DOUGLASS, James Harvey 1846-1907
DOUGLASS, PRATT, TAYLOR, YOUNG, HOBSON, HAMPTON, MARBLE
Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 3/31/2012 at 01:57:35
[A Rock Island passenger train wrecked three miles north of Cedar Falls Sept. 6, 1907. It was the biggest rail disaster in the area. It happened at 10:20 a.m. 11 people died and eight were hurt. The northbound passenger train left the track at a sharp curve and crashed into a southbound freight train.]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[Waterloo Courier, Tuesday, September 10, 1907]
J. H. Douglas, another of the wreck victims, died at the hospital last evening shortly after 8 o'clock. His injuries were described as a fracture of the collar bone and a fracture of one arm. He also received internal injuries.
Mr. Douglas was born Nov. 22, 1846, in Richland County 0hio, and he came to Illinois when a youth. He resided for some time in the vicinity of Rockford, Ill. He had been a resident of Black Hawk County for the past 37 years, and he was married here about 32 years ago to Miss Louisa Taylor, who survives.
Four sons also survive. They are Oliver E., Elra T., Earl P. and Walter A., all residents of this county. Three brothers, Scott C. of Seattle, Wash.; Alonzo P. of Beloit, Wis., and Frank L. of Des Moines, and two sisters, Mrs. O. G. Young of Jesup and Mrs. J. W. Hobson of Raymond, are living.
Mr. Douglass was held in high esteem by all who knew him and during his life he held many positions of trust At the time of death he was assessor for East Waterloo Township. He was active in church work, being a member of the First M. E. Church of Raymond.
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[Waterloo Courier, Monday, September 9, 1907]OBITUARY OF J. H. DOUGLASS
It is worth noting that the community in which Mr. Douglass lived always knew him as Jimmy.
Last Sunday, in the little church at Raymond, of which he had been a member for more than thirty years, an official member for a quarter of a century, superintendent of the Sunday school for a decade, the neighborhood gathered. They told of his life among them for thirty-seven years, of the service done the public and the church, of his honorable business relations, but that assembled congregation, from the babies of the Sunday school to those whose heads are white with age, shed their tears for their friend.
The parents of J. H. Douglass, Robert and Matilda Douglass, were Presbyterians and taught their son the shorter catechism as soon as he learned to talk. He was born. and bred to Christian living and never departed, from It. He transferred his membership to the M. E. church when he came to Raymond because there was no Presbyterian church there, and to this church he gave this unstinted service.
Perhaps the gentlest man In the community, he had a force of character which like a powerful magnet moved the minds of those about him toward right. When a young man he, in company with two others, was the owner of a threshing machine which was maliciously burned. Who set the fire could not be discovered, and in the commonalty the incident was never explained. But the personality of Jimmy Douglass was at work, and the criminal at last went to him and confessed. But his confidence in the man was not misplaced. His name was never revealed save to the other partners.
Born in Ohio 61 years ago, Mr. Douglass moved to Illinois with his parents, at the age of eight. The journey was made in a covered wagon and the home reached was a log cabin not far from Rockford. He left a good paying position at the age of 24 to follow the family to Iowa, where they had moved in 1868, the father having died the year following. From this time James was the head of the family and the chief support. Later he married and gave himself to the rearing of his own family and the building of his own fortunes.
At his death he leaves his sons in comfortable circumstances. All this was accomplished by unremitting toil and in the face of great difficulties. Eight years ago he had the misfortune to lose his left arm and this injury was a constant source of pain to him until the time of his death. Notwithstanding this, he was able to do a full man's work on the farm.
A few weeks ago he was kicked by a horse and had his arm broken. He was just recovering from this injury at the time of the accident which caused his death. Of the sons all are at home with the mother except Oliver, who owns a small farm adjoining the old homestead, two miles west of Raymond. The young men will continue the management of the farm.
At the time of the accident Mr. Douglass was on his way to Greene in the company of two of his neighbors. One of the three, Mr. Barron, was killed instantly in the wreck; Mr. Shaw, another of the three escaped with a broken leg; while Mr. Douglass died of his injuries a few hours after being removed to the hospital.
The funeral was held Sunday at ten o'clock in the Methodist Church in Raymond and was conducted by the pastor, Rev. Hawn, assisted by Rev. Flemming, presiding elder of the district, and Rev. Skinner, formerly pastor of the church.
One brother. S. C. Douglass, of Seattle, was unable to reach here in time for the funeral. The other brothers, A. P. of Beloit, Wisconsin, and F. L. of Des Moines, Iowa, and the sisters, Mrs. O. G. Young, of Jesup, and Mrs. J. W. Hobson, of Raymond, were present.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------James H. Douglass, a highly esteemed citizen and substantial farmer of Black Hawk County, Iowa, who owned a well cultivated farm of 135 acres in East Waterloo Township, and on of 27 acres in Poyner Township, was born in Richland County, Ohio, November 22, 1846. He was the son of Robert and Matilda (Pratt) Douglass.
His father, Robert Douglass was born in Richland County and his wife, in Logan County Ohio. They were farming people and lived in Richland County until 1854, when they moved to Ogle County, Illinois, going from there, in 1868, to Raymond, Black Hawk County, Iowa. Mr. Douglas had no opportunity to show what success he could reach as a farmer in this county, as his health failed and he died one year after mover here, at the age of 53 years. His widow was left with a family of six children. She survived until 1892. Their children were: Amanda E., wife of O. G. Young, of Fox Township; James H.; Scott C., a carpenter of Seattle, Washington; Ella L., wife of John Hobson, of Raymond, Iowa; Alonzo P., a grocer of Beloit, Wisconsin; and Frank L., formerly principal of the Lincoln School, who is now teaching near Des Moines, Iowa.
James H. Douglass was reared to habits of industry and enjoyed all the advantages of a good home and kind parents. He assisted his father until the family came to Iowa; after his father's death, he joined his mother and helped her keep the family together. He has always been engaged in agricultural pursuits, buying and selling stock, following general farming and dairying, and raising cattle, horses, sheep and hogs. He ran a small creamery keeping 15 milk cows, and selling his product in Waterloo. Corn, oats and hay did well on his land, and his farm was so carefully cultivated that each portion brought in an adequate return.
Mr. Douglass was married December 23, 1874, to Mary L. Taylor, who was born in Linn County, Iowa, the daughter of Albert and Martha (Hampton) Taylor, of Hancock County, Ohio, who came to Iowa at an early day and entered land in Linn and Black Hawk Counties, both of them dying in the latter county.
Mr. and Mrs. Douglass were the parents of four sons, namely: Oliver E., who married Keturah Marble, Elra T., Earl R, and Walter A.
[From Hudson Library, collection of people of Black Hawk County]
Black Hawk Obituaries maintained by Karen De Groote.
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