MANNING, Edwin

MANNING, GURLEY, SAMPLE, BRYANT, WRIGHT, PARROTT

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 2/22/2017 at 18:25:13

DEATH OF EDWIN MANNING
The Aged Merchant and Financier Expired Friday Morning.
A REMARKABLY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS CAREER.
Had Long Been Rated as Millionaire-Biographical Sketch of Deceased-Largest Funeral Ever Witnessed in Keosauqua-List of Pall Bearers.

Hon. Edwin Manning, the aged financier, merchant and farmer, the founder of Keosauqua, has laid down his burden and entered upon his rest. Death came peacefully and painlessly Friday morning Aug. 16 at 5 o'clock.

There was no sickness of disease but a simple exhaustion of vital forces by reason of old age. He began to fail perceptibly with the beginning of the very hot weather early in July. For three weeks he had not been down town. For two weeks he had been confined to his bed. His decline from day to day was almost imperceptible, however, until Wednesday night when a marked change for the worse became apparent, and it was realized the hour of dissolution was not far off. Death came so quietly and gently that its approach was scarcely perceived.

When the end came the deceased was surrounded by all his household and his family except one daughter, Miss Anna Manning, who was in Connecticut.

Mr. Manning was born in South Coventry, Tolland county, Conn. Feb. 8, 1810. He was a son of Calvin and Desire Gurley Manning, who belonged to old New England families. They were the parents of two sons and two daughters, the subject of this sketch being the second in the order of birth. The parents were consistent and faithful members of the Congregational church, and died respected by all who knew them.

The subject of this sketch was raised in a manner similar to the majority of boys of his day and received his education in the primitive schools of his native state. When a lad of 16 years he entered the store of his uncle, Royal Manning, as salesman, which position he held for six months, when he went to Bethany, Pa., where he accepted a similar position with another uncle, James manning, receiving $10 per month as a compensation for his services. After five years, in which time he had mastered the business, he was taken in as a partner with a third interest. Aside from the knowledge gained concerning mercantile life, Mr. Manning acquired other information which proved of much value to him in after life. His uncle during his stay in Bethany, was elected associate justice and recorder of the county, and Edwin became acquainted with the routine of those offices which knowledge proved of great benefit to him in after life in making plats, etc. In 1831 he left Bethany and embarked in business at Canton Corners, Bradford county, Pa., forming a partnership with J.C. Rose under the firm name of Manning & Rose, which connection was continued until the autumn of 1836, when he disposed of his interest and started for the west. He boarded a boat for St. Louis, then the metropolis of the west, and on reaching his destination Co. Benton advised him and his associates o locate in that city, but thinking his purse to light to invest much in real estate there, he pushed on to Lexington, Mo., where he made inquiries in regard to lands. On receiving information that he could obtain property in Saline and Jackson counties, accompanied by his uncle and a Mr. Tyler he made his way to the places indicated and became owner of some real estate, of which Mr. Tyler was left in charge. Being opposed to slavery, he and his uncle proceeded northward up the Mississippi and Des Moines rivers to St. Francesville, Lee county. That was in December 1836. After making some investments they continued on to Ft. Madison, where they visited the wigwam of the noted chief, Black Hawk who treated them in a friendly manner but appeared rather reticent in regard to giving information, seeming to realize that his power was fast being taken from him.

In January, 1837, Mr. Manning with James Hall, John Fairman and John Carnes, purchased a claim to the land and platted the town of Keosauqua. Our subject then returned on a visit to Pennsylvania, but the following year again came to Iowa and attended the first land sale at Burlington, purchasing several small tracts of land for himself together with quite a large amount for others. In 1839, he purchased in New York the first stock of goods ever brought to Keosauqua, shipped the same by way of the sea to the month of the Mississippi and up that river to Churchville, the mouth of the Des Moines river, being seven weeks on their way. He also built the first flatboat, in 1844, that floated down the Des Moines river, and ran the first loaded steamer from St. Louis to Des Moines, in 1851. He was appointed commissioner of the Des Moines river improvement, by Gov. Grimes, serving in that capacity in 1859. In fact there are few industries or enterprises, or works of improvement and progress of the early days with which he was not connected.

