FIELD, WILLIAM W.

To have lived an honorable and unselfish life which has been devoted in the main to the service of one's fellowmen deserves more than mere mention To be remembered as a liberal public benefactor and to have achieved renown and become distinguished in two commonwealths of this nation is more achievement than usually falls to the lot of mankind, specifically. We remember an able man by his deeds, for the fact is well established that a good man lives onward and forever in the hearts and minds of the people. Has it not been said, "Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, was not written of the soul, ''The body perishes and returns to the earth and air from which it was originally created. The man himself does not die-he lives on and on-and if his life has been wrorthy and useful, one in which he has won a certain definite measure of renown, he is remembered for years and even ages after his earthly demise. It is a comforting thought which our religion teaches us that death in itself is but a brief separation, to be followed by a grand reunion in the great beyond, whither all souls must travel and rest in peace if the earthly life has merited a just reward. William W. Field is well remembered for his fine attainments, generous philanthropy and statesmanship. qualities which he possessed in abundance. He was a high type of man. descended from a long line of illustrious forbears, and was born into a family that has furnished wonderful geniuses and some of the ablest men in several decades of the family's history. He came of the famous Field family which produced Cyrus W. Field, of the Atlantic cable fame, and Marshall Field, the merchant prince of Chicago, and a long line of illustrious Americans famous in many professions and walks of life.

W. W. Field was born October 31, 1824, in the town of Lancaster. New Hampshire. He was the son of Abel Waite Field, a native of Brattleboro, Vermont. The Field genealogy gives the line of Fields in the following succession, beginning with William Field, who was the first in line, followed by his son William (II), Richard (III), John (IV), John (V), Zechariah (VI), John (VII), Zechariah (VIII), John (IX), John (X). Abel W. (XI), and William Wells (XII).

Mr. Field was married October 31, 1850, to Mahala J. Howe, who was born December 1, 1825, and is the daughter of parents whose residence was in the state of New Hampshire, where they both died. She was one of eight children, as follows: Mrs. Hattie S. Taylor, deceased; Mahala J. Field; Edward B., who died in infancy: Sophia Ann, deceased in childhood: Edwin Newell, died in infancy; Althea Perkins, died at the age of twelve years; Mrs. Mary Farnam, deceased; Joseph D., a resident of Lancaster, New Hampshire.

He with whom this review is directly concerned was the son of a farmer who had five sons and a daughter, to each of whom he managed to give the advantages of a good school education, and it was given to William W. to attend the Lancaster Academy and there finish his education. He taught school at the age of seventeen years for three winters in succession. When he was twenty years old his father gave him his "time," or rather gave him permission to make his own way in the world, as he had no property to give, and had done all that he possibly could in preparing him to fight life's battle in the future. In the year 1845 he left home with thirty dollars in gold as his sole possession and went to Medford, Massachusetts, and there worked at farm labor for a period two years. He then engaged in the marble business in the town of Belfast, Maine.

In 1852 Mr. Field came west and stopped at the town of Fenniman, Grant county, Wisconsin, and purchased a tract of land in the vicinity, on which he lived in a log cabin and there made his home. In 1865 he rented his farm and moved to Boscobel, Grant county, for the purpose of affording his children better educational advantages. In January of 1873 ne removed to Madison, the capital of Wisconsin.

During the Civil War Mr. Field was a strong advocate of the integrity of the Union and threw the weight of his influence in behalf of the Federal government at all times. His public career in Wisconsin began with his election as a member of the Grant county board of supervisors in 1861, and he served as chairman of this board. He served his county as a member of the state Legislature in the sessions of 1855, 1862, 1863, 1864 and 1865, and filled the position of speaker of the House during 1862 and 1863 of his legislative service. He represented the state as presidential elector at large in 1864. Mr. Field was appointed a member of the board of regents of the State University of Wisconsin in 1871, and served in this high office until 1873. In February of 1873 ne was elected a member of the executive board of the State Agricultural Society and held this position for several years. In April of 1875 he was elected secretary of the Wisconsin state board of centennial managers.

Mr. Field migrated from Wisconsin to Iowa in 1879 and located in the new town of Odebolt. He purchased an entire section of land in Wheeler township, which he farmed and developed until. 1892, when he made a permanent residence in Odebolt. He died in April of 1907. He was very active in financial and civic affairs while residing in Sac county. He was one of the founders and the first president of the First National Bank of Odebolt. While he was especially gifted in the line of public duty, the only office which he cared to accept in the county was the trusteeship of Wheeler township.

Politically, Mr. Field was always allied with the Republican party. He was an attendant and liberal supporter of the Presbyterian church and was a Mason during the greater part of his life. Mrs. Field has been a life-long member of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Field was a liberal donor to the fund which was provided for the erection of the handsome public library in Odebolt; in fact, it is a matter of record that he gave a considerable portion of the necessary funds for defraying the cost of the erection of the structure. He did this with the idea of giving some substantial return to the community in which he had prospered. He will long be remembered as one of the main donors of this useful institution.

Something concerning the family history of Mahala J. Howe Field is not inappropriate at this point. The Howe family is a very old one from an American standpoint and numbers among its members and descendants some of the ablest Americans and men and women in all walks of life who have been successful. The family begins with Abraham Howe, who emigrated from England and settled at Malvern, Massachusetts, in the year of 1858. From him have descended five generations of Joseph Howes as they were named respective!v and have been prominent in the colonial life of New England. Daniel Howe, the grandsire of Mrs. Field, located in Lancaster, Vermont, in about 1778, and married Eunice Bucknan, a daughter of Gapt. Edward Bucknan, one of the leading spirits in the settlement of Lancaster. He was justice of the peace, town clerk and a leader of the community for many years. The father of Mrs. Field, although defective in eyesight, managed to achieve a comfortable competency in life and reared a worthy family. It is worthy of note that Eunice Bucknan, grandmother of Mrs. Field, was the first white child born in Lancaster. Joseph D. Field, brother of Mrs. Field, is one of the substantial and leading citizens of the Lancaster community and is the owner of a very fine stock farm, which is noted for the quality of its pure bred live stock. At the present writing, Mr. Howe and wife are the guests at the Field home.

