Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 982
ALBERT W. BLACKBURN

The present clerk of the district court of Harrison county, Iowa, is Albert W. BLACKBURN, who was born, reared and has spent his entire life in this county. His parents were pioneer settlers in Harrison county and came here more than half a century ago. Mr. BLACKBURN received an excellent education and was working in a bank in Logan when he was first appointed deputy clerk of the court. Subsequently, he was elected clerk and is now filling this responsible position in a very efficient manner.

Albert W. BLACKBURN, the son of Hiram and Mary A. (HOLDZKOM) BLACKBURN, was born on September 18, 1877, in Cincinnati township, Harrison county, Iowa. There were two children in the family, a daughter, Zella, being deceased.

Hiram BLACKBURN was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, on September 6, 1834, and left his native state in 1861, and came west to Harrison county, Iowa, where he farmed until 1864. In that year, he enlisted for service in the Union army as a member of Company I, Sixteenth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war, being discharged at Camp Dennison, Ohio. After the close of the war, Hiram BLACKBURN returned to Harrison county and bought a farm in Cincinnati township. He made extensive improvements upon the land and farmed until 1894. In that year he retired from active work and moved to Logan, where he lived until his death, June 30, 1914. He was married on June 22, 1864, in Harrison county, Iowa. His wife was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1846, a daughter of Andrew and Mary Ann Holdzkom, natives of New Jersey. Mrs. BLACKBURN is now living with her son, Albert W., in Logan.

Albert W. BLACKBURN received his elementary education in the schools of his home township and graduated from the Logan high school, in 1896. He then became a student in Simpson's College at Indianola, Iowa, where he took a commercial course and graduated in 1899. After leaving college, he returned to Logan and started clerking in a general mercantile establishment. For the first few weeks, he only counted eggs, but at the same time he was learning the finer points of salesmanship. In the same year he entered the State Savings Bank, of Logan, as bookkeeper and assistant cashier. He was appointed deputy clerk of the Harrison county courts in 1902 and resigned his position from the bank in order to take up his new work. He continued as deputy clerk, until 1907, when he was elected clerk, and has served in this capacity, continuously, down to the present time. Being an expert bookkeeper and accountant, he makes a very efficient public servant and the people of the county are well satisfied with his services.

Albert W. BLACKBURN was married, in 1902, to Tusse HENN, who was born at Iowa Falls, Iowa, December 10, 1879, and to this union one child has been born, Dwane A. Mr. BLACKBURN is a Republican and takes an intelligent interest in the welfare of his party. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, while fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Woodmen of the World and the Loyal Highlanders. He and his wife both hold their membership in the Order of Eastern Star. Mr. BLACKBURN is a genial man of kindly disposition and makes an excellent public official because of his splendid personality. Few men throughout the county are better known and he is making one of the most popular officials the county has ever had.

Return to 1915 Biographical B Surnames Index

Back to 1915 Biographies Index