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GEORGE HORRIDGE, President of the Farmer's Loan & Trust Company, Vinton, and senior member of the firm of George Horridge & Co., dealers in hardware, is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Washington County, May 26, 1833. His parents, George and Mary (Hamlet) Horridge, were natives of England, emigrating to this country about 1831. On their arrival they stopped about two years in New York City, and then moved to Washington County, Pa. They were the parents of ten children, only two of whom lived to maturity. In 1852 they moved to Linn County, Iowa, locating near Mt. Vernon. Both lived to a ripe old age, the mother dying at seventy-eight and the father at eighty-two years of age. They were devout members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They were highly respected and esteemed by all who knew them, and did all in their power to help every good work and uplift humanity, never hesitating at any sacrifice which would be to the upbuilding of God's kingdom.George Horridge was educated in the common schools of his native county, and in 1851 came west to Linn County, and in the following year engaged for three years at Cedar Rapids to learn the trade of tinsmith, with the firm of Rock & Bro. In 1858 he came to Vinton, where in 1860 he commenced business for himself in connection with Mrs. Elizabeth Rock, under the firm name of Rock & Horridge. For more than a quarter of a century he has continued in the same line of trade, in which he has been especially fortunate. From a small beginning the stock has been increased until now the firm carries a line of goods equal in extent to many of the more pretentious houses of the larger cities. Few stores present a more attractive appearance. Mr. Horridge started with little, but with a firmly fixed purpose to succeed, and through energy, economy and steadfast determination, he has worked on until he has accumulated a large property, and is numbered among the well-to-do business men of the county. The firm is now Horridge & Rock, the junior member being G. T. Rock. Shortly after the organization of the Farmer's Loan & Trust Company, he was made Vice-President, and in 1878 was elected President, which position he now holds.
In politics Mr. Horridge is a Republican, believing firmly in the principles of that party. He has been honored with many local offices, although he is no office-seeker. Mr. Horridge was married, Oct. 29, 1863, to Elizabeth Rock, born in Lancaster City, Pa. They are both members of the Presbyterian Church of Vinton. Mrs. Horridge had four children by her former marriage with A. H. Rock; two are still living — George T., now our subject's partner, and a daughter, Mrs. N. D. Pope, of Cedar Rapids.
Source Citation: "1887 Benton County, Iowa Biographies" [database online] Benton County IAGenWeb Project. <http://iagenweb.org/benton/>
Original data: "Portrait and Biographical Album of Benton County, Iowa." Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1887, p. 227.
Transcribed by: Sue Soden. Submitted to the Benton County IAGenWeb Project on January 28th, 2009. Copyright © 2009 The IAGenWeb Project.
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