The Hart Families of Allamakee County, Iowa

The pioneer history of Allamakee county would be incomplete were there failure to make prominent reference to William Hart, who for fifty-six years resided within its borders, taking up his residence in Paint Creek township in 1852. He was then a young man, ambitious and energetic, looking forward to what the future might hold in store for him as a reward for his industry and determination. A few years after his arrival here he married and established a home and throughout his remaining days continued a resident of this section of the state.

Mr. Hart was a native of Ireland, his birth having occurred in County Galway. In the year 1849 'ic crossed the Atlantic to the new world and after three years spent elsewhere made his way to Allamakee county in 1852, taking up his above in Cherry Mount settlement in Paint Creek township. He found here a district largely wild and undeveloped. Much of the land was still in possession of the government and was covered with the native prairie grasses, started with a million wild flowers in the month of June and in mid-winter covered with one unbroken dazzling sheet of snow. Mr. Hart at once took up the arduous labor of developing new land and from that time forward was closely associated with agricultural interests in this county.

It was on the ist of November, 1855, that William Hart was united in marriage to Miss Alicia Conway, who was also a native of Ireland, having been born in County Roscommon. She left the Emerald isle for the purpose of making her home with a brother who was then living in Paint Creek township, Allamakee county. She continued with him until her marriage and then went to her husband's home in the Cherry Mount settlement, where their remaining days were passed. They began with their domestic life in one of the primitive old-time log cabins, which stands as a venerable relic upon the farm which is now the property of their son Hon. William S. Hart. Year by year the father carefully tilled the fields and cultivated his crops and success rewarded him as time passed on.

Mr. and Mrs. Hart became the parents of a large family but lost two daughters, Sarah J. and Nellie, in early womanhood.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

HON. WILLLA.M S. HART.

Hon. William S. Hart, of Waukon, ranks as one of the prominent men of Iowa, as a lawyer, orator, soldier, political leader and legislator. He was born in a pioneer log cabin in Cherry Mount settlement and Allamakee county has been his lifetime home. His parents, William and Alicia (Conway) Hart, were early settlers in that part of Paint Creek township.

William S'. Hart acquired his education in the district schools of his native township and at the early age of sixteen began teaching a country school, following this occupation until he was elected clerk of the district court just after coming of age. His able service won him reelection but he resigned the office soon afterward to practice law, having studied this profession while serving as clerk under the preceptorship of Henry and John F. Dayton. Few men at his age have attained more brilliant success as an attorney, notably injury trials and in cases tried before the supreme court. As a specialist in telephone and electric law his services are in wide demand and papers and addresses by him upon this branch of his profession have been published by the International Telephone Association. He is also consulted and retained as special counsel in all of their important cases by some of the largest fraternal insurance societies in America.

Mr. Hart's success at the bar has been accompanied by his growing prominence in politics and along this line he has done a great deal of constructive and far-sighted work in the public service. As a member of the twenty-ninth and thirtieth general assemblies he gave special attention to labor, railway, military and telephone legislation and also to that on behalf of the dairy interests and the State Agricultural College. He was chosen by the stock shippers of Iowa to father the law compelling railroads to transport stockmen and to furnish sanitary equipment on stock trains and by the dairy interests of the state to champion legislation favorable to that industry. As chairman of the military committee he rewrote the military code of Iowa and a philanthropical state organization of which Mrs. A. B. Cummins was at that time president selected him to write and take charge of a child-labor law which is regarded as a model of its kind. The legislative committee of the Iowa Federation of Labor thanked him in its published report for his services as a legislator on behalf of the laboring men, while in the interests of the State Agricultural College he vigorously and successfully to the end of his service resisted the central educational board law and other legislation then regarded as unfavorable to that institution.

Mr. Hart married Miss Nellie M. Holahan, a daughter of James Holahan, a pioneer implement dealer and capitalist of Waukon. Mr. and Mrs. Hart became the parents of six children: James; William S., Jr.; Malcolm J.; Nellie M.; Catherine; and Ivan, who died in childhood. In the life of Hon. William S. Hart there is a distinguished military chapter, which includes service in the Iowa National Guards, his rank ranging from that of private to captain. He served during the entire Spanish-American war in the LInited States Volunteers as a member of the Forty-ninth Iowa Regiment and took part in the subsequent military occupation of Cuba. The greater part of his United States service was spent on detail duty as judge advocate, general court martial, Second Division, Seventh LInited States Army Corps, under General Fitzhugh Lee, at Jacksonville, Florida, and at Marianao, Cuba. Mr. Hart's reputation as a public speaker extends far beyond the borders of Iowa and many of his addresses and speeches have been printed and widely circulated. He is one of the most prominent and best known attorneys, statesmen and men of affairs in the middle west and, being broad-minded, large-hearted and liberal, his influence has been a force for good in the upbuilding of state institutions and in their development along constructive, logical and progressive lines.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

M. J. HART.

M. J. Hart is one of the extensive landowners of Allamakee county and is equally prominent as a buyer and shipper of horses, cattle and hogs. His business interests are, indeed, important and, further.ore, his life record indicates the possibilities of attainment of success when one is ambitious, energetic and capable. Mr. Hart has worked his way upward entirely through his own eft'orts and his business record is a most creditable one. He was born on the Hart homestead in Paint Creek township on the 19th of March, 1860, and is a brother of W. S.

Hart, of Waukon, in connection with whose sketch mention of the family is made.

In the district schools M. J. Hart pursued his education and for twelve years after putting aside his books he was engaged in railroad construction work. In this way he visited nearly every state west of the Mississippi but for several years past he has devoted his attention largely to the buying and shipping of horses, cattle and hogs and to the management of his extensive real-estate interests.

Mr. Hart was united in marriage, in 1900, to Miss Mary Brennan, a daughter of John Brennan, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work. They attend the Catholic church and contribute generously to its support. Mr. Hart has always made his home in Allamakee county, although business interests have at different times called him into other sections. He has a wide acquaintance here and is recognized as a most able business man, alert, energetic, wide-awake and determined.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.