WOODLAWN CEMETERY

  An apology and explanation is due Father Welsh of the local Catholic church and his congregation. In our observations last week concerning the neglect of the rural cemeteries in Henry county, we included Woodlawn cemetery with Home Bethel and Williford cemeteries all in Center township. While touring the municipal improvements of our community with Mr. Speaker, city manager, the last of the week, mention was made of the condition of the nearby cemeteries. Strange to say, this writer had never visited the Woodlawn burial ground and Speaker not for several years, and it was then in sad neglect. We talked matters over and decided to visit the forgotten graveyard, perhaps a small acre and with no road to it reached only on foot through an adjacent farm.

    When we reached the little cemetery, we had a big surprise. Not a tree, not a bush, not a weed. Fence ? with locking gate. Grave stones reset and cleaned. Half a dozen sheep keeping the area closely clipped. Speaker could hardly believe his own eyes. We understand that Father Welsh of the Catholic church instigated the move to care for the sacred spot but it was done so quietly that few people seem to have known of it.

    Woodlawn burial ground is owned by the Catholic church. In the early 70s and most the 80s the extensive quarries nearby were worked mostly by Irishmen and up above the quarries a small community was established and known as "Irishtown" but officially named Woodlawn. Most of those employed at the quarries were members of the Catholic church and when death came many of them were buried on the adjacent hillside. Close by were the homes and clear, in short distance, loomed the tall steeple of their church.

    It is probable that altogether some fifty men, women and children have been buried in the Woodlawn burying ground. Some of the remains have been removed to other burial grounds but some thirty-five grave stones still stand on the hillside. Many of the older people were born in Ireland and practically all were buried between 1870 and 1888, which was the period when the quarries were in operation. It might be mentioned that Woodlawn burial ground is not in Center township but just within the city limits. On the other hand, Forest home and the Catholic cemeteries are in Center township.

    Father Welsh did not stop his program of restoration and improvement of church property with Woodlawn. Extensive and permanent improvements have been made at the Catholic cemetery across the highway from Forest Home. The church also purchased and is now in possession of the entire block on which the church and school stands. The ground leveled off and seeded down where necessary, all brush and weeds removed, trees trimmed, and all buildings put into repair. Also the church has purchased a tract across the street to the south and used it as a parking space for the membership of the congregation.

-- Mount Pleasant News; Mt. Pleasant, Henry, Iowa; October 6, 1947

ARDIVAN W. RODGERS

    Last Monday evening was to the Rogers clan of our community and its affiliates a red letter hour. For over at the Phi Delta fraternity house an initiation took place for which our family has waited for many years. The initiation centered on the fact that one of the two initiates was not only a descendant of one of the founders of the Fraternity, but the pin placed on his breast at the initiation had belonged to this founder, Ardivan W. Rodgers.

    The initiate was this writer's grandson, Kendig Rogers, and the pin was given to this writer by the wife of Ardivan W. Rodgers, one of the six founders of Phi Delta Theta, a short time before her death in 1910. After passing into the hands of this writer, the national officers of the fraternity naturally insisted that the pin be sent to headquarters for preservation in the frat archives. But our family stubbornly refused to give consent on the grounds that some day a young chap might arrive who could proudly wear the old pin. So last Monday evening, after the long wait of nearly forty years, Kendig Rogers was initiated into Iowa Alpha and his grandfather was privileged to pin the old treasure on the family Hope. Kendig will not wear the pin except on occasion, for it will be returned to the bank box for safe keeping. But the pin is to be his, and perhaps little David will some day wear it. Who knows?

    The story of the old Phi Delt pin takes us next over to Brighton, in Jefferson county, where in its cemetery is the grave of Ardivan W. Rodgers, and at the grave is a handsome memorial stone erected by the national fraternity. It may be mentioned here that Ardivan W. Rodgers, the old founder, is in no way related to this writer, but interest in him comes through the family of friend wife, Kendig's grandmother. It is often easier and surer to marry into distinction than hustle for it.

