USA > Iowa > Woodbury County > Sioux City > Past and present of Sioux City and Woodbury County, Iowa > Part 59
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In 1879 Mr. Wright was united in marriage to Miss Mary Wagner, a native of Carroll coun- ty, Illinois. Her father came to Woodbury county in 1877, settling on section 21, Arling- ton township, and his death occurred in 1885. His widow is still living and makes her home in Lake county, South Dakota. She is the mother of ten daughters, all of whom are liv- ing. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wright have been born four children: Hattie, Fred, Frank and Harvey. Having for many years been a resi- dent of this county, Mr. Wright has witnessed the many changes which have occurred as it has emerged from pioncer conditions to take its place in the front rank with many of the older
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settled counties of the state, and with the pub- lic progress he has also kept pace in his busi- ness career, working his way upward from humble business surroundings until he now controls extensive and important agricultural interests.
HON. GEORGE E. OERTEL.
Hon. George E. Oertel, who is serving as Mayor of Moville and who has been closely identified with public interests and business activity in the town for a number of years, is a native son of Woodbury county, his birth having occurred November 28, 1872, in a little log cabin which stood upon his father's farm in Grant township, about two and a half miles from Oto. His parents were John and Lydia (Robins) Oertel. The father, born in Ger- many, was probably only about a year old when brought to America by his parents, who settled north of Oto in the '50s, being among the pioneer settlers of northwestern Iowa. There John Oertel was reared amid the wild scenes of frontier life early became familiar with the arduous task of developing and cultivat- ing new land. One of his early business experiences was in a butcher shop in Sioux City, then a town of two or three hundred in- habitants. During the greater part of his life, however, he followed farming and stock-raising, becoming the owner of one hundred and fifty- five acres of good land on section 30, Miller township, and one hundred and twenty aeres in Grant township. When he started out in life for himself he had only a wagon, team and harness, and all he possessed came to him as a result of his own labor and diligence. His wife was a native of Pennsylvania and they were married in Woodbury county. Mr. Oertel died when about thirty-eight years of age and was buried in Oto cemetery, and his wife passed away in 1892, when about thirty-nine years of
age. They were the parents of five children, of whom three are now living.
George E. Oertel was reared upon his father's farm and educated in the public schools. He assisted in the work of the old homestead until seventeen years of age, when he went to Oto and for two years elerked in a restaurant which his mother conducted. He afterward learned the barber's trade there and a year later he left the county. He was later employed in various ways and in various places for four or five years and then came to Moville, where he has since remained. Here he became a real-state and insurance agent, in which business he has since continued, and he has also engaged in dealing in farm implements as a member of the firm of Oertel & Jones, his partner being T. F. Jones. His close application to business here, his progressive methods and modern business ideas have been resultant factors in his success and made him one of the leading representa- tives of trade interests in Moville.
In October, 1898, Mr. Oertel was married to Miss Hattie Wright, a daughter of H. Wright, one of the early settlers of the county, and they now have two children, Lorne J. and Clayton. Both Mr. and Mrs. Oertel are widely known socially and Mr. Oertel is equally promi- nent in public affairs in Moville. In 1901 he was appointed by the city council to the posi- tion of mayor to fill a vacancy and at the en- suing election was chosen for the office on the Citizens ticket. In the discharge of his duties he is prompt, efficient and reliable and his ad- ministration is businesslike and progressive.
ASA P. SMITH.
Asa P. Smith, whose life actuated by strong purpose and business energy has resulted in making him one of the substantial residents of Woodbury county, has a farm one hundred and sixty acres in Wolf Creek township. He is numbered among the early settlers of the
JOHN OERTEL.
