USA > Iowa > O'Brien County > Past and present of O'Brien and Osceola counties, Iowa, Vol. II > Part 31
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EDWIN W. MCCRACKEN.
The biographer finds it extremely difficult in a brief sketch of any living citizen to do the subject exact and impartial justice, not perhaps so much for space or words to set forth the familiar and passing events of his personal history. as for the want of the perfect and rounded conception of the whole life which can only be obtained after the life has closed and may be viewed through the perspective of years. Daily contact with man so familiarizes us with his virtues that we ordinarily overlook them and are often guilty of underestimating their possessor. It is not often that true honor, public or private, comes to a man without basis in character and deeds. Not a few men live unheralded and almost unknown beyond the narrow limits of the community in which their lots are cast, yet who have in them, if fortune had opened to them a wider sphere of life, the elements of character to make statesmen, public benefactors or financiers of world-wide fame. However, there is a sure, if lowlier, way to tell the worth of a man, and that is by the regard in which he is held by his fellow citizens. They see him in every relation of life and if the years stamp him with approval in the eyes of friends and neighbors, he may be regarded as worthy indeed. Through- out his residence in Paullina, men have come to know what manner of man Edwin W. McCracken is and the consensus of opinion is that he is a good citizen in the highest sense of the word and a business man worthy of every confidence.
Edwin McCracken, well known shoe merchant of Paullina, O'Brien county, Iowa, is a native of Illinois, born in McClain county in 1873, being the son of William and Nancy ( Reaney) McCracken. William McCracken was a native of Scotland, where his vocation was that of a farmer. He was eminently successful in the breeding and selling of graded horses also, and after emigrating to this country he continued to follow his accustomed vo- cation. He settled in McClain county, Illinois, where he remained a few
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years and later came to O'Brien county, locating in Baker township. He had not been a resident of this county long when his death occurred in 1880. He left his widow, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1857, and at present resides in Paullina. There were three children in the family, all sons. Those other than the immediate subject of this sketch are Francis J., who is located in Worthington, Minnesota, where he is interested in the real estate business, while William lives in Sioux City, Iowa. He is con- siderable of a mechanic, with an inventive turn of mind, and in addition to numerous smaller devices, has to his credit an excellent gas engine and also a machine to facilitate the manufacture of cement tiling.
After the death of the father, the subject assumed the burden of re- sponsibility, remaining on the farm with the mother in Baker township until he was twenty-six years of age. They were early settlers in that part of the county and owing to scarcity of fuel, burned straw. hay and corn, in order to keep themselves sufficiently warm throughout the long winters. This would be rather an expensive proceeding in this day, but at that time those products named commanded an extremely small figure in the markets. Corn sold for nine cents per bushel, the other products in like proportion and eggs brought but three cents per dozen. After leaving the farm the subject went to Goldfield, Iowa, and became identified with the drug business at that place, operating a store there until 1912. During the years of his residence in Gold- field he had become possessed of an excellent tract of land in the state of Minnesota and this hie traded for the shoe store which he now owns and operates in Paullina. This business is in a most gratifying condition, Mr. McCracken carrying a stock worth about seven thousand dollars. He also owns one hundred and sixty acres of land in Baker township, O'Brien county, where general farming is carried on.
In 1899 Mr. McCracken was united in marriage with Evah Carfield, a native of Illinois, born in 1880. Their union has been blessed with two chil- dren, Kenneth and Helen, both of whom are at home and attending school. In politics. Mr. McCracken has always been affiliated with the Democratic party and takes more than a passive interest in that party's affairs. He served Baker township as clerk for a few years and has always been identified with the party's local affairs. While not a member of any church society, he is an attendant on the means of grace and interested in all that pertains to the betterment of the higher life of the community. His fraternal affilia- tion is with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mr. McCracken is widely known throughout the county and is deservedly popular among all classes of people by whom he is known.
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ANTHONY WILLIAM SOLON.