    Shortly after graduation at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, Ardivan W. Rodgers married Mary Sawyers, both of the Piqua, Ohio community. Sometime earlier the father of young Rodgers came out to Iowa and bought a farm close to Brighton. Certainly the two older of his three sons also came from Ohio to Iowa. Just when, we do not know, but the two brothers built, or purchased, what is known as the Merrimac Mill, a few miles down the river from Brighton.

    An old map of Henry county contains a large and detailed picture of the Merrimac mill. On the side of the large mill was painted:
MERRIMAC MILLS
W.J. & J.S. RODGERS
Manufaturers of and dealers in,
Lumber, Flour, Grain, Feed,
Groceries, Provisions, Boots,
Shoes, &c.

    The premises are now owned by Art Salzman. Some of the old buildings of those days are still in use by Mr. Salzman, but of the old mill only parts of the foundation remain. Some of the old millstones, which ground the flour and feed, are to be seen down in Saunders Grove. The location of the old dam is also quite visible at low water.

    It was to visit his father that Ardivan W. Rodgers and wife and young son came to Brighton in June of 1856. Ardivan Rodgers had expected to be a preacher on his return to Ohio, but while at Brighton, he was urged to accept the position of teacher in the Brighton school. He accepted and began his work in the fall, but in a few months he contracted a fatal illness and died in December, 1856. He was buried in the Brighton cemetery as noted above.

    His young widow, Mary Sawyers Rodgers, who later gave her husband's fraternity pin to this writer, soon moved to Fairfield. Eight years after the death of her husband, she was married at Birmingham, Ia., to Rev. T.T. Henderson, a member of the old Iowa conference of the Methodist church. After preaching some years longer, Rev. Henderson moved to Fairfield where he died in 1889, and was buried at Fairfield. Mrs. Henderson, now widowed a second time, remained in Fairfield for some years and then went to Des Moines, where in the home of relatives she died in 1910. Interment was at Fairfield, by the side of her husband, Rev. Henderson. Mary Sawyers Henderson was the grandmother of C.S. Rogers, who in turn is the grandmother of Kendig Rogers, the Phi Delt Initiate.

    The young son of Ardivan W. Rodgers and Mary Sawyers, Ardivan W. Rodgers Jr., but always known as Walker, died in 1865 and was buried by the side of his mother at Fairfield. It was the Christmas before Mrs. Henderson' death in 1910 that she gave her first husband's fraternity pin to this writer, together with a copy of the 1906 Phi Delta history.

    The pin is one of the six, made for the six founders of the fraternity. It is the only one known to exist. The design of the pins changed frequently in later years and the sword was not adopted for some years after. The first pins cost the wearer $8.00 each. The original design was drawn up by the six founders of Ohio Alpha, the parent chapter, in consultation with its jeweler. It is made of a thin sheet of gold, shield shaped, an inch from top to bottom, and three quarters of an inch wide. At the top of the shield is an "Eye" and beneath the "Scroll". Engraved on the scroll are the Greek letters Phi Delta Theta.

    What became of  the other five pins is not exactly known. One was lost by becoming unloosed while being worn by its owner. Another was in a small box in a traveling bag which was stolen. Three others have just disappeared. But one remains.

-- Mount Pleasant News; Mt. Pleasant, Henry, Iowa; October 8, 1947

REMINISCENCES OF JESSIE ALSOP (MRS. HIRAM) ALLEN 

     While at our home a short time ago, Mrs. Mildred Allen Lawne, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Allen of New London, but now living at Easton, Md., told us that after the death of her father, her widowed mother came to live with her and did so until her death [] year. Mrs. Lawne said that during those days her mother spoke so often, and so interestingly of her girlhood, that she took many of these conversations down, and then to the typewriter for preservation. Mrs. Hiram Allen was born on a farm near New London and her memory took her back to the pioneer days of Southeastern Iowa. Mrs. Lawne has been kind enough to send us the type written manuscript, and we have found it so interesting as well as factual, that we propose, with the permission of Mrs. Lawne to publish a few of the pages each week and to appear also in our Free Press. Mrs. Allen's memory goes to life and living when Iowa was young. We feel that many of our readers will find deep interest in Mrs. Hiram Allen's, "I Remember."

