The history of Dubuque County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., Part 115

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical
Number of Pages: 964

USA > Iowa > Dubuque County > The history of Dubuque County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc. > Part 115

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brought about eighty colonists to the city of Dubngne. Here the learn- ed Doctor began to think, that if he put his funds into the colony, the seventy poor colonists might eat them up, and that his friend C. G. Wollweber might be right after all. But instead of coming manly to the front, he bought a farm not a thousand miles away from Dubnqne, and several other families, who possessed several thousand dollars, about followed his example, and remained in Dubnqne, although they had agreed to join the colony. The remaining seventy people however, being nearly penniless, (they had $300 all together,) appeared one day at the colony and demanded to be adnfitted, as they had been requested by the Doctor. Although foreseeing endless troubles, if not the downfall of the new colony, the pity for the poor unfortunates prevailed, and con- trary to better judgment, they were admitted. This however, was the commencement of its decay, and nnable to bear the sight of it, discon- tent having arisen, C. G. Wullweber removed with his family to Dn- bnque in the fall of 1831. This noble man had tried his best to animate the colonists to create, what he believed would prove, a Paradise on earth, and many a time has the writer of this, scen him shoulder the heavy yoke at five o'clock in the morning and carry it long distances, to yoke the oxen in order to set a good example, although in Germany he had only been accustomed to oversee a large force of men. But the fatal mistake had been made-the 70 lid cat up during the following winter nearly everything that was walking on four legs in the colony, and when, in the spring of 1852, C. G. Wollweber returned to the col- ony and found nearly all the good stock gone and things generally in a bad shape, he returned to wind the matter np. Having been the moving spirit in starting the colony, he was not a moment undecided what course to parse, but instructed Judge Murdock, of Clayton county. to sell all the land, goods and chattels and pay back to every man be- longing to the colony every dollar he had paid in and to surrender the balance to him, less his charge ! This the Judge promptly attended to and from the sum of $4.000.00, which Mr. Wollweber had invested in the colony, there remained a balance of 8325. It was a hard blow for him, but nothing compared to that, which destroyed his pet idea to cre- ate, together with like minded men, a paradise on earth. Luckily he had not disposed of all his lands in Germany and from the proceeds of the lat- ter, and with the help of his children, he soon rose again from this finan- cial stroke. In 1854 he lost his wife, and in 1856 went, with all his children, to Enrope in order to complete their education. It was there that he made the acquaintance of his second wife, the amiable Baroness von Buelow. They were married in 1857, and of their four children only one, Miss Dora, is now alive. The crisis of 1857 also nearly prostrated him financialy, and in 1858 he hastened back to Dubnqne with his whole family. The balance of his life was devoted to free his estate from enenmbrance, and to the education of his younger children. He snc- ceeded in this, and had the satisfaction to see his eldest son a U'nited States Mmister and his other children comfortably placed in life. Once more he visited the land of his birth to see the dear friends and relations (he had eleven married sisters and one brother) when, after a nsetnl and noble life, he surrendered his spirit to the power that gave it on the 13th day of Jannary. 1876, surrounded by his wife and three remaining sons ..

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grew up and learned the machinist's trade in this city; he entered the employ of Rouse & Dean in 1864, and held the position of foreman since 1877; he is a member of Dubuque Lodge, No. 3, A., F. & A. M., and of Harmony Lodge, No. 2, I. O. O. F., also of Dubuque Lodge, No. 9, A. O. U. W. Mr. Woodward was united in marriage to Miss Amelia S. Trith, of Dubuque, May 8, 1871; they have three children-Will- iam, Robert and Thomas E.

W. W. WOODWORTH, proprietor of Julien House, corner Main and Second streets, Dubuque; is a native of Herkimer Co., N. Y., and was born Jan. 1, 1817; when 18 years of age, he entered his father's store; he remained there until 21 years of age, then with his brother engaged in the mercantile business, and continued until 1857, when he came West to Iowa and located in Dubuque, and engaged in mer- cantile business here with his brother; they continued in business until 1870, and since then he has owned and had the management of the Julien House. Mr. Woodworth has been married three times; he married his present wife, Mrs. Thorn, from Herkimer Co., N. Y., in 1876. Mr. Woodworth has four children-two sons and two daughters, by former marriages.

