USA > Iowa > Des Moines County > History of Des Moines County, Iowa, Volume II > Part 12
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"Charter No. 351. Burlington, Iowa."
The bank's original charter was granted March 29, 1864, and on the 19th of April of that year the institution opened its doors for business at the southwest corner of Jefferson and North Third streets, its officers being: Lyman Cook, president; and George C. Lauman, cashier. These gentlemen, together with D. M. Ewing, Erastus Chamberlin, J. L. Corse, Anthony Wayne Carpenter, M. S. Foote, D. Denise and Joseph Norton, constituted the board of directors. There has been comparatively little change in the per- sonnel of the bank. Mr. Cook remained as president until his death, October 1, 1898, when he was succeeded by his son-in-law, William Carson, the present incumbent, while W. P. Foster, the cashier, was promoted to vice president. The first depositor of the bank was Clark Marble, and four others made deposits on the same day. The oldest of the accounts of the bank at present is that of the S. R. & I. C. McConnell Company. It started in November, 1864, under the name of James McConnell, father of Messrs. S. R. and I. C. McConnell, president and vice president, respectively, of the present corporation.
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On the 4th of March, 1885, Mr. Carson was united in marriage to Miss Louise Cook, a daughter of Lyman Cook, the first president of the First National Bank of Burlington, and they have two daugh- ters, Dorothy and Louise. Mrs. Carson belongs to the Congrega- tional church, and Mr. Carson contributes liberally to its support. He votes with the democratic party and neglects no duty of citizen- ship, but has always preferred that his public service should be done as a private citizen rather than as an officeholder. The highest suc- cess can never be attained by one who does not find joy in his work. This Mr. Carson has always done. It has been a pleasure to him to solve business problems, and the more intricate the more readily he has attacked them. He has ever carefully formulated his plans and carried them forward to successful completion. Broadening the scope of his activities year by year, he has long stood as one of the foremost representatives of the lumber trade in the middle west, and for an extended period has ranked with the leading bankers of the upper Mississippi valley.
JAMES LYMAN EDWARDS.
Since 1885 James Lyman Edwards has been closely connected with financial interests in Burlington and is today president of the Merchants National Bank, which he entered in the position of gen- eral bookkeeper. The steps in his orderly progression are easily dis- cernible. The years have marked his constantly expanding powers and he has wisely used his time and opportunities until he stands today as one of the active and influential factors in banking circles not only of the city, but of the state, his sound judgment enabling him to solve many complex and intricate problems of finance. Iowa claims him as a native son, his parents being Manasseh and Orra W. (Hurd) Edwards, whose biography appears on another page in this volume.
James Lyman Edwards was born in Morning Sun, October 2, 1864, and there at the usual age entered the public schools. He also studied for a time in Wapello, Iowa, and after the removal of the family to Burlington pursued a course in the Orchard City Business College. Thus well equipped he entered upon a commercial career in connection with the boot and shoe house of H. A. Brown & Com- pany. After a brief period spent as bookkeeper he accepted a sim- ilar position with the Burlington School Furniture Company, with
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JAMES L. EDWARDS
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which he was connected for two years. Removing to Red Oak, Iowa, he became, a little later, an employe of the Red Oak National Bank, with which he was connected until he came to Burlington on the 21st of October to enter the Merchants National Bank of this city as general bookkeeper. His identification with the institution con- tinues to the present time, covering a period of almost three decades. Advancement came to him on the 4th of October, 1897, when he was made cashier, remaining continuously in that position for about seven years, or until April 28, 1904, when he was chosen president, being the youngest bank president in lowa having control of a moneyed institution of such extent and importance as the Merchants National Bank of Burlington. Since chosen cashier he has been active in for- mulating its policy and has ever recognized the fact that the bank which is most worthy of patronage is that which most carefully safe- guards the interests of its depositors. He has ever tempered pro- gressiveness by a safe conservatism, and no feature of the banking business has been neglected. He has also become interested in other banking institutions of the middle west and was one of the promoters and upbuilders of the First National Bank of Dallas City, Illinois, in which he is still a director. He is president of the Iowa State Bankers Association and served on the executive council of the Amer- ican Bankers Association from 1905 to 1908.
