USA > Iowa > Polk County > Portrait and biographical album of Polk County, Iowa, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 58
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Thomas S. Wright was educated in the common and private schools, and in the University of lowa. In January, 1861, when twenty years of age, he entered the volunteer service for the late war. as a member of the Third lowa Cavalry, was taken prisoner December 4, of the same year, and for four months was held in captivity, a part of the time being confined in Andersonville prison. one of the most terrible places of captivity, by the Con- federates during the war. He was released in April, 1865, but shortly afterward the war closed. During his confinement he was promoted to be Ad- jutant of his regiment, but owing to the cessation of hostilities at about the time he regained his liberty, he was not mustered in as such.
On returning from the army, Mr. Wright en. tered the lowa Law School, in 1865, and after pursuing a thorough course of study was admitted
to the bar in January. 1867. Ile began practice in Des Moines as a member of the firm of Withrow d. Wright. and continued in practice in that city until April 1, 1889. During the last five years of that time he served as Divison Solicitor for the Chicago. Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company. On the Ist of April, 1889. he removed to Chicago, to accept his present position, that of General At- torney of the same company. The promotion was well merited, for he is every way capable of filling the position. From 1881 until 1890 he was a member of the Board of Regents of the State Uni- versity of Iowa.
Mrs. Wright was formerly Miss Mary E. Tuttle, and her marriage with our subject occurred on the 19th of October. 1868. She is a daughter of Gen. James M. Tuttle of Des Moines, and was born in the State of Ohio, in July, 1844.
Mr. Wright was engaged in the active practice of his profession in Des Moines for twenty-three years, and is the acknowledged peer of the ablest of his brethren of the Capital City bar, which com- prises much of the best legal talent of the State. For the past few years he has made a special study of law relating to railway corporations, and to such purpose that his ability and legal acquire- ments have won for him the general attorneyship of one of the most important railway corporations in the country.
AMUEL HEDRICK, who is now living a retired life. has been a resident of Mitchell- ville for some twelve years. He was born in Sangamon County, HI .. December 25. 1828, and is a son of John E. Hedrick. His father was born in Washington County, Teun .. in 1807, and his grandfather, Sammel Hedrick, was a native of the same State. John E. married Miss Ruth Dindap, who was also born in Washington County. and they became the parents of a large family of children, of whom our subject was the chest. The living are as follows : Margaret, wife of James B. Dunlap, of Sullivan, Mo .; Salina T., wife of John
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R. Jolison, who resides near Welch, La .; Rev. Calvin A., of the Christian Church, Saline County, Mo .: Melissa, wife of George Spader. of Mitchell- ville; and William, who resides in Southeastern California. Those deceased are John D., who en- listed in an lowa regiment and died while in the service at Burlington, Iowa; Thomas V., a member of the Twelfth Missouri Cavalry, served three years and then followed farming in Jasper County, lowa; George W., who served three years in the Fourth lowa Infantry and was wounded at Chieka- saw Bayou, became a resident of Ft. Dodge, lowa; Andrew, who served in an Illinois regiment, died in Sangamon County, that State, soon after the close of the war. Of the sons, five donned the Muc and were numbered among the brave defend- ers of the old tlag.
