USA > Iowa > Woodbury County > Sioux City > Past and present of Sioux City and Woodbury County, Iowa > Part 15
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J. b. b. Hoskins AGE 83
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since the days of Henry VIII at least, they fighting for freedom until all were free. So have fought against prerogative and oppression. in the Revolutionary war his grandfather Hos- kins and four brothers fought from the begin- ning to the end. None of the family have held important public offices, but many of them were respectable and influential in their neighborhoods.
Ilis maternal ancestor, in the eighth degree, Matthew Cushing, with a numerous family, some of whom were already adults, came also from Norfolkshire. He settled at Hingham, Massachusetts, in 1635. The Cushing family was old and wealthy in Norfolk, and had large landed possessions there. Their history is well known back into the fifteenth century, and there (as in this country since) they were men of education and influence and wealth. The descendants of Matthew Cushing had, previous to the year 1800, furnished more than thirty graduates to Harvard College, and a more con- siderable number of very eminent clergy and lawyers and judges, than any other New En- gand family. Among them history especially commemorates Thomas and John Cushing, who took very prominent parts in bringing on and prosecuting the war of independence and Will- iam Cushing, who, already associate justice of the United States court, declined the chief jus- ticeship when tendered to him by President Washington. Nor has the Cushing family lacked men of distinction in the present cen- tury. Witness Caleb Cushing, of Newbury- port, Judge Cushing, of Boston, and the late chief justice of the state of New Hampshire.
His parents reared a family of eight-five sons and three daughters-all of whom exem- plified the character of their paternal ancestry by a respectable mediocrity of ability, so far as the accumulation of wealth and extended in- fluence go, and their maternal ancestry by a considerable fondness for reading and litera- ture, which doubtless led to the college educa- tion of the subject of this sketch. Three of the sons-all that were physically able-also proved that the family hatred of oppression re- tained its ancient strength, by enlisting at the very outset of the war against slavery, and
IIis father led a hard life in a hard country among the granite outliers of the White moun- tains, but he was always honored and respected by all that knew him, and when he died, in 1873, at Chelsea, Massachusetts, where he went to live in his old age, he was much mourned through the whole circle of his acquaintances. Not less beloved or less widely mourned was his wife, who, after her husband's death, came to Sioux City, where she had a home with her son, J. D. Hoskins, until she died in August, 1882.
In the boyhood days of J. C. C. Hoskins there was not much money in his father's house, what fees he collected from his farmer patients (the community was entirely agricultural) were paid in the products of the farm, a bushel of wheat or corn or rye, a cow or a calf, in ex- treme cases-these were the fees when any at all were received. So he, with an earnest de- sire for books and a college education, like most New England boys, had a poor show for sue- cess in a career that seemed to him as far off and as much to be desired as heaven itself. It would be too long to narrate the story of his success, but succeed he did. By working on the farm in summer vacation, and teaching school in the winter, and some aid from home, he worked his way through college and at the age of twenty-one found himself possessed of a diploma as bachelor of arts of Dartmouth col- lege, and liberty to go out into the world and see what he could do with it.
He gave a note to his father for six hundred dollars payable on demand. He possessed one suit of clothes and clad in this he applied for a position as principal of the academy at Leb- anon, New Hampshire, which had recently fall- en into the hands of the Universalist denomi- nation and been christened The Lebanon Lib- eral Institute. His application met with favor
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and he was employed at a salary of four hun- dred dollars per year, entering upon his duties in September, 1841. His salary was after- ward increased to five hundred dollars and a number of college professors, clergymen of note and one United States senator were prepared for college under his instruction. The school prospered while Mr. Hoskins continued at its head, and from his salary he was enabled not only to meet his own expenses but also to dis- charge his financial obligations to his father. In 1846 his health failed and he gave up teach- ing for civil engineering, which became his life work. He was first employed on the construc- tion of the Cochitnate waterworks at Boston, Massachusetts, beginning the preliminary sur- vey in June, 1846, and remaining until the completion of the works in the fall of 1848. He had charge of the Newton and Brookline tunnels until they were well under way and was then deputed to make survey for what is now the Brookline old reservoir, and when the survey was approved he took charge of the con- struction work, remaining in that position un- til the final completion of the reservoir, and his name may now be seen on the marble tablet in the gatehouse which commemorates the com- pletion of the entire work.
