William Henry Lewis (1928)

LEWIS, LEONARD, ZELLER

Posted By: Linda Brittain (email)
Date: 1/3/2006 at 16:38:02

Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
October 1928

William Henry Lewis
(By E. R. Zeller)

William Henry Lewis, for many years known as Judge Lewis, was born in Chautauqua county, New York, in 1840. He came to Des Moines county, Iowa, when a young man, where he was married to a lady of New London, Henry county, Iowa. He came to Winterset in 1864. Was first a school teacher, during which time he studied law and was admitted to the bar at Winterset and practiced law for some time. He was mayor of Winterset, county surveyor and county judge, where he acquired the title that earned for him the honorable name of Judge.

He, in later years, was elected a member of the board of supervisors, at which time he superintended the erection of the present court house to take the place of the one which burned in 1875. In 1870 he moved to the place west of Winterset, where he had previously bought a tract of land and erected the residence which was his home till death. There he planted a nursery and beautified the place with all kinds of trees and flowers, until it became the most beautiful and oft visited place in the county. He did more than any other man to encourage the apple industry, and there is probably no place in the county where may not be found apple trees which he promoted.

In addition to this, he was a countractor and builder, having erected many of the best buildings in Winterset, in addition to the court house. This building was a masterpiece of honest, durable and beautiful work. Up to the present time, visitors at Winterset speak of the careful and durable work put on this building, especially the windows, stairways and doors which grow more interesting with the passing of time. If Judge Lewis should not have another monumemt this marvelous structure may well serve that purpose.

He was also an expert accountant, and for many years he examined and passed upon the books of the various county officials.

In addition to the vast amount of industrial work--enough to well fill a busy life--he was a constant student. He was familiar with the best thoughts of scientists, philosophers, theologians and sociologists. He accumulated one of the best libraries in the county, and wrote for the Historical Society so many papers bearing on its history, that when put together, would form a better history of the county than has yet been written.

Early in life, Mr. Lewis embraced the religious faith of his parents, joined the Baptist church and was immersed in the lake nearby on a cold winter day. Because of his voluminous reading he became somewhat skeptical regarding some of the theological tenets of the church but never doubted the main basis of the Protestant religion. He believed implicitly in a supreme being, a future life and in future rewards and punishment.

His first marriage lasted until 1902, when his wife passed away. He was again married to Mrs. Leonard, who died in 1923. By his first marriage there were born six children. Some passed away and some live elsewhere, except Fred A. Lewis, who, after maturity, always assisted his father in his building and contracting work.

Mr. Lewis has been an invalid and especially since the death of his wife has been confined to his room, but not idle. He, with difficulty, owing to his impaired eyesight, still read and wrote, with rare intellectual acumen, conversed with visitors.

In his death the community has lost one of its most valuable citizens. Most of all he will be missed by the Historical Society, of which he was one of the charter members.

He passed away at his home, near Winterset, October 19, 1928. Funeral services were conducted from the Tidrick funeral home on Sunday, the 21st. Rev. W. C. Porter conducted the religious service and by request of the deceased, E. R. Zeller spoke of his life, character and public services. Burial was made at the Winterset cemetery.
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The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, October 25, 1928
Page 1, Column 3

Death of W. H. Lewis

W. H. Lewis, one of the prominent pioneers of Madison county, died at his home, west of town, Friday afternoon, October 19th, shortly after two o’clock. Mr. Lewis was past 88 years of age and his health had been failing him for some time.

He first came to Iowa in 1859 when he was a young man of nineteen years. He taught for several years near Burlington, and came to Winterset, to make his home, in 1864. He has resided here since that time. In a historical sketch written in 1925, Mr. Lewis stated that he subscribed for the Madisonian, then known as “The Hawkeye Flag,” in October, 1864, and had been a subscriber since that time. He thought he was the oldest subscriber that had personally continued his subscription. He also said that he had made a deposit in the First National bank here in July, 1865, and had continued to do business there until his death. He was admitted to the bar on April 5th, 1865, and was secretary to the Winterset school board in the late sixties.

He moved to his residence, on the Bluffs road, west of town, on May 1, 1870, and had made that place his home until his death. The Rev. W. C. Porter conducted his funeral services at Tidrick’s funeral home, Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock and burial was made in the Winterset cemetery. More particulars of his life may be found in the article written by E. R. Zeller, on page six of the Madisonian.
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The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, October 25, 1928
Page 2, Columns 1 & 2

THE LIFE OF JUDGE LEWIS

Judge W. H. Lewis has passed on. We feel impelled to pay tribute to his memory. He was a man of unusual attainments. It is no exaggeration to say, few, if any, of the pioneer men of Madison county contributed more generously to the community in which they lived. He was a tireless worker, a student of science, of theology and of philosophy. He was a man of indomitable will. He cared little for public approbation and generally voiced his honest convictions regardless of popular approval or disapproval. He did not cultivate a wide circle of friends and associates. His devotion to work and study denied him that opportunity. But no man prized friends more highly and those who enjoyed his friendship knew that it was a friendship bound with hoops of steel. It was not the friendship that wavered with the gossip of ill report or grew less constant because of honest difference of opinion. He was unorthodox in his religious views, but held in high respect those who differed with him. He despised trickery and could not countenance the slightest deviation from honesty and integrity. He came to Winterset in the year 1864. He thus spent 64 years in this community. Few men of his time or of any time, possessed more talents for activity and usefulness and in all endeavors he was painstaking and thorough. School teacher, builder and contractor, lawyer, accountant, orchardist and horticulturist.

He served the county on one of its early commissions, was mayor of Winterset, county judge. The Madison county court house, built for permanence and without waste of public funds is a monument to his honesty and ability. As proprietor of the Fairmount nursery, he sold nursery stock true to label and on many of the beautiful farmsteads of Madison county are the ornamental trees and shrubbery made possible by his knowledge of trees and forestry.

His mind was a veritable storehouse of Madison county’s early history. In the historical society of this county are his historical contributions, valuable now and invaluable in the years to come. Much of his best historical writing was done in later years. When nearly 80 years old infirmities of age made it impossible to use pen or pencil to any extent. Most men would have quit. Judge Lewis’ strong will to serve found a way. He mastered a typewriter and his public papers are a model of neatness and approach perfection in the use of good English.

Thus we sketch the life of Judge Lewis as it related to the community in which he lived so long.

Judge Lewis, as we have intimated, did not cultivate a wide acquaintance. He was too busy. And those who knew him but slightly, might not break through a reserve that hid a heart warm in true friendship and human compassion. Most men are not averse to having the world think well of them. Too many over proclaim their own good qualities, but Judge Lewis was one who would endure unjust criticism and suffer in silence rather than parade his virtues or defend his convictions. ---Ed M. Smith.

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