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Biographies and Portraits of the Progressive Men of
Iowa P Unless noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton. Palmer,
Dr. Charles Alfred, of Grinnell, is one of the rising young dentists of the state,
and though he has practiced his profession but a short time comparatively, he
enjoys a good patronage. His father, Stephen Alfred Palmer, was a native of
Ohio, but came to Iowa as an early pioneer, settling in Jones county soon after
the state was admitted, where he engaged in farming. the
doctor's mother was Angeline Bennet, also a native of Ohio, having secured her
education at Hiram College in that state, where she became well acquainted with
President Garfield and his wife, who were both students there at the time. It
was soon after her marriage to Mr. Palmer that they moved to Jones county, Iowa,
where they brought up a family of twelve children, all of whom are still living
except one. S. A. Palmer was of English descent, being the son of a Canadian,
who was pressed into the British service during the War of 1812, but who
deserted in order to fight with the Americans. The name of this soldier's mother
was Allen, and she was a relative of Ethan Allen, the hero of Ticonderoga. The
ancestors of Dr. Palmer's mother were Scotch and English.
C.
A. Palmer was born January 12, 1867, in Jones county, Iowa, where the early
years of his life were spent, working on the farm and attending district school.
In the spring of 1882, the year of the great Grinnell cyclone, when he was
fifteen years old, he removed with his parents to Poweshiek county, where for a
few years they worked a farm near Grinnell, but soon moved into town in order
that the children might have better educational advantages, and here the father
engaged in the grocery business. The father's object was realized, for most of
his children are college graduates. Dr. Palmer attended Iowa College at Grinnell
for two years, during 1887 and 1888, and in 1893 entered the dental department
of the state university, at Iowa City, graduating in 1895. He paid a large part
of his own expenses while securing his collegiate and professional training.
Although Dr. Palmer's business and professional career has covered but a few
years, he has succeeded in establishing an excellent practice, and has won the
confidence of a wide circle of influential people. In politics, the doctor was formerly a republican, but in recent elections has worked with the prohibitionists. He belongs to no clubs or secret societies, but is a member of the Methodist church, and is president of the Epworth League at Grinnell. Palmer,
David J.,
member of the state board of railroad commissioners, was born in
Washington county, Penn., November 15, 1839, and came with his parents to Iowa
in 1856, settling in Washington county, which is still his home. They
began on eighty acres of raw prairie and passed through all the struggles
incident to pioneer life. The family had previously lived for some time in
Carroll county, in eastern Ohio, where they located in 1842. Here young Dave
attended the country district and subscription schools, which were conducted in
log schoolhouses in those days. For about a year and a half before the war young
Palmer attended the United Presbyterian college in Washington, Iowa. He taught
school for a few terms, but has chiefly followed farming, in which he has been
highly successful. Colonel Palmer's parents were Samuel R. Palmer, a farmer,
with rather limited means who had been a wagon maker by trade, and Margaret
Munce. Samuel R. Palmer was born in County Armagh, Ireland, in 1811, and came to
America with his parents at the age of 18, settling in Washington county, Penn.
