Harrison Hickenlooper

page 158

After a somewhat stormy life, the gentleman above named is now taking things more quietly at his home in Albia. He is an interesting man to know, and one of those who, when well known, it is impossible not to esteem. A shattered arm bears mute testimony that he was well at the front during the national peril, and that he did not hesitate to bare his breast to the leaden storm that was hurled from the south against the defenders of the Union. Mr. Hickenlooper has many thrilling stories to tell of those troubled times, in which he shared his full part of the dangers and bore his portion of the burdens in order, as the great President Lincoln said, “that this nation might live.”

Like most of the other veterans, Mr. Hickenlooper proved himself as useful in peace as he had been brave in war, and when it was all over took up the threads of life where he had dropped them to enlist, and joined the busy workers at home, who were engaged with the various vocations of a prosperous commonwealth. So far back that “the memory of man runneth not to the contrary,” as the law writers say, the Hickenlooper family were established in Pennsylvania, and for many generations identified with its agricultural development. For the purposes of this sketch the genealogy will begin with Thomas Hickenlooper, who was born in western Pennsylvania in 1793, and in early manhood engaged in the manufacture of salt. He married Julia A. Hawkins, also of the Keystone state, and in 1846 emigrated with his family to Iowa, where he located on a farm in Monroe county. The father died in 1881, the mother in 1890, and of their ten children all but three are living.

Harrison Hickenlooper was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, April 21, 1840, and consequently was six years old when his parents came to this state. He grew up in Monroe county and was still living at home when the outbreak of the Civil war drove all thoughts from his mind save the single determination to join the throng then rushing to the defense of the Union. In May, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, Sixth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Henry Sanders, and with this command took part in all the early campaigns of the western army.

During this period he participated in the battles of Shiloh, Black River, Jackson, the sieges of Corinth and Vicksburg, not to mention the many intervening engagements of a minor nature. At the battle of Missionary Ridge Mr. Hickenlooper received a gunshot wound in the arm, which so badly shattered that member as to necessitate his removal to the hospital at Chattanooga, from which place he was taken to Nashville. Up to the time of this accident he had not lost a moment’s time from his company, but reported promptly for duty every day after his enlistment. The injury above mentioned, however, was so severe as to incapacitate him for future duty, and received his discharge for disability after a faithful service of two years and nine months.

After his release from the army Mr. Hickenlooper returned home and put in a crop on his father’s farm. Later he taught school a while, and in the fall of 1865 was elected treasurer of the county, in which office he served four years. When his time expired he kept a bookstore, and then acted as agent for the American Express Company until his re-election to the county treasurership in 1874. After serving the term of two years he was again elected and finished his career in this office in 1880, but afterward was appointed deputy treasurer and has served several years in that capacity.

He has always been a active Republican and recalls with pride the fact that his first presidential vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln, when that great patriot and statesman was making the race for his second term. Besides his long tenure of the office of county treasurer, he served six years in the office of justice of the peace, and has been a local leader of his party ever since he returned from the army.

November 13, 1867, Mr. Hickenlooper was married to Sarah J., daughter of Samuel and Jane(George) Wallace, natives of Virginia, who came to Iowa in 1854. Mrs. Hickenlooper was born in Virginia, March 7, 1845, and died at Albia, February 24, 1900. She was a devoted member of the United Presbyterian church, and all who knew her intimately speak highly of her virtues as a woman, wife and mother.

Of the four children of Mr. and Mrs. Hickenlooper, Clara died in Albia at the age of twenty-four years; Mildred married Albert F. Ewers and has one daughter, Edna; Wallace, civil engineer, who graduated from the Iowa university, is in business at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and Edna remains at home with her father. Mr. Hickenlooper is a member of the Knights of Pythias, has been an Odd Fellow for thirty years, and belongs to Orman Post, Grand Army of the Republic. He was a charter member of the last mentioned order and has been honored by his old war comrades with all the offices in local organization.