Mrs. Mahala J. Field resides in the old homestead in Odebolt and is one of the respected and best loved ladies of the city. She is the mother of the following children: Mrs. Jennie Bashford, wife of Rev. James W. Bash-ford, a bishop of the Methodist church, and at present a missionary located in Peking, China; Mrs. Ella Frank, wife of a live-stock ranchman, located at Ree Heights, South Dakota, and who is the mother of two children, Marion Feild, also a missionary at Nanking. China, and Howard Price Frank, of Natick, Massachusetts.

It was not to be expected that W. W. Field could refrain from taking a prominent and active part in state affairs after he became a resident of Iowa, but he turned his energies in the direction of his favorite avocation, that of the agriculturist. He became vice-president of the State Agricultural Society and also served as president of this great body. He was a strong and able exponent of better and more improved farming methods and wielded quite an influence in bettering conditions for the farmers of the state. He will long be remembered as one of the ablest and most widely known men who have served in the councils of the state board.

A distinct loss to the community and state at large occurred with his demise, and he was sincerely mourned by hundreds and thousands who knew him and who knew of his many excellent qualities and accomplishments as a citizen and statesman. Were this volume without the foregoing memoir it would be incomplete. (History of Sac County Iowa, by William H. Hart, 1914, Pages 352-355)

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FULLER, ERNEST C.

Prominent in the affairs of Sac county and distinguished as a citizen whose influence is far extended beyond the limits of the community honored by his residence, the name of E. C. Fuller stands out a conspicuous figure among the successful men of the locality of which this history treats. All of his undertakings have been actuated by noble motives and high resolves and characterized by breadth of wisdom and strong individuality and his success and achievements but represent the result of fit utilization of innate talent in directing effort along those lines where mature judgment and rare discrimination lead the way. He has been identified in a business way with various local enterprises, in all of which he has been uniformly successful.

E. C. Fuller, county supervisor from the first district, and substantial business man of Early, Iowa, was born August 4, 1855, at LaSaile, LaSaile county, Illinois, the son of S. K. and Mary Ann (Swartauf) Fuller, both natives of the state of New York, the father born in December, 1826, in Orleans county, that state, and died at Early, Iowa, in September, 1911, and the mother, also deceased, born in Niagara county, New York. S. K. Fuller located at LaSaile, Illinois, at a very early day, and in September, 1855, migrated to Poweshiek county, Iowa, locating in the town of Grinnell when that now prosperous little city was first founded. He came to Sac county about 1878 and for two years lived on a farm. He removed to Early when the town was started, and here established the Bank of Early, a private bank, and in 1890 he organized the State Bank of Early. He thus became one of the pioneer bankers of this locality. The success of this bank was largely due to his earnest and able efforts, for he was a far seeing business man of unimpeachable honesty and high integrity.

Six children were born of the marriage of S. K. and Mary Ann (Swartauf) Fuller: Two children died in infancy; E. M. Fuller lives at Long Branch, California; E. C. Fuller, the immediate subject of this sketch, was the fourth in order of birth; Mrs. Helen G. Wood died in April, 1912; S. C. Fuller died at Imperial, California, in November, 1913.

E. C. Fuller came to Sac county, Iowa, May 30, 1875, and located on section 7 in Boyer Valley township, where he bought two hundred and ten acres of land at fifteen dollars per acre. He later purchased two hundred and forty acres more at a cost of twelve, dollars and fifty cents per acre. He purchased additional land from time to time until his holdings included over four hundred and fifty acres in one tract, two hundred and ninety-two acres in Boyer Valley township and one hundred and sixty acres in Cook township. He still retains the first farm he purchased, and is the owner of two other fine farms. He has one hundred and sixty acres in South Dakota and three hundred and eighteen acres near Spirit Lake, Dickinson county, Iowa.

Mr. Fuller lived on the farm until 1888, when he removed to Early, Iowa. For a period of twenty years or more he dealt extensively in live stock. For five years he conducted a meat market. He also owned a drug store for two years and a livery barn for three years, selling the latter only recently. He has a beautiful home in Early, which he purchased m 1903, and which he entirely remodeled into one of the finest and most modern residences of the community.

Mr. Fuller is vice-president and a director of the State Bank of Early and has been connected with this popular institution since its organization. He is a man whose judgment on important business matters is valued highly. Politically, he is a Republican and has taken a more or less active interest in the political affairs of his county. He served two years in the city council and nine years as a member of the school board of Early, as well as holding all the township offices. In 1906 he was elected supervisor from the first district and re-elected in 1912, and it is universally conceded that his official record is without blemish.

Mr. Fuller was married December 24, 1883, to Ida May Spalding, daughter of Calvin Spalding, of Early, and they have one son, Ivan L., who has been a student at Ames, Iowa, and at Morningside College at Sioux City, Iowa.

Fraternally, Mr. Fuller holds membership with the Masons and the Odd Fellows, having attained to the thirty-second degree in Masonry and being a member of Abu Beke Temple, Mystic Shrine, at Sioux City, Iowa. He is a member of the Methodist church. Progressive and public spirited as a citizen, Mr. Fuller has shown a commendable interest in local affairs and lends his support readily to every enterprise having for its object the advancement of the community. Personally, he is most genial and companionable and his popularity is universal. (History of Sac County Iowa, by William H. Hart, 1914, Pages 350 - 352)
 

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