When James Watts was perfecting his steam engine. he little dreamed that the day would come when his invention would be the means of advanc- ing civilization in a manner which was little short of wonderful. Today. with the thousands and tens of thousands of railroads which are serving our country. it is an industry which employs hundreds of thousands of men. When the first railroad was built across the western plains and San Fran- cisco was united with New York, it was thought that at last this country was really bound together. Today there are more miles of railroad in Iowa than there were in forty-nine states in 1850. Thousands of men in Iowa today find employment upon one or the other of the great railroad systems which are in this state.
Anthony William Solon, a passenger conductor on the Chicago, Milwau- kee & St. Paul railroad, was born December 26. 1849. in Carbondale. Penn- sylvania. He is the son of Martin and Anna (Corcoran) Solon, both of whom were born in Ireland. Martin Solon was born in 1806 and came to America when he was about thirty years of age and found employment in the mines of Pennsylvania. There he married and in 1857 came to Iowa and settled in Allamakee county where he purchased a farm and improved it. In 1870 he moved to Mason City, where he died in 1893. His wife, Anna Corcoran, passed away in 1889. To Martin Solon and wife were born seven children : Anthony W., whose history forms the theme of this narrative ; Mrs. Margaret McDevitt, of Oelwein. Iowa: Martin, of Greenville, Mon- tana: Mrs. Mary Crowley, of Mt. Carmel, Illinois; Patrick, a railroad man in the state of Washington; Mrs. Annie Appleton, of Boston, Massachusetts, and Mrs. Libbie Welch, of Des Moines, Iowa.
Anthony W. Solon received his education in the common schools of Pennsylvania and lowa and worked with his father on the farm until he was twenty-three years of age. He then began to work for the Iowa Central Railroad. In the spring of 1881 he became an employee of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad. He was gradually promoted until he became a passenger conductor in 1889. He then moved to Sanborn and for the past twenty-four years has had the run from Sanborn to McGregor. Mr. Solon has investment in the Sanborn State Bank and is a director of that financial institution. He owns a half section of farm land in Kingsbury county. South Dakota, and a fine home in Sanborn.
Mr. Solon was married January 28. 1878. in Mason City, Iowa, to
ANTHONY W. SOLON
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Catharine Farrell, who was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 29, 1855, the daughter of William and Catharine ( Walsh) Farrell, natives of Cork, Ireland, and St. John's, Newfoundland, respectively. Her parents moved to Cerro Gordo county, Iowa, in 1866 and were among the pioneers of that county. William Farrell had been a sailing master on the sea, and was an aged man when he came to Iowa and settled with his nine children. Two sons had preceded the family to Iowa. Mr. Farrell died in 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Solon have three children : Mrs. Josephine Johnson, who lives in West Virginia and has two sons, William and Solon; William A., who is cashier of the Sanborn State Bank, and Eugene, who is assistant cashier in the San- born State Bank. Eugene was born in November, 1887, and was educated in the Sanborn high school and the Globe Commercial College of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Mr. Solon has been a life-long Democrat, but, owing to the nature of his work, has never been able to take an active part in politics. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Order of Railway Conductors. He and his family are earnest members of the Catholic church and belong to the St. Cecilia church at Sanborn. Mr. Solon is a man who is highly respected by everyone who knows him because of his upright life and the interest which he shows in the various enterprises which affect the welfare of his city. He is a man of pleasing appearance and has a host of friends who admire him for his many good qualities.
ADOLPH BOCK.
Tireless energy, keen perception, honesty of purpose, genius for devising and executing the right thing in the right place and time, are the chief characteristics of the successful business man whose name heads this article. Adolph Bock, well known hardware merchant of Paullina, O'Brien county, Iowa, is deserving of more than passing mention, for he has come into his present gratifying circumstances wholly through and by his own personal effort. Born on a foreign soil, he came to this country after attaining years of maturity, facing conditions wholly different from those to which he had been accustomed, but, being possessed of a determination to succeed, he allowed no stone to remain unturned and gradually has nearer and nearer approached his goal. It would be impossible to enter fully into the struggles
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of his earlier years, or the success of his later manhood, but suffice it to say that while putting forth strenuous effort to attain material success, he has also ever sought to win that greater and more lasting success, the confidence and liking of his fellow men, and in this latter ambition he has been highly successful.
