Des Moines, the pioneer of municipal progress and reform of the middle West, together with the history of Polk County, Iowa, the largest, most populous and most prosperous county in the state of Iowa; Volume II, Part 123

Author: Brigham, Johnson, 1846-1936; Clarke (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 1464

USA > Iowa > Polk County > Des Moines > Des Moines, the pioneer of municipal progress and reform of the middle West, together with the history of Polk County, Iowa, the largest, most populous and most prosperous county in the state of Iowa; Volume II > Part 123

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dent of the Great Western Accident Association but into various other fields has extended his efforts and many enterprises have been benefited by the stimulus of his energy, keen discernment and unfaltering perseverance. He is a director of the German Savings Bank, vice president of the Granite Brick Company, vice president and member of the executive committee of the Town Mutual Dwell- inghouse Fire Association.

On the 10th of April, 1879, Mr. Hawley was married to Miss Carrie Moss, daughter of Palmer J. and Jennie E. Moss. Mr. Moss was for several years a banker at Almont, Michigan, and later in connection with Samuel Maverick, of San Antonio, Texas, became the builder of the first line of street railway in that city. Mrs. Hawley is very prominent in the social circles of Des Moines and particularly in those organizations which have for their object the intellectual development and culture of their representatives. She organized and is now the honorary president of the Des Moines Conversational Club. She is a member of the Des Moines Women's Club, Unity Circle and the Press and Authors Club. She is the author with "R. W." of Your Future Revealed by the Gods of Greece in the Words of Shakespeare. She has written quite extensively for home publi- cations and for other papers and magazines, at one time contributing a valuable paper to the Midland Monthly on American Pottery. Her labors have been a stimulus in the intellectual development and progress of Des Moines. She is likewise interested in benevolent and charitable work and has been president of the Roadside Settlement, of which she is still an active worker.

Mr. Hawley gives his political allegiance to the progressive wing of the repub- lican party and stands as a stanch advocate of the movements which are seeking reform and progress in the field of political activity. Prominent in Masonry, he has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite and is also a member of the Mystic Shrine. He likewise holds membership with the Knights of Pythias, with the Golf and Country Club, the Grant Club, the Sons of the American Revolution and the Unitarian church-all of which indicate the nature of his interests and the rules which govern his conduct. He is past president of the Iowa Society. Sons of the American Revolution, and a member of the board of Associated Charities. He is a broad-minded and liberal man, interested in the work of progress, reform and improvement along lines that do not hamper the free and independent development of the individual and yet contribute to the world's progress.

JACOB A. SMITH.

Jacob A. Smith, who has been a resident of Des Moines for thirteen years, during more than half of which period he has been the head of the Globe Tan- ning & Manufacturing Company, is a native of Virginia, having been born in Augusta county on the 14th of November, 1869. His father, George W. Smith, who was a farmer and stock-raiser and well known Civil war veteran in that section, was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, and was a son of Samuel Smith, also a native of the Old Dominion, who removed to Indiana during pioneer days. George W. Smith was married in 1865 to Mary Catherine Huffer, of Au- gusta county, Virginia, who was of German extraction, her parents having come from the fatherland to the United States.

Jacob A. Smith was reared at home, obtaining his education in the public schools which he continued to attend until he had attained the age of twenty years. On the 22d of November, 1892 he entered the employ of Frank Alex- ander & Company, continuing in their service until September 3, 1898, at which time he withdrew and came to Des Moines. Upon his arrival in this city he ob- tained a position with J. D. Seeberger, the duties of which he assumed on the

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7th of September, 1898. He remained with Mr. Seeberger for three years, leaving his employ on the 25th of September, 1901. Having decided that he would like agricultural pursuits he removed to a farm which he cultivated for three years and then bought out the Globe Tanning & Manufacturing Com- pany, which, in association with his brother, he has ever since been conducting at 222 South East First street. The scope of their activities is rather extensive as they not only tan hides and cure furs but make fur coats, fur mittens, robes, caps, rugs and in fact all articles manufactured from fur. They either provide the pelts for the purpose or cure those sent them by their patrons. Kenneth E. Smith has charge of the tanning department and is a competent and experienced workman. It is one of the largest establishments of the kind in the middle west and is equipped with every facility required to produce the best results.

