For
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume II, Biographical, 1911, page 634
ZELAH W. HUTCHINSON....Among the citizens of Muscatine well known in others parts of the state of Iowa on account of helpfulness to others is Zelah W. Hutchinson, treasurer of the Muscatine Lumber & Box Company. He was born in Iowa City, February 6, 1846, and is a son of Robert and Julia M. ( Whetstone ) Hutchinson, the former of whom was born in New Hampshire and he latter in Ohio. The father was in early manhood a carpenter and stone-mason. He located in Iowa City in 1839 and remained there until his death. In 1849 he was attracted by the gold excitement and made a trip overland to California, returning in 1852. In his later years he did carpenter work and operated a stone quarry. He was a man of high standing and was greatly respected by those with whom he was associated. For many years, while the State Blind Asylum was located at Iowa City, he acted as treasurer of that institution. He departed this life at the age of seventy-two years in 1886. His wife passed away in 1899, at the age of seventy-five years. There were twelve children in their family, ten of whom grew to maturity : Julia E., the wife of P. M. Musser, of Muscatine ; Zelah W., our subject ; Laura C., who married J. S. Clark and is now deceased ; Charles J., living near Fresno, California ; Frank P., of Iowa City ; Sophy, the wife of John L. Teeters, of Lincoln Nebraska ; Hannah J., now Mrs. George M. Titus, of Muscatine ; Carrie W., the wife of L. C. Clapp, of Wichita, Kansas ; Sarah D., of Iowa City ; and Ada, also of Iowa City.Solomon Hutchinson, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was a native of New Hampshire and lived at Milford and Nashua. He was of English descent and participated in the war of 1812. His wife was Miss Catherine Flynn in her maidenhood, and they were the parents of six children :George, Henry, Jacob, Harriet, Robert, and Kate. The maternal grandfather was Zelah Whetstone, a farmer who lived for some years about fifteen miles from Cincinnati, Ohio, where he died in middle life. He married a Miss Voorhis and they were the parents of three children : Hannah, Julia M. and Jacob.
The subject of this review was reared in Iowa City and received his education in the public schools, later attending the high school and the State University of Iowa. In 1863 he made a trip overland to Denver, Colorado, with an ox yeam but after a few months in the mountains returned home, having determined to devote hmself to civil engineering. In 1865 he was a member of the party that ran a line for the first railroad track that was laid at Omaha and for four years was connected with the engineering department of the Union Pacific Railway, his last work being at a point two miles from where the golden spike was driven. He first came to Muscatine in 1875 but was subsequently called elsewhere, returning in 1880, since which time he has made this city his home and during the entire period of thirty years has been connected with the Musser Lumber Company as secretary and sales manager. He is also treasurer of the Muscatine Lumber & Box Company and in his business affairs has shown a capacity that has not only brought ample returns to himself but has met the warm approval of those with whom he has been associated.
On the 13th of June, 1872, Mr. Hutchinson was united in marriage to Miss Clara Hogin, a daughter of John C. and Christiann ( Richards ) Hogin. Mrs. Hutchinson was born in Danville, Indiana, while her father is a native of Indiana and her mother of Ohio. The family located at Sigourney, Iowa, where the father died at sixty-three years of age. The mother passed away in 1904, at the age of seventy-five years. There were seven children in their family : Clara, Susan, James, Josephine, Russell, Ella and Lilly. James J. Hogin, the paternal grandfather of Mrs. Hutchinson, was a native of Delaware. He removed to Danville, Indiana, where he engaged in the merchandise business, later continuing in the same line at Sigourney, Iowa. He departed this life at the age of seventy-five years. Eleven children grew to maturity in his family : John C., Catherine, Caroline, Elvira, James L., Mary Ann, Cornelia E., George B., Juliet W., William F., Benjamin R. To Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson four children have been born : Zel H., a lumber and box manufacturer of Cloquet, Minnesota, who married Miss Sarah Shaw and is the father of one son, Willis ; Harry H., who married Margaret Guthrie and is a lumberman of St. Joseph, Missouri ; Ida, who has been a teacher and is living at home ; and Julia E., who married Ralph L. Harding, a civil engineer on railroad work at Tanauan, Philippine Islands.
Mr. Hutchinson is identified with the republican party and, although not a seeker of official honors, he has served for ten years past with great acceptance as member of the school board. He and his wife are actively connected with the Baptist church, in which he serves as deacon. His interest outside of his business and his home is in religious work. He has been presdient of the Iowa Baptist state convention for the past two years and has been superintendent of the Sunday school of his church for sixteen years. In his varioue duties he has shown excellent judgment and is justly honored for his unselfish services in behalf of his fellowmen.
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