Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Who's Who in Jefferson County, 1931 Paul Coleson

"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Tuesday, July 7, 1931
Front Page

Who's Who In Jefferson County
By Herbert F. McDougal

PAUL COLESON

Paul Coleson not only has taken over a business and in ten years increased its volume five-fold, but in that decade he has come to be known as one of the outstanding bakers of the country, and last year was selected from among thousands of bakers as the man to conduct the model retail bakery at the Atlantic City convention of the American Bakers association.

It was in 1921 that he bought the Federal Bakery, then operating a revolving gas oven in the room now occupied by the Fligg grocery store on West Burlington street. Right away things began to happen and the bakeery (sic) to grow. It outgrew that location and was moved to its present domicile on the south side of the square, where provisions were made for continuous expansion. Much modern machinery has been added until now the plant is one of the most up-to-date and efficient in the country.

But behind all this is a story of determined effort and study. Paul Coleson was born in Wenona, Ill., July 22, 1892 and lived there until he was eleven years old. Then his father bought what is now known as the Hisel farm, just south of the city, and moved the family there. Paul went to school and worked on the farm. He attended Dr. Harkneess' (sic - Harkness') famous school, for years conducted in what is now the Elks hall, spending three winters there. Then he went to Howard's business college and took shorthand and typing. That led him to a job with the Iowa Electric company in 1913. In three months he was in charge of the office and continued in that capacity for four years. During that time he took a correspondence course in Armour Technical Institute, Chicago, burning the midnight oil for two years to get his diploma. It was a course in business forms, and what he learned there enabled him to modernize the business of that company, devising forms that still are in use. In 1917 he became city clerk, and his special knowledge was employed in reorganizing methods there. One accomplishment was ousting nineteen different books in which different accounts were kept, and bringing them all into one book. At the end of two years his mind turned to farming, and he went with his brother, to a 280-acre farm southeast of Fairfield. One of the first thigs this writer heard of him was when he husked more than 100 bushels of corn in one day while demonstrating that a first class office man had his uses on a farm. One of the first thigs that happened to him when he moved to the farm was his election as township clerk in Cedar township. He filled that office as long as he lived in the township.

But two years of farming satisfied him and in 1921 he moved back to Fairfield and bought the Kelly & Young bakery. It was a business that suited his peculiar talents.

Mr. Coleson is a Methodist, a Rotarian a member of the Chamber of Commerce. He was active for years in the Retail Merchants association, and has held official positions for years in these various organizations. He has been one of the vital factors in the success of the Chautauqua, being on the board six years and serving as chairman of the program committee for three years. He has a lively interest in music and for a time took voice lessons in the Parsons college conservatory of music. He sings in the Methodist choir and for years was a member of the college Vespers choir. He also is one of the four members of the executive board of the Iowa Bakers association.

He married Miss Ruth Young May 18, 1917. They have four children--Gordon 13, Pauline 11, Bobby 8 and Ronald 5.