William Gordon

As printed in 1889

UILLIAM GORDON, one of the very earliest settlers of Muscatine, having for fifty-two Wy/ years been an honored citizen of that city, is a native of Scotland, and was born in the parish of Keith, Bamffshire, on the 12th of June, 1812.

He is a son of John and Margaret (Ogilvie) Gordon. His paternal ancestors were descended from the dukes of Gordon, of Gordon Castle, and on his mother's side he is descended from the Ogilvies, of the Manse of Glengerrick, who were a distinguished Scottish family. "Little of the affluence or splendor of either castle or mange was reflected upon the pathway of William Gordon. Neither of his parents were in the direct line of inheritance, and their children were early taught to be the architects of their own fortunes." Our subject was accordingly apprenticed at an early age to the carpenter's trade, at which he served a term of five and a half years. After one year spent in working as a journeyman, he emigrated to America, being then in his nineteenth year. He sailed from his native land in the sailing-vessel "Universe," for New York. The ship encountered terrific gales, was partially dismasted, and was driven out of her course, but finally made the port of Galveston, then a part of the Mexican Province of Texas. After making necessary repairs they sailed for New York, where they arrived safely after a tempestuous winter voyage of seven weeks and three days, during which time the crew suffered greatly from hunger and thirst, and were for several days in danger of their lives.

On his arrival in New York William sought out James Gordon Bennett, formerly his near neighbor in Scotland, and was by him directed to the shops of Hon. Richard White, where he secured employment. In the course of his work he assisted in the erection of the well-known Astor House, the New Exchange of New York, and the magnificent Catholie Church, of Paterson, N. J. In the summer of 1836 he went to St. Louis with his uncle, Adam Ogilvie, where they met friends but did not re main. They pursued their course up the Mississippi, and on the loth of August of that year landed at what is now Muscatine, but was then only a trading-post, known as Bloomington. Only twelve white people were then residents of the town, but the Indians swarmed here by the hundreds. Mr. Gordon and his uncle located at this point, the former being the first carpenter to settle there. He at once engaged in building a town to meet the demands of the rapidly arriving settlers. At that early date there were no sawmills in the country, and consequently no lumber. Material was cut from forest trees, from which timber was hewed, clapboards split and shaved, and floors were made of split slabs hewn down to a surface. Some of the buildings which were erected in this prime five manner are still standing, and have been newly roofed and floored, and covered with sawed clap boards. The frames were so strongly made that they are yet as strong as many of the modern buildings. The first building erected by Mr. Gordon was the Hotel Kinney, then known as the Kinney House, which stood on the present site of Mr. Wallace’s business house on Front street.

In the celebrated “Missouri War,” so called, Mr. Gordon joined Col. Yanatta’s force, was commissioned Lieutenant, and marched to Burlington, but there the regiment was met by a messenger bearing the news that a treaty of peace had been signed by the Hon. Stephen Whicher and other of his colleagues, and the Missouri Commissioners, and the war was over.

On the 20th of October, 1840, Mr. Gordon wed ded Miss Eliza H. Magoon, their union being celebrated at Bloomington. The lady is a daughter of Isaac and Hannah (Shaw) Magoon, was born in Palmer, Mass., and came to Bloomington in 1839. Five children were born of their marriage, one son and four daughters: William A., who served as a soldier in the late war as a member of Company H, 11th Iowa Infantry, was severely wounded April 6, 1862, at the battle of Shiloh, and after several years of intense suffering died on the 8th of July, 1866, when twenty-four years of age; Ade laid M. is the wife of Capt. John II. Munroe, who was Adjutant on the staff of Gen. McPherson during the late war; Mary is the wife of Martin L. Mikesell, the present Assistant Postmaster of Muscatine; Agnes S., who married William M. Kinkade, died in 1885; Clara died when thirteen years of age.

In the summer of 1857 Capt. Gordon was elected Sheriff of Muscatine County, running as the Democratic candidate, and was elected by a handsome majority when his party was in a minority. He was twice re-elected, and served five years in all. He was subsequently elected Assessor, was re-elected and served several years, giving general satisfaction. Mr. Gordon is still a zealous Democrat, but has long been out of politics. His principal business up to 1877 was contracting and building, and many of the finest buildings in the city, both pub lie and private, were erected under his supervision. Mr. Gordon has always taken an active interest in public improvements, and was one of the stockholders in the Muscatine Western Railroad.

In 1872 our subject was called upon to mourn the loss of his estimable wife, who died on the 8th of August of that year. In 1875 he met with a serious accident while standing on a step ladder nailing some mouldings to the ceiling of the hall in a house he was finishing; a barrel of hot unslaked lime, fresh from the kiln, was upset above him and fell in his face, which nearly resulted in the loss of his eyesight, and induced a partial paralysis of his right side. He has since nearly recovered his health, but still suffers from imperfect vision. Capo Gordon adheres to the religious views of his fore fathers, and is a member of the Presbyterian Church. He became a member of the Ancient Order of Free and Accepted Masons in 1843, by joining Iowa Lodge No. 2, of Muscatine, of which he soon became Master. In 1852 he took the chapter degrees in Washington Chapter No. 4, R.

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.