His wife was born in Washington county, Penn., in 1812. Her father was a native
of Ireland and died at the age of 99. Colonel
Palmer enlisted August 10, 1861, as a private in Company C, Eighth Iowa
infantry. He was promoted and mustered into the United States service August 31,
1861, as third corporal. At the battle of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6, 1862, he was
severely wounded in the left shoulder, and was discharged by the order of the
secretary of war September 9, 1862, to accept a position as captain of Company
A, Twenty- fifth Iowa infantry. They were mustered into
the United States service September 27, 1862. He was slightly wounded in the
left foot at Arkansas Post, January 11, 1863, and was promoted to
lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty-fifth Iowa June 9, 1863. At the battle of
Taylor's Ridge, near Ringgold, Ga., November 27, 1863, he was wounded in the
left leg, though he remained in the service until the close of the war, and was
mustered out in Washington, D. C., June 6, 1865. He was in the battle of Shiloh,
Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, the charge upon and siege of Vicksburg, the
second attack on Jackson, Miss., also Canton, Miss., campaign from Memphis to
Chattanooga, Cane Creek, Tuscumbia, Cherokee Station, Lookout Mountain, Mission
Ridge, Taylor's Ridge, campaign to Atlanta, including Dalton, Snake Creek Gap,
Pumpkin Vine Creek, Resaca, Dallas, Altoona Hills, New Hope Church, Kenesaw
Mountain, Marietta, and final attack and capture of Atlanta, East Point,
Jonesboro, Sherman's march to the sea, engagement near Macon, Ga., attack and
capture of Savannah, campaign through the Carolinas, resulting in capture of
Columbia, Bentonsville, Goldsboro, and occupancy of Raleigh, N. C., final march
through Petersburg, Richmond, and on to Washington, D. C. Very
few soldiers have passed through the number of battles and seen the service that
Colonel Palmer saw, and come out with as little permanent injury as he has
suffered. His record as a soldier is held up as a model by his companions in
arms. He is a member of the G. A. R., and was commander of I. G. White Post, No.
108, of Washington. The soldier ties are very strong with him, and he and his
old comrades are always found standing together. Colonel
Palmer has always been a republican and has done his share of party work in
every campaign. He is an eloquent and very vigorous speaker, and, when his
feelings are aroused, is capable of most effective and inspiring oratory, as he
has often shown while a member of the state senate. He has served as road
supervisor and auditor of Washington county, and presidential elector, First
district, 1884, and a member of the senate from the Tenth district, composed of
Henry and Washington counties, elected in 1891 and serving two terms. He
resigned the office of senator April 1, 1898, to accept the appointment tendered
him by Governor Shaw to be member of the board of railroad commissioners to fill
a vacancy caused by the death of C. L. Davidson. He received the unanimous
nomination from the republican state convention that year and was elected by a
handsome majority in November. His standing at home is shown by the protest
which the democratic paper in his town made against the methods used by the
opposing candidate to injure Colonel Palmer. this paper, the Washington
Democrat, declared that "because men differ in politics is no reason why
they should not be decent. Colonel Palmer is a rank partisan, and the Democrat
owes him nothing. He nut so much as takes the Democrat, but we believe in fair
play, and say what you will against him, he is a whole-souled, big-hearted,
public-spirited citizen, and when a man is in trouble Colonel Palmer never asks
whether he is a democrat of a republican, or a Hottentot; he helps him
out." Colonel
Palmer is a member of the Grant club, of Des Moines, and belongs to the United
Presbyterian church. He was married October 25, 1866, to Miss Letitia H. Young.
They have no children. Palmer,
Luke, Jr.,
was born November 20, 1851, at Burlington, Iowa, and attended the public
schools, later Knox academy, and finally graduated at Knox college, Galesburg,
Ill., in June, 1872, taking the degree of A. B., and three years later that of
A. M. He
spent the following year chiefly in physical labor, though he visited Colorado
and spent some time in reading elementary law. In 1873 he entered Harvard law
school, passed the examination for the second year, but chose to enter the law
office of N. C. Berry, of Boston, and attended lectures at Boston law school,
where he graduated in June, 1875, taking degree of LL. B. He returned to
Burlington, and was admitted to the bar, practiced three years and determined to
go to Colorado. His father, who had paid the expense of his education, had
suffered a heavy fire loss and the young man thought it his duty to make his way
alone. With but little money he went to Colorado, and, finding no suitable
opening for his profession, owing to his ignorance of mining terms, he turned
his attention to making a living by physical labor, chiefly, at mining and
prospecting, also spending some time in reading mining law. In 1881 he opened a
law office in Georgetown, Colo. Soon afterwards he formed a law partnership with
Judge Thomas Mitchell. He also arranged to assist Hon. R. S. Morrison in
compiling a series of fifteen volumes on Mining Reports, covering the decisions
of all the courts of last resort in this country and England. In the preface to
this work, the author gives credit to Mr. Palmer "for faithful co- operation in the selection of the cases
printed and the preparation of the same for publication." Mr. Palmer also
assisted in the preparation of "Morrison's Colorado Digest," published
in 1884. Mr.