On the 6th of October, 1901, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Goughenour, a native of Des Moines and a daughter of Samuel and De- lilah Brown Goughenour, pioneer settlers of Polk county. Four children have been born of this union: Virgil Ernest, born on the 2d of October, 1902, and Claude Vernice, born on the 12th of December, 1903, both of whom are attend- ing the Whittier school; Miriam Helen, born on the 20th of August, 1905, at- tending kindergarten; and Vernon Wilbur, whose birth occurred on the 14th of January, 1910.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith affiliate with the Church of the Brethren and take an active and helpful interest in all Christian work, their social life being cen- tered in the church as they find no enjoyment in worldly amusements. Al- though he always takes an active interest in civic affairs, Mr. Smith has never been an office seeker and confines his political activity to the casting of a vote in support of the candidates of the republican party. He has met with more than average success in his business ventures and, in addition to owning his plant and the property upon which it is situated, he has acquired a very pleasant home, where he is residing.

Kenneth E. Smith, a younger brother of our subject, was born in Augusta county, Virginia, September 30, 1883, and came to Iowa on the 5th of March, 1903. He lived upon a farm until November 1904, when he came to Des Moines and entered the service of the Globe Tanning & Manufacturing Company as an employe, but in November, 1908, he became a partner of his brother and has since had charge of the tanning department. He was married, August 19, 1907, to Miss Eva Lena Gibson, and they have two children: Howard O., who was born April 22, 1908; and Preston Gibson, born February 13, 19II. Mr. Smithlı is also a member of the Church of the Brethren and gives his political support to the republican party.

ALBERT S. BURNETTE.

Among the well known residents of Valley Junction must be mentioned Albert S. Burnette, who for nearly fifteen years has been identified with the business and political interests of the town. He is a native of Ohio, having been born in Fayette county on the 2nd of April, 1872, and is a son of Elihu and Sophia (Snider) Burnette. The parents were both born in the Buckeye state, but in February, 1880, they came to Iowa and located on a farm near Knoxville. After one year's residence there Mr. Burnette accepted the position of overseer of the poor and removed to Knoxville, where he continued to reside after the expiration of his incumbency until the time of his death on the 9th of June, 1897. His wife survived him until April, 1907, when she, too, passed away.

Albert S. Burnette was only a lad of eight years when the family removed to Iowa, so that the greater portion of his education was acquired in the public

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schools of Knoxville. He remained a member of his father's household until he was nineteen years of age. In 1891 he accepted a position as car accountant with the Santa Fe Railroad Company and went to Oklahoma, where he re- mained for three years. Resigning at the expiration of that period he returned to Iowa and located in Valley Junction, where he engaged in the grocery and hardware business for six years. In 1900 he became enthusiastic about zinc and lead mining and went to Joplin, Missouri, where he pursued this vocation for two years, and then returning to Valley Junction he entered the county Record- er's office. He relinquished that position at the end of eight months to become deputy county treasurer, in which capacity he served for one year, and was then appointed deputy county auditor, which office he occupied until November, 1905. He then received the appointment of postmaster and is still filling that position.

Mr. Burnette was united in marriage to Miss Maude Rogers on the 2d of January, 1897, a daughter of Frank and Elizabeth Rogers, the father a native of Illinois and the mother of Canada. Mrs. Burnette passed away on the 9th of December, 1899, leaving a little daughter, Lillian A., who is now twelve years of age.

Mr. Burnette's fraternal relations are with the Masonic order, in which or- ganization he holds high rank, having passed through the thirty-two degrees of the Scottish Rite. He is also a member of Des Moines Lodge No. 98, B. P. O. E. Ever since attaining the right of suffrage he has been identified with the republican party and during the period of his residence in Valley Junction has always taken an active interest in local issues. He is regarded as one of the substantial citizens of the town as, in addition to his interests here, he owns a five hundred acre farm in Minnesota. Mr. Burnette's three years' service as assistant to the county treasurer and auditor, as well as his present position as postmaster, have brought him prominently before the people of the county, among whom he has many friends who hold him in high regard.

CHARLES WEITZ.

