Douglass, Edmund 1820-1918

DOUGLASS, CURTIS, CHAMPION, GATES

Posted By: Julie (email)
Date: 12/3/2007 at 20:45:50

actually Edmund not Edward, married Harriett CURTIS

North Iowa Times – Feb 7, 1918, page 4

DEATH of EDWARD DOUGLASS

Edward DOUGLASS died Monday at Postville. He was two and one half years less than a century old. He has lived in Iowa seventy-two years. Fifty years of this time was in Clayton county, the remainder of this time just across the line in Allamakee county. When Clayton county had jurisdiction over all the land from Turkey river to the Canadian border, and west to the Rockies, he was the proprietor of the only store at the country seat, Garnavillo, and distributed mailto the handful of settlers who came riding in from miles over the prairie for the precious letters from back home. The mail was brought on horseback through the timber from Dubuque twice a week.

Mr. DOUGLASS was born in Chautauqua county, New York, July 3d, 1820. As a boy he came west to Illinois with his parents. After marrying at the age of nineteen, he settled at Galens, where he mined for lead. Cassville, Wis., to the north was booming and he abandoned his mining venture and moved with this family by steamer to Cassville. There he found there was frontier still further west and went across the river to the wilderness of Turkey River, Iowa, and out onto the prairie where a handful of settlers had driven their home stake at Garnavillo. A little later the California gold fever got into his veins and he joined the long caravan across the plains to the Pacific coast. But like most of the gold seekers he came back richer only to experience and he never left Iowa afterwards. Mr. DOUGLASS figured in many rules in the pioneer life of Northeastern Iowa. He was assistant Indian agent to the agent at Prairie du Chien and looked after supplying the Indians with blankets and other supplies. At one time he was deputy sheriff of Clayton county.

The last twenty years of his life was spent with his son, Reuben, a prominent business man at Postville.

Mr. DOUGLASS was the father of nine children. Seven are living: George, of McGregor; Mrs. Ellen CHAMPION, Belvidere, Ill; Mrs. Anna GATES, Fort Worth, Texas; Edward, Dysart, Iowa; Reuben, Postville, Ia.; Leveret, in California, and Mrs. Cora GATES of New York. There are twelve grandchildren and twenty great grandchildren.

The body was brought to McGregor Tuesday for burial here.

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I’m thinking this might be from - Postville Herald-Leader -

Postville, Iowa

OBITUARY
EDMUND DOUGLASS

Was born in Chautauqua county, New York, July 9, 1820, and died at the home of his son, R.N. Douglass, in Postville, Iowa, Sunday morning, Feb. 3, 1918, in his ninety-eighth year.

In 1831 he moved with his parents to Jersey county, Illinois, where in 1839 he was married to Harriet Curtis. Together they traveled life’s pathway for more than half a century, she dying February 18, 1897. To them were born nine children, seven of whom are living-George of McGregor, Iowa; Mrs. Ellen Champion of Belvidere, Illinois; Mrs. Anna Gates, Fort Worth, Texas Edward F., Dysart, Iowa; Rueben N., Postville, Iowa; Mrs. Cora Gates, New York City; and Levertt S. of California.

Mr. Douglass was engaged in the lead mines at Galena, Ill., in 1845, and the following year came to Iowa, settling first at Garvavillo, where he was employed as clerk. He afterward purchased a portable sawmill in connection with his brother which was operated at Clayton. They purchased the first steam engine used in Clayton county. In 1858 the lure of the gold fields lead him to California, where he worked in the mines three years. In 1859 he was engaged in a sash and blind factory at McGregor and later owned and operated a stave factory in Clayton. Returning to McGregor he was in 1870 appointed Deputy Sheriff which office he held in connection with Deputy U.S. Marshalship until 1880. In 1886 he left MrGregor, living on a farm on Suttle Creek, Allamakee county, for a period of seven years, from there removing to Postville in 1893 where he has since lived.

The funeral was held from the R.N. Douglass home Tuesday morning at tem o’clock, Rev. Hadwin Williams, pastor of the Methodist Church, officiating, after which the remains were shipped to McGregor on the noon train for burial by the side of his wife.
In this connection, the family wish to thank the neighbors and friends for their kindly assistance and sympathy at their time of affliction.

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• Douglass, Edmund 1820-1918 (views: 1350)
  DOUGLASS, CURTIS, CHAMPION, GATES
  Julie -- 12/3/2007 at 20:45:50