Palmer was twice elected to the office of county judge of Clear Creek county,
Colo., but resigned in the fifth year of service to return to Burlington, where
the increasing age of his father and the failing health of his mother made his
presence necessary. Soon after entering upon his duties as judge, Mr. Palmer
married Miss Emma A. Dunn, of Galesburg, Ill., who had been his classmate in
Knox college, and graduated with him. She resigned a position as instructor in
the Latin language before her marriage. The union was a happy one until the
death of Mrs. Palmer in 1892. There were no children born of this marriage, but
it happened that Bessie and Helen Clendenin, the young children of Mrs. Palmer's
deceased sister, found a home for several years with Mr. and Mrs. Palmer. Since
Mr. Palmer returned to Burlington, he has engaged only to a limited extent in
law practice, but has given most of his time to the management of real estate.
He, with the assistance of Mr. J. A. Strodel, rearranged the files and
re-indexed the records of the clerk's office of the district court of Des Moines
county in the years 1895 and 1896, under contract with board of supervisors, and
at the instance of the bar of Des Moines county. Mr. Palmer has been treasurer
of the board of trustees of the Congregational church since January, 1890. On
April 28, 1897, Mr. Palmer and Miss Marian E. Starr, daughter of the late Henry
W. Starr, of Burlington, were united in marriage. Mrs. Palmer died February 11,
1898. Palmer,
Luke, Sr.,
was born in Stonington, Conn., October 18, 1808, and is the descendant of
Walter Palmer, who came from England in 1629. At the age of 14 he was left
fatherless. He went to school until his 19th year, learned the carpenter trade,
and in his 25th year went to New Orleans to work at his trade. He shipped a
stock of goods to cover expenses, found it paid and shipped more goods. He
remained four years, found the climate unhealthy, and in 1837 determined to
move. The bank asked 24 per cent exchange for a New York draft, which he
declined to pay, so he bought sugar and shipped it to New York at a profit. Mr.
Palmer then spent several months, in 1838, traveling about in the Mississippi
valley. He finally bought a stock of goods in St. Louis, and, on January 15,
1839, shipped it up the Mississippi, the river being then open, though closed in
the previous November. At Quincy, ice stopped the boats, and teams were hired
and the stock brought to Burlington, crossing from Illinois on the ice at
considerable risk on January 23, 1839, the legislature being then in session. He
opened a general store in Burlington, and remained in business about twelve
years. On
January 8, 1851, he married Miss Mary E. Holbrook, a lady who was reared in
Connecticut, educated in Hartford and taught school in Connecticut, and,
afterwards, a private school in Burlington, Iowa. The union was a happy one
until the death of Mrs. Palmer, October 19, 1888, nearly thirty-eight years
after the marriage. There were two children, Luke, Jr., a sketch of whose life
is subjoined, and Sarah M., who married John S. Cameron, a civil engineer,
afterwards secretary of the railroad commission of Iowa, then assistant to
general manager of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railway company, later
with the Union Pacific railroad, and finally proprietor of an electric railway
in Salt Lake city, Utah. Mrs. Cameron died February 24, 1881, leaving two sons,
now in Yale, and a daughter, now with her uncle, Luke Palmer, Jr., at
Burlington, Iowa. In
1850 Mr. Palmer closed out his stock of merchandise and turned his attention to
the improvement of the real estate which he had accumulated. In 1872 he
undertook the erection of an opera house in Burlington, which, when near
completion, he lost by fire, June 19, 1873. This
was Burlington's largest fire, covering several squares and destroying the
county court house and part of the county records. Mr. Palmer cleared away the
debris and rebuilt. Mr.
Palmer was elected to the territorial legislature in 1845, but never took his
seat, because the territory was admitted as a state pending the meeting of the
legislature. He served in the city council as alderman repeatedly, between 1842
and 1861; served upon the board of trustees of the asylum for Insane at Mr.