three years' men, enlisting in Company A, Twenty- third Missouri Infantry. After being equipped for duty at Chillicothe. Mo., the troops were sent to Benton Barracks. at St. Louis. where the Twenty- third was organized and at once marched to the scene of conflict. At Pittsburg Landing the regi- ment was assigned to Gen. Prentice's Division and participated in the great battle of Shiloh. on Sunday. April 6, 1862. All day long Mr. Hedrick fought under a galling fire until five P. M., when he was captured and with other prisoners of war was marched through the swamps to Corinth, Miss., thence to Memphis, Tenn., and on to Jackson. They were packed in box cars like stock and suffered all the hardships and cruelty of prison life. From Meridan, Miss., they were taken to Mobile, Al ... and up the Mobile River to Montgomery, where Mr. and Mrs. Iledrick came to lowa in 1857, lo- cating in Decatur County. whence they removed to Sullivan County, Mo., in 1839. In 1870, they be- came residents of Mitchellville. where the mother died in 1871, the father in 1888, at the ripe old age of eighty-one years. Both were devoted members of the Christian Church. they were kept in confinement until May, 1862. They were then paroled and sent to Chattanooga, Tenn., with the expectation of being exchanged but the order was countermodded and they were again taken to prison, where they remained until October, 1862, when once more they were loaded in box cars and sent to Richmond, Va. After Samuel Iledrick passed the days of his boyhood and youth upon his father's farm and received such educational advantages as the district schools of that day afforded. On approaching man's estate he left the parental roof and started out in life for himself. He began his business career as a farm hand, working by the month, and in 1851 chose as a helpmate on life's journey Miss Martha Rice, but after one year of happy wedded life she was called to het final home. In 1856, he welded Miss Mar- garet E. Rice, sister of his first wife and a daughter of George R. and Nancy A. Rice. They began their domestic life in Illinois where Mr. Hedrick continued his farming operations until 1857, when. with the hope of bettering his financial condition spending one night in Libby Prison they were taken to Akins' Landing. Va., on the James River, where they were exchanged and subsequently sent to Washington, D. C. Afterwards Mr. Hedrick was sent to a hospital at Portsmouth Grove, R. L., where he remained until December, 1862, his health hav- ing been broken down by long confinement. Ile once more reported to his regiment at St. Louis. but being still unable for duty was sent to the hos- pital in Franklin, Mo. Not content to remain there while his comrades were in the field. Mr. Ile- drich sought and obtained permission to rejoin his command which he did at St. Louis. In March, 1863. be was again returned to the hospital in Franklin, where he was forced to spend the summer. he removed to Decatur County. Iowa, where he ? Once more he joined his regiment at MeMinnville. followed various occupations. The year 1859 wit- nessed the removal of himself and family to Sullivan County, Mo .. where he rented a farm and devoted himself to its cultivation until December, 1861.
Realizing the dangerous position in which the country was then placed he believed he saw his duty at the front and responded to the call for !
Tenu. where the troops remained until the spring of 1861, when they were sent South, joining the Fourteenth Army Corps under the command of Gen. Thomas and participated in the battle of Peach Tree Creek, Charging npon the rebels the quemy at length retreated and Gen. Thomas with his forces advanced to Atlanta and after partici-
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pating in the seige and capture of that city moved south to Jonesboro, where a hotly contested engage- ment was brought on .. The Twenty-third regiment was actively engaged in that struggle in which the enemy lost heavily. The Sixteenth Corps charged the fort while the Twenty-third regiment with a part of the Fourteenth Corps fell back to Atlanta and made preparations for the campaign through Georgia. The Fourteenth Corps starting for Mil- ledgeville, they burned and destroyed all railroads and bridges behind them, thus preventing the enemy from following and on reaching Milledgeville burned the penitentiary, freeing some thirty pris- oners, including a young lady who had been in- careerated for shooting a rebel captain for insults offered her, and after giving her liberty, the Twenty- third Regiment conducted her to her home in Sa- vannah, Ga., where the Fourteenth Army Corps remained for five days waiting for the arrival of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Corps ere they be- gan the work of capturing the fort and city. In Savannah on the 30th of December. 1861, Mr. Hedrick was discharged from the service and made his way to Lin County, Mo., whence he continued his journey on foot to his home in Sullivan County, where his family awaited him. One little face, however, was missed from the family circle, Thomas B., who had died while his father was gallantly de- fending the country at the South,
In 1865. Mr. Hedrick Jeft Missouri and removed to Jasper County, Jowa, locating near Newton, where he made his home until 1866, when he re- moved to near Greencastle in the same county. In 1870, he came to Polk County, and for the past twelve years has been a resident of Mitchellville. For some time he engaged in brick making until ill health forced him to abandon all manual labor, since which time he has lived a retired life. His constitution was broken down by his arduons ser- vice but the Government. repaying as far as pos- sible his injuries, bas granted him a pension.
To Mr. and Mrs. Hedrick have been born six children: James A .. the eldest. who is engaged in the carpentering business in Mitchellville. wedded Mi-s Georgie Peck, and they have one child, Edith ; Mary is the wife of J. F. Bowman of Mitchellville, by whom she has two children : Clyde and Arley.
Elizabeth and John C. both died at the age of eleven years. Martha J. died in infancy, and Thomas B. died in Missouri as above mentioned.
