THORNE, John Campbell - 1912 Bio (1850-1925)

THORNE, CALHOUN, WALTERS, PITKIN, ATKINSON

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 10/3/2007 at 20:24:16

History of Jefferson County, Iowa -- A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, Vol II, Published 1912, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago
Pages 237-239

J. C. THORNE.

In business circles in Fairfield, J. C. THORNE occupies a prominent and creditable position as a member of the dry-goods firm of J. C. THORNE & Son. This by no means, however, indicates the extent of his activities, for he is a man of resourceful ability whose efforts have reached out to various fields, his labors at all times proving a valuable factor in the successful conduct of any enterprise with which he became connected. His life record began in Butler county, Pennsylvania, in August, 1850. His parents were Robert and Elizabeth (CALHOUN) THORNE, also natives of the Keystone state, the former born in Butler county and the latter in Westmoreland county. The father was a well known educator of Pennsylvania,and was a college graduate and remained throughout his life a man of studious habits and scholarly attainments. At the time of his death, which occurred in 1856, he was serving as principal of the schools at Kittanning, Pennsylvania. His widow still survives and yet makes her home in her native state.

J. C. THORNE was the younger of two children, his sister being Anna Mary, the wife of L. H. WALTERS, of Carnegie, Pennsylvania. He resided at the place of his birth until 1858 and then came to Iowa, making his home with his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William CALHOUN, who lived upon a farm near Winchester. He continued there upon the old homestead until after the war and was afforded good educational privileges, supplementing his common-school course by study in the Birmingham Academy. He afterward took up the profession of teaching, which he followed for four terms, but thinking to find other pursuits more congenial and profitable, he accepted a position as clerk in a general store in Tennessee. Since 1875 he has been a resident of Fairfield, in which year he began clerking for J. E. Roth, with whom he remained for five years. During that period he carefully saved his earnings until his capital was sufficient to enable him to embark in business on his own account. In 1880 he opened the dry-goods store of which he has since been proprietor, continuing at the same location on the north side of the square at the corner of Court street, throughout the entire period of more than thirty-one years. He now owns what is known as the Front building and occupies parts of three different buildings. His store has a depth of one hundred and twelve feet, with a frontage of twenty-two feet on the square, while the depth in the rear is forty-four feet. There is also an annex twenty by thirty feet which constitutes his cloak and suit department. Something of the growth of his business in indicated in the fact that when he entered mercantile circles here his store was but twenty by fifty feet in dimensions. Year by year his business has increased and he has long maintained a position among the most enterprising and progressve (sic) merchants of the city, keeping his store at all times supplied with an attractive, modern stock, showing all that is latest in style and manufacture. His value as a factor in business life is indicated by the fact that his cooperation has been sought in various other connections. Fourteen years ago he became one of the organizers of the Jefferson County Telephone Company, was chosen one of its first directors and is now its president. He is also a director of the First National Bank and has recently been elected prisident of the Iowa Independent Telephone Company, of which he has served on the executive committee for a number of years. He is also interested in several enterprises of a semi-public nature, being a trustee of Parsons College and president of the Cemetery Association. He was likewise treasurer of the public library for many years and is a trustee of the Presbyterian church, of which he served as secretary for twenty years. For a period of six years he served on the school board and the cause of education has ever found in him a stalwart champion. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and at all times in matters of citizenship and in other relations he has manifested a public-spirited devotion to the general good.

In 1878 Mr. THORNE was married to Miss Rose PITKIN, who was born in Birmingham, Iowa, in 1851, a daughter of Erastus PITKIN, a merchant and banker, now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. THORNE have one son, Harry P., who is now his father's partner in business, the present firm of J. C. THORNE & Son having been organized in 1910. The junior partner was born in Fairfield in 1880, is a graduate of the public schools and also of Parsons College of the class of 1901. He married Grace ATKINSON, and the young couple are prominent socially in the city. He served as clerk in his father's store until taken into partnership and is now active manager of the business. The firm constitutes a strong combination, for to the long experience and sound judgment of the senior partner is added the enterprise and progressiveness of the young man, so that the labors of one ably supplement the labors of the other. They well merit the high position which they occupy in commerial circles and in public regard, for the name of THORNE has been long and honorably associated with mercantile interests in Fairfield.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.