     These begin with Mildren Allen Lawne asking her mother, "What is your last recollection of your childhood?"
     And her mother's answer was, 
     "I imagine it was when your Uncle Jim came home on a furlough from the Civil War. I don't know how old I was. I remember the night he came. We lived on the farm we owned where I was born - northwest of New London - later owned by the Fitzpatricks. We knew he was coming ,and that he would get off the train at New London and walk out. It was a [] night. We were all outside the house watching and watching and when I saw the buttons on his uniform glittering  in the [] light, I jumped up and down and clapped my hands and said, "That's my big brother, Jim - I know him by his walk." As I was born after he went into the service, I had never seen him. He made a big fuss over me which I remember, although afterwards the family claimed that I could not have remembered because I was too young.

     A family named Gregg, a man and his wife, and a daughter, were neighbors. It couldn't have been far because I was a little thing and would walk over there with mother. Mrs. Gregg was a nice, kind old lady and she gave me a slice of bread and butter and honey which I thought was good, and this made me willing to go to Mrs. Gregg's every time mother went. When she forgot to offer it, I announced that I was hungry and would like to have some bread, butter and honey. Mother, like all mothers, did not like to have her child ask for things, and told me that if I asked again I could never come back.

     While we lived on the farm, two of mother's aunts - her mother's sisters- came for a visit. - I remember her distinctly thinking what pretty dresses they wore. Mother's Aunt Debbie (Deborah Veers Marlow), lived in Burlington and the other one must have come from either Ohio or Indiana.

     We moved from this far to Union County, Iowa, where Grandfather James Wishard lived. All I remember of this is that there was a pretty stream of water with a clean, sandy brook where they took horses to water. One horse would be patient while I rode on its back but if any of the rest of the children rode the horse to water, it [] dismount before he had to drink he would be right down in the water and they would get a soaking. But if I was on the horse back he seemed to realize that I was small and would take his drink and would move back onto the land without a suggestion of giving me a soaking.

      Grandfather Wishard was a very religious man and went out preaching and doing good, and when he came to visit us there were always "family prayers." He prayed long and hard. The older children objected because it was before meal times and they would be hungry and impatient that they could not eat. They didn't dare to say anything so all they did was scamper and hide. They would go up to the next floor, or run here, there and anywhere to escape. I being the youngest was left behind to take part in the family worship. I cannot remember that grandfather ever paid any attention to me - I don't suppose he did.

     They said I could not remember the return to Mt. Pleasant but I remember camping in a woodsy place for the night - I didn't like that way of moving and doing. They cut stuff to make a campfire. Hallie had the axe. I wouldn't stay out of the way, the axe slipped, and I received a gash on the back of my head. I remember how frightened mother was.

     On this trip back to Mt. Pleasant I wanted a drink of water. Mother kept saying that before long we would reach water. I was so thirsty for a drink. Finally we came to a stream and drove right in. We had to cross the stream and they capped up water. Mother offered some to me but it looked so dark that I cried harder than ever and would not drink it. That is all that I remember of the trip. The country out there was very new and unsettled much of the way, but finally we got onto a road.