In politics, Mr. Hedrick is a Republican and so- cially is a member of Warr Post. No. 17, G. A. R., of Mitchellville. True to the lessons taught him in early childhood he has lived an upright and honorable life and he and his wife are numbered among the carnest and faithful members of the Christian Church. They are not only found at their places in the house of worship but make their reli- gion a part of their lives and are faithful workers for the advancement of the cause,
OSEPH KUHIN, a retired merchant and cap- italist and a prominent early settler of Des Moines, was born in Wejesenheim, Bavaria, in 1828. His parents, Jacob and Gersgl (Schmidt ) Kuhn, were also natives of Bavaria. His father died when the son was but thirteen years old and the mother departed this life in 1861. Joseph received his education in his native country and at the age of twenty years, in 1848, emigrated to America. After spending a few years in the East, he came to F't. Des Moines, reaching this city October 11, 1854, and soon after embarked in busi- ness in company with his brother Isaac. as a dealer in clothing and mens' furnishing goods. Early in 1861 he went to Europe and after his return in the autumn of the same year greatly enlarged and ex- tended his business and in the fall of 1862, added dry goods to his stock. They also had several no- tion wagons on the road and did a general jobbing and wholesale trade. The firm bought largely at the beginning of the war on a rising market and made money rapidly. He left the city in the spring of 1861 and went to New York, where in company with his brother he engaged in the manufacture of clothing on a large scale, at the same time continu- ing the business in Des Moines. They carried on operations in New York until the fall of 1868. when they closed out their business and conven- trated their capital in this city. Shortly afterwards. however, they dissolved partnership and ran separ-
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ate stores. Joseph Kuhn, our subject. continued in the mercantile business until the spring of 1871, when he sold out, turning his attention to the care of his property, which now occupies his whole time. Having a large amount of city property and several good farms, he has done a real-estate and broker's business with his own capital and landed possessions.
In January. 1863. in Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Kuhn was united in marriage with Miss Bertha Wolf. daughter of Joseph Wolf. She was born in Durk- heim, Rhine, Bavaria, and died in Des Moines in December, 1876, leaving two sons. Julius, the elder, is now engaged in the mercantile business in New York City, while August, the younger. a graduate of the Harvard Law School, is engaged in the practice of the legal profession.
Mr. Kuhn is a Democrat in politics but has never cared to serve in publie office, preferring to devote his entire energies to business pursuits, which he has done with marked success. Ile came to Des Moines in 1851 in very moderate circunstances, but by the exercise of superior business ability and by close application to details in all his affairs, he has nequired a large property and for many years has been classed as one of the substantial business men of Des Moines.
R OBERT W. CLARKE of East Des Moines is one of the honored pioneers of Polk County, dating his residence in the commu- nity from 1855. He was born in Westmore- Iand County, Pa., February 5, 1816, and is a son of James and Jane Clarke, both of whom were also natives of the Keystone State. His father was a man of prominence and influence in Pennsylvania and held many important positions of public trust. He served in the State Legislature; for nineteen years he served as Commissioner, having charge of canals and railroads, and after two years retirement was again called to public life, becoming a Com- missioner of Public Improvements. He had a State-wide reputation and only laid aside his public duties when old age bad unfitted him for discharg.
ing the arduous tasks accompanying the same. Ilis death occurred in 1867 and his wife died in 1857. Both were consistent members of the United Pres- byterian Church and well deserve mention in this volume. Their family consisted of three sons and three daughters: James P. is in a type writer man- ufactory in New York City; Thomas K. resides on Cottage Grove Avenue, Des Moines, and is en- gaged in the real-estate business; Robert W. is the next younger; Mary is the wife of Rev. A. Il. Young, of Pittsburg, Pa .; Jennie is married and lives in Des Moines and Sarah is at home.
In his native State our subject received a com- mon school education and at the age of sixteen years he joined a corps of civil engineers engaged in the construction of the old Portage Railroad, which was one of the first roads constructed in Pennsylvania. The manner of building roads in that day differs greatly from the present. They never dreamed that a sixteen foot rail could be bent so as to make a curve, but they built their curves of three foot rails which they obtained from England and the effect in riding over one of these curves was similar to that produced in riding in a wagon over an old corduroy road. Mr. Clarke continued his work of civil engineering in the East for several years but at length decided to try his fortune upon the broad prairies of the Western frontier and started to seek a location. Hearing favorable reports of Des Moines he made choice of the capital city of lowa, and after traveling by rail to Jowa City. he procured a carriage and con- tinned on to his destination. He made his perma- nent location in 1856 when, accompanied by his wife, he procured for himself a home and gave bis attention to basiness enterprises in the West.