In 1849 Mr. Hoskins went with his friend and superior, Thomas S. Williams, who had been appointed superintendent of the Sullivan Railroad in New Hampshire. Not long after this Mr. Williams was appointed superinten- dent of the Boston & Maine Railroad and Mr. Hoskins remained for some months as acting superintendent of the Sullivan Railroad, after which he rejoined Mr. Williams in Boston. He worked on the Boston & Maine Railroad until June, 1850, when an engineer of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad came north seeking a man of experience in the exeavation and con- struction of tunnels. Mr. Hoskins agreed to undertake such construction and on the 15th of June, 1850, he found himself near the west- ern end of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad on
the Monongahela river. He was soon deputed to relocate a portion of the western division, the only instruction which he received being to lay as good a line as possible and get as near the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania as he could without touching that state. The loca- tion proved satisfactory and Mr. Hoskins was deputed to take charge of the tunnel division. When the work was well under way he was transferred to the preliminary survey of the Northwestern Virginia Railroad, which is now the main line of the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- road, crossing the Ohio river at Parkersburg, West Virginia. At that time there had been no work so difficult undertaken in the United States. In one hundred miles there were twen- ty-two tunnels and a ruling grade of eighty feet per mile. Mr. Hoskins worked hard for nearly six months with a corps of sixteen men, cover- ing a broad extent of rugged country, mostly dense forests with a perfect net work of lines. He located sixty-five miles of the road and su- perintended the construction of thirty-seven miles, including the central and most difficult portion. The work was begun in the summer of 1852 and the first train ran to the Ohio river on Christmas day of 1856. There was no cessation of work and Mr. Hoskins left his position in January, 1857. Despite a most liberal offer from a Texas Railroad Company he determined to seek a home in the far west. He had become interested in the Kansas war for liberty and, accompanied by his wife, be- gan the journey to that state April 7, 1857, going from Parkersburg, Virginia, to St. Louis by steamer, a journey of eight days. He left his wife with relatives in St. Louis and pro- ceeded by rail to Jefferson City, where he found snow a foot deep although it was then April 17, thence to Lexington, Missouri, and on to Kan- sas City, to Leavenworth, Weston, St. Jo- seph, Omaha and Council Bluffs, and on the 5th of May, 1857, he arrived at Sioux City, Iowa. From fellow passengers he had heard that Kansas had settled her difficulties and
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would doubtless be a free state. Mr. Hoskins ing on Nebraska street just below Seventh had expected to settle in Kansas, but his cousin, street. Their home was a log cabin and in this primitive dwelling were born four of their eight children, their family consisting of two sons and six daughters. There they continued to reside until the spring of 1865, when the property was sold. the late John C. Flint, had written to him at St. Louis and insisted that he come to Sioux City before choosing a permanent location. Taking note of the prospects here Mr. Hoskins purchased lots and a house on Nebraska street and there made his home for many years. This was a wild and largely unsettled distriet at that period. There was no communication with the outside world except by river and it was a fourteen days trip to St. Louis. There was no railroad within three hundred miles and across the river was a territory infested by the Indians, nor was there any settlement of any kind directly eastward for more than one hun- dred miles, nor none to the north this side of Pembina, while the nearest settlement of note in the west was Utah, save that a few people lived on the Missouri river bottoms between Sioux City and Council Bluffs. Sioux City contained a population of a few hundred, most- ly living in log cabins, board shanties and tents, and yet the town was in the process of a "boom," and town lots were selling higher than in 1875. Every piece of land for many miles had been claimed so that no property could be had for pre-emption without paying four or five times the government price in order to get rid of prior claimants.
