John Hale, the proprietor of the Hale fruit farm in Washington township, Fremont county, has occupied this place since 1895.  He was born in Monroe county, Ohio, August 14, 1840, a son of Levi Hale, whose birth occurred near Little Washington, Washington county, Pennsylvania.  The grandfather, O.N. Hale, was of German descent and was born in Switzerland, while his wife who bore the maiden name of Sarah Mowder, was a native of Scotland, and both died in Athens county, Ohio.  Levi Hale, the father, was reared upon an Ohio farm and after attaining man's estate he married Sarah Johnson, who was born in Monroe county, a daughter of Joseph and Rosa Johnson.  He was a native of Ireland and her parents were from Scotland, so that the blood of four nations - the Swiss, the German, the Irish and the Scotch flowed in the veins of John Hale.  The father became a well-known agriculturist and followed agricultural pursuits in order to provide for his family.  He died in Crawford, Illinois, at the age of fifty-six years, and his wife passed away in Athens county, Ohio, at the ripe old age of eighty-three years.  They were the parents of nine children, six sons and three daughters, namely: Simeon, who was a soldier in the Civil war and is now living in the Buckeye state; Joseph, who also served with the 'boys in blue' and now makes his home in Illinois; Owen, who was a member of the Union army and is located in Tarkio, Missouri; William, deceased; John, who likewise aided his country in the Civil war; Fred, who has passed away; Rosa, who is living in West Virginia; Christina, a resident of the same state; and Sarah, now deceased.

John Hale was reared in Athens county, Ohio, upon the home farm and acquired his education in the public schools.  He afterward secured a situation on a steamer on the Ohio river, being employed in that capacity until after the inauguration of the Civil war, when at the President's call for aid to suppress the rebellion, he enlisted as a member of Company I, Twenty-first Illinois Infantry.  This was General Grant's regiment.  He served for four years  and was in the Army of the Tennessee, with the Twentieth Corps, First Division and First Brigade.  He was for some time under command of General Rosecrans.  At the battle of Chickamauga he was taken prisoner and held as such for seventeen months, being incarcerated at Belle Isle, Libby prison in Richmond, Danville, Andersonville, Charleston, Florence, Wilmington and Goldsboro.  He was many times transferred and experienced all the hardships incident to southern prison life.  A part of the time he was engaged  in outdoor work, having charge of sixty other prisoners, who were employed in cutting wood in Florence.  At length, after almost a year and a half spent in captivity, he was paroled for exchange and went to Wilmington and thence to Annapolis, Maryland, after which he was sent to his home, and later received an honorable discharge, having spent four years as a defender of his country.  His was a most honorable military record, one of which he has every reason to be proud.

In 1865 Mr. Hale removed to Atchison county, Missouri, locating in the western portion and there remained through three decades.  In 1895 he came to his present farm in Fremont county, comprising one hundred and twenty acres in Washington township.  This is all planted in fruit of every variety that can be cultivated in this climate, and the fruits of Hale farm are of such excellent size, quality and flavor that they find a ready sale on the market and command the best prices.  He has made a close study of horticulture, understands the needs of the various kinds of fruit which he cultivates, and his opinions on the subject are widely accepted as authority.

Mr. Hale was married in Atchison county, Missouri to Miss Sarah York, who was born in Crawford county, Illinois, a daughter of Ezekiel and Elizabeth (Easton) York, of Kentucky.  they became the parents of five children, of whom three are yet living: Charles, Owen and William.  Mrs. Hale died in 1881, and the following year Mr. Hale married Elvira Miller, who was born in Athens county, Ohio, a daughter of James and Susan (Townsend) Miller, also of that county.  Two children grace the second marriage: Orpha May and Ewing Everett.

Mr. Hale and his wife hold membership in the Christian church of Hamburg.  In politics he is a Republican, earnest in his advocacy of the principles of the party, and socially he is connected with Jerusalem Lodge, No. 253, A.F. & A.M., and with the Grand Army of the Republic.  As a citizen he is as true and loyal today as when he followed the old flag upon the battlefields of the south.