     When we reached Mt. Pleasant we went to the home of my father's brother Jim, east of the Female Seminary. I don't know how long we stayed there. Father and mother were anxious to get settled and they finally got the house on East Washington Street where Jim Bird lived and later was moved over to Clay Street. I think the Bowens owned the house which was later owned by the wife of Judge Palmer, who was a Miss Bowen. They owned clear back to Clay Street. I don't know how long we lived there. The Commons, as we called it was open. While we lived there the Tiffanys (Mr. and Mrs. Palmer C.) bought the brick at the corner of Clay and Walnut. They owned the solid block down to where Buddes now own. I used to see the Tiffanys going back and forth. Everyone cut across the Commons - there was a path- it passed not far from our house. The Tiffanys were fond of children and it wasn't long until they became our friends. Mrs. Tiffany went back and forth to their business, and would ask if she could not take me home with her. She liked me and we began a friendship that lasted all through her life. She loved to do little kind things for a child, and instead of passing right by, would take time to come to the house. Sometimes she would have a little gift for me. She gave me a doll that I named Eliza Cheney Tiffany for her. I kept it until I was grown and then gave it to a little neighbor girl, Effa Fowler.

     My father wanted to build a home and he bought the land including that on Clay Street owned by the Buddes and what is now owned by Mrs. Ogg and built the house that is now owned by Mrs. Ogg.

(to be continued)

-- Mount Pleasant News; Mt. Pleasant, Henry, Iowa; October 30, 1947

REMINISCENCES OF JESSIE ALSOP (MRS. HIRAM) ALLEN (continued)

     This is the second part of the story of her childhood told by Mrs. Jessie Alsop Allen to her daughter, Mrs. Mildred Allen Lawne wife of Lee Lawne, nationally known sculptor and now living in Easton, Maryland. Mrs. Allen was the wife of Mr. Hiram Allen, for some years publisher of the New London Sun. Mrs. Allen was born on a farm near New London and her reminiscences are vivid recollections of the pioneer era of Henry county. More of Mrs. Allen's reminiscences will appear next week.

     When we lived on Washington Street, one time there was a blind woman who seemed to be staying around among the neighbors for awhile, and it finally was our turn to have her. She had a child named Rosie with her. She was not a friend or relative and it was only because of sympathy for her need that the neighborhood was taking care of her. Her little daughter was made her personal slave. For years afterward my brother and I would go into uncontrollable laughter when we recalled her way of asking for pepper. She would take her middle finger, which must have had great strength in it and tap it quickly on the table and say "Pepper, Rosie! Pepper, Rosie!" It was pretty hard for mother to keep us from laughing in her presence. 

     I don't remember the date when father built the house and we moved into it. Father bought some land on Warren and Locust streets and built a shop there where he had his tools, work benches, and made window sashes and so forth for the places he built did his shop work there. My great joy was to go there to play and father never made any objections.

     When we had lived on Washington Street we had a shed attached to the house and an old stove in it into which father had put shavings and kindling. One day Hal Walters, who lived next door was over playing and we decided to bake some potatoes. We started a fire in that stove, although there was no chimney nor stove pipe. Mother smelled  the smoke and investigated and put out the fire before it got a good start and did any damage.

     When we were in the immediate grade at school, one time for composition I handed in a story about this fire and it was returned to me marked, "Very Good," and I got 100 on it.

     The first day at school when we were starting for the first time there were three from our neighborhood, Emma Allen, Hal Walters and myself. None of us wanted to go. I can now see Emma's father dragging her by the hand and making her go. I objected so much that mother relented and said that I wasn't very strong and could wait another year. I suppose Hal had to go. My first school was a private school held up town on the East side of the square. Hallie and I both went there. I don't think I got anything out of it. There were boys and girls of different ages and the boys seemed so big and rough and I felt small and timid. A Mrs. Coiner, a widow, had the school. She had a son, he married a girl named Ida Hare, who belonged to a family of good singers, the father had been a Methodist minister. I believe May Hare married Good Mrs. Smith's son, everyone called her Good Mrs. Smith; John Woodruff, a cousin of the Hare girls, married a Mr. Shelton. The Sheltons and the Coiners went to South America as missionaries. Later Mr. Shelton became a prominent minister in Philadelphia. Mrs. Smith was called "Good Mrs. Smith" because she was always going out among people to see if there was any want and she would have prayers.