Mr. Hoskins had been married on the 10th of July, 1856, to Miss Clarissa Virginia Ben- nett, of Weston, Lewis county, Virginia, the second daughter of Hon. James Bennett, an influential lawyer who had often represented his distriet both in the lower and upper honses of the Virginia legislature. Mr. Hoskins had left his wife in St. Louis, while he made his trip to the northwest of Iowa and after de- termining to locate here he went to that eity and brought Mrs. Hoskins to Sioux City, ar- riving on the 5th of June. He also bought some supplies, a few floor boards, a window and a door and in the little eabin, sixteen feet square, thus equipped they began housekeep-
Mr. Hoskins led a very busy life until 1878, since which time he has had no regular occu- pation. The last work which he did in his profession was in the autumn of 1866, when he made a preliminary survey for the Sionx City & St. Paul Railroad, of which he became the first president, as well as chief engineer, and he has been very prominent and influential in public affairs. In 1858 he was chosen town- ship assessor and city engineer and continued in office until 1871. He made profiles and advised street grades which were adopted in 1858 and revised and re-adopted in 1871. He has served both as county sheriff and city mayor, called to both offices by appointment to fill vacancies. Three times he has been a member of the school board, served one year as county superintendent of schools, and was postmaster of Sioux City for nearly sixteen years, his time of service ending in the spring of 1878. Ile aided in founding the two old- est national banks of Sioux City and was a director of one of these for several years. He was also a founder and director of the city's first savings bank. He was also the president of the Sioux City Building Fund Association for many years and aided in settling up its affairs when it elosed its most snecessful career. Ife was also one of the founders in 1864 of the oldest commercial business in Sioux City, that of the J. M. Pinckney Book & Stationery Company. His activity has extended to many fields of endeavor, which have resulted to the benefit of the city as well as to individual stoek- holders and few residents of northwestern Iowa have contributed in so large or important a measure to the progress and development of this portion of the state.
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ULYSSES SAMUEL RENNE.
Among the representative business men of Woodbury county none are more deserving of mention in this volume than Ulysses S. Renne, of Smithland, who for several years has been connected with the agricultural and stock-rais- ing interests of the community and is also iden- tified with a number of other business enter- prises. Keen discrimination, unflagging indns- try and resolute purpose are numbered among his salient characteristics and thus he has won that prosperity which is the merited reward of honest effort.
Mr. Renne was born in Mount Morris, Illi- nois, on the 31st of October, 1869, and on the paternal side is of French descent, his great- great-grandfather, Hiram Renne, being one of three brothers, who came from Rennes, France, with the ten thousand volunteers that came to this country with General La Fayette in 1778 to fight for American independence. They were liberals in their native land and opposed to British oppression. At the close of the war these brothers did not return to France but settled in Massachusetts. Our sub- jeet's grandfather, who also bore the name of Hiram Renne, was born in the old Bay state and at the age of sixteen joined the United States Regulars. With his command he came west to Illinois and participated in the Black Hawk war, his company being stationed near Lincoln's command. Later he went to Tennes- see, where he married Miss Wiggins, and sub- sequently located at St. Louis. In his family were four sons and three daughters, those still living being W. S., the father of our subject ; and Thomas and Anna, both residents of Springfield, Illinois.
W. S. Renne, our subjeet's father, was born in St. Louis, Angust 31, 1831, and spent the first twenty years of his life in that city, after which he removed to Ogle county, Illinois. Prior to this, however, he had enlisted in the Mexican war but was never sent to the front, though he was in the service for six months
in training at the barracks in St. Louis. In 1886 he brought his family to Iowa and first located in Story county, where he spent three years and then removed to Crawford county, this state. In 1891 he became a resident of Smithland and now makes his home with our subject at this place. Politically he is a stanch Republican, having supported that party since voting for John C. Fremont in 1856, and he never lost but two votes since the election of Lincoln.
