Uel Foster

As printed in 1889

UEL FOSTER, born at Hillsboro, N. II., Aug. 26. 1811, was the eighth child of Aaron and Mehitable (Nichols) Foster. The family is of English origin, the great grandfather of our subject, accompanied by two brothers, emigrating to Massachusetts prior to the Revolutionary War, where a large colony of the descendants still reside. Several of them fought in the war for independence, and subsequently bore conspicuous parts in the councils of the State and Nation. Mrs. Foster, mother of our subject, was descended on the material side from the Bancroft family, and was an own cousin to George Bancroft, the distinguished American historian and diplo matism. His father was a farmer, and his family of eight sons and two daughters were reared to habits of industry and morality. Like many New En land fathers with large families, his means were limited, and the education of his 'children was confined mainly to the public schools, at that time greatly inferior to the present system, yet notwithstanding the difficulties alluded to three of his sons succeeded in obtaining education qualifying them for professions, one being a clergyman of the Congregational Church, another a physician, and the third a West Point cadet.

At twenty years of age Mr. Foster left the parental roof, and bidding farewell to his home and family started out in life for himself. Removing to Rochester, N. Y., he there spent six years, after which he came to Muscatine County, Iowa, and continued one of its prominent and leading citizens until his death. With only an occasional absence he gave his entire attention to the business coming to him, and to the interest of various kinds of this commonwealth. His reputation as a kind-hearted, generous and benevolent man extended throughout the State, and any community may well have been proud to acknowledge him as one of its citizens. He received the warmest welcome in the richest homes, and the poor man was glad to take the hand of him who had so often given aid. He was uniformly on the right side of any subject involving a moral question, and was bold and outspoken in the advocacy and promotion of what he thought would be profitable to the people in general. It would not be difficult, perhaps, to point out laws in his character and mistakes in his judgment, but his actions were always for the best, prompted by a spirit of benevolence and an earnest desire to benefit the people, which desire was often carried out at a sacrifice of time, money and strength. Of marked individuality, such as no other man ever possessed, his very oddity won him friends. He never thought of being a model to any one, and whether many or few followed him as an example, it made little difference. He cared as little for popularity as he did for the cut of his clothes, or the set of his collar. If he desired others to agree with him it was chiefly that some good result might be secured. The traffic in intoxicating drinks, that great agency of Satan, which does more than any thing else to degrade the manhood and womanhood of our noble country, was an object of special abhorrence to Mr. Foster. With his latest breath he condemned the greatest of all evils, speaking against the traffic as a cruel, wicked and contempt ble business. There can be no death more to be honored than that which finds a man protesting as his last act of life against the wrong and outrage done to his fellowmen. lie was ever ready to aid in advancing the cause of education, morality and temperance, and his influence, which was felt throughout the community, was always exerted for the right. The ancestors of M r. Foster were, in part at least, of the Society of Friends, and there were lines of their peculiar influence in him. None more i

truly deserved the profound admiration for his talents, his broad education and spiritual influence which he received on every hand.

Mr. Foster was the first in the State to move in the matter of a State Agricultural College, and for years urged the matter single handed. In 1858 he was rejoiced to see the Iowa Legislature pass a bill establishing an agricultural college, this State being the second in the Union to provide an institution of this kind. For six years he was elected Director of the institution, five of which he was President of the board. He was a voluminous writer for horticultural and agricultural papers, besides devoting considerable time to weather statistics, making a regular record of the atmosphere and its phenomena. Mr. Foster was firm in his convictions, and very tenacious of his opinions. He was for years a member of the Congregational Church.

The Old Settlers’ Society of Muscatine convened at the City Hall on the morning after his death, which occurred Jan. 1, 1886. There was a large attendance of prominent members, and President Walton called the meeting to order, and G. W. Van Horn was elected Secretary. The President then stated that the meeting was called for the purpose of honoring the oldest resident, at the time of his death, of the city and county, a man who was equally distinguished for the virtues and honors of his citizenship.

Joseph Bredman then addressed the assemblage as follows: “It were perhaps better to remain silent in the presence of the dead, but we have often heard Mr. Foster in eulogy of old settlers, and there is certainly cause for paying similar honors to him. He was a rare man, eminently fitted for pioneer life in his readiness and ability and fertile resources, and to make a city, county or State better for his presence. He took great interest in every cause affecting the welfare of his town, his State, his Nation. His name is a household word in all the West.”

In speaking of our subject, Hon. D. C. Richman said: “I have known Mr. Foster since 1844, and have always respected him. The striking characteristic of his life was his unselfishness. Foremost and active in every public and progressive movement, it is to be remembered that he never had an ax to grind, never a personal or selfish aim in view, but there was always simply a grand devotion to whatever promoted the private and public welfare of his fellowmen.”

“I have been acquainted with Mr. Foster,” said Hon. D. C. Cloud, in this meeting, “since 1839, and he possessed a character peculiarly and strongly marked. Often there were times when one might differ from his views and conduct, but there was always the highest confidence placed in his honesty and public spiritedness. Whatever he did was from the standpoint of conscience.”

Many others spoke of Mr. Foster in terms of high praise, among whom were the Hon. William F. Brannan, Hon. J. Scott Richman, Peter Jackson, John Mahin and R. B. Huff. A committee of three was appointed to draft resolutions of respect, consisting of J. Scott Richman, J. G. II. Little and G. W. Van Horn, who reported as follows:

“Again and again have the old settlers of Muscatine been called upon during the present winter to express their regrets at the decease of one of their number, and their own and public sense of loss occasioned by the inroads of death. Suel Foster, one among the earliest settlers, is no more. His familiar form will no more be seen in our public gatherings, on our streets, or at his hospitable fire side. He was old in years, but young in his active ties and aspirations. He was unselfish, and spent much of his time and energy in promoting the public interest, not only” of his own county but of the State, and especially were his labors conspicuous in the agricultural, horticultural and educational interests of his State. His presence, his activity, his energy, will be missed in every good work. Who will fill the void occasioned by his absence? Time alone can answer the question. Feeling his death is not only a private but a public calamity as well, we must not, while recording his public, omit to mention his private virtues. He was a religious man. He was a punctual man. He was a faithful man. He was an honest man. He obeyed his highest convictions in all things. He was a model man in his domestic relations, and she his wife, who survives him, will alone be capable of estimating her own loss. We extend to her the assurance of our kindest sympathies.”

On the 8tii of October, 1847, Mr. Foster was united in marriage with Sarah J., daughter of Robert Collins Hastings, of St. Lawrence County,

As printed in Portrait and biographical album of Muscatine County, Iowa (1889). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.