Isaac and William Hosea

These men were brothers, the sons of John Hosea and Nancy Jef. ferson Hosea of Sussex County, Delaware. The father was a farmer who died in 1852, leaving ten children in the family.

Isaac Thomas Hosea was born November 28, 1835, near the town of Laurel, Delaware. He attended the schools near his home and came to St. Joseph in 1857 at the age of twenty-two. He secured a роsition as clerk in the wholesale dry goods establishment of Tootles & Fairleigh. He remained there until January 1863 when he entered into partnership with John S. Lemon in a wholesale dry goods business known as Lemon, Hosea & Company. In 1870 he sold his interest in the firm to Mr. Lemon. In the years 1871 to 1873 he was interested in the building of the first bridge across the Missouri River at St. Joseph.

In 1873 the St. Joseph Savings Bank was incorporated with Mr. Hosea as president. The office was at Market Square until 1875. The bank was then merged with the Colhoun Bank to form the Colhoun Savings Bank. The office was then at the southeast corner of Third and Felix Streets, and Isaac T. Hosea was president. In 1878 the business was purchased by Schuster, Hax & Company, a partnership composed of A. N. Schuster, Louis Hax, John Colhoun, and James N. Burnes.

In 1874 Mr. Hosea was elected mayor of St. Joseph, and he served with great dedication until April 1878. He then entered the wholesale hardware business, the firm being known as Schultz & Hosea, which continued until 1890. Mr. Hosea was a charter member of the Benton Club in 1887. His home was at 722 Main Street.

Milton Tootle died January 2, 1887, and three administrators of his large estate were appointed: Isaac T. Hosea, John S. Lemon, and Dr. John S. Logan, the half-brother of Mrs. Tootle.

In 1895 Mr. Hosea was elected to the new six-member, non-partisan school board. He visited the schools regularly and many teachers were the beneficiaries of his kind and encouraging support. His term expired in 1900 and in recognition of his valuable service the Hosea School was named for him.

Mr. Hosea was married in 1865 to Miss Rachel Esther Carter. They had three children: Elvira, who married Dr. C. B. Simcoe, Madge who married W. S. Hendrick, and Jefferson Carter Hosea, who married Miss Mary Woodson, daughter of Governor Silas Woodson. While on a visit to his daughter at Marshall, Missouri, Mr. Hosea died of heart failure on August 21, 1901.

William E Hosea was born April 26, 1846, near the town of Laurel, Delaware. His father died when he was only four years of age. He attended the local schools in the winter terms, working on his mother's farm in the other seasons.

In 1862, when he was twenty-four, he decided to go west to join his older brother, Isaac, who was in St. Joseph, Missouri. William secured a job as porter for the wholesale dry goods firm of Tootle, Fairleigh & Company at a very small salary. His industry led to various advancements until in 1867 he was able to secure a small interest in the business.

He was the first salesman from St. Joseph to go out on the road with samples of dry goods. He continued this work for five years with outstanding success. Mr. Fairleigh withdrew from the business in 1872 and it became Tootle, Craig & Company. On January 1, 1877, the name was changed to Tootle, Hosea & Company and Mr. Hosea undertook the buying and active management of the business. In 1884 the impressive building of the firm was built on the east side of Fourth Street, between Felix and Francis. This building was taken down in 1973.

Mr. Hosea was married in 1873 to Miss Jennie Smith, daughter of George Smith who had originally brought young Milton Tootle to St. Joseph in 1849. There were five Hosea children. Mrs. Hosea died in 1881 and Mr. Hosea eventually sold his home at 80I Hall Street, retaining some space for his own occupancy. Suddenly, on the evening of April 17, 1893 he dropped dead there of a heart attack.

St. Joseph City Directories:

1889 Tootle, Hosea & Company 109-115 North 4th

1890 Tootle, Hosea & Company SE Cor. 4th & Jule

1892 Tootle, Hosea & Company Cor. 4th & Jule

1894 Tootle, Wheeler & Motter Cor. 4th & Jule