Richard, who fell at At
lanta Their daughter, Sarah R., was
postmistress for some years at Kirk
vile.
East of Moore's is the farm owned
and occupied by Grandfather John
Belts. and later by the Daugherties.
And just north is the early home of
Allen Wilson and family.
Resuming our drive northwest on
the State road we pass the two Car
pen4er farms, that of Luther NJ, on
the left and that of Lemuel D., deceas-
ed, on the right. The fine farm i'm.
proved and long used by Wilson Muir,
ray lies a little to the north. III con-
tains probably the most extensive ap
pie orchard in the county. Mr. Muir.
ray resides in Fairfield. His sons ara
enterprising adventurers and workers
in Mexico
Further on to the right, we pass
what was formerly the home of the
Sergeant family. The mother, won.
an of uncommon energy, was a sister
of George Mouk the father, an inya,
lid and totally deaf. Their three boys,
William, Charles and David, were sol.
diers, the mother and the daughtere
running the farm and sometimes
holding the pillow handles.
We draw rein at the Wilson Presbye
terrain church. Beyond, a quarter of
a mile, is the Salem Methodist church.
and a little further on is the Brown
farm, the early home of our venerable
citizen and former clerk of the dis
trict court, Hugh Brown.
The school house near by, the first
edition of which was called WalPs
school house, was for the neighbour
hood, and services held here had
place in originating the two churches,
Turning due nerth we drive to the
home of Samuel w. Kitterman, an old
soldier, where we find our esteemed
friend and brother, Squire John NJ
Wilson on his sick bed. Here we
ter leisurely interviews with our aged
friend we take our leave, to be call
ed back six days later to attend his
funeral.
On our return toward home We again
pass the Wilson church, located on tha
Wilson farm, and noble monument Ia
the memory and labors and liberaIity
of John M. Wilson.
Going on due south we pass the old
Harlan place, home of the pioneer.
Aaron Harlan, an esteemed citizen and
elder in the Christian church, father
of Wilson and Robert N. and Oliver
and A. w. Harlan and several Others,
The valuable Peck farm with it's
good improvements We find farther on
the home of the late James M. Peck,
first sheriff of Wapello county. AS we
near the Alexander Place we find on
our left the farm of grandfather Myers,
father of our veteran soldier and florist
Josiah Myers. Grandmother Myers
was the mother, by former marriage.
of Shelton Hale and his sister. Miss