Bailey, Ithiel S. Jr.

BAILEY, PATTROLL, HOUGHTON

Posted By: Gary Norris (email)
Date: 11/28/2012 at 13:04:14

Ithiel S. Bailey, Jr., one of the most prominent and progressive citizens of Grinnell, is president of the Bailey Buggy Company, which have an extensive trade in the south and western country. He is also an extensive landowner and devotes a part of his time to general agricultural pursuits on his farm two miles northwest of Grinnell. His birth occurred in Moretown, Vermont, on the 6th of June, 1858, his parents being Ithiel S. and Lucy (Pattroll) Bailey, the former a native of Acworth, New Hampshire, and the latter of Norwich, Vermont. Following their marriage, which was celebrated in Moretown, Vermont, they removed to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, where Mr. Bailey learned the carpenter's trade and also mastered bridge building. At that time bridges were largely constructed after the truss pattern. In connection with his duties as a building contractor Mr. Bailey also engage din general agricultural pursuits, operating a farm. In the spring of 1869 he came west to Grinnell, Iowa, and turned his entire attention to agriculture, acquiring a farm of one hundred and eighty-three acres two miles northwest of the town. In 1876 he disposed of the property and removed to Sac county, Iowa, where he purchased land and resided until called to his final rest about 1900, when eighty-two years of age. He gave his political allegiance to the democracy and held various local offices, serving as justice of the peace for several years. He was likewise a valued member of the Masonic fraternity, joined the order in 1865. His wife, who passed away in 1906, also lived to attain the age of eight-two years.
Ithiel S. Bailey, Jr. was reared at home and obtained his education in the Grinnell high school. When a youth of eighteen he began his career as an agriculturist, renting a farm in the summer of 1876 and devoting his attention to its operation until the spring of 1884. At that time he came to Grinnell and embarked in business as a dealer in farm implements, being thus prominently identified with mercantile interests until 1900. During the greater part of the time he was associated with A.A. Foster, his brother-in-law, and J.C. Goodrich. In 1900 Mr. Bailey and Mr. Goodrich sold their interests to Mr. Foster and embarked in business as hardware merchants. A year later A.C. Rinefort joined the firm and, in association with Mr. Bailey, purchased the interest of Mr. Goodrich. Mr. Bailey and Mr. Rinefort then conducted both a hardware and grocery establishment for about two years. On the expiration of that period Mr. Bailey disposed of his interest in the concern and embarked n to the vehicle business, his market being the west and southwestern country. For the past nine years he has been engaged in that line of business, which has assumed extensive and profitable proportions. He disposes of his goods trough the system of trailing, taking the buggies through the country and selling them direct to the farmers. Mr. Bailey is also quite extensively interested in farm lands, and in addition to his place two miles northwest of Grinnell, he owns three hundred and twenty acres in the Alberta district of Canada and an eighty acre farm in Oklahoma. He cultivates his Poweshiek county land and likewise feed cattle too some extent. He is also a stockholder in the Grinnell Gas Company.
In 1876 Mr. Bailey was united in marriage to Miss Ida Kay Houghton of Grinnell, Iowa, by whom he has a son Louis Nelson bailey, still at home, who is engaged with his father in the buggy business. Mr. Bailey is a stanch republican in politics and served for several years as president of the Grinnell school board. At the present time he is a member of the city council of Grinnell. He is also a valued member of the Grinnell Commercial Club, while fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias, belonging to Grinnell Lodge, No. 175. Both he and his wife belong to the Congregational church and take an active and helpful interest in its work. By constant exertion, associated with good judgment, Mr. bailey has raised himself to the position which he today occupies in business circles, having the friendship of many and the respect of all who know him.

History of Poweshiek County Iowa
- A Record of Settlement, Organizations, Progress and Achievement, Vol. II
written by Prof. L. F. Parker.
Published by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., in 1911
Pages 392-393