George Johnson Howard (1907)

HOWARD, WELLS

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 8/23/2007 at 13:19:15

Winterset Madisonian - May 23, 1907
Winterset, Iowa

Another pioneer passed away last Friday, May 17, 1907, George Johnson Howard, of Hanley, Iowa. He was born Feb. 19, 1819 at Pittsfield, Mass., hence had lived over eighty-eight years. When he was born there was not a railroad or telegraph line built anywhere. No state, except Louisiana, west of the Mississippi river had been admitted to the Union. Iowa was uninhabited except by a few Indian traders and Indians. It was then a part of Missouri territory. James Monroe was president. Mr. Howard had the honor of seeing La Fayette on his last visit to America. He heard Prof. Morse lecture in Boston before he built his first telegraph line. He knew Daniel Webster, and was a personal friend of Benj. F. Butler.

He was married to Polly Wells at Lowell, Mass., June 8, 1843, and to them were born nine children, three are still living, George W. of Cherokee, Iowa; Richard A. and Elmer E. of Hanley.

He was a machinest and helped build the first locomotive run on the Burlington and Quincy railroad. About the beginning of the war, he with his family moved to Jamestown, N.Y., and he worked at his trade. In 1868 they moved to Winnebago county, Iowa, then a wild country, and in 1874 they came to Madison county.

Mr. Howard with his two sons, George and Richard, purchased the Downs & Hartman mill of Dr. Anderson and M. I. Bean in 1877. This was an old "up-and-down" saw mill run by water power and stood on Clanton creek just east of Bridgeport school house, in South township. They repaired the old structure which had been built by David Downs and George Hartman in 1852, but a freshet came and washed away the dam and part of the mill so that was the end of the career of the Downs & Hartman, or as later called the Anderson saw mill.

Mrs. Howard died in 1884 at St. Charles and since that time Mr. Howard made his home with his son, Elmer, who for many years was the efficient agent of the Chicago & Great Western R'y. Co., at Hanley.

The funeral services were held Sunday morning at the M.E. church at Hanley, conducted by Rev. Mercer, and interment was at the St. Charles cemetery by the side of his departed wife. Thus we are again reminded that the early pioneers are fast passing away. They paved the way for a better civilization. What changes have been wrought in the span of this mans life! What will it be in the next eighty-eight years? We know not.