     Another unique character was Beck Meredith. She was Mrs. Charlie Morehous' sister and made her home there in the neighborhood of the old Wiggins House. She was afflicted mentally, but was harmless. She carried a basket - the kind that had a lid that opened back - and she went around among the people visiting and although she had no qualities of companionship I think everyone was kind to her.

     Central school became so crowded that the board rented a building used by the Advent church on South M??r street in the same block where Dr. Pitcher lived. I started to Central after the private school but I was with those sent to the rented building when Central had to be divided. I went to school to a Miss Athern, but cannot remember whether it was there or not. I am pretty certain Sallie Berreman taught there. Before the school was divided I had started to school at Central to Miss Hattie Lenox. I never had a teacher I disliked. Miss Sallie Porter (Mrs. Beckwith) had a scowl which made her look a little frightening, but we weren't afraid of her. She did so many things for which we were thankful to her.

     Miss Lenox tried to break up the whispering in the school. She said she would whip whoever whispered. A boy sat back of me who was annoying me, and I said, "Stop that!" At the close of the day she asked those who had whispered to raise their hands and I raised mine, considering I had whispered. I took my whipping and did not mind it at all - she tickled us a little with a switch was all it amounted to.

     Once about a year later she was calling at our house and she asked about me and mother called me in and she spoke of when I went to school to her and said, "We were always good friends, weren't we?" I answered: "You whipped me once." and   I think mother wanted to whip me again for saying that.

     The district where I went when Central was crowded afterwards was the Centennial school. I remember a girl named Laura Fell, the prettiest girl in the overflow school. There was a girl named Eva Coate. I played with her. She died of consumption when about thirteen or fourteen and was buried in the old cemetery. I grieved about her. Her mother was an invalid and a lovely woman, who always made us welcome. Her younger sister married Harry McCregor, a ?????. I believe Ella Arhern taught there - I think she married a Mr .Elliott, who had Elliott's Business College in Burlington.

     I went to a Miss Roseman in Number 2 at Central. She was a lovely woman and teacher and I liked her. Mrs. Mount I remember very ????? because she taught me a song - she gave me the words and I went to her home to practice where she played the piano for me - it was "I wish that I had been born a boy." It was winter and there was snow. She lived away out on East Monroe street. "I wish that I'd been born a boy, I ??? do indeed. If just to show some young men now in life how to succeed." I think there was something about smoking - a filthy word. I think  I sang it on speaking day on the last day of school. I was dressed in my new silk dress that grandma Tiffany gave me, on that day. Do you remember a ???? square that was around the sewing basket for years? It is probably at home yet. When mother got her first sewing machine a Singer she let me sew on it and I took a piece of that brown silk dress and sewed it in diamonds without anyone's saying anything to me - I figured it out myself. You may want to keep that as a book-mark. Addie and Minnie Warwick were new girls in the school. Will Warwick was that uncle and Stella Bartruff their aunt. They had paid no attention to me at all. They had become leaders immediately when they came to school. But the day I went to school to sing my song in my new silk dress, the Warwicks girls began to choose me first in the games and I then became very popular for that day. I did not let them know but inwardly I resented it. I wanted people to care for me and not for the dress I was wearing. When I went to school Number 2 it was the time of the Chicago fire. The people were homeless, suffering, cold and destitute and the teachers asked each girl to piece a quilt block and gave us a pattern to make it by and bring them to school and the women of the town would piece them together to send to the sufferers in Chicago. I disliked such simple work as piecing a quilt block, but I pieced mine and took it to school. While in Number 2 the Gammage family had moved into town from Lee county, where the parents were old settlers and prominent people. Mr. Gammage was retiring from farming. Nelson Gammage started to school in my class and he was a round faced, rosy cheeked boy, with light, curly hair. His father had always taken an interest in his children's schooling, and thought that one way of helping the teachers and the children, too, was to visit the school. On one of his visits he spoke to the school and said that now he would give them a little treat, and he went outside and returned with I remember a two bushel bag, but there were probably more than one of apples and winesaps.