IGNATUS E. WOOTTON, retired, 47 Burch street; is a native of Ken- tucky, and was born April 22, 1810; in 1817, he went to Missouri and grew up to manhood there; he helped survey the half-breed tract, which was the first surveying done in this State, he was mustered in the service during the Black Hawk war; he came to Dubuque and arrived here Oct. 10, 1832, and was one of the earliest settlers in this county; soon after he came, during the fall, he built a cabin on the same lot he now occupies, and the foundation of the old cabin still remains; he engaged in mining, and continued it until 1842, and has been engaged in mining more or less since until within the past ten years; he has held the offices of Constable, Deputy Sheriff, and was elected the second County Treasurer of Dubuque County. In 1844, he married Miss Sarah Evans, from Ohio; they have three children-two sons, William M. and Joseph, ,both farmers in this county; one daughter, Tabitha, at home; they have lost two chil- dren.

HON. CHRISTIAN WULLWEBER (deceased), was born in Hage-

. now, Germany, July 1, 1833. He grew up and attended school there, and in 1847, entered college at Guerin ; he came with his father's family to America, and arrived in Dubuque in 1850 ; he gave lessons in German and the classics, and, in 1853, was appointed a Professor in Alexander College, and occupied that position until 1856, when his parents returned to Germany ; he went with them, and again entered college and completed his course and graduated at Hamburg; he subsequently entered the University at Berlin and studied civil law and the higher branches of learning ; he con- tinued his law studies at the famous Heidelberg University ; in 1858, when the family returned to the United States, Mr. Wullweber entered the Dane Law School at Harvard College, where he graduated in 1859, and received his diploma ; he returned to Dubuque and engaged in the practice of law. In 1864, he was elected Vice President of the Board of Education, in 1870, he was again elected a member of the Board, and, in 1874, was elected President of the Board. On Nov. 10, 1860, he was united in marriage to Miss Johanna Joarns, a native of Holstein, Germany. Mr. Wullweber continued the practice of law until July, 1875, when he was appointed United States Minister to Ecuador. His death occurred Sept. 22, 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Wullweber had five children, four of whom survive-Anna, Hannah, Olga and Martha; they lost one daughter, Mary.

CHARLES W. WULLWEBER, of the firm of Wullweber Bros., wholesale dealers in furniture ; is a son of the late Christian Wullweber, and was born in Germany March 29, 1846 ; he came with his parents to Dubuque in early childhood ; when 10 years of age, he went with his parents to Europe, and attended schools in Ger- many for two years and returned with them to Dubuque ; after reaching manhood he engaged in business in 1871, and, in 1877, he became a member of the firm of Wull- veber Bros. In 1868, Mr. Wullweber was married to Mrs. Frances Smith, nee Brino, rom Washington, D. C .; they have six children.

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OTTO L. WULLWEBER, of the firm of Wullweber Bros., wholesale and retail dealers in furniture, 835 Main street, Dubuque ; is a son of the late Christian Wullweber ; was born in Germany May 27, 1840; he came with his parents to Dubuque, attended school here and afterward spent two years in Germany in the best schools in Hamburg, studied civil engineering, bridge building and architecture ; after his return to Dubuque, during the war, lie enlisted in Battery L, 2d Missouri Artillery, and remained in the service two years ; after his return he engaged in the furniture business : he was Manager of the Dubuque Cabinet Makers' Association eight years ; in 1877, the firm of Wullweber Bros. was established, and they have built up a large trade, both wholesale and retail. Mr. Wullweber was united in marriage to Miss Sophia Klentz, from St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 5, 1863; they have six children.