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state, a half century having passed since he 1895, when he rented his original farm in came to Iowa, establishing his home at that Erie county and bought eighty acres adjoining the town in which he has a good residence. time in Polk county. He is a native of Illi- nois, born in Fulton county, on the 29th of He has since disposed of sixty acres and he January, 1841. His father, Asa Smith, was now devotes his time in keeping his home place in good condition and raising the cereals best adapted to soil and climate. one of the early settlers of Illinois and served as a soldier in the Black Hawk war. Ile was married in Fulton county, that state, to Miss Anna Wilcockson, whose birth occurred in South Carolina. Through a number of years Mr. Smith carried on agricultural pursuits in Fulton county, being numbered among the pioneer settlers of that part of the state. There he died in the year 1841. His wife survived him for some time and reared her family there. She afterward married again and in 1854 came to Iowa, the family home being established in Polk county.
Asa P. Smith is the youngest of five chil- dren who were born of the first marriage, four of whom reached years of maturity. No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for him in his youth. He had common-school advantages and was trained to the work of the fields, early becoming familiar with the task of plowing, planting and harvesting. As a companion and help- mate on life's journey he chose Miss Mary Emery and they were married in Polk county on the 18th of November, 1860. She was born in Pennsylvania, but was reared in Illi- nois and Iowa, and after their marriage they began their domestic life in Polk county, where they remained until 1882, when they came to Woodbury county. Here Mr. Smith purchased a tract of land of one hundred and sixty aeres in Wolf Creek township, upon which a few im- provements had been made. This place he at once began to enltivate and later he erected a good residence, also built a good barn and sheds for grain and stock. He planted an orchard and there is a grove of native trees upon the place. Year after year he has labored per- sistently and along progressive lines and he carried on his farm work at that place until
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Smith has been blessed with two children: Jacob H., of Anthon, who is married and has one daughter, Hazel Esther; and Ethel, the wife of 1. J. Walker, of MeCook county, South Dakota, by whom she has one child, Mary Helen. The parents are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church and Mr. Smith is independent in his political views, casting his ballot regardless of party affiliation. His first presidential bal- lot was cast for Abraham Lincoln in 1864. HIe has served in Wolf Creek township as road supervisor and township trustee and he is in- terested in all that pertains to public progress and improvement there. He commenced life for himself a poor man and worked as a farm hand until he had made it possible to purchase land for himself. He is modest and unassum- ing in manner, caring not for notoriety and well deserving the praise that is usually given to a self-made man and the high regard which is accorded him by his friends.
FREDERICK J. ROSE.
Frederick J. Rose, deceased, was numbered among the highly esteemed and honored citi- zens of Willow township, where he made his home for several years and where his family still reside. He was born in Germany on the 15th of August, 1840, and in early life came to America with his parents, the family locating in Ohio, where the father died in 1868. The mother afterward came to Iowa and spent her remaining days in this state, dying here in 1889.
On reaching manhood Frederick J. Rose was married to Miss Jane Julia Steinhoff, who
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was born in Germany, on the 29th of Septem- ber, 1844, and is a daughter of Henry and Julia (Yost) Steinhoff, both now deceased. She has three brothers and five sisters still living, while one sister is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Rose became the parents of eleven chil- dren, nine of whom survive the father, name- ly: John H., born January 29, 1866, and Henry J., born October 6, 1867, own and op- erate a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres, on which they have erected good build- ings for the care of grain and stock and in the cultivation of their land use the latest im- proved machinery. Julia, born May 13, 1869, is the wife of John Kochart and lives south of German City. Louise M., born April 23, 1875, is the wife of John Burkhart and lives near her sister, Mrs. Koehart, on the Bluff road. Ed- ward G., born April 14, 1878, George E., born May 13, 1880, Minnie M., born September 4, 1882, Fred A., born December 5, 1885, and Otto J., born April 26, 1889, are all at home with their mother.
It was in 1881 that Mr. Rose came to Iowa and took up his residence in Willow township, Woodbury county, where he followed general farming and stock-raising throughout the re- mainder of his life, coming into possession of one hundred and twenty acres of rich and ara- ble land. He was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church and was a Democrat in his political views. After a useful and well spent life he died on the 13th of June, 1903, leaving many friends as well as his immediate family to mourn his loss. He was five feet nine inches in height, weighed one hundred and sixty-five pounds, was of light complexion and dark hair.