A comprehensive history of Des Moines requires that adequate mention be made of men now deceased who assisted in the development of the city and whose names are honored because of noble work they performed in the upbuild- ing of the community. Charles Weitz, the pioneer contractor and builder of Des Moines, clearly belongs in this class. He was closely identified with Des Moines for fifty years and lived to witness his brightest dreams become actualized in one of the most attractive cities of the continent. He was born at Schotten, Germany, about thirty miles from the city of Frankfort, May 4, 1826. His father, Heinrich Weitz, was a native of the same locality and spent his entire life there.

Charles Weitz attended the public schools of his native town until he reached the age of fourteen years, when he was apprenticed to a cabinetmaker. After learning his trade he visited most of the large cities in Germany, France and Switzerland in order to become thoroughly proficient in a vocation to which he expected to devote his life. In the course of his travels he learned to speak fluently the French and English languages. In 1847 he was drafted into the German army and served through the revolution of 1848. At the age of twenty- four, in 1850, having decided to seek his fortune under the favoring conditions of the new world, he crossed the ocean to America with his brother Christian, landing at New York city. He soon afterward proceeded westward to Ashland and Columbus, Ohio, working at his trade in both of those places. Hearing favorable reports of Iowa, he came to Des Moines in 1854, traveling by rail from Columbus to Cincinnati, Ohio, by steamer on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to

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Keokuk, Iowa, and then by prairie schooner to the settlement which represented the future metropolis of the state. There was no demand for cabinetmakers at Des Moines at that time, but he was pleased with the location and built a home, having great faith in the future of the growing community. He embarked in the contracting and building business, which he followed with great success, becom- ing head of the building and contracting firm of Charles Weitz Sons. He erected many of the beautiful and substantial structures which are now an ornament to the city and which are enduring evidences of his skill and reliability in his chosen calling. He was identified with a number of business interests and was one of the organizers of the German Savings Bank, of which he was president at the time of his death, and a director of the Valley National and Valley Savings Banks, also serving as director in various other institutions.

In 1854 Mr. Weitz was married to Miss Helena Kinnel, a daughter of Adam Kinnel, who came to America from Germany with his family when Mrs. Weitz was one year old. She is now living in Des Moines. There were seven children in their family: Lizzie ; Charles H., who is engaged as an architect and builder in Des Moines, and is president of the Century Lumber Company; Amelia ; Rosa : Frederick W., who is in business with his brothers and is treasurer of the Century Lumber Company : Emma; and Edward, also associated with the firm of Charles Weitz Sons, and secretary of the Century Lumber Company.

Mr. Weitz retired from active business about 1901 and was succeeded by his sons. He died November 10, 1906, after a long and useful life which was filled with many deeds of kindness and benevolence. He was a man of great energy and possessed a remarkably clear judgment in business affairs. He took great pride in the growth of Des Moines and accomplished many important under- takings, which contributed to the permanent welfare of the city, and his influence will be felt for many years to come. In fraternal circles he was highly popular, being an active member of the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias. He passed through all the chairs in the latter order and was one of the prominent Odd Fellows of the city, his brethren presenting him with a beautiful medal in com- memoration of the fiftieth anniversary of his membership in that organization.

JOHN H. SCHOLES.

For nearly forty years a resident of Polk county, John H. Scholes, who departed this life October 21, 1909, attracted friends who will long revere his memory. His helpful spirit and genial manner as well as his genuine worth of character deeply impressed those with whom he came in contact and caused his death to be profoundly regretted. He was a native of Ohio and came to Iowa in 1870, driving cattle through to this state from Tuscarawas county. His brother, David, arrived in Iowa about 1870 and settled in Polk county. Andrew Scholes came shortly afterward and took up his permanent residence in this county. Another brother, Isaac, lived for a number of years in Polk county but later returned to Springfield, Ohio. Being left an orphan at an early age, John H. Scholes was thrown upon his own resources and made his own way in the world, becoming a self-made man. About one year after his marriage he located upon Mrs. Scholes' farm and a few years later bought the place upon which his widow now resides. He followed farming throughout life with the exception of a few years before his death, when he lived retired.