HENRY WUNDERLICH, manager of the Dubuque Cabinet Makers' Association, 429 Main street, Dubuque; is a native of Saxony, Germany, and was born Aug. 31, 1836 ; he grew up to manhood there, and studied music; he emigrated to America in 1855, and came to Dubuque the same year and learned the cabinet- making business, and since then has been connected with the business ; he has occupied his present position, as manager of the Association, since 1876, and has built up a large business. He was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Ernst, a native of Penn- sylvania, Nov. 29, 1858; they have five children-George W. (druggist in St. Louis and studying pharmacy), Henry J., Martha, Norma and Harry. Mr. Wunderlich has given much attention to the study of music, and his family have great taste for music and are natural musicians.

F. O. WYATT, General Superintendent of the Chicago, Clinton, Dubuque & Minnesota Railroad, Dubuque ; is a native of Windsor Co., Vt .; he came West to Ohio in 1849 ; he has been engaged in railroading since 1852; was connected with the Cincinnati & Chicago Short Line road, and was also connected with several roads in the South ; he came West and was connected with several roads in Kansas and Nebraska ; in 1869, he came to Wisconsin and built the Wisconsin Valley Railroad; in March, 1877, he was appointed to his present position, as General Superintendent of the Chicago, Clinton, Dubuque & Minnesota Railroad ; the Wisconsin Valley Railroad is also under his supervision. Mr. Wyatt was united in marriage to Miss Marion Purdy, from Wayne Co., Penn .; they have three children-Edith, Stacy and Faith.

ROBERT YATES (deceased) was a native of Ireland; he came to this country when 8 years of age; he grew up to manhood in Pennsylvania, and engaged in mercantile business in Chambersburg. In 1818, he married Miss Mary M. Britt, a native of Bedford, Penn., and was born in 1800, and daughter of John Britt ; he was in the Revolutionary war, and served as aid de camp to Gen. Washington. Mr. and Mrs. Yates came to Iowa and located in Dubuque in 1846; in 1852, he went to California and remained there until his death, which occurred in 1854, leaving ten children, six of whom now survive. Mrs. Yates is still living near her son in this city ; she has prepared, without aid from any one, a history of their family, which in the future will be of great interest and value.

ROBERT G. YATES, manufacturer and dealer in stoves in tinware, 132 Main street, Dubuque; is a native of Chambersburg, Penn., and was born Feb. 10, 1836; his parents moved to Ohio in 1838; they came to Iowa in 1846, and located in Dubuque when he was only 10 years of age; he grew up to manhood and learned his trade here; he has lived in the city thirty-four years, except about three years in Waterloo ; he owns the store where he is engaged in business on Main street. In 1870, he married Miss Josephine Simplot ; she is a native of this city; her parents were among the early settlers. Mr. and Mrs. Yates have three daughters -- Alice, Edith and Mary.

THOMAS YATES, retired, Bluff street, Dubuque ; is a native of Frank- lin Co., Penn., and was born March 13, 1820; he grew up to manhood and learned the trade of tinner and copper-smith; in 1839, he went to Wayne Co., Ohio, and in July, 1846, le came to Iowa and located in Dubuque ; he engaged in manufacturing tinware and continued until 1855; since then, he has not been engaged in active

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business, but has given his attention to the care of his property. Mr. Yates has lived here thirty-four years ; when he came here he only had $75 and a horse and buggy, and his success in life is owing to his own efforts. In 1876, he was united in marriage to Miss Beckkie J. La France, a native of Dubuque; they have two sons-Thomas and an infant son.

CAPT. W. B. YATES, captain of the ferry-boat Key City, Dubuque; is a native of Chamberstown, Penn., and was born Sept. 9, 1825; when quite a lad, he came to Ohio, and lived there until 1848, when he came to Dubuque. In 1850, he was united in marriage to Keziah Cox, a native of England. Went back to Ohio, and in May, 1856, returned to Dubuque; on the 7th of June, he commenced running on the ferry-boat as collector ; the following year, he had charge of the boat, and since then, for a period of twenty-three years, he has had charge of the ferry-boat, and, with the exception of two weeks when he was called away, he has run on the boat every day during the season. Capt. Yates and his wife have six children-Walter G .; Mary E., Anna Belle, William Herbert, May, Eve. The parents of Capt. Yates are both living in Ohio ; his father is 82 years and his mother 76 years of age.