Mr. Edwards belongs to the First Presbyterian church of Bur- lington and to Malta Lodge, No. 318, F. & A. M. He is also con- nected with the Commercial Exchange of the city and he votes with the republican party. All through his life he has accomplished what he has undertaken, and obstacles and difficulties in his path have but served as an impetus for renewed effort. When energy and ambi- tion lead the way the path becomes clear and the goal of success will ultimately be reached. These facts J. Lyman Edwards recognized at the outset of his career and he has ever cultivated those qualities which are of the greatest force and effect in business.
WILLIAM FREDERICK DANNIES.
William Frederick Dannies is a contractor and builder of Bur- lington, and by the consensus of public opinion is regarded as one of the foremost in his line in the city. It is an old and trite saying that there is always room at the top, but if there were a Vol. II- S
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keener appreciation of this statement it might serve to stimulate the efforts of those men dependent upon their own resources for advance- ment. It has been industry and close application that have brought Mr. Dannies to his present position, where a liberal patronage is accorded him and where his reputation has gained for him a place in the very front rank of the contractors and builders of the city.
He was born in Prussia, Germany, February 23, 1860, a son of Frederick and Mary (Schachel) Dannies. The father was born in Germany in 1818 and came to America in 1871, bringing his family direct to Burlington, Iowa. He was a farmer by occupation, and, following his arrival in Des Moines county, remained a resident of Augusta township until his death, which occurred in July, 1899. His wife, who was born in Germany in 1832, passed away in 1890. They were the parents of four children: William Frederick; Adolph, now a resident of Colorado; Louis, deceased; and Louisa, a twin of Louis and the wife of William Madlener, living on the old home- stead in Augusta township.
William F. Dannies attended school in Germany and also in Augusta township, where he arrived when a youth of eleven years. He later pursued a course in Elliott's Business College at Bur- lington, and in early life he was employed on various farms, but his natural mechanical genius sought expression and he began work at the stonecutter's trade, which he followed for two years. He next took up the carpenter's trade, which he learned under A. M. Ziegler, entering his employ in 1884. He worked in and around Augusta until about twenty-six years ago, when he began contracting on his own account and removed to Burlington in 1897. Here he built his present beautiful residence, an excellent expression of the modern style of architecture, in which is combined beauty, utility and con- venience. He now does general contract work in building, and erected the store of S. R. & I. C. McConnell, the United Presby- terian church, the Christian church, the Northwestern cabinet fac- tory. the Prospect fire station and many private homes in and near Burlington. He possesses expert mechanical knowledge and skill and is thus able to direct the efforts of those whom he employs. His patronage is now extensive, and his business is bringing to him a gratifying financial return annually. His standing in the line of his chosen profession is indicated in the fact that he was elected presi- dent of the Builders and Contractors Association in January, 1905, and has also been vice president of the General Mechanics Associa- tion. His work is ever of the best, his judgment is reliable, and in all his business dealings he is found thoroughly trustworthy. He
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makes it a point to promptly fill his contracts, and never promotes his profits by using inferior materials.
On the 13th of January, 1897, Mr. Dannies was united in mar- riage to Miss Tillie Hohl, who was born in Burlington in 1866, a daughter of Jacob and Dorothy (Wehman) Hohl. The Hohls are an old and highly respected German family of Burlington. Her grandparents came to this city at a very early day and located on what is known as South Hill when there were only three houses on the hill. Her father was a native of Germany, born in 1831, and when a boy he came to the new world, settling in this city, where he con- ducted business as a gardener. Mrs. Hohl was born in Germany in 1840 and passed away in 1899, while Mr. Hohl departed this life in May, 1900. In their family were six children: Emma, the wife of P. J. Paule, of Burlington; John, also of this city; Tillie, now Mrs. Dannies; Edward and Clara, both of Burlington; and William, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Dannies are the parents of three children : Emily M., who was born November 25, 1897, and is now attending high school; Clara D., born January 2, 1900, also a high-school pupil; and Edward F., born August 6, 1902.
