Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 850
EDWIN B. WAITLEY

Edwin B. WAITLEY, photographer, at Dunlap, established his business at that point in 1882, and being a representative business man of that portion of the county, the following bigraphical notice of him will be given in this connection.

He is a native of Mt. Vernon, Knox County, Ohio, born December 12, 1859. When an infant, his parents removed to LaGrange County, IN, in which section he spent his early life and received his education in the common schools. From the time he was ten years of age he assisted his father, who was foreman in a sawmill, and when he was only fourteen years old he took full charge of the mill at such times as his father was absent, and at the age of sixteen commenced to learn the printer's trade, which he followed two years and then came to Iowa, locating at Dunlap. The way he came to locate at this point was on account of his having the "Indiana ager," and upon going to Chicago from his home he purchased a railroad ticket to Council Bluffs and expected to go farther on West, but when the train stopped at Dunlap for dinner he crawled off the train in order to try and eat something, and the surroundings of the place caught his eye; everything looked so cool and inviting that he determined to stop over, which he did, and as a result he located at this point. He engaged with a man to help him husk his corn, with the understanding that if his services were worth anything he should receive it; so for six weeks he husked corn and fought ague every other day; at the end of which time he came out conqueror. He then engaged at his trade in Dunlap. He followed painting for two years, part of the time for the Northwestern Railroad Company, and early in the '80s he concluded to engage in the photograph business. He commenced to learn the business of H. L. HOFF, with whom he was associated twenty-one months, after which he spent one winter in Gallatin, MO, and then returned to Dunlap and bought out his former employer. Upon coming to the county the first time he had only enough to barely get him here from Indiana, but by close application to his buiness and the practice of economy, he has come into the possession of a handsome property, including a quarter-section farm in Crawford County, three miles north of Dunlap, which he keeps well stocked with cattle, handling about fifty head each year. In 1890 he and William COOK purchased the Van Scoy brickyears, which they operated one year.

Politically, our subject is a Republican, believing this to come the nearest his ideas of a political organization. He is a member of Golden Rule Lodge, No. 178, I.O.O.F., and is at present Vice-Grand. He is also leader of the Dunlap Cornet Band.

Miss Vina ROBERTS became his wife December 12, 1882. She is the daughter of Moses and Matilda (DAVIS) ROBERTS, and was born in Clinton County, Iowa, May 10, 1863. They have a familyof two children�Ward, born May 2, 1886, and Neal, February 14, 1890. Mrs. WAITLEY is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The parents of our subject, Cordan and Rosella (MC KINZIE) WAITLEY, who were natives of New York and Ohio, respectively, came to Iowa the same fall our subject did, and have since resided in Crawford County. They had a family of five children�Flora, wife of W. HOFF, a resident of Carroll, Iowa; Eva, wife of L. Q. SPALDING, M.D., residing at Battle Creek, Iowa; Charles, an attorney, resident of Logan; Ida, residing at home; Edwin B., Our subject, who is the second child in the famly. The family are among the most highly respected people in the community in which they live, and our subject is one of the live energetic business men of Dunlap. His life is a good example of what a man can accomplish who has the pluck and ambition to push to the front. He is a thorough master of his art, and does fine work in photography, crayon, and india ink work.

Return to 1891 Biographical W Surnames Index

Back to 1891 Biographies Index