HANNA, GEORGE WASHINGTON

HANNA, MELROSE, SCOTT, GEORGE, TILLER, COLTON, MCINTOSH, ROBERTSON

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 3/26/2004 at 13:02:47

Biography reproduced from page 586 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

The extent and importance of the business interests of George Washington Hanna place him in a prominent position in business circles of Kossuth county. He has done much to shape the development of this part of the state and now is closely associated with its banking interests as sole proprietor of the Bank of Luverne. He was born in Black Hawk county, Iowa, June 3, 1850, a son of George W. and Mary (Melrose) Hanna and a grandson of John Hanna, of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, who was an uncle of Marcus Hanna, the distinguished republican leader of Cleveland, Ohio. The family is of Scotch descent, the ancestry being traced back to three brothers who on leaving the land of the hills and heather crossed the Atlantic to the new world and became residents of Pennsylvania during the pioneer epoch in its history. This was prior to the Revolutionary war. The branch of the family of which George W. Hanna is a representative was established for a time either in Kentucky or Ohio and afterward in Illinois, the family home being there located in 1810—eight years before the admission of that state into the Union. George W. Hanna, Sr., was born in White county, Illinois, November 20, 1819, was there reared and in 1845 removed to Black Hawk county, Iowa, making the journey with an ox team. He was the first settler of that county and for many years was closely identified with its progress and development, taking active part in the arduous task of reclaiming wild land and planting seeds of civilization here. He located on a claim midway between Waterloo and Cedar Falls and afterward entered a tract of land on which he platted the main part of the town of Waterloo. There he resided until his death, which occurred in 1890, when his remains were laid to rest in the Waterloo cemetery. He followed the occupation of farming for a considerable period and was also the first merchant of Waterloo. When he withdrew from commercial connections he was in partnership with a man named Parmenter, whose interest in the business was used in establishing Dr. Armstrong in business at Irvington, Kossuth county. Mr. Hanna’s interest in the store was used in establishing his brother-in-law, John Melrose, in business at Goldfield, Iowa, which town had been platted by Mr. Hanna as well as the main part of Waterloo. In affairs relating to public progress and improvement Mr. Hanna was deeply interested. He was among those who took an active part in the contest for locating the county seat of Wright county, being with the section that won, while Dr. Armstrong, previously mentioned, was an active factor in the fight of the county seat of Kossuth county, which he lost by one vote. Mr. Hanna was the first justice of the peace of Buchanan county, filling that position before Black Hawk county was organized. He was the owner of a farm in Kossuth county as early as 1858 and was largely engaged in the promotion of towns and business enterprises in this part of the state. His labors were, indeed, resultant factors for progress and upbuilding here and the influence of his labors is yet felt wherever his efforts were put forth for the betterment of the community. His political allegiance was given to the republican party and in religious faith both he and his wife were Methodists. The first meetings of that denomination in the county were held in their cabin and they sought to promote the Christianizing influences which would lead to the moral betterment of the state. Mrs. Hanna was born in Edwards county, Illinois, June 9, 1821, spent her girlhood in that district and was married there and became the first white woman to reside in Black Hawk county, Iowa. She is still living in that county, midway between Waterloo and Cedar Falls. The day on which she and her husband crossed the river was the same day on which Colonel Davenport was shot. Mrs. Hanna is a daughter of Archibald Melrose, was a relative of Winfield Scott and came of a family of Scotch-Irish extraction. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Hanna, Sr., were five sons and three daughters. John Q., who has been a resident of Blackwell, Texas, since 1883, was at one time prominent as a judge there, is a well known political leader and in business circles has gained a wide acquaintance as the owner of a cattle ranch. Monroe, the second child, was the first person who passed away in Black Hawk county. Emily became the wife of John T. George, a ranchman of Jayton, Texas. George W. is the fourth in order of birth. R. W., who was associated with his brother George in the bank, died five years ago. Phillips C., consul-general at Monterey, Mexico, has been in the consular service for twenty-one years, being stationed in Venezuela and in Porto Rico before receiving his present appointment in Mexico. Mary is the wife of John Tiller, a farmer of Artesian, South Dakota. Edith is the wife of A. H. Colton, of Sherman, Texas.

In taking up the personal history of George W. Hanna of Luverne we present to our readers the life record of one who has a wide and favorable acquaintance in Kossuth county and this section of the state. He pursued his education in the public schools of Waterloo, Iowa, and at the old Oak Ridge school. He afterward became a student at Goldfield, Iowa, in 1860, and while there suffered the bite of a rattlesnake, for those reptiles were not uncommon in Iowa at that period. Subsequently he studied in the Upper Iowa University at Fayette for four terms and about five years ago the Master of Arts degree was conferred upon him by that institution. In his youthful days he became associated with his father and uncle Phillip Hanna, who during the period of the Civil war had a contract to furnish beef to the war prisoners at Rock Island. His brother and his cousin, both older than himself, were in the army and upon G. W. Hanna devolved the arduous task of caring for their cattle. He was eighteen years of age when he started in the cattle business in Goldfield, Iowa, and when a young man of nineteen years he extended the scope of his activities by becoming a school teacher, following the profession for eight terms on the river. He eagerly embraced every opportunity for advancement and various lines of business claimed his attention and profited by his cooperation. At one time he conducted a general store at Goldfield and in 1880, in company with Byron Bliss, of Iowa Falls, Iowa, he came to Kossuth county and platted Luverne. For five years he was proprietor of a general store here and for a similar period conducted a hardware store. Mr. Bliss left Luverne in 1885 and is now in Jennings, Louisiana. In the same year Mr. Hanna engaged in the banking business, establishing the Bank of Luverne, of which he has always been the sole owner. A general banking business is transacted and the institution has a liberal patronage, for the public recognize that its methods are both conservative and progressive. Mr. Hanna also owns a fourth interest in an orange grove, which is the largest in Mexico, containing sixteen thousand bearing trees, covering the old town site of Montemorelos, where General Taylor and his forces encamped.

In 1876 Mr. Hanna was married to Miss Ophelia K. McIntosh, who was born in Wright county, Iowa, November 22, 1857, and is a daughter of O. C. and Selina McIntosh. Her father was an early settler of Wright county, Iowa, and her uncle was associated with Mr. Hanna’s father in platting the town of Goldfield. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hanna have been born four children: Eugenia, the wife of Treadwell A. Robertson, vice consul-general of Monterey, Mexico, where he is also engaged in business enterprises; W. Scott, a graduate of the law school of the State University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and now practicing in Luverne; Geneva, a student in the State University at Iowa City; and Consuelo, who at the age of fourteen years is a high-school pupil.

Mr. Hanna holds membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He gives his support to the various local churches and he is recognized as a political leader in Kossuth county. He has always been an earnest republican and was both the first postmaster and the first mayor of Luverne. In 1888 he was a delegate to the republican national convention, which nominated Harrison for the presidency. He was one of the presidential electors for Taft. He served as a member of the Thirtieth and Thirty-first general assemblies of Iowa and left the impress of his individuality upon various legislative enactments during that period. His activities have touched many interests and all have been quickened thereby. Luverne largely owes its upbuilding to his labors. Business enterprises of which he has been the promoter have flourished and the work of general progress and improvement have been carried forward by reason of the stimulus of his example and his aid.