Hazen, William W.

HAZEN, STANTON, MOWRY

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 1/25/2003 at 09:30:42

Source: "The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated" published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.

WILLIAM W. HAZEN.

For about forty-five years this gentleman has now been a resident of Clinton county, Iowa, and during the great part of that time has made his home upon his present farm on section 24, Spring Rock township. He was born in Windham county, Connecticut, April 5, 1829, and is a son of Prosper and Hannah E. (Stanton) Hazen, also natives of the Nutmeg state. His father, who was born about 1800, followed farming throughout life, and died in Connecticut at the age of forty-five years. The mother subsequently married again and later came west, spending her last days in Clinton county, Iowa, where she departed this life at the age of fifty-six years, a devoted mother and an eminent Christian woman. By her first union she had three children.

Mr. Hazen spent the first sixteen years of his life in Connecticut, and then made his home in Providence, Rhode Island, for six years, after which he returned to his native state. There he learned the blacksmith’s and machinist’s trade. He worked a number of years in the machine shops of the Windham Company, at Williamantic, and later for some years was in the employ of the Wheeler & Wilson Sewing Machine Company at Bridgeport, Connecticut. On Christmas day, 1856, he came west, landing in Rock Island, whence he came to Clinton county, Iowa. For two years he operated his mother’s farm in Olive township, and then purchased forty acres of his present place on section 24, Spring Rock township, later adding to it another forty-acre tract, which he still owns. This was all wild timber land when it came into his possession, but he has cleared it and placed it under cultivation. He has erected a good residence and other buildings, and now has a well improved land. He carried on general farming and also gives some attention to the raising of stock.

In 1860 Mr. Hazen was united in marriage with Miss Phoebe A. Mowry, a daughter of Rev. J. S. Mowry, now deceased, who was an old and highly respected citizen of Olive township, having located here in 1851. Of the four children born to our subject and his wife, one died in infancy, unnamed, and the others are as follows: (1) Brightie Estella, born in Olive township, October 2, 1862, is a lady of more than ordinary intelligence, and is an excellent and successful teacher. She was educated at Hillsdale College, Michigan, and is now teaching in the public schools of Welton, this county. (2) Cortland Reuben, born in Spring Rock township, December 22, 1866, was also educated at Hillsdale College, and taught school in this county for some time, but for the past year has engaged in farming upon his father’s place. (3) Ernest Cook, born February 22, 1874, assists his brother in the work of the home farm.

Mr. Hazen was formerly identified with the Buena Vista Baptist church, but now holds membership in the Methodist church of Calamus. He has through his life been a very strong temperance man, both in practice and belief. Since casting his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont in 1856, he has affiliated with the Republican party, and he has been called upon to fill the offices of constable, road master and school director. In early life he taught school in his township and has always taken an active interest in educational affairs. He himself has a good education and is well informed on current events and the leading questions and issues of the day. He is public-spirited and enterprising and advocates all that tends to advance the interests of the community in which he lives.