USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > History of Black Hawk County, Iowa, and its people, Volume II > Part 8
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AUSTIN BURT.
Austin Burt, manager of the Citizens Gas & Electric Company of Waterloo, is a practical business man of sound judgment, forceful and resourceful. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, June 20, 1870, and is a son of Horace E. and Lillie (Higgins) Burt, who were natives of Michigan and of Massachusetts respectively. The family has been represented on American soil from almost the earliest period of settlement in this country, the emigrant ancestor being Richard Burt, who came from England in 1638. His great-great-grandson, Alvin Burt, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war, enlisting from Massachusetts, and he was the great- great-grandfather of Austin Burt, of this review. In 1902 the parents of our subject came to Waterloo, where the father still makes his home, but the mother passed away in 1909.
Reared in his native city, Austin Burt attended the public schools of Detroit and later was a student in the public schools of Black River Falls, Wisconsin. from which he was graduated with the class of 1890. He pursued his college course at Cornell University of Ithaca, New York, where he completed a Mechani- cal Engineering course, specializing electricity, and was graduated with the class of 1900. He then removed to Cedar Falls and secured a position in con- nection with the Electric Light Company, of which he was made manager in the month of December. He remained in that position for a year and a half and then came to his present connection with the Citizens Gas & Electric Company of Waterloo as superintendent, later becoming manager. He is thoroughly equipped by scientific training and practical experience for the duties which devolve upon him and his record is a thoroughly creditable one, for he has steadily advanced
AUSTIN BURT
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in his chosen field and is today a foremost figure among the electrical engineers of the state.
On the 18th of January, 1898, Mr. Burt was married at Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Miss Mary Ellen Bartlett, a daughter of Professor Moses W. Bartlett, now de- ceased, formerly of the Iowa Teachers' College of Cedar Falls. Mr. and Mrs. Burt have two children: Dorothy Irene, born in 1902; and Richard Bartlett, whose birth occurred in 1906.
Mr. and Mrs. Burt are members of the Congregational church and are in- terested in the various plans and measures put forth for the benefit of the com- munity along material and social as well as moral lines. For seven years Mr. Burt served on the library board and for five years has been a member of the school board, acting in both positions at the present time. His political views are in accord with the principles of the republican party, while fraternally he is well known, being vice chancellor of Helmet Lodge, No. 109, K. P., a Master Mason and one of the Woodmen of the World. Formerly he was identified with the Elks, but is now demitted. He belongs to the Commercial Club and is presi- dent of the Bunker Hill Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution at Waterloo. He is guided by a spirit of patriotism in all of his public connections. He has many sterling traits of character, but none more admirable than his de- votion to duty, which is manifest in his business life, in his church relations and in every field into which he has directed his activities. He is now serving as one of the trustees of the First Congregational church and he is a member of the Iowa Historical Society. He also has membership in the college fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, and the college honor society, Sigma Xi.
High honors have come to him along the path of his profession. In 1905 he was president of the Iowa Electrical Association and in 1907 was president of the Iowa District Gas Association. From 1912 until 1914 he has been a director of the American Gas Institute of New York, which is a national association. He is likewise a member of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Progress and patriotism might well be termed the keynote of his character. He neglects none of life's duties, is patient and persevering in their performance, and in all that he does is guided by high ideals.
GEORGE W. DAWSON.
George W. Dawson, member of the bar of Waterloo, was born in Butler county, Iowa, in 1864, a son of Edward Dawson, deceased, who was a native of England and in the year 1856 came to this state, settling in Butler county, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising throughout the remainder of his life. He brought his land to a high state of cultivation and carefully managed his business affairs. He married Catherine Fearns, a native of Ireland.
