Seymour D. Carpenter

As printed in 1911

COLONEL SEYMOUR DAVID CARPENTER, M. D.

Although now a resident of Chicago, Colonel Seymour David Carpenter, M. D.. was closely associated with the interests of Iowa for many years. He was one of the first medical practitioners of Cedar Rapids and one of the organizers of the first banking house of the city. lie was born in Lancaster. Ohio, in 1826, and comes of a family of Swiss origin, the name of Carpenter being the Anglicized form of the word Zimmerman. Heinrich Zimmerman, the first representative of the family in America, settled in Pennsylvania in IGOfi. He afterward returned to Switzerland, but in 1706 made permanent location in this country. Arriving in Germantown, Pennsylvania, he purchased a large tract, of land in Lancaster county for his colony. Later members of the family were prominent in all the colonial and early wars of the country and representatives of the name in succeeding generations have attained high official positions. Emanuel Carpenter was a colleague of Dr. Benjamin Franklin in the provincial assembly at Philadelphia; Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Carpenter won fame in the Revolutionary war; Emanuel Carpenter of the third generation in 1798 made a trip of exploration up the Ohio river and northward and located on the Hocking river, near the present site of Lancaster. Ohio. In 1802 other members of this branch of the family removed to Ohio and finally named that settlement New Lancaster — the home of the Shermans, General William T. and Senator John T. Sherman.

Colonel Carpenter was the eldest in the family of six children of Gabriel Carpenter, whose name is inseparably interwoven with the history of Cedar Rapids, for he was one of the founders of the city and largely guided its destinies in the early days, infusing into the community a spirit of progress and enterprise which constituted a safe foundation upon which to build its present prosperity. Mr. Gabriel Carpenter, the father of Seymour D., started upon life's journey almost at the opening of the nineteenth century, for his birth occurred in Lancaster. Pennsylvania, on the 11th of/September, 1801. He was only a year old when his parents removed from the Keystone state to Ohio with a number of colonists who founded and named the city of Lancaster. There amid pioneer surroundings and environment his youthful days were passed. His education was acquired under difficulties, for the public-school system was in its infancy and the pioneer community afforded only such educational advantages as could be obtained in the little log schoolhouses on the frontier. His training at farm work, however, was not meagre, for he was early instructed in the work of the fields and taught the best methods of plowing, planting and harvesting. He continued to carry on general agricultural pursuits in Ohio until 1852. He then removed to Cedar Rapids and became the owner of a section of land now embraced within the southern portion of the city. From that time until his death he was closely identified with the upbuilding and improvement of Cedar Rapids and contributed in large measure to its progress by laying out seven additions thereto. His real-estate operations were conducted on an extensive scale, and he had the prescience to discern what the future had in store for this growing western city. His investments, therefore, were judiciously made and in time brought to him splendid financial returns. In business matters his judgment was sound, his discernment keen and his enterprise unfaltering.

Mr. Gabriel Carpenter was married twice, first to Miss Catherine Pearce, who died in Ohio. There were five children of that marriage: Seymour David, the eldest, now a resident of Chicago: E. B., living in Leavenworth, Kansas; Rebecca, who died in 1SS3 while living with her sister. Mrs. Mary Weare, Sioux City, Iowa; Mary, who passed away in 1910; and Susanna, now the widow of H. B. Stibbs and a resident of Chicago. For his second wife Mr. Gabriel Cai'center those Mrs. Maria Wylie, nee Clifton, who by a former marriage had two daughters: Anna Wylie, living with her mother in Cedar Rapids; and Harriett, the wife of J. H. Reede, a resident of Chicago. By their second marriage Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Carpenter had five children, namely: Delia; Frank and John F., who have been called to their final home, and rest in the cemetery at Cedar Rapids; George, who is living in Nashville, Tennessee; and Taylor Carpenter, whose home is in Cedar Rapids.

Coming to this city in pioneer times, Mr. Gabriel Carpenter did effective work for its improvement and his public spirit was manifest in many tangible ways. His business interests were largely of a character that contributed to general improvement as well as to individual success. He was the owner of the land at the corner of First street and Second avenue and upon it erected what was then the finest hotel of the city — a brick structure three stories in height. It was conducted as a model hotel and was one of the notable features of the city but was destroyed by fire in 1870. Afterward he utilized the hotel site for the erection of a fine business block, and also erected in Cedar Rapids a good brick residence, hauling the brick from Muscatine, Iowa, with teams. The house was finished throughout in solid walnut, and the family occupied that attractive frontier home until it was destroyed by fire in 1865 but afterward was rebuilt. Aside from his building operations and real-estate dealings Mr. Gabriel Carpenter became a director in a private bank conducted under the name of Carpenter, Stibbs & Company. He was also for a number of years one of the directors of the First National Bank of Cedar Rapids, became president of the Marshalltown Gas Company, in which he owned a quarter interest, and a stockholder in the Cedar Rapids Water Company. In business affairs he displayed quick discernment and a faculty of separating the important features of any situation or project from its incidental or accidental circumstances. He used his time and opportunities to the best advantage and accomplished results by prompt and direct action while others were pausing to consider the means to the end.

