Talbot, William H.

TALBOT, HAZLETT, BISSELL

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 2/14/2003 at 16:09:15

WILLIAM H. TALBOT

The prosperity of any community depends upon its business activity and the enterprise manifest in commercial circles is the foundation upon which is builded the material welfare of town, state and nation. The most important factors in public life at the present day are therefore the men who are in control of successful business interest (sic) and such a one is William H. Talbot, a prominent merchant and banker of DeWitt.

A native of Ohio, he was born in Harrison county, on the 6th of December, 1835, and belongs to a family of English origin, which was founded in Maryland at an early day. His father, Isaac Talbot, was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, in 1801, and on reaching manhood he was there married to Miss Ruth Hazlett, a native of the same county. Subsequently they removed to Harrison county, Ohio, where he was engaged in business up to the time of his death. He died in the prime of life, about 1847, aged forty-six years. His wife survived him and reared their family of three children, two having died previously.

William H. Talbot spend the first twelve years of his life in his native county, and then accompanied the family on their removal to Belmont county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood. He received his primary education in the common schools, and later attended the high school at St. Clairsville, that county. When a young man he went to Wheeling, West Virginia, where he learned the tinner’s trade, which he continued to follow at that place for about five years.

Coming west in 1857, Mr. Talbot located at DeWitt, Iowa, where he first worked at his trade in the employ of others, but the following year embarked in the hardware and tin business on his own account. He began in a small way, but kept adding to his stock from time to time to meet the growing demands of his trade, and now carries a large and complete assortment of shelf and heavy hardware. He was one of the first stockholders of the First National Bank, which he helped to organize, and later became one of its directors. In January, 1897, he was elected president of the institution and is now filling that position in a most efficient and satisfactory manner. The bank, which is one of the most substantial financial concerns of the county, was started with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars, and now has a surplus of twenty-five thousand. Mr. Talbot also helped organize the Farmers & Citizens Savings Bank, of which he was the first president; he also helped to organize the electric light plant, of which he is a stockholder and director.

In June, 1863, at DeWitt, Mr. Talbot was united in marriage with Miss Helen Bissell, who was born and reared in that village, being a daughter of A. R. Bissell, one of its early settlers. Her father was engaged in both farming and merchandising.

Mr. Talbot has been a life-long Republican, having supported every presidential candidate of that party since casting his first ballot for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, but he has never cared for the honors or emoluments of public office, preferring to devote his undivided attention to his business interests. However, he served as councilman in DeWitt for a time. He is Scottish-Rite Mason, having taken the thirty-second degree in that order, and is a member of the blue lodge at DeWitt, the chapter and commandery at Clinton, and the consistory at Lyons. He has passed through all the chairs of the local lodge. For forty-four years he has been a resident of this county, and has therefore witnessed almost its entire growth and development. As a public-spirited and enterprising citizen he has materially aided in the upbuilding and improvement of DeWitt, and has been prominently identified with all enterprises tending to advance her interests or promote the prosperity of the people.
Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.