Nathan E Goldthwait

GOLDTHWAIT

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 4/12/2010 at 12:55:01

Nathan E Goldthwait was born in Mendon, Worcester county, Massachusetts, December 29, 1827. At the age of eight years he moved with his parents to Uxbridge, Massachusetts, where he attended the common public schools until the age of seventeen. At that time his ambition led him to seek a college education, depending on his own resources to win his way. For two years he attended in succession the Worcester and Uxbridge Academies of his native state. He enterered Brown University in September 1848, and graduated in June 1852. He was at once appointed a teacher in the Wrocester (Mass) Academy, where he remained two years. In the years 1854 and 1855 he was principal (the last principal) of the Uxbridge Academy and also the first principal of the Uxbridge high school.
Early in 1856 the western fever took him to Wisconsin, where he became president of the Wisconsin Female College at Fox Lake, now transferred to Milwaukee and one of the best ladies' colleges of our country. Before coming west he was appointed president of Wayland University, of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. This he declined and took the positon at Fox Lake subsequently. In Novemver, 1868, he came to Boone, Iowa as first superintendent and organizer of the graded schoos of the city.Previous to this time only a common distrtict school kept by Mr Ford had been maintained in the city. Soon after arriving in Boone he bought fifteen hundred acres of prairie land at from three dollars per acre. While engaged in his profession he improved a part and sold a part of the land. Although retaining his residence in Boone, he was elected professor of mathematics in Des Moines College, but in the year January 1, 1866 he with Clinton Tomlinson, as partner and business manager, bought of Means & Dowing the Boone Republican, then a weekly paper of good reputation in the county and state. Since that time he has been engaed in the newpaper business and in managing his real estate. About the year 1906 he sold the Daily News to his son Stephen and assisted him in establishing the Boone News-Republicna after buying out a rival daily. The New-Republican now has a new office building and press as fine as any in town for fifteen thousand people in this state.
On April 25, 1845, Mr Goldthwait united with the Baptist Church of North Uxbridge, Maassachuseets, and has been a loyal member of the denomination since. On August 25, 1852, he was united in marriage with Mary A Thayer, also of Uxbridge, Massauchesetts. On January 12, 1914, the wife of more than sixty-one years departed this life. The burial occurred on Wednesday, January 14, 1914. The casekt adorned with her favorite flowers and containing the sacred relics, rests in the beautifil Linwood Park.

1914 Boone County History Book