FRED GOLDSMITH

Fred Goldsmith of Clarence, who for the past seven years has been one of the valued members of the county board of supervisors, dates his residence in Cedar county from 1873, at which time he located in Fairfield township. He has since been classed with the worthy and representative citizens of the community and his labors have been a source of public progress as well as of individual success. His birth occurred in Mecklenburg, Germany, March 20, 1856, and his father, Hans Goldsmith, was also a native of Mecklenburg. He spent his youthful days in that country and there married Elizabeth Horseman. All of their children were born in the fatherland.

Fred Goldsmith was reared in Mecklenburg to the age of seventeen years. He had good common-school advantages in the German language but is self-educated in English, mastering the tongue spoken in this country after coming to the new world. It was in 1873 that he and his brother Henry and two sisters crossed the Atlantic, making their way direct to Cedar county, Iowa, where Fred secured employment as a farm hand by the month. After working in that way for two years he rented land, which he cultivated for seven years, and on the expiration of that period he purchased one hundred and sixty acres, constituting the home farm in Fairfield township. He began the further development of the place and his progressive spirit is indicated in the fact that he afterward erected a large and substantial residence together with three barns, corn cribs, a granary and hog house. His buildings were always kept in a state of good repair and indicated his wise and careful supervision. He also purchased an additional tract of land of two hundred and forty acres in Dayton township, constituting a well improved farm that is now worth two hundred dollars per acre and has one hundred and twenty acres in Massillon township. He continued to engage actively in the development of his place until 1904 and made a business of raising and feeding stock, fattening and selling about twenty carloads of stock annually. In fact he was recognized as one of the most prominent, extensive and successful stock-dealers in this part of the state. In 1904 he removed to Clarence, where he purchased residence property and for two years was engaged in the real-estate business there but is now living retired.

Mr. Goldsmith was married in Fairfield township on the 9th of April, 1884, to Miss Minnie Meyer, who was born and reared in Germany. They have become the parents of eight children: Gus, who is married and is a farmer of Fairfield township; Louis, who is married and follows farming in Dayton township; Fred; Lena, the wife of Charles Conrad, a resident farmer of Springfield township; Martha, the wife of Chris Hansen of Massillon township, Cedar county, Iowa; Amanda, Anna, and Amelia, all at home.

Mr. Goldsmith is a democrat where national issues are involved but locally casts an independent ballot. He was elected township trustee and by re-election so continued in the office for a number of years. He was chosen a member of the county board of supervisors and is now filling the position for the seventhyear, while for one year he was president of the board. He has alsobeen a member of the town board since takingup his abode inClarence and served as treasurer of the schools of Clarence for one year. He has frequently been a delegate tocounty and state conventions and is one of the best known men of Cedar county, being closely identified with its growth and development for more than a third of a century. He belongs to the Masonic lodge at Clarence and he and his family are members of the German Evangelical church, the teachings of which theyloyally exemplify in their daily lives.