Fred L. Stewart

As printed in 1909

FRED L. STEWART.

Among the substantial business enterprises of Washington is the plumbing and heating establishment of Fred L. Stewart, who along modern and progressive lines is conducting his interests, meeting with well merited success which has come as the legitimate sequence of his indefatigable and intelligently directed effort. Washington numbers him among her native sons, for his birth here occurred January 6. 1873.

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The Stewart family, as the name indicates, is of Scotch Hneage and the American ancestors, coming from Edinburgh, Scotland, settled in different parts of the state of Wirginia. There were six brothers, James. Benjamin, Perry, Thomas, Jeremiah and Richard, and they were said to have had one sister, Ann Stewart. William George Stewart, the grandfather of Ired L. Stewart, was born in Virginia, December 5, 1819, and on the 28th of July, 1841, he married Hannah Patterson, of Allegany county, Maryland, who was born October 30. 1822. They became the parents of eight children: John Gilpin, born December 28, 1842: Charles Nelson, April 22, 1845: William Sylvester. December 11, 1847; Louvinia Elizabeth, Julv 24, 1850: Franklin Stewart. August 5, 1853: Lloyd Stewart, September 13. 1855; George Whitefield, March 20, 1857: and Hannah Martha, July 3, 1858. '

The father, William G. Stewart, died July 16, 1864. His brother, John Gilpin Stewart, Sr., of Washington, Iowa, wrote a history of the Stewart family in January, ujoo, while in his eighty-seventh vear and the record covers a period of one hundred and twenty years. John Gilpin Stewart was born in Hampshire county, Viriginia, May 18, 1818, and was a minister in the United Brethren church, preaching at different times in X'virginia, Maryland and Iowa, his ministry covering a period of twenty-five years. He came to Washington county in October, 1853, or about nine years after the arrival of William G. Stewart, who came in Xovember, 1844. Since that time the family has figured prominently in connection with the material progress and substantial upbuilding of this part of the state.

William Sylvester Stewart, father of Fred L. Stewart, was born in this county, was reared amid the wild scenes and environments of frontier life and took up farming as a means of livelihood. In addition to tilHng the soil he also engaged in feeding and shipping stock, in which he met with excellent success. He died in Washington, April 14, 1901, and is still survived by his widow. He belonged to the I/nited Brethren church, with which the family have long been connected, and his life was at all times honorable and upright, winning him the esteem and confidence of the entire comnuuiity. He met with creditable success in business and was regarded as one of the most thorough and best posted stockmen ever connected with live-stock interests in Washington. He married Henrietta Clinton, also a native of this county and a daughter of George Clinton, who wa of Scotch- Irisli descent and.settled in thi county at a very early day. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Stewart were Fred L.. of this review; Belle F.. the wife of H. A. Mont.gomery: W. G. and Helen L., at home.

Fred ]. Stewart has always remained a resident of Washington, being reared on his father's farm, where he early became familiar w-ith the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He attended the public schools and, making successive progress was graduated from the higji school with the class of 1890. He then worked for four years in the hardware store of his father's brothers, Frank and George Stewart, who conducted their enterprise under the firm style of Stewart Brothers. He afterward spent two years on the farm cultivating the home place, and in the spring of 1896 he purchased an implement business, to which he added a stock of lianlvvarc. In 1904 Iksold out and for two years gave his attention to the land eniiiiralion business, but in 1908 opened his plumbing and heating establishment and in this connection has secured a liberal patronage, conducting an extensive business in this line. He also looks after his farming ])roi)erty. comprising three hundred and twenty acres of rich land, of which one hundred and sixty acres lies in Washington county and the remaining one Inindred and sixty acres in Louisa county. In addition to this his landed interests comprise one hundred and sixty acres in Canada and one hundred and sixty acre in Kansas. He also owns one-third interest in the West Chester store owned by the mercantile firm operating under the name of the McFarland Company; is the owner of a store at Columbus Junction:.and is,1 stockholder in the Washington county National Bank. While yet a young man he is capable of managing atYairs of great breadth, and his keen sagacity and undaunted enterprise have carried him into important commercial and financial relations.

On the 15th of November. 1893. Mr..Stewart was married to Miss Nellie Paris, a native of Morning.Sun. Iowa, where her parents, Isaiah P. and Frances Jane I IVown ) Paris, were also born. Their family numbered two children, the younger being Roy H. Paris. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart also have a daughter and son. Hazel and George. The parents are members of the Second L'nited Presbyterian church and Mr. Stewart gives his political allegiance to the republican party. On its ticket he was elected councilman for the fourth ward, but while he is interested in matters of public progress he does not seek political preferment for himself. However, he is never remiss in the duties of citizenship but on the contrary cooperates in many movements for the general good, and his business affairs have at all times been of a nature that have advanced public prosperity as well as individual success.

As printed in History of Washington County, Iowa from the first white settlements to 1908. Also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county (1909). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.