Slocum, John Wiley
SLOCUM
Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/23/2021 at 14:50:40
From February 14th to April 18th, 1918, the Advocate-Tribune newspapers, Indianola, Iowa, included caricatures on the front page entitled “Indianola People You Know” with little bodies, big heads, and tiny images around each person recounting their lives.
John Wiley Slocum (Aug 23, 1874 – Apr 10, 1957) – caricature on Mar 7, 1918 issue
Indianola’s leading druggist- in the drug business for 20 years and registered pharmacist since 1901 - He does the soda fountain business of the city… Born in Adair County, IA, he attended Fontanelle High School and Simpson College in 1898… Played baseball on the college team 5 years… Mayor of Indianola 4 years, member of city council 4 years, member of Ancient Free & Accepted Masons…He helped organize the Chautauqua and was its local manager for 10 years….He goes duck hunting.History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.538
JOHN W. SLOCUM
John w. Slocum is a well known and worthy representative of the mercantile interests of Indianola, where he is now conducting a drug store. Iowa numbers him among her native sons, his birth having occurred in Adair County, August 23, 1874. His father, George P. Slocum, was a native of the state of New York, his birth having occurred near Geneseo. The family comes from German ancestry and in his boyhood days he accompanied his parents on their removal from the Empire state to Illinois. He enlisted from Henry County, Illinois, in the fall of 1861 and was assigned to duty with the boys in blue of Company D, One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Illinois Infantry, serving with that regiment until the close of the war. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Vicksburg, Mobile Bay and others of importance and was injured while in the line of duty. He made farming his life work and gained a gratifying measure of success by his well directed diligence and unfaltering determination.
He came to Iowa in 1869, settling in Adair County, where he spent his remaining days, his death occurring in 1904 when he was in his sixty-third year. He voted with the Republican Party and held a number of township offices. Socially he was connected with the Grand Army of the Republic. He married Addie A. Ackley, a native of Connecticut and of English descent. She is now living at Bridgewater, Iowa, at the age of sixty- seven years, and is a faithful and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The family of this worthy couple numbered three sons and two daughters, namely: George E., who is engaged in draying in Bridgewater, Iowa; Edna, the wife of Dr. E. L. Kaufman, a physician of Iowa; John W., of this review; Fred A., editor of a newspaper at Massena, Iowa; and Nellie, who is a teacher of music.
John W. Slocum was reared to farm life, working in field and meadow through his boyhood when not occupied with the task of acquiring an education. He attended successively the country schools, the high school at Fontanelle, Iowa, and Simpson College at Indianola, which he entered in the winter of 1894, being graduated there from in the class of 1898. He then pursued a five years' normal course and for one year pursued a business course. He was thus well qualified by liberal educational advantages for the practical and responsible duties of a business career. He entered the drug store of J. S. Forrester & Company as a clerk and in four months purchased the store, which he has since conducted. He was registered as a pharmacist in January 1901. He now manufactures certain preparations of his own, including Slocum's corn cure, Slocum's headache tablets and Slocum's laxative pills and has found good sale for these products as well as for the general line of drugs which he handles. In his business life he has been very successful. In addition to the drug store he owns an ice cream factory and manufactures ice cream for ten towns, at the same time enjoying a large local trade. He is likewise business manager for the Chautauqua which is held here each year and is a man of alert, energetic spirit and strong determination, who forms his plans readily and carries them forward to successful completion.
Mr. Slocum was married in 1898 to Miss Grace Shuler, who was born in Union Township in 1877, a daughter of John A., and Anna Shuler, who were pioneer farming people of this county. Later they became residents of Indianola and Mr. Shuler was president of the First National Bank. He afterward retired from active business life to enjoy the fruits of his former
toil. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Slocum have been born two children: John W., in February, 1900; and Glenn, in February, 1906. The parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and Mr. Slocum belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity. He votes with the Republican Party and has served as alderman from the fourth ward. He is interested in all that pertains to the material, intellectual, social and moral progress of his community and is a representative citizen, wide-awake, and enterprising, giving his allegiance to movements and measures for the public good. He and his family occupy an attractive and comfortable residence and are noted for their warm-hearted hospitality.
caricature of John Wiley Slocum
Warren Biographies maintained by Karen S. Velau.
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