Guernsey, Wallace C.

GUERNSEY, CRANDALL, GADBURY, WILSON, LEONARD, CHASE

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 1/27/2003 at 18:50:39

WALLACE C. GUERNSEY

The gentleman whose name introduces this review is one of the conductors on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, who has been in the employ of the company since 1884, and during all this time has made his home in Clinton, Iowa. He was born in Seely Creek, Chemung county, New York, August 8, 1862, a son of Alexander Wallace and Harriet J. (Crandall) Guernsey, both of whom were natives of Tioga county, Pennsylvania, the former born in the city of Tioga, the latter in Jackson township. Their ancestors were among the early settlers of the northern part of the Keystone state. During the Civil war the father enlisted in the Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and held the commissions of second and first lieutenant and quartermaster, serving in the latter capacity when discharged on account of physical disability in 1864. He served as special pension examiner at Addison, Syracuse and Bathe, New York, and in southern Illinois, and was also connected with the pension department at Washington, D. C., being in that service from 1885 until 1899. From his native county he removed to Bradford County, Pennsylvania, and later went to Philadelphia, where he was employed as a railroad conductor for a time. He next made his home in Elmira, New York, and in March, 1869, came to Iowa, locating in Tama, Tama county, where he read law, and since his admission to the bar has been engaged in practice at that place.  He has also taught school at different times, and has ever taken a commendable interest in educational affairs. During his residence in Tama he has served as mayor of the city, councilman and member of the school board, and is now acceptably filling the office of justice of the peace. In his family are only two children: W. C., of this sketch; and Clara May, wife (sic) F. A. Gadbury, cashier at the Chicago & Northwestern Railway freight house at Tama.

Being only six years old when the family removed to Tama, Iowa, W. C. Guernsey was educated in the public schools of that city, and there learned the tinner’s trade, at which he worked for a few years. He next acted as clerk for his father, who was then paymaster for contractors in Michigan, and in 1883 entered the employe of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway as baggage-master at Tama, Iowa, which position he held for about a year, and was also stationary engineer for a time. In 1884 he commenced braking on the Eastern Iowa division of the same road, and was promoted to conductor in 1887. He is now in the freight service on that division, and during his entire railroad career has met with no serious accidents.

On the 10th of April, 1884, Mr. Guernsey married Miss Fannie R. Wilson, of Tama, Iowa, a daughter of Macdonald and Sydney (Leonard) Wilson, natives of Atlanta, Georgia, and Zanesville, Ohio, respectively. The mother was a little girl when she came to this state, and when a young man the father removed to Iowa, locating in Marion. They were the parents of five children, namely: Charles, a stone cutter, now living in Texas; Fannie R., wife of our subject; Addie, wife of A. R. Smith of Rock Falls, Illinois; Mollie M., wife of F. A. Chase, of Tama; and Edwin G., a foreman of the railroad yards for the Chicago & Northwestern Railway company at Tama. Mr. and Mrs. Guernsey have two children, Harold Wallace and Macdonald Wilson.

In 1884 Mr. Guernsey removed to Clinton, and during his residence here has made many warm friends. He has taken the thirtieth degree in Masonry, and is an honored member of Western Star Lodge, No. 100, A. F. & A. M. He also belongs to the Order of Railway Conductors. He owns a pleasant home at 706 Stockholm street.
Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.