Switzer, Henry J. (1856-1921)

SWITZER

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 12/6/2016 at 12:20:35

[not a biography, but a story of Henry J. Switzer moving from the country into town]

The Advocate Tribune newspaper, Indianola, Iowa, Thursday, Nov 10, 1904, p.6

Henry J. Switzer
Wamply, better known as H. J. Switzer, has moved away, he has gone to Indianola, he will no longer were boots and overalls half way up to the tops of said boots. Years ago he went barefoot, trimmed hedge barefoot, and always used strong tobacco and was fond of wild game. He did not gamble but was fond of a game of cards, and mostly salted his cattle on Sunday and was fond of good roads and often worked more than his share. The most of his life he has been a democrat but was a few years ago converted to the strong party in power, and when changes come thick and fast in a man’s life he is apt to move to town for there are in the country, especially on the river bottom, so many mosquitoes that many have declared the fight off and moved into town, where there is so much smoke that the winged creatures staid out. Well he will be lonesome there for the farther up the river the less fish. He is not noted for holding a worm in the water, that is too slow for him and he likes to see them coming in numbers, he would rather, by far, sit on top of a stake and rider fence and whittle, but those old fences are gone and for cruel sport they built barb wire fences and while it broke a habit it also changed the whole course of the people, so that they move to town and sit in their back yards and pick their teeth when they think of the full meals they used to eat down in the country. He left behind the old ox yoke on the woodhouse, the old stone burr at the front gate bearing the date 1848, that used to do duty at the old carpenter mill and the old dog that has gone to Hartford so many times. Well when he went to move they told him that Jersey cows were a legal tender for both public and private transactions, excepting for missionary purposes, one or two horses, fast or slow according to the ideas of the owner, but no fast driving around the square, and that there was no limit to the number of dogs for the more dogs the more revenue. Pigeons excluded unless they stay at home, so under the law of exclusions, acceptances and rejections, he concluded to take a couple of shoats into that model town as there were no known Jews there or real haters of the hog, there are no known high hill nor deep seas where they could take a stampede and drown themselves, and besides, on examination he found on the premises a lot fenced with woven wire fence warranted to be chicken tight and rabbit proof and had a few shade trees in it; into this enclosure he turned those vile rooters knowing their instinct quite well and knowing that if they got out that night they would be found down on the farm and that would show conclusively that they would not conform to town life, and the slop would have to be thrown over in the alley, so in the morning when the whistle did not blow, for it was Sunday, and the church bells would soon be ringing, he looked down into that enclosure to see what those swine were doing, one was taken, the other one was left or one had got out and the other had not. He walked around that enclosure from the inside for they had read to him that trespassing act, then he looked to see if there be any leaning trees to see if that breaker of law could climb and drop down on the other side, but there was none, then he though of the possibilities and the probabilities as to what might befall that hog in a strange town without company, but the bells had begun to ring and there was no time for a hog hunt on Sunday in that town, one duty there is to go to church or stay in doors and meditate, he chose the latter. Then on Monday morning as the sun was rising in the east, he went forth to see if he could find that piece of property. He walked the alleys until his appetite had sharpened then he mosied into a lunch counter and took a meal and explained to them his mission, they did not tell him that the town marshal took possession of all loose property, but informed him that a livery barn was a bureau of information and the bigger the barn the better, so he went to Keeney’s , there it was in the pound; says he, what are you doing with my property? Calmly, coolly and collectively he told that ex-countryman that stock was not allowed to run at large and only dogs and cats had free access within the corporate limits if they were quiet and did not disturb their neighbors garden. The rules are one dollar for catching, twenty-five cents a day for meals, will then keep the grunter on three days notice then sell and all expenses and we don’t want to be mean, but we may draw on your bank account. Here’s your money, loan me a coffee sack and all is over for I want to get town broke and headed in the right direction. Boys were congregated on the different street crossing with compliments and a disposition to purchase and once he let sack to the pavement to tell the buyers that one of a pair of twins and he did not wish to part them.

