Trails-to-the-Past-Iowa-Pottawattamie-Biographies-Progressive-Men

Progressive Men of Iowa
1899

BALDWIN, John Nehemiah, one of the most distinguished sons of Iowa, born in the city of his present residence, lives in Council Bluffs, and is a lawyer of national reputation. His father, Hon. Caleb Baldwin, was formerly chief justice of the supreme court of the state of Iowa, and was one of the ablest lawyers in the west. His wife, John N. Baldwin's mother, was Miss Jane Barr, prior to her marriage with Caleb Baldwin, in 1848.

Their son, John N., was born in Council Bluffs, July 9, 1857. He received a thorough education in the schools of Council Bluffs, and when only a boy entered the law department of the State university, and graduated with high honors in 1877, at the age of 20 years. The next year he was married, December 18th, to Miss Lilia G. Holcomb. They have two children, Genevieve H., born September 20, 1879, and John N., Jr., born March 18, 1888. Mr. Baldwin has won distinction as a lawyer and political speaker. He is one of the most successful corporation lawyers west of Chicago, and to his firm of Wright & Baldwin are entrusted the interests of a large majority of the corporations operating in Council Bluffs, and many others. The firm's practice is confined to cases involving large amounts or important law questions, and includes the United States supreme court.

The political arena has always held a charm for Mr. Baldwin, but he has never allowed himself to be a candidate for any office. He has used his splendid ability to advance the interests of others, his friends and the republican party. He was temporary chairman of the republican state convention, in Des Moines, July, 1894, and delivered a speech that fulfilled all the high expectations his friends had entertained. It was one that will long be remembered for its beauty of language, strength of ideas and force. Mr. Baldwin was selected by the friends of Senator Allison to present his name to the republican national convention, in St. Louis, in June, 1896, and again he delivered a memorable speech that attracted national attention. In the presidential campaign that followed, Mr. Baldwin spoke under the direction of the republican national committee, visiting several states. Yet a young man, a career of great usefulness and renown is opening for this brilliant lawyer.

BLOOMER, D. C., LL. D. The public record and private life of Dexter Chamberlain Bloomer, of Council Bluffs, are so filled with good deeds that they must go into the state's history together. Surely his is a career typical of true Americanism. He was born in Scipio, N. Y., July 4, 1816, of good Quaker stock, which came from England in an early day.

Following a literary and classical education, he commenced the study of law, and soon thereafter became active in politics. Because of his knowledge of political science he was made the responsible editor of the Seneca County Courier, a whig paper at Seneca Falls, which position he filled for fifteen years. He was admitted to the bar in 1848, and while engaged in practice before the several courts of the state, held many offices of trust and responsibility, among them that of postmaster during the Taylor-Fillmore administration. His political or public services can be best set forth in the following manner: 1856 to 1897, notary public; 1856 to 1857, alderman of Council Bluffs; 1861 to 1863, member of the Iowa board of education; 1861 to 1873, receiver of public moneys, the commissions he now holds having been signed by Presidents Lincoln, Johnson and Grant: 1859 to 1860 and 1864 to 1874, president of the Council Bluffs school board; 1869 to 1870, mayor of Council Bluffs, and again the same office, 1871 to 1873; 1871 to 1897, director in Council Bluffs Library association, made a free library in 1882; 1892 to 1897, president of the Free Library association.

He removed to Mt. Vernon, Ohio, in 1853, and assumed the editorship of the Western Home Visitor, his wife filling a similar position with the Lily of the same city. In 1854 he visited Council Bluffs, and so well pleased was he with the place that the following year found himself and wife aboard a steamboat, bound for the new El Dorado. They disembarked at St Joseph, and the journey thence was made by stage coach. He immediately established himself in the practice of law and the real estate business, and as the county at that time was strongly democratic, proceeded with other gentlemen to organize the new republican party in western Iowa. The interest which he manifested in political matters and the acute and able manner in which he led the new organization, attracted public attention to him, and caused his party to bestow upon him many trusts. He was frequently presented as a candidate for the office of judge, representative to the legislature, etc., but the opposition was so far in the ascendancy that his election was quite out of the question, although running far ahead of his ticket. His eleven years' service on the board of education was given fitting recognition in the naming in his honor of one of the fine school buildings of the city. During the war he rendered efficient service to the cause of the union, and was president of the Union league.