ALEXANDER YOUNG, capitalist, residence corner Main and Fifteenth streets, Dubuque ; is a native of the city of New York, and was born Feb. 24, 1814; he is of Scotch descent. His father was in the war of 1812; he was a merchant in New York City, but failed in 1826. Alexander grew up to manhood in New York City, and left there April 8, 1833, with his father's family, and came to Quincy, Ill. ; his mother died a month later, and his father died May 16, 1841; Mr. Young was the oldest living of seven children, six of whom grew up to maturity, and upon him devolved the care of the family ; in March, 1834, he came to Galena in company with Capt. Nathaniel Pease, on the steamer O'Connell ; he came to Dubuque March 22, 1834, and got employment at $20 a month ; Feb. 20, 1835, he went to Galena, and remained about twenty-five years. He was elected Sheriff of Jo Daviess Co. in 1840, and was re-elected in 1842, and was again re-elected in 1844; in April, 1845, he resigned the office and engaged in steamboating for a short time in company with Smith & Carter, bankers of Galena, taking charge of the steamer Monona; Nov. 19, 1859, he returned to Dubuque, and since then has resided here; he was largely inter- ested in lumbering until 1868, and since then has not been engaged in active business. When he first came here, he only had $7.30, and his success in life is owing to his own efforts. Mr. Young was united in marriage, Aug. 8, 1847, to Miss Elizabeth Bates, second daughter of Nehemiah Bates, one of the earliest settlers in Galena; they have two children-one son, William A., and one daughter, Mary E., wife of Dr. Albert H. Hoy, of Racine, Wis.

JACOB ZANGMEISTER, dealer in groceries and provisions, 504 Julien avenue, Dubuque ; was born in Bavaria, Germany, Nov. 7, 1838; grew up to manhood there, and came to America in 1858, and came to Dubuque ; soon after coming here, he engaged in the grocery trade, and has carried on that business for twenty years, and is one of the oldest grocery merchants in the city. He belongs to Dubuque Lodge, No. 9, A. O. U. W., and is a member of the Knights of Honor and also of the Legion of Honor. In September, 1868, he was united in marriage to Miss Dorothea Hargeshei- mer, a native of Bavaria, Germany; they have six children-Laura, George, Oscar P. and Edward C. (twins), William B., Clara May.

H. ZIEPPRECHT, druggist and apothecary, Clay street, between Thir- teenth and Fourteenth streets; is a native of Prussia, Germany, and was born July 27, 1826 ; he grew up to manhood there, and began learning his business in 1840 ; he emigrated to America in 1854, and came to Iowa and located in Dubuque in the spring of 1856 and established his present business, which he has carried on over twenty-four years, and is one of the oldest druggists in the city. In 1857, he married Caroline Kompe, a native of Germany ; she died in 1864, leaving two children-Mary and Con- rad ; he married Emma Heinlein, a native of Germany, June 8, 1870; they have two sons -- Leo and an infant not named.

GEORGE ZUMHOF, of the firm of George Zumhof & Son, packers, corner Clay and Fourth streets, Dubuque; is a native of Hanover, Germany, and was born

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Jan. 9, 1821 ; he grew up to manhood there and learned the bakery trade; in 1845, he emigrated to America, and lived in Philadelphia two years, and came to Dubuque, April 24, 1847 ; the second day after he came, he began work for Lucius Langworthy ; in 1849, he began the bakery business, and continued in that business for twelve years ; he also carried on the ice business for eleven years ; in 1851, he built the old Missis- sippi House ; he engaged in his present business in 1870. He has been a member of the I. O. O. F. since 1849, and a member of the Masonic Order since 1853. When Mr. Zumhof came to this country he only had $50, and he has carried on business suc- cessfully over thirty years. In 1852, he married Miss Mary Wilhelm, a native of Switzerland ; they have had fourteen children-only seven living-Wilhelmina, Georgie, Emma, Clara, Tillie, William and Bertha.

