Keith, Bradford Story

KEITH, STORY, BUTLER, EASTERLY

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 1/31/2003 at 01:37:51

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

BRADFORD STORY KEITH

This well-known engineer on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, running between Boone and Clinton, Iowa, was born on the 30thof August, 1855, on a tract of government land where the city of Minneapolis now stands. He has in his possession the grant or patent for that tract issued to his father and signed by Franklin Pierce, then president of the United States. He belongs to a good old New England family, being of the seventh generation removed from Rev. Keith, a Congregational minister, who was educated in Aberdeen, Scotland, and was the first of the family to come to America. Our subject’s parents were Asa and Laura E. (Story) Keith, both natives of Vermont, who in 1851 or 1852 removed to Minnesota, and in 1869 came to Clinton, Iowa. The father was a machinist, but the other members of his family were professional men, being principally doctors and lawyers. He died in 1892, aged seventy-eight years and six months, and his wife passed away January 16, 1901, at the age of eighty-six years. They were the parents of four children, namely: Elizabeth, who died at the age of ten years; Asa S., who was one of the early engineers on the Wisconsin division of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, and is now living in Clinton; Bradford Story, our subject; and Charles Sumner, who is a passenger engineer on the same road and also makes his home in Clinton.

During his boyhood Bradford S. Keith attended the public schools of Clinton, and was also graduated at the Clinton Business College. In September, 1872, he commenced firing on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, and in June, 1880, was promoted to engineer, in which capacity he has been with the road for twenty-one years. He has never met with but one accident, and in that he had the misfortune to lose his right foot.

Mr. Keith was married in 1875, the lady of his choice being Miss Addie Butler, of DeWitt, Clinton county, a daughter of T. W. Butler, and by this union two children were born: Nellie, now the wife of Claude Easterly, of Clinton; and Arthur, who is also in the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway. Mr. Keith owns a pleasant home at 331 Tenth avenue.

Mr. Keith takes no active interest in political affairs aside from voting, and generally supports the Republican ticket, though he is not strictly partisan, and believes in voting for the men best qualified for office regardless of party lines. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and Ep- (p. 113)worth League and gives his support to all measures which he believes calculated to advance the social or moral welfare of his community. In 1869 he joined the Independent Order of Good Templars, and has since been an active member of that body, having been grand counselor of Iowa in 1899. He has also been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for several years, and is connected with Clinton Tent, No. 12, Knights of the Maccabees,. He is past chief engineer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and was a delegate to the international convention at Richmond, Virginia, in 1888. His is a man of many sterling traits of character, and commands the respect and confidence of all with whom he comes in contact, either in business or social life.