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Volume Il, No. 1,
Des Moines, Iowa City,
April 1895, Third Series |
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Notable Deaths
Pages 77-80
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ARTHUR HASWELL, who settled in Cass Township, Hamilton
county, in 1856, died in Webster City on the 11th day of
February last. He was a useful, exemplary man in the
early society of that section, and honest and upright in
his dealings with others. The Golden Rule governed his
course throughout his life. In 1862 he enlisted in
the 28th Iowa Infantry, serving with credit, not only
through, but some Mansfield, Louisiana, by the
Confederates, and spent fourteen months as a prisoner of
war at Tyler, Texas. When the writer established
The Freeman at Webster City,
in June 1857, Mr. Haswell's was one of the first names
to be placed upon the subscription list, where we
supposed it remained through all these thirty-eight
years until his death. He possessed considerable
facility as a writer, not only as a voluntary gatherer
of neighborhood news, but in the discussion of
political, religious, and educational topics. As an
enterprising pioneer settler, a patriotic defender of
his country, and a promoter of the highest interests of
the community in which he lived, Arthur Haswell deserves
to be remembered.
JOSEPH C. GOODSON who died
in Dallas county on the 17th of February, was one of
the early pioneers in that part of Iowa. He
came to the Des Moines valley in 1847, and entered
the farm where he spent the remainder of his life.
He was born in Tennessee in 1812, and lived to the
age of eighty-three. His wife was from Indiana, and
taught the first school in Boone Township, Dallas
county, in their old log house, where church
services were also held in early days. Mr. Goodson
was a stanch Democrat and in 1852 was chosen to
represent Polk, Dallas, Jasper, Boone, Marshall,
Hardin, Guthrie, Yell (now Webster), Risley (now
Hamilton), and fifteen other unorganized counties of
north-western Iowa in the House of the Fourth
General Assembly. His colleagues from that district
were J. E. Rice and Benjamin Green. Mr. Goodson held
several township and county offices at various times
in all of which he served with fidelity. He was an
active member of the Methodist church during his
whole life.
George W. Van Horn of
Muscatine died at his home in that city on the 8th
of February (1895). He was born at Springfield,
Massachusetts, October 12, 1833. He studied law with
Chas. R. Ladd at his New England home when a young
man, and came to Muscatine, Iowa, in May 1855. After
admission to the bar he became the partner of Hon.
D. C. Cloud, then Attorney General of the State. Mr.
Van Horn was an earnest Republican in the early
history of that party, and an active advocate of its
principles in the Fremont and Lincoln campaigns.
Upon the election of Lincoln, Mr. Van Horn was
appointed U.S. Consul to Marseilles, France, serving
with marked ability until 1866 when he was removed
by President Johnson. Upon his return to Iowa he was
called by the Republican State Central Committee of
Arkansas to take editorial charge of the new state
paper just established at Little Rock. In 1870 he
returned to Muscatine and began the publication of
the Muscatine Tribune. Mr. Van Horn had now become
an advocate of free trade and "local option" for the
liquor traffic, and thus found himself in harmony
with the Democratic party. When the daily
News and Tribune
were consolidated he was made editor of the combined
papers. In 1893 he was appointed postmaster of
Muscatine by President Cleveland, which position he
held at the time of his death. As a writer and
editor he held high rank, winning distinction in
literary circles. He was the author of many
charming stories and sketches. He was an
enthusiastic patron of art, science, and general
literature, and one of the promoters of the City
Lycenum and the Academy of Science. In
religious belief Mr. Van Horn was a Unitarian. In
September 1858 he was married to Mary, only
daughter of Dr. J. G. Morrow one of the founders of
Muscatine. Miss Morrow was the first girl Mr.
Van Horn met when he landed from the steamer that
carried him to the little frontier village of
Muscatine, in May, 1855; and she was said to have
been the first native bride in Iowa.
Justus Clark,
one of the best known citizens of southern Iowa,
died at Los Angeles, California, on the 17th of
February. Mr. Clark was born at Royalton, Vermont,
March 22, 1819. He was brought up on a farm
and never forsook his early occupation. His
father bought the Governor Chittenden farm which was
the largest in the State, and it is still owned by
the Clark family. In his school days, Justus
attended the Willistone Academy where Chester A.
Arthur (the future President) was a student, and
Arthur's father was principal of the Academy. Young
Clark came west in May, 1839, the year after Iowa
was organized into a Territory, settling at
Burlington. In 1842 he purchased a farm near the
city, where he took his young wife (a Miss Cartmill)
who was also one of the first settlers in Des Moines
county. He has held at various times most of
the township and county offices. In 1852 he was
elected one of the Representatives from Des Moines
county to the Legislature, James W. Grimes being one
of his colleagues. In 1857 he was again chosen to
represent his county in the leagues in the Eight
General Assembly from Des Moines county were Judge
J. C. Hall and M. W. Robinson in the House and W.F.
Coolbaugh in the Senate, all of whom were
legislatures of unusual prominence. About the year
1876 he removed to a large farm he had purchased in
Montgomery county, where he eventually increased his
plantation to 3,500 acres, all of which was under
fence, and clear of encumbrance. He was for more
than forty years one of the best and most successful
of Iowa Farmers, accumulating a large fortune by
intelligent and judicious farm management. Mr. Clark
has been President of the Iowa Fine Stock Breeders
Association. He was an extensive traveler, having
visited the principal countries of Europe, as well
as Alaska, the Pacific states and Mexico at Various
times, always returning to Iowa with renewed love
for the Hawkeye State. Mr. Clark was a life long
Democrat, and one of the trusted leaders of his
party. In 1883 he was nominated for Lieutenant
Governor, with Judge Kinne for Governor; but
Republican majority was too large to be overcome by
this unusually strong ticket. During his
fifty-five years residence in Iowa, Justus Clark has
won and retained the confidence and esteem of the
best people of the State. His life was one of great
usefulness, and his memory will be revered by
thousands of his fellow-citizens.
