ALLEN, Henry B. 1833-1922

ALLEN, NOWLIN, HEATH, WILMOT

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 7/31/2012 at 12:27:15

[Adapted from article in Waterloo Courier, Wednesday, July 26, 1922]

H. B. ALLEN, AGE 89,
WATERLOO PIONEER
DIES IN CALIFORNIA

End Comes to Widely Known Lawyer and Financier at His Home in South Pasadena, Where He Went Only Few Years Ago, Early Today.

OPENED OFFICE HERE UNPON ARRIVAL IN 1857

One of Founders of First National Bank; Had Large Realty Holdings in Black Hawk County at One Time.

Henry B. Allen, pioneer banker and lawyer of Waterloo and donor of Allen Memorial Hospital, now in process of erection, to this city, died this morning at his home, 2035 Fremont street, South Pasadena, Cal., according to a telegram received at noon today from Dr. Harriet Alien Heath, a daughter.

The body will be cremated In California and the ashes will be brought here for interment. The daughter and son-in-law, his only close relatives, will arrive Sunday morning and the ceremony at the cemetery will take place that day.

The telegram did not give any particulars of death. It is known, however, that Mr. Allen had been in frail health for the past few. months. He suffered a severe illness last winter. When friends, recently returned from California, visited Mr. Allen he was In full possession of his mental faculties and able to lake, automobile rides.

Mr. Allen was in the ninetieth year of his age.

Few men in Waterloo have had so wide an acquaintance as Mr. Allen because of his prominence in professional and business circles. He opened a law office in Waterloo upon his arrival here in 1857. He was a law partner of Judge Sylvester Bagg, who served several terms upon the district bench; of Horace Boies, who later became governor of Iowa and who is now living at Long Beach, California, and in fairly active in his ninety-sixth year, and of Carleton F. Couch, who also served as district judge.

In 1876 Mr. Allen was elected cashier of First National Bank and a few years later was made president, in which capacity he served until his retirement from the bank in 1902.

In 1881 Mr. Alien gave up the practice of law on account of his health and, in addition to his banking and other pursuits, engaged in breeding fine horses, many of which were trained for the track and some of which made turf records. The famous Allen stock farm was north of the city, on Logan Avenue. This business was closed out in 1901.

It was 80 acres of the original Allen farm that Mr. Allen two years also gave to the people of Waterloo for the location of a hospital, which he proposed to build in memory of his deceased wife.

In 1903 Mr. Allen moved to California for the benefit of his wife's health.

Mr. Allen was born May 8, 1833, in Lewis County, N. Y. He moved with his parents to Watertown, N. Y. where he was educated. Then he went to Lowville, Lewis County N. Y. and studied law with Judge Borwn. In the fall of 1855 he traveled to Dubuque, Iowa, and on August 11 of the same year was married to Mary C. Nowlin, who was born in Dubuque in 1836. Two daughters and a son were born to them. One daughter and Harry, the son, died several years ago.

For several years Mr. Allen had it in mind to do something for the city where he began life penniless and where he acquired a competency. He talked about the matter to his intimate friends and finally made a proposal where on a visit here two years ago, to donate the only land he still owned here - the 80 acres fronting on Logan Avenue for a hospital, if assurance could be given that the institution, once erected, would be sure of maintenance.

A number of business men were called into conference and articles of incorporation prepared for the Allen Memorial Hospital Association, of which F. J. Eighmey was chosen president and W. F. Parrott secretary.

Because of high building costs the work of erecting the hospital was not started until last autumn when the foundation was put in. Work of pouring the third floor is now about to be commenced.

Everything to which Mr. Allen turned his hands prospered.

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[Waterloo Evening Courier - Monday, July 31, 1922, Waterloo, Iowa]

H. B. ALLEN ASHES
PLACED IN TOMB

Without religious ceremony of any kind and with only the brief eulogy of his life-long friend to mark the occasion, the urn containing the ashes of the late Henry B. Allen, pioneer Waterloo lawyer and banker, who died last week at his home in South Pasadena, California was placed in the stone in the Allen lot in Elmwood Cemetery yesterday afternoon. The stone now contains the ashes of Mr. and Mrs. Allen and of their son, Harry who died several years ago.

The eulogy was delivered by A. J. Edwards, a close friend of the Allen family for more than 50 years.

Besides Mr. Allen's daughter, Harriet Allen Heath and her husband J. E. S. heath, the only relatives present were Mr. and Mrs. Wilmot, Dubuque, and Mr. Allen's only grandchild, Richard, son of Harry Allen. Mrs. Wilmot was a niece of Mrs. Allen. About 50 old friends of the family were present.

In order, to place the urn in the stone, it was necessary to lift off the top, which weighs four and one-half tons. F. J. Eighmey, intimate friend and business associate of Mr. Allen for many years, and is now president of Allen Memorial Hospital Association, placed the urn within the stone.

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