RAYMOND, Col. Levi B. 1836-1911

RAYMOND

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 11/5/2012 at 03:48:22

Levi Beardsley Raymond was born in Allegheny county, New York, July 3, 1836; he died at Hampton, Iowa, April 18, 1911.

From a eulogy delivered by Hon. W. D. Evans of the Iowa Supreme Court, we select the following touching Col. Raymond's life:

He was educated at Beloit High School and Beloit College. Before he was twenty he learned the printers' trade and from 1858 to 1860 was a reporter on the Chicago Times and Chicago Post.

In 1861 he enlisted In Company G, Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers, which was a part of the famous Iron Brigade. He was honorably discharged on account of wounds in 1863.

He removed to Butler county, Iowa, in 1864, engaged in newspaper work on the Hampton Record in 1866 and served as county superintendent of schools from 1867 to 1869. After that service he became editor of the Hampton Free Press, continuing until 1872, when he removed to the northern part of Iowa, establishing the Cherokee Leader. He immediately acquired the O'Brien Pioneer and established an office from which the same was issued in O'Brien county, it having been printed in Cherokee prior to his acquisition of it. He acquired the Sioux County Herald and established it at Orange City. During the same year he started a paper at Doon, called the Lyon County Press, and one at Newell, Buena Vista county, called the Mirror. In January, 1873, he issued the first number of the Sheldon Mail.

In 1874 he closed out his newspaper enterprises and returned to Hampton, again serving as county superintendent of schools In 1876 and 1877. In 1879 he became editor and publisher of the Franklin County Record, In which service he continued until his death.

His life was constantly devoted to social as well as public service. Besides being a member of the Iowa National Guard for fifteen years, a part of the time as Lieutenant-colonel of the Sixth Regiment, he was commander of McKenzie Post, G.A.R., and of the Iowa Department G.A.R., in 1903 and 1904, and served on the National Committee on Pensions, 1904 to 1906.

was president of the Iowa State Society, Sons of the American Revolution, and of a number of fraternal organizations. He was instrumental In securing for Hampton the Carnegie Library, for a long time serving on the Library Board, as president for the most of the time.

He was a candidate for Lieutenant-governor in the Republican Convention in 1906. A paragraph of Judge Evans' address is descriptive of his type:

"This distinguished citizen whom we commemorate with such honor was always a poor man. His scantiness of property did not come to him through indolence. On the contrary, his life was a busy one; he never loafed; his industry never flagged; his helpfulness never slept. Who in this wide community has not leaned on him for something. He was our county historian; our Information bureau; our general director of public occasions; our chronicler of private and public events; our sympathizer in bereavement; our citizen of every utility to whom all helpless distress was first referred. Did an old soldier or soldier's widow need information and advice? 'You had better see Raymond.' Was there an obituary to be written? 'Go and see Raymond.' Was there to be an old settlers' meeting? 'Let us go and see Raymond.' He was poor because the spirit within him compelled him to do the unremunerative work of the community. His talents were not those of a financier. A part of the talent of the financier is to do the thing that pays, pays money. If there be needful things to do which have no profit let others do them. All honor to the man whose life has been an Industrious and helpful one and who has done the gratuities of the world and who comes down to the grave with empty purse. Such a life dignifies privation and poverty above the dignity of kings, and such is the growing sentiment of the world."

~Annals of Iowa, Vol X, No. 2, July, 1911; "Notable Deaths"; pg 158-159