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Burgess, George W. (1836-1915)

BURGESS

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 11/1/2017 at 22:28:36

BURGESS, GEORGE W.,Belmont Township, merchant, P. O. Milo; born October 5, 1836, in Hancock county, Ohio; came to Marion county in 1854, and to Indianola in 1856, and began the mercantile business in 1866, and moved to Hammondsburg in 1876, and moved his store and stock to Milo in July, 1879, where he keeps a full line of general merchandise; was First Lieutenant of Co. A, Sixth Kansas Militia; was ordered out by the government when Price made his raid through Missouri; was only out about two months, when they were ordered back by the governor; was deputy sheriff for six years in this county; has been town treasurer, constable and is now justice of the peace; was under-sheriff in Kansas, and is now postmaster, with office in his store; was married June 19, 1862, to Abba, daughter of Eli Jewell, of Bourbon county, Kansas; have two children, Jennie and Eddie.
Source: History of Warren County, Iowa, containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, & etc., Union Historical Co.; Des Moines, IA, 1879, p.634 [George Washington Burgess died Dec 18, 1915, buried in Sunnyside Cemetery, Long Beach, Los Angeles County, CA. On Find A Grave his parents are Thornton Burgess & Sarah Jane Bryan]

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.744
GEORGE WASHINGTON BURGESS
The history of Milo would be incomplete without mention of George Washington Burgess, who was born in Hancock County, Ohio, October 5, 1836, his parents being Thornton and Sarah (Tanner) Burgess. The paternal grand­parents, William and Susan (Redmond) Burgess, were natives of West Virginia and made their home at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains but at an early day in the development of Ohio removed to Muskingum County, that state and entered land from the government. The founder of the Burgess family in America came from Switzerland and successive generations have manifested those sterling traits of character which have always marked the Swiss people.
The maternal grandfather of our subject was Edward Tanner, who, when about seventeen years of age, was captured by the Indians and held as a prisoner by them for three and a half years, after which he was exchanged. It was the intention of the savages to kill the youth and he was forced to "run the gauntlet." At the commencement of this, he was knocked down and while he was lying on the ground a squaw rushed in, picked him up and carried him away. The squaw then claimed him as her own and thus saved his life. It was his daughter Sarah who became the wife of Thornton Burgess and unto this marriage were born ten children: Harriet, who married John Baker, of Indianola; William, who died at the age of sixteen years; Edward, who wedded Elizabeth Brundage; Mary Jane, the wife of Phillip Essex; John, who died in infancy; Elizabeth, who died at the age of eight years; James and Samuel; and another who died in infancy. Samuel and George Washington are the only surviving members of this family. The father died in Ohio in 1852 and the mother, with her children, came to Warren County, Iowa, in 1854, arriving in Indianola in the autumn of that year. Here she purchased a house, which is still standing, having for more than half a century been a witness of the changes which have occurred in the County.
George Washington Burgess was now the main support of the family. He was only fourteen.years of age when his father died and it was at this time that he commenced his battle with the world. In 1857 he was appointed deputy sheriff of Warren County, under Luke Bryan, and continued to fill the same position under the succeeding sheriff, John D. Ingalls. John J. Cozad was the third sheriff and Mr. Burgess again served as deputy, but in 1864 resigned that position and made a trip to the Colorado gold fields. Not meeting with the success that he had anticipated, however, he soon left and went to Bourbon County, Kansas, in the fall of 1864. In 1869 he was elected sheriff of Bourbon County and there remained until the autumn of 1872, when he received word that his mother was growing quite feeble and needed his assistance and atten­tion, so he resigned the office of sheriff and returned to Indianola, remaining there for about two years. During that time lie was elected city marshal, which position he filled until 1875, when he traded for a stock of goods at Hammondsburg, his mother having passed away in 1874.
In 1879, when the new town of Milo was just springing into existence, G. W. Burgess was the first man on the ground and removed his business house from Hammondsburg, with the stock of goods in the buildings. He chose a location on the south side of the main street and began business there June 27, 1879. He afterward turned his store around to face the north and put a temporary foundation under it. The entire field which constituted the city of Milo had been sown to flax, which was then in full bloom, making the store building of Mr. Burgess appear rather lonely in its remoteness from other commercial undertakings. The railroad had just been completed and the first invoice of goods was unloaded in the flax field, as up to that time no depot had been erected. Mr. Burgess believed in the old saying regarding the "early bird," so he bent every energy to be the first one to locate on the new town site, that he might gain the trade of the surrounding community. He enjoyed a good patronage as long as he remained in merchandising and was always an active citizen for the advancement of the interests of the town. As the years have passed, he has done much effective work for the upbuilding of Milo and has performed many public duties here. He was the first postmaster of the town, receiving the appointment, in October, 1879. He filled that office until March 1892, when Grover Cleveland was elected, and although he was offered the position, he refused to serve under a Democratic administration and so resigned. When the Republicans came into power, under President McKinley, he was once more appointed postmaster and continued to serve until 1907, when he resigned.
In 1885, having sold his stock of general merchandise, Mr. Burgess engaged in the real-estate, loan and insurance business under the firm name of Burgess & Son. In this connection he conducted an enterprise which brought him a goodly measure of prosperity. It is only during the past year or so that Mr. Burgess has been retired from active business and is now enjoying well earned ease in a comfortable home, surrounded by kind friends and neighbors who entertain for him the warmest regard. During the past three years he and his wife have spent the winter months at Long Beach, California where Mr. Burgess has acquired quite a reputation as a skillful fisherman, holding the record of having landed the biggest Jew fish which has been caught there in years. He secured one fish weighing two hundred and forty pounds and another of one hundred and eighty-five pounds.
Mr. Burgess was married June 19, 1862, to Miss Abbie J. Jewell, a daughter of Judge and Mrs. Eli Jewell, natives of Vermont and Illinois respectively, and now residents of Kansas. The children of this marriage were Jennie, now the wife of P. 0. Bussell, of Kansas; Edward J., who married Lena Clebenger and is a member of the firm of Burgess & Son, real-estate, loan and insurance agents, at Milo; Carrie, George, Lena and Abbie, all of whom died in infancy; and Harry, yet at home. The mother of these children died February, 1886, and on the 2d of March, 1887, Mr. Burgess was again married, his second union being with Mary Etta Dennis, a daughter of William Robert and Lydia Ann (Nelson) Dennis, who were natives of Kentucky and Ohio respectively and located in Ringgold County, Iowa, at an early day, before the County seat had been established there. The mother died in 1887 but the father still survives and now lives in Missouri.
Mr. Burgess is a charter member of Milo Lodge, No. 409, A. F. & A. M., and also belongs to Milo Lodge, No. 413, I. 0. 0 F. He has been a Mason for more than forty years. In politics he' is a staunch Republican, supporting the party since Fremont became its presidential candidate. Besides being post­master for many years, he was the second mayor of Milo, serving for five consecutive years and has filled the office of justice of the peace and other local positions. Mr. Burgess is justly accounted one of the prominent and worthy representatives of Warren County and though he has passed the allotted Psalmist's span of three score years and ten, in spirit and interests he seems yet in his prime and is enjoying life and the opportunities which are afforded him for pleasure by reason of the fact that his former activity and success in business now enable him to live retired.


 

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