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WILLIAM H. MERRITT
COL. WILLIAM H. MERRITT, Postmaster of Des Moines, and a pioneer of Iowa of 1838, was born in th city of New York, September 12, 1820, and is a son of Dr. Jesse and Harriet (Hilton) Merritt. His father was a native of Connecticut, born March 19, 1790, of English parentage. The paternal grandfather of our subject was one of four brothers who were born in Connecticut, their parents having emigrated from England to America prior to the Revolutionary War. One settled in New York, one in Canada, another in South Carolina, and the fourth remained in Connecticut. The maternal grandfather of our subject was a daughter of Joseph Griswold, and a native of England. With her parents, she also settled in this country in Colonial days. Their home was in New York City, on the Battery. The maternal grandmother resided with her family on the Hudson River, at the time of the Revolutionary War, and was driven from her home by English soldiers.
Dr. Jesse Merritt, the father of the Colonel, was a merchant on Chatham Street, N.Y., in early life, and when William H. was about a year old removed with his family to Ithaca, where he resided eleven years. He continued merchandising there and also studied medicine, receiving his diploma during the time. About 1832 he removed to Cataraugus County, N.Y., settling in Lodi, now known as Gowanda, where he practiced medicine until 1837, when he removed to Buffalo, and engaged in the real-estate business, in connection with the practice of his profession, continuing his residence in that city until his death, which occurred in 1850. His wife died in Ithaca, in 1825.
The subject of this sketch received his literary education in the Genesee Wesleyan University, of Lima, N.Y., and in 1838, went to Rock Island, Ill. After spending a few months at that place as merchants' clerk he continued his journey to Ivanhoe, Linn County, in the Territory of Iowa, for the purpose of managing a branch store for his employers at that place, then only a frontier hamlet. The white population of Linn County at that time did not exceed one hundred, all told, and his principal trade was with the Sac and Fox Indians. Mr. Merritt was the first man who ever sold goods in the interior of Iowa, except the licensed Indian traders. In 1840 he closed up the business at Ivanhoe and removed to Burlington, Iowa, to accept the appointment of enrolling clerk of the Territorial Council, whose sessions were held in the old Zion Methodist Episcopal Church of that place, in the winter of 1840-1. After the adjournment of the Council he returned to Linn County, and in 1842, went to Buffalo, N.y>, where he engaged in the mercantile business with his father. In 1847 he returned to Iowa and took charge of the Miner's Express, a daily paper of Dubuque, which he conducted until the fall of 1848, when he sold out and went on a Government survey in the northern part of the State.
In January, 1849, the gold discoveries in California attracted the attention of Col. Merritt, and he determined to try his fortune in that direction. The journey was made by stage to St. Louis and thence by steamer to New Orleans, where he boarded a sixty-ton schooner bound for the Isthmus, which was reached after twenty-four days on the gulf, in very stormy weather. From the Isthmus he went by the customary route to San Francisco. He was engaged in mining and trading in California until March, 1851, when he returned home and joined W. A. Jones in the purchase of the Miners Express, of Dubuque,which at the end of two years was consolidated with the Harold. While conducting the paper, Mr. Merritt was appointed Surveyor of the Port of Dubuque, about 1852, being the first officer of the kind in Iowa. Two years later he severed his connection with the paper and accepted the appointment of register of
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the newly created land office at Fort Dodge, and entered upon the duties of that position in November, 1855. Gen. Verplank Van Antwerp, who was the receiver of the first land office in the State, in connection with Gen. A. C. Dodge, held the same position in the new office at Fort Dodge. Col. Merritt served as register until the fall of 1857, during which time two million acres of land had been sold through the office, and then resigned to enter into the banking business at Cedar Rapids with George and William Green under the firm name of Green, Merritt & Co., successors to Green, Ware & Co., which continued until 1861.
At the breaking out of the late war Mr. Merritt withdrew from his business interests to enter the service, at the first call of President Lincoln for three months troops. He was first elected Captain of Company K, First Iowa Infantry, which honor he declined, after which he was elected Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment and so commissioned. Owing to the illness of Col. Bates, Col. Merritt led that gallant regiment at the hotly contested battle of Wilson's Creek, Mo., where he exhibited much coolness and bravery. When Gen. Lyon fell, mortally wounded, on that occasion, he stood within a few steps of the noble officer. At the expiration of four months, when the regiment was mustered out, Col. Merritt was appointed on the staff of Gen. McClellan with the rank of Colonel of Cavalry. He was strongly presented for promotion to Brigadier-General, and was to have gone to Texas on an expedition with Gen. Kilpatrick, but different orders were issued and he was stationed in Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., where he remained till late in 1862, when he resigned and returned to Iowa. He subsequently raised a company at Cedar Rapids for the Sixth Cavalry, under the promise of a commission as Lieutenant-Colonel, failing of which he resigned and again engaged in the newspaper business.