He was editor of the Council Bluffs Chronotype in 1856, and subsequently filled like positions with the Republican and Northwestern Odd Fellow. He also compiled a history of Pottawattamie county, which was published in the annals of Iowa. He is a member of the Protestant Episcopal church, of which he has been senior warden for more than thirty years.

He was married to Miss Amelia Jenks, a lady of high attainments and well suited to his domestic and literary tastes. Her first national notoriety was occasioned by her introduction of what was known as the "Bloomer costume," which called the attention of the public to an urgent reform in dress, and has led to important modifications of the old and unhealthful fashion, and secondly, and more lastingly, as a prominent and efficient advocate of the cause of woman. She ranks with Susan B. Anthony, Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Shaw and other co-workers in the cause of reform. Mr. Bloomer has been as successful in his own business as in the discharge of his public duties. He was in partnership with J. D. Edmundson from 1865 to 1870, and the firm gained an enviable reputation. Since the dissolution of that partnership he has continued in practice and has found time to do much writing, notably a history of Mormonism in Iowa; "The Life and Writings of Amelia Bloomer," etc.

CASADY, Jr., James N., a successful young business man of Council Bluffs, belongs to the family of Casadys so well known throughout Iowa for their success in business, and the high standing they have maintained as progressive and upright citizens. Mr. Casady is a native product, having been born in the city of his present residence, June 10, 1869. His father was long a resident of the state and came from Indiana in 1850. His mother's maiden name was Ellen M. Joiner.

Mr. Casady attended the public schools of his native city, followed by a four years' course in the Allen academy, located at 1832-6 Michigan avenue, Chicago; he graduated from this institution in 1887. His father established a real estate and loan business in Council Bluffs in 1853, and built up the largest loan agency in the city, and other extensive interests by close attention to details. This large and increasing business was succeeded to by James N., Jr., and is now being successfully carried on by him. He deals largely in farm and city property; cares for property of nonresidents; pays taxes and negotiates loans, and is resident agent of a large number of well known insurance companies, such as Continental of New York, Scottish Union and National of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Sun Fire Office of London, Eng.; London Guarantee and Accident company, limited, London, Eng. Financial correspondent of several large eastern institutions, also resident assistant secretary of the National Surety company of New York, having power to execute all bonds in his office, known as the Casady building.

In politics Mr. Casady is a democrat; is nephew of the Hon. P. M. Casady, of Des Moines, president of the Des Moines Savings bank of that city; was married to Miss Mamie Cavanagh of Omaha, Neb., the only daughter of P. J. Cavanagh, Esq., October 12, 1893. They have two children, Geraldine, born November 29, 1894, and Joiner, born July 24, 1897.

CASADY, Jefferson P., for many years a resident of Council Bluffs, was one of a family of brothers who are thoroughly identified with the history of Iowa, the others being Hon. P M. Casady and Weir Casady, of Des Moines, and the late Hon. S. H. Casady, of Sioux City, and J. N. Casady, of Council Bluffs. Each and all of these have been potent factors in the development of the state.

J. P. Casady was born in Connersville, Ind., September 1, 1828. Of Scotch-Irish ancestry, the conquering traits of that race were well reproduced in him. Like so many of the notable men of America, he was raised upon a farm, attended the public schools until 18 years of age, afterwards pursuing an academic course. Having little taste for farm life he chose the profession of law for his field of labor. He was most fortunate in receiving his law training from Hon. Samuel W. Parker, one of a coterie of great lawyers who made the bar of Indiana. In 1852 Judge Casady moved to Des Moines and was there admitted to the bar. In the following year he took up his residence in Council Bluffs, and, in partnership with Hon. Hadley D. Johnson, opened a law and land office. His fine talents, united to his conservatism and prudence soon won for him wide recognition and in 1858 he was elected to the office of county judge, an office that he filled with marked ability, conducting his private business at the same time. In 1861 he was elected a director of the Council Bluffs and St. Joe Railway company, and afterwards became president of the road.

