GARDNER, William H. 1844-1931

GARDNER, PHILLIPS, KUGLER

Posted By: Diane M Scott (email)
Date: 4/25/2012 at 11:10:19

William H. Gardner – 1844-1931

William H Gardner was born in 1844 in England and arrived in America around 1861. He married Charlotte Phillips in 1875 in Wilmot, Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Shortly after their marriage, William and Charlotte settled on a farm just outside the growing town of Stacyville, Iowa.

They had six children while living on the farm - Lulu (died in infancy), Mildred, Guy, Dudley, Pearl and Jack. The young couple knew of the town from Charlotte's Uncle, DH Phillips who had moved to the area in 1875.

In 1898 William built a building on Broad Street to house his new farm implement business. This business was on the same block as a general merchandise store co-owned by Alfred and Joe Penney (of JC Penney fame - built in 1876).

On April 2, 1900 at a meeting held in his farm implement shop, the newly incorporated town elected its first city council with William serving as a councilman.

Between 1919 and 1920 William left Stacyville (following the death of his wife in 1919) his farm implement business grew to include automobile dealerships as well. The two newspapers in town, the Herald and then The Stacyville Monitor included advertisements for Fairbanks & Morse gas engines, Keystone side delivery rakes and Deering and Moline horse rakes.

By 1913 William had sold 60 Fords and five Studebakers in this small farming town where horses ruled. He even sold a Huppmobile to the local livery stable owner! In May of 1912 William set up a place to house a "moving picture show" where the Romance of the Reaper was shown.

By 1930 he was living in Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California and had married a 2nd time to Emeline. His daughter Pearl, who had recently lost her husband Arthur Kugler in 1928 and their three sons went to California and lived with her father and his 2nd wife.

William passed away in 1931 in Inglewood, California. Burial was in the Inglewood Park Cemetery , Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California.