Locating in Des Moines, Col. Merritt purchased the Statesman, which he published until 1866, when he sold out and started a farm on Walnut Creek, in Polk County, where he engaged extensively in the growing of hops, but the grasshoppers ruined his crops and caused him to lose heavily. A year later he rented his farm and, with William Irvin & Co., contractors, engaged in building the Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis Railroad. In connection with Judge Green & Bro., he was contractor and superintendent of construction of the line between Beardstown, Ill., Lower Alton. He was engaged in railroading several years, during which time he built a portion of the Ohio Central Railroad, operating in Ohio and Indiana, with headquarters in Ft. Wayne, from 1870 until 1873. In 1880 he returned to Des Moines, and in March of that year was elected Mayor of the city, which position he held through two years. In 1883 and 1884, he was engaged in constructing a portion of the Danville, Olney & Ohio River Railroad, after which he was not in active business until appointed Postmaster of Des Moines, in September, 1886, which position he holds at this writing. Col. Merritt has made an efficient and popular Postmaster, his administration of the office having been conducted with such ability and fidelity, that, although now serving under a Republican administration, there is a large portion of those opposed to him in politics who will be sorry to see him superseded. The office is an important one and requires a force of fifty employes [employees] to perform the the necessary duties. The postmaster is the custodian of the building and Government property connected with it. Col. Merritt has always been a consistent Democrat, and has been influential in the councils of his party in Iowa for many years. During the war he was the Democratic candidate for Governor, and was defeated by only eight thousand majority in a State noted for being one of the most radical Republican strongholds in the Union.
Col. Merritt, on the 8th of January, 1846, in Silver Creek, near Buffalo, N.Y., was untied in marriage with Miss Marcia M. Sutherland, a daughter of Solomon and Rebecca Sutherland. She was born in Chautauqua County, N.Y., and comes of a prominent and influential family of that State, of which the late Judge Sutherland, of the Supreme Bench, was a member. Seven children were born to Col. and Mrs. Merritt, of whom only three sons are now living. Edward S., the eldest married Miss Bertha Kidd, and is Superintendent of the
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Carriers of the Des Moines post-office; William H., Jr., is associated with J. D. Seeburger in the hardware business, in Des Moines; and Douglas D. is connected with the Chicago Lumber Company, of Denver, Col. Mrs. Merritt is a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, of Des Moines.
The Colonel is an Odd Fellow and a Mason, and has passed all the Chairs in the former order. He has no business interests in this city, but is interested in mining operations in Arizona. A little more than a half century has intervened since Col. Merritt first entered the Territory of Iowa and sold goods to the dusky natives, and more than forty years have passed since he first conducted one of the leading journals of the State. During all these years he has made Iowa his home and has been identified in one way or another with the growth and development of the State. As a citizen, he has always been highly esteemed for his upright, manly and patriotic course in public and private life, and for his kindly, genial manner to all with whom he has had business or social relations.
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PHILANDER SMITH
PHILANDER SMITH is a representative of one of the pioneer families of the county and is now owner of one of its most valuable farms. His landed possessions comprise four hundred acres under a high state of cultivation and well improved.
Mr. Smith is a native of Illinois, having been born on the 6th of June, 1835, in Fulton County. His parents, James and Eliza (Copeland) Smith, were both natives of Kentucky and of Irish descent. His father is also a farmer and engaged in the cultivation of land in his native State until 1835, when he removed to Fulton county, Ill. In connection with his agricultural pursuits, he there worked in an oil mill and also stocked plows in a factory in Canton. He emigrated to Missouri in an early day, probably about the year 1840, and engaged in the nursery business for about three years. The spring of 1847 witnessed his arrival in Polk County, Iowa, himself and two sons making the journey from Cairo by boat to Quincy, Ill. As the river was still frozen over, they could proceed no farther in that manner and were compelled to walk the remainder of the distance, two hundred and sixty-five miles. On his arrival, Mr. Smith made a claim in what is now Delaware Township, but after two years sold out and purchased the farm which he now owns. It comprises one hundred and twenty acres, for which he paid $1.25 per acre, and is located in Bloomfield Township, now a part of the city of Des Moines. As the county has become more thickly populated it has risen rapidly in value, and in connection with the many improvements which have been made upon it has become one of the most valuable farms in the county. He erected a large brick residence and surrounded his home by a beautiful grove of evergreens which makes it one of the prettiest farm residences in the community. Mr. Smith is the pioneer nurseryman of Bloomfield Township and continued business in that line on the farm just mentioned until 1883, when he leased his land and removed to Faulk County S. Dak., where he now has one of the finest orchards in that State. He was regarded as one of the leading and progressive citizens of Polk County. He did all in his power to advance its best interests and his aid was never solicited in vain for the advancement of its worthy enterprises.
Unto James and Eliza Smith was born a family of three children: John C., a resident of Bloomfield Township; Philander, whose name heads this sketch, and Eliza, who died in infancy. The mother was called to her final rest in 1838, when a resident of Fulton County, Ill., after which Mr. Smith was again married, in 1853, to Miss Christiana Whitlege, by whom he had four children——Alice and Eliza (twins) the latter deceased; Florence and Sarah E.
We now come to the personal history of our subject. The days of his boyhood and youth were spent upon his father's farm, he remaining under the parental roof until twenty-four years of age. He was a lad of eleven years when he became a resident of this county, and from that time assisted his father in the nursery business until May, 1861, when responding to his country's call for troops to crush out the rebellion in its infancy, he enlisted in Company D, Second Iowa Infantry, under Capt.
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Crocker. That was the first company to leave Des Moines. They went first to Keokuk, after which they were engaged in garrison duty at different points in the country until the winter of 1861-62. Their first engagement occurred on the 6th of February, 1862, and from that forward Mr. Smith with his regiment participated in many battles, including the hard-fought battle of Corinth, where he was wounded, receiving a gun shot in his right arm. He was taken to the hospital at Corinth, where his wound was dressed, and in a few days removed to Keokuk, Iowa, where he remained for about six months, when, being disabled for duty, he was discharged in April, 1863, and returned home.
It was some time before Mr. SMