For
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume II, Biographical, 1911, page 38
W. J. VANNATTA. W. J. Vannatta, prominent among the enterprising citizens of Muscatine, is a native of this city and one of its large property owners. Very early in life he started out to win his fortune and although he has experienced many vicissitudes he never lost faith in ultimate victory. His ambition has been realized and today he enjoys a prosperity which is the result of undaunted perserverance and well directed industry.He was born in Muscatine, May 16, 1855, and is the son of Calvin John and Margaret (Bennett) Vannatta. The father, a native of Beaver county, Pennsylvania, was of an adventurous disposition and ran away from home to take part in the war of 1812, serving as a drummer boy. He was a natural frontiersman and became familiar with Indian life, learned their language, and early in the 30's when he arrived in the region where Muscatine is now located, he became an interpreter for the Indians. When his companions were ready to depart they became angry because he refused to go. Here he continued during the remainder of his life. He and Earl Thornton were appointed commissioners of Muscatine county and all abstracts of land passed through their hands. He owned at one time a farm in Fruitland township where the German school now stands and for twenty-five years was a leader in the community. He departed this life January 17, 1857, at the age of sixty-three years. The mother of our subject was born in County Down, Ireland, and the parents were married in 1849. There were two children in the family, Nannie, who died at six years of age; and W. J., our subject. Calvin J. Vannatta was twice married, but there were no children by the first union.
W. J. Vannatta attended the Muscatine schools, although his education was quite limited as he began work at eight years of age in the John G. Stein hotel, known as the Pennsylvania House. As he grew up he secured employment as opportunity presented and at one time was connected with the Commercial Hotel in this city, which he now owns. He engaged as drayman and for seven years was identified with the old Cedar County saloon. Later he went to Horton, Kansas, where he engaged in the real-estate and insurance business for two years and and from that point was attracted to Guthrie, Oklahoma, which was his place of residence for another two years. He then returned to Horton and subsequently to Muscatine, where for many years he has been prominently engaged in the manufacture of monuments, building up one of the largest enterprises of the kind in this part of the state. He has considerable real estate besides the Commercial Hotel. He was one of the original stock-holders of the German-American Bank and has shown a capacity as a man of business that places him among the leaders in the city of Muscatine.
On October 2, 1879, Mr. Vannatta was united in marriage to Miss Etta Crane, who is a native of this city. They have one son, William D., who was born September 16, 1880, and has been associated with his father in the monument business. At the present he is the day clerk at the Commercial Hotel.
Mr. Vannatta upholds the principles of the democratic party but has never been an office seeker, although he served for two years to the general satisfaction of the citizens as chief of police of Muscatine. He holds membership in the Ancient Order of United Workman, of Muscatine; the Bankers Reserve, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and the Woodmen of America. He was formerly a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mrs. Vannatta is a faithful and consistent member of the United Brethren church, and she and her husband enjoy the esteem of many friends who have been attracted to them by their sterling worth and many excellencies of character.
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