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Johnson County
<< 1893 Index Portrait and Biographical Record of Johnson, Poweshiek and Iowa
counties, Iowa S Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton.
George
L. Sanders, a member of the firm of
Sanders Bros., who conducted most successfully a large farm near the city of Grinnell, Iowa, is the subject of
this sketch. He was born in New Ipswich, Hillsboro County, N. H., June 18,
1838, a son of Nathan Sanders, who
was born in the same place. Grandfather
Sanderson was born in New Hampshire, and after his day the name
was changed to Sanders for brevity. The
father first engaged in the
hardware and tinware business at Mason, and later at New Ipswich, where
he took a prominent part in the management of public affairs, being
a Selectman for several years. He
was a Free Soiler and a Republican,
and possessed all the energy and spirit that make excellent men
of a combination of Scotch and Irish blood. In
1867, he came West and resided with
his sons until his death, in 1887, at the age of eighty-seven.
The
mother of our subject was Betsey (Shedd) Sanders, born in Mason, N. H.,
a daughter of Silas Shedd, who was a native of Hollis, N. H., of English
descent. Silas was a farmer and a
Captain in the State militia, and
among the mountains of his home his last days were passed. Mrs. Sanders
passed away in 1887, at the home of her sons, only surviving her husband a few days and both being buried in one grave.
They had been married over sixty years.
The children of this devoted couple were Edwin, Elizabeth, Ellen, Preston, S. Luman and William, all
deceased, and Elmira, of this
county; J. H. and George L., on the farm; and D. A., in Arkansas. J.
H. Sanders married Betsie Taylor, of Manchester, Vt., in 1866. They
have a son and daughter, now in Iowa College.
He now runs the farm in
Chester Township. D. A. Sanders, in
1879, married Hester Clifford, of
Oneida, Ill., and they have three daughters.
In 1891 he moved to
Bentonville, Ark. Our
subject was reared in New Ipswich, N. H., and was educated in the common
school and at Appleton Academy until he was eighteen years of age.
At this time he engaged as a clerk in a clothing store in Fitchburg,
Mass., and continued there for a few years, following which he spent two years with his brother-in-law, Dr. George Jewett,
in the South. Returning to Fitchburg in 1863, he, with his three brothers,
J. H., D. A. and S. L., came west,
S. L. and our subject coming first to locate
the land, and the others following in 1865.
They bought a tract of six
hundred and forty acres of wild land on section 31, three miles northwest
of Grinnell, in Chester Township, and at the same time bought the
old Reed House. After living in it
one year they removed it to the railroad,
and soon after to its present site, where they made additions to
it and christened it the Sanders House. This
inn was conducted by our subject and his brothers until 1870 and then
it was sold, and is now known as the Grinnell House.
Aside from the hotel
business the brothers improved the farm, broke it up and worked
hard, but for all their labor they have a reward in the beautiful farm
they now possess. Twelve hundred
acres of fine rolling Iowa land is
charged up to them on the tax-rolls of the county, and upon this tract
they have one complete set of buildings, several large barns, three
windmills, a geared mill and one four-horse power engine.
The farm has all kinds of
modern improvements and the cultivation is of the best.
The Sanders brothers have ground their feed and for twenty years have
bought and fed about two hundred head of cattle, besides those they raise.
They have run a fine dairy for the past ten years, of one hundred
cows, this being the largest dairy in this portion of the State, they
making butter for the Colorado market. This
was profitable, but the firm is now
retiring from that branch of the business.
Many hogs are raised on the
farm, some fifty head of horses, principally Clydesdale and Norman, and Shorthorn cattle.
The farm is well suited to grazing,
as it is watered by a branch of Sugar Creek and also by some fine
springs on the farm. The land is
drained by tiling and is beautifully
situated. Although there are so
many acres of pasture lands, the
firm buys some fifteen thousand bushels of corn per year. They have been
slightly interested in sheep-raising. At
the time of the terrific cyclone of 1882 ten persons were at the home of
our subject in Grinnell, but all took refuge in the cellar.
Not a remnant of the house
was left, but no one was injured. The
next year our subject rebuilt his
house, and his handsome residence is situated on the
corner of Park and Seventh Avenue. Although
the brothers have had many ups and
downs they have in the main been unusually successful. Our subject was
married in Arcade, Wyoming County, N. Y., December 12, 1871, to Miss Mary a. Steele, who was born in Arcade, a daughter of
Alonzo Steele (see his sketch).
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sanders: Will S., now in the Sophomore Class in Iowa College;
Charles L., now attending the city High School; and Frank T.,
deceased. Mr. Sanders
was for one term a City Alderman, and is an ardent Republican. He is a member of the Congregational Church, of which he has been a
Trustee. Alonzo
Steele, Vice-president of the incorporated firm of the Craver & Steele Manufacturing
Company, at Harvey, Ill., is the subject of this sketch. He was born in Wyoming County, N. Y., August 15, 1816, being the
son of James Steele, whose
birthplace was Londonderry N. H. The
grandfather, David Steele, was a
native of New Hampshire, having been born of Scotch- Irish parents, and there
spent his life in agricultural pursuits. The
father was an early settler of
Wyoming County, where he bought land in the Holland Purchase, near Arcade, there engaging in farming
and stock- dealing. At the age of sixty-six years he passed away, having long proclaimed
his adherence to the Baptist Church. In
politics, like many thoughtful men
of his time, he was an ardent Whig. The
mother of our subject was named
Miranda (Parker) Steele, a daughter of Elias Parker, who
removed from Vermont to Wyoming County, N. Y.
