Caleb Bailey Lothrop

HATCH, LOTHROP

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson
Date: 10/9/2004 at 10:08:19

The History of Madison County, Iowa
1879
Page 543

C. B. Lothrop, Winterset, is a native of Vermont, and was born in 1815; his early life was spent on a farm; he emigrated west and settled in Rock Island, Illinois, in 1852; in 1856 he came to Des Moines, and in 1862 settled in Winterset; he has been engaged in the mail service as carrier and contractor since 1859; in 1866 he took the contract for carrying the mail from Council Bluffs to T. Kearney (a distance of 200 miles) daily, and continued it until the completion of the U.P. R. R.; he also had other contracts; he has been the president of the Madison County Agricultural Society for six years, but has avoided all political offices; he married Miss Jane Hatch in 1841; she was a native of Vermont; they have four children: Dwight, Charlie, Eugene and Jennie, now Mrs. Whedon.
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Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
September 7, 1911
Page 1

Biography of Col. Lothrop

Upon our badges [from Winterset's Old Settlers Reunion] today is the picture of an old resident of Winterset, Col. C.B. Lothrop, and it seems advisable to sketch briefly his connection with Madison County history that visitors and younger generation may know why his portrait appears here today.

Col. Lothrop was an old time Yankee, a Vermonter, born in Milton, July 10, 1815. He left Vermont in 1852, journeying westward to Rock Island. The family left Rock Island, locating at Fort Des Moines, in 1856. He became a resident of Winterset in 1862, living a life of usefulness and vigor, until his death which occurred six years ago today.

His mind was wonderful in his later years, well stored with history which he studied earnestly. His mental faculties were that of a man in his prime, and altogether, he was of that study pioneer type rarely seen today.

In 1859, he secured his first mail contract from Des Moines to Fort Dodge. In 1862, he took the longer route from Oskaloosa to Council Bluffs. Later, he ran a tri-weekly stage from Indianola to Lewis until the route was extended from Pella to Lewis, where this line was supplied by the railroad. IN 1866 he pushed west into the Great American Desert, running from Council Bluffs to Fort Kearney. Later, he ran the stages from De Soto to Winterset in connection with the Rock Island road.

When Winterset acquired her railroad, Col. Lothrop ran the omnibus line for thirty years, retiring at the age of 87. Because of his zeal in securing the Rock Island road into this city, one of the stations on the line was named for him. Nearly all o the old settlers here today have been passengers on Col. Lothrop's stage coach line, at some time. He ran the last four horses stage, that made a trip out of Des Moines.

Because of his long service as mail contractor and stage coach owner, his sterling qualities and his prominence here for forty three years the officials placed upon the souvenirs today, the picture of Col. Caleb Baily Lothrop.