William Hall, whose record as a brave and gallant soldier is equaled by his creditable career as a citizen and business man, has been a resident of Fremont county for the past thirty years.  He is a native of England, having been born in Northamptonshire, on the 4th of July, 1839.  His father, Luke Hall, was born March 16, 1818, in the same county, and when he had attained adult age he wedded Miss Mary Ann Barrett, who also was born in the same locality, representing a good family there.  She died at the age of twenty-six years, leaving one son, William, whose name introduces this record.  He was thirteen yers of age when he accompanied his father on the voyage across the Atlantic to the new world.  They took passage at Liverpool on a sailing vessel, and after a stormy voyage of six weeks arrived at New York, the year of the cholera epidemic.  They then removed to the Mississippi valley, settling in Aurora, Kane county, Illinois, where the father secured employment of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, working on the road from Aurora to Mendota.  Subsequently he went to Bristol, Illinois, and afterward came to Iowa where he was employed on the Burlington road, being in the service of the railroad company for twenty-five years.  Through a considerable period he resided in Lancaster county, Nebraska, engaged in farming.  In 1892 he came to Fremont county to make his home with his son William, and with him resided until 1896, when he was called to his final rest.  He was very industrious, energetic, resolute and honest.  His political support was given the Republican party, in religious belief he was connected with the Church of England and socially he was identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Having spent the first thirteen years of his life in the land of his birth William Hall then came to the new world with his father.  He had attended school in England, and after reaching this country he began earning his own livelihood in the service of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company.  During the Civil war he responded to President Lincoln's call for aid, enlisting on the 15th of November, 1861, under the command of Colonel H. T. Reid, who was wounded at Shiloh, and was then succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel Dewey.  Mr. Hall participated in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, the siege of Vicksburg and the Meridian raid, and was honorably discharged December 31, 1863, after which he veteranized and was under the command of General Sherman.  During his second term of enlistment he was in the battles of Resaca, New Hope Church and Burnt Hickory.  He drove a government team from Atlanta to Savannah, and at length took passage on a vessel to Beaufort, South Carolina, thence he went to Pocotalico, Columbia, Raleigh, North Carolina, Richmond and thence to Washington, D.C. where he participated in the grand review.  He was honorably discharged July 24, 1865, at Louisville, Kentucky, and was paid off at Davenport, Iowa.

Mr. Hall then returned to Des Moines county, Iowa, and was employed for three years as a farmer in that county, thence went to Henry county, Iowa, where he was employed on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.  In 1870 he came to Farragut, in the employ of that road as section foreman, with which he was connected until 1887, when he removed to his present farm, comprising eighty acres of good land.  It has since been his home and gives evidence in its thrifty appearance of the care and supervision which he bestows upon it.  The fields are kept in good condition and everything about the place is attractive by reason of the orderly condition and excellent business methods which are followed.  

On the 30th of January, 1866, in Des Moines county, Iowa, Mr. Hall was united in marriage to Miss Theressa A. Denny, who has been to him a good wife and faithful companion on life's journey.  She was born in Washington county, Indiana, but her mother departed this life in Henry county, Iowa.  Six children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. Hall, namely: Fanny Ellen, now the wife of P. Greenlee of Holt county, Missouri; William Luke, of Crete, Nebraska; Robert J., who is living in Kansas; George W., also a resident of Holt county, Missouri; Charles F., who died at the age of two years; and Rachel E., who completes the family.  Mrs. Hall is a member of the Christian church and Mr. Hall belongs to Ransom Post, No. 379, G.A.R., at Farragut, taking a very active part in its work and serving for some time as the officer of the day.  He is a popular man by reason of his genial manner and pleasant address, combined with the utmost reliability.

George T. Hatten was born in Missouri in 1852 and is a representative of one of the old families of Virginia.  His grandfather, William D. Hatten, was born in that state and died in Fremont county, Iowa, at the age of ninety-five years.  His son, Charles Spottswood Hatten, was also a native of the Old Dominion and spent his last days in Sidney, Iowa.  On leaving the place of his nativity he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Dudding, who was born in the same state and died in Sidney.  Three of the uncles of our subject, Benjamin, John and Thad Hatten, were Confederate soldiers at the time of the Civil war.