Four children were born to
Mr. and Mrs. Steele, Sr., three of whom grew up and are now living. Our
subject, who was the eldest of the family, was reared on a farm at Arcade,
and later entered an academy at Springville, Erie County.
Until he was twenty-one
years of age he continued under his father's care.
At Arcade, N. Y., he engaged
in the manufacture of woolen goods, having a fine
water-power, and also here engaged in the raising of cattle and sheep,
dealing in the same. In the spring
of 1857 he made his first trip to
Iowa, bringing with him some lambs, and now has farming interests
here and also near Huron, D. Dak. In
1866 he closed out his woolen
business in the East and located here in 1868, beginning in the lumber business, and gradually drifting into a manufacturing
business, at the same time opening
up a farm of three hundred and twenty acres, which
he improved with good buildings and miles of tiling and all modern improvements. In 1881 or 1882 he began the manufacture of headers, buying
the patented Randolph Header and taking the present business site of
the Spaulding Shops. They now
manufacture the Craver-Steele Header very
extensively in connection with wagons and buggies. Our
subject was induced to remove his manufacturing business to Harvey by
Mr. Harvey, the owner of the land. Here
the plant occupies seven acres, two
and a-half miles south of Chicago limits. The
capital stock of the company is
$400,000 and the buildings occupy three and one-half acres
of land. When Mr. Steele inquired
in Grinnell for an honest young man,
whom he could trust and take into his confidence in the business he saw
opening up before him in 1868, Charles F. Craver was so well reccommended
to him that an acquaintance resulted in his appointment a manager and later in his acceptance as a partner in the
company. He was born
in this county, a brave soldier who fought for the Union cause and later
served in the State Legislature. Now
the management of the vast business
falls to his care, and some idea may be formed of the industry, when
last year fourteen hundred and twenty-four machines were sent to the
Argentine Republic, South America, and in 1893 their sales there exceeded
sixteen hundred. Our
subject was married in Arcade in 1841, to Miss Ann D. Tracy, who was born
in Granville, Washington County, N. Y. She
died in Arcade, leaving three
children. Of these Miss Louisa C., a graduate of Oberlin College, died
here; Elmira T. attended college
here, and died in her twentieth year;
and Mary S., educated at Oberlin, is now Mrs. Lucius S. Sanders, of
this city. Outside of his
manufacturing business, which gives employment
to an army of men, Mr. Steele was one of the organizers of the First National Bank, and filled the office of President
until he resigned. To his religious denomination, the Congregational, he has contributed
liberally ever since his residence here, and has given of his
means to all religious and educational enterprises. The residence of
our subject is located on the corner of High Street and Third Avenue, a
most delightful home. In politics
Mr. Steele is a very ardent Republican,
taking the deepest interest in all that concerns his party. He has had an unusually successful business career, but wealth has
not made him grasping or penurious,
in fact, just the opposite, and he possesses
the esteem of the public and the affection of his employees. Among
the successful, public-spirited and liberal young business men of Grinnell,
Iowa, our subject deserves mention. In
connection with Mr. Spooner, he
conducts one of the largest hardware stores in this part of the
country, the building being especially adapted to the wants of the firm.
In it the manufacturing room is 20x50 feet, and the main store 22x85,
with a basement. The firm deals in
all fine hardware, in connection
with hot-air and hot-water furnaces, and all the appliances for
modern heating. One season they
disposed of two carloads of Garland Stoves.
Our subject was born in Rochester, N. Y., August 8, 1854, and was
reared in Arcade, Wyoming County, N. Y., until the year 1868, when he
entered the Arcade Academy and passed with honor through the High School
at the same place. In his father's
lumber business he saw something of
commercial life, and two years were spent in farming. Giving
up his agricultural life, our subject entered the employ of Holyoke & Hedges, druggists in the village of Grinnell, when there was not
a brick residence in the place; a year later he became clerk for Hubbard & Phillips, on the corner of Broad and Cone Streets, for one year,
when A. P. Phillips engaged his services for the following year. At this time he entered the hardware business with Hemick & Co., remaining four years, and here
he learned the fine part of the business, completing
a course and acquiring a full knowledge. At
this period he became interested in
the firm of A. P. Phillips & Son, the name becoming Phillips,
Steele & Co., and later he was for one year the stock-keeper in
the Hudder Works. Four
of the following years were employed by our
subject at Lewis, Cass County,
Iowa, in the hardware business, and then he returned to Grinnell,
where he opened up a business in hardware with a Mr. Miles, buying
out Joe Pierce. This partnership
lasted three years, lacking three
months, and then Mr. Steele returned to the Hudder Works as stock- keeper,
remaining with them for a space of fifteen months, when the works were removed to Harvey, Ill. Five years of his life were spent in the employ of that company.