Adolph Bock was born in Germany in 1845, being the son of John and Lena ( Knutsen) Bock, the former born in 1805 and the latter in 1802, both natives of Germany, where their entire lives were passed. The father fol- lowed the trade of a brick-maker throughout his life, dying in the year 1870. while the mother lived until the year 1879. They were the parents of nine children, all deceased except one half-brother. The subject received his edu- cation under the excellent school system of his native country, and when twenty-four years of age, in 1869, he emigrated to this country, locating first in Davenport, Iowa. At that point he passed a few years, working at various trades, but finding nothing entirely to his liking. He then secured a position as clerk in a hardware store, where he remained for nine years, mastering the ins and outs of the business. However, the vocation of farm- ing strongly appealed to him and after severing his connection with the hardware company he came to Primghar. near which place he secured land which he rented and farmed for a time. In this venture he was highly suc- cessful from the first and soon saw his way clear to purchase a tract of land in Union township, O'Brien county, containing two hundred and forty acres. In this location he remained for eighteen years, carrying on general farming. As he advanced in years the thought of being owner and proprietor of a hardware business recurred to him and he finally saw his great oppor- tunity. He traded his farm for the business which he now owns and in which he is highly successful. He carries about eight thousand dollars worth of stock, owns the building in which his business is located, and has asso- ciated with him his two sons, John and Henry. In addition to his unques- tioned honesty and integrity, Mr. Bock possesses a pleasing and genial man- ner, which is a rare asset for one catering to public patronage and whichi has borne no small part in his general success.
In 1872 Mr. Bock was united in marriage with Alvine Guhn, also a native of Germany, born in 1850, and to their union have been born five children : Alma, the eldest, is Mrs. Gauden and lives in South Dakota ; Lulu (Mrs. Curen) resides in Hawarden, Iowa; the two sons above mentioned are located in Paullina, and Ella, the youngest daughter, remains in the paternal home. Politically, Mr. Bock is a Democrat and he holds his fra- ternal affiliations with the Free and Accepted Masons and also is a member
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of the Yeomen of America, holding membership in these orders through the local organizations at Paullina. Mr. Bock's early life story is not un- common in our western country and serves as an object lesson to those who would mount the ladder of success. His beginning was characterized by hard work and conscientious endeavor, and he owes his rise to no train of for- tunate incidents or fortuitous circumstances. It is the reward of applica- tion of mental qualifications of a high order to the affairs of business, the combining with keen perceptions of mental activity that enabled him to grasp the opportunities that presented themselves. This he did with success and. what is more important, with honor. His integrity has ever been unas- sailable, his honor unimpeachable, and he stands today one of the successful men and representative citizens of his town and county.
ARTHUR W. McBRIDE.
It is a well recognized fact that the most powerful influence in shaping and controlling public life is the press. It reaches a greater number of people than any other agency and thus has always been and always will be a most important factor in the moulding of public opinion and, in a definite sense, shaping the destiny of the nation. The gentleman to a brief review of whose life the following lines are devoted is prominently connected with the journalism of western Iowa, and at this time is editor and publisher of the Paullina Times, one of the most popular papers of O'Brien county, comparing favorably with the best local sheets in this section of the state in news, editorial ability and mechanical execution. The county recognizes in Mr. McBride not only a keen newspaper man, but also a representative citizen. whose interests in all that affects the general welfare has been of such a character as to win for him a high place in the confidence and esteem of the people. In view of the fact that the sheet in question has a weekly circulation among one thousand subscribers, it is easy to judge the regard in which the publication in question is held.
