Hoxsie, Elial died 1923

HOXSIE, GRISWOLD

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 7/5/2015 at 16:24:28

Conductor Elial Hoxsie died at his home in McGregor, Saturday April 28, at the age of 84.

There is probably no man living in northern Iowa who has been personally known to a larger number of people. His years of service to the public date back to the day when the first train over the first railroad built across the prairies of northern Iowa was "Hoxsie's train."

Hi record for long and steady service has never been equaled in railroad circles, it is believed, and seldom probably in any other line of business. When he stopped work a few weeks ago because of illness he was on the same run that he was when he began railroading 65 years ago at the age of 19.

There was not a mile of railroad in northern Iowa or all of Minnesota at that time. A short line was financed to start at the Mississippi river at North McGregor (now Marquette) and built over the prairies on northern Iowa. When work was begun the boy, Elial, got a job cutting brush for the surveyor's gang. As soon as the road was completed to Postville and Calmar and a train put on, he was hired as brakeman and wen on the first freight train. A few years later was he made passenger conductor. This position he held with the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway company 57 years, running from Marquette to Mason City and Sanborn on the Iowa and Dakota division. At Calmar, each day for the 57 years, it was change cars on Conductor Hoxsie's train for Minnesota points.

There are thousands of old settlers of northern Iowa and southern Minnesota who will tell you it was on "Hoxsie's train" that they came out in the seventies and eighties to found a new home on the western prairies. They remember him, as do the second and third generation for his kindness, his unfailing courtesy to passengers, and the gentleman of the old school manner which together with a physical resemblance earned him the name the "Chauncey Depew" of the Milwaukee Railway.

At the end of his 57 years' service as conductor, the Milwaukee company created the job of stationmaster at Marquette for him and in this capacity he was permitted to stay on the same run meeting and calling "his train" every day until recently.

Conductor Hoxsie came with his parents from New York to live in North McGregor when he was a small boy. His home in later years for awhile was at Mason City, but for many years he has lived in McGregor. His residence here has been close to the railroad that never, night or day, has he been really away from "his run."

He is survived by his widow. His only daughter, Mrs. Ida Griswold, died two years ago.

~Elkader Register, May 23, 1923

Note: he was son of Joseph & Mary Hoxsie