However, this city held a warm place in the heart of our subject, and November 18, 1891, he returned and
bought out the Grinnell Merchandise
Company, engaging in business under his own name until August, 1892, when Mr. Spooner became his partner,
the firm being known as Steele & Spooner. G. M. Spooner was born in Appanoose County, Iowa, and was reared in Centerville, coming to Grinnell in 1882, where for five years he engaged in clerking. He then removed to Montezuma, and there became one in the firm of Stone, Spooner & Co., in the general merchandise business, until August, 1892, when he came here and became the partner of Mr. Steele. The marriage of Mr. Steele took place in 1879 to Miss Florence Worthington, a native of Grinnell, daughter of Thomas Worthington, one of the early settlers here, and still a resident. One child, Mary L., has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Steele. The family residence is located on the corner of High and Third Streets, a very pleasant and convenient abode. Our subject is a member of the Congregational Church, and is a man whose moral influence is felt for good in the community. In politics he is a Republican, boldly advocating the principles of that party. Socially he is connected with the Masonic order, in which he is a Knight Templar, with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and with the Knights of Pythias. Hon. DAVID STEWART, M. D., a prominent and highly successful physician of Johnson County , Iowa , has been a resident of Penn Township for more than thirty years, and, enjoying an extended and lucrative practice, has also taken an active and leading part in local politics. Occupying at various times the important official positions of the township, and ever discharging their duties with efficient ability, he was further honored by his election in 1869 to the State Legislature of Iowa, and in 1892 was the choice of the Republicans for the same position, but was defeated by his Democratic opponent, the Hon. John Springer. The result of the campaign was most satisfactory to the numerous patients of Dr. Stewart, who had no desire to lose, even temporarily, the services of so skillful a practitioner as our highly esteemed subject. Dr. Stewart is a native of Huntingdon County , Pa. , and was born March 24, 1830 . His parents, Robert and Annie T. (McDonald) Stewart, were also natives of Huntingdon County , and were there reared, educated and married. Our subject received a common-school education in the excellent schools of his birthplace, and assisted in the woolen factory of which his father was proprietor until he was about twenty-one years of age, when, deciding to adopt the medical profession, he abandoned his former employment. In 1852 he entered the office of Dr. J. R. Smith, of Pine Grove, Centre County , Pa. , and read with this excellent physician for two years, meantime attending the course of lectures at Jefferson Medical College , Philadelphia , and also studying at Ann Arbor , Mich. At last, a full-fledged M. D., Dr. Stewart began the practice of his profession at Colerain Forge , Pa. , in 1855, but remained only a brief time in that locality, soon removing to Rock Grove, Stephenson County , Ill. After two years of professional duty there, our subject next made his home in Pontiac , Livingston County , where he practiced successfully for three years. The then far West of Iowa at that time presenting strong attractions for our subject, he journeyed hither, and in 1860 settled in Penn Township , where he has since constantly engaged prosperously in medical practice, except for the comparatively brief period when he was in the service of the Government, in the troublous days of the Civil War. It was upon August 12, 1862 , that Dr. Stewart received his commission and entered upon his duties as Captain of Company E, Twenty-eighth Iowa Regiment, in which capacity he served with faithful and gallant efficiency until the folowing December, when he was promoted to the position of Surgeon of the same regiment. For one year he did active and valuable service as an army surgeon, but was at the expiration of that time obliged to resign upon account of ill-health, and in July, 1863, returned to Penn Township , and after needed rest resumed professional duty. For a few months Dr. Stewart was the Government inspector of the alcohol works at Iowa City , but the professional demands of his immediate home locality require his devoted attention. Our subject was married in Huntingdon County , Pa. , July 14, 1855 , to Miss Winnifred Duff, a native of the county and a lady highly esteemed for her intelligence, worth and culture. Dr. and Mrs. Stewart are the parents of seven surviving children. Mary A., the eldest-born, who is the wife of L. W. Alt; Winnie; Dr. C. E. Stewart, of Iowa City ; William, the second son; Emma, the wife of Rolla Alt; Alex T. and Guy, who are yet unmarried. One child, a daughter, passed away at about two years of age. The parents or our subject, desiring to be near their son, came to Johnson County in 1865, and settled in Penn Township , where the father died in January, 1881, aged eighty-two years. The mother lived until August, 1892, and passed away at eighty-four years of age. The venerable father and mother, Robert and Annie T. (McDonald) Stewart, were of Scotch-Irish ancestry and possessed the energy, ability and thrift which characterize the union of these nationalities. Dr. Stewart is fraternally associated with the Free Masons and is a valued member of White Marble Lodge No. 238, A. F. & A. M., of North Liberty , Iowa . He also wears the bronze button of the Grand Army and is a member of Post No. 8, of Iowa City . Intimately associated with the leading interests of the State, and one of the chief promoters of educational advancement and local enterprise in Johnson County, our subject is a thoroughly progressive man, faithful in the performance of every duty intrusted to his care, whether it be professional or official, and is widely known as a public-spirited citizen, worthy of the honor and high regard which he has so long received from the general public and a host of friends. |