Pleasant for fourteen years, from 1862 to 1875 inclusive, and was president of
the board for the last four years of the period; served as a school director in
Burlington, and was president of the board several years. He subscribed to the
stock of all the plank roads and all the railroads built into or out of
Burlington. He
contributed to the building of the First Congregational church in Burlington, as
well as to the present edifice, and gave much of his time, for three years, to
the supervision of the work of building. He was for many years president of the
board of trustees of this church. Mr. Palmer was always a toiler, hard-working with hands, as well as with brains, at whatever he undertook, and he followed this practice after he became an octogenarian. He had a remarkably robust frame and great vigor and physical energy, as well as great power of endurance. His chief interests centered in his family. At an early period in his married life he built a fine residence, which he occupied until his death. On June 15, 1892, he was stricken with apoplexy. He lingered nearly three years and died suddenly of a second stroke April 22, 1895, in his 87th year. He is buried in Aspen Grove cemetery. PAULGER, FREDERICK WHEATLEY, cashier of the New Hartford, Iowa, bank, was born at Bucknall Grange, Lincolnshire, England, May 19, 1854. John Paulger, his father, was an Englishman, who came to America with his family in 1869, from Great Grimsby, England. They left Liverpool on the steamship Nestorian in May and landed at Point Levi, across the river from Quebec, Canada, June 7, 1869. From there they came west and after a few days' stay at Rockford, Ill., came to New Hartford, Iowa, and settled on a farm a few miles from town. Before coming to America young Paulger attended the schools in the city of London and also the Victoria schools in Great Grimsby, where he was a faithful and studious scholar and won several class prizes. After leaving school he worked in a telegraph office as messenger, and also in the steam shipping office of John Sutcliffe at Great Grimsby for about one year before leaving England. After locating at New Hartford he learned telegraphy at the railroad station during the winter of 1872 and was appointed agent and operator for the Illinois Central Railroad company at that point July 4, 1873. This position he retained until 1881. During 1875 he formed a partnership with his father in the coal and grain business, under the firm name of J. Paulger & Son. In August, 1882, this firm bought the lumber and hardware business of J. a. Cousins. In 1883 the father retired from the lumber and hardware business, and Fredrick W. formed a partnership with the former proprietor, J. A. Cousins, under the firm name of Paulger & Cousins, which continued until November, 1892, when Mr. Cousins bought the entire business. During the year 1885 Mr. Paulger entered into partnership with W. e. Miner, under the firm name of Miner & Paulger, and started the New Hartford mill, in which he retained his interest until 1888, when it was purchased by his partner. During the year of 1889 Mr. Paulger, with three others, organized the New Hartford bank, of which he became cashier in 1893. He still retains that connection with the bank and its prosperity is largely due to his energetic and conservative management. Mr. Paulger has always been an active member of the republican party and has been honored by election to several local offices. He was elected mayor of New Hartford in 1892 and in 1894 accepted the position of city treasurer, which he still occupies. He is master of Beaver Lodge, A. F. and A. M., and has held that office for three consecutive years. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and Knight Templar, being a member of Baldwin commandery of Cedar Falls. November 10, 1880, Mr. Paulger was married to Ida Guthrie, daughter of Dr. James a. Guthrie, of New Hartford. They have three children: Leo Harry, born March 7, 1882; Mable Frank, born July 20, 1884, and Ruth Genevieve, born July 22, 1889. By a long and successful business career Mr. Paulger has merited, and has won, the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens, and established a fine reputation for business foresight and ability. Senator
Penrose, who represented the Forty-fifth senatorial district in the general
assembly, was born at Chesterfield, Ohio, August 22, 1844.
His parents, Thomas and Maria Clenden Penrose, were Quakers, their remote
ancestors having come to this country
with William Penn.
The early youth of Senator Penrose was spent in his native state on the
farm, where he received a common school education.