In 1853 W. S. Renne was united in marriage to Miss Eliza J. Grubb, who was born in Lou- doun county, Virginia, January 9, 1833, a daughter of William and Eliza (Myers) Grubb, of that county. She was an only child and in early life came west with her parents by way of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Savanna, Illinois, from there to Mount Carroll and on to Mount Morris, Illinois, where Mr. and Mrs. Grubb spent their remaining days. The fam- ily were slaveholders in Virginia and were among the most prominent citizens of that state, being related to the Blackwells, Washingtons, Campbells and Randolphs. Mrs. Renne was educated at Rock River Seminary, where she was graduated at the age of eighteen years. She was without doubt the best educated woman in her community and throughout life kept up her reading, being familiar with Shakespeare and other noted poets. She was also an expert at fine needle work and invented some ninety different lace patterns. At her death, which occurred on the 21st of November, 1903, she left twenty-seven fancy quilts which she had made for her children, one of which has over seven thousand pieces in it. She was an earn- est Christian, a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church from childhood, and was a loving wife and mother, her life being devoted to her home and family. Hers was the largest funeral ever held in Smithland, as she left not a single enemy on earth and was beloved as a neighbor and friend by all who knew her. The services were conducted by Rev. Frederick Ray, who is
U. S. RENNE.
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still pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church of Smithland, and Rev. Clift, of Pierro. She never punished her children and was by nature and disposition a most loving woman of great character.
Of the eleven children born to W. S. Rene and wife three died in infancy, the others be- ing Emma, now the wife of George Beer, of Lawton, Iowa; William, who lives near Grant Center, this state; Ulysses S., of this review ; Alvaretta, wife of Edward Rogers, of Allen, Nebraska : Edward, who died at the age of six years ; Frances, wife of John Parkhill, who lives on a farm near Oto, Iowa ; Daniel, a resi- dent of Ada, Washington ; and Mary, wife of J. J. Parkhill, who lives near Smithland.
A man of good business ability and enter- prise, Mr. Renne has accumulated consider- able property, having ranches in Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, Missouri and Iowa. He rents most of his land but in connection with his other business he operates his farm on the Little Sioux river adjoining the city park. His own place is really a large park, consisting of open fields, timber land and rich meadows of blue grass. Mr. Renne is a lover of horses and owns some fine stock, having some pedigreed, standard-bred harness horses with R. R. Hitt, No. 25645, A. T. R., at the head of his stnd. This stallion was bred in Ken- tucky, sired by Sentinel Wilkes, dam Edna by
Membrine Patchen. Ile is a superior breeder and his colts possess individuality and uniform- ity in gait. Mr. Renne also has some fine mares and colts and he derives a great deal of pleasure as well as profit from his stock- raising. He enjoys driving and training these fine animals and believes the exercise to be beneficial. In addition to his other business he owns and operates a steam sawmill with a capacity of seven thousand feet of lumber per day, doing all of the sawing for the country round. Being an expert engineer he often takes charge of the work himself and sells the lum- ber in carload lots or less. This branch of his business alone would be enough for any ordi- nary man to manage, but Mr. Renne has many
Ulysses S. Renne came with the family to ' other interests. For the past year and a half Towa and in 1891, the year they located in he has been editor and proprietor of the Smith- land Sun and since 1900 has been engaged in the real estate and loan business, buying and selling lands extensively throughout the north- west and negotiating farm loans for all who desire them. In polities he is a Republican and although many offices have been tendered him he has always declined to serve, preferring to give his undivided attention to his extensive business interests. In business affairs he is prompt, energetic and notably reliable and usu- ally carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. Smithland, he entered the Western Normal College at Shenandoah. After the building there was burned in 1892 he attended the Fre- mont Normal for six months. He was next a student at the Western Normal at Lincoln for two years, and was there graduated in June, 1895, with the degree of Bachelor of Science. For seven years he engaged in teaching school in Colorado, Nebraska and Iowa, after which he gave up educational work on account of ill health and returned to his home in Smithland, his parents being then well advanced in years.
MRS. KATHRYN HUNT JAMES.