George T. Hatten, whose name forms the caption of this review, was born in Holt county, Missouri, and when he was a year old was taken by his parents to Fillmore, Missouri.  The father was a carpenter and cooper by trade.  The family resided in Fillmore until 1865, when they removed to Sidney, in Fremont county, our subject being then thirteen years of age.  In this place he learned the printer's trade and worked on the old Sidney Union and on the Fremont County Herald.  He also learned painting and paper-hanging, which pursuits he followed at various intervals for twenty years.  During that time he served for about thirty days as a nurse to the noted outlaw, Polk Wells, who was shot for robbing the bank at Riverton, and whose restoration to health was due to the care of Mr. Hatten.  In 1893 Mr. Hatten became the proprietor of the Crozier Hotel in Sidney, and under his direction it became the leading hotel of Fremont county.  He successfully conducted it until June, 1900, since which time he has been the proprietor and manager of the Manhattan restaurant in Sidney, which has already become famous as a first-class dining place.  The enterprise is indeed proving a success, being conducted after the most modern and approved methods, and his patronage is steadily and constantly increasing.

Mr. Hatten was united in marriage in 1885 to Miss Margaret Linn, a daughter of James R. and Sarah (Chillcoate) Linn, who removed from Pennsylvania to Shelby county and then to Sidney, Iowa, where Mr. Linn was born.  His wife was a native of Baltimore, and her family owns  land on which a part of that city is built.  Her father, Mr. Chillcoate, was an Englishman, and Mrs. Hatten's paternal grandfather, James Linn, was of English descent.  Her uncle Jacob Linn, was a Union soldier in the Civil war, belonging to the Eighth Pennsylvania Infantry, a man of strong religious convictions who lived up to Christian principles under all the adverse influences of army life.  Another uncle, the Rev. Hugh Linn, was an eminent minister of the Methodist church, long connected with the Pennsylvania conference, and his death was widely and deeply mourned throughout that portion of the country.  Both of these uncles reared families whose members are respected representatives of society, successful business people and earnest Christians.

A few years after the arrival of James R. and Sarah Linn in Sidney, Iowa, they removed to Pierce City, Missouri, where the father is still living, although the mother has passed away.  Theirs, too, was a Christian family, and its representatives were found to be earnest Christian workers; doing all in their power to uplift their fellow men and to bring to those with whom they were associated a cognizance of the needs of the human soul.  Reared amid the refining influences of a good Christian home, Mrs. Hatten is widely known as a lady of intelligence and culture, and many excellent characteristics.  By her marriage she has become the mother of one son, Charles Mearl, an exceptionally bright, interesting and well educated youth of fourteen years.  He will undoubtedly make his mark in the world.

The Hatten family is one widely and favorably known in this locality.  In his political views Mr. Hatten is a Democrat and in March, 1896, he entered upon the duties of the office of mayor of Sidney, to which he had been elected, filling that position in a most creditable manner for one year.  He belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity and is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America, while his wife is a member of the Methodist church.  In manner Mr. Hatten is pleasant and genial, in his business dealings reliable, and in all the relations of life true to duty, and those qualities have made him very popular, so that he enjoys the highest regard of the majority of the citizens of Sidney.

Elijah R. Hawley

It is certainly intended that years of labor should be followed by a period of rest.  This is seen in the vegetable kingdom and the law holds good among men.  In youth one is strong, ambitious, energetic; as the years pass, judgment, resulting from experience, comes to guide the labors of men, and in later life, when the weight of years is felt, there should be a season of inactivity, a period in which to enjoy the fruits of former toil.  This does not come to every man, but if it does not its absence is due to the lack of business foresight and capable management.  Success is not particularly a product of genius, but results from earnest labor, well directed by practical common sense.  Such qualities enable Mr. Hawley to live in retirement at the present time.  He was formerly connected with agricultural and mercantile interests, and his work brought to him a handsome competence, so that he now finds it possible to put aside the responsibilities which attended him in former years.

A native of Vermont, Mr. Hawley was born on the 31st of March, 1820.  His father, Elijah Hawley, was also a native of the Green Mountain state, born in 1785 and died in 1870.  The grandfather was John Hawley, but little is known concerning the ancestral history of the family save that the descent is from Irish and German ancestors.  The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Seriah Gloss and was also a native of Vermont.  In the family were three daughters and two sons: Nancy, who died in early girlhood; Joseph W., who died in Percival, Iowa, in December 1897, when nearly ninety years of age; Mary, who died when twenty years of age; Sarah, the wife of Walter B. Sheldon, a resident of Benton township; and Elijah R.  Mrs. Sheldon is now eighty-two years of age, but her hair has no mark of gray and she has the appearance of a woman many years younger.  The mother died of consumption, about 1832, and the two daughters passed away with the same disease.

