Dr. Kulp is a descendant of the Friesland Huguenots, his ancestors being among the number of those who were conquered in, and banished from, their native country in the latter part of the sixteenth century. The particular branch of the family from which he is descended was composed of the fighters who are now famous in history for their great physical strength and their daring and bravery. Their fighting qualities, as every one familiar with history knows, were remarkable. They met defeat only when they were outnumbered, and it was difficult for their antagonists to encompass their defeat, for it comes to us by tradition that a hundred of the Huguenots would fight seven hundred of their enemies with fair chances of success.
When they were finally compelled to yield to superior numbers they scattered into various countries, and many of them who were followers of Menno Simons became colonists of the newly discovered western hemisphere. At the head of a large body of these colonists were two brothers named Kolb (the original spelling for “Kulp” ). It was the ambition of these people to emigrate to a country where they could enjoy the pleasures of freedom and have the opportunity to develop themselves, not only physically and mentally, but in a religious manner as well. The party became separated before this land was reached, and one of the Kulps with his followers entered Delaware Bay, while the other made a landing in Roanoke Bay. Dr. Kulp is a direct descendant of the former.
Dr. Kulp's maternal ancestors, the Overholts, were also Huguenots and went to England, where James II sold them to William Penn, who brought them to America and colonized them in the same region chosen by the Mennonite wanderers for their permanent home. Thus it was that through misfortunes and trials, under which people of less sturdi ness would have chafed to a much greater extent, the Kulps and the Overholts came together many generations ago in the neighborhood of what is now the City of Germantown, Pennsylvania.
There is a great deal of tradition in the Kulp family pertaining to the early days of the Huguenots who were colonized in the eastern part of this country. There is enough evidence, it is believed, to prove that even more than two centuries have elapsed since the Mennonite colonies were first started; in other words, that many of the colonists in this country were of the Mennonite faith previous to the downfall of their fellows in Europe. Some even go so far as to believe that the landing of the Pilgrims occurred long after the Huguenots had become colonized.
The maternal and paternal grandparents of Dr. Kulp were Mennonite ministers. His father and mother, before their marriage, and in their early youth, emigrated with their parents to what at that time was termed the “Western Reserve.” The journey was made soon after this piece of territory had been ceded to Connecticut and the families settled in what has since become Medina County, Ohio, where in 1825 Joseph Kulp and Sallie Overholt were married and became the parents of ten children, of whom William 0. was the third born. His birthday was on September 19, 1836.
Joseph Kulp was a farmer and a teacher, successful in both occupa tions. His teaching was mostly confined to the languages, he being well versed in both the English and the German.
All save two of his children grew up to manhood and womanhood. The two who died in early youth were Susanna and Elizabeth, whose deaths occurred at the respective ages of twelve and twenty. Of the other children in the family, Mary married R. D. Bower, who resided in Ohio, and later in Michigan, where Mrs. Bower died. She was the mother of six children.
Lydia married Eli Holbein, who resided in Wadsworth, Ohio. Mr. Holbein died about 1876, and his widow still resides in Wadsworth. She has four boys, two of whom are journalists, one of whom is a teacher and the other of whom is engaged in manufacturing pursuits.
Joseph S. Kulp, now a prominent practicing dentist of Muscatine, Iowa, was born in Ohio and resided on a farm in early life, afterward teaching for a time, and later beginning the practice of dentistry.
Sarah was a teacher for about twenty years and afterward married a Rev. Mr. Keller of Canton, Ohio, who is a minister in the German Reformed Church.
Marguerite was also a teacher for a number of years and is now the wife of I. K. Wells, a prominent druggist in Athens, Michigan.
Leah prepared herself for the occupation of a teacher and soon after ward married Rinehart Waltz of Akron, Ohio.
The tenth child in the family of Joseph and Sallie Kulp is Dr. J. H., who is a well- known physician in the City of Davenport.
Dr. W. O. Kulp received much of his early instruction from his father. It was particularly fortunate for him that he had the oppor tunity, during the many months when district schools were not open, to pursue his studies at home. He did farm work during his spare time until he was eighteen years of age, when his father told him that he could become his own master if he would consent to learn a trade of some kind. In response to this expressed desire he learned the carriage makers' trade, but he had always cherished the hope that in his later life he might become a physician, and, as a result, spent all his odd moments during the time he was learning the trade of carriage-maker in the study of medicine. He was in the town of Wadsworth, Ohio, at the time, under the tutorage of Dr. Harvey, and in the course of a couple of years gave up his attempt to learn a trade and clerked in a drygoods store, pursuing his medical studies while thus employed. He had private tutors and progressed very rapidly in his work.
He was about twenty years of age at this time and had developed into something of a politician. He made a great many speeches for Buchanan, and was called upon at various meetings to make impromptu addresses. He became greatly interested in political matters, but afterward became so incensed at the course of Buchanan that he gave up politics entirely, and vowed that he would never have anything more to do with political matters. This resolution he has kept faith fully from that time, never having participated publicly in anything of a political nature.
He came to Columbus Junction, Iowa, in 1857, where he continued the study of medicine with an uncle for almost two years. He removed to Muscatine from Columbus Junction in 1859 and went into partnership with Dr. H. G. Hall in the practice of dentistry, having previously turned his attention in this direction owing to some serious trouble which he had with his teeth. The results of his life's work seem to show that he made a wise choice in selecting dentistry as his profession, although, of course, it is difficult to estimate what might have been his success as a physician.