Mrs. Kathryn Hunt James, who has the dis- tinetion of being the only authoress of Sioux City, was born in Monticello, Iowa, and from her earliest girlhood was associated to a greater or less extent with journalistie work. She dis- played literary ability at a very early age and her school essays always received the highest commendations from her instructors. She was invariably chosen as the representative of her school in all publie literary contests. While she was still a young girl her mother, Mrs. Harriet
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Earle Hunt, established the Stylus, a weekly yers and jurists of his time. He married Leah newspaper, and in this work she was ably as- Pugh, a native of Ohio, and in 1856, two years after the death of his wife, he removed from In- diana to Iowa, where as an acknowledged leader in public affairs he championed many measures which contributed to the general good and pro- moted the best interests of the new common- wealth. His ability in his profession was quickly recognized and he served as judge of the fourth judicial district from 1858 until 1862 and as a member of congress from 1862 until 1868. In these and other important posi- tions he exhibited strong native powers as well as broad and accurate learning and always maintained the confidence and respect of hosts of friends. sisted by her daughter, who chronicled all the events in both literary and social circles for her mother's journal. She proved an excellent news gatherer, really doing reportorial work, and after a time she established an original column in her mother's paper entitled "A Bystander's Notes," which consisted of bits of philosophy and fragmentary prose and poetical productions from her own pen. Extracts from this column were widely copied throughout the northwest and. some of the articles were pronounced classies by eastern critics. In May, 1900, Miss Hunt issued the best of her writings in a dainty white and gold volume entitled "Glint," which proved immensely popular. She was Sionx City's first anthoress and as she is an omnivorous reader and a close student, possess- ing in addition a mind well trained, her friends look for further productions from her pen.
Mrs. James is also an accomplished musi- eian and a most earnest and zealous church worker. She has been prominently identified with the Sunday-school work of the First Con- gregational church for several years and has held offices in the different church organiza- tions. On the 27th of June, 1901, she was united in marriage at Minneapolis to Rev. Ben- jamin James, a Congregational minister and a most able scholar.
HON. ELBERT H. HUBBARD.
Hon. Elbert H. Hubbard, who as a lawyer and lawmaker has won distinction in Iowa, and who, coming to the bar well equipped by thor- ough preparatory training, has in the courts gained the distinction which results from the most able handling of intricate and important litigated interests, was born in Rushville, In- diana, Angust 19, 1849. His father, the Hon. Asahel W. Hubbard, was a native of Conneeti- cut and was one of the most distinguished law-
Elbert H. Hubbard has been a resident of Iowa since 1867 and after receiving his early instruction from private tutors he continued his education in Yale College, New Haven, Connecticut, in which institution he matricu- lated in 1872. Upon his return to Sioux City he became a law student in the office of C. R. Marks, was admitted to the bar in 1874 and was associated with his preceptor in active practiee until 1878. He was then alone in the prosecution of his profession until 1881, when he formed a copartnership with E. B. Spaulding under the name of Hubbard & Spaulding, which later became Hubbard, Spaulding & Taylor. In 1890 Mr. Hubbard beeame a member of the firm of Wright & Hub- bard and after six years' association they ad- mitted A. F. Call to a partnership, under the firm style of Wright, Call & Hubbard. Mr. Hubbard withdrew in 1902 and the present firm of Hubbard & Burgess was formed, his partner being E. A. Burgess. Mr. Hubbard is ac- eounted one of the ablest members of the Wood- bury county bar and is recognized as a man of keen, clear-eut intellect and comprehensive grasp of the law. At the starting point of his career it was seen that he possessed certain rare gifts, among which is that of eloquenee. In address- ing judge and jury he at onee commands their
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attention by his strong and impressive person- ality, and the arguments which he brings for- ward are stated in a logical, forcible manner which carries conviction of the sincerity and truth of the speaker and the justice of his cause.
Mr. Hubbard's citizenship is dominated by a lofty patriotism and a conscientious realiza- tion of his duty to city, state and nation, and because of this he uses his talents to further the interests of the party which he believes em- bodies the best principles of government. A stalwart Republican, he was elected on the party ticket to represent his district in the nineteenth general assembly of Iowa, in 1882, and in 1899 was chosen state senator, in both of which positions he took a prominent part in furthering important legislation. In 1904 he was nominated as the Republican candidate for congress in the eleventh congressional district of Iowa.
In 1882 Mr. Hubbard was married, in Sioux City, to Miss Eleanor H. Cobb, and their four children are Elbert H., Charlotte, Lyle and Eleanor Hubbard. The prominence of the family in social circles is undisputed, and in the city where they have so long resided Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard have a very large num- ber of warm friends.
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