In 1823 Elijah Hawley, Sr., removed with his family to Rome, New York, and there the subject of this review was reared to agricultural pursuits upon his father's farm, which was then situated about a mile from the city, but is now within the corporation limits.  He enjoyed the educational privileges afforded by the common country schools, where he pursued his studies through the winter months, while in the summer he worked upon the home farm until he had attained his majority.  He then started out in life on his own account, going to Jefferson county, New York, where he operated a tract of land until 1863.  While ill in a hotel he formed the acquaintance of Miss Amelia Sheldon, whose brother and mother conducted the house.  This acquaintance ripened into love, and they were married on the 22nd of January, 1845.  In 1864 they emigrated westward, leaving their New York home on the 9th of May and arriving at their destination on the 2nd of June.  They made the journey by water to Chicago and by rail to Belle Plaine, Iowa, thence drove across the country in company with the family of Mr. Hawley's brother.  The subject of this review purchased eighty acres of wild land of a settler, paying therefor seven hundred dollars, and he still resides upon a tract of  five and a half acres which belonged to the original farm.  He also has an eighty acre farm  two miles and a half north of Percival,  and one hundred and sixty-one acres of land in Oklahoma.  For seventeen years he was connected with the mercantile interests of Percival, conducting a well-equipped establishment wherein his labors brought him a good return..  He has also been prominent in public affairs, and for many years has served as justice of the peace, while for nine years he occupied the position of township trustee, and for sixteen consecutive years he has been a school director.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hawley have been born four sons and four daughters, all of  whom are yet living, namely: Ann Eliza, who is the wife of Duane Rogers, a farmer of this locality, by whom she has six children; Henry E., of Sidney, who is the county treasurer, is married and has seven children; Mary, who is the wife of O. K. Paddock, a live-stock commissioner of Omaha, and has had eight children, five of whom are living; Frank H., who resides upon the home farm, has been married twice and has four children; Etta, who is the wife of Floyd E. Wadham, a farmer of Benton township, and has six children; Artie, the wife of Jay E. Rogers, an agriculturist of Benton township; Jay S., of Percival, who is married and has one son and two daughters; and Burt R., of Denver, Colorado, who has one son.

Mr. and Mrs. Hawley began their domestic life with very little capital, and when they arrived in Iowa he had only a team of horses, a few household effects and ten dollars in money.  He purchased his farm mostly on credit, but the first summer, with his team, he earned enough to make a good payment upon his land and had no trouble in meeting his obligation.  In 1899 he erected his present good residence.  With him and his wife resides their granddaughter, Dora Hawley, who came to them when she was three years of age, and who is of great assistance to them now.  After attending the common schools she was for one year a student in Topeka, Kansas, and is a bright and interesting young lady.  Mr. Hawley is a Master Mason, and has been a Republican in politics since 1856, when he supported Fremont for the United States presidency.  He and his wife are members of the Congregational church and have traveled life's journey together for fifty-five years, their mutual love and confidence increasing as the decades have rolled by.  They are people of sterling worth, and in the evening of life can look back over the past, without regret and forward to the future without fear. 

H. E. Hawley

Among the leading and prominent citizens of Sidney, Iowa, is Mr. Hawley, who is now so capably and satisfactorily serving as the treasurer of Fremont county. For several years he has been prominently identified with public affairs, and is a recognized leader in the ranks of the Republican party.

Mr. Hawley was born in Jefferson county, New York, on the 6th of August, 1849, and in 1864 came to this county with his parents, E. R. and Amelia Hawley, who were natives of Connecticut and New York, respectively. His early life was passed upon a farm, and his education was obtained in the public schools of Tabor, and in a business college at Burlington, Iowa. For some time he was engaged in the general merchandise business at Percival, this county, and was residing there when he first became identified with public affairs. His first official position was that of township clerk, to which he was elected about 1881. Later he became prominently connected with county affairs, and was elected auditor in 1885 and treasurer in 1898. The latter office he is still filling in a most creditable manner, and is one of the most popular officials of the county. His political support has always been given the Republican party since he cast his first vote for U. S. Grant in 1872.

