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C[linton]. O. HARRINGTON, cashier of the Farmers' National Bank of Vinton, Iowa, came to this place in 1870, and with the exception of a few brief intervals has lived here ever since. Mr. Harrington is a native of the "Empire State." He was born at Norwich, Chenango county, New York, October 14, 1843, son of Fordus and Angeline (Chapman) Harrington, and when quite small was taken by his parents to Piqua, Ohio, where his mother subsequently died. Afterward the family went over into Indiana, and at Camden, that state, his father, who was by trade a tinner, engaged in the hardware and grocery business. In 1859 they moved to Iowa county, Iowa, and settled on a farm, where the father continued his residence during the rest of his life. He died at Vinton while there on a visit.
At the time the Harringtons came to Iowa the subject of this sketch was a youth of seventeen; they made the journey by wagon and he drove one of the teams. Before they were fairly well established in their new home the Civil war was inaugurated and young Harrington, not yet out of his teens, was among the first to enlist in the Union cause. In October, 1861, he joined Company E, Fourth Iowa Cavalry, and went to the front. He had four years of army life, during which time he was a participant in numerous engagements, fortunately, however, never receiving a serious injury. On August 25, 1865, he was mustered out of the service and returned home. In the fall of that year he entered the State University of Iowa, where in 1870 he graduated with the degree of Ph. B. Soon after his graduation he accepted a position as instructor in the Institution for the Blind at Vinton, and was a teacher there for two years. This experience was merely a stepping stone to his life work, banking, in which he has since been engaged. However, his connection with the College for the Blind did not end when he ceased to be a teacher in it. For sixteen years he was one of its trustees. In addition to his work in the Farmers' National Bank he is secretary of the Southern Real Estate, Loan & Investment Company of Vinton, doing business in Louisiana.
On August 24, 1876, Mr. Harrington married Miss Anna L. Hughes, daughter of Daniel L. and Elmira Hughes. She died, leaving one son, Clinton 0. Jr., a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and now a resident of Boston. Mr. Harrington's present wife was formerly Miss Ella C. Morrow., of Tyrone, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Harrington reached his majority while a soldier in the Union army, and his first presidential vote helped in the second election of Abraham Lincoln. He was one of the charter members of P. M. Coder Post, No. 98, G. A. E., of which he is a past commander, having filled all the offices of the post. Both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church.
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