McCauliff, M.D., Guy Thomas

MCCAULIFF

Posted By: Janelle Martin (email)
Date: 1/17/2010 at 18:31:49

History of Hamilton County, Iowa, vol. II, 1912, p. 105-108.

In the history of the medical profession in Hamilton County it is imperative that mention be made of Dr. G. T. McCauliff, today recognized as one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Webster City, his prominence and success being the legitimate outcome of careful and thorough preparatory training and of unfaltering devotion to duty since entering upon active practice.
He was born October 26, 1874, near Bristow, Butler County, Iowa, and is a son of John and Susan Frances (Biggs) McCauliff. His ancestry can be traced back to the Rev. John Robinson, who was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1575, and who entered Corpus Christi College at Cambridge in 1592, winning a fellowship in 1598. He resigned in 1604 and entered upon his ministerial duties in and near Norfolk, England. In 1606 the church at Scrooby, in Nottinghamshire, was formed by "divers goodly Christians who entered into covenant to walk with God, according to the primitive pattern in the word of God." Of this church John Robinson became the preacher, together with Richard Clifton. After about a year they resolved to go over into Holland, in 1607, but it does not appear that Clifton went. The Rev. John Robinson proceeded first to Amsterdam and in 1609 removed to Leyden. In 1611 his house was the place of worship for the congregation. About 1617 they resolved to emigrate to the new world, their plans being carried out in 1620. They were the passengers who made the historic voyage on the Mayflower. John Robinson intended to follow at no distant date but died of the plague at Leyden, February 19, 1625, o. s., or March 1, 1625, n. s. History says : "More than any other man of modern times, John Robinson is regarded as the father of Congregationalism." He married Bridget White and had seven children, his third child being Isaac Robinson, who was born in 1610 and who in 1631 sailed for New England. He settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and was married June 27, 1636, to Margaret Hanford, who died in 1649. In 1650 he married again and his death occurred in 1704, when he was ninety-four years of age. He had six children by his first wife and four by his second wife. One of these, Peter Robinson, born between 1653 and 1666, in Barnstable, Massachusetts, married Experience Manton and in 1723 moved to Scotland, Connecticut. His death occurred ten years later.

Peter Robinson, son of Peter and Experience Robinson, was born about 1697 and married Ruth Fuller in 1725. He resided in Scotland, Connecticut, to the time of his death. One of his twelve children was Abner Robinson, an officer of the Revolutionary war, who served as an ensign at the battle of Bunker Hill and later became a lieutenant and afterward a captain. His son. Experience Robinson, born in 1728, had three sons, including Elias Robinson, who was born in Norwich, Connecticut, April 14, 1757, and was married August 26, 1779, to Sybil Lillie, He was a soldier of the Revolutionary war and old documents give the following record : "Elias Robinson, Windham, Connecticut : sergeant, March 12, 1777; ensign, December 27, 1777; lieutenant, October 26, 1780; retired as lieutenant in June, 1782." He was also a member of the Society of Cincinnati, and he died February 28, 1805. His son, Elias Robinson, born November 13, 1780. was married in 1808 to Fanny Francis and they had a daughter, Angeline, who was born March 2, 1812, and was married December 8, 1838, to James Biggs, of Milford Center, Ohio. A daughter of this marriage was Susan Frances Biggs, who was born September 5, 1841, in Wiota, Wisconsin, and became the mother of Dr. McCauliff. His grandfather, James Biggs, was a general in the Black Hawk war, also represented his district in the state legislature of Wisconsin and aided in framing the Wisconsin state constitution, which was signed February 1, 1848.

As previously stated, Susan Frances Biggs became the wife of John McCauliff, who was a farmer by occupation and a veteran of the Civil war, serving for three years with the Thirty-first Wisconsin Regiment. He was with Sherman on the march to the sea and participated in various hotly contested engagements. In 1870 he removed to Iowa and from 1895 until 1910 was postmaster at Aredale, Iowa, where he died in August, 1910, when sixty-eight years of age. His widow still survives and is living in Aredale.

Dr. McCauliff was a pupil in the public schools of Aredale and in the Nora Springs Seminary at Nora Springs, Iowa, after which he spent four years as a student in the Iowa State University. The following year was devoted to teaching and during the succeeding two years he pursued a partial medical course in the Iowa State University, while two more years were devoted to the completion of his professional education in the Northwestern University Medical School of Chicago. He was there graduated in 1902 with the degree of M. D. He put his theoretical training to the practical test in two years' experience as interne in St. Luke's Hospital of Chicago and in 1904 he came to Webster City, where he entered upon and has since continued in the practice of medicine. He has been a member of the United States pension examining board since 1907, and he belongs to the Hamilton County Medical Society, the Iowa State Medical Society, the American Medical Association, the Cedar Valley Austin Flint Medical Society and the Iowa Clinical Surgical Society.

In strictly fraternal lines Dr. McCauliff is connected with Acacia Lodge, No. 176, A. F. & A. M. ; Hope Chapter, No. 88, R. A. M. ; Triune Commandery, No. 41, K. T. ; Sharon Chapter, No. 148, O. E. S.; Webster City Lodge, No. 342, I. O. O. F. ; Webster City Lodge, No. 302, B. P. O. E. ; Brotherhood of American Yeomen, No. 517; and Webster City Camp, No. 416, M. W. A. He also belongs to the Commercial League of Webster City and to the Nu Sigma Nu fraternity of Northwestern University.

In June, 1907, at Milford, Iowa, Dr. McCauliff was united in marriage to Miss Edna L. Lucas, a daughter of Mrs. C. M. Coldren of that place. Her stepfather, two uncles and her grandfather were all physicians. Dr. and Mrs. McCauliff have a very wide and favorable acquaintance in Webster City and this part of the state. His social prominence is indicated in the fact that he is a director of the Country Club and his interest in the public welfare finds tangible expression in his work as a member of the school board, on which he has served since 1909. He takes a deep and helpful interest in everything pertaining to public progress and his labors have been a vital and forceful element in the upbuilding and development of Webster City. In his profession he holds to the highest standards and his labors are bringing to him gratifying success.