Mr. Manning has been twice married. In Lee county, Iowa, March 8, 1842, he was joined in wedlock with Miss Sarah J. Sample, who was born in Pennsylvania, July 21, 1816, and died June 1, 1857, leaving three children - Calvin and W.S. of Ottumwa, and Anna C. The second marriage of Mr. Manning was solemnized Nov. 3, 1859, the lady of his choice being Nannie Bryant, who was born in Indiana, February 3, 1832, and is an adopted daughter of Hon. Jos. A. Wright. Unto them have been born five children, the two elder of whom, Albert W. and Bates have gone before. Those remaining are Stanley W., Craig L. and Mrs. Katie W. Parrott.

Mr. Manning had an iron will, great continuity, and steadfastness of purpose, and untiring industry. He at an early age determined upon a certain course, and pursued it undeviatingly. He went forward from first to last along the lines he had mapped out straight to the goal of his ambition as a mariner keeps to his course in crossing the trackless ocean.

Endowed with a powerful physical organism, he preserved it by temperate and rational living, so that he was able to accomplish, during the greater part of his life as much as two or three ordinary men. This power, directed by an unflagging will, with an intellect that was comprehensive and constructive yet keen and analytical to point the way, was a combination of endowments calculated for the great achievement left to the credit of Mr. Manning as the result of his life work.

It has been 70 years since Mr. Manning first embarked in business, which is nearly three times the average span of business and professional life. That from the beginning he made the most of his opportunities is attested by the fact that for the past 30 years or more, the commercial directories have rated his wealth at a million and upwards. As he was never a speculator in any sense of the term, and did not have the advantage of a location where there were great advances in real estate, this vast accumulation represents his great foresight and unerring judgement in handling the long procession of ever varying and oft times complicated business transactions that made up his business life.

Mr. Manning's business was exceptionally difficult and the strain upon him always great because of its being so varied. Until the past few years he had always had from six to a dozen stores running at different places at the same time he was the owner of a bank here and the principle owner of a bank at Chariton, at Eddyville and at Ottumwa; in addition to this he owned 12,000 to 15,000 acres of land most of which was leased, but a considerable of it he farmed himself with hired help. We venture that no man in the state ever had to do with such a gang of managers, clerks, renters, and hired hands, together with the buying and selling markets, and all business done on credit with thousands of debtors, good, bad and indifferent, as Mr. Manning had. When it is known that notwithstanding all these distracting responsibilities, he never had a stenographer or amenuenses, and that he passed upon the bills and did the correspondence, it will be to some extent realized how great was the burden of labor and responsibility he carried and what he endured. Not one man in ten millions could have carried on such a business successfully, and how few could have stood up under it until they arrived at the age of nearly 92 years.

And Mr. Manning always had time for reading and social enjoyment. He was thoroughly informed on politics and current events and the great movements of the world, and was an interested reader of the best discussions and literature of the magazines. he took his vacation every year, which he usually spent in New England. He always had time to entertain callers - even casual callers at his office, and his conversation was always lively and pleasing. He responded to social usages and was frequently a guest in the homes of our people. While he was dignified, he was wholly without ostentation, and his greeting was always pleasant and courteous wherever one chanced to meet him. He was an excellent judge of human nature, and would favor one he judged worthy beyond any other banker we ever knew. He never refused credit at his store to the worthy poor for such things as they needed, giving away thousands and thousands of dollars in that way. He was not a member, but a supporter of the church, and was strict in his attendance at the Congregational chrch(err) at this place. His was a great, pure noble life, one worthy the emulation of the young everywhere.

Mr. Manning's greatness is attested by his achievements. He would have been great in any sphere of activity he chose to enter. Keosauqua the town that he founded and where 68 years of (remainder missing).....

Source: Van Buren Co. Genealogical Society Obituary Book H, Pages 89 & 90, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA