Wills, Herman E.

WILLS, HIBBARD, CURRIER, HUTCHINS

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 2/14/2003 at 17:19:27

HERMAN E. WILLS 

There is probably no more popular engineer on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway than Herman E. Wills, of Clinton. He was born in Randolph, Orange county, Vermont, July 16, 1848, and comes of good old New England stock. His father, Ezra Wills, was a native of the same county, born in Tunbridge, October 1, 1808, and was a son of Jonathan Wills, who served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war on special duty under General Lafayette. His paternal ancestors were from England and were among the early settlers of Connecticut.

On the 27th of December, 1827, Ezra Wills was united in marriage with Miss Mary Hibbard, who was born in East Brookfield, Vermont, October 24, 1809, and was quite well educated for those early days She belonged to one of the very best families of the east, and was a cousin of General Hovey, deceased, who was a prominent statesman of Indiana. Her ancestors were also of English descent, and came to this county with Governor Winthrop March 16, 1635, settling in Salem, Massachusetts. Throughout life the father of our subject engaged in contracting and building. He was a self-made man and was always doing something for those around him, often to the neglect of his own welfare. He was a very prominent Mason and advanced to the council of the order at South Royalton, and he also belonged to the Sons of Temperance. In politics he was first a Whig and later a Republican. He died at his old home in South Royalton, Vermont, June 30, 1889, honored and respected by all who knew him. The mother of our subject has long since passed away, her death occurring May 27, 1859, and her remains were interred on the old home place in the Green Mountain state. Her people were all religiously inclined, and many of her ancestors were either ministers or great church workers.

Unto Ezra and Mary (Hibbard) Wills were born ten children, of whom two died in infancy. The others were as follows: William W., who served through the Civil war as a member of a Wisconsin regiment, is now living in Janesville, that state, at the age of seventy-two years, and is the owner of a machine ship there. George W., a retired engineer of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, was also in the Union army as a member of a Massachusetts regiment, and is now living in Eagle Grove, Iowa, at the age of sixty-seven years. Porter B., who is employed as engine inspector for the Chicago & Northwestern Railway at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was formerly a passenger engineer on that road, and was in the service of his country during the Civil war. He has now reached the age of sixty-two years. Thomas P., aged fifty-eight, served in a Massachusetts regiment during the Rebellion, and is now a pattern maker of North Andover, Massachusetts. Herman E., our subject, is the youngest son. Mrs. A. A. Currier, the oldest daughter, is also a resident of North Andover, Massachusetts, and is now sixty-nine years of age. Mrs. George Hutchins, aged fifty-eight years, makes her home in Pittsfield, Vermont, and Mrs. William Halliday, aged forty seven, lives in North Andover, Massachusetts. They were all educated in the schools of Vermont, and the older ones were given every possible advantage along that line.

Herman E. Wills was only ten years of age at the time of his mother’s death, and he then made his home with a neighbor for five years while earning his own livelihood. At the age of fifteen he went to Massachusetts, where he worked at the carpenter’s trade until coming to Clinton, Iowa in 1866, and entered the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, as fireman, but was promoted to engineer in 1868. Leaving the road in 1873 he went to Cedar Rapids, and for the following five years was employed as engineer by the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad. On his return to Clinton in 1879, he accepted his old position, and has been in the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway continuously since. After four months’ service with the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad he was given a passenger train, and when he returned to the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, he was engineer on the work train constructing new lines for about six years and on the pay car for two years, but has been in the passenger service for the past twelve years. He has never met with any serious accidents, and is considered one of the most trustworthy engineers on the road. Four of the five sons in his father’s family have been connected with the mechanical department of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, three as engineers and one as a machinist for the aggregate period of one hundred and eight years, and all are in perfect physical condition. Mr. Wills has always been thoroughly devoted to any task he ahs undertaken and has proved a most competent and faithful employee. His education has mainly been received through contact with the realities of the world, as he has met them and by reading good literature.

In 1869 Mr. Wills was made a Mason at Clinton in the building he now occupies, and is today a member of the blue lodge, chapter, commandery, shrine and consistory. He is also a prominent member of Clinton Division, No. 125, B. of L. E., and was for many years its chief up to 1900. He has always taken a very active and influential part in its conventions, and has served as chairman of the division of engineers in his locality. He is well know in political circles throughout the state as an ardent supporter of the Democratic party and its principles and has been a candidate on the state ticket for railroad commissioner. He takes a just pride in his work for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and does all in his power to advance the interests of the order.
Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.