History of Dayton, (Webster County) Iowa United States of America

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Arthur Amin Prall, M. D., of Dayton, Webster county, is of German descent. His father, Thomas Prall, was a farmer in fair circumstances living in Pennsylvania. He was born February 15, 1836, at Washington, Washington county, Pa., and came to Iowa in 1857, settling in Van Buren county. September 7, 1859, he was married to Rachel Richardson, whose father, Nathan Richardson, was a carpenter and cabinet-maker and worked at that trade for more than fifty years. Her mother, Sarah Richardson, was a very intelligent woman, and in her early life learned from the Indians to use the herbs, roots and barks which they employed to cure the common diseases. Later in life she practiced medicine among neighbors, who came to rely more upon her than the regular physicians. Mrs. Prall's ancestors were of English and Irish descent.

In March, 1860, Thomas Prall and his young wife moved to Johnson county, Iowa, and in September, 1862, he enlisted at Iowa City in Company G, Twenty-second Iowa volunteers. In about a month his regiment was sent to the front and was in several of the important battles of the war, principally under the command of Grant and Sheridan. Returning home on the 6th of August, 1865, he resumed the pursuit of farming in Johnson county, and in 1875 moved to Warren county, where he now owns a fruit and stock farm of 200 acres.

Arthur A. Prall was born at Hickory Grove, near Keosauqua, Van Buren county, July 1, 1860. During his early childhood and while his father was in the army, Arthur and his mother made their home with her father, Nathan Richardson. Young Arthur attended the common schools of Johnson and Warren counties and the Friends' academy at Ackworth, Warren county. He spent two years at Western college, Toledo, Iowa, and took a three years' course at the Iowa Eclectic Medical college at Des Moines, where he graduated in 1887. Dr. Prall first located at Le Grand, where he had a fair practice for a young physician, but being anxious to do better he moved in 1888 to Pilot Mound, where he practiced very successfully for nine years. Wishing to secure better school advantages for his children, he removed in 1897 to Dayton Webster county, where he has a good and rapidly growing practice. Being a studious and progressive man, the doctor has discovered a new and successful method of treating hernia, which has effected some permanent cures. He also practices a new system of reducing strangulated hernia, which is certain and effective without resort to knife.

In politics Dr. Prall has always been a republican. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Modern Woodmen and Knights of Pythias. He was married June 1, 1887, to Della E. Bufkin, of Toledo, Iowa. They have two daughters, Pearl Ethel, born June 13, 1888, and Mae Fern, born May 28, 1890.

The doctor has lately invented and applied for a patent on a steel frame attachment to be placed on buggies, making thereby an excellent storm cab for the use of doctors, preachers and others obliged to be out in all kinds of weather.

SOURCE: Biographies and Portraits of the Progressive Men of Iowa published by Conway and Shaw, Des Moines: 1899.

History of Dayton, (Webster County) Iowa

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