Politically, Judge Casady was a democrat, in the broad and Jeffersonian sense of the word. In 1868 he was elected to the state senate, serving four years. He was frequently a delegate to state conventions, and, in 1880, to the national convention. In 1872 he was nominated for auditor of State, and, although not elected to the office, ran far ahead of his ticket, polling many votes from the opposition. He was not an office-seeker and when he accepted office it was always at a personal sacrifice. Judge Casady was widely known for his public spirit and this was well shown in his skill, diplomacy and untiring efforts that finally secured the appropriation for the school for the deaf and dumb, at Council Bluffs. No one in his county was ever more favorably known than he was, and his influence was always for good. As a citizen he was universally loved and respected. In his friendships he was most loyal and unswerving. Many young men of the west owe their start in life and much of their success to the kindness and inter-est of Judge Casady. He was an Odd Fellow and a charter member of Council Bluffs Lodge No. 49.

On June 16, 1856 he was married to Miss Hannah Joiner. They had five children; Lawrence, born July 15, 1860, died October 16, 1863; Jefferson J., born June 18, 1863, died October 27, 1864; Thomas E., born in 1868, is at present a practicing lawyer in Council Bluffs; Ida, born September 20, 1865; Albert W., born November 5, 1870, employed in the office of Deere, Wells & Co.; Mrs. Casady died May 6, 1882. They were members of the First Presbyterian church. Judge Casady died April 27, 1892.

CASADY, Thomas E., a native resident of Council Bluffs, is one of the brightest of the younger members of the bar. He was born April 27, 1868. His father, Judge Jefferson P. Casady, was a man widely known for his abilities as a lawyer and his nobility as a man and citizen of Iowa. His mother, Mrs. Hannah Joiner Casady, was of Scotch-Irish ancestry, as was his father, and the sturdy and estimable traits that belong essentially to his ancestry are fully developed in the son.

In his boyhood Thomas E. Casady attended the public schools of Council Bluffs. In 1884 he entered Parsons college at Fairfield, and was graduated in 1888 with the degree of bachelor of science. While a student at Parsons college he was elected president of the Iowa Collegiate association, and as such presided at the oratorical contest and annual meeting of the association held in Des Moines in February, 1887. In 1890 he received the degree of master of science from his alma mater; and the year following was honored by being elected a member of the board of trustees, serving six years. In 1888 he entered the law department of the University of Iowa, remaining until the serious illness of his father required his presence in Council Bluffs, where he completed his study with Finley Burke. He was admitted to the bar in the following year. In January, 1891, he formed a partnership with Mr. Burke, which continued about four years, since which time he has practiced alone.

Mr. Casady is a staunch democrat, and has always been one. He was appointed assistant United States district attorney for the southern district, but as the duties of his office consumed too much time he resigned. In 1898 Mr. Casady was nominated by the democrats of his county for the office of county attorney, and although he ran over 500 votes ahead of his ticket he was defeated, as was the whole ticket. The republican majority in the county ranged from 1,200 to 1,500, while the majority against him was only between 500 and 600. Mr. Casady good-naturedly says: "Spain did it "

He was married November 12, 1895, to Miss Agnes Wickfield Barnard, of Moline, 111., daughter of H. A. Barnard, a pioneer in the manufacturing industries of Moline, and now president of the Barnard & Leas Manufacturing company of that city. Few, if any, of the lawyers in western Iowa have had better educational training than Mr. Casady, or taken deeper interest in scholastic matters. He is a man of high personal character and integrity, and enjoys the confidence of the people both on the score of ability and responsibility. He is possessed of a logical mind, studious habits, courteous bearing, and ability to talk well to the point, good judgment and common sense, and a fixed pride and determination to succeed.

The name Casady is closely interwoven in the legal history of the state, and the subject of this sketch is well worthy to perpetuate the history so creditably begun by his elders.

