The Large Families of Clinton County, Iowa

WILLIAM H. LARGE.

William LI. Large, a well-known and highly esteemed citizen of DeWitt, who has now retired from active business, was born on the 22d of May, 1856, in Boston. Massachusetts, and is a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Rogers) Large, both natives of Ireland. The father was born in Dublin in 1 82 1. and came of a long line of sturdy Irish ancestry. After his marriage he removed to England, and in 1844 emigrated to the new world, locating first at Boston,

Massachusetts, where he engaged in the boot and shoe business for a time. In 1859 he came to Clinton county, Iowa, and opened a boot and shoe store in DeWitt, which he carried on for a time, but later turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, having purchased a farm near the village, which he operated with the help of his sons. Upon this place he built a good house and barn, and was successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising until his death, which occurred in December, 1888. His first wife died upon the farm in 1864, and he subsequently wedded Mary Gorman, who died in DeWitt. I fe was one of the substantial and representative agriturists of the county, and was widely and favorably known. By his first marriage he had four children, two sons and two daughters, all of whom reached years of maturity, but the daughters are both now deceased.

William H. Large, the youngest of this family, attended the common schools of this county, and supplemented the knowledge there obtained by one term at the Davenport Business College in Davenport, but he is almost wholly self-educated. On the 13th of March, 1883, he was married in this county to Miss Mary Saddoris, a native of Davenport, Iowa. Her father, Samuel SadJoris, was born in Ohio, March 4, 1 81 6, of good old German ancestry, and in early life became a mechanic, learning the wagonmaker's trade. In 1845 ne removed to Davenport, Iowa, where he successfully engaged in business as a public contractor;md invested considerable in real estate. After residing there for eight years he came to Clinton county, and in 1865 purchased a farm near DeWitt, to which he has since added from time to time until now lie is the owner of a large and valuable farm. Here Mrs. Large was principally reared. Unto our subject and his wife were born five children, of whom Samuel, the only son, died in infancy. Those living are Clara, Amy, Florence and Helen, all attending the home school.

Mr. and Mrs. Large began their domestic life upon the old homestead, to which he succeeded after his father's death, and in connection with farming he engaged in:-tock-raising, always keeping a high grade of cattle and fattening for the market from one to two carloads annually. He continued his farming operations with marked success until 1897, when he rented the place and bought a residence in DeWitt, where he has since lived retired. He still owns the old homestead in DeWitt township, which consists of two hundred and forty acres of well improved and valuable land, pleasantly located within four miles of the village of DeWitt. He is one of the original stockholders of the DeWritt Savings Bank.

Since casting his first presidential vote for James G. Blaine, Mr. Large has never failed to support each Republican candidate for that office, though at local elections he votes independent of party lines, supporting the men whom he believes best qualified for office. He has never cared for political honors, preferring to give his undivided attention to his business interests. He is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows Lodge at DeWitt, in which he has filled all the chairs and is past grand, and is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, while he and his wife have taken the Rebekah degrees in the former order. He takes a deep interest in public affairs and the good of the community in which he re-ides, and does all in his power to advance its interests.

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

THOMAS W. LARGE.

The business interests of DeWitt are well represented in Mr. Large, who is not only successfully engaged in contracting and building, but also deals in lumber and all kinds of building material. He is a very wide-awake and energetic business man, and is meeting with excellent success in his undertaking's. He is one of Clinton county's native sons, his birth occurring on the old homestead farm, in DeWitt township, on the 7th of March, 1866. His parents were Thomas and Alary (Gorman) Large, early settlers of this county. The father was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1821, and there he was first married. On his emigration to the United States, in 1844, he located in Boston, Massachusetts, where he engaged in the boot and shoe business for a time, and in 1859 came to DeWitt, where he carried on the same pursuit. Later he purchased a farm near the village and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. There he died, in December, 1888. His second wife, the mother of our subject, died August, 1899. Thomas W. Large grew to manhood on the home farm, and obtained his primary education in the country schools of the neighborhood. Later he attended the De- Witt high school and Cornell College, ML Vernon, Iowa. He has always been handy with tools, and during his youth did considerable carpenter work on the home farm and in the neighborhood. Later he commenced contracting and building, and has since given the greater part of his attention to that enterprise. On his removal to De- Witt, in 1895, he bought a half interest with Mr. Small in the lumber business, which his partner attended to, while he devoted his time to contracting and building. Many of the fine residences of DeWitt and surrounding country show the architectural skill and handiwork of Mr. Large, and during the busy season he employs from ten to fifteen men. His brother, R. H. Large, who is a young man of good business ability, has been his partner in the lumber business for some years, and has charge of the general business of the firm of Large Brothers. They carry a complete line of lumber and building material, hardware, wire fencing, etc., and have built up a good trade, being among the most energetic and enterprising business men of the town.

On Christmas day, 1896, in DeWitt. was celebrated the marriage of Thomas W. Large and Aliss Zela B. Thorne, also a native of this county, and a daughter of Lyman H. Thorne, who came to DeWitt from Ohio. Francis Waldo, the only child born of this union, died at the age of seven months.

In his political views Mr. Large is a stanch Republican, but has never cared for official honors. He is a member of DeWitt Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of which he is now senior warden, and is also a charter member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge of that place. His wife holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, and while he is not connected with any religious organization, he attends church with her and gives to its support. He has built for himself a good modern residence in DeWitt, and here he and his wife take great delight in entertaining their many friends.

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

Since March, 1858, the subject of this sketch has been a resident of Clinton county, and for many years was successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits on a farm within three miles of DeYitt, but is now living a retired life in that village. He was born in (Juincy, Massachusetts, on the 22ct of June, 1848, and was a lad of ten years when he came to this county with his father, Thomas Large, who first bought a tract of eighty acres in DeYYitt township, and later added to it until he had five hundred and eighty acres of land in the home place, besides ten acres of timber. Several times he met with losses through fire and sickness, but he steadily prospered and became one of the most thrifty and substantial farmers of his community. He died on the old homestead in 1889. He was born in January, 1 8 18.

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