ROBERTSON, James - 1914

ROBERTSON, GRAHAM, ARCHER, PATTON, BOOTHBY, SANFORD, BURROUGHS, COMRIE, WILSON

Posted By: Colette Miles (email)
Date: 6/30/2009 at 09:45:17

HISTORY OF
Cherokee County
IOWA
VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1914
By Thomas McCulla

JAMES ROBERTSON.

Through the years of an active business career and in every relation of life, James Robertson has won the respect and enjoyed the confidence and friendship of all with whom he has come in contact. He has been for many years connected with financial interests of Cherokee county as president of the Washta State Bank, and he is known as a man whose ability and worth have made him a substantial business factor in the community. He is now living in practical retirement, making his home in Cherokee. He was born in Perth, Scotland, September 22, 1833, and is a son of William and Ann (Robertson) Robertson, also natives of that part of Scotland, where the father engaged in farming. In the family were four children: Margaret, widow of Joseph Graham, of Rock township ; James, of this review; Alexander, deceased, and William, who died in infancy.

James Robertson acquired his education in the parish schools of Scotland and afterward attended a seminary at Perth. He worked upon his fathers farm until 1856 and then moved to Canada, settling in Lambton county, Ontario, where he purchased a farm. This he sold in 1867 and moved to Cedar county, Iowa, where he remained for two years. In 1869 he came to Cherokee county and for a time worked for a Mr. Archer in a grain elevator, later associating himself with Thomas Patton in the grain and lumber business in Cherokee. Their partnership continued until 1887 and afterward Mr. Robertson conducted the business alone, operating also a branch at Washta. He discontinued the grain business about 1898, but is still interested in the lumber industry. Mr. Robertson became connected with banking interests of Cherokee county in 1888, when he and his son, James Robertson, Jr., organized the Bank of Washta as a private institution. In the following year the concern was incorporated under the name of the Washta State Bank, with a capital of twentyfive thousand dollars and with the following officers: President, James Robertson; vice president, Thomas Boothby, and cashier, James Robertson, Jr. The present officers are: James Robertson, president; Ellen Boothby, vice president; James Robertson, Jr., cashier ; A. D. Robertson, assistant cashier, and J. C. Robertson, bookkeeper. W. A. Sanford, N. T. Burroughs, A. J. Robertson, James Robertson, Ellen Boothby and James Robertson, Jr., constitute the board of directors. The present bank building was erected in 1891, and is a modern twostory structure twentysix and twothirds by seventyfive feet in dimensions. The second floor is occupied by the Masonic lodge and in the basement there is a modern barber shop, while a harness shop and telephone exchange are in the rear. The bank has a surplus of twelve thousand five hundred dollars, and is considered one of the strong and reliable moneyed institutions in this section of the state. Mf. Robertson gave a great deal of his time to the development of this concern for many years and still continues as its president, although he is living practically retired, making his home in Cherokee.

Mr. Robertson married Miss Catherine Comrie and they became the parents of nine children: Margaret, at home; Isabel V., widow of A. S. Wilson; Agnes J., at home; William and Peter, deceased; James, Jr.; Sarah, deceased; Alexander D., of Washta, and John, deceased. Mr. Robertson is a republican in his political beliefs and a devout member of the Presbyterian church. He is a man of excellent character, beloved by his family and honored and respected in the community, and no man in Cherokee county is held in higher regard.