For
Muscatine County Iowa
1879
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1879 | |
Here is what the abbreviations in the bios stand for: far: farm; Co.: company or county; dir: dealer; IVA: Iowa Volunteer Artillery; IVC: Iowa Volunteer Cavalry; IVI: Iowa Volunteer Infantry; P.O.: Post Office; S. or Sec.: section; and st.: street.
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Biographical Section, 1879, page 611
HON. JOHN MAHIN was born in Noblesville, Ind., on the 8th of December, 1833, and is the son of Jacob and Elizabeth Mahin. John was placed in a printing office at an early age. From his earliest childhood, he was possessed by a strong desire to learn the art of printing. Moving to Bloomington now Muscatine, Iowa, in 1847, he found an opening in the Herald office since, changed to the Journal, where, for five years, he was a diligent and industrious journeyman, pursuing the study of books and man as circumstances permitted. In his 19th year (July, 1852), he commenced publishing and editing the Muscatine Journal on his own account; this he continued for two years, with very satisfactory pecuniary results, having succeeded where others failed, when he sold his interest, intending to pursue a classical course of study, with which end in view he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, in that State, but was obliged to abandon this cherished scheme after a few months, on account of a serious attack of illness, which, for a time, threatened his life. In 1856, he re-purchased his interest in the Muscatine Journal, and resumed editorial control of the paper, which he has since retained; in April, 1861, he was appointed Postmaster of Muscatine by President Lincoln, and retained the position for eight years; in October, 1869, he was elected to the House of Representatives of Iowa for a period of two years, and served with distinction; in June, 1873, he was re-appointed Postmaster, and held that office until 1878. During the war, he was one of the most vigorous defenders of the Administration; he threw his whole power into the Union cause, and was instrumental in raising a large number of volunteers; he was Secretary and actual manager of the Soldiers' Monument Association of Muscatine Co., which erected the beautiful shaft to the memory of the heroes who fell in the cause of Union and freedom upon Southern battle-fields, and which now ornaments the court House Square of Muscatine; he was also active and mainly instrumental in organizing the Muscatine Building and Loan Association, of which he continues to be a Director, an organization which is accomplishing untold good in providing homes for the mechanics and laboring men of the city; he is also President of the Iowa Press Association, an organization which has existed for several years; he has also been a member and promoter of the several temperance organizations of the city and county, and is among the foremost in every good work, whether charitable, benevolent or reformatory, undertaken in his neighborhood; he has been a Methodist since his 18th year; one of the most active and prominent members of the Church. Politically, he was raised in the communion of the old Whig party, and since the organization of the Republican party, he has been one of its most devoted adherents. Mr. Mahin has been twice married; first, on the 17th of May, 1859, at Muscatine, to Miss Anna Herr, who died on the 12th of March, 1862, childless; second, on the 20th of September, 1864, to Miss Anna Lee, of Johnson Co., Iowa, who still lives, and is the mother of four children, the eldest of whom---Ella Cassel, died in 1870; and three survive---J. Lee, Mabel and Florence.
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