Their son, George W. Dawson, pursued his early education in the public schools of his native county and afterward attended the University of Iowa and also taught school. He imparted readily and clearly to others the knowledge which he had acquired, but he regarded this merely as an initial step to other
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professional labor and afterward took up the study of law, being graduated from the law department of the University of Iowa with the class of 1887. He then located in Waterloo, opened an office and entered upon the practice of his pro- fession. With the exception of one year, which he spent as a partner of Judge M. F. Edwards, he has always been alone in practice and his success is therefore the direct result of his merit and ability. He practices in all the courts of the state and in the federal court and is a well known member of the county and of the state bar associations. He has marked strength of character combined with a thorough grasp of the law, and he has in large degree the rare ability of saying in a convincing way the right thing at the right time. His practice is now quite extensive and of an important character. Aside from his professional interests, Mr. Dawson is a stockholder in various business enterprises and projects which return to him a gratifying annual income.
In 1890 was celebrated the marriage of George W. Dawson and Miss Ellen Swan, a daughter of Z. M. Swan, of Butler county, and they have become parents of two sons, Dale, now deceased, and Donald. Mr. Dawson holds membership in the Commercial Club and Board of Trade, of which he was- secretary for a number of years, and as a public-spirited citizen he cooperates in many plans and measures for the general good, contributing largely to the upbuilding and improvement of town and county. He is well known in fraternal circles, holding membership in the lodge, chapter and commandery of the Masons, and he likewise has membership with the Knights of Pythias, the Elks and other organizations.
In politics he is an active republican, recognized as one of the leaders of his party in Black Hawk county. He was elected and served as county attorney for eight years and he has been local attorney for the Illinois Central Railroad Com- pany for a similar period. He is interested in all that pertains to the public wel- fare and is remiss in no duty of citizenship, yet concentrates his efforts most largely upon his profession, and his legal learning, his analytical mind and the readiness with which he grasps the points in an argument combine to make him one of the strong members of the Iowa bar.
GEORGE N. GARRETTSON.
George N. Garrettson is the vice president of the Iowa State Bank of Waterloo and through the entire period of his residence in this city has been connected with banking interests. He is a native of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and was there reared and educated, pursuing a public-school course of study. After putting aside his text-books he was connected with various lines of business before coming to Waterloo in 1899. Here he entered banking circles as an employe of the Com- mercial National Bank, with which he was connected for four or five years, but wishing to have his efforts more directly benefit himself, he then joined with others in organizing the Iowa State Bank, of which he was cashier for a time. Later he was elected vice president and is now the second officer of the institu- tion. Its business policy has ever been a safe, conservative one which commends the bank to the patronage of the public, and as vice president Mr. Garrettson is
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active in carrying forward the business of the bank, which has been established on a safe basis and is enjoying continuous growth year by year. He is also one of the directors of the Iowa Manufacturers Fire Insurance Company and is con- nected with other business interests which contribute to the growth and up- building of the city as well as to individual success.
In 1913 Mr. Garrettson was united in marriage to Miss Jessie Manson, of Waterloo. They attend the Presbyterian church and are widely known and popular in social circles of the city. Mr. Garrettson is also popular in Masonry as a Knight Templar and has membership in the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He also belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and to the Waterloo Club, and no plan or project for the upbuilding and benefit of the city and county seeks his aid in vain. He neglects no duty public or private and as the years have gone by he has become most firmly established in the regard and good-will of his fellow citizens.
W. H. BRUNN.
W. H. Brunn was born in 1873 in the city in which he yet makes his home, his father being D. H. Brunn, who came to Waterloo in the early '50s and cast in his lot with the pioneer settlers. He was a stationary engineer, spending the active years of his life at that work, but at the present time he is living retired. He realized the value and worth of education and gave to his son W. H. Brunn every possible advantage along that line. The latter was a public-school pupil in Waterloo and later entered Cornell College. His professional course was pursued in the law department of the Iowa State University, in which he won his LL. B. degree upon graduation with the class of 1897. He then practiced for two years at Reinbeck, Iowa, in partnership with W. N. Birdsall and in 1899 he came to Waterloo, where he entered into partnership with Wirt P. Hoxie, with whom he has since been associated, the firm of Hoxie & Brunn being today one of the strongest at the Black Hawk county bar. He practices in all the state and federal courts and is a member of the county bar association. The zeal with which he has devoted his energies to his profession, the careful regard evinced for the interests of his clients and an assiduous and unrelaxing attention to all the details of his cases have brought him a large business and made him very successful in its conduct.