Fraternally he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and religiously is a member of the Congregational church. The marriage of Mr. Hawley took place October 20, 1875, with Flora Wadhams. Of this union there have been born seven children: Gertrude, Grace, Floyd, Edith, Ethel, Winnefred and Herman. Floyd is the deputy county treasurer.

Fred Hiatt

A successful and enterprising agriculturist of Fremont county, Iowa, located near the prosperous town of Sidney, is Fred Hiatt, who was born in Fremont county, in 1872, a son of Reuben and Martha Ann (Kauble) Hiatt, the former of whom was born in Illinois and died in Fremont county in 1897.    The father was a very prominent man, being one of the first settlers of the county, coming here in 1851.  Mrs. Hiatt was born in Indiana, in 1830, of German descent, a daughter of David and Mary (Kratzer) Kauble, and married Mr. Hiatt in Missouri.  She still survives.  The paternal ancestry of our subject can be clearly traced to Page Proctor Hiatt, the great-grandfather, who was a soldier in the Revolutionary war.  The paternal grandparents were Jesse and Mary (Proctor) Hiatt, the latter born in Madison county, Kentucky, the former in South Carolina, from which state he emigrated at a very early day to Peoria, Illinois, where he was one of the oldest settlers, and from there entered the army in the war of 1812.

Our subject received his education in Sidney, Iowa, passing through the high school at that place, and then engaged in farming.  He has a fine tract of valuable land,  comprising ninety acres, upon which he carries on general farming and stock-raising, being particularly successful.

The marriage of our subject took place November 7, 1894, to Miss Olivia Alexander, who was born in Missouri, a daughter of Aaron and Martha (Stokes) Alexander, the former of whom died in Missouri, the latter now being Mrs. Henry Keyser, of this place.  One interesting little daughter, Belma Fern, just three years old, has been added to the family.

In national affairs our subject is always found voting with the Democratic party, but in local matters he casts his ballot for the man he deems best for the position, regardless of general politics.  He has been called upon to serve the township in some of the local offices, and has been a very efficient road supervisor for several terms.  He is a valued member of the Methodist church at Sidney, while Mrs. Hiatt is connected with the Christian church.  Both possess the esteem of the community and are regarded as among the most respected residents of the county.

William B. Houtz

It becomes the duty of every American citizen upon attaining his majority to support in one way or another the constitution of the United States, and by exercising his privilege of voting he evinces his fealty to his country and his pride in its citizenship. In this respect Mr. Houtz has never failed to show his loyalty. He is an uncompromising Republican and has taken a most active part in local and county matters in behalf of his party and his friends. At the same time he has been honored with office, and since 1892 he has filled the position of mayor of Hamburg. No higher testimonial of capable service could be given than the fact that he has been three times re-elected to the office, which is a free will gift from his fellow townsmen. It indicates that his administration has been businesslike and progressive, and that it has proved of practical benefit and has largely promoted the welfare of the city.No other incumbent of the office has won higher commendation for faithful service, and when his time shall have expired he will retire from the position as he entered it - with the confidence and good will of all.

William B. Houtz is a native of Ohio, his birth having occurred in Perry county, that state, on the 16th of June, 1842. His father, Leonard Houtz, was a native of Pennsylvania and a son of Jacob Houtz, who was born in Germany and came to the United States when a young man, locating in Pennsylvania. He served his adopted country as a soldier in the war of 1812, and again in the Mexican war, and returned to his home with an excellent record as a gallant defender of the nation's banner. His wife was Eva Houtz, and during the boyhood of their son Leonard they removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio, locating on a farm in the latter state. Leonard Houtz was reared in that commonwealth and after attaining his majority he was married in Perry county, Ohio, to Ann Eliza Dennison, a native of Maryland and a representative of one of the good families of that state, living near Baltimore. From Ohio Leonard Houtz removed with his family to Fountain county, Indiana, in 1844, taking up his abode upon a heavily timbered tract of land on the Wabash river. Clearing away the trees, he prepared the land for the plow and in course of time gathered rich harvests. The greater part of his life was devoted to agricultural pursuits, but he spent the last decade in retirement in Attica, Indiana. Honest and upright, he commanded uniform respect, and in his demise, which occurred when he was sixty-seven years of age, the community lost one of its valued citizens. His wife died in December 1858. In his political views he was a Jacksonian Democrat, and in religious faith both he and his wife were connected with the United Brethren church. They had the following named children: Jeremiah, who served as a soldier in an Indiana regiment during the Civil war and died soon after his return from the south; Louisa and Evanna, who also have passed away; William B., of this review; John, who was numbered among the "boys in blue" of the Civil war and died in Fountain county, Indiana, in 1890; Cyrus; Ora; and Mary E., who is deceased.

