William Clark Chamberlain

CHAMBERLAIN, PALMER

Posted By: Cheryl Moonen (email)
Date: 1/5/2014 at 22:50:12

William Clark CHAMBERLAIN

WILLIAM C. CHAMBERLAIN, President of the Norwegian Plow Co., Main St., Dubuque; is a native of Brookfield, Madison Co., N.Y.; and was born Feb. 18, 1834;when 15 years of age he entered a store in Utica and remained for five years and worked himself up to the position of chief clerk in one of the leading stores in the city; during the last two years of his stay there he was connected with a prominent scientific and literary club and became its secretary; when about 20 years of age, Mr. Chamberlain decided to come West, and arrived in Chicago in March 1854;he secured a situation immediately in one of the largest commercial business houses in the city; the following year he came to Dubuque and located in Dubuque in November 1855. In connection with F.A. Doolittle he started the first store for the sale of agricultural implements exclusively, west of the Mississippi and north of St. Louis; when this business was commenced, few, if any, of the improved implements and machines of this class now in general use, and which have revolutionized the methods of labor on the farmland come into use, excepting the reapers of McCormick and Manny; Mr. Chamberlain has by his energy and fair dealing built up a large business and has trade in almost every town in Northern Iowa, Southern Minnesota and portions of Wisconsin. He established the Norwegian Plow Co., in this city, and is President of the Company, which has erected extensive works and which is one of the largest and leading industries in Dubuque; he has quite a taste for inventing, and has taken out patents on several articles. Mr. Chamberlain was married to Miss Harriet A. Palmer, of Utica, N.Y., 8-27-1857. Her father was one of the early citizens and leading business men of that city. Mr. Chamberlain is one of the most enterprising men in Dubuque. “The History of Dubuque County" http://members.tripod.com/~Doreen_3/DBBIOAB.htm