Mrs. Rose and her younger children still live on the farm, which the sons now operate. Upon the place are found good grades of cattle, horses and hogs and they make a specialty of Duroc hogs, keeping seventeen sows for breed- ing purposes. George E. has two fine, well broken horses of the famous Wilkes stock. The sons are all fine looking young men and the
family is one of prominence in the community where they reside.
WILLIAM A. BARRETT.
William A. Barrett, president of the Nation- al Business Training School of Sioux City, was born here August 17, 1873, and his life record stands in contradistinction to the old adage that a prophet is never withont honor save in his own country, for in the city of his nativity he has won the respect and confidence of his fellow men, and the value of the insti- tution of which he is now the president is widely acknowledged. He has directed his ef- forts along lines demanding strong intellectual- ity and practical ideas of modern business progress, and his labors have been attended with gratifying results.
Mr. Barrett is a son of John and Annie (Killkinney) Barrett, both of whom were na- tives of Ireland. The father died in 1883, at the age of forty-six years. He had crossed the Atlantie prior to the Civil war, locating in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and in 1871 came to Sioux City, Iowa. He was a sailor in early life, but afterward followed railroading in Iowa and devoted his last years to farming. Mr. Barrett of this review was educated in Plymonth county, Iowa, attending the public schools and later entering the Northwestern Business University of Sioux City, where he pursued a course in 1891. Subsequently he was graduated from the Metropolitan Business College in 1894 and then continued in the school as instructor in shorthand, bookkeeping and normal work. He discontinued this in 1902 and, joining H. E. Reister, established the National Business Training School of Sionx City. He had made a close study of the needs of such an institution, of the de- mands of the business world for competent employes and felt that he could improve upon conditions and practices then in use in dif-
W. A. BARRETT. President.
NATIONAL
BUSINESS
TRAINING
SCHOOL
SIOUX CITY
Woodbury
County
IOWA
H E. REISTER, Secretary and Manager.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WOODBURY COUNTY
ferent business colleges. He became president of the new institution, while Mr. Reister is principal and manager. They are equal part- ners in the enterprise, which from the begin- ning has been attended with very gratifying success. The National Business Training School now occupies the whole of the third floor of the Union station and has facilities equal to those found in similar institutions in the large cities of the United States. The school opened its register for enrollment of students on Monday, March 31, 1902, and at the elose of that day twenty students had been enrolled and were at work, while at the close of the first month the number had increasd to forty-six. Since that time the business has steadily grown and at the close of the first year the actual number of students that attended was three hundred and thirty. The object of the school is to thoroughly prepare young peo- ple for life's work, to give them practical and not theoretical training, students receiving the same treatment while attending school that they would were they to enter the employ of a busi- ness firm. All unnecessary theory and copy work has been taken out of the course and practical business principles put in their place. The class methods of instruction have been abandoned so that each pupil advances in his studies just as fast as he is able to do the work neatly and accurately. The business course includes bookkeeping, shorthand and typewriting and the course of instruction em- braces those branches, also writing, business practice, business arithmetic, rapid calculation, spelling, grammar, touch typewriting, mani- folding, mimeograph work and office experi- cnce. There is also a special penmanship course and writing is taught by music, which is a new feature in school work. It adds much interest to the work and makes the writing hour one of the pleasant periods of the day. It is the theory of the teachers that a relaxation of the muscles of the hand and arm must form a part of good penmanship and this result is
accomplished through the use of music, the students forgetting themselves and keeping time to the music, so that they improve much more rapidly than by any other method and their writing is also more uniformu and legible. This is the only school in the country that has a complete railway system, with models of the modern trains, operated by electricity, running on schedule time and hauling freight, express and mail just as in the business world. There is likewise a telegraph course, and a part of the work of the school is the physical and moral training of the pupil in addition to his intellectual development. The proprietors rec- ognize the fact that health is the foundation of all success and to this end they have estab- lished a military drill for boys, having a com- plete military department, equipped with regu- lar Springfield rifles, and all young men are expected to take this work in connection with their regular study. The company is in charge of competent officers and instructors and the same discipline is maintained as in regular mil- itary work, a large room being set apart as an armory and regular instruction given each day. The girls, too, have their physical culture de- partment. The proprietors have adopted as their motto "Ability acquired, confidence in- spired" and their work indicates that they are fully living up to this. Already large numbers of their students are occupying responsible po- sitions and their work is proving most satis- factory and the institution has attained a suc- cess of which the president and principal have every reason to be proud.