On January 3, 1875, Mr. Scholes was united in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Porter, a daughter of James and Sarah A. (Mckinney) Porter, both of whom were natives of Indianapolis, Indiana. They came to Iowa in 1854 and after spending ten years in Jasper county took up their residence in Polk county, the land on which they settled having since been included in the limits of the city

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of Des Moines. Her parents are both now deceased. There were eight children in their family, namely: John, who married Anna Randolph and is living at Altoona, Iowa; Isaac, who married Lucy Landon and lives at Boulder, Colorado; James, who married Sarah Waddell and is now living in Polk county ; William, who married Martha Shivers and now lives at Bondurant; Mary, the widow of Hiram Mason, of Altoona ; Martha, who married William Combs; Rebecca E., who died at the age of thirteen months; and Sarah J., who became the wife of John H. Scholes. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Scholes: James R., who married Flora Stewart, a native of Iowa, and lives in Des Moines ; David D., who is unmarried ; Addison A., who married May Childress and lives in Des Moines ; and Maude May, now the wife of William Jamieson, of Altoona.

Mr. Scholes was a soldier during the last year of the Civil war, enlisting in Company C, One Hundred and Eighty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and when hostilities ceased returned to his old home in Ohio, from which state he subse- quently removed to Illinois and later to Iowa as previously stated. He was a sincere believer in the Bible and held membership in the Methodist church. In politics he was an earnest republican, although not in the sense of being an office seeker, as he preferred to devote his time and attention to his family and his business. He won a creditable name for himself, and the beautiful family residence at Forty-second and Douglas avenue and other valuable city property in the estate which he left his family are evidences of his thoughtful care for those whom he loved. Mrs. Scholes still resides at the old homestead, which is endeared to her by many associations. She is surrounded by all the comforts of life and also by a host of warm friends who have been attracted by her kind nature, which has ever been one of her prominent characteristics.

ERNEST E. CLARK.

Left to the care of a widowed mother when but two years of age, experienc- ing the difficulties and obstacles that arise because of limited financial resources, Ernest E. Clark has nevertheless advanced continuously in his business career until he is today a man of prominence and influence in business circles, in the social life of the city and in philanthropic work. Not ashamed nor unmindful of the circumstances and conditions of his youth, he has reached out a helping hand to others similarly situated, at the same time recognizing the all important truth that aid should ever be bestowed so as to assist the individual to develop his own powers and retain his self-reliance and independence. In these few words are summed up the life record of Ernest E. Clark, president of the Bankers Life Association. The detailed account, however, is interesting, and brings to light the salient qualities which have been characterized in his progress. He was born at Iowa Saw Mills, near Brookville, Pennsylvania, on the 8th of September, 1850, his parents being Samuel K. and Margaret (McKillop) Clark. The father, a native of Massachusetts, was of English lineage, the first of the family in America settling in the old Bay state in 1715. In business life Samuel K. Clark turned his attention to the lumber trade, but died at a comparatively early age in 1852. His wife, who was a native of Pennsylvania, was of Irish descent. Her grandfather came from Ireland and the father was one of the contractors who built the first canal over the mountains between Pittsburg and Philadelphia. Mrs. Clark long survived her husband and passed away in July, 1896.

Ernest E. Clark was but two years of age at the time of his father's death. The care of the family devolved upon the widowed mother, who resorted to dressmaking and the millinery business in order to provide for her children. By slow degrees and strenuous effort Ernest E. Clark worked his way upward.

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In his early youth he was a pupil in the public schools of Pennsylvania and subsequently became a student in the Iowa State University, attending school as opportunity offered until 1870, when, at the age of twenty years, he entered upon the practice of law in Corydon, Iowa, for which he had qualified when a university student. In the previous years he had resorted to various methods to contribute to his own support and that of his mother, yet all the while was actuated by a laudable ambition of one day becoming a member of the legal profession, to which he devoted his time and energies for three years. In 1873, however, he changed the course of his life by becoming associated with the Wayne County Bank of Corydon, Iowa, in the capacity of cashier. He con- tinued with the bank for three years and was then elected clerk of the district court of Wayne county, in which position, by reelection, he continued for six years. In 1885 he came to Des Moines and shortly after his arrival in the city became connected with the Bankers Life Association, being made assistant sec- retary, which position he filled for several years. He was afterward made vice president of the company, continuing as the second executive officer for about fifteen years, and in February, 1910, he was elected president, so that he now has administrative control of one of the most important insurance organizations of the middle west. Throughout his connection therewith he has been an active factor in the expansion of the business, in the development of its progressive policy and in the execution of its interests, bringing success as the logical and legitimate reward of carefully formulated plans and ably conducted interests. He is also a director of the Security Loan & Trust Company and of the Central Trust Company, and through the stages of gradual progression has won his place in Des Moines.

