The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-09-08

hills with the wind blowing all the
time and nothing around us but
swampy rivers where there's NOT
drifting sand. Do we have to live
here in this sandy. windy Chicago.
Stephen? l Just won't do it,"
The young man with the fine face
ind eyes that were penetrating and
soft at the same time, leaned still
farther back in his chair and looked
at his pretty wife long and medi-
tatively before he replied:
mo, Elizabeth, we don't have to
stay here. can't see that it really
makes any difference whether we
have our store and business here in
Chicago or in Keokuk, Iowa, town
that's growing fast and looks about
as good as this one-maybe better
Well move to Keokuk, if you want
to get away from here"
Il do" A certain quiet flrmness in
the tone Of the wifes answer and a
peculiar almost imperceptible stiffen.
ing OF the chin told more than the
words OF her determination. And so.
Stephen Irwin said it was settled.
his wife kissed him, and in a few
weeks the wholesale dry goods house
Of Kramer. Irwin & Company was
moved to Keokuk. That was in 1856,
and that is how 1t happens that letter
heads going all over the west in this
later century carry the legend:
"1rwfn-Phillips Company, Keokuk,
Iowa, Established 1856"
From Farm to Counting Room.
This Stephen Irwin, whose bust
ness and name still exists in the
third generation, had acquired much
strength of character and ability to
overcome difficulties from his colo
NAL ancestry and from his boyhood
spent on the farm near Hamilton,
Ohio. where he was born and reared.
There was another boy of ambitions
and determination ON an adjoining
farm named Frederick Kramer Hav-
ing married the girl of the soft but
firm voice Stephen Irwin joined his
chum, Frederick Kramer in starting
store at Richmond. Indiana, not far
from their homes, and the young men
had large enough ideas to make it
wholesale store in the beginning.
Having the business started and
organized, they almost at once began
10 look for the best location, their
sxpansiveness of ideas appearing in
the very beginning of their mercan-
lille careers, and Richmond being
rather old, settled down town, as
towns were in those days in the ter
ritory around Cincinnati. Chicago
was farther toward the frontier of
the new country. and they moved to
Chicago. But in that year of 1856, |
Chicago was raw and unpleasant in
many ways, while Keokuk, the COM
mercial gateway to the entire pio-
neer northwest. was city of much |
refinement of life, rich and cult !
waited society and metropolitan airs |
that .riyaled those of New York and
Baltimore There was every reason /
why the tastes of young Mrs. Stephen
Irwin and the business acumen of
her husband should join forces in
causing their migration from. Chicago
to Keokuk.
Evolution of Big Business.
There was also Stephen Twins
brother, S. w. Irwin, and they with
Frederick Kramer made the new
Keokuk firm of Kramer, Irwin Co.
Frederick Kramer stayed here ten
years and then sold out to Stephen
\ IL
of Pennsylvania where he prospered
and died. About the same time, S.
w. Irwin moved to Mobile, Ala, and /
sold his interest to Stephen Irwin
who became sole owner of the whole
sale dry goods house. and its name
became simply Stephen Irwin for
several years during which time the
business grew apace and needed
more executives in it. Then it was
Stephen Irwin & Co. for little i
while.
When 1t was brought here from
Chicago, it was the eighth wholesale
dry goods house in keokuk-and
that it had seven competitors in this
town indicates the comparative COM
mercial importance of Chicago and
Keokuk then. One of it's customers
was Phillips & Kerr, retailers, and
about 1870, C. e. Phillips decided to
quit that retail business and join his
fortunes with Stephen Irwin and
also became the New York buyer
of the firm. During the civil
war, young lieutenant of the
Iowa was brought wound
ed to Keokuk hospital re-
NAMED here, and little later mar
ried Stephen Twins daughter, Mary
Crawford Irwin. He was /. A. Saw
yer, a captain before the war ended,
and he with C. e. Phillips and
Stephen Irwin formed the firm OF
Irwin, Phillips & Co., a continuation {
Of the original business established s
here in 1856.
Keeping Il In the Families, Is
Tho hucinaes continued TO grow {
and 1t was really big when, in 1887,
he big fire occurred and burned 1t {
out of house and home. By that
line, sons of Stephen Irwin and OF
}. E. Phillips had grown up, and had
grown into the business. The answer |
If the firm to the fates- and the fire
vas to make it larger than ever and G
it under the name of the q
rwfn-Phillfps Company. The stock g
folders then were Stephen Irwin, Z.
T. phf1Itnc g Phil /, |