HILDRETH, Isaac Freese (Dr.)

HILDRETH, FREESE, DEVEREAUX, ROBERTS

Posted By: Mary H. Cochrane, Volunteer
Date: 7/19/2019 at 07:35:46

Biographical and Historical Record of Ringgold and Decatur Counties, Iowa, (Lewis Publishing Company (1887)), p.627:

"ISAAC FREESE HILDRETH, son of Simeon and Sarah (Freese) Hildreth, was born at Bangor, Maine, March 20, 1822. His great-grandfather was from England, and with two brothers fought for American independence. The Freese family early settled in Maine, and father than that its pedigree cannot be traced. Isaac attended the graded schools of Bangor till fourteen years of age, then moved with his father's family to Granville, Ohio, where for two years he attended the preparatory department of Granville College, now called Dennison University. He then learned of his father the cooper's trade, at Alexander, near Granville, and worked at it five years, after which he taught a select school at Columbus two terms. In 1843 he commenced studying medicine with J. S. Skinner, of Columbus, attended lectures at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, graduated in 1846, practiced two years at Shadesville near Columbus, the same length of time at Columbus, five or six years at Mt. Liberty, Knox County, and early in the summer of 1856 left Ohio, and settled at Lovilla, Monroe County, Iowa. He practiced there seven or eight years, also for a time at Bellefontaine, Mahaska County, and in 1868 he moved to Leon. Here he was employed in the drug business five years, and since that time has been practicing medicine, speculating in real estate, building, and looking after his property. In 1876 he built the opera house block to commemorate the centennial year, and has several fine business houses and other property in the city of Leon. He is public-spirited, full of energy and enterprise, and is doing his full share in beautifying the place, being the most extensive builder, probably, in the city. His works are his monument, and will stand long after he has departed. Dr. Hildreth was originally an old-line Whig, and of late years has been a Republican. He was a member of the Board of Supervisors of Mahaska County, and a member and chairman of a similar board in Decatur County, one year. He belongs to the Decatur County Medical Society, and is a Royal Arch Mason, and has been high priest of Leon Chapter, No. 32. June 26, 1848, he married Miss Laura Devereaux, of Granville, Ohio, and they have one daughter - Sadie, the wife of John D. Roberts, of Leon. Dr. Hildreth's drug store is one of the most complete to be found in Southern Iowa. For a number of years he has made a specialty of treating piles by the Brinkerhoof system. He is much of the time absent from home engaged in this specialty, and has met with marked success."

(Submitted to the Decatur County GenWeb site by Christy Jay, email: Jaygenie@aol.com )