CALL, JUDGE ASA C.
CALL, HECKART
Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 5/19/2004 at 13:39:54
Biography reproduced from page 359 of the History of Kossuth and Humboldt Counties, Iowa published in 1884:
The first county judge was Asa C. Call, who was elected in 1855, after a hard contest, the gist of which was the ascendancy of Irvington or Algona, and the right of each to be considered the seat of county government. The Irvington faction put up Corydon C. Craw, and by working what politicians call a “still hunt,” nearly succeeded in capturing the county seat. However, like a clap of thunder in a clear sky, the matter came before the Algona people, and when they had recovered from their first astonishment, they went to work with a will. Many of the partizans of Algona were out of the county, on business, or engaged in hunting, but mounted couriers scoured the country in search of them, and they were nearly all brought back in time to deposit their ballots. After a hard and bitter fight the Algona faction succeeded in electing their ticket by a small majority and secured the county seat for their town, and Asa C. Call was raised to the dignity of county judge. This was in August, 1855. The judge held the office for two years only, having a large private business to look after, which claimed his whole attention.
Judge Asa C. Call was born Sept. 26, 1825, in Lake Co., Ohio, and was educated at Oberlin in that State. His father died when he was yet a child and his mother returned, with the family, to western New York. In 1840 he went to South Bend, Ind., and in 1850, drove a herd of cattle across the plains to California, where he spent four years, being appointed Indian commissioner, to treat with some tribes of Indians, in what is now Washington and Idaho territories. While on the Pacific coast, he was a correspondent of the National Era, and many of his letters were copied in the New York Tribune and other eastern papers. In 1854 he married Sarah Heckart, and settled in Iowa City, which was then the capital of the State, but he regarded this location as temporary as he had decided to select some eligible site for a new town. After exploring the Upper Mississippi, where every available site was already occupied, and the western shores of Lake Superior, where he found good harbors but no land, he decided to forego navigable waters and look inland, and in July of that year, he selected the site of Algona, which was then forty miles from the nearest house, though the massacre by Mr. Lott had just occurred, and the Indians were extremely hostile. At the next session of the General Assembly, he secured the passage of an act locating the county seat of Kossuth county. In 1857 he, with others, organized the McGregor Railroad Company, which he ultimately brought through the county. He was also identified with the Northwestern road, of which he secured a branch. His history, since he located at Algona, is the history of the county, as he has been identified with every enterprise looking to the interests of northern Iowa. He has a large family, three sons and four daughters—Asa Frank is a lawyer at Algona; Joseph Harry, a member of Gov. Sherman’s staff, is a lawyer at Des Moines; George C., dealer in real estate at Algona. The daughters are—Mary E., Sara Stella, Nina Vesta and Zada C.
------------------------------Biography reproduced from page 95 of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:
Practically a quarter of a century has passed since the death of Judge Asa C. Call, one of the founders of Algona. His labors were a potent element in the development and growth of Kossuth county and from the time of his settlement here his life record is synonymous with its history. He was born in Lake county, Ohio, on the 26th of September, 1825, and obtained his more advanced education at Oberlin College in that state. He lost his father when yet a child and accompanied his widowed mother on her removal to western New York. In 1840 he went to South Bend, Indiana, and in 1850 drove a herd of cattle across the plains to California, where he spent four years, being appointed Indian commissioner to treat with some tribes of Indians in what are now the states of Washington and Idaho. While on the Pacific coast he was a correspondent of the National Era, and many of his letters were copied in the New York Tribune and other eastern papers. In 1854 he married Sarah Heckart and settled in Iowa City, Iowa, which was then the capital of the state, but he regarded this location as temporary, having decided to select some eligible site for a new town. After exploring the upper Mississippi, where every available site was already occupied, and the western shores of Lake Superior, where he found good harbors but no land, he decided to forego navigable waters and look inland, and in the month of July he selected the site of Algona, which was then forty miles from the nearest house, though the massacre of Mr. Lott had just occurred and the Indians were extremely hostile. At the next session of the general assembly he secured the passage of an act locating the county seat of Kossuth county. In 1857, in association with others, he organized the McGregor Railroad Company, which he ultimately brought through the county. He was also identified with the Northwestern road, of which he secured a branch. The period of his residence in Algona covered a third of a century and during that time he was actively and helpfully interested in every enterprise looking toward the progress and development of the community. His demise occurred on the 6th of January, 1888, and his loss was deeply felt by friends and acquaintances as well as business associates.
Unto Judge and Mrs. Call were born seven children, as follows: Asa Frank and Joseph Harry, both of whom are lawyers by profession at Los Angeles; George C., who is engaged in the real-estate business at Sioux City; May E.; Sarah Stella, deceased; Nina Vesta; and Zada C.
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