William B. Houtz was reared on a farm in Fountain county, Indiana, and lessons of industry and honesty were early taught him. The educational privileges he enjoyed were those afforded by the common schools, and in Indiana he remained until 1867, when he came to Fremont county, locating near Hamburg. It was not until the following year that the railroad was built, the line being completed from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Mr. Houtz purchased a tract of land in Buchanan township, Atchison county, Missouri, and there developed one of the best farms in this section of the country, increasing his landed possessions from two hundred and forty to four thousand acres. Upon the place he had fine orchards and groves, good meadow and pasture lands, highly cultivated fields, substantial buildings and a pleasant and commodious residence. everything about the place was kept in first-class condition, showing his careful supervision. He now rents his property and it brings to him a good income.

Mr. Houtz was married first in Fountain county, Indiana, to Armanda Jane Overbeg, of that county, a daughter of Julien and Elizabeth Overbeg, also natives of Indiana. The children born of this marriage were William J., a carpenter of Omaha; Mrs. Emma Holton, now deceased; John, who died at the age of eighteen months; Gus, who is engaged in carpentering in Omaha, Nebraska; Frank, who is living in San Francisco, California; and Lon, at home. The wife and mother died in October, 1892, and in June 1894, Mr. Houtz again married, his second union being with Miss Nellie G. Ackley, a representative of a good family, her parents being Eli and Susan (Reeves) Ackley, of Fremont county. Three children have honored this marriage.

Although Mr. Houtz has ever been a stalwart Republican, he is not bitterly or aggressively partisan, but is a broad-minded man, having earnest regard for the welfare of county, state and nation. He has indeed been a popular mayor and his rulings have been for the best interests of the town. He belongs to the Christian church known as Lone Chapel at McKissick's Grove, Missouri, one of the pioneer churches of this portion of the county, and his first wife was also a member. Mr. Houtz is now fifty-eight years of age, an intelligent and well-informed man, genial and approachable and popular. His public and private record are alike commendable and he enjoys the good will and sincere esteem of his fellow citizens.

Andrew Hydringer

"The affairs of life hinge upon confidence."  The truth of this adage of experience is more forcibly demonstrated in the business of banking than in any other occupation, and is truly applicable to the subject of this sketch, who is the president of the State Bank of Hamburg.  He is a man of known integrity, of ample means and might and most appropriately may be designated as one of the most prominent and substantial  representatives of financial and agricultural interests in Fremont county, by reason of his long connection with these lines of enterprise and his intimate identification with the progress and material interests of the locality.  One whose intelligence, energy and discernment prove sufficiently potent to carry him from a position of obscurity to one of high order in the estimation of those who direct the material industries of any land or any nation, and to insure his advancement by individual effort from a point where is represented practically no financial resources to that which defines large accumulations and indubitable influence, is certainly deserving of that honorable and often misapplied title, "a self-made man."  Such is the subject of this review.

Mr. Hydringer has been a resident of the county since 1867.  He was born in Ohio county, West Virginia, in the city of Wheeling, April 15, 1837, and is a representative of one of the distinguished families of France noted for its patriotism and bravery.  His grandfather, Colonel Joseph Hydringer, served as an aid on the staff of General Bonaparte and was present at the burning of Moscow.  He proved a most gallant officer, and after the war he came to the United States, but subsequently returned to his native land and by the government was granted a pension.  He died in France, at the very advanced age of one hundred and thirteen years.