Mr. Barrett is also interested with his broth- ers, Joseph P. and Daniel L. Barrett, in a farm in Plymouth county, comprising seven hundred acres and supplied with all modern improvements. It is well stock with high grades of cattle and horses and the stock is annually sold by the carload. Mr. Barrett has also been interested in a stock ranch in Hand county, South Dakota, but since the organiza- tion of the National Business Training School
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his attention has chiefly been given to its con- represented a prominent family of Scotland duet and upbuilding.
On the 4th of November, 1902, occurred the marriage of Mr. Barrett and Miss Rose A. MeGrain, of Struble, Iowa, a daughter of Henry and Katherine MeGrain, of Struble, Plymouth county. Mrs. Barrett was a teach- er in the public schools of Plymouth, Iowa, and also taught music, and is now musical instruc- tor in the National Business Training School. Mr. Barrett is a member of the Fraternal Choppers and was worthy council for two years. He is also identified with the Wood- men of the World and of the Knights of Co- lumbus. He and his wife are Catholies and attend the Cathedral of Sioux City.
HARRY E. REISTER.
Harry E. Reister is secretary and manager of the National Business Training School, which was established about two years ago, has had a successful though brief career and is destined to become one of the strong insti- tutions of its character in the northwest, for its practical methods appeal to the intelligent ob- server and their value has been proven in busi- ness life. Mr. Reister was born in Louisa county, Iowa, in 1867, a son of Edward P. and Harriet (Stronach) Reister. The pa- ternal grandfather, Adam Reister, was a native of Holland, whence he emigrated to America, and after residing in Maryland for some time removed to Chillicothe, Ohio. He came to the United States with two brothers, John, who went to Canada, and Harry, who settled in Maryland and died soon afterward. Adam Reister was prominent in the early Indian wars of Ohio and was an expert with the sabre. His skill and meritorious conduet won him promo- tion to the rank of a colonel in the United States service. By trade he was a carpenter. William Stronach, the maternal grandfather.
and at an early day emigrated to America, settling in Maryland. He removed to Chilli- cothe, Ohio, about the same time the Reister family was established there. He was a plas- terer by trade, but in the later part of his life followed the occupation of farming. He had two brothers, Eben and Anstin, who died and were buried in Louisa county, Iowa. The par- ents of our subject are natives of Maryland, but resided for some time in Ohio and in 1840 became residents of Burlington, Iowa. They also resided in Louisa county, where Mr. Reister followed the occupation of farming. Taking up his abode in Columbus City, Iowa, he there remained until 1889, when he removed to Keokuk county, this state, and later to Ap- panoose county, coming thence to Sioux City in September, 1903.
Harry E. Reister, whose name introduces this review, was educated in the Eastern Iowa Normal School at Columbus Junetion, this state, attending during the years 1883-4. In 1887 he was a pupil in the Towa Commercial College at Davenport, completing his course, while later he began teaching penmanship, giv- ing instruction in that art in different places in the state. IIe was thus engaged until 1890, when he became acquainted with a business school in northeastern Missouri, and from 1893 until 1899 he was supervisor of penmanship and principal of the commercial department of the high school at Centerville, Iowa. He was also supervisor of writing in all of the schools in Appanoose county, Iowa, during this period of six years.
