NORTHWESTERN IOWA

ITS HISTORY AND TRADITIONS

VOLUME 2

VOLUME II

1804-1926

A'S

Oscar F. Albertson

Sioux City is famous for many things out of the ordinary, especially in the way of manufactures, one of which is the plant of Albertson & Company, which is the largest factory in the world devoted exclusively to the manufacture of valve grinding tools, and the phenomenal growth of this business has been largely due to the technical skill and ability of its president, Oscar F. Albertson.  He was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on the 25th day of January, 1882, and was educated in the public and high schools of that city.  His father was superintendent of a large tool-making plant in that city and the son spent his vacation periods and Saturdays in the factory, where eventually he served a regular apprenticeship.  He became an expert toolmaker and in 1901, at the age of nineteen years came to the United States.  Landing at New York city, he remained there about a year, working at his trade, and then went to Chicago, where he spent ten years as a toolmaker.  In 1912 he came to Sioux City to visit a friend who was employed in the Sioux City Machine and Tool Company's plant, a small concern at that time and which he then little dreamed was to be the foundation on which he was to build a great business.  he was induced to remain here and took a position in that plant, where he worked for two years, and on December 1, 1914, he was one of the organizers of a company which took over the business of the concern for which he had been working.  The new enterprise was incorporated as Albertson & Company, of which O. F. Albertson was made president, and they continued operations in the old plant until 1921.  Under his management and supervision the products of the plant were of such a character as to at once attract the favorable attention of tool users and the business of the company grew by leaps and bounds.  "Sioux" tools, under which brand their products were made, were recognized everywhere as of superior quality and the demand for them increased to such an extent that it became necessary to acquire larger working space.  To this end they built a fine new plant at 3100 Floyd avenue, which is considered one of the most modern industrial plants in the United States.  At that time it consisted of two stories and basement but in the course of time additional room was demanded, so that two more stories were added to the original structure, in 1925, thus giving them four full stories and basement.  They make valve lathes, flexible shafts, valve face grinding machines, valve grinders, valve seat reamers and carbon removing brushes.  Over one hundred men are employed and the plant is kept running to full capacity at all times to fill the orders pouring in from jobbers in Europe, Australia, Canada and every part of the United States, the firm having representatives in practically every city in this country.  Mr. Albertson has devoted himself indefatigably to the upbuilding of the business and is recognized in commercial circles as a man of extraordinary capacity and ability.

While living in Chicago, Mr. Albertson was married to Miss Sophia Anthony, a native of Sweden, who came to the United States with relatives in girlhood.  To Mr. and Mrs. Albertson has been born a son, Frank O., who graduated from Shattuck Military School, at Faribault, Minnesota, in the class of 1926 and is now attending Iowa State College, at Ames, Iowa.  Mr. Albertson is a member of Tyrian Lodge, No. 508, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Sioux City Cinsistory, No. 5, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite; Abu-Bekr Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and Sioux City Lodge, No. 112, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.  He also belongs to the Sioux City Country Club and his religious connection is with the Swedish Lutheran church.  Quiet and unassuming in manner, he is nevertheless a man of strong character and sterling worth, who has made a deep impression on the community, and by his acquaintances is held in the highest personal regard.

Anson Allbee

Anson Allbee was one of the venerable and highly respected citizens of Clay county, who, after a long and successful career as a general farmer, lived in honorable retirement from business in his comfortable home in Peterson, to the time of his death November 6, 1926.  He also had the distinction f being of that patriotic host who in the dark days of the early '60s laid aside all personal considerations and served in their country's defense on the bloody fields of the Southland.  Mr. Allbee was born in Erie county, New York, on the 15th of April, 1839, and was a son of Adolphus and Margaret (Shout) Allbee, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of New York.  They were the parents of four children, namely:  Anson; Viletta, deceased; Armitta, who is the widow of John C. Barry, of Des Moines, Iowa; and Vandoe, who died in infancy.

At the age of six years, Anson Allbee went to Wisconsin with his mother and lived there until 1869.  In February, 1865, he enlisted in Company D, Fiftieth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until after the close of the war, being discharged at Madison, Wisconsin, in June, 1866.  In 1869 Mr. Allbee went to Clay county, Iowa, where he homesteaded a tract of government land, on which he carried on farming for many years, when he retired from active labor, after which he lived at Peterson, Clay county, enjoying the evening of life as only those can who have lived well and honorably.  He was untiring in his industry, developed a good farm and was numbered among the enterprising and progressive agriculturists of his county.

On January 2,  1867, Mr. Allbee was united in marriage to Miss Helen Barry, daughter of Don Carlos and Eliza (Spoor) Barry, the father a native of Vermont and the mother of New York.  To Mr. and Mrs. Barry were born the following children: Almira, John C. and Lucy L., all of whom are deceased; Helen, now Mrs. Allbee; Alice and Agnes, twins, the former of whom is living in Spencer, Iowa, while the latter is deceased; Edgar and Edwin, twins, the former living in Des Moines, Iowa, while the latter is living in O'Brien county, Iowa.  To Mr. and Mrs. Allbee were born four children, namely:  Ina, deceased; Edith, the wife of George Allbee, of Nebraska; Mattie, the wife of Charles Wood, of Los Angeles, California; and Cora A., who is a school teacher and lives at home.  Politically Mr. Allbee always maintained an independent attitude, voting according to his judgment.  He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, while his religious belief was that of the Adventist church.  He was true to his principles in all the relations of life, always commanded the fullest measure of respect on the part of all and was numbered among the grand old me of northwestern Iowa.

A. F. Allen

Arthur Francis Allen, who has been identified with the newspaper business since he first entered a printing office as a youth of fifteen, has spent the past thirty-six years on the editorial staff of the Sioux City Journal and has been its editor-in-chief since 1914.  He was born in Warren, Jo Davies county, Illinois, on the 15th of December, 1867, and spent the period of his boyhood on the home farm.  His education was acquired in the public schools and in the printing office.  He was a lad in his fourteenth year when he accompanied his parents on their removal from the Illinois farm to a farm near Lincoln, Nebraska, in sight of the state capitol.  It was in the spring of 1883 that the family home was established in Fremont, Nebraska, where Arthur F. Allen entered the Herald office to learn the printer's trade.  He was employed in the Herald and Tribune offices until the summer of 1885 when he went to Cedar Rapids to work on the Gazette as a type-setter, being thus engaged for one year.  During the winter of 1886-7 he joined the Typographical Union at Omaha and he has maintained his active membership in the organization to the present time.  For a number of years he worked as a journeyman printer in newspaper offices at Omaha and elsewhere.  His first editorial work was done in the office of the Sioux City Journal in 1889, and from that time to the present, with the exception of a few intervals of absence, he has been almost continuously on its editorial staff.  He had served sixteen years as managing editor when in 1914, on the death of George D. Perkins, the founder of the Sioux City Daily Journal, he succeeded the latter as editor-in-chief.

Mr. Allen was married in 1899 and has two sons:  Francis A., whose home is Los Angeles, California, and Edwin Forrest, who is a student at the University of Iowa, at Iowa City.  The military record of Arthur F. Allen covers about twelve years' service in the National Guard and three years' service in the United States army.   He is a Presbyterian in religious faith, while fraternally he is identified with the Masons, belonging to Tyrian Lodge, No. 508, A. F. & A. M.; Sioux City Chapter, No. 26, R. A. M., and Columbian Commandery, No. 18, K. T.  He also has membership in the Rotary Club and is widely recognized as a public-spirited and enterprising citizen whose influence as a director of public thought and opinion has ever been exerted on the side of right, progress and improvement.