Aside from his law practice Mr. Brunn is the secretary of the Waterloo Build- ing & Loan Association and is financially connected with a number of the leading business and manufacturing interests of Waterloo-interests which contribute to public prosperity and progress as well as to individual success. In business affairs his judgment is sound, his sagacity keen and he readily discriminates between the essential and the nonessential.
In 1900 Mr. Brunn was married to Miss Addie Felsing, and they have one daughter and one son, Ruth and Roger. The parents attend the Evangelical church and in social circles of the city occupy a prominent position. Mr. Brunn holds membership in the Waterloo Commercial Club and Board of Trade. He belongs also to the Masons, Elks, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias lodges
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and in his life exemplifies the beneficent spirit which is the underlying principle of those organizations. He served as assistant county attorney for three years and is now secretary of the east side school district. His political allegiance has always been given to the republican party, but, while undoubtedly he is not with- out that honorable ambition which is so powerful and useful as an incentive to activity in public affairs, he regards the pursuits of private life as being in them- selves abundantly worthy of his best efforts. His is a character that subordinates personal ambition to public good and seeks rather the benefit of others than the aggrandizement of self.
HON. REA CARL THOMPSON.
The Hon. Rea Carl Thompson, mayor of Waterloo, has been closely identi- fied with business, public and political interests in the city for a number of years and has risen to a place of prominence. His life record stands in contradistinc- tion to the old adage that a prophet is never without honor save in his own country, for he is a native son of the eity in which he has been called to the position of chief executive. He was born February 13, 1873, a son of John and Mary (Carl) Thompson, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. The family comes of Scotch ancestry, the great-grandfather having been a native of Scotland and the founder of the family in the new world. The Carl family is descended from ancestors from the north of Ireland. In the year 1849 John Thompson removed westward to Iowa, settling in Linn county, and the same year, attracted by the gold discoveries in California, made his way to the Pacific coast, where he spent some time in a search for the precious metal. Following his return to Iowa he brought his family to Waterloo in 1852 and for many years he was head miller in a mill of this city. He also served for fifteen years as constable in Waterloo and his record as a business man and as an official is equally creditable. He passed away December 31, 1900, after a residence of about a half century in Waterloo, but his widow still survives and makes her home in this city.
Rea C. Thompson attended the public schools of Waterloo to the age of fifteen years and afterward pursued a course in a business college of Waterloo, from which he was graduated. Subsequently he began learning the printer's trade and in 1901 he purchased the Guthrie County (Ia.) Republican, a weekly paper, which he conducted for about a year. He then sold out and returned to Waterloo, where he opened a job office, which he conducted from 1902 until 1904. He then disposed of that business and in the spring of 1905 was elected city clerk, which position he occupied continuously until 1912, when he was chosen mayor of Waterloo. He made such an excellent record during his first term of service that he was reelected in 1914 and is now the incumbent in that office. He was the first mayor elected from the west side and the first one to carry the entire ticket with him. He has proven a popular official because of the value and worth of his public service and his well known devotion to the public welfare. His administration is businesslike and progressive and has resulted in bringing about various needed reforms and improvements.
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Mr. Thompson has a military chapter in his life history inasmuch as he was a member of Company B, Forty-ninth Iowa National Guard, for five years, and served for three years as its first lieutenant. In this he followed in the footsteps of his father, who at the time of the Civil war joined the Union army and was a sergeant in a regiment of infantry, with which he participated in a number of hotly contested engagements.
