The Phillips Families of Wapello County, Iowa

S. PHILLIPS. This gentleman is one of the retired farmers of Wapello county, Iowa, and makes his home in

Agency City. Mr. Phillips was born in Anderson township, Hamilton county, Ohio,

September 21, 1822, and is a son of James and

Eliza (Douglas) Phillips.

James Phillips \\as born in Hamilton county, Ohio, and during his active business career followed the occupation of a farmer. He married Elizabeth Douglas, and they reared the following children: J. S.; James and Jane, deceased; William, who is a ranchman and butcher in California; Charlotte and Luther, deceased; and America, who is a farmer living in Lake county, California.

J. S. Phillips, the subject of this sketch, lived in his native county for a number of years. He moved to- Indiana, and in 1839 settled in Van Buren county, Iowa, where he remained until 1843. He moved to Wapello county soon after, took up a claim in section 27, Agency township, and after making extensive improvements on the place lived there until 1856. He built a i6-by-i6-foot cabin, and carried on general farming. In 1856 Mr. Phillips bought his present farm in Pleasant township, and in the fall of that year located there. Pie now owns 140 acres of fine farming land in Pleasant township, and his son AVilliam conducts the home farm. Since 1881 Mr. Phillips has made his home in Agency City, where he lives a retired life, after many years nf unceasing labor at agricultural operations. He has numerous warm friends in 'apellocounty, where he is known for his honest and upright dealing with all his fellow men.

Mr. Phillips married Sallie Moss, who. was born February 11, 1825, in Tennessee. She died December 13, 1890. To them were born 12 children, of whom those living are as follows: Francis, a farmer living in Nebraska, who served in the Civil War, in the 13th Reg., Iowa Vol. Inf.; Amelia, who also lives in Nebraska; Jane; George, who is employed by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, and whose home is in Ottumwa; Mary; William; Ella; Douglas, who lives in Boone county, Nebraska; and Emma, who lives in Agency City, Iowa.

Mr. Phillips is a Democrat in politics. The people of his toxMiship have shown their confidence and trust in him by electing him to Waric'Us township offices. He has sers'ed as justice of the peace and township trustee, and has acted as clerk of the school board in Pleasant township. Fraternally, Mr. Phillips is a member of the Masonic order.

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

HENRY PHILLIPS, who ranks prominently among the foremost business men of Ottumwa, Iowa, is manager of the Ottumwa Box Car Loader Company, and manager, secretary and tras-- urer of the Phillips Fuel Company, of which his father is president. He was born in Van Buren county, Iowa, in 1858, and is a son of Ira and Emily (Henry) Phillips.

The Phillips family descends from Caleb Phillips and many of its members are now located about Boston. The first of the family to come to this country were nine brothers, who emigrated from England sometime between 1624 and 1630. Wendell Phillips was a descendant from this family. The first mayor of Boston, John Phillips, came from the same ancestry. Ira Phillips, father of Henry, was born in iN'Iadison county, Ohio, May 28, 1830, and is a son of Asa and Elizabeth (Nichols) Phillips, his father being a native of New York and his mother, of Connecticut. He was one of seven sons and six daughters, and lived in Ohio until he reached the age of thirteen years, and then came to Van Buren county, Iowa, where his family located and farmer successfully. In 1854, he was united in marriage with Emily Henry, who was born in Vermont, and henceforth worked for himself. He farmer in Van Buren county until he came to Ottumwa in 1875, and was then engaged in mining, and also, for some years, in the retail and wholesale fruit business. He bought four acres in West Ottumwa, which he still owns. He opened and operated the first coal mines on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, northwest of Ottumwa. He and his.wife became parents of two children; Henry; and Orra, who died in Van Buren county after arriving at young womanhood.

Henry Phillips was reared in Van Buren county, Iowa, and attended the common schools, after which he took a course in the Ottumwa Business College. He accompanied his father's family to Ottumwa in 1875, and first engaged in the wholesale candy business with Boulton Brothers. He sold his interest in this business, and since 1881 has been engaged in the coal business. His father established the Phillips Fuel Company and opened mines in the town of Phillips, which was platted later. He continued to operate these until 1891, when he opened mines at Foster. Since the organization of this company, Henry Phillips has been secretary, treasurer and manager. His father has not been in active business since the early "nineties," but lives near his son, Henry, living built a fine home on W'est Fourth street. The Ottumwa Box Car Loader Company was established in October, 1899, by Flenry Phillips and W. E. Hunt, the inventors and promoters. The business was started, and the manufacture was begun at the Union Iron AVorks building, in Ottumwa, but the city donated $2,500 to locate the plant, which was built in 1900, and occupied in August of that year. The building is 75 by 160 feet in dimensions, and is constructed of brick. It is a very complete machine shop, arranged especially for manufacturing these leaders. The brasscasting is done at the plant now, and arrangements are in progress for installing an iron foundry in connection with it. About six years were spent in perfecting the invention and many discouraging features were met and overcome before the machine was an assured success, but one by one these were worked out and as the merits of the machine became better known the business constantly increased and is very satisfactory. Superintendent Hunt, whose entire life has been spent in machine shops, has occupied numerous responsible positions, such as manager of the Ottumwa Iron AVorks and of the Hardsocg Manufacturing Company. A force of 40 men is employed in the factory, and an office force of ample size, together with two traveling representatives. Mr. Phillips and Mr. Hunt also frequently make special trips in the interest of the company. The machines, complete, are sold at $2,000, and the trade is developing very rapidly in the East, and in Canada. The great feature of this machine is that it will load coal without breaking and washing it, as occurs when it is loaded in box cars by any other process, and at a minimum expense for labor.