In 1899 he arrived in Sioux City and dur- ing the following year was traveling salesman for the Cudahy Packing Company. During the succeeding year he was connected with a whole- sale firm as bookkeeper and cashier and for a year and a half was associated with the work of instruction in Brown's Business College at Sioux City as head of the commercial depart- ment. On the 31st of March, 1902, associated
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with William Barrett, he opened the National Business Training School of Sioux City. llc believes that in the training of young people for life's practical duties three things should be considered-their mental, their moral and their physical development-and his idea has been embodied in the work of the school. Not only are the boys and girls prepared for the duties of business life that they may success- fully perform the work of bookkeepers, clerks, stenographers or salesmen, but they are also equipped to meet the physical demands made upon them by their physical training, and ef- forts are made to instill high moral principles without which no actual commendable success is secured. Both of the proprietors of the school are capable teachers, well trained in their specialties, and under their guidance the school is making rapid progress and giving to the business world students whose efforts are of real value in the conduct of trade transactions. No teachers are employed except those who have had actual business experience. The at- tendance at the present time is one hundred and fifty students, and a year and a half after the opening of the school the number who had done actual work therein was six hundred. March 1, 1904, the school was incorporated under the laws of the state of Iowa, the capital stock be- ing ten thousand dollars. Mr. Reister is a member of the State Teachers' Association and of the Federation of Commercial Teachers' As- sociation.
Mr. Reister has been twice married. In 1890 he wedded Miss Lillie Carpenter, of Co- lumbus Junction, Iowa, who died in 1895, leaving one child, Glenn M. In June, 1899, he was again married, his second marriage be- ing with Miss Nellie Stecker, of Sioux City. Mr. Reister is a member of the Fraternal Chop- pers of America, of the Knights of the Macea- bees, the Knights of Honor, the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen of the World, and he also holds membership relations with the Methodist Episcopal church.
LINCOLN A. ROBINSON.
No state in the Union has better farming lauds than Iowa and there are no more pro- gressive agriculturists to be found in America than reside in this state. Their labors have made the soil most productive and as the result of their effort rich harvests are annually gar- nered, furnishing a large food supply to the country. Mr. Robinson, engaged in general farming on section 16, Rock township, where he has a valuable quarter section of land, was born in Jones county, Iowa, February 15, 1861. His paternal grandfather, Asa Robin- son, was one of the pioneers of this state, set- tling in Jones county in 1840, when there were few residents within its borders. His son, Charles Robinson, the father of our subject, was born in Champaign county, Ohio, in 1824, and was therefore a youth of sixteen when he came with his parents to this state. He as- sisted in the arduous task of developing the home farm and after reaching adult age he was married in Jones county to Miss Teressa E. Reynolds, whose birth occurred in DuPage county, Illinois, and who was a daughter of William Reynolds, one of the early settlers of Linn county, Iowa. Mr. Robinson began farming in Jones county and upon the old homestead there he reared his family. In 1875 he removed to Shelby county, this state, and bought a farm of two hundred acres, upon which he spent his remaining days, passing away in 1893. His wife survived him for a few years and died in November, 1898. In their family were seven children who reached years of maturity and were reared upon the home farm.
L. A. Robinson spent his boyhood and youth as did the other members of his father's house- hold. He attended the public schools and when not engaged with his text-books assisted in the enltivation of the home farm, so that he gained a practical and valuable knowledge of the oc- cupation which he has made his life work. He
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WOODBURY COUNTY
came to Woodbury county in 1882 and on the 22d of October, of that year, he secured a com- panion and helpmate for life's journey, being married at that date to Miss Alice Coon, a native of Wisconsin, and a daughter of George Coon, one of the early settlers of the Badger state. In December, 1882, Mr. Robinson pur- chased a tract of raw land and opened up a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Rock township, whereon he resided for five years. He then sold that property and purchased his present farm land, covering a quarter section. This is on section 16, Rock township, and it is a monument to his life of enterprise and thrift, for he broke and fenced the place and has made all of the improvements here found. Shade trees were planted by him and he also set out an orchard and much small fruit. He placed the fields under a high state of cultivation and in connection with general farming he has en- gaged in stock-raising and breeding, making a specialty of pure-blooded Poland China hogs and shorthorn and Durham cattle. His busi- ness is now capably conducted and is attended with desirable financial results.
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