Mr. and Mrs. Dannies belong to the Evangelical Zion church, of which he is treasurer and one of the directors at the present time. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party but is not an office seeker. He attributes not a little of his success to the aid and encouragement of his wife. In business he has worked his way stead- ily upward and is the architect and builder of his own fortune as well as of many of the fine structures of Burlington. He stands for prog- ress and improvement in matters of citizenship and gives his support to many measures for the general good.
HON. CHARLES ELLIOTT PERKINS.
Not by leaps and bounds but through the steps of an orderly pro- gression Charles Elliott Perkins advanced from a humble clerkship to the presidency of one of the chief railroads of the middle west and as a capitalist he controlled various interests which had an im- portant bearing upon the financial history of the Mississippi valley.
He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, November 24, 1840, a son of James Handasyd and Sarah Hart (Elliott) Perkins, and died in Westwood, Massachusetts, November 8, 1907. His education was acquired in Boston, Massachusetts, and he made his initial step in
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the business world as a clerk. In 1859 he occupied a clerical position in the office of the assistant treasurer of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company in Iowa and thus entered upon a railroad career which was eventually to bring him to a position of distinction among the railroad magnates of the country. Ability brought him to the front and in 1860 he was made assistant treasurer of the Burling- ton & Missouri River Railroad Company. Five years later he was advanced to the superintendency of the road and in 1872 was elected vice president and director of the same road in Nebraska. His iden- tification with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad began in 1876, when he was elected vice president and director. Five years spent in the second office of the company brought him to the presi- dency in 1881 and for twenty years he continued as the chief execu- tive head of that corporation, resigning as president in 1901. His name is written large upon the pages of the history of railroad development in the middle west. He constantly extended the line of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, improved the service and, bending his energies to administrative direction and executive control, made it one of the leading railroads of the Mississippi valley with "important connections with other lines. His investments are indicated somewhat in the fact that he was a director of the First National Bank, the Iowa State Savings Bank and the National State Bank, all of Burlington. He was also a trustee of the George M. Pullman Foundation.
On the 22d of September, 1864, at Milton, Massachusetts, Mr. Perkins was united in marriage to Miss Edith Forbes, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Forbes. Mr. and Mrs. Perkins became the parents of the following children: Robert F., who married Miss Evelyn Gray; Alice Forbes, now Mrs. William Hooper; Edith Forbes, who is the wife of Edward Cunningham; Margaret Forbes, who married George T. Rice; Charles E., who married Miss Leita Amory; and Mary Russell.
There was a time when the cheap politician and the sensational newspaper made the term big business almost synonymous with the term bad business in the popular mind, but in verification of the statement of Abraham Lincoln that "You can't fool all of the people all of the time," the public awakened to the fact that the popular belief could not be substantiated. "In union there is strength" and studied from the standpoint of economics it is seen that the most ef- fective and valuable results are attained in a concentration of effort, cooperation and a systematization of related interests. The far- sighted business man, the one who becomes a real leader in the work
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of upbuilding and progress, has fully demonstrated the truth of these statements with the result that some of the most beneficial business enterprises of the country have been formulated and promoted and their worth is today an accepted fact. Among those who have been leaders in this work with its far-reaching influences is Charles Elliott Perkins and Iowa has been one of the direct beneficiaries of his labors.
JOHN WEBSTER GILBERT.
For many years the late John Webster Gilbert was prominent in the lumber industry in the state of Iowa as the senior member of the firm of Gilbert, Hedge & Company. In his early youth he began his career as a lumberman and by his energy and ability rose to a position which made him one of the most influential men in that line of business. Moreover, Mr. Gilbert was connected with other im- portant industrial and financial concerns of Burlington, to the build- ing of which he contributed in yet another way by the erection of the Gilbert block. He was always a force for development and advance- ment and while attaining individual success did much for the public welfare.
Mr. Gilbert was born near Louisville, Kentucky, December 10, 1824, and died in Burlington, Iowa, January 16, 1897, his death bringing sorrow to many homes, for he had many friends in this section of the state. He was a son of Samuel and Philotheta (Par- ker) Gilbert, who in 1825 removed to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, where the father operated a sawmill in the pine woods at Menom- onie.
