Iowa History Project

Dr. Amos Babcock

Dr. Amos Babcock was born at Kirtland, Ohio, January 21, 1845, and died suddenly of acute cardiac dilatation at New Hampton, Iowa, August 23, 1923. In 1852, he with his parents moved to Wisconsin, and in in 1858, they came to Iowa, locating on a farm near Fairbank, where he resided until the beginning of the Civil War.

In 1862, at the age of 17 years, he responded to his country's call to arms in defense of the union, and served with distinction until the close of the war, receiving an honorable discharge.

Immediately after the close of the war, he began the study of medicine in the office of Doctor Robinson, at West Union, Iowa, and later attended and was graduated from Rush Medical College of Chicago.

He began the practice of medicine in New Hampton in 1869, and was in the continuous and active practice of his profession until about ten years ago when he retired on account of ill health.

He was married to Emma Adams at New Hampton in 1870, and together they braved the hardships of early pioneer life. To this union were born two sons. He is survived by his devoted wife, Emma Babcock and a son, Commander J.V. Babcock, who served with distinction in the late World War, and who is now stationed at Honolulu as Chief of Naval operations. His son Herbert died in early youth.

The deceased was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of the Masonic bodies and of A.P. Morton Post of the Grand Army of the Republic. He was also at one time a member of the Board of Visitors of the Naval Academy at Annapolis.

Dr. Babcock was an exceptional character. Coming to New Hampton in pioneer days, he saw and felt the hardships incident to early settlement in a new and undeveloped country. He was ever ready to answer the call of the sick and needy regardless of whether it came from the poverty stricken hovel or the pretentious home. In his professional life he knew no call but duty, and much of his time and talent was given to charity patients. He was successful in his profession, as in every undertaking.

Doctor Babcock saw virgin prairies surrounding New Hampton gradually transformed into productive fields and blossoming gardens. He watched the hamlet of New Hampton grow and develop into a beautiful and thriving little city. He took an active part in the civic life of the community and the affairs of state and did his full share in their development. He was a student of history and of men and had a wonderful faculty of retaining in detail the impression which he received from his studies, observations and travels. He was devoted to his family, was possessed of a broad charity and an unswerving integrity. He was distinctly sympathetic in his attitude toward his fellowmen, had the faculty of making friends, and the friendships which he formed were enduring.

In his passing, New Hampton loses one of its good, loyal supporters and public-spirited men, one whose life has been interwoven and identified with the affairs and life of the community for over fifty years. He leaves as a heritage to comfort his bereaved family, the memory of a life well spent, an honorable career and a good name. What greater tribute could be paid his memory than to say; he was true to his trust, his friends, his family, his country and his God. (obit/bio written by N. Schilling, M.D., New Hampton)

In 1875, five candidates for governor appeared before the Republican state convention with Gen. James B. Weaver in the lead. Dr. S.M. Ballard placed in nomination Samuel J. Kirkwood. A delegate inquired by what aughority the name of the governor had been used. Rising to his full height the stalwart Ballard answered, "By authority of the great Republican party of Iowa," (Brigham's history of Iowa). Thus showing how easily a doctor could set aside political traditions in the interests of public good. The nomination and election for a third term as governor insured Governor Kirkwood's election to the United States Senate.

On account of his gigantic stature and the size of his nose, Dr. Ballard was familiarly known by the title of "Big Medicine".

On Christmas day, 1854, Dr. Bell was called to see L.W. Bates who had swallowed a bar of lead in undertaking a slight of hand performance whil in a partially intoxicated condition. The bar was ten inches in length and weighed nine and on-half ounces. After observing the patient for ten days and being satisfied that the bar was in Bate's stomach, Dr. Bell with the assistance of Drs. J.M. Robertson, Cleaver, Graham and Taylor made an abdominal section, exposed the stomach which was drawn into the wound, opened and the bar removed. The wound in the stomach was closed by interrupted sutures, returned into the abdomen and the external wound closed by interrupted sutures supported by adhesive plaster (presumably without drainage). The sutures were removed on the seventeenth day. The patient made an uneventful recovery. The operation consumed twenty minutes.