In his political views Rea C. Thompson has ever been a stalwart republican since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and he does everything in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of his party. Fraternally he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, with the Elks, the Moose and the Eagles, and he is also a member of the Town Criers Club and the Chamber of Commerce, being in hearty sympathy with their purpose to pro- mote the development, upbuilding and welfare of the city. He is widely and favorably known and has a circle of friends almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance. As he has been continuously in office for ten years, there is no reason to question the excellence of the record which he has made, that being self-evident. Many tangible evidences of his public spirit can be cited and he belongs to that class of patriotic American citizens who have ever made private interests subservient to the public good.
JOHN G. RALSTON.
John G. Ralston, of Waterloo, who has gained considerable prominence as an architect, was born in Benton county, Iowa, on the 3d of October, 1870, a son of James and Elizabeth (Graham) Ralston. Both of his parents were born near Madison, Indiana, and there the father engaged in the harness business. In 1868 the family removed from the Hoosier state to Iowa and located at Vinton, Benton county, where the father continued in the same business and resided there until his death, which occurred in 1904. His widow now makes her home with the subject of this review.
John G. Ralston was the fourth in order of birth in a family of eight children and, as his parents appreciated the value of good education, he received excellent advantages along that line. After attending the public schools of Benton county he was a student in Tilford Academy. On attaining his majority he learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed for five years and then engaged in the con- tracting business in connection with W. F. Murphy, of Waterloo, becoming a resident of this city in 1897. Mr. Murphy died in 1904 and since that time Mr. Ralston has conducted the business alone. In 1907 he began to design build- ings as well as erect them and one year later abandoned the contracting business and has since done architectural work exclusively. His experience as a carpenter and contractor has been of great aid to him in his later work, as it has enabled him to make his plans practical and to adapt them to the material to be used, the desired cost and other conditions. His ability has gained him wide recognition and clients come to him from all over Iowa as well as a number of other states. He devotes his entire time and attention to his rapidly growing business interests and the fact that he does not dissipate his energies over several fields of work is
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a potent factor in his success. He has invested to a considerable extent in real estate, buying valuable city property.
Mr. Ralston was married in June, 1897, to Miss Gertrude Verharen, who was born in Rock Island, Illinois, and is a daughter of Henry and Tabitha (Sheriff) Verharen, natives of Germany and of Illinois respectively. Her father, who was an undertaker and furniture dealer, came to Iowa in the '70s and located at Vinton, where he established a profitable business. He passed away there in 1904 and his widow now resides in Waterloo. He served in the Civil war in the Ninety-third Illinois Volunteers and was as patriotic in exercising his right of suffrage as upon the battlefields of the south. Mr. and Mrs. Ralston have two children : Glen E., who was born on the 30th of March, 1903; and Richard V., born on the 18th of March, 1908. Both children are in school.
Mr. Ralston is a republican but has never aspired to office, being content to leave to others the responsibilities of official position. He is a member of the Masonic order and has taken the Knights Templar degree in the York Rite, in which he has served as commander. He also belongs to the Mystic Shrine and has other fraternal connections, as he holds membership in the Knights of Pythias and the Moose. All who have been associated with Mr. Ralston, whether in business or social relations, have found him upright, courteous and kindly.
HI. O. KELLEY.
H. O. Kelley is secretary of the Retail Merchants Association of Waterloo, in which connection he is doing important work to further the interests of the or- ganization and to promote the welfare of its members through the extension of the trade relations of the city. Thirteen years have come and gone since he arrived in Waterloo-a young man of twenty-seven years. He was born in Bureau county, Illinois, in 1874, and spent the period of his boyhood and youth in that state. His education was acquired in the public schools of Illinois and after leaving school he engaged in the drug business in his native state for about four years. Failing health obliged him to secure outdoor work and he came to Waterloo in 1901. He was then with the Rock Island until 1905, at which time he became traffic manager for the Iowa Dairy Manufacturing Company of Waterloo, remaining in active connection with that business for about eight years. On the Ist of January, 1913, he embarked in the general commission business and on the Ist of May, of the same year, he took charge of his present office as secretary of the Waterloo Retail Merchants Association. His previous varied experience, his study of conditions and the knowledge that he had acquired through reading and observation well qualified him for the work which he un- dertook in this connection and there is general satisfaction manifest concerning his efforts.
