Progressive Men of Iowa
1899

ANDERSON, Edwin, a prominent merchant and druggist of Ruthven, is a native of Sweden, having been born in that country March 24, 1857. His parents were Andrew and Matilda Johnson Anderson, natives of Sweden. Their ancestors were all soldiers and sailors.

Edwin attended the common schools in his native country up to the age of 12 years, when he came to the United States with his parents. They located at Ft.  Dodge, Iowa, in 1870, where Edwin attended school in the winter and worked on a farm in the summer for the first two years. After this, he went to work for one of the leading doctors in Ft. Dodge, as hostler, also taking care of his office, and at the same time studying medicine with him. He remained in this service several years and afterwards clerked for several firms in different lines of business until 1885. He was strictly temperate and never idle, and saved his salary, so that he had accumulated enough to start in business for himself.  This he accordingly did at Ruthven, in 1885. He is a registered pharmacist, having passed examination before the board of pharmacy in 1881. He is now conducting one of the largest book, notions and fancy goods and drug stores in northwestern Iowa.

In politics he has always been a democrat, and in 1898 was a candidate on this ticket in the Tenth district for congress, cutting down the plurality of his opponent, Mr. Dolliver, by 3,552, and in doing this made the largest gain of any candidate.  He is an Odd Fellow, Mason and Shriner.  He was married January 1, 1882, to Ada V. Hendrickson, of Fulton county, Ohio.

ORMSBY, Col. Edwin S., of Emmetsburg. is the pioneer banker of Palo Alto county. He also has the distinction of being the first national bank president in the county. His parents were born in Massachusetts. The father, Lysander Ormsby, is still living in Deerfield, Mich., and is 82 years of age. The ancestors on both the paternal and maternal sides were prominent New England families and each branch was represented in the Lake Erie or Toledo war. A great grandfather, Nathaniel Ormsby, was killed in the revolutionary war. They emigrated to Michigan about 1840, and there, on a farm in Monroe county, Edwin S. was born April 17, 1842.

His early education was acquired in a little log schoolhouse that stood in the timber near his home. When he had reached his eighteenth year he responded to the call for troops to defend the integrity of the nation, and on September 21, 1861, was made a "high private in the rear ranks" of the Eighth Michigan Volunteer infantry. Having served out the term of enlistment he was, in 1868, discharged, but he immediately proceeded to raise a company and in 1863 again took the field, this time with the First Michigan Engineer corps, receiving his discharge October 1, 1865.

He then engaged in insurance for a time, then conducted a general merchandise business, but finally disposed of the last named to enter upon a study of the law. Since that time he has been engaged constantly in banking, law and real estate, a portion of the time in Michigan, but since 1872 in Emmetsburg. He is a strong advocate of republicanism. His father assisted in the organization of that party and the son regards it as representing those principles which, if put in practice, will result in the greatest good to the whole people. He was the mayor of Emmetsburg at the time of incorporation and had much to do with the readjustment of assessments made necessary thereby. Because of the interest he at all times manifests in school affairs, he has been called upon to serve on the board of education, acting at times as its president. He is at present one of the trustees of Cornell college. Colonel Ormsby has been one of the recognized leaders of the republican party in Iowa for many years, and has been mentioned for the governorship and other offices. He is actively identified with the Republican League, and was a delegate from Iowa to the national convention in Detroit in July, 1897. He has recently added to his business a new bank, known as the Farmers Savings bank, of which he is president. 

For thirty years he has been active in the work of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a high order Mason and member of the society of the Sons of the American Revolution. He was married July 4, 1862, to Miss Mary A. Bateman, an accomplished and most estimable lady.  They have had three children, only one of whom is living. She is the wife of George J. Consigny, of Emmetsburg. The grand-children are Venita Ormsby, and Reginald Ormsby Consigny.

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