Thomas Garlinger (1906)
DOWNIE, GARLINGER, YEAGLEY
Posted By: Mary Welty Hart
Date: 2/18/2009 at 16:33:38
The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
January 19, 1906
Page 5THOMAS GARLINGER
Thomas Garlinger, Iowa's oldest stock man and stock-buyer, died at his home in the east part of the city Friday, January 12th. He was nearly ninety-two years old. The funeral occurred Sunday afternoon.
“Tom” Garlinger commenced buying stock in Winterset after his return from a freighting trip to the Rocky mountains in 1862. From that day until he was taken sick, two or three weeks ago, he has been buying stock. Possessed of a remarkable constitution he has kept at the business and was an active, rustling buyer of stock up to the time he took sick three weeks ago. Year in, year out, in all kinds of weather, he bought and shipped stock. He was known to every railroad official and every commission man in Chicago. His word was as good as his bond.
Thomas Garlinger was born in Gettisburg, Maryland, October 24, 1814, living there until the age of three years, when his father died and he was bound out to a family by the name of Downie, who moved to Franklin county, Penn. Taking him with them. He lived in Pittsburgh, Penn., until he was twenty years of age, learning the trade of wagon and carriage making, serving three years and ten months as an apprentice. He then moved to Richmond, Jefferson county, Ohio, where he worked at his trade.
He was married in Richmond, Ohio, to Rachel Yeagley, a native of Ohio, April 14, 1841. To this union was born three sons, Joseph, William and John, John being the only one surviving him.
Thomas Garlinger rode on the first train in the United States, running from Gettysburg to Elot Mills in 1826. On the first train leaving Winterset, he shipped out forty-two loads of stock. Prior to that he always drove his stock to Burlington.
He came to Madison county, Iowa, in 1853, looking over the country, he then went back to Ohio, and in 1855 moved his family to Madison county, Iowa. On his first trip he entered on 120 acres. When he first came here before the railroad was built, he was a freighter between Winterset and Burlington.
He began buying stock in 1862, driving them to Burlington. In 1860 he and his son, Joseph, with a number of other men made a trip to Denver and Pikes Peak. They traveled in wagons, using ox teams. They had great success in making friends with the Indians and trading produce for hides, returning home in 1861. He was one of the most extensive stockbuyers in Madison county. He was in the stock business over 45 years, dealing in stock up to the time of his death.
When he first came here he purchased forty acres in Crawford township, later buying 102 acres in Crawford township. Then selling both and bought 520 acres in Union township, a part of which was improved. He kept making additional purchases of land until he owned at one time 2100 acres and was regarded as one of the wealthiest men in the county. He rented out a part of his broad tract and superintended the remainder of it. He left his farm of 83 acres and moved to Winterset in 1899 to his property in the east part of town, making his home with Mrs. Sophia Newton up until the time of his death.
When the civil war broke out he was too old to go, but at the time of the Morgan raid, he and his son, Joseph, were called out at one o'clock in the morning and for days helped to stand guard at Winterset and surroundings.
He helped to build nearly every church in Winterset and was also a great helper to the poor.
________________________Coordinators note: In a published biography, the deceased was born October 24, 1821 in Franklin County, Pennsylvania which most of the census data tends to support.
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