 |
|
 |
|
RICHARD H. QUINN, of Vinton, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 2, 1836, and is the son of Arthur and Mary (Porte) Quinn, his father a native of Ireland and his mother of Scotland. In 1834 his parents emigrated to the United States, settling in Connersville, Ind. They were farmers by occupation, and the father followed that vocation for about five years at that city. In 1843 the family emigrated to Iowa, locating at Muscatine, and the following year the father was drowned while crossing the river with a load of lumber. His mother afterward purchased a farm on Muscatine Island, and also bought some property in the present city of Muscatine. In the spring of 1859 our subject went to Colorado, and while there was engaged in mining and prospecting. In the fall of 1862 he enlisted in Co. A, 3d Col. Vol. Inf., which was afterward consolidated with the 2d Colorado Cavalry. He was in all the principal battles of New Mexico, and in 1863 was detailed and took charge of the guerrilla prisoners. The first battle in which he participated was at Big Blue, where the Union forces were pitted against Gen. Price. He was mustered out in June, 1865, and then had charge of the military stores at Ft. Kiley, Kan. Mr. Quinn was in the chase after Quantrell, the guerrilla, who burned up the city of Lawrence, Kan. After leaving Ft. Riley he went to Arizona with Col. Dodd, who was sent there to distribute the annuities to the Indians. They were eleven months making the trip, having with them twenty-seven wagons. While on the way they had several skirmishes with the Indians. In 1866 he went to Washington, Iowa, whither his mother had moved. In the spring of 1867 Mr. Quinn came to Vinton, where he entered into partnership in the mercantile business with his brother, under the firm name of L. & R. H. Quinn. The partnership continued for nine years, when Mr. Quinn sold his interest to his brother, and in company with his wife visited the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia. Being in poor health, he did not care to resume business for awhile, but in 1877 he bought out his brother, and continued the business until 1883, when he sold out to Eddy Bros., since which time he has lived a retired life.
Mr. Quinn was united in marriage, May 12, 1868, to Subina, daughter of William and Catherine (Young) Smythe, natives of Pennsylvania. They have five children — Mazie C., born June 2, 1869; William A., July 19, 1871; Grace S., Nov. 30, 1874; Guy R., April 8, 1877; Porte, Feb. 17, 1880. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church of Vinton. Mr. Quinn is a stockholder and one of the Directors in the Farmer's Loan and Trust Company Bank, a position which he has held since its organization, except its first year. Since boyhood Mr. Quinn has made his own way in the world, he has been an active man, full of energy, and has been very successful in life.
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. 279.
Transcribed by: Sue Soden. Submitted to the Benton County IAGenWeb Project on February 9th, 2009. Copyright © 2009 The IAGenWeb Project.
 |
