For
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume II, Biographical, 1911, page 290
JOHN ARNOLD MATHEWSON....The news of the death of John Arnold Mathewson brought a sense of personal bereavement to many with whom he had been associated while still an active factor in the affairs of life. For a few years he was connected with educational interests in Muscatine but during much of his life followed the profession of civil engineering and in his later years served for some time as city engineer here. He had thorough and comprehensive understanding of the business both in its practical and scientific phases and his work brought him a creditable measure of success. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island, January 8, 1829, and was a representative of one of the old families of that state. His great-grandparents lived there and it was in Rhode Island that his grandfather Philip Mathewson, was born on the 3d of May, 1771. Having arrived at years of maturity, he wedded Mary Winsor, who was born April 5, 1772. He died January 9, 1853, while his wife passed away on the 27th of May, 1845. Their son, Isaac Mathewson, also a native of Rhode Island, was for many years a successful wholesale grocer of Providence, where he died August 11, 1833. He first married Phebe Olney and unto them were born three children: Harriet, Phebe, and Philip. For a second wife he chose Eliza Arnold, also a native of Rhode Island and a daughter of Philip and Phebe ( Waterman ) Arnold, the former born May 15, 1754, and the latter June 30, 1757. Mr. Arnold died December 14, 1824, and his wife's death occurred on the 26th of August, 1807. It was their daughter Eliza who became the second wife of Isaac Mathewson and in their family were the following children: John A., Mary, and a sister who died in infancy.John Arnold Mathewson spent his youthful days in Providence and in Scituate, Rhode Island. He attended the preparatory school, becoming a student in Smithdale Seminary at Scituate, Rhode Island, while later he continued his studies at Worcester, Massachusetts. He quailfied for civil engineering and made it his life work. His success was undoubtedly due in large measure to the fact that he continued always in this business and his broad experience promoted his ability in such a manner that he was always able to obtain good positions and to receive a liberal patronage after he started in business for himself. Leaving New England in 1850, he removed to Chillicothe, Ohio, and engaged in making the survey of the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad. In 1854 he came to Iowa and built a sawmill in Iowa county. He then removed to Muscatine. He began his career as a civil engineer with the Vermont Central Railroad Company when twenty years of age and that profession occupied his attention through much of his life, although from 1860 until 1864 he engaged in teaching in the third ward school of this city. In 1865 he was appointed city engineer and two years later became chief engineer of the Muscatine, Tipton & Anamosa Railway Company. In 1869 he became connected with the Keithsburg branch of the Rock Island & St. Louis Railroad and later was in the employ of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company from Dubuque north. He followed railroading in that connection until 1873, in which year he made a survey of Muscatine to Iowa Falls. In the spring of 1880 he superintended the construction of the Wabash bridge and later he again took up survey work with the Iowa Central Railroad Company. In 1892 he superintended the carrying of the chain from Anamosa, Iowa to Dodge Center, Minnesota, and in February, 1883, he started on a survey from New Bosten, Illinois to Chillicothe, Missouri, and thence returned to New Boston, where he finished up his business by running two lines, each two hundred miles in length. for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company. Afterward he was appointed city engineer of Muscatine, which position he filled for a number of years.
On the 10th of November, 1857, Mr. Mathewson was married to Miss Mary B. Knight, who was born July 6, 1832, in Killingly, Connecticut, a daughter of Benjamin and Amy ( Ballou ) Knight, who removed to California, settling in Santa Cruz in 1872. There her father, who was born July 23, 1803, died in 1883 at the age of eighty years. His wife who was born February 7, 1805, passed away at the advanced age of ninety-three years. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Mathewson were William and Judith ( Mathewson ) Knight.
The maternal grandfather was Daniel Ballou, who was born October 13, 1780, and died July 6, 1839. He had wedded Mary Brown, who was born February 15, 1779, and died April 5, 1810. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mathewson were born three sons. Isaac, born August 13, 1866, is extensively engaged in farming in Old Mexico, near Sante Fe, in Distrito de Alarcon, Estrado de Guerrero, where he owns a very large estate. He married Mabel Quertermous and they have two children, Mary and John. Benjamin K., born January 19, 1867, died November 16, 1868. Thomas K., born March 10, 1870, is living at Coeneo, Michoacan, Mexico, and married Hally Wood.
The death of Mr. Mathewson occurred October 6, 1892, when he was sixty-three years of age. He was a member of the Methodist church and his life was at all times honorable and upright, characterized by a kindly spirit, a cordial disposition and deference for the opinions and recognition of the rights of others. His many good qualities won for him the kindly regard of all with whom he came in contact. His widow still survives him and has now passed the seventy-eighth milestone on life's journey.
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