Mr. Phillips was united in marriage with Alice Hinsey, a daughter of Dr. J. C. Hinsey, deceased, who for many years was a prominent physician of Ottumwa. Mrs. Phillips was born in Ottumwa and is now forty-two years of age. This union resulted in the birth of three children: Philip P.; Orra A.; and Howard A. In politics, Mr. Phillips has always been a Republican. Fraternally, he belongs to the Royal Arcanum, and his wife is a member of the Ladies" Clul). She is a member of the Congregational church. He built a magnificent new residence at the corner of Fourth and Phillips streets, — one of the finest locations in the city. His home is called Greenwood, a name most appropriate, as his grounds resemble a park. There are beautiful shade trees, and the lawn is excellently kept. Every modern convenience characterizes the place, even to a private gas plant and water works. This is unsurpassed by any of the beautiful residences of which Ottumwa boasts, and is an ornament to the city. A portrait of Mr. Phillips accompanies this sketch.

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

THOMAS J. PHILLIPS, ex-mayor of Ottumwa, -hose portrait is shown herewith, is general superintendent of the Whitebreast Fuel Company of Illinois, a company extensively operating in Illinois and Iowa. The main office has been located in Ottumwa for some years, and the entire business of the company is done through the office of Mr. Phillips. He was born in South Wales in 1841, and is a son of John T. and Margaret (Edwards) Phillips.

John T. Phillips and his wife became the parents of nine children, only two of whom are now living: Thomas J.; and Jeanette, widow of Edward E. Ivens, who resides in Lucas county, Iowa. John T. Phillips war. engaged in the coal business throughout his entire life, first in AYales and later in America. He died in Lucas county, Iowa.

Thomas J. Phillips was but six or seven years old when the family came to, America, landing in New Orleans. They then moved to St. Louis, where he was reared, his parents residing in what was then Shaw's Tower Grove, now a park and garden. Aside from a good common school education, he has had no assistance, but is entirely a self-made man. His first work was in the coal business as an employe of the Northern Missouri Coal & Mining Company, by which he was later advanced to be a foreman. Upon. the dissolution of that company, he immediately entered the employ of the W. B. Jackson & Brothers Coal Company as a foreman, remaining Aith them until 1879, Avhen he became identified with the Whitebreast Fuel Company. He thereby bettered his position, and was thereafter steadily advanced until he became general superintendent of the entire company. He was mine superintendent in Lucas county, Ljwa, from 1879 to 1884, and then served as general superintendent with his offices at Cleveland until 1890, when he came to Ottumwa, changing the general office to this point. The main offices of the company are in the Rookery Building, Chicago, although all of the business passes through the hands of Mr. Phillips at Ottumwa, as he has charge of all the company property both in Illinois and Iowa. The company first began operations in Iowa about 1875 or 1876, and it is really the parent of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, a mammoth concern, of which J. C. Osgood, formerly president of the Whitebreast Fuel Company, is now president. Mr. Phillips is ably assisted in his work by his son, J. T. Phillips. They have occupied their present suite of rooms since the building was erected by Mr. Bonnifield, who arenged the rooms for the convenience of the company. Ottumwa is the distributing point of the company for Iowa, and Chicago for Illinois.

Thomas J. Phillips was united in marriage, in Missouri, with Isabella Watkins, a native of the East, who came to St. Louis as a child and was a daughter of Henry Watkins. She was left an orphan and she, herself, died in

1 89 1, at the age of forty years, leaving six children: John T., vi'ho is assistant to his father, and who married Miss Atherton, of Marion county, Iowa, and has a daughter, \Vilma; Margaret (Campbell), of Lucas county, Iowa; Jeanette, who is in the employ of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, and lives in Colorado; Kate, who resides with her father at Ottumwa; Thomas, who has a position as weighing foreman at the mines in Lucas county; and Ruth, who is at home. Mr. Phillips was married in 1892, to Alary AIcHugh, a native of the Empire state, and later a resident of Bureau county, Illinois.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

August 21, 1 90 1, at the Democratic convention held at Des Aloines, Iowa, Air, Phillips \as nominated as the Democratic candidate for governor of Iowa.

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