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Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
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George A. Small Those
who belong to the respectable middle classes of society, being early taught the
necessity of relying upon their own exertions, will be more apt to acquire that
information and those business habits which alone can fit them for the discharge
of life's duties, and, indeed, it has long been a noticeable fact that our great
men in nearly all walks of life in America spring from this class.
The gentleman whose life history we herewith delineate is a worthy
representative of the class from which the true noblemen of the republic spring,
and while he has never achieved wide notoriety, or, indeed, cared for the
admiring plaudits of his fellow men, he has played well his part as a citizen
and done much for the localities where he has lived. George A. Small, the genial and popular proprietor of the
Commercial hotel at Baxter, Iowa, hails from the dark and bloody ground country,
his birth having occurred in Jefferson County, Kentucky, September 27, 1849, and
he was quite young when his parents, who were pioneers of that state, left there
and moved to Macoupin County, Illinois, being among the early settlers there;
they began farming and the subject assisted in developing the same, helped build
the rail fence that surrounded it and there became acquainted with hard manual
labor. There the family lived until
the fall of 1870, when they moved to Jasper County, Iowa, locating about two and
one half miles west of Monroe on the Prairie City road and there secured a good
farm and home. The parents, George W. and Julia Ann
(demons) Small, were both natives of Kentucky, the mother born in Jefferson
County. They both died in Prairie
City, Iowa. There were thirteen
children in their family, namely: Ella Overstreet, deceased; George A., of this
review; James C., residence unknown; Richard L., deceased; E. S., deceased;
Edwin E. lives in Dallas County, Iowa; William is deceased; Forney lives in St.
Paul, Minnesota; the others died in infancy. In May 1871, George A. Small
was united in marriage with Laura J. Meek, who was born in Jasper County, Iowa,
in 1850, and whose death occurred in April 1876.
There were two children born to this union, namely: Mattie Zella Clutter,
born May 17, 1872, is living at home; after completing the common school work
she was graduated from the Omaha high school, and she taught school a number of
years very successfully. The
youngest child died in infancy. Mr. Small was again married at Newton, Iowa, on September
12, 1883, to Emma Flock, who was born in Jasper County, Iowa, February 15, 1859,
the daughter of John and Catharine (Haymond) Flock, the father a native of New
Jersey, who emigrated first to Ohio, then to Iowa, dying in Jasper County; the
mother was a native of Maryland; they came to Jasper County about sixty years
ago. Their family consisted of the
following children: Charles Flock; Emma, wife of Mr. Small, of this review; Lena
died about fifteen years ago; Catharine Sewell lives in Clear Creek Township,
this County. To Mr. and Mrs. Small two daughters have
been born, also one son, namely: Verda Rey Hopson, born September 20, 1885,
married September 24, 1903, residing in Des Moines; John A., born November 8,
1888, attended the common schools, was employed about three years as telegraph
operator for the Chicago Great Western Railway, and he is now operator at
Baxter; Gertrude Leona, born April 18, 1891, is now Mrs. James McKinzie, and
lives in Baxter. These children were born and reared in Jasper County. From 1871 to 1876 the family resided near Monroe, thence
moved to Prairie City, where the first Mrs. Small's death occurred.
Mr. Small moved to Colfax and engaged in various business enterprises and
traveled extensively. After his second marriage he engaged in farming until
1891, then conducted a restaurant in Colfax. In
1902 he purchased the restaurant at Baxter, which he sold in 1909 and bought the
Commercial hotel here, which he is still conducting, his son, John, managing the
restaurant. His aim is to make this
one of the best hotels in every respect in central Iowa. It has been entirely refitted and is now first class in every
respect, and, being convenient to both the business district and the depot, it
is popular with the traveling public. Guests find in Mr. Small a genial,
obliging and courteous gentleman who spares no pains in making them comfortable
and his trade is rapidly increasing. Politically, Mr. Small is a Democrat and Mrs. Small
belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church. . Mr. Small and his son, John, are
members of Baxter Lodge No. 168, Knights of Pythias. The former was at one time
a member of the Knights of Honor at Colfax. Like his father, John Small is popular and
well liked wherever he is known and he is proving to be a successful
businessman. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa, Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-In-Chief, B.F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912, p. 1096. |
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