COOPER, John K., of Council Bluffs, member of the Twenty-fifth General Assembly, and a man who has done much to advance the educational interests of the state, was born on a farm near Hollandville, Kent county, Del., April 1, 1845. He is the son of Benjamin Abbott Cooper, a farmer and school teacher, who died at the age of 30 years. He was a man of great promise at the time of his death. The mother's maiden name was Anna Jump. She died when John was 8 years old. Mr. Cooper's grandmother, on the paternal side, was a niece of George Read, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

John K. attended the country school at such times as there was one to attend. At the time of his boyhood the school system of his native state was not like the perfect one of today. The people of each district met every spring and voted on the question: "Tax or no tax," with the frequent result that no tax won. The teacher was usually selected with respect to his muscle, and if he could convince the directors that he could whip any two boys in the school, he was regarded as the proper man for the place. As a result of all this, our subject could barely read and write at the outbreak of the war. The people of his section were divided on the question of secession, and all against the proposition to free the negro. Mr. Cooper's guardian was a southern sympathizer, but the young man was enthusiastic for the cause represented by "old glory." He ran away at 16, and joined a Maryland regiment, serving throughout the whole period of the war.

He was not yet 20 years old when peace was declared and immediately upon arriving home he entered school to prepare himself for the vocation of teacher. Two years were spent in Felton seminary, after which he was engaged in teaching the schools of Felton and Hollandville. He came to Iowa in May, 1870, and organized a subscription school in Missouri Valley. The venture did not prove a success financially, and he shortly removed to Fremont county, thence some months later to Pottawattamie county, where he has since resided.

He was elected county superintendent of schools in 1879, and re-elected in 1881; was nominated for county treasurer in 1883, but met with defeat. During the next year he was a commission dealer and bookkeeper, but gained more largely of experience than in wealth. He was elected a member of the school board of Council Bluffs in 1885, but resigned the following year, and was elected principal of the Bloomer school. Again, in 1887, he was elected county superintendent of schools, re-elected in 1889, and again in 1891. In 1893 he was chosen to represent his county in the lower branch of the general assembly, and therein made a record satisfactory to his people. In 1894 he gave up his public life and became the proprietor of a grocery business, in which he is at present engaged.

As a soldier he was a private in Company D, First E. S. Maryland volunteers. He participated in the battle of Gettysburg, in Lockwood's brigade, Williams' division, Twelfth Army corps, until they crossed the Potomac, when his regiment was left on the Maryland side to guard the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. He is a member of Union Veteran Legion, Maccabees, Royal Arcanum and A. F. & A. M., and a member of Council Bluffs school board at the present time. He has always been a democrat.

June 27, 1882, he was married to Miss Alice Mottaz. They have had two children, one of whom, a daughter Flora, 9 years of age, is living. John K., born August 21, 1884, died August 21, 1885.

DAY, Frederick Jackson, of Council Bluffs, is descended from ancestors on both sides who fought in both the revolution and the war of the rebellion. Jackson J. Day, his father, was born in 1818 and en-listed as a private in the civil war. His ancestors fought in the war against King Philip, in the Narragansett war and in the revolution. He was a prominent businessman and an extensive traveler. He married Caroline A. Minier, who was also descended from ancestors who took part in the revolutionary and civil wars. She was a woman of good education and strong character, and is now living with a daughter in Los Angeles, Cal.

Frederick J. was born October 20, 1859, in Hillsdale county, Mich. Hillsdale county is located in the southern tier of counties, bordering on Ohio, and is a beautiful, level and fertile farming country. Hillsdale is the county seat of Hillsdale county and is situated about midway between Lake Michigan and Lake Erie, about seventy miles south of Lansing. Young Day was educated in the public schools of Michigan and Iowa. In 1869 the family removed from Michigan to Iowa and located at Dexter, Dallas county, and in 1870 removed to Stuart, Guthrie county. Frederick J. Day removed, in 1881, to Council Bluffs, where he has since been actively engaged in the real estate, loan and insurance business. During his experience in that line of business he has bought and sold a large amount of farm and city property, and now owns about 500 acres of farm land and considerable city property. In 1890 he formed a partnership with Mr. J. P. Hess, under the firm name of Day & Hess. They have invested over $1,000,000 of eastern capital in bonds and mortgages, and represent about the same amount in value of real estate owned by others.

Mr. Day is a prominent and active republican and is a member of the city and county committees, but has never run for office. He is president of the Pomona Land and Trust company and treasurer of the Council Bluffs Mutual Building and Loan association.

In 1885 he was married to Harriet E. Rue, daughter of the late John B. Rue. They are members of the First Presbyterian church and have two children: Bessie V., born February 25, 1886, and Jackson Rue, born May 15, 1890.

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