George Cassutt
George Cassutt, a well-known citizen and successful
business man residing in the city of Elkader, became
a resident of Clayton county when he was a boy of
nine years and through his own well directed
endeavors he has proved himself one of the world's
productive workers and has gained worthy independence
and prosperity, together with secure place in the
confidence and esteem of the people of the county
that has represented his home for more than half a
century.
Mr. Cassutt takes justifiable pride in reverting to
the fine little republic of Switzerland as the place
of his nativity, and there his birth occurred on the
8th of February, 1851. He is a son of John and
Margaret Cassutt, who immigrated to America and
established their home in Clayton county, Iowa, in
1860, the subject of this review having thus gained
his rudimentary education in his native land and
having been a lad of nine years at the time when the
family home was established in Clayton county, where
he continued to attend school when opportunity
afforded.
His father engaged in farming in Boardman township
and continued as one of the substantial and honored
citizens of that township until his death, which
occurred February 27, 1877, his devoted wife having
passed to the life eternal on the 24th of August,
1874. Of their children two died in infancy, prior to
the family immigration to the United States; George,
of this review, was the third child; Christina is
deceased; Mary Ann is a resident of Elkader, Iowa;
Joseph is a prosperous farmer in Boardman township;
and Mary and her husband maintain their home in the
city of San Bernardino, California.
George Cassutt assisted his father in the work of the
home farm and in 1870, as a youth of about twenty
years, he formed a partnership with two other men and
engaged in the operation of a threshing outfit. He
possesses marked natural talent as a mechanic and
found both satisfaction and profit in his association
with the operation of the threshing machine, besides
which he purchased a second-hand outfit of blacksmith
tools and accessories and established on the home
farm a blacksmith shop, in which he found much
requisition for his work after the close of the
threshing season. Later he became sole proprietor of
the threshing outfit and business, by buying the
interest of his partners. He successfully operated
the outfit until 1878, when the machine was destroyed
by fire, but within the same year he put his
mechanical skill to good use by building a new
threshing machine, in which he utilized all the
available parts saved from the old machine and
purchased such new parts as were demanded to place
the machine in good working order. After operating
the outfit two seasons he sold the same and also
severed his association with direct farm enterprise.
Removing to Elkader, the county seat, he here rented
a vacant blacksmith shop and operated the same about
eighteen months, giving special attention to the
repairing of farm machinery and implements. Impaired
health compelled him to retire from this field of
enterprise, and, to recuperate his powers, he passed
a few months in the state of California.
In the spring of 1883 Mr. Cassutt purchased a
well-drilling outfit, besides which he acquired also
a good farm of one hundred and forty acres, in
Boardman township, his brother Joseph being given the
active supervision and control of the farm, on which
they both maintained their home. Mr. Cassutt proved
very successful in his business of constructing
drilled wells, and in 1886 he purchased a new and
improved drilling outfit, to the operation of which
he still continues to give his attention, his
services having been given in the construction of
wells throughout wide area of country in this part of
the state and a prosperous business having been
developed also by him in the selling and installing
of wind mills.
He still owns the well improved farm and in 1887 he
purchased his present attractive home at Elkader. He
is a Democrat in his political allegiance and has
served as a member of the city council of Elkader.
Mr. Cassutt is known as a loyal and public-spirited
citizen and he still permits his name to be enrolled
on the list of eligible bachelors in Clayton county.source: History of Clayton
County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical Times Down
to the Present; by Realto E. Price, Vol. II; pg.
65-66
-OCR scanned by S. Ferrall
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