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.452
HENRY J. SWITZER
Henry J. Switzer, a capitalist, banker, farmer and stock-raiser, living in Indianola, is a native son of Warren County, his birth having occurred in Palmyra Township, July 12, 1856. He was reared upon the farm which lie now owns and since 1904 he has been a resident of Indianola, having a beautiful and attractive residence on Ashland Avenue.
His father, Samuel Switzer, was a native of Ross County, Ohio, where he was reared and married, there following the occupation of farming. He wedded Mary Fetters, also a native of Ohio, and they established their home upon a farm in that state where they lived until 1852, when they cast in their lot with the early settlers of Warren County, Iowa. This was then on the border of civilization and presented all of the appearances of frontier life. They made the journey across the country with an ox-team and the ox yoke which was then used is still in possession of the family. On reaching their destination, Samuel Switzer purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Palmyra Township, and there exists today the original buckskin which was signed by President Pierce conveying the property to Mr. Perry, who entered the land in 1848. When this came into possession of Mr. Switzer he at once began to improve and develop the fields and in the course of years had trans­formed the tract into an excellent farm. To this he added until his holdings embraced two hundred and forty acres. He was one of the representative agriculturists of the community, a man who in his business relations was fair and honorable, while in his citizenship he was never found neglectful of any duty that devolved upon him. Unto him and his wife were born seven children all of whom reached years of maturity, while Henry Switzer, the eldest, operated the home farm, while the father spent his last years there, passing away in 1876 at the age of fifty-one years. His wife long survived him and died in 1903 at the age of sixty-nine years.
Henry J. Switzer purchased the interest of the other heirs of the old home property, following his father's death. As a companion and helpmate for life's journey he chose Miss Alice Spurgeon, whom he wedded at Sandyville on the 13th of April, 1876. She was a native of Union Township, Warren County, and a daughter of J. M. Spurgeon, who in pioneer days settled at Sandyville and bore his part in the work of general improvement and develop­ment there.
Having come into possession of the old homestead, Henry J. Switzer erected good buildings thereon, including two substantial barns and various sheds and cribs. Oxen were used in hauling the timber for the building of the barns. In 1848 James Carpenter brought millstones from Clay County, Missouri, which were used in grinding the first corn in the county, at Carpen­ter's mill, which was operated by water power. One of these stones is now used as a carriage step on the farm.
Carrying on his farm work Mr. Switzer prospered and from time to time added to his possessions until he now owns five hundred and fifty acres of very valuable and productive land, all of which has been well improved, tiled and fenced. He has handled shorthorn cattle, making a specialty of feeding cattle and placing on an average of five carloads on the market for several years. He continued to reside upon this farm and carry on the work until 1904 when he removed to Indianola where he now occupies a beautiful modern residence. In 1908 he organized the bank of Palmyra, is its president, one of its directors and one of its heaviest stockholders. Although this is a new organization their responsibilities cover a half million of dollars and the bank bids fair to become one of the most important financial concerns of this part of the state. Mr. Switzer has also been a director of the Carlisle bank since its organization. He is well known in this county from the fact that for a quarter of a century he not only raised and fed stock, but also bought and shipped marketable stock, conducting an extensive business in that line.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Switzer were born four children, but two of the number died in infancy. The surviving members of the family are Mae and Clyde. The former is the wife of Claude Morris, who resides on the Switzer farm and they have four children: Bonnie, Ruth, Mary and Dwight. The son, Clyde, also living on the home farm married Miss Shetterly, a daughter of Samuel Shetterly and they have one child, Olma. The death of Mrs. Alice Switzer occurred in 1901 when she was forty-six years of age. On the 7th of September, 1903, Mr. Switzer was again married, his second union being with Miss Cornelia Mack, a writer of magazine articles and a lady of much more than local distinction in literary circles. They are now pleasantly located in Indianola and the hospitality of their attractive home is most warm-hearted and genuine. Mr. Switzer was reared in the faith of the Democratic Party, but during the past twenty years has given unfaltering support to the Republican Party. He served his township as trustee for one term, but has never sought nor desired office although he keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day and has been a delegate to several county and state conventions. He attends and supports the Methodist Episcopal Church, while his wife is a member of the Presbyterian Church. The success which Mr. Switzer now enjoys is a visible evidence of the life of industry and well directed labor which lie has led. Throughout all the ages it has been a recognized fact that no element contributes so much to success as does indefatigable energy, and this quality Mr. Switzer possesses in a large degree. He has ever made the best use of his opportunities and has thus prospered year after year, while in all of his business affairs he has so conducted his interests that his methods have never been called into question.