Andreas Atlas Index

A. T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875.
Published by Andreas Atlas Corp., Chicago.

C

Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton.

JOHN CHANEY, Esq., was born in Monroe County , Indiana , July 4, 1832 . He was brought up at the business of blacksmithing until the age of twenty-one. Received a common education during his minority. At the age of seven years he removed with his parents to Illinois , where they remained six years, and returned to Indiana , residing in Vigo County until 1851, when they removed to Iowa , and settled in Lucas County . On reaching his majority, Mr. Chaney attended college at Mount Pleasant , Iowa , three years, and was afterwards engaged in teaching and reading law, and was admitted to the bar in 1862. Shortly after the breaking out of the Rebellion, he entered the Union army as Second Lieutenant in the 34th Iowa Volunteers, was promoted to First Lieutenant, and served till the close of the war.

In June, 1867, he settled in Osceola, and from then to the present time, has been engaged in the practice of his profession.

Honorable JAMES CUSHING, Mayor of the City of Dubuque , was born in West Scituate , Plymouth County , Massachusetts , August 4th, 1830 . In 1838, when he was eight years of age, his father and family removed to Peoria , Illinois , where his mother died in 1839, the result being that the family was broken up, and the subject of this sketch was hired to work on a farm at $3.00 per month. Prior to this, he had attended the common school, and afterwards, at the age of nineteen, he attended for two years at an academy in Mt. Palatine , Illinois .

In 1852 he bought a team, and went into the ice and wood business on the Illinois River , at LaSalle. In 1854 he was married to Miss Emma H. Masterman, who died in Dubuque in October, 1861. Mr. Cushing continued in the ice and wood business till the Spring of 1859.

In the Spring of that year he moved to Dubuque , and bought out the firm in which his father was a partner, viz., the firm of Carter, Pifer & Cushing, who were engaged in the ice business in Dubuque . He had at that time two competitors,, but by energy and fair dealing he soon gained the trade of the town, and for nine years had exclusive control of the business. When he had attained control of the business, he aided Louis Fischer, one of his employes, in getting a start in business, by taking him in as a partner, when Mr. Fischer had no money with which to purchase an interest. Mr. Cushing sold him an interest on credit, taking his notes and mortgage on the property for security, and gave him a chance to pay in, as he could, out of the profits of his share over and above what was necessary for his living. In this way Mr. Fischer was enabled to pay for his share, and he has since become possessed of considerate property in the city.

In 1863 Mr. Cushing loaned a sum of money to John Palmer, who was engaged in the manufacture of vinegar, in Dubuque , and in order to secure the amount loaned, he found it necessary to take hold of the business with Mr. Palmer, and in doing so expended a good deal of money in bringing the arrangements for manufacturing to a successful condition. In this manner he got into the manufacture of vinegar, and has continued in it to the present time, making it a study, and laying out large sums to bring the methods of manufacturing to a higher state of perfection than had heretofore been attained. In this Mr. Cushing has been entirely successful. His trade extends from St. Cloud on the north to New Mexico on the south, and west to Denver , Colorado .

In the Summer of 1873, having outgrown his old accommodations on Iowa street , he erected his present large and commodious factory on Eagle Point Avenue . The building is 50 x 100 feet, four stories in height, of brick, substantially built, constructed in the side of the hill, so that he has, practically, three ground floors, saving a great deal of labor in moving goods. The temperature of the building is regulated by a large furnace in the basement, and supplied with water from the reservoir of the city water works. The building has been erected and fitted up with various improvements, with reference to permanent business in the manufacture of vinegar for the Northwest.

Mr. Cushing has never been a politician, or an aspirant for office, though voting the regular Republican ticket. In the municipal election of the Spring of 1875, he was taken up by the Republicans as candidate for Mayor, because it was thought that he would make a successful run against any competitor that might be nominated by the opposition. His competitor was one of the most popular men in the city, yet Mr. Cushing was elected by a handsome majority.

Mr. Cushing has always pursued a liberal policy towards the encouragement of home manufactures, and the building up the general interests of the city, and no man has given more generously, according to his means, than he has. He is popular with the people, and has the sympathy of the working classes, as he is understood to be the friend and patron of labor, as opposed to all forms of moneyed monopoly and oppression.

Mr. Cushing was married to his second wife, Miss Mary A. Schimerhorn, of LaSalle , Illinois , in October, 1863. By his first marriage he had two children, and has had four by his second marriage, five of whom are living.