Joseph Hydringer, Jr., a son of the Colonel and the father of our subject, was reared in France, and for seven years served under Louis Philippe in the wars of Europe.  In early life he became an engineer, but afterward learned gardening and followed that vocation for a livelihood.  He married Elizabeth Stepherney, of France, who had one uncle and a brother who participated in the battle of Moscow and witnessed the burning of the city.  Unto Joseph Hydringer and his wife were born four sons and two daughters, namely:  Andrew, of this review; Joseph, of Wheeling, West Virginia; William, who served for three years in the Civil war, winning a brilliant military record and is now a resident of Hamburg; Jacob, who is living in Hamburg; Mrs. Mary A. Harding, who resides in Wheeling, West Virginia; and Mrs. Louisa King, also of that city.  It was along in the '30s that Joseph Hydringer came to the new world.  After becoming an American citizen he gave his political support to the Democracy, being affiliated with that party until his death, which occurred when he was seventy-three years of age.  His wife was a member of the Catholic church and reared her children in that faith.

Andrew Hydringer spent the days of his childhood and youth in Wheeling, assisting his father, and was early taught lessons of industry, economy and honesty.  His school privileges were limited, but experience and observation have made him a well-informed man.  In 1862 he went to the far west, spending three years in mining and ranching in the territory of Idaho.  He afterward resided for two years in Montana, where he followed the same pursuits, and in 1867 he came to Fremont county, Iowa, where he has since been an active factor in business affairs.  He has dealt extensively in real estate, purchased lands, erected houses and improved his property, making judicious investments and profitable sales.  He yet owns considerable valuable realty in Hamburg and has always had great faith in the development and future of this city.  As his financial resources have increased he has loaned money and in this way has promoted the material prosperity of the country by enabling many men to carry on business when otherwise they would not have had the means to make the venture.  He today owns a large and valuable farm of eighteen hundred acres near the city.  It is well-improved with substantial dwellings, good barns, sheds and cribs.  There are rich pastures of clover and blue grass and highly cultivated fields.  The place is well-watered and all accessories and conveniences of a model farm are there found.  In addition Mr. Hydringer owns thirty-five hundred acres of land in Boone county, Nebraska, and has a herd of four hundred and fifty head of cattle upon the place.  In 1896 he became the president of the State Bank of Hamburg, and the success of this institution is attributable in a large measure to the safe and conservative business policy which he inaugurated.  Behind it stand men of well-known financial strength, and the business methods are ever in accord with commercial ethics.

In 1868 Mr. Hydringer was united in marrige to Elizabeth G. Lloyd, a lady of culture, intelligence and true worth, now holding membership in the Methodist Episcopal church.  To her husband she has indeed been a faithful companion and helpmeet.  Her father was John Lloyd, of Pennsylvania.  Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hydringer, of whom six are living, namely: Katie, now the wife of W. S. Hill, of Omaha, Nebraska; Louisa, the wife of Willard James, of Hamburg; Lena, the wife of Louis Rees, also of Hamburg; Florence, the wife of Dr. Morrill, of Howe, Nebraska; Estelle and Frank Floyd, who are at home.  They also lost one son; Andrew, who died when thirteen months old.

Mr. Hydringer was reared in the Democratic faith and has been one of the recognized leaders of Hamburg.  He served as a trustee of Franklin township, Fremont county, for ten years, has been a member of the city council and for four years filled the office of mayor, his administration being at all times commendable, for he manifests most loyal interest in the welfare and advancement of the city along lines of substantial progress and improvement.  He is a man of excellent business and executive ability and these qualities have been manifested in the discharge of his public duties as well as in the conduct of his agricultural and financial interests.  He is a man of strong individuality and vital force, as is evident in the success which he has attained by his own efforts.  He has a broad mental grasp and an unerring judgment in regard to men.  Tenacious of his ideas, he has them thoroughly fortified and can defend his position where there is need, but he is ever ready to accord a courteous reception to the opinions of others, and his genuine humanitarianism is shown in the popularity in which he is held in the community where he has so long resided.  He started out for himself empty-handed and in his career has met with many obstacles and disadvantages such as would have caused many a man of less resolute spirit to falter and perhaps to fail; but through all he has pressed steadily forward to the goal and has achieved the fortune  for which he was striving.  Through all he has been honorable and upright, never swerving from the narrow path of strict duty and rectitude, and by his systematic business methods and attention to all details he has become one of the most prominent and prosperous citizens of Hamburg.