In 1901 Mr. Kelley was united in marriage to Miss Katherine Shain, of La Harpe, Illinois. He belongs to Waterloo Lodge. No. 105, A. F. & A. M .. of which he is a past master, and he has membership in the Town Criers Club. Advancement has come to him along lines of increasing usefulness and he is today occupying a position of importance, for Waterloo is a growing, vigorous
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and aggressive city. Moreover, it is a recognized fact that efficiency is best promoted through organization and that expert knowledge of trade conditions must precede the greatest advancement. Mr. Kelley is qualified to meet all the requirements of his position and as secretary of the association is actively en- gaged in advancing the interests of the retail merchants of Waterloo.
GEORGE ELVIN BICKLEY.
George Elvin Bickley is general manager of the Corn Belt Telephone Com- pany at Waterloo and is one of the city's progressive and representative resi- dents. Along the path of industry and efficiency he has advanced to the plane of affluence and while carefully and systematically conducting his business affairs, actuated by laudable ambition, he has at the same time recognized and improved his opportunities. Mr. Bickley was born in Waterloo on the 19th of November, 1874, and is a son of Samuel B. and Susanna (Klingaman) Bickley, the former a native of Westmoreland county and the latter of Somerset county, Pennsyl- vania. The father, however, was reared in Ohio from his third year and in 1865 came to Waterloo, being then a young man. The same year Susanna Klingaman accompanied her parents on their removal to Waterloo, she being at that time a young woman of seventeen years. Mr. Bickley carried on general agricultural pursuits as a life work and as the years went on prospered in his undertaking, winning a substantial competence that now enables him to live retired. He makes his home in Waterloo, where he is enjoying a well earned rest, and his life, honorable and upright at all times, has won him the high regard of his fellow townsmen.
George E. Bickley was reared at home and was educated in the city schools of Waterloo and the University of Wisconsin, where he pursued a special course in electrical engineering. Following the completion of his studies in 1895 he found employment with the Cedar Valley Telephone Company of Waterloo, in which connection he has steadily worked his way upward, and in 1898 he was made superintendent of the company. In 1901 he went west to Denver, Colo- rado, and accepted a position as inspector of the Colorado Bell Telephone Com- pany. One year later he was made wire chief, in which capacity he continued until 1907, when he returned to Waterloo to accept the superintendency of the plant department of the Corn Belt Telephone Company, formerly the Cedar Valley Telephone Company. In 1910 he was made superintendent of the plant as well as superintendent of the Cedar Rapids & Marion plants and in Septem- ber, 1913, he was further advanced to the position of general manager of the Corn Belt Telephone Company at the time of the consolidation of the various companies in this part of the state. He still holds a directorate in the Cedar Rapids & Marion Company as well as in the Corn Belt Company and he is likewise a director of the Home Building & Loan Company of Waterloo. He is familiar with every phase of the telephone business and his experience well qualifies him for the onerous and responsible duties which devolve upon him in this connection. His ability has developed as the years have gone on and he is now devoting his attention to executive control and administrative direction,
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carefully looking after all the details of the business and controlling the efforts of those who serve under him.
In 1901 Mr. Bickley was united in marriage to Miss Myrtle E Kelley, of Waterloo, and they have become the parents of three children, Dorothy Helen, George Francis and Mildred Elsie. Mr. Bickley votes with the republican party and his fraternal connections are with Waterloo Lodge, No. 105, A. F. & A. M .; Iowa Consistory, No. 2, A. & A. S. R., of Cedar Rapids ; and El Kahir Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., also of Cedar Rapids. He is likewise connected with the Knights of Pythias and with the Waterloo Commercial Club. He ranks today among the foremost citizens of Black Hawk county. He keeps in touch with the trend of modern thought and progress, understands the conditions which affect the welfare of community, state and nation and at all times uses his aid and influence on the side of advancement and improvement.
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