Hart, George C.

HART, DUFF, IRWIN, MOORE, MCCLINTOCK, CARRIER, HODGES, REYNOLDS, NELSON, BERGMAN

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/30/2009 at 12:40:43

Hart, George C.

In studying the interesting life histories of many of the better class of men, and the ones of unquestioned merit and honor, it will be found that they have been compelled, very largely, to map out their own career and furnish their own motive force in scaling the heights of success, and it is such a one that the biographer writes of in these paragraphs.

George C. Hart, a prominent citizen of Newton. Jasper county, is the son of Cyrus W. and Agnes M. (Duff) Hart, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania. The paternal grandfather was also named Cyrus; the latter married Susan Ewing, who emigrated from Ireland with her parents when three years of age and they located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The grandfather was born in Vermont and after his marriage lived in Ohio and reared a family of seven children. He was quite a talented man, being a musician and an author of note in that locality. Those of the children who came west were Theodore Hart, a former physician of Galesburg, this County, and also of Newton, now deceased. Harriet Denniston, whose husband mysteriously disappeared while on a trip to Philadelphia with a load of horses; George Denniston, of Newton, is their son. Susan was the wife of Wilson Tompson, now deceased; he was a farmer in Buena Vista Township; James Hart was also a farmer in that township; Cyrus, father of the subject, and Lucy, who married James lrwin, were twins; she is deceased. Mr. lrwin was a farmer in Buena Vista Township and hardware merchant in Newton.

Cyrus Hart, the father, was born in 1833, and his wife, who was the daughter of a farmer, was born in 1836. They immigrated to Iowa in the pioneer days, descending the Ohio River, and thence up the Mississippi River to Keokuk, then hauled their goods overland with ox teams to Mahaska County, where they purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land. Not having been used to a prairie country they found the winters uncomfortably severe, and the following spring sold their place and moved to Jasper County and bought two hundred and forty acres in the timber, in Buena Vista Township. There was a stone quarry upon the place, which proved to be a lucrative source of revenue. Some of the stone, which entered into the construction of the old Jasper county court house, was taken from this quarry. In 1866 Mr. Hart traded this place for one hundred and sixty acres in section 20, Buena Vista Township; later he added to this until he owned four hundred and seventy-eight acres, which he retained until 1892, when he retired and moved to Newton, having laid by a competency and become one of the substantial men of his community, but he was not engaged in farming all that time. He owned a house and lot where the present opera house now stands, and he was at one time engaged in the shipping business. He was the first citizen of Jasper County to start a dairy and creamery; however, there was one here before his, but it was operated by outside capital. While on his farm he was a heavy stock shipper and before the railroad was put through he was compelled to drive his stock to Kellogg for shipping. Mr. Hart died in Newton in 1907, honored and respected by all; one of the county's early settlers, he was one of its successful and progressive as well as influential business men, public spirited and active in the advance movements of his day and generation. It is a singular coincidence that his death and that of all the other deceased members of the Hart family occurred in February.

The family of Cyrus Hart consisted of six children, namely: John died in infancy; Emma, who married Dr. I. H. Moore, of Monroe, now lives at Seattle, Washington; until recent years he was superintendent of the Treadwell Mine in Alaska; Madge married Jesse McClintock, and they live in Missouri; Charles is engaged in the mercantile business at Blackfoot, Idaho; Fanny, who married Milt Carrier, lives in Newton, Iowa; and George C., of this review. The mother of these children was called to her rest in February 1904.

George C. Hart, the third child in order of birth in his father's family, was born in Jasper County, October 6, 1858. He received a good education and when twenty-one years of age he bought eighty acres of land from his father, and that year the father started in the creamery business and he induced his son to remain and manage the same for him, and in order to fully equip himself for this line of endeavor he went to a college where dairying is taught and took a course in the same, then returned and took charge of the business, which, under his able management, rapidly grew to large proportions and was a very paying enterprise. Four years later he operated a dairy at Lynnville; later he rented his father's place and successfully operated the farm for six years. At the end of that time he bought one hundred and twenty acres in Palo Alto Township, in section 13. Eight years later he sold this and for two years he engaged in the stock and meat market business in Newton. He then bought land in South Dakota, also one hundred and sixty acres in Buena Vista Township, about a mile from his birthplace. In all these business ventures he was successful.

On February 18, 1885, Mr. Hart was united in marriage with Alma Eaton, who was born November 14, 1858, the daughter of Fred and Carrie (Hodges) Eaton, the father a native of Ohio and the mother was born in the state of New York. Mr. Eaton came to Jasper County, Iowa, many years ago and is today one of the county's prominent citizens; he was elected County Recorder for two terms. He and his wife live in Newton. Twelve children were born to them, namely: Frank died when thirteen years old; William is farming in Newton Township; Carrie married Gus Ericson and lives at Red Oak, Iowa; Arthur lives in Newton; Truman makes his residence in Kellogg Township; Harry lives at Shenandoah, Page County; Horace is deceased; Fred, Jr., lives in California; Sherman is deceased; Addie married Alton Reynolds and lives in Denver, Colorado; Anna Belle is deceased.

To Mr. and Mrs. George C. Hart three children have been born: Grace, born February 14, 1886, married Dr. William Nelson, a dentist at Essex, Page county; Mabel, born May 13, 1888, married Dr. H. D. Bergman, member of the faculty of Ames College, Ames, Iowa; C. Fred, born January 29, 1896, also lives at home. Mr. and Mrs. Hart are the fond grandparents of one little baby girl, Marjorie, born May 20, 1909, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson. Mrs. Hart's grandfather Hodges was in the Revolutionary War.

George C. Hart has long been prominent in political affairs, and in 1900 he was elected County Supervisor, and has since been re-elected. He is the inventor of a combination street fountain for the watering of both man and beast, that has many unique features which bids fair to become very popular.

Mr. Hart is the owner of good city property and his home is an attractive and commodious one.

Fraternally, Mr. Hart is a member of Modern Woodmen Camp No. 182 at Newton. He and his wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church of this city and are liberal supporters of the same. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 456