The partnership with Dr. Hall existed until 1861, when Dr. Kulp purchased his interest in the practice, continuing it until 1871, when he arranged to transfer the business at Muscatine to his brother, Joseph, expecting to make Chicago his permanent residence thereafter. This plan was not carried out, however, although he made a trip to Chicago for the purpose of looking over the ground. The great fire had just devastated that city, and Chicago presented a sorry appearance. He concluded that it would be a mistake for him to locate in that city at that time, and had about decided to return to Muscatine and continue the practice of his profession with his brother. However, he stopped in Davenport on his way home, and in the course of a few days had arranged for a partnership with Dr. P. E. White. His intention was to continue his practice in Muscatine, spending half of his time there and the other half in Davenport.
During the cholera scourge in this section, his partner, Dr. White, became frightened and sold out his interest to Dr. Kulp, going to Brooklyn, New York. As a result of this, Dr. Kulp sold his interest in the practice at Muscatine to his brother, and has since continued to reside and practice his profession in the City of Davenport.
He was married in Muscatine on the twenty-ninth day of May, 1861, to Miss May A. H. Jones, daughter of Rev. D. E. Jones, who was a Congregational minister of considerable prominence in Chicago and the editor of the “Congregational Herald.” Mrs. Kulp met the doctor first at Columbus Junction, where her father resided for a time engaged in missionary work, and she was visiting at Muscatine at the time of her marriage. Dr. and Mrs. Kulp have five children: Kate Robins, Lillian Bell, Joseph Robertson — now in partnership with bis father - Zella May, and Jean Cleaves. They have had six children in all, William Elliot having died in his infancy.
It may be said of Dr. Kulp that he is the most prominent and progressive dentist in all this region. He has met with greater success and has done more work than any one else who is engaged in the dental profession in Scott County. It is characteristic of him that he is conscientious and painstaking in all his labors, and that he keeps himself well informed upon all of the latest developments in dental science. He has always been a steadfast advocate of everything which had a tendency to advance not only the profession itself, but those engaged in it, and as a result he inaugurated the movement to establish the Iowa Dental Society, and is commonly called the father of that body. He may justly be termed the founder of this institution, and, as a natural consequence, he is one of its most energetic and useful members. He is a member, also, of the American Dental Association , having joined its ranks in 1864. He is an honorary member of a large number of State and local dental societies all over the United States. He was one of the vice-presidents of the World's Columbian Dental Congress, and took a very active part in the affairs of that body. He was one of the founders of the dental department of the State University of Iowa, was chosen by the board of regents of that institution to fill the chair of operative dentistry and dental therapeutics immediately after the organization of the dental department of the institution, and lectures at the university, during the school year, every Monday.
One of the inventions of Dr. Kulp has been a system of nomenclature of the surfaces of the teeth. He recognized the fact that the names of these surfaces needed revision and, therefore, developed and has adopted in his teaching a uniform and lucid system of names and a notation of the cavities which is very clear and easily understood by any one. This is but one of the many good things which Dr. Kulp has done for the benefit of the profession.
He is not only a dentist standing upon the top rounds of the ladder, but he is a shrewd and cautious business man. He was connected with the movement which resulted in the United States Government making an appropriation of six million two hundred thousand dollars for the dredging of the harbor at the port of Galveston, Texas. He was a delegate to different conventions held in Denver and Topeka for the advancement of this enterprise and he was a member of the central committee, composed of five members from each State and three from each Territory, west of the Mississippi river, whose duties were to map out the best course of procedure in the undertaking. He was a member, also, of the special committee of three appointed to secure the passage of the proper measures through Congress. The success of the move ment is seen in the fact that work is now being done in the harbor of Galveston, and the probabilities are that in a few years much of the trade which now goes east and west to the seaboards will go to the Texas port. Dr. Kulp is also one of the board of directors and the treasurer of the Pan-American Transportation Company and one of the organizers of the Western Land and Live Stock Company - a concern owning nearly one hundred thousand acres of land and ten thousand head of cattle in Texas. He is a director of this company, was its first vice- president, and is its secretary now. These facts illustrate that a dentist may be successful in business as well as in his profession, and that he may fill any position in life, provided he has foresight and good business judgment.
As above stated, Dr. Kulp has never taken part in politics since the days when he made speeches in behalf of Buchanan in his Ohio home. He has contented himself in the effort to become completely equipped for the thorough understanding and knowledge of his profession and has been amply rewarded by his great success. He is a broad-minded man of liberal education, and a public-spirited citizen who enjoys the respect and esteem of his fellow-men and of his fellow-practitioners.
Dr. Kulp is a man of great strength-physical, mental and moral and yet withal there is a vein of sentiment and tenderness in his nature which is evidenced by his love of flowers. At one time he had half an acre of ground under glass, and in this large greenhouse had a valuable and beautiful collection of plants, among the number being many which belonged to the late eminent botanist, Dr. C. C. Parry. This entire structure with its contents was burned to the ground and the loss to Dr. Kulp and Dr. Parry was irreparable.
A man of most striking figure, he has the physique and powerful muscular development of his ancestors. He is large and well propor tioned, has a kindly and benevolent face, is a pleasant and attractive conversationalist, and in every sense a gentleman of refinement and culture, whose acquaintance is a pleasure to any one.
BIOGRAPHIES