He came to Iowa in 1860 and has ever since been a resident of this state.
As a young man he worked on the farm, clerked and taught school.
During the years from 1864 to 1875 he attended several terms in the Iowa
State university. In 1868 he located at Tama City and engaged as clerk in a
store, but, having an ambition to fill a wider field, removed to Grand Junction
and, in partnership with C. B. Park, opened a hardware, agricultural implement
and grain business, where a large and profitable trade was enjoyed until 1872,
at which time he returned to Tama City and put in a complete stock of hardware.
While he has ever made it a rule to pay close attention to business, he
devotes a portion of his time to the wants and needs of the public, and has been
prominent in the management of municipal affairs.
He has served several terms on the city council and was mayor both before
and after the reincorporation of the place into a city of the second class.
Under his administration the city put in a system of waterworks
unexcelled by any inland town in the state; erected an electric light plant and
built an electric railroad.
He is prominent in educational affairs and has been elected repeatedly to
the presidency of the school board.
For several years he has served as trustee of the Methodist Episcopal
church, and has been active in the Masonic, Knights Templars and Knights of
Pythias orders. In
politics Mr. Penrose is a republican, starting almost with the birth of the
party, casting his first vote for Wm. Stone for governor in 1865, and all the
years of his life he has been its earnest friend and staunch supporter.
In the fall of 1893 he received the unanimous nomination of his party as
a candidate for state senator to represent the district composing the counties
of Benton and Tama.
The preceding election had given the district to the democrats, but his
great popularity and vigorous canvass resulted in his election by a handsome
majority, his own city giving him a highly complimentary vote.
He was re-elected in 1897.
As a legislator he possesses many fine and unusual qualifications.
Being a man of excellent judgment in all matters, he moves carefully, yet
courageously, when once he has arrived at a final conclusion.
He gives a subject due consideration before talking upon it, and then
defends his position with great strength and clearness, though always in a
manner courteous to those who hold different views.
He is a conspicuous figure in the more important committees, and his
services as chairman of the railway committee were generally recognized for
their thoroughness and care.
By his intelligent course he has the esteem of his contemporaries,
irrespective of party, who are always ready to join him in facilitating the work
he seeks to do, which accounts in a large measure for the considerable
legislation he has succeeded in having enacted.
He is held in high regard by Governor Drake and was one of the chosen
guests who accompanied that official to the sea to participate in the launching
of the battleship "Iowa."
Honorable to a fine degree, in both his public and private life, generous
to a fault and public spirited, he has friends and admirers in all the walks of
life.
In business matters his word is his bond and it never goes to protest.
He was married in 1870 to Miss Jennie C. Stoddard.
They have one son, Frank, who assists his father in the conduct of the
mercantile business at Tama. PRYCE, SAMUEL DAVID, a patriot of the late civil war and one of the most influential citizens of Iowa City, Johnson county, was born in Ebensburg, Cambria county, Penn., September 11, 1841. His father, Samuel D. Pryce, was born in the same county, of Welsh parents, who emigrated into the mountain regions of Pennsylvania in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and his mother, Elizabeth Jones Pryce, was a native of Wales coming to this country when she was eighteen years old. The son received a limited education in the common schools under the stern discipline of the grim and irascible Yankee school-teacher, in the period just prior to the war. His father was in fair circumstances, but was compelled to yield to the stringency of the times following the panic of 1857, and the old homestead was sold under foreclosure, and the family consisting of parents and four children, broken up. Sam D. went to Pittsburg, where he expected to enter a law office, but concluded to try his fortune in the west. He worked his way down the Ohio river to Cairo, and from that point north on the river to Burlington, and walked from there to Iowa City, arriving in the early spring utterly destitute of means. He worked for his board several weeks, then taught school a few terms, returning to Iowa City in the spring of 1862, intending to matriculate in the State university, but yielding to his patriotic impulse, enlisted as a private in a company being recruited by Capt. Harvey Graham, which was assigned to the Eighteenth regiment, then in rendezvous at Clinton.
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