Gamble, John H.

GAMBLE, HECK, SMITH, BOYLES, KUHNES, JOHNSON, ROGERS, MACNICOLL

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 1/27/2003 at 18:48:49

JOHN H. GAMBLE. 

For over a third of a century John H. Gamble has been in the service of the Chicago & Northwest Railway Company, and since 1889 has made his home in Clinton. He was born in Albany, Illinois, on the 4th of March, 1840, and is the son of Josiah and Elizabeth (Heck) Gamble, both natives of Pennsylvania, the former born in Westmoreland county, of Scotch ancestry, and the latter of Holland Dutch extraction. After their marriage the removed to Ohio, and in 1839 emigrated to Illinois, locating on a farm near Albany, Whiteside county. Subsequently they removed to Rock Island county, the same state, and settled near Moline, where the father followed farming until called to his final rest at the age of fifty-one years. The mother long survived him and passed away in Moline at the age of eighty-three. Both were earnest and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and the father was a Democrat in politics. He was quite a well-educated man for his day and he always kept well informed on public questions.

John H. Gamble, of this review, is the third in order of birth in a family of nine children, the others being Sarah J., deceased; Aaron, a farmer and stock raiser, of Wilson county, Kansas; Margaret, deceased; William, a veteran of the Civil war, and a resident of Rock Island, Illinois; Alice, deceased; Irene, wife of Joseph Smith, who was also a soldier of the Civil war and is now a resident of Rock Falls, Illinois; and Josiah O. and Silas, both residents of Moline. The children were reared upon a farm and educated in the public schools of Rock Island county, Illinois.

Our subject completed his education in the schools of Moline, and remained on the home farm until twenty years of age. October 29, 1859, he was united in marriage with Miss Samantha C. Boyles, who was born in Rock Island county in 1842. Her mother died in 1844, and her father removed to Cadiz, Ohio, where Mrs. Gamble was educated and spent her childhood days, and returning to Rock Island as a young lady, she was there married.

Of seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Gamble, but five still live, as follows: (1) Ettia May is now the wife of George Kuhnes, of Des Moines, Iowa, and they have one child, Grace E. (2) Willfarene married B. E. Johnson, who died, leaving two children, Fay and John, and for her second husband she married T. P. Rogers, a resident of Boone, Iowa, by whom she also has two children, Meinard and Robert Emmett. (3) Mabel is the wife of William G. MacNicoll, of Clinton, a sketch of whom appears in this volume. (4) Grace Alice and (5) Charles Paul are both at home with their parents. They were principally educated in the schools of Boone, Iowa, though Ettie took a course at the Agricultural College in Ames, Iowa, and the son pursued a business course at the Clinton Business College. He is now brakeman on a passenger train of the Northwestern.

After his marriage Mr. Gamble removed to Moline, Illinois, and engaged in teaming for a time. In 1864 he went as brakeman on the Chicago & Rock Island Railway, now the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, and it was not long before he was promoted to conductor. On leaving that road in 1867 he removed to Boone, Iowa, and entered the service of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway as switchman, but a month later commenced firing on the road. He was thus employed for a year and a half, and was then night foreman and hostler in the roundhouse at Boone until June 24, 1872, when he was given an engine. He was in the freight and extra passenger service until 1886, when he was given a regular passenger run between Clinton and Boone, which he still retains. During his long railroad career he has met with but one accident, and that was a head-end collision in 1875. He has always had the confidence of the company by which he is employed and is considered one of the most trustworthy engineers on the road.

Mr. Gamble has a pleasant home on Seventh avenue, purchased by him in 1897. In politics he is independent, and casts his ballot for the men whom he believes best qualified to fill the offices regardless of party lines. In 1873 he joined Division No. 6 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineer at Boone, but on his removal to Clinton transferred his membership to Division No. 125 at this place. His wife is a prominent member of the Grand International Auxiliary to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. On her arrival here in 1889 Mrs. Gamble was the only member of the Auxiliary in this city, there being no organization here. She, with two others, started the lodge here, getting the charter, and has held the different chairs. She was also one of the founders of the Volunteer Relief Association, a benevolent insurance order for members of the Auxiliary, which has been eminently successful and in which Mrs. Gamble was the first collector and insurance agent of the order at Clinton. During their residence here they have made many warm friends, and are held in the highest regard by all who know them.
Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.