Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-10-12
The Late Judge ROszell.

We made brief mention last week of
the sudden death of Judge O. II. p.
Roszell Judging that the personal his
tory of a man who has been so long a
resident of our county, and who has
been so intimately identified with it's
growth and development as has Judge
Roszell, will be interesting to all classes
of our readers, we have gathered from
the best sources attainablc few promi-
nent incidents in his life, which we pro-
pose to lay before our readers.
Oliver H. p. Roszell was Of French
Huguenot descent, and was born in Can
andaigua, n. Y, December q, 1927, and
was consequently not quite 80 years of
age at his death His father was far
mer. and, when the subject of this biog-
raphy was an infant, removed to Genes
see county, where, at the age of 9.years,
by the death of his father, he became
an orphan. His education was that de-
rived from the common school, perfect
ed by attendance at the Carey Collegi-
ate Seminary for number of years. At
the attainment of the age of manhood
he came west, and engaged with a gov
eminent surveying party in Wisconsin.
The following year he came to this city,
then very small hamlet with an uncer-
tain future. His first employment was
teaching school, which he pursued for
some years. Here he acquired that prac-
teal knowledge of educational work
which has enabled him to exert so bene-
fetal an influence upon the cause Of
popular education during his entire ca
reer. During this period of his life he
was engaged in various occupations
which man of enterprise and brains
finds ready to his hands in new coun-
try, such as dealing in real estate, sur
veying, banking in small way, &c. In
1851 he was elected as County Judge Of
this county, the first incumbent of that
office, which he held for years. In the
meantime he found time to study law,
and was admitted to practice in 1854.
In 1858 he was elected Co. Superintend-
ent of Schools, for which he was admir-
ably fitted, and the same year was
chosen a member of the State Board of
Education In this capacity he helped
frame the bill establishing our present
excellent free school system. Previous
to this, in 1852, he was married to Miss
Mary Il. What, who, with nine children,
the fruit of this union, survive to mourn
the loss of an affectionate husband and
parent. He has been elected Mayor of
this city number of times, and filled
other positions of trust and responsible
ity, always well and honestly, and to the
benefit of his constituents.
In his manners, Judge Roszell was not
genial man, but he was a just one.
( No imputation upon his honor or in
tegrity has ever been raised. Polit-
ically, he was Democrat, and was
inclined to bitter partisanship in
action and expression. In this way, he,
in times of strong political feeling, in
CURED much opposition and enmity, but
so firm was the public confidence in his
integrity of character, that, except for
purely political positions, he has always
commanded the votes of quite a large
portion of men of opposite politics. Up
on ordinary affairs pertaining to the
growth and prosperity Of the communi-
ty, his judgment was deliberate and
sound, and his labors for the advance
ment of our schools alone entitle him to
be remembered with gratitude and re-
spect.