Captain Allen E. Webb a
veteran of the war of the rebellion, died at his
home in Eldora on the 7th of March (1895) nearly
sixty years of age. He was a native of Ohio and came
to Iowa in 1853, settling at Eldora At the Beginning
of the late war Mr. Webb was among the first to
enlist as a private in the Union army. Upon the
organization of Company A of the 12th Iowa
Volunteers, he was chosen first Lieutenant. He was
wounded at the battle of Corinth in October, 1862.
He was promoted to Captain for meritorious services,
and was very popular with his company, always doing
his duty bravely. In 1863 his wound became so
troublesome that he had to resign his commission and
return home. Later he was elected sheriff of Hardin
county and held other important offices at various
times. He was a gallant a soldier, a good
citizen, and highly esteemed where he had lived so
long and was known so well.
Dr. George H. McGavren
of Missouri Valley, died at the home of his daughter
on the 16th of January. He was one of the first
pioneers in Harrison county, having settled there
early in the "50's." He was an eminent
physician, and the leading practitioner in that part
of western Iowa for more than thirty years. He was
chairman of the first board of supervisors of
Harrison county, and in 1870 he was its
representative in the State Legislature. He left a
widow and seven children. The Doctor was widely
known throughout western Iowa and highly esteemed.
The death of Judge William H. Seevers
of Oskaloosa, on the 24th of March, removes one of
the most eminent of our public men. He was a
native of Virginia where he spent his boyhood days.
In 1843 his father moved with his family to Mahaska
county, Iowa. The next year the son, William
H., came to Oskaloosa and entered upon the study of
law. He was admitted to the bar in 1846 and
began the practice of his profession at home.
In 1848 he was Prosecuting Attorney, and in 1852 he
was elected District Judge. In 1857 he was
representative from the district consisting of Iowa,
Poweshiek and Mahaska counties. This was not
only the first Legislature which met at Des
Moines, then the new capital of the State, but it
was the first held after the adoption of the
constitution of 1857 which radically changed our
organic law.
It became necessary to reorganize our entire system
of state government and provide a new code of civil
and criminal practice. The house numbered
among its members an unusual array of able and
brilliant men, who won high rank in later years as
statesmen, jurists and soldiers. Lincoln
Clark, a distinguished ex-member of Congress from
Dubuque, and the afterwards famous D. A. Mahoney
were the acknowledged leaders on the Democratic
side. M. V. B. Bennett, of Knoxville, one of
the ablest young politicians of the State, Phil
Bradley of Jackson, W. W. Belknap, of Keokuk, G. W.
Gray of Lansing and Justice Clark of Burlington,
were among the Democratic members. On the Republican
side W. H. Seevers was made chairman of the
judiciary committee, the post of honor, and of the
highest responsibility at that particular time.
James F. Wilson, of Fairfield, C. C. Carpenter, of
Fort Dodge, George W. McCrary, of Van Buren, John
Edwards, of Lucas, Colonel Shelledy, of Jasper, Tom
Drummond of Benton, Ed. Wright, of Cedar, M.M.
Trumbull, of Butler, E.E. Cooley, of Winneshiek,
were also Republican members of that historic House.
William P. Hepburn was its chief clerk.
As chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Judge
Seevers at once entered upon the arduous work of
giving rigid examination to an unusual number of
bills of the highest importance. There was a general
understanding among members that owing to the
radical changes made by the new constitution, all
important bills should be submitted to the judiciary
committee for rigid examination. Judge Seevers gave
every bill submitted to his committee the most
careful personal consideration, and when a measure
proposed had passed that ordeal it was generally
conceded that it might be safely enacted into law.
As the Seventh General Assembly necessarily had to
frame and enact more laws of importance than any of
its predecessors or successors, the position held by
Judge Seevers was most arduous. His superb legal
mind and excellent judgment were here tested, and
all must admit that he was equal to the
responsibility. Few of the present generation
realize the full measure of the important
legislation placed upon our statute books by that
first General Assembly which convened after the
adoption of our present constitution. Its work
largely survives on our statue book after the lapse
of more than a third of a century. To Judge Seevers
and James F. Wilson is due a large measure of credit
for the enduring work of that House of 1858.
Of the subsequent career of Judge Seevers as Code
Commissioner and Judge of the Supreme Court, the
press of the State has made appropriate notice.
But so far as I have knowledge, no mention has been
made of the most important public work of his life,
quietly but most ably given in shaping so largely
the important legislation of the Seventh General
Assembly which has proved so satisfactory and
enduring.
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