Henry Clay Kurtz

As printed in 1887

ENRY CLAY KURTZ, an esteemed citizen jy of Lisbon and senior member of the firm of

H. C. ofo S. A. Kurtz, is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Marietta, Lancaster County, Any. 1, 1844. He is the fourth child and third son of John E. and Esther (Hershey) Kurtz (see sketch). When a child of three years he came to Linn County with his parents, and thus is fully entitled to be classed with the early settlers of the Hawkeye State. He remained with his parents, and grew to manhood in the village of Lisbon, receiving his early education in the public schools. At the age of seventeen years he entered Cornell College, and was a student there when the call came for troops to defend an imperilled Union. He determined to become a soldier and enlisted Aug. 7, 1862, in Co. F, 24th Iowa Vol. Inf., and served from this time until the close of the war. He engaged with his regiment in the seine and capture of Yieksburg, the battle of Champion Hills, was at Raymond and Jackson, Miss., during engagements there, and with Banks in the Red River expedition. He was with the Army of the Potomac at the battle of Winchester, Fisher's Hill. Cedar Creek, and with Sherman's army at Goldsboro. About the time of Johnson's surrender his regiment was sent to Augusta. Ga., where, with his comrades, he did gallant duty until his discharge in August, 1865, when he returned home.

After the termination of his military service, Mr. Kurtz resumed the studies which had been interrupted by his enlistment as a soldier, lie again entered Cornell College and remained there until the spring of 1868, when he became interested in the lumber business for a year and then, in partnership with G. W. Signs, engaged in mercantile pursuits until 1870. He then engaged in the buying and shipping of grain and stock two years, and then engaged as a clerk for his father until 1876, and continued with him for the following three years, when the present firm was formed.

Henry C. Kurtz was married, June 16, 1868, to Miss Hannah G. Harper, a native of Indiana, and daughter of Nathan and Jane B. Harper, both natives of Pennsylvania. Of this union were born eight children — Alma, Willie, Ray. Edwin, Byard, Ruth, Harry and Zoe. In politics Mr. Kurtz uniformly cases his vote with the Republican party. He is an energetic and enterprising citizen, and an important factor in the business community.

TIS H. EARLL is station agent at Marion for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail- S road, and fulfills the duties of his position with great credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned. He is alert and active, faithful in the discharge of his duties, and has the confidence of the great corporation of which he is the agent and employe.

Mr. Earll is a native of Syracuse, N. Y., and was born Oct. 23, 1 833. His parents were David S. and Caroline E. Earll. and he remained with them until he was eighteen years of age, receiving a fair education and enjoying all the advantages which well-to-do parents coidd bestow upon a favorite son.

in 1852 all eyes were turning to the "West, and Mr. Earll was drawn into the tide of emigration. His first stopping-place was Chicago, at which city lie arrived and entered into the service of the old Galena & Chicago Railroad, now a division of the Chicago & Northwestern. He commenced as yardmaster, was soon promoted to the position of station agent, and continued in the service of this company about four years, gaining an insight into railway matters which proved of great value to him subsequently. At the expiration of his term of service with the aforesaid company, he engaged as yard after with the Illinois Central. He was again stationed at Chicago, and was subsequently again promoted to a conductor's position, his route leading him over the Southern Division of that ii road, from Centralia to Cairo. He remained in the employ of this company until 1865, then, desiring a new field of operation, entered the service of the Michigan Southern, running a train between Toledo and Elkhart until L868.

Mr. Earll was now seized with a desire to behold more of the country lying beyond the Mississippi. He terminated his engagement with the Michigan Southern, crossed the Father of Waters, continued on in a westerly direction to Nebraska, and arriving at Omaha, engaged as conductor with the Union Pacific. He remained in the employ of this company for sixteen years, serving in various capacities, lie was yardmaster at Omaha, Superintendent of the Western Division, between Green River and Ogden, six or seven years, and later was running a passenger train out of Omaha. He dissolved his connection with the Union Pacific in 1 882 to accept the position of trainmaster and general roadmaster of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad, between Denison and Taylor, in Texas. He was thus occupied for the next two years, and was then employed as passenger conductor on the Ottumwa Division of the Chicago & St. Paul Railroad. Owing to an injury received from a fall from his train he was obliged to abandon railroading, and on July 15, 1886, he accepted his present position at Marion.

Mr. Earll was married at Oak Park. 111., now a beautiful suburb of Chicago. Sept. 7. 1858, to Miss Sarah C. Dewey. Mrs. Earll was born in New York, and of her union with our subject one child has been born, Harry, now aged twenty-four years. This promising young man seems to have inherited the peculiar talent of his lather, and is already occupying the responsible position of conductor on the Ottumwa Division of the C, M. & St. P. R. R. Otis II. Earll has now been engaged in active railroad service for thirty-four years, during which time, as the record shows, he has been employed in almost every branch of the service, and his long record is ample proof that he has filled his position, whatever it might be. with credit and fidelity. He 3 has been careful and watchful, so much so that ' these qualities have become a second nature to him. He has escaped from serious accidents to himself and others while he had charge of great interests and valuable lives. Perhaps in no position in the world is the exercise of care and watch- "- fulness so important as in the passenger railway service, and too much credit cannot be given to a man who, like Mr. Earll, has made for himself such an unblemished record in the annals of railroad history.

A. OHLER is (II Cedar Rapids J) day, and who 1

As printed in Portrait and biographical album of Linn County, Iowa (1887). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.