The case was published in the Iowa Medical Journal for April, 1855 and in the Boston Medical & Surgical Journal, January 2, 1860.

From the Iowa Medical Journal of July 1900: "Dr. Walter L. Bierring of Iowa City, professor of pathology in the university, will correspond from the pathological department. His prominence in the profession and in the State Medical Society makes it unnecessary for us to introduce him."

[transcribers note: Also in this book, on pages 308-317, is the full text of a paper written by Dr. Bierring, and presented at the Forty-Fourth Annual Session, Iowa State Medical Society, Creston, Iowa, April 17-19, 1895. The paper was titled "The Modern Treatment of Diphtheria with Demonstration of Method of Preparing Antitoxin". It has not been included as part of this digital transcripton]

On November 19, 1857 Governor James W. Grimes officially declared that, "the Capitol of the State of Iowa to be established under the Constitution and Laws of the State at Des Moines in Polk County." There were no railroads in the state, many streams had no bridges and the river bottoms had a bad reputation, particularly Skunk river bottom and the problem of moving the state property from Iowa City to Des Moines was a difficult one. There were 4 large safes to be transported, but no contractor was willing to undertake the task. Finally Dr. Jess Bowen accepted the contract and after many days of hard and tedious work the safes were delivered safely in Des Moines. The state treasurers' safe was much the largest and very heavy. During the journey it was left on the open prairie near Little Four Mile Creek in Polk County for several days and nights until the storm abated and the ground was frozen sufficient so that it could be handled on a large bob sled. When it arrived in Des Moines it was drawn by ten yoke of oxen.

In 1860 Dr. Bowen took his seat in the Seventh General Assembly as senator from Johnson county. At the breaking out of the Civil War, Dr. bowen was Adjutant General of the state. He was afterward appointed paymaster in the US Army and was the last paymaster to be mustered out of the service.

In 1840 Dr. Boyer was united in marriage with Miss Mary Wiley, of West Lake, Ind., but a native of Vermont, and immediately moved to Iowa, locating in Van Buren county, where he remained three years. In April, 1843, he came to Mahaska county, picked out his claim, and in May following, just as soon as the country was thrown open for settlement, moved his family here, becoming one of the first, if not the first, permanent settlers of the county. Dr. and Mrs. Boyer reared a family of nine children; Mrs. Dr. Scott, Mrs. John R. Barnes, Oskaloosa; Mrs. E.B. Young; William E. Boyer; Richard M. Boyer; Frank D. Boyer; Edmund A. Boyer, Jr.; Fannie, wife of Smith McPherson, the distinguished attorney general of Iowa and later Federal judge for the southern district of Iowa, and Thomas H. Boyer.

Dr. Boyer practiced medicine fifteen years when he retired from active practice and devoted his entire attention to his farm and store. He was a close reader and had a deep insight in matters of general and public interest. While a zealous politician he never sought public affairs or position.

In early life he was identified with the Whig party, but being strongly prejudiced aginst slavery, he joined in the organization of the Republican party of which he was an active member until he believed that the Greenback Labor party more truly represented the interests of the people. Strong in his political views he made both friends and enemies, but all respected him as a man of sterling worth, true to his friends, kind and provident to his family, and always ready to extend a helping hand to the unfortunate. For nearly half a century he was a resident of Mahaska county. Every change that was made in trasforming the wilderness into a thickly settled and prosperous country, he witnessed and participated in. The home which he founded was a hospitable one, and from it have been sent forth some who occupy useful and honorable positions in town, county and state. Dr. Boyer, after an illness of more than a years' duration, died February 5, 1886, at his farm in Scott township, on which he first settled when he came to this county.

Dr. Bullis married September 11, 1854 to Miss Laura A. Adams of Champlain, New York, who died in 1861. In June, 1863, he married Miss Harriette B. Adams, a sister of the first wife.

Few physicians have had a wider or more varied experience than Dr. Bullis The writer has a clear recollection of Dr. Bullis. He was a man of attractive personal appearance; a man of little more than average height, rather slender but erect and active; dressed in the conventional clothes of the professional man of that day, a ready and fluent speaker, and was admired by the younger men of the profession whose ideas were not disturbed by the revelations of the bacteriologists.