Arthur W. McBride was born in Tama county, Iowa, in 1884. the son of Frank and Mary (Wood) McBride, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania in 1854. For a great many years prior to his death. in 1894. he was engaged in the insurance business. His widow, and the mother of the immediate subject, was born in Tama county in 1860, and at present resides in Traer, Iowa. The subject was the only child born of that union
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and at the age of nineteen he matriculated at Grinnell College, where he took a course in liberal arts. At the age of twenty-three he was graduated from the institution in question and went to Sioux City, where he secured em- ployment with the Journal, one of the leading newspapers, in the capacity of reporter and assistant editor. Two years later he severed his connection with the Journal, going to Grinnell, Iowa, where he became manager of one of the leading publications and there remained until the year 1909, when he first came to Paullina. Here he purchased the business to which he now so ably gives his time and attention, and in addition to this he owns his resi- dence in the best section of the town, said residence occupying a lot and a half. Mr. McBride was married in 1912 to Ruth Babbitt, and to their union has been born a son, Arthur, junior.
Mr. McBride, in his publication, voices the principles of the old-line Republican party, being one of its most stalwart supporters in this section of the state. His religious affiliation is with the Presbyterian church and he is a member of the ancient order of Freemasonry. As may be expected, Mr. McBride takes more than a passive interest in the various enterprises making for the betterment of community life. He is now a trustee of the public library and always endeavors so to use the peculiar influence which is his as to broaden the minds and strengthen the convictions of those with whom he comes in contact, either directly or through his publication. In his business enterprise, Mr. McBride has made a distinct success, not only building up a splendid circulation and a large advertising patronage, but also gaining a wide reputation as an able and versatile writer.
JOHN COWAN.
Clearly defined purpose and consecutive effort in the affairs of life will inevitably result in the attaining of a due measure of success, but in following out the career of one who has attained success by his own efforts, there comes into view the intrinsic individuality which made such accomplish- ment possible, and thus there is granted an objective incentive and inspiration, while at the same time there is enkindled a feeling of respect and admira- tion. The qualities which have made Mr. Cowan one of the prominent and successful men of Paullina have also brought him the esteem of his fellow townsmen, for his career has been one of well directed energy, strong de- termination and honorable methods.
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John Cowan is a native of Scotland, that country noted for the sterling qualities of its people and their strong religious traits. He was born in 1858. being the son of Francis Cowan, who passed his entire life in his na- tive country. In 1881, when twenty-three years of age, the subject left his native home, emigrating to America, where he settled in Fort Dodge, Iowa. He remained at that place four years, working as a carpenter and in 1884 came to Paullina, where for eight years he followed contracting and build- ing. and many of the better buildings of the city today owe their worth and attractiveness to his skill. However, there came a time when he saw still greater opportunities in the furniture business, and in this he engaged. In connection with that business he learned the art of embalming and is one of the foremost funeral directors of this section. In his endeavors he has attained a pleasing measure of success and also owns the block in which his business is located.
In 1883 Mr. Cowan was united in marriage with Belle Aitken, a native of Scotland, whose parents were among the earliest settlers of O'Brien county. She was born in 1856 and was quite a young girl when, with her parents, she emigrated to America. Mr. and Mrs. Cowan have a family of three children, namely : Mary (Mrs. Scott) is the wife of an O'Brien county farmer; Francis, the son, is associated with the father in his business, and Evelyn, the younger daughter. still remains at home. The family is identi- fied with the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Cowan enjoys the distinction of having served his church as elder for the past twenty-five years and has also taken an active interest in the various other phases of church work. In politics he is a Democrat, while his fraternal affiliation is with the Yeomen of America. He is keenly alive to the various interests of com- munity life and every enterprise having as its object the advancement of the social, educational or material side, finds in him a stanch supporter, one, too, who is willing to put his convictions into execution. At one time Mr. Cowan served on the school board for fifteen years and is a trustee of the public library. Mr. Cowan is a man of genial disposition and broad sym- pathies which particularly fit him for the exacting duties of his profession, and some of his warmest friends are those whom he met for the first time while in the discharge of such duties and through his kindness and con- sideration won their confidence and respect for all time. He has always stood for progressive ideas and wholesome living and, although his life has been without incident of an unusual nature, it has shown that steady con- secutive endeavor, coupled with honesty of purpose, will accomplish large results in the end.
