Foulke, Charles

FOULKE

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/29/2021 at 00:11:13

History of Warren County, Iowa; Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns & Etc., by Union Historical Company, 1879, p.716

FOULKE, CHARLES F., Allen Township, retired; born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, Dec. 12, 1825; when fourteen years of age his parents moved to Fayette county, Pennsylvania; while there he was married to Miss Margaret Coburn, July 18, 1850, a native of Yorkshire, England; he came to Polk county in 1854, and stopped for about one year, then removed to what is known as the Allen & Parmlee Mills, on Middle river, the oldest flouring mills in central Iowa; in 1856 he came to this place and took charge of the Carlisle Mills for the Carlisle Milling Company; he remained in charge most of the time up to the outbreak of the war; in August, 1862, he enlisted in Co. D, Thirty-fourth Iowa Infantry, and served about fifteen months; was present at Sherman's first attack of Vicksburg, also at Arkansas Post; after this his regiment was sent north with the prisoners, and he was sent to the hospital at St. Louis, where he remained till his discharge; after returning from the army he engaged in the milling and mercantile business up to one year ago; their family consists of one son, James, who still lives at home.

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.993

CHARLES FOULKE
Charles Foulke, familiarity known as Uncle Charlie by his many friends throughout Warren County, is now living a retired life in Carlisle, but for many years he was one of the active and prominent business men of this locality. He claims Pennsylvania as his native state, his birth occurring in Franklin County on the 25th of December 1825. His father, George W. Foulke, was a native of Maryland and was a miller by trade, owning and operating a mill in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, for many years. There he reared his family and continued to make his home until called from this life at the advanced age of eighty-six years.
In the county of his nativity Charles Foulke passed his boyhood and youth, receiving good common-school advantages. At the age of seven years he commenced to aid his father in the mill and before attaining man's estate had thoroughly mastered the miller's trade. He remained under the parental roof until his marriage, which important event in his life was celebrated in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, July 18, 1850, the lady of his choice being Miss Margaret Cockburn, who was born in England but was reared in the Keystone state.
For two years after his marriage Mr. Foulke had charge of a flouring mill in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and in 1853 came to Polk County, Iowa, to take charge of a feed and saw mill at Lafayette, which he operated for three years. He then removed to Carlisle and conducted a flouring mill at this place for three or four years, but in 1858 turned his attention to general merchandising, carrying on a store here until the outbreak of the Civil War. Feeling that his country needed his services, he enlisted in 1862 in Company D, Thirty-fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Knox. With the Army of the Tennessee, he participated in the siege of Vicksburg and the battle of Arkansas Post, but being taken ill he was sent to the hospital at Benton Barracks, where he remained about four months. He was then discharged on account of disability and returned home. On his recovery he resumed merchandising and continued in active business at Carlisle until 1895, since which time he has lived retired having acquired a comfortable competence which now enables him to put aside all business cares. He erected a large store building for his own use and also another business house and built the comfortable residence that he now occupies. He is a man of good business and executive ability and he well merits the success that has attended his efforts.
Mr. Foulke has been called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died April 19, 1898, and was laid to rest in the Carlisle Cemetery. They had three children but Richard C., the eldest, died at the age of three years, while Elsworth died at the age of nine months, and James passed away in May, 1898, at the age of forty years and was buried by the side of his mother. He was a carpenter by trade.
The Republican Party finds in Mr. Foulke a staunch supporter of its principles and he has taken quite an active and influential part in local politics. He has served as recorder of his town but has never cared for official honors. For fifty-three years he has now been a resident of this state and has seen Des Moines grow from a village of six hundred people to one of the leading cities of the state, and he has ever borne his part in the upbuilding and development of this region as a public spirited and enter­prising citizen. His life has been a busy and useful one and due respect is accorded him.