ELIAS GRIFFITH, residing on section 34, Franklin Township, came with his parents to Washington County in 1848. He is a native of Pickaway County, Ohio, born in 1833, and is the son of Robert W. and Eleanor (Long) Griffith. (See sketch of Robert W. Griffith elsewhere is this volume.)
Like many others of the leading citizens of Washington County, Elias Griffith was reared upon a farm, and was early acquainted with hard work. His educational advantages were somewhat better than the majority of farm boys. In addition to attendance in the common schools, he spent several terms in Washington College, Washington, and on leaving school was engaged in teaching in Clay and Franklin Townships. In 1864 he went to California, where he engaged in mining and lumbering until 1866, since which time he has been engaged in farming in this county. His first farm consisted of 240 acres of land two which he has since added 310 acres, making a farm of 550 acres, all of which is under cultivation.
Mr. Griffith was united in marriage, April 29, 1867, to Henrietta A. Humphrey, daughter of Eli and Lucia (Snow) Humphrey, born Oct. 30, 1836, in Huntington, Lorain Co., Ohio. She died in Franklin Township, May 16, 1872, leaving two children—John, who is making his home with his uncle, George W., and Charles, who resides with his grandfather, Eli Humphrey, in Clay Township. Her body is interred in Grace Hill Cemetery, three miles from the old home. For several years Mr. Griffith has been in poor health, being afflicted with asthma. In order to afford relief he has been spending some of the winters in a warmer climate. The winter of 1882-83 he spent in Colorado, the following winter in Smith County, Kan., and the winer of 1885086 in Southern California. Notwithstanding poor health, he has been able to give personal attention to his farming operations, meeting with success as can only be acquired by industry and economy. The home farm is one of the best improved in Franklin Township, having on it superior farm buildings, including a good, two-story frame dwelling, large and commodious barn, and sheds sufficient to shelter his stock. In addition to general farming he makes a specialty of stock-raising.
As a citizen of Washington County for a period of about forty years, Mr. Griffith has lived to witness the changes that have been wrought in turning what was almost a wilderness into one of the most productive regions in the fair State of Iowa. That he has done his part in its transformations is well known to every citizen of the county. On an accompanying page is an excellent portrait of Mr. Griffith.
HON. GEORGE WEYAND, deceased, was born at White Horse, on the summit of the Alleghany Mountains, in Pennsylvania, in 1805. After receiving a common-school education he engaged at various time is woodsawing, shoemaking and stage driving until 1838,
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when he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Grove, and immediately emigrated by stage and water to Iowa, and settled on a farm in Jefferson County. His only brother, Daniel, studied law, and became a partner of Hon. Jeremiah S. Black, then a young attorney of Somerset, Pa. Mr. Weyand took a prominent part in all political, educational and general industrial interests of Iowa, and in 1840 was elected to the Territorial Legislature. He was also a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1844, and served as a member of the Capitol commission. He subsequently served as a member of the State Legislature, and in 1860 was nominated to the State Senate, in opposition to James F. Wilson, but declined on account of a disease of the eye, which finally caused his total blindness. He was of German birth, but fully imbued with American ideas. Although a life-long Democrat he was yet an anti-slaver man and radically opposed to the Rebellion. He lived to see his long-cherished hope realized in the inauguration of a Democratic President. Mr. Weyand died in June, 1885.
Mrs. Mary Weyand died Nov. 22, 1877. She was born in Somerset County, Pa., Oct. 9, 1817. Her life was passed in the conscientious discharge of duty, in devoted attachment to her family and friends, and in deep, sincere and unobtrusive piety. Since 1838 she had been a resident of Iowa, and was well known to many of the older settlers who held her in high esteem.
IRA G. RHODES, of Brighton, Iowa, was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, on the 29th of August, 1814. His father, Joseph Rhodes, was born in Great Barrington, Mass., in 1779, and was married, Feb. 15, 1801, to Polly Waterhouse, who was born in 1774. They were the parents of eight children: Asa W. and Elizabeth, deceased; Sophronia, of Illinois; Polly of Twinsburg, Ohio; Electa, of Trumbull County, Ohio; Ira G., of this sketch; William and Sarah, both deceased. Joseph Rhodes was a pioneer in Trumbull County, Ohio, settling there just previous to the birth of our subject. He there made a home in what was little better than a wilderness, and there died Dec. 30, 1853.
Ira G. Rhodes received his education in the old log school-house, with its puncheon floor and slab seats, attending school during the winter months and working on the farm during the summer. Notwithstanding the poor advantages, he yet obtained a liberal education, and for some years was employed as a teacher in the common schools. In 1837 he moved to Hancock County, Ill., where he engaged in teaching. On the 15th of January, 1843, he was united in marriage with Miss Ann E. Botts, a daughter of Rev. Joseph and Sabra (Wilkes) Botts, both of whom were natives of Kentucky. Joseph Botts was an ordained minister in the Baptist Church, and served as such for more than forty years. Mr. and Mrs. Botts were the parents of twelve children, seven of whom are now living: Matilda, the widow of Nathan Jonathan, of Quincy, Ill.; William, of Hancock County, Ill.; Absalom and James, twins, also residing in Hancock County, Ill.; Jane, the wife of John Logan, of McDonough County, Ill.; Louisa, the wife of Daniel Barricklow, of Republic County, Kan. The family were among the early settlers of Hancock County, Ill., and there the parents died.
