William H Slade

SLADE

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 3/11/2009 at 15:52:55

William H Slade an enterprising shoe merchant of Boone, represents an old New England family. He was born in Erie county, New York, his parents being William and Virginia (Stanley) Slade, both of whom are natives of Alden, Erie county, New York. The paternal grandfather, Samuel Slade, was a native of New Hampshire and became one of the pioneers of the western portion of the Empire state. He built a log cabin on the old family homestead and aided in clearing a farm in the midst of the wilderness. He died at about seventy years of age. Horace Stanley, the maternal grandfather of our subject also spent his life in western New York.
William Slade, the father was a representative farmer of Erie county, and for many years was actively identified with agricultural pursuits, but in 1865 he sold the original homestead and is now living retired at the age of seventy-seven. He is a member of the Presbyterian church and has possessed excellent musical ability. At the age of eighteen years he became a chorister in the Presbyterian church to which he belonged, and continued to act in that capacity until 1901. He also taught singing school during his early life. He possesses a genial and kindly nature. He has won many friends, In politics he was a stanch Democrat for many ears, but when William McKinley was first nominated for the presidency he joined the ranks of the Republican party and by his ballot supported the late statesman of Ohio. He has been three times married, his first union being with Virginia Stanley, who died when our subject was only four years of age, leaving three children: Fred S, Samuel T and William H. For his second wife Mr Slade chose Harriet Stanley, and his third wife bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Cooke. She died in 1893, at the age of fifty-eight years.
Fred S Slade, the brother of our subject was the first of the family to come to Iowa, the year of his arrival being 1875. He located in Boone, in the music business, in the employ of John N Reynolds, and afterward entered the employ of W T Wilson in the dry goods trade. Samuel T was the next to come to Iowa, arriving in Bone in 1876. He entered the employ of Mason Brothers, dry goods merchants, as a salesman. Later Fred S and Samuel T Slade embarked in business together in Tekamah, Nebraska, in 1878 and opened a general store which they conducted until 1882. They then became interested in mines and in a supply store at Mechakinock, Iowa, continuing there until 1890, when Fred S located in Buffalo, New York, where he is engaged in the music business as proprietor of a piano store. Samuel T went to Saylor, near Des Moines, Iowa where he has continued conducting a mining store.
William H Slade was united in marriage to Virginia Astor, of Nebraska, in 1882. She is a daughter of Christian Astor, who died in 1902 at the age of seventy-four years. Their children are Milo A, Fred W, and Sam S. From an early period in life Mr Slade has been dependent upon his own resources, and placing his dependence in the substantial qualilti4es of enterprise and progressiveness, he has steadily worked his way upward and today commands a leading place in the commercial circles of Boone.

1902 Boone County History Book