Hiram W. Van Gorder

VAN GORDER, FISK, DENNISTON

Posted By: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs (email)
Date: 5/18/2009 at 13:37:17

1889 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
SHELBY AND AUDUBON COUNTIES, IOWA
W. S. DUNBAR & CO., PUBLISHERS
113 ADAMS STREET, CHICAGO

page 738

HIRAM W. VAN GORDER, proprietor
of the Audubon Marble Works, estab-
lished this business in 1882. He was
born in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, April
6, 1853, and is the youngest of nine children
of Simon and Jane (Fisk) Van Gorder. The
mother was born in Delaware County, New
York, and the father is a native of Ulster
County, New York. In early life they re-
moved to Bradford County, Pennsylvania,
where the mother died, and the father is still
living on the old homestead, in his ninetieth
year, having been born July 21, 1799. Hiram
W. passed his youth on the farm, receiving a
common-school education. At the age of
eighteen years he went to Elmira, New York,
to learn the marble-cutter's trade, working
there three years as an apprentice, and two
years as a journeyman. He drifted west in
1878, stopping at Audubon. There he was
employed by his brother, Charles Van Gorder,
as assistant in the bank for two years. At
the expiration of this period he returned to
Elmira, New York, and was engaged as a
letter-carrier in the United States mail
service. Returning to Audubon in 1882, he
opened the marble business, his shop being
the first in the town. The trade is active
during the summer months, but is more or
less quiet in the winter season. Mr. Van
Gorder is a practical cutter and a fine work-
man, doing all kinds of marble-cutting. His
sales reach over this and into adjoining
counties. On November 15, 1882, occurred
the marriage of Hiram W. Van Gorder and
Miss Elizabeth Denniston, a native of Ohio,
and a daughter of Joseph L. Denniston, Esq.
They are the parents of one child -- Helen
Irene. Mr. Van Gorder is a member of Ver-
itas Lodge, No. 392, A. F. & A. M., and of
Amity Chapter, No. 93. He is also a mem-
ber of St. Omar Commandery, No. 19, at
Elmira, New York.