George G. Banghart 1817-1881

BANGHART, SUTTON, BUCKNAM, MCVAY

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 1/22/2019 at 09:58:06

GEORGE G. BANGHART, the oldest merchant in Cascade; is the son of William Banghart and Mary A. Sutton, and was born Feb. 11, 1817, in Belvidere, Warren Co., N.J.; his father died when George was only 7, and , at 15, he went to Michigan and learned the trade of a baker, and afterward clerked in a store; when only 20 years of age, he formed a partnership with A.B. Newcomb & Co., in Pontiac, Mich.; soon after his majority, he became sole proprietor in a large bakery and a provision and grocery store; the panic of 1837 brought back to first principles, but, having good credit, he started a grocery store in 1838, which was burned in the summer of 1839; immediately rented another store and went into general merchandising; ran the store two years, then, in 1841, came to Cascade, bringing several hundred dollars worth of dry goods, which he sold in Caleb Bucknam's Hotel. He was married Feb. 11, 1838 (his 21st birthday), to Miss Eliza A. Bucknam, daughter of Caleb Bucknam, Sheriff of Oakland Co., Mich.; they had ten children, seven of whom are now living- George C., born in April, 1839, and died in August 1879; Carrie A., married R.J. McVay, a merchant in Cascade; William J., grain-buyer, Cascade; Frank S., clothier; Henry J., merchant, Monmouth, Jones Co.; Oscar H., partner of his father in general merchandising; May L., in Rockford Seminary, Illinois; Fannie V., now at home; two other children died in infancy. He has passed through several panics, but has in every instance paid one hundred cents on a dollar; he has been the subject of several accidents, but escaped without serious physical injury; when his store was struck by lightning in 1852, and a keg of powder exploded, thereby blowing out on side of the store and doing $2,000 damage, he was writing at his desk and was temporarily stunned, and none in the building killed; he has been Supervisor several times and held other township offices; he has been identified with the entire development of Cascade; he is the largest stockholder in the Chicago, Bellevue, Cascade & Western Narrow Gauge Railroad, and has been Director from its organization and was at one time Vice President and Treasurer. For several years, he has not been connected with any church, but his wife is a member of the M.E. Church, to which he also contributes, and he had aided in the erection of all the churches in the city. He has a farm of 800 acres in Jones Co., just south of and adjoining the city; there are three tenant houses on the farm, and his own residence is first-class in all its appointments. He is a conservative Democrat, but supported the Government through the war, believing with Douglas that then there could by only two parties- patriots and traitors. He is earnest, social, tireless; attends closely to his varied interests, and is regarded as the leading business man of Cascade.

"The History of Dubuque County. Iowa"
http://members.tripod.com/~Doreen_3/DBIONOP.htm