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WALTER A. BLAESSER.
The gentleman to whom the reader's attention is now directed was not favored by inherited wealth nor the assistance of influential friends, but in spite of this, by perseverance, industry and wise economy, he has attained a comfortable station in life and is well and favorably known throughout this section, being regarded as a man of sound business principles and thoroughly up to date in all that pertains to his chosen vocation. While primarily advancing his individual interests, he has not neglected his general duties as a citizen and is, therefore, worthy of the trust and confidence which he enjoys.
Walter A. Blaesser, well known druggist of Paullina, O'Brien county, Iowa, is a native of this state. born at Cherokee in 1879, the son of Charles and Regina (Schmidt) Blaesser, the latter born in 1854 at Hamilton, Wis- consin. Charles Blaesser, father of the subject. is a native of Germany, born in 1845, and when twenty-one years of age he left his boyhood home, emi- grating to America. Upon his arrival in this country he decided to remain in New York City and became apprenticed to the barber trade. There he remained for some time, later moving to Wisconsin, where for a number of years he worked at his trade. However, he saw greater opportunities else- where and in 1874 came to Iowa, locating at Cherokee, where he owned and operated the first barber shop in that place. He remained there for ten years and in 1884 disposed of his business interests there and took up his residence at Granville. Iowa. in 1884 and in 1891 moved to Hawarden. this state, where he became quite a large buyer and shipper of grain and con- tinted in his business connections in Hawarden until 1898. He associated his son. W. A., with him in the drug business, and in 1907 he retired from active business in Cherokee and there he and his wife are passing their declining years in ease and comfort. They were married in 1879, and to their union six children were born, three of whom have passed into the great beyond.
Walter A. Blaesser, the immediate subject of this sketch, received his early education in the schools of his home neighborhood and when fourteen years of age he was taken into a drug store in Hawarden as apprentice boy. He remained with that firm two years and then became associated with a drug firm at Cherokee. where he remained two years also. During this time he had acquired a practical knowledge of the business, but, desiring to become a graduate pharmacist, he in 1897 entered the Northwestern
O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.
School of Pharmacy at Chicago, Illinois, being granted his diploma one year later. Directly after graduation he returned to Cherokee and purchased the interests of the drug firm with which he had been associated before at- tending college. For nine years he operated this store, when he disposed of same and came to Paullina where, in partnership with his brother-in- law, William F. Eshleman, he purchased the business which they have since carried on. In addition to other lines they carry the Rexall and American Drug Syndicate goods, under the firm name of Blaesser & Eslileman.
In 1904 Mr. Blaesser was united in marriage with Louise E. Eslileman. He is aligned with the conservative Republican party and religiously is identified with the Presbyterian church. His fraternal affiliations are with the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. Blaes- ser is a man of genial, thought quiet, disposition who readily makes friends and retains them. His business is conducted along most approved lines and he has the confidence of his patrons, a thing most to be desired, par- ticularly in the business to which he devotes himself.
ANTHONY J. BRAIG.
Anthony J. Braig, identified with the harness manufacturing business at Paullina, O'Brien county, Iowa, was born in 1870 at Galena, Illinois. the son of Anthony, Sr., and Katherine ( Schultz) Braig. Anthony Braig. Sr., was a native of Germany, born in 1843. In early manhood he emi- grated to this country and settled in Galena, Illinois, in 1865, where he remained for a number of years engaged in the brewing business. In 1877 he removed to Bellevue, Iowa, and was employed there as a brewer until the time of his death in 1892. In 1869 he was united in marriage with Katherine Schultz, who also was a native of Germany, born in 1848 and whose death oc- curred in 1908. They were the parents of three children, all of whom are living.
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