Born in Chautauqua county, New York, August 10, 1824, and was the youngest of a family of thirteen children. At the age of twenty-four years he was married to Miss Emily Bates of Stockton, N. Y. On March 17, 1886, the wife died; to this union were born five children. In 1851, be moved to Freeport, Ill., and from Freeport he removed in 1852 to DeKalb county, Illinois. In the year 1853 he founded the town of Strawberry Point, Iowa. He then came with his family to Richardson county, having been a resident of this city since 1869. On March 2nd, 1888, he was married to Miss Hannah Elwell. During his residence in Iowa he served as legislator, and was a member of the convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln for the presidency. In Nebraska he was a member of the constitutional convention. His whole life was one of business activity, having been engaged the greater part of the time in mercantile lines.