On the 9th of December. 1840, in the Keystone State, Mr. Clarke was united in marriage with Miss Caroline King. daughter of Thomas King of Erie, Pa. After seeing his family comfortably settled in their new home he engaged in land speculation for a time. but afterward changed his business pursuits, giving his attention to milling. He re- turned to Ohio, where he purchased a sawmill which be shipped to Des Moines and put in opera- tion about one-third of a mile above the floating bridge. This mill will be remembered by many of
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the old settlers of Des Moines. Not long after- wards, however. the financial panie of 1857 came upon the people and thinking that probably be could better his condition by removing further westward, Mr. Clarke shipped his mill and went to Atchison County. Mo., but he now considers that one of the mistakes of his life. He did not meet with the success he anticipated and sold out. After- wards, in company with W. A. Scott. he rigged up a portable sawmill. and with provisions for a dozen men started for Pike's Peak. Mr. Scott was taken sick and died on the way and was buried at Ft. Scott, Kan. Mr. Clarke proceeded on his way to Golden City, Col., where he engaged in business for a time and in 1839 moved his mill to what was known as Eureka Gulch. Going to St. Louis he pirebased a quartz mill which he attached to the sawmill. He then gave his attention to crushing quartz during the day and at night saved lumber. He associated with him three partners. J. W. Stau- ton, J. B. Fitzpatrick and Edwin Sanford, and the business was managed with such capability that the partners were rapidly acquiring wealth when Mr. Clarke was called home by the sickness of his wife. His partners promised to continue the business in the way it had before been conducted, but trouble arose between them, and in consequence sales fell off and business declined. When Mr. Clarke re- turned he found affairs in such a shape that he could hardly summon energy enough to make an effort to bring about the old order of things, but. after a while prospects frightened and prosperity was again beginning to dawn upon him when he was once more called home by the serious illness of Mrs. Clarke and the Doctor gave him to understand that his presence was there needed. He then sold out his Colorado interests and once more turned his attention to civil engineering. In 1868 he helped to locate the Chicago. Rock Island & Coun- cil Bluff- Railroad and in many other ways he has aided in the work of public improvement. Ile platted one of the additions to the city. gave freely of his time and means for the advancement of any worthy enterprise and doserves not a little credit for his share in the advancement and progress made by Des Moines. He has witnessed almost the en- tire growth of the city and feels a just pride in the
position to which it has attained through the labors of its worthy pioneers. His friends on learning of his selection of a site for a home asked him why he was going way out into the country. He replied that he would have neighbors in due time and the years have witnessed the truth of his words. The little hamlet has increased to a city of sixty thon- sail, the metropolis of the State and one of the leading commercial centers of the West.
Although he has met with some reverses, Mr. Clarke's life on the whole has been a successful and prosperous one, little coming to mar his happiness. The greatest shadow which has fallen upon his home came upon him October 30, 1880, when he was called upon to give up the loved wife to her Maker. Mrs. Clarke was a devoted member of the Associa- tion Reform Presbyterian Church and was a most. estimable lady, greatly beloved by many friends. In politics, Mr. Clarke has always acted with the Republican party and has always been numbered among the useful and valued citizens of the county where he has now made his home for the long period of thirty-five years.
G EORGE W. RANDALL. Among those who have done much to build up the busi- nes, interests of Des Moines City, should be mentioned George W. Randall, of the firm of Ran- dall & Dickey. The settlement of his family in America antedates the Revolution. As early as 1780 William Randall emigrated from Cranston, Provi- dence County. R. L., to Chesterfield Township, Cheshire County. N. H .. which continued to be the home of the family for many years. His oldest child, Eleazer. married Martha Staples. settled on a part of his father's estate, and reared a family of five children. The fourth child, Nathan, the father of Mr. Randall. was born on the old homestead, May 10. 1791. l'or his first wife he chose Elizabeth, daughter of Washington Farr, who bore him three daughters, and died in 1831. April 18, 1842. Le wedded Mrs. Catherine Deddrick, by whom he had two children-Eliza W .. wife of Ephraim Thomas. of Des Moines; and George Washington. Nathan
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Randall and family removed to Penn Yan, Yates County, N. Y., where he died June 9, 1859.
