The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1911-03-23

school, James Burnside died In 1876,
at the age of 35 years leaving Wild
ow and four children and part of
the responsibility of caring for the
family devolyed upon the son, vii.
liam. Thus, MIR. Burnside was not
only himself a pioneer but he came
from line of pioneers and the com.
mon bread of all early settlers, trial
and privation was the meat of their
humble board in the years of the
struggle and toll. William was about
to leave college for active work when
the civil war came. He enlisted as a
private in Company A. 18th Iowa In.
fantry in September 1862, but was
soon made sergeant. Later he was
given commission as Second Lieu.
tenant of the 51st Regt. U. 8. c. l.,
and was mustered out as First Lieu.
tenant at Baton Rouge, Louisiana,
June Is, 1866. He was with General
Sherman until after the siege of
Vicksburg and was in active service
ment. Among the greater engage
ments in which he participated were
those of Hams Bluff, Arkansas Post
and all the fighting from Grand Gulf
to Vicksburg, the siege and capture
of Vicksburg, at Jackson. Mississippi,
and in the nine days engagement at
Blakely, opposite Mobile, Alabama,
where was fought the last battle OF
the war.
Following his military career the
young lieutenant returned to his
home in Washington county and took
up the work of the farm for time.
He sought further learning however,
and took up work at Monmouth Col
lege for a year or more. Leaving
school to go to the assistance of his
sister upon the sickness and death
of her husband, he. went to Alabama
and operated a turpentine grove
near Mobile. He returned after a
season in the south and again took
up college work at Galesburg, intend
ing TO fit himself for the profession
of the law. Hearing of an advant-
ageous opening in Oskaloosa he came
to Mahaska county and his residence
here dates from September 1868. He
established himself in real estate,
abstract and loan Office, purchasing
the only set of abstract books in the
county at that time of Charles A.
Croney and for seventeen years he
was in this line of business, having
for his office a part of the old recor-
der's office at the west of the build
ing now occupied by the Mahaska
County State Bank. Milo M. Rice
was recarder at the time and was
with the BurnsideS in California this
winter. Failing health took him
from the confinement of office routine
to the farm and for several years he
engaged successfully in stock raising
and selling. He took up the lumber
business in 1885, purchasing a small
yard of G.. Taylor & Co. located at
the intersection of Third avenue and
IA street, one block south of the Con-
gregatioual church. Here he in
creased the business until larger
quarters became necessary and he
moved the yards and the business to
the location on ID street between
High avenue and First avenue, now
occupied by the local branch of the
Howkeye Lumber Co., corporation
of twenty-one properties, of which he
was the originator and organizer.
The Hawkeye Lumber Co. was or
ganized in 1901, with William Burn
side as president, position which
| he has occupied continuously with
credit to himself and profit to the
business organization. The company
! is today one of the strongest and
most prosperous in the state.
William Burnside was married on
Dec. 90, 1868, with Miss Hannah A.
Henderson, daughter of John A. and
Elizabeth A. Henderson, at the town
of Washington. Eight children have
blessed this union, Ralph f., secre'
| tary of the Hawkeye Lumber Co.;
Charlee H.. of the Columbia Univer'
sity, New York; Mary Hortensc, wife
of Irving G. Johnson, an attorney OF
Oskaloosa; Harry H., died in infancy;
John H., engaged in lumber trade at
Tacoma; Elizabeth H., librarian at
Bradley Polytechnic Institute, Peo'
ria, H.; Margaret H. Hinshaw, OF
Greenleaf, Idaho, and Alice H., in
structor of piano at Penn College.
The deceased became a member OF
the Second United Presbyterian
church of Monmouth, ILL.,, while a
young man in attendance at College
and remained steadfast and faithful
to the principles and the teachings
of that faith to the day Oh death. he
| transferred his membership IRON
Monmouth to the United Presbyter
| ian church of Oskaloosa soon after
coming to this city, and was one OF
the stauhchest supporters of the 10
cal organization. He was an elder
and an officer of the church for al
most forty years and for about TWEEN
ty-five years he was superintendent
of the Sunday school. William Burn
side was called at various times t.
positions of honor and trust In The
institutions OF the city. For six years
he served as a member of the board
OF education, and for two years pre-
sided AZ president of the board. liz