On the 6th of November, 1878, in Corydon, Iowa, Mr. Clark was married to Miss Martha J. Miles, a native of this city and a sister of Louis Miles, United States district attorney for Iowa. Her father, William Miles, was an early settler of the state, arriving in 1852. Mr. Clark is a progressive republican, be- longing to that wing of the party who, not content with the old order of things or the mismanagement that has too often been displayed, seeks the general good along lines of advancement that are in keeping with the enterprising spirit of the times in other conditions and walks of life. He holds membership with the Golf and Country Club, the Grant Club, the Prairie Club, all of Des Moines, and the Archaeological Institute of America. He has never allowed the burdens of life to in any way warp his kindly nature, nor does he bear the marks and scars of battle as do so many successful men. His humanitarian spirit reaches out in broad charity and helpfulness toward the less fortunate and he has made generous use of his success for the benefit of others.

HON. PHINEAS M. CASADY.

Closely interwoven with the history of Iowa is the name of Judge Phineas M. Casady, lawyer, jurist, statesman and banker. His course reflects credit and honor upon the commonwealth and the honors which came to him in recognition of his sterling manhood and superior ability were indeed well merited. Judge Casady was born at Connersville, Indiana, December 3, 1818, and after acquiring a liberal literary education took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar. In 1846 he came to the new state of Iowa, traveling westward over its wild prairies to Fort Des Moines, then on the Indian frontier. President Polk ap- pointed him to the position of postmaster of the little village which was destined to become the capital of the state and he also opened a law office, entering upon the active practice of the profession to which his service has added new luster and dignity. His ability in the preparation and trial of cases soon won him a

P. M. CASADY

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growing law practice and for many years he was accorded prominence and dis- tinction in connection with the legal profession in Iowa. He also became a lead- ing factor in support of various projects contributing to the upbuilding and de- velopment of the state. In 1847 he was elected school fund commissioner, in which position he was the custodian of the school money. The following year he was nominated by the democratic party for state senator in an immense dis- trict, which embraced the counties of Polk, Dallas, Jasper, Marion and all the undivided and unorganized region north and west to the Missouri river. He was elected and took his seat in the second general assembly of Iowa. In looking over the map of the state he observed that nearly one-half of its territory was unnamed and at once planned a bill providing for the division of this district into counties. The bill was referred to the committee on new counties, of which he was a member. He gave much time to the question and the wide differences of opinion concerning appropriate names for the counties were at length harmonized and forty new counties were created. This was by far the most important work done by the second general assembly and the name of Senator Casady was thereby deeply engraved on the pages of Iowa's history in connection with one of the most important events found in its annals. In 1894 Judge Casady prepared and read before the Pioneer Lawmakers Association a paper giving an account of the incidents which led to the naming of these counties. He not only took active part in framing the laws of this state but also was called to aid in their execu- tion. In 1854 he was elected judge of the fifth district and soon afterward was appointed receiver of the United States land office by President Pierce. In 1872 he was elected as one of the regents of the State University, serving for four years, and he was one of the founders of the Pioneer Lawmakers Association and contributed many valuable historical articles for its publication. He was re- garded as one of the ablest lawyers that have ever practiced before the Iowa bar and on the bench he gave evidence of a well-balanced intellect, thorough familiar- ity with the law and practice and comprehensive general information, combined with an analytical mind and power of self-control that enabled him to lose his individuality and personal feelings in the dignity, impartiality and equity of the office to which life, property, right and liberty must look for protection. In the field of finance Mr. Casady was also well known and for nearly a quarter of a century was the president of the Des Moines Savings Bank.

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Des Moines, the pioneer of municipal progress and reform of the middle West, together with the history of Polk County, Iowa, the largest, most populous and most prosperous county in the state of Iowa; Volume II, Part 123

Author: Brigham, Johnson, 1846-1936; Clarke (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago, pub Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company Number of Pages: 1464

Author: Brigham, Johnson, 1846-1936; Clarke (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 1464