Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-08-01
Geneva Merchant
in Business For
Sixty Years

Hampton, Aug. III c. Clock. Of
Geneva, celebrated his eightieth birth
day last Thursday. Captain Clock is
Franklin county's oldest merchant,
and his s0th birthday was spent in
active work in the H. c. Clock & Sons
| big general store at Geneva. .
He has been engaged in business at
Geneva for practically forty-fve years.
which is surely record that very few
men in Iowa have for continuous mer-
| chandising at one place. and very few
with q record of that length Of time In
business whether in one or more
places. Mr.. Clock first came to Frank
lin county from Illinois, In the year
1858, and after a short time here he
returned to Illinois for a time and
again came here in 1859. With his
brother, E. L Clock, an older brother,
he worked in a store at Old Chaplin,
and later engaged in business at
Mayesville, six miles south of Hamp-
ton.
When the civil war brought a call
to arms, Captain Clock was among the
first ten men to go from Franklin
county, and he Is the only one OF the
ten pioneer veterans who are living at
this place. Dr. NJ. H. Ross. OF Hamp-
teE. being the ninth man 70 answer
the final summons a few years ago.
At the close Of the war Captain Clock
returned to Franklin county and con-
tinued his business at Mayesville.
When the old Iowa Central railroad.
now the NJ. & st. L. railroad, was
built thru Franklin county it was I'M
able to get to Mayesville on account
Of the hills. and had to follow the line
Of least resistance. like all railroads
did in those days. and follow along the
low grounds. The town of Geneva,
east Of Mayesville about four miles,
was laid out when the railroad
! reached that town in 1873. and Cap
tain Clock was one of the first to set
stakes and become a resident Of the
town with a railroad. He purchased
the lots on which the Clock & Sons
| store now stands In August of that
year. and started tho erection Of a
store building, and in the latter part
Of September the building was COM
p1eted and ready for occupancy, and
the idea Of freight coming right to
your door by a railroad route was a
great luxury not only to Mr.. Clock, but
to his patrons and all other residents
Of the community which, by the way,
were not very numerous at that time.
The territory of Geneva, as everybody
knows Is now we'll developed, is popu-
| lated by fine class Of people, and is
one Of the rich and productive agri-
cultural districts Of the country
When Mr.. Clock was engaged In
| business at Mayesville his first freight
was hauled by horse and OK teams
from Dubuque, and later from In
dependence and Waterloo. as the
building Of the Illinois Central rail-
road progressed westward, and finally
from Ackiey, which at that time,
seemed to be about as close d place to
haul freight from as an ordinary
business block would seem at this
time. Some buffalo roamed In Frank
lin county at that time, beaver was q
trapping pastime among the early
settlers along the Mayne's creek, and
the Indians were among the "numer-
ous'' customers Of the store at Mayes-
vile.
Mr.. Clocks years Of activity IN busi-
sixty years, and IL is doubtful II It can
po oQoaiou IN 4VWS- Al NN yOunkeF
days he took an active interest In
politics, and was one Of the most in.
huential republicans in this part Of
the state, He served AZ postmaster ~
Geneva for fifteen years, and In fact
was thu Mrst postmaster Of that time.
During the governorship Of Governor
Gear he was member OF the COVER
nors stan. ana accompanied Governor
Gear on an official trip thru the aCuti,.
ern ahatt1ehelds4 IA II q, lsi....Aa... a