For
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume II, Biographical, 1911, page 339
CHARLES BENJAMIN OGILVIE----Charles Benjamin Ogilvie, attorney at law at Muscatine, who is also engaged in the loan and insurance business, was born in this city, January 14, 1855. A residence of more than a half century here has made him thoroughly familiar with the history of Muscatine and in many ways he has been a factor in the city's upbuilding and progress. His parents were Adam and Isabella ( Milne ) Ogilvie, and the family name indicates the Scotch ancestry. Both father and mother were born in the land of hills and hether. In the year 1835 the former crossed the Atlantic to America and made his way at once to Muscatine, then a small town upon the Iowa frontier, giving little promise of rapid development in the future. Mr. Ogilvie became its first merchant, conducting a general store and also acted as county agent in making out deeds for city lots. He remained in business here for many years, conducting an extensive trade which came to him from many of the pioneers of the surrounding country, and for a long period he was regarded as one of the leading and most honorable business men of the locality. About 1855 he erected the Commercial Hotel, which he rented. The first floor was used for his store, having a stock of goods where the hotel office is now situated. He continued a prominent factor in the business and public life of the community until called to his final rest in 1865, when sixty-one years of age. His wife survived him for some time, passing away at the age of eighty-three years. Both were devoted members of the Presbyterian church and contributed to the moral as well as the material progress of the community. Their family numbered three sons and a daughter : William H. and Frank A., both deceased ; Belle, the wife of Colonel Horton, of Marshalltown, Iowa ; and Charles B., of this review.The last named was reared in Muscatine an at the usual age entered the public schools, wherein he pursued his studies through consecutive grades. His more advanced literary and professional education was acquired in Princeton University, of New Jersey, from which he was graduated in 1877. Sometime later he was admitted to the bar but did not at once concentrate his energies upon his profession. In 1879 he served as principal of school No. 2 in Muscatine. For thirty years he has engaged in the loan and insurance business and in this field has met with substantial success. At different times he has lived elsewhere than in his native city, remaining for varying periods in Minneapolis, Chicago, New York city and in Kentucky, but for the past twenty years he has remained in Muscatine and is now well known here as a member of the legal profession and also as a loan and insurance agent.
On the 17th of October, 1878, Mr Ogilvie was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Jackson, a daughter of Alexander and Lucy ( Daley ) Jackson. There were four sons born of this marriage, Glenn, Alexander, Clarence and Paul. Of this number the two eldest are now deceased, Glenn passing away in infancy and Alexander at the age of twenty years. The others are now arrending school.
In his political views Mr. Ogilvie is a democrat, having always supported the party, but the honors and emoluments of the office have no attraction for him. His religious faith is of the Presbyterian church. The fact that many of his stanchest friends are those who have known him from boyhood is an indication that his life has been honorable and upright at all times. He is familiar with the history of Muscatine county, being an interested witness of its growth and progress from early times, and his cooperation is ever heartily given to measures and movements that are deemed an essential factor in the welfare of the district.
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