Annals of Iowa - A

Annals Index

Annals of Iowa

A


Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ALLEN was born at Salem, Indiana, April 27, 1829, and died at Hollywood, California, April 14, 1914. The body was cremated and the ashes placed in the family lot in Woodland cemetery, Des Moines. He came to Des Moines in 1848, bringing several thousand dollars with him and began active and extensive business operations. He early exhibited great talent as a business man. With Jonathan Lyon, he at once entered the general mercantile business on the corner of Second and Vine streets. In 1850 with Charles Van he built a steam sawmill at the south end of the old Coon River bridge. There was a great quantity of good timber near, especially black walnut, and they had a big business. In 1851 he and R. W. Sypher purchased a steamboat at St. Louis and put it in the Des Moines River traffic. In 1855 he established a bank and soon obtained an immense business. He successfully came through the wildcat banking period of 1855 to 1858, maintaining his credit and winning recognition as one of the leading bankers of the West. In 186o he was a member of the city council. In 1865 he organized the first gas company of Des Moines. The same year with others he organized the Hawkeye Insurance Company. He became a stockholder and director in the Rock Island railroad and assisted it to reach Des Moines in 1867. In 1869 he built on Grand Avenue the most magnificent residence in Iowa, later and now the mansion of Mr. F. M. Hubbell. The same year he was elected to the state senate and served in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth General Assemblies and was influential in securing the legislation providing for the new Capitol building. In 1871 he organized the Des Moines Water Company. In 1874 he went to Chicago and took over the Cook County National Bank. Here he met disaster, the failure swallowing up his entire fortune, including his Des Moines properties. Soon thereafter he went to Southern California where he was interested for a time in fruit growing, had an important position supervising forestry service in California for the Federal Government for some years, but for several years of his later life, lived in retirement. He is credited with doing more toward developing the city of Des Moines in its early history than any other one man.

ROLLIN V. ANKENY was born at Somerset, P., May 22, 1830; he died Des Moines, Iowa, Dec. 24, 1901. He read medicine after his school days, but did not practice it as a profession. He settled on a farm near Freeport, Ill., where he resided several years. He entered the military service in 1861, becoming orderly sergeant, first lieutenant, and captain in the 15th Illinois Infantry. He was present at the battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh. In 1864 he organized the 142d Illinois Infantry, serving with it until the end of the war, when he was mustered out with the rank of brigadier- general. He was connected with The Freeport Journal for some years, but removed to Des Moines in 1879, where he resided until his death. He had served in various public positions under the general and State governments, becoming especially well known locally from his discharge of the duties of coroner of Polk county for several years.