Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-26
THE HISTORY
OF A PIONEER
MAJOR A. II. HAMILTON WRITES
THE LIFE STORY OF NEW
TON c. HILL
Early Resident Of ottumwa, Who Re.
Gently Answered the Final Summons
and Was Laid to Rest. Settled Here
in 1a44-The Obituary.

The history of the life of Newton c.
Hill, pioneer resilient of this city,
written by his lifelong friend, Major
A. H. Hamilton, is printed below:
History OF a Pioneer.
By request l write of Newton Clark
Hill, who passed on to the other life
on the night of the 10th of January,
1907, at the home of younger brother,
with whom he was spending the win
ter, in Pasadena, California. He had
spent the evening in the family circle
and retired to his room apparently in
the enjoyment of his usual good health.
and when found life was extinct, hav-,
ing passed away peacefully, with, one
hand under his head and the other
lying upon his breast, no evidence of
the least struggle beng apparent.
Born In North Carolina.
Mr.. Hill was born in Guilford county,
North Carolina. May Is, 1921 His par
ents were Friends and doubtless their
forebears were of the same denomina-
ton, for large company of Friends
state. many of these coming from
these Friends, with their intense oppo-
sition to slavery. should have sought
an abode in a slave state, is somewhat
paradoxical, but they in common with
nearly all enlightened people every
where In an early day, expected slav-
cry to pass away. Yet in the midst of
slavery before and during the. rebel
lion, those Friends lived on in peace
with their neighbors, commanding the
respect Of the latter, even of the vici-
GUS portion. They took care of their
own poor; they cared for and educated
their orphaned children. They did not
cucumber the courts with law suits,
without giving cause for loss to the
revenue of the state in any way, and
they faithfully contributed to that rev.
enue.
Under such social environment Mr.
Hill was born and reared to the age of
9, when he removed with his parents
to Park county, Indiana, where the
family settled upon farm near to a
Friend settlement called Bloomingdale.
1t was my pleasure to meet his parents
there in 1869. Here again he was
among the Friends until he set out to
seek home in the west, coming to
Ottumwa in 1874 In this city he took
up mis- trade of a carpenter and built
several of the first houses in the city
and vicinity. He was married to
Mary G. Blake Of this city October IL,
1S47. Ir 1857 the family removed to
farm one and a half miles north of
the city, where they lived for some
twentv-eight years. Afterwards he re-
moved to larger farm near Highland
Center this county. His children,
growing up and leaving the home, he
hold mis- farm and purchased few
acres adjoining Highland Center, and
he and his wife lived there until her
death April IL. 1899. This broke up
his home of over half a century and
since then he has largely domiciled in
the homes of his children.
Two brothers and one sister survive
him, John M. Hill of Pasadena, Cal,
B. F. Hill of Bloomingdale, Ind, and
Mrs. Mary Allen of Newburg, Ore;
also three sons and three daughters.
Albert Hill, Woodward, Okla: Charles
w. Hill Boise. Idaho; Horace Hill.
Lewiston, Montana; Mrs. G. E. Bed
we'll, Omaha, Neb.; Mrs. Wade Kirk.
patrick, Hedrick, and Mrs. H. L. Wa
terman Of this city Three daughters
died in infancy. Everybody in Wap-
clio county during the early days knew
Newton G. Hill and none knew him but
to respect him. There being no Friends
society here he united with the Metho-
dist Episcopal church and in this re-
NAMED at the time of his death.
nave known Mr.. Hill we'll and cor
daily for over half century He was
not great talker, but very appre-