Whitson, John T.

WHITSON, PIATT, ALDRICH, HART, ROWELL, HILLYER, DIETZ, WRIGHT

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber (email)
Date: 2/14/2003 at 17:17:52

Although I have checked for spelling errors, all punctuation and any misinformation is exactly as published in the original article. 
From the 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa - Pages 99-100 
JOHN T. WHITSON 
This well know conductor on the East Iowa division of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, residing in Clinton, was born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, August 6, 1845, and is a son of James H. and Catherine (Piatt) Whitson, natives of Maryland and Pennsylvania, respectively. In 1855 the family came to Iowa and settled in Cedar county, where the father died of typhoid fever a few months later. The mother long survived him and departed this life at Santa Anna, California, in February, 1888. They were the parents of seven children, namely; Mary Bell, wife of William Aldrich, of Cedar county; Julia, wife of Jerry Hart of Sac City, Iowa; Charlotte, deceased wife of James Rowell; Nancy, widow of Ward Hillyer; John T. our subject; Oscar, a banker of State Center, Iowa ; and Robert, a resident of California.  
The subject of this sketch was a lad of 10 years when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa, at which time there was not a foot of railroad in the state. He had begun his education in the schools of Pennsylvania, and continued his studies for some time after coming to this state. In 1869 he commenced his railroad career as brakeman on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, running between Clinton and Belle Plaine. The road at that time only extended to Nevada, Iowa and wood was the only fuel used.
This was also during the days of the old-fashioned brake, and the railroad siding was limited. I. B. Howe, now deceased, was then superintendent of the road. After being employed as brakeman for 5 years and a half, Mr. Whitson was promoted to conductor, and ran a train for the same length of time. From 1877 to 1886 he served as chief of police of Clinton, and was then employed as secret service officer for one year. He went back to the road in 1886 as a conductor and has served in that capacity ever since, his run being from Clinton to Boone, Iowa. During his entire railroad career, which covers nearly a quarter of a century, he has met with no accidents of any importance, and is considered one of the most trustworthy and reliable conductors on the road. 
As a companion on life's journey Mr. Whitson, November, 4, 1872, married Miss Ida Dietz, a native of Ohio, and to them were born the following children: Grace, who is now clerking in the post office at Clinton; Bruce, who was killed in September, 1896, at the age of 18 years; Oscar Leroy, who was graduated at the Northwestern Dental College, of Chicago, and is now engaged in practice; Frank, a civil engineer, who served in the Spanish-American war as a corporal of Company L, Forty-ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and went with his command to Cuba, where he served with distinction, although the youngest member of his regiment; and Marjorie and Glenn, who are both in school. Mrs. Whitson is the daughter of Jacob H. and Harriet L. (Wright) Dietz. The father was born in Schoharie county, New York, and the mother in Rochester, New York. He located at Peoria, Illinois, where he was a merchant, and there the mother died. The father later moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where his death occurred. 
As a Democrat Mr. Whitson has always taken an active and commendable interest in political affairs, and socially he affiliates with the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is very popular among railroad men, and is highly respected and esteemed by all who know him. Mr. and Mrs. Whitson are members of the Presbyterian church.