John W. Gilbert acquired his education in the public schools of Prairie du Chien and when yet a boy spent much of his time in the mills which were operated by his father. After completing his school course he became his father's active assistant and so continued until he reached his majority, gaining a wide and valuable knowl- edge of the manufacture of timber. About that time he became a pilot on the river, taking rafts down the Mississippi to Burlington, St. Louis and other points. This was in the days before steam naviga- tion and rafting played a most important part in the lumber business.
The year 1851 marked Mr. Gilbert's arrival in Burlington, where in partnership with his brother, W. D. Gilbert, he established one of the most important lumber enterprises of the city, operating under the name of J. W. & W. D. Gilbert. Their yard was located at
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Eighth and Jefferson streets and this company and its successors have continued its principal offices and yard at that location to this date. The lumberyard was laid out by Mr. Gilbert according to his own plans and the site was selected by him as the most advantageous posi- tion in regard to river and rail connections. Thus early he gave evidence of his rare business acumen and the enterprise was a success from the beginning and grew to proportions which had not been fore- seen by its founder. Some time after the formation of the new firm a third brother, James Isham Gilbert, joined the firm and later Thomas Hedge also became a partner, the style then being changed to that of Gilbert, Hedge & Company. They branched out into various lines of the lumber industry, from owning valuable timber lands in the north woods to managing branch retail yards in various cities and towns of the Mississippi valley. The firm became a power in the industrial world of the state and in the history of Burlington played a most important role. Their connections extended all over the state and their operations grew so constantly that the partners soon were accounted among the wealthy men of Burlington. John W. Gilbert was actively connected with the business until his death. Since then his place has been taken by his son, Samuel P. Gilbert, while Mr. Hedge has been succeeded by his son, the Hon. Thomas Hedge. Mr. Gilbert, Jr., now holds the position of secretary and treasurer of the company.
John W. Gilbert had many other business and financial associa- tions. He was a director and vice president of the German-Ameri- can Bank and was also interested in the Glazeby Carriage Works. In the earlier days of the history of the city he was intimately con- nected with its government and those men who worked in its devel- opment. He ardently supported the plans for various railroad lines which have been built into and through the city. In fact, there was nothing of public interest which did not receive his sympathetic support.
On March 22, 1853, Mr. Gilbert married Miss Harriet Hol- brook, who was born in Columbia, near Hartford, Connecticut, a daughter of Silas and Mina (Little) Holbrook. The Holbrooks are of early colonial stock, the original American ancestor having come from England in 1635, settling at Weymouth, Massachusetts. The Littles were also an early New England family. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert were the parents of four children, of whom two reached maturity: James, who died in 1895; and Samuel P., who is today prominent in the commercial life of Burlington and the state as secre- tary and treasurer of Gilbert, Hedge & Company.
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Mr. Gilbert was not only interested in material growth and devel- opment but was concerned about the intellectual progress and moral upbuilding of the race. His church affiliations were with the Con- gregational denomination, of which organization he was a member and trustee. His political allegiance was given to the republican party and in the early days he served as alderman of the city of Bur- lington and also as street commissioner. However, as the years passed his business interests grew so rapidly and demanded so much of his time that he found it impossible to actively participate in govern- mental affairs although his interest in the city of Burlington never waned. Mr. Gilbert was one of those American citizens who may be classed with the empire builders of the middle west. He readily recognized that opportunities were but waiting for those who would venture to take hold, and he made his way to prosperity by utilizing conditions as they presented themselves. Such success as attended his labors was well merited and entirely the product of his brain and his perseverance. As a citizen his life record may serve as a model to any young man who begins his career empty-handed and who wants to win not only wealth but the esteem of his fellow citizens.
HARRY E. BROOKS.
Harry E. Brooks is the owner of one of the most attractive country residences in Des Moines county. His place is called "The Elms" because of the many fine old trees of that kind on his land. He owns sixty acres on West avenue, within the city limits of Bur- lington, and is extensively engaged in the dairy business.
He was born February 2, 1865, in the city in which he still makes his home, his parents being Francis W. and Harriet C. (Williams) Brooks, in whose family of nine children he was the sixth in order of birth. He has called Burlington his home throughout his entire life. His early education was acquired in the public schools of this city and he afterward attended a preparatory school at Princeton, New Jersey, from which he was graduated with the class of 1883. He was for eight years a student there and all of his brothers were educated there.
