Dubuque County >> 1894 Index
Jones County
Clayton County

Portrait and Biographical Record of Dubuque, Jones and Clayton Counties
Chicago: Chapman Pub. Co., 1894.

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Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Becky Teubner.

DAVID H. TAYLOR

Clayton County has few farms so attractive to the passer-by as that owned and occupied by Mr. Taylor. Situated in the suburbs of Strawberry Point, a portion of it within the corporate limits of the town, it possesses all the advantages of city life, with the conveniences of the country. The residence is a model of comfort and elegance, modern in architecture and furnished in a manner indicating the refined tastes of the inmates. The farm consists of one hundred and ninety acres, containing all the improvements of a first-class estate and operated by tenants, Mr. Taylor having retired from active business cares.

The father of our subject, Joseph Taylor, was born in New Hampshire May 7, 1796 , and removed thence to Massachusetts , spending some years in the vicinity of Boston . At the age of eighteen he went to New York and from there in 1856 came to Iowa , settling in Fayette County seven miles west of Strawberry Point. In 1865 he retired from agricultural work and came to this city, where he died, January 15, 1874 . A man of more than ordinary ability, he was influential in the community and held many local offices. The family adhered to the Presbyterian faith, but late in life he joined the Congregational Church.

Our subject's mother, Jane Bennie, was born in Scotland May 15, 1799 . Her father, Archibald Bennie, was a native of Sterling , Scotland , and while serving as a soldier in the British army was sent to America during the Revolution. At the first opportunity he deserted the British and escaped into the territory of the Colonial army, though so far as known he did not take up arms against his native land. He turned his attention to farming, being for a time in the employ of a Mr. Wadsworth, who was one of the original settlers of the Genesee Valley in New York . At the close of the war he returned to Scotland and there married. One child had been born of his union at the time of his second corning to America . This time he settled in Cortland County , N. Y., where the greater portion of his remaining years were spent, although his death occurred in Oswego County . Mrs. Jane Taylor died in Clayton County April 10, 1872. Joseph Taylor had but one brother, Charles, who went to Beloit , Wis. , there speculated in real estate and at the time of his death was well-to-do. Mrs. Jane Taylor had five brothers, as follows: David Bennie, a prominent physician, who died in Allegany County, N. Y.; John, an agriculturist who died in Oswego County, N.Y.; Archibald and James, who in youth enlisted in the regular army to fight the Indians in Florida, but were never heard of afterward; and William, also a soldier in the regular army and a recruiting officer during the Civil War.

In the parental family there were four sons and one daughter. George D., born June 2, 1826, has been a life-long agriculturist and now lives in Prebie, Cortland County, N. Y. Eliza J., born January 19, 1829, married John P. Squires in Prebie, N. Y., came west in 1855 and settled in Fayette County, Iowa; Mr. Squires died at his home near Strawberry Point and his widow is living in Iowa City with her daughter, who is the wife of Dr. F. J. Newberry, a professor in Iowa State University. Hamilton B., born January 5, 1832 , is a graduate of the Albany (N. Y.) State Normal School; he taught school in New York State and Indianapolis, Ind., but subsequently went to Minnesota, where he introduced into the schools of that state a new system of books for a New York house. He became proprietor of a town in that state, but later came to Iowa and resided upon a farm in Fayette County for some time. Afterward he engaged in the agricultural implement business in Strawberry Point. In 1869 and 1870 he was a member of the State Legislature and was always prominent in public affairs. In the Congregational Church he served as Deacon and was also greatly interested in Sunday-school work. In 1866 he married Miss Marian Babcock, a native of Vermont and daughter of a wealthy farmer of Fayette County . He died October 9, 1879 , leaving one daughter, Jessie E., who, with her mother, lives in Strawberry Point. Our subject's brother John was born June 3, 1834 , and received a good education in Cortland Academy , in Homer, N. Y. During the gold excitement he went to Pike's Peak and is now in the mining business at Butte City , Mont.

The youngest member of the family circle is the subject of this sketch, who was born in Cortland County , N. Y., October 14, 1837 . His education was received in the Cortland Academy of Homer, N. Y., but his attention was devoted principally to farm work. In 1856 he came west with his father, with whom he was extensively engaged in the stock business. In 1865 he settled upon the place where he now lives, and since that year he has devoted considerable attention to raising stock, in which he has met with flattering success. He has been one of the most extensive breeders of Holstein cattle in the state and is a member of the Holstein Breeding Association of America.

Going to Colorado in 1891, Mr. Taylor spent two years at Greeley , where he still owns valuable property. In the spring of 1893 he returned to his beautiful home in Clayton County , and here he has since lived retired from active work. In addition to this property and that in Colorado , he owns valuable land in Nebraska and Dakota. He is one of the stockholders in the Strawberry Point Creamery, the largest concern of the kind in the state. Politically he supports Republican doctrines, and socially holds membership with the Masonic fraternity.

The marriage of Mr. Taylor occurred in 1869 and united him with Mrs. Cora (Eaton) Sherwood, a native of Vermont and a daughter of Amos Eaton. Two children bless the union, Jennie and Park. Their daughter is the wife of Lloyd Lathrop, and they, with their son Howard, reside on the home farm. Mrs. Taylor and her daughter are members of the Baptist Church , which the others of the family attend. They are highly regarded throughout the county and have a large circle of acquaintances by whom they are held in the greatest esteem.

