Wesley REDHEAD

REDHEAD, WILLIAMS, FILMORE, CLARK, KIRKWOOD, LUCAS, JEWETT, RUTTON, SEYMOUR, MCHENRY, BURGES, SHERMAN

Posted By: Char Hixon (email)
Date: 9/29/2009 at 19:41:15

WESLEY REDHEAD, was born in Penrith, Northumberland county, England, July 22, 1825. He emigrated with his parents from there in 1829; landing in Montreal, Canada, where his father started a dry goods store (having followed the same business in the old country). He continued in business two years and until the cholera of 1831-'2, which was very fatal in that country. The mother was first stricken and died in four hours after the attack. The father survived the "good wife" but two weeks, when God called him. His death was by brain fever; the family left was one girl and six boys, of which Wesley was next to the youngest, being at that time six years old. He was then taken, together with a brother next older, by an uncle to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he lived until fourteen years of age, going to school a small portion of the time and working as devil in a printing office the remainder. He was one of the first news boys now so common in our large cities. In 1839 his uncle, thinking he was, as the saying is, going to the devil by acting the devil in a printing office, so he sent him to live with the oldest brother who was then carrying on the cabinet making business in East Fairfield, a small town in the northern part of Vermont. In going there the route was via Ohio river to Portsmouth, Ohio, then by the Ohio canal to Cleveland, thence by the lake to Buffalo, thence by canal to Whitehall, thence lake Champlain to St. Albans, thence by stage twelve miles to East Fairfield. It took three weeks to make the trip. Now it could be made in as many days. Wesley lived with his brother four months and could not stand it any longer, so he ran away. His entire capital consisted of five cents in cash and a very common suit of clothes. He walked to St. Albans and managed to work his way to Whitehall, where he hired out to drive horses on the canal. Any one acquainted with the section he ran away from could not possibly blame him, for it was certainly at that time the most God forsaken country on the face of the earth. After working on the canal during that season he hired out to a farmer in Washington county, New York, for his board and clothes and a three month schooling during the winter and so worked for two years, when he went to Saratoga Springs and got an engagement as dipper boy at the Congress Springs -- staying there two seasons. He laid up a little money and returned to Cincinnati, his friends not having heard from him for five years, they scarcely recognized him. He then hired out as cabin boy on a steamboat bound for the upper Mississippi. When he arrived at Bloomington (now Muscatine) in September, 1844, having a brother living at Iowa City, he concluded to go there and see him, so in company with others they hired a hack and arriving at Iowa City late at night, he stopped at Swan's Hotel. Just before starting from Bloomington, to accommodate a stranger he changed a three dollar bill for him, and upon arriving at Iowa City he gave it to the driver for his fare. After getting to sleep the driver came and woke him up saying the bill was a bad one. It was very startling news to him, as he had but very little left, and on counting what he had he found that he had just enough to pay the driver, and for his supper and lodging, and nothing left to pay for his breakfast, so like an honest young man he went without it. He obtained employment in the office of the "Iowa Capitol Reporter," conducted by Jessie Williams, Esq., who was then territorial printer, at $3.00 per week, agreeing to do the devil work of the office, and set a column a day. The constitution of the State was printed that winter, and he had the honor of giving it its color with the ink roller in the capacity of devil. The next year, 1845, he went to Anamosa, Jones county, to run a carding machine, having had a little experience in that business in the east. While getting along very prosperously he was taken with the bilious fever; after getting over that he was taken with the fever and ague which was then the curse of a new country. He had to give up his situation. He returned to Iowa City and had the chills for nine months. Not able to do any hard work, in order to support himself, learned the tailoring business, and served three years time, and worked at the trade as jour tailor until the winter of 1851, when he concluded to hunt a location to start in business for himself. He selected Fort Des Moines, where he carried on the business for one year. The business being always distasteful to him, at the end of that time he obtained a situation as clerk in a store, where he worked for nearly one year at $25 per month; boarding himself. He was then appointed postmaster by President Filmore. He was the successor of Hoyt Sherman, Esq., who resigned the office because it did not pay him to keep it. Soon after getting the office he started a very small book store in connection with the office. It was the fourth book store started in the state. His sales at that time -- as his old books show -- were an average of about $5 per week. The average sales of the firm of Redhead, Wellslager & Co., of which Wesley is the senior member, average about $600.00 per day -- showing that a small beginning faithfully lived up to will continue to grow. He held the office of postmaster for nearly nine years. When he resigned the office, it was one of great profit. He has never suffered himself to remain idle, although he is possessed of sufficient means to live comfortable during his life. He has for the last seven years been giving his personal attention to the business of the Des Moines Coal Company, a business he started for the purpose of developing the interests of Des Moines. He is principal owner, secretary and superintendent; also secretary and treasurer of the Black Diamond Coal Company in Marion county; director of the Iowa National Bank. He is also carrying on a large farm, and at his beautiful suburban home, situated a mile and a half from his business, to occupy his leisure time he has engaged in raising fine Berkshire hogs. His herd is said to be the finest in the state. You can see Wesley has not much time to be idle. He does not waste any time in litigation, never having been sued and never suing any one. He has been married twice, the first time in October, 1851, to Miss Isabel Clark, of Iowa City, a sister of Hon. Ezekiel Clark, and a sister of the wives of Ex-Governor Kirkwood, Edward Lucas, I. E. Jewett and Wm. Rutton of Iowa City, as noble a family of women as was ever raised in the old Buckeye state -- they being born and raised near Mansfield, Ohio. He lived in uninterrupted happiness with his chosen helpmate for seven years, which were the happiest of his life, when God called her to a higher and better life; no children blessed this union. In 1860 he led to the altar Miss Annie Seymour, who was raised in Kentucky, she being a ward of Judge McHenry, and came to Des Moines in 1857. They have living five children -- three boys and two girls and one girl, their first, in heaven. Theirs is a very happy family, not having any of the discord so common in many families of our land. The parents both being orphans, they have adopted Mrs. Burges for their mother who lives with them and has all the rights and privileges their own mother, could possibly have under any circumstances.

We have written this sketch a great deal longer than most of the sketches in this history, for the reason that it affords a good model for young men, and is rather a remarkable life. It gives a life lesson to boys starting without any of the advantages that most have, and has been successful from his own merits alone, and any young man with fixed purdoses of honesty, industry and frugality, which is far better to start with than a captal of greenbacks, can make his way in the world as well as the subject of this sketch and arrive at competence and respectability.
Reference: History of Johnson County, Iowa, 1836 to 1882, pages 901-903