CASCADE TOWNSHIP.

WILLIAM AITCHISON, Jr., farmer, Sec. 13; P. O. Cascade ; born in Scotland April 5, 1837; emigrated to America in 1855; for two years and six months in New York City, and eight years thereafter in Chicago, was engaged in mer- chandising, when ill health caused a change of occupation and residence to his present farm, in 1865; has a farm of 137 acres, and has not striven to increase his landed pos- sessions ; from philanthropic views, he has been a life-long worker for the benefit of others rather than for himself; he penned the first call for a meeting of those favorable to the organization of the Y. M. C. A. in Chicago, and was one of the three men who made the first organization of the Association there in 1856; was the first Secretary of Y. M. C. A. in that city; was also an earnest worker there in Sunday-school mission work ; he supplied the pulpit of the Cascade Baptist Church for a year, when ill health compelled him to resign. On his 23d birthday, he was united in marriage to Miss Harriet A. Babcock. of Chicago; they have five children, all of whom yet live to bless their household-William C., Albert W., Lydia Grace, John Y., and Harriet Ruth. Mr. A's father-William-was born in Scotland Sept. 6, 1796, and his mother- Agnes-was born in Scotland Feb. 4, 1799 ; they were married in 1824, and came to America in 1855; they, with their six children-Rev. Dr. Aitchison, of Eau Claire, Wis .; James Aitchison, Mrs. A. Fairburn, Mrs. Anson, Mrs. D. A. McKinla, of St. Paul, Minn .; and the subject of this sketch-are all pioneers in this county, and have ever been abundant in good works wherever they have lived.

JAMES F. ANSON, farmer, Sec. 24; P. O. Cascade; born in the city of Dubuque Feb. 24, 1843 ; is a thorough farmer, and quite an extensive one, as is proven by the able management of the 248-acre farm on which he resides. He is a member of the Baptist Church and of the Republican party ; three years of his life were given to the service of the Union in the civil war, as a soldier in Co. H, 16th I. V. I .; his regi- ment was attached to the Seventeenth Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, and partic- ipated in the numerous battles in which that gallant command was engaged-siege of Vicksburg, Shiloh, Iuka, etc., and with Sherman in the grand march from Chattanooga to the sea, and at the final review at Washington. He was married, in 1873, to Mrs. Isabella Y. Hamilton, daughter of William Aitchison, Sr .; he has one daughter- Isabella H. Anson, and two step-sons-William W. Hamilton and Charles E. Hamilton.

ISAAC W. BALDWIN, editor and proprietor of the Cascade Pioneer ; is a son of William Baldwin and Mary Slichter, and was born Jan. 31, 1835, at Blair, Waterloo Co., Canada West; he removed, with his parents, in 1846, to Saginaw, Mich., and, in 1853, came with them to Cascade, Iowa. His father was a tanner and currier, therefore young Isaac was trained to the same trade until coming to Iowa, when his father went to farming, and the subject of this sketch went to Galena and served as Assistant Postmaster from 1854 to 1866; he was also, a portion of the time, pro- prietor of the De Soto House ; the latter was conducted on a very liberal plan, and did not prove a paying investment ; an example of his liberality is seen in the grand fare- well entertainment which he gave to Lieut. Gen. U. S. Grant in 1865, prior to the