-- Mount Pleasant News; Mt. Pleasant, Henry, Iowa; November 13, 1947

KETCHAM

     The announcement of the recent death of Mr. Leander Ketcham Jr., at his home in Seattle, Wash., immediately brings into sharp focus the Ketcham families who formerly lived and centered here their important industrial activities. In 1855, over 90 years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Ketcham left the old home in Dutchess county, N.Y., where since before the Revolutionary War, the family had lived, and came out to Henry county and settling on a farm about five miles west of Mt. Pleasant. With them came their eight sons and three daughters. In 1865, the Ketcham family moved into town and made their home in the two story  brick residence at 309 North Main. Here the family lived many years. When taken down some years ago it was replaced by the modern home of the Vance's.

     Gradually the Ketcham's acquired added acreage and soon owned all of section 14 Tippecanoe township west of the river, aside from the southwest quarter. Where the present bridge crosses the river close to the Tippecanoe-Trenton township lines, two large steam-powered sawmills were operated and a small colony of men engaged in lumbering built modest homes.

     The best remembered of the local activities of the Ketchams was the Mt. Pleasant Flouring Mills which stood just east of the A.D. Hayes elevators. The mills did a large business in flour and feed and continued until 1905 when the entire plant was destroyed by fire and not rebuilt. The Ketchams also owned and operated coal mines in the Mendota, Mo., area and were heavily engaged in lumbering, getting out railroad ties, bridge timber and the entire line of general lumbering. Millions of board feet of lumber were cut in Henry county alone and the same operations extended west and down into Missouri. One of the first ventures in industry of the Ketchams after reaching Iowa was brick making and many of the old brick houses and business houses were built with brick from the Ketcham yards.

     Probably the most influential of the sons was Jesse Ketcham, Sr., was Frank Ketcham. He married Miss Mary J. McDivitt and until its removal to Burlington he lived at 411 Broadway, the residence  now owned and occupied by the Cliff Andersons. Mrs. Ketcham was a woman very prominent in local social and public affairs. She was for some years a trustee of the Iowa State Orphans Home at Davenport and also one of the early members of the Iowa  Board of Control.

     Another of the Ketcham brothers was William B., who centered his activities in coal mining, and spent much of his time at Mendota, Mo. He married Harriet McDivitt, sister of the wife of his brother Frank. The name and fame of Harriet Ketcham still lives in marble and monumental memorials. Harriet Ketcham designed the beautiful Soldiers monument which stands on the capital grounds at Des Moines. Several of the bronze in the frieze were modeled from young men and women of Mt. Pleasant.

     Two of the locally best known of her works are the marble figures of "Diana at the Bath" and the "Perl" of Persian mythology. The Perl is still in the family. Recently this writer received a fine photograph of the Perl. A plaster cast of "Diana at the Bath" is at the Mt. Pleasant Public Library, a beautiful chaste nude, but because of her nudity, Diana, Goddess of Light, was never allowed much illumination, but swathed in black robes is tucked away into obscurity in a dark closet in the basement of the Library. The marble Diana is, we think, in Washington, where its beauty is appreciated.

     While Mt. Pleasant was the legal residence of Harriet Ketcham the sculptress, she actually lived here but a small part of her time. Her husband Mr .W.B. Ketcham was much of the time at Mendota, center of  the Ketcham mining interests. For a time, the W.B. Ketchams lived on the north side of E. Madison at Jay street. Also Mrs. Ketcham spent much time while in Mt. Pleasant at the home of her sister, Mrs. Frank Ketcham and her brother Leander, across the street from her sister. Mrs. Ketcham spent some years in Rome where she had a studio and where some of her best work in marble was executed. It was in Rome that her daughter, Roma was born.

     Another of the Ketcham brothers was Leander, the father of Leander Jr., whose death recently occurred at Seattle. Leander Sr., like the others, was busy with coal and lumbering. He built a fine frame residence across the street on Broadway from his brother Frank and lived there until he left the state, when it was sold to Dr. Gilfillan, now of Bloomfield, who in turn sold it to Mr .Adam Weir. After its destruction by fire, Mr. Weir on the same site erected the present large brick and now owned and occupied by the C.S. Rogers family.