The subject of this sketch was born in Penn Yan, September 3. 1816. Having received an academie education he, at the age of sixteen years, began the moulder's trade in an iron foun- dry. In 1866 he decided to make his home in the West, and with his mother started for Des Moines. From Kellogg they had to come by stage. Having followed his trade about three and one-half years, after coming to this city he went to work for N. T. Vorse, who was running an implement establishment. Elliott & Sibley succeeded Vorse, and in 1877 he bought Sibley's interest. Two years later Mr. A. Dickey acquired Elliott's share in the business, and since then the firm has been Randall & Dickey. They do the most extensive business of the kind in the State, having fine branch houses at the following towns: Winterset, Guthrie Center, Atlantic, Audo- ban and Griswold.
Mr. Randall is a Republican, and a Knight Templar Mason. November 25, 1873, he married Miss Frances A. Edwards, a native of Louisville, Ky., and an accomplished lady. They have one daughter, Ida. Mrs. Randall is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Randall is numbered among the old settlers of Des Moines, and is ac- counted one of its best business men. By close attention to business, and husbanding his resources he has become well off, notwithstanding the fact he began as a day-laborer.
ENRY C. HARGIS, who is numbered among the carly settlers of the county, is now en- gaged in general farming and stock-raising on section 35, Bloomfield Township, where he owns a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres, conveniently situated about two miles from the city of Des Moines. He has been prominently connected with the agricultural interests of the county for many years and is regarded as one of the best farmers in the community where he makes his home.
In Pulaski County, Ky., on the 21st of February,
1820. Mr. Hargis was born. His father, Thomas largis, was a native of the same State, but his par- ents were Virginians, born of Welsh ancestry. He grew to manhood in his native State and there be. came acquainted with and wedded Naomi Barnes, an estimable lady of English origin. They became the parents of a family of fourteen children, but only five of that number are now living-Henry C., whose name heads this sketch ; Stephen M .. a resi- dent of Warren County. lowa; David P., who is living in Nebraska; Elvira, wife of Mark Rambo of Red Bluffs. Cal .. and Jasper N., who is Super- intendent of the Poor Farm of Warren County. During the War of 1812, Thomas largis served three months under Gov. Isane Shelby. Ile after- ward participated in the "fearless battle," the battle of New Orleans, which ended the war, and then walked from the Crescent City to his home in l'u- laski County, Ky. Farming was his chosen occu- pation and he followed that business in his native State until 1829, when he removed with his family to Edgar County, Ill., where they resided about a. year. As the county was then newly settled, nearly all of the people were afflicted with chills and Mr. Ilargis and his family fell a victim to the same, which determined them to seek a home elsewhere. They removed to Clay County, Ind., but did not make a permanent location until 1838, when they became residents of Macon County, Mo., where the death of the father occurred in 1846. His wife sur- vived him about eight years and passed to her final rest in 3 %ly. 1851.
Our subject remaine I with his family in their va- rious places of residence during his carlier years and in the common schools of the community in which they made their home acquired a good education in the rudimentary branches. When fifteen years of age he was apprenticed to the tanner's trade and on the expiration of his term of service remained with his employer. with whom he continued to work for five years. The following winter he taught school and in July of the next year, 1840, made arrange- ments to carry on a tannery with the following conditions. He was to furnish the bark and ins- terial, while his parents furnished the capital and was to receive half of the upper leather and one- third of the sole leather for his work. He did busi-
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ness in that way for three years, when in the win- ter of 1811. he built a tantery of his own in Shelby County. Ind., where he operated sheet fully for nine years. During that period the cusvigy ronal about became qofte thickly populated . i the lands were so rapidly cleared that it was added imposi- ble to procure bark for his business, In extre. quence he gave up tanning in 1853. and having purchased a farm two years previous in the same county, turned his attention to the development of his land. After raising two crops, he sold out with the determination to try his fortune in the West and chose Polk County, Iowa, as the scene of his future labors. He purchased three hundred and twenty neres of land on which he now resides and also entered forty neres of timber land. Moving his family into a small frame house which had been erected and which at that time was almost the only improvement, he began the arduous task of clear- ing. breaking and developing the land and in his labors has met with excellent success. He possesses the essentials necessary to a prosperous career-in- dustry. enterprise, good management and business ability and by the exercise of those qualities has steadily worked his way upward to a position of affluence. At one time he owned five hundred and thirty aeres of valuable land, but has since given two hundred seres of that amount to his son. His own farm, as before stated. is one of the best in the county, where can be found an excellent grade of stock. good barns and outbuilding .. the latest ma- chinery and all necessary improvements.
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