1890 Buchanan and Delaware County History pgs. 265-266

F. W. DOOLITTLE, junior member of the firm Doolittle & Son, bankers of Hopkinton, is a native of Delaware county, Iowa, born at Delhi, July 8, 1855. He is a son of Hon. Frederick B. Doolittle, who has been prominently
identified with the growth and development of Delaware county almost from its organization. The elder Doolittle is a native of New York, born in Delaware county, December 24, 1825. He moved with his father to Monroe,
Mich., 1835 and the following year to Calhoun county that state, where the family remained several years. They were pioneers in that new and heavily timbered region, inhabited only by Indians and wild beasts. He attended school in a log school-house during the winter, for a few years, and in that way obtained what education he received. His father was a poor man and unable to afford him better facilities. At the age of nineteen he started
out in the world to fight his own battles unaided. In the fall of 1849 he came West and located at Delhi, Delaware county. He worked as a common laborer for a few months, and then started a nursery, which business he continued successfully for several years. He introduced several new varieties of fruits and succeeded in interesting the farmers in growing fruits. A few years later he wrote a pamphlet entitled "Fruit Culture in Northern Iowa," which has been quite extensively quoted. He continued the nursery business for about fifteen years, giving employment to a large number of men. His nursery was the largest in the state.

He married October 4, 1851, taking to wife Miss Anne Comber, who was born in Witheham, Sussex county, England, October 27, 1828. She came to the United States with her father's family in the spring of 1847 and settled in Dubuque county, Iowa.

Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle have had born to them six children, as follows-Hattie E., born February 8,1853; Fred W., born July 8, 1855; Olie R., born January 1, 1858; John Comber, born April 16,1860; Nellie A., born November 9, 1862, and Minnie A., born August 6, 1865.Mrs. Doolittle was highly esteemed by all who knew her. She died October 26, 1876.

Mr. Doolittle has been connected with almost every public enterprise that has for its aim the advancement of Delaware county. He did effectual work in organizing the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad Company, and was director and assistant treasurer of that company for four years. He was also treasurer of the Delaware County Construction Company, organized for the purpose of inducing the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad Company to build its line through Delaware county. He founded and laid out the town of Delaware on the Illinois Central railroad, which afterwards became the junction of the Davenport & St. Paul railroad. He was elected judge of Delaware county in April, 1855, to fill a vacancy and afterwards was re-elected for a full term. He was the first United States revenue collector under the United States revenue law in Delaware county and held that office five years.

In politics Mr. Doolittle was originally a whig, and a strong advocate of no more slave territory. He took an active part in the county convention that organized the republican party in Delaware county, and has always been actively engaged in politics since. He is still living at Delhi, where he has large property interests, and where he has made his home for more than forty years. He is the pioneer business man of Delaware county, having been actively engaged in business in the county longer than any other man now living.

The boyhood days of Fred W. Doolittle, the subject of this biographical memoir were passed in the village of Delhi where he attended the public schools until he was eighteen years of age, after which he spent six months
in attendance at the state university at Iowa City. He worked on a farm, clerked some, and was variously engaged until he was twenty-four years of age. In January, 1881, he came to Hopkinton and accepted a position as book-keeper in the Farmers' Exchange bank. He afterwards became cashier of the institution which position he filled till May, 1884, when he and his father purchased the bank. Since that time it has been conducted as a private institution, under the firm name of Doolittle & Son. The volume of business has steadily increased from year to year, and it is universally recognized as a safe and trustworthy institution.

Mr. Doolittle married May 31, 1882, taking to share his life's fortunes Miss Mary R. Russell, daughter of Rev. Daniel Russell, D. D. She was born in Eagle, Wyoming county, N. Y., December 28, 1863.   Her father is a
Presbyterian minister, who came to Delaware county in 1864, where he has since resided. A sketch of him will be found in this work. Mrs. Doolittle is a graduate of the Manchester High School and also of Lenox College, Hopkinton, being a member of the class of 1881.

Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle have two children-Frederick W., born July 9, 1883, and Russell C., born December 26, 1886. Mr. Doolittle is an ardent supporter of the republican party, and has filled some local offices. He is a member of the board of trustees of Lenox College, and has been treasurer of that institution since 1888. He is an honored member of the Masonic fraternity. He and his excellent wife are zealous members of the Presbyterian church and liberal contributors to all charitable purposes.

Back to Biographies

Back to Main Page
Back to Iowa AHGP
Back to AHGP