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General's departure for Washington ; this was the society event of the season ; Gen. Dick Oglesby, Gen. John A. Logan, Gov. Cullom, Hon. E. B. Washburne, Jesse K. Dubois and other State notables were present. Mr. Baldwin was married in Galena, on the 17th of November, 1860, to Miss Hellen Mackay, a daughter of Col. Æneas Mackay, of the U. S. Army ; his children by this union are Bruce Legate, born April 29, 1862 ; Waltenham Eugene, Oct. 29, 1863; Maud Mary, Nov. 21, 1865 ; Charles Dunn, Oct. 2, 1867, and Hellen M., Sept. 5, 1869. Mrs. H. Baldwin died Jan. 17, 1872. After leaving the post office in Galena, Mr. Baldwin resided in St. Louis until the autumn of 1867, when he returned to Cascade, where he has since resided ; he was, for several years, connected with Frank May in the liquor business ; then, for a year, he managed the American House, and in June, 1877, became editor and propri- etor of the Cascade Pioneer, which is the only paper now published in this city. On the 23d of September, 1874, he married his second wife, Miss Jean Hays McGregor, daughter of Joseph McGregor', of Dubuque, by whom he has three children-Mae Bernice, born Aug. 15, 1875; Frank Leekly, Dec. 16, 1876, and Maggie, Dec. 22, 1878; Hellen and Maggie both died in infancy. Mr. Baldwin has been a Justice of the Peace for six years in Whitewater Township. He has been a Democrat from early boyhood, but was a loyal supporter of the Government during the rebellion, his model statesman being Stephen A. Douglas, and not Jeff Davis; he represented the Dem- ocracy of Jo Daviess Co., Ill., in State Convention continuously from 1856 to 1862 ; was Chairman of the Third Congressional District in 1866, and stumped the district with Hon. Thomas J. Turner, and against Hon. E. B. Washburne. He is a member of the Odd Fellows, and is the Master Workman in the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is a ready writer and public-spirited citizen. In religion, he is liberal. The Pioneer is Independent.

FRANK S. BANGHART, clothing merchant; son of G. G. Banghart,. of Cascade ; was born Feb. 12, 1852, in Washington Township, Jones Co., near Cas- cade, Dubuque Co., lowa; his minority was passed at home on the farm and in his father's store, and at Cornell College and Bailey's Commercial College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; on attaining his majority, he started a store for the sale of clothing and gents' furnishing goods, which he still carries on, and has much the largest stock in his line to be found in Cascade. He was married, Sept. 20, 1876, to Miss Maggie Moore; they have one child-Bernice, born in September, 1878. He speaks German ; is a Democrat ; is social, popular and successful.

GEORGE G. BANGHART, the oldest merchant in Cascade, is the son of William Banghart and Mary A. Sutton, and was born Feb. 11, 1817, in Bel- videre, Warren Co., N. J .; his father died when George was only 7, and, at 15, he went to Michigan and learned the trade of a baker, and afterward clerked in a store ; when only 20 years of age, he formed a partnership with A. B. Newcomb & Co. in Pontiac, Mich .; soon after his majority, he became sole proprietor in a large bakery and a pro- vision and grocery store; the panic of 1837 brought back to first principles, but, having good credit, he started a grocery store in 1838, which was burned in the sum- mer of 1839 ; immediately rented another store and went into general merchandising ; ran that store two years, then, in 1841, came to Cascade, bringing several hundred dollars' worth of dry goods, which he sold in Caleb Bucknam's Hotel. He was married Feb. 11, 1838 (his 21st birthday), to Miss Eliza A. Bucknam, daughter of Caleb Bucknam, Sheriff of Oakland Co., Mich .; they had ten children, seven of whom are now living-George C., born in April, 1839, and died in August, 1879; Carrie A., married R. J. McVay, a merchant in Cascade; William J., grain-buyer, Cascade ; Frank S., clothier ; Henry J., merchant, Monmouth, Jones Co .; Oscar H., partner of his father in general merchandising ; May L., in Rockford Seminary, Illinois ; Fannie V., now at home; two other children died in infancy. He has passed through several panics, but has in every instance paid one hundred cents on a dollar ; he has been the subject of several accidents, but escaped without serious physical injury ; when his store was struck by lightning in 1852, and a keg of powder exploded, thereby blowing out one side of the store and doing $2,000 damage, he was writing at his desk and was.

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The history of Dubuque County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., Part 115

Author: Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Number of Pages: 964

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical
Number of Pages: 964