TEMPLE, George D An Interesting Reminiscence

TEMPLE, DODGE, GARRETT, HENN

Posted By: Richard K Thompson (email)
Date: 4/5/2010 at 12:38:40

Burlington Gazette
March 25, 1891

An Interesting Reminiscence.

Anent the removal from Fairfield to Burlington of the family of Geo. D. TEMPLE, mention of which was made in this paper last week, a writer in the Burlington Gazette of Sunday has the following interesting reminiscences.

It affords pleasure to chronicle the permanent removal of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. D. TEMPLE from Fairfield to this city, which occurred this week, Mr. TEMPLE having leased his residence in Fairfield and purchased a handsome property on Prospect hill. Mr. TEMPLE is widely known through Iowa and adjoining states as inspector for the Bankers' Life Insurance Co., of Des Moines, and his amiable wife has spent the larger part of a year or two last past with her daughter, Mrs. Virginia DODGE, of north Fifth street, whereabouts she has gained a large circle of friends. Very old settlers will remember the TEMPLES as early arrivals in Des Moines county, old Major TEMPLE having landed in Burlington in 1837, about which time he purchased the first ready-made candles ever sold in the town, having the remarkable transaction with our Mr. Wm. GARRETT, who was then the boy in the grocery store. During that same year Major TEMPLE removed from Front street into a new domestic caravansary over the hill near Arch and Fourth streets and this paper in which you now read, then called the Territorial Gazette, made a local notice of the fact that "Major TEMPLE and family have moved to the country."

If weather stories are permissible in this connection I will tell what I heard about the day and the weather when Mr. and Mrs. Geo. TEMPLE were married, at Fairfield, and came to Burlington on their wedding tour. The felicitous event occurred on the 2d of May, 1850, and the newly married pair set off in a chaise, drawn by a single horse. Before they had traveled far there set in the great snow storm of that year, record of which has been handed down as memorable owing to the date. The snow fell and the road disappeared, but the bridal party pressed onward, and some miles west of this city they overtook the stage coach surrounded by passengers, who, with fence rails, were prying the huge vehicle through a drift. The late William HENN, of this city, was one of the passengers, and being a warm friend of the bridal couple he insisted that all operations be suspended and everybody be introduced around. Which was done, and the push on the stage coach resumed. Concluding the story, it is of course proper, if not incumbent upon the author, to add that eventually all the party reached Burlington safely, and everybody lived happily ever afterward.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I am not related to these surnames. Item found in the TEMPLE family group sheet section of the Fairfield Public Library, Fairfield, Iowa.