     Edward, another of the Ketcham brothers, enlisted in the Fourth Iowa Cavalry. He never married and died in 1881, while in business in Ottumwa. Winfield, another brother, was never married and lived with the old folks on Main street. Juliana, oldest daughter, married John Armstrong of one of the old Salem families.

     Jesse, the youngest of the Ketcham children attempted to establish a wood working enterprise at the unused buildings of the old scraper works, which concern had  moved to Aurora, Ill., He purchased and installed a full line of woodworking machinery, but the enterprise failed of success and passed into other hands and the premises are now owned by the Scarff Produce and Fuel Co.

     The only daughter of the Ketcham family  who made her home here was Miss Hattie, who never married and lived with her parents at the Main street home. She was the only member of the Jesse Ketcham family who graduated from Wesleyan, being of the class of 1876. She was a Ruthean and belonged to the Pi Beta Phi sorority. After graduation Miss Hattie opened an art center and Woman's exchange. Later the building being sold and moved out on West Henry, she moved to the north side of the square and in rooms over the present Crane's Jewelry store, and where she carried on decorative needle work until failing health compelled her to cease.

     The Ketchams with their widespread activities found little time to devote to local affairs and public affairs. The name does not appear in the roster of local municipal officials, nor in connection with Iowa Wesleyan. Of the family, only Mary McDivitt, wife of Frank Ketcham, graduated from Wesleyan, with the class of 1865, Hattie Ketcham with the class of 1876, and William McDivitt Ketcham, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ketcham, with the class of 1889.

     Of the sons and daughters of Jesse Ketcham, Sr., who came to Henry county in 1855, all are dead, and their children and childrens' children are scattered from the east to the west coast. We know of no relatives of the parent stock still living in Southeastern Iowa.

-- Mount Pleasant News; Mt. Pleasant, Henry, Iowa; November 24, 1947

JERICHO

     With the death of John H. Jericho at the age of 82 years, Mt. Pleasant loses a member of our community who all his life had lived here and in business for a record period of 58 years. At the time of his retirement from business he held the record of having been in business in town for a longer consecutive number of years than any other, a record now held by Mr. William Dyall, who had been in the photographic business since 1890.

     For about 90 years the Jericho name had been listed among the varied community activities of Mt. Pleasant. There was a Peter Jericho, who developed a large and profitable business in the manufacture and sale of harnesses. There was his brother, Gustave Jericho, father of John H. Jericho, who laid the foundation of a profitable and continuing business, which he handed over in due time to his sons. Starting in as a house painter, Gustave Jericho became later entrenched in the drug business and the store located in the Brazelton Hotel  block, which today is referred to as "Jericho corner." Later the hotel came into the hands of Gustave Jericho and to this day a drug store is still there.

     In due time the firm of J.H. Jericho & Co was formed and for years the firm carried on a large business and only recently did failing health force Mr. Jericho to retire. Mr. Jericho was not only a [] business man, but was active in public matters and community affairs. The name of Jericho is found on the rolls of members of our local government, school boards, church records and other local activities.

     Mr. Jericho was twice married. His second wife was Miss Maude McDonald, the daughter of Dr. J.W. McDonald, prominent pastor in the Methodist church. She was a sister of Grace McDonald Huston. Mr. Jericho's wife survives him, but she, too, is in failing health. Of the Jericho family there still live in our community, Gus. B. Jericho and W.H. Jericho, brothers of the deceased. Mrs. Ola Jericho, widow of a brother, and nephews Lee and Paul, and Miss E. Mae Grau, a niece. Few names are more indelibly marked in the story of our community than that of Jericho.

    -- Mount Pleasant News; Mt. Pleasant, Henry, Iowa; May 5, 1948