In the spring of 1843 Mr. Rhodes and his wife came to Iowa and located in Walnut Township, Jefferson County, where they remained until 1877, and then removed to Brighton, where they now live a retired life. Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes are the parents of eight living children: Lucilla, wife of Lee Barricklow, of Jefferson County, Iowa; Eugene, of Boone County, Ark.; Luther, of Woodland, Cal.; William, of Marengo County, Ala.; Mary, wife of A. S. Bailey, of Page County, Iowa; Myrtle, wife of G. G. Sampson, of Waverly, Bremer Co., Iowa; Florence, the wife of Nathan Heacock, of Burlington, Iowa; Homer, of Jefferson County, Iowa.
In early life, and during the days when slavery existed in this country, Mr. Rhodes was a strong anti-slavery man, and naturally, when the Republican party was organized, he became an advocate of its principles. The war ended and slaver abolished throughout the length and breadth of the land, other issues naturally arose. For many years the manufacturers of this country, whose interests
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had been prospered by protection, had been uniting, until finally, almost every branch of trade was controlled by some huge monopoly. To all this Mr. Rhodes bitterly opposed, and so, in 1872, he united with others in forming what was then known as the anti-monopoly party, and by that party he was elected Treasurer of Jefferson County. Believing as he did upon the question already spoken of, he naturally coincided with those who advocated a single standard of money, and has since been identified with the Greenback party.
Mr. Rhodes is a man of decided views upon all questions, and does not fear to express himself when the opportunity is given. As a temperance man, he advocates the enforcement of the prohibitory law to the fullest extent, believing it to be save and right. When he came to Iowa he was in limited circumstances. He is now the owner of 450 acres of land in Jefferson County, lying within five miles of Brighton. This property he has acquired through his own exertions, assisted by those of his good wife.
D. A. FESLER, hardware dealer, Riverside. Among the numerous enterprises of this county the name of Fesler is well known. Not only the mercantile, but also the grain business in Iowa Township, is largely controlled by Fesler & Son. Our subject was born in Johnson County, Iowa, in 1850, and is a son of Jacob and Mary (Slife) Fesler, whose personal history will appear elsewhere in this volume. Growing to manhood upon his father's farm, Mr. Fesler learned the agricultural business in all its details.
Our subject received a preliminary education in the public schools and completed his business education at the Iowa State University in 1872. He engaged in teaching prior to his graduation, his first term being taught in Iowa Township at the school knows as "The Four Corners." After graduating, Mr. Fesler taught in Waubeek, Linn Co., Iowa, until the autumn of 1874, when, in company with his uncle, George Fesler, he opened a hardware store in the new town of Riverside, the first business enterprise of the kind in the place, and their store was the first one erected on the village plat for that purpose. In the spring of 1875 Mr. Fesler purchased his uncle's interest, and a partnership was formed with George H. Clark, a dealer in stoves, etc., and the two stocks were combined until 1879, when the stock was divided and Mr. Clark removed to Wellman. Mr. Fesler continued the business alone until Jan. 1, 1882, when Mr. A. Nicola became a partner in the Riverside firm. Jan. 1, 1883, our subject, in company with B. W. Nicola, purchased the hardware stock of Mr. Clark at Wellman, and this was managed by B. W. Nicola, under the firm name of Fesler & Nicola. One year later a store of the same character was purchased by E. S. Fesler, and Fesler & Nicola, of Riverside, and Wellman, at Kalona, and was put under the management of E. S. Fesler.
The fourth enterprise engaged in by our subject in this line was at Keswick, in Keokuk County, Iowa, in March, 1887, purchased by D. A. Fesler, of Riverside, Ben W. Nicola, of Wellman, and George Kaye, well known as a former resident of Riverside. Mr. Kay has charge of this store, and each of these firms are now and have been, engaged in prosperous trade. The stock is of the same character in each place, consisting of all kinds of hardware, tinware, agricultural implements, wagons, buggies, etc. The business may truthfully be said to be the largest in Southeastern Iowa, as such a large amount of territory is controlled. In thirteen years of business life Mr. Fesler has been one of the most widely known young men of not only his own county, but also of this portion of the State. In 1884, D. A. Fesler, F. A. Druf and Cyrus Billingsley, of Riverside, erected a creamery at Clarinda, Iowa, Mr. Fesler taking one-half interest. This is yet profitably operated, Mr. Fesler retaining his interest. The firm is now known as Childs Bros. & Co. The second enterprise of this character was engaged in by Mr. Fesler in the spring of 1887, he trading for an interest in the creamery at North English, Iowa County, the firm consisting of Mr. Boyd, E. Nicola, S. P. Childs and D. A. Fesler, under the firm name of Boy & Co.
In October, 1877, D. A. Fesler was married to Miss Mary E., daughter of Jesse and Phoebe (Cogner) Boyd, of Rivrside. Mr. Boyd was the original
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proprietor of the village, and will be mentioned elsewhere in this volume. Four children have graced the union of Mr. and Mrs. Fesler, as follows: Zella E., Ray, Gay and Zetta. Enterprise is a characteristic of the Fesler family, and from the pioneer days to date, they have been noted among business men. Our subject began business on a capital of $350, and has, by strict business habits, become in a few years a wealthy man. He was the first Recorder of the Village Board, the second year Mayor, and has since continuously been a member of the board.
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