After his graduation Harry E. Brooks entered into active con- nection with the banking business, to which he devoted twenty-five years of his life, being connected with banking interests in Burling- ton ; Minneapolis; Aberdeen, South Dakota; and Ortonville, Min-
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nesota. Owing to impaired health he came to the farm upon which he now resides, having a tract of sixty acres on West avenue, within the corporation limits of Burlington. This is a dairy farm and he has a fine herd of twenty-five Jerseys and Guernseys. He has made most of the improvements upon this place, which is most attractive in its equipment and in its tasteful appearance. There was a fine old brick home which he has converted into a modern residence. He has many conveniences, has most commodious and substantial build- ings, and his farm is lighted by electricity. The latest farm machin- ery is to be seen upon his place and because of its location he is able to enjoy all of the advantages of both farm and city life. Aside from his dairy interests Mr. Brooks is a stockholder in the National State Bank, which is the successor of the old Brooks Bank.
Mr. Brooks has been married twice. In 1886 he wedded Kate L. Cheeseman, of Minneapolis, who died in 1901, leaving two chil- dren: Harry E., who is now in Portland, Oregon; and Margaret L., at home. In 1908 Mr. Brooks was again married, his second union being with Louise Schwerin, a native of Des Moines county. They are both well known in Burlington and enjoy the high regard of many with whom they have been brought in contact.
CARL LOHMANN.
Carl Lohmann was one of the founders of the Volksfreund and is still at the head of that paper. Moreover, he is a most influential figure among the German-American citizens of Burlington, and his efforts have been an active element in advancing public progress along many lines. Born in Germany on the 17th of October, 1845, he is a native of the dukedom of Brunswick and is a son of Carl and Fredericka (Reese) Lohmann. The father has passed away, but the mother is still living at the advanced age of ninety-five years.
Carl Lohmann remained a resident of his native country until he sought the opportunities and advantages of the new world in 1864, arriving in the United States on the 3d of November of that year. For a short time he remained in New York, after which he came to Burlington on the 14th of April, 1865. He had been educated for the profession of teaching and afterward taught at intervals for several years in parochial and private schools, being thus engaged until 1884. In the meantime he followed various other pursuits, in- cluding newspaper work. Subsequently he became police clerk and
CARL LOHMANN
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filled that position until 1894, when he established the Volksfreund in connection with his sons, William C. and Charles H., and his brother, Henry C. This paper was first published as a semi-weekly and from 1895 its publication was continued as a tri-weekly until 1899, when the firm purchased the Iowa Tribune and combined the two papers under the name of the Volksfreund Tribune. They now issue both daily and weekly editions. This is one of the two Ger- man daily papers in Iowa and is liberally patronized. It is printed in the German language and is widely circulated among the sons of the fatherland in this state and their descendants. The subscription list of the weekly is particularly extensive. The Tribune was estab- lished in 1860 and changed hands several times before it was pur- chased by Mr. Lohmann. His son, Charles H., and his brother, Henry C., have sold out, but William C. is still connected with his father in the ownership and publication of the Volksfreund Tribune.
On the Ist of November, 1865, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Lohmann and Miss Dora Schaper, a native of Germany and a daughter of Christopher Schaper, who brought his family to Bur- lington in 1852 when his daughter Dora was but nine years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Lohmann have become the parents of nine children : Charles H., a printer of Davenport, who is married and has two children; Lulu, the wife of V. W. Sander, a resident of Idaho, by whom she has four children; William C., who is his father's part- ner and is married and has four children; Carrie, who married F. . H. Jordan, of Topeka, Kansas, and has three children; Thea, the wife of E. G. Marquardt of Burlington and the mother of four chil- dren ; Nettie, who is the wife of C. W. Marquardt of Burlington and has five children; Harry, who is with his father and is married and has one child; and two who died in early life. Mr. Lohmann has twenty-four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His mother is a great-great-great-grandmother and five generations of the family are living. Her descendants number nearly one hundred children. She had eight children of her own, six of whom reached adult age.
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