In matters of citizenship Mr. Gabriel Carpenter sought for all that promised substantial advancement and was deeply interested in those projects which are a matter of civic virtue and civic pride. He watched with interest the progress of events that led to the inauguration of the Civil war and although too old to render active service he sent two sons, Seymour D. and E. Brough, who both served the whole four years, put forth every effort at home to uphold the Union cause and at the first call for volunteers offered a fine town lot to the first one enlisting. The prize was taken by Joseph Perigo, who after the war built a good house upon the site. Mr. Gabriel Carpenter ever gave his political allegiance to the republican party, believing that its principles conserved the best elements of good government. lie belonged to Crescent Lodge. No. 25, of Masons. In his later years he found interest and recreation in croquet, becoming a skillful player, spending entire afternoon with friends in the enjoyment of the game. His religious faith was indicated by his membership in the Episcopal church, in which he served as vestryman and also as junior warden at the time of his death, which occurred on the loth of March, 1881. While almost three decades have since passed, his memory is yet cherished by many of the older citizens among whom he was widely known and honored, his sterling traits of character winning him personal regard, while his activity in business and public lines established his reputation as one of the most progressive and public-spirited citizens. Mrs. Maria Carpenter still survives her husband at the very advanced age of ninety years.

Colonel Seymour D. Carpenter was reared in Fairfield county, Ohio, pursuing his early education in a district school built of logs and later attending Granville College at Granville, Ohio, then for two years was also a student at Lancaster Academy.. Subsequently he again spent two years at Granville College and for three years studied medicine under Dr. Williams of Granville. He afterward engaged in teaching school for a period in the south but finally returned to Lancaster, where he studied medicine prior to entering the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, from which he received his diploma in 1848. The following year he left home on horseback and on the lath of June, 1849, arrived in Cedar Rapids, where he formed a partnership for the practice of medicine with Dr. E. L. Mansfield, thus continuing until 1850, when he became the senior partner of the firm of Carpenter & Koontz.

On the 6th of July, 1850. Colonel Seymour D. Carpenter married Miss Sarah Weare, a daughter of John Weare, Sr.; of Cedar Rapids, and in 1852 he became one of the organizers of the first banking house in Cedar Rapids in association with Edmund C. Kreider and Henry Lehman and soon afterward, abandoning the profession of medicine, he devoted his time until 1861 to the real-estate and loan business. At the outbreak of the Civil war he was foremost in the organization of the first. Iowa regiments and was appointed assistant surgeon of United States volunteers, serving throughout the period of hostilities. He was mustered out July 31, 1865, with the rank of brevet lieutenant Colonel, holding three commissions.

When the war was over Colonel Seymour D. Carpenter returned to Cedar Rapids, where he engaged in contracting on a large scale in the building of railroads and other public works in Iowa and other states, Mexico and Canada. In 1866 he removed to Ottumwa. Iowa, where he became associated with others in the construction of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railway between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Later he engaged in the lumber business in Louisiana with John and Elisha Ely as partners but subsequently purchased their interests and formed the Cypress Shingle & Lumber business. In 1885 he was elected president of the Southern Lumber & Shingle Association and removed his family to Louisiana, where unfortunately he was called upon to mourn the death of his wife and only son Ralph Weare. He continued actively in business in Louisiana until Jime. 1893, when his mills were destroyed by fire and the following year he returned to the north, settling in Chicago.

In May, 1900, while traveling abroad, Colonel Seymour D. Carpenter was married again, his second union being with Mrs. Fanny M. Emerson, an English widow, having one daughter, Ellen E. Emerson. By his first marriage Colonel Carpenter had four children. Katherine, widow of J. Asbury Taylor, resides in Ottumwa, Iowa. Mary is the, wife of Albert G. Harrow, and they have a daughter, Grace, now the wife of J. Rudy Smith, by whom she has one child. Natalie Harrow Smith. Sarah Carpenter is the wife of William D. Elliott, of Ottumwa, Iowa, and they had two sons. William Dalryraple. living, and Albert Weare, deceased. Ralph Weare Carpenter married Grace Harrod and left a daughter, Edith Weare Carpenter, still living at Wiunetka, Illinois.

Colonel Seymour D. Carpenter is now eighty-four years of age and is the oldest Carpenter for two hundred years. He is now pleasantly located in Chicago, where he is enjoying a well earned rest. He is a man of optimistic, tendencies, always looking on the bright side, and thus sheds around him much of the sunshine of life. His good qualities have made him highly respected and he yet has many friends in Cedar Rapids among the older residents of the city with whom he was associated through business and social relations during the years of his residence here. At the fiftieth anniversary held in this city he made one of the opening speeches. He was one of the first delegates sent by Iowa to a republican convention for the purpose of making a presidential nomination and also attended the convention held in Chicago when President Taft received his nomination. At that time he was invited to occupy a seat on the platform, this honor being given him on account of his being one of the oldest republican delegates to a convention, and a long article and his picture appeared in the Chicago Record Herald.

As printed in History of Linn County Iowa : from its earliest settlement to the present time (1911). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.