AUSTIN THYNE, a prominent farmer of Sperry Township , Clayton County, Iowa, is a native of Ireland , having been born in Milltown-Malbay, County Clare , in the year 1849, and is the son of Austin and Jane ( Dixon ) Thyne. There were eleven children in this family, five of whom are living, three boys and two girls. The father of our subject died in the Old Country at the age of ninety-three, and the mother emigrated to the United States , where she made her home until her death, which occurred in the year 1888. The maternal grandparents of our subject lived to the good old age of one hundred and one, and one hundred and two, respectively. The paternal grandmother lived to be ninety-three years old.

Our subject emigrated to the United States in the year 1865, his brother Patrick and another brother following five years later. Mr. Thyne sailed from Queenstown and was twenty days crossing the ocean; he did not have a very pleasant voyage, as he was sea sick all the way. He landed in Boston , Mass. , where he worked for about four months on the railroad, when he left the east and went to Oshkosh , making the journey in three days and three nights. On his arrival in Wisconsin he went to work on a farm for a Pennsylvania Dutchman. He remained here for about two months and then came to Iowa , where he now resides. Our subject worked for different parties for six or seven years. He and Pat O'Laughlan purchased eighty acres of land in partnership; they cultivated and improved the same, and in 1875 our subject bought out his partner, and by hard labor and industry soon had a valuable and paying farm.

Mr. Thyne was united in marriage with Miss Mary Henry, daughter of Alexander and Annie (Carr) Henry, January 22, 1877 . Her parents are living on a farm about two miles and one-half from her home. Mr. and Mrs. Thyne are the parents of nine children. Jenny, the oldest, is sixteen years of age; Annie is fourteen, Austin, twelve; Willie, ten; Robert, eight; Isabel, six; Emmet, four; Walter, two, and Grace is the baby. Politically, our subject is a Democrat, but generally votes for the best man regardless of politics. In his religious belief he is a Catholic. The two sisters of our subject reside in Australia . Our subject is loyal and true to his adopted country, and is ever ready to do his whole duty as a liberal spirited and progressive citizen.

PAUL TRAUT is the efficient and popular Treasurer of Dubuque County. He is numbered among the native sons of the city, where his birth occurred June 27, 1851 . His father, Joseph Traut, was a native of Prussia , and on emigrating to America in 1846, took up his residence in Dubuque , where he is still living, at the age of seventy-two. After his arrival here he was united in marriage with Miss Anna Hilken, a native of Luxemburg, who is now sixty-eight years of age.

The gentleman whose name heads this record spent the days of his boyhood and youth midst play and work and was reared in the parental home. His early education, acquired in the public schools, was supplemented by a commercial course in the Bayless Business College of Dubuque, after which he began earning his own livelihood as a salesman in a store of Klingenberg & Wullweber, where he remained for some time. He was then employed as bookkeeper in the wholesale drug house of E. H. Moore for five years. In 1874 he embarked in the wholesale whiskey business on his own account, conducting the same for six years, when in 1880 he sold out.

In the meantime Mr. Traut was married, having in 1873 led to the marriage altar Miss Louisa Jaeger, a native of Dubuque , and a daughter of Adam Jaeger, one of the early settlers of this city. Their union has been blessed with seven children, three sons and four daughters, namely: Eleanora, Frank, Louisa Matilda, Mamie, Edward, Verona and Adam H.

In 1880 Mr. Traut entered upon his official career, at which time he was elected City Treasurer of Dubuque on the Democratic ticket for a term of four years, At each succeeding election he was chosen his own successor for three terms, a fact which indicates the promptness and fidelity with which he discharged his duties. In 1889 he was elected Treasurer of Dubuque County for a term of two years and has been twice re-elected, being the present incumbent of that office. In 1884 he aided in organizing the German Trust and Savings Bank, located on the corner of Thirteenth and Clay Streets. John Bell was elected its President; D. Rhornberg, its Vice-President; and Paul Traut, Cashier, That position he held for four years, and in 1894 was elected President of the bank. He aided in organizing and consolidating the four breweries of Dubuque and is now Vice-President of the Dubuque Malting Company. In the Dubuque Stamping and Enameling Works, which was formed in 1891, he occupies a similar position. He was one of the organizers of the Dubuque Woodenware and Lumber Company, and is now serving as one of its directors. As he has found it possible, he has enlarged his business facilities and extended his operations until he has become one of the substantial and leading business men of the city.

Mr. Traut takes an active interest in everything pertaining to the welfare and development of Dubuque , and does all in his power to aid in its promotion and progress. He is now serving as President of the School Board, and the cause of education finds in him a stalwart friend, in whose behalf he has done effective service. With his family he belongs to the Catholic Church. He is a pleasant, genial gentleman, who is widely known and has many friends. His life illustrates what may be accomplished by industry, for he entered upon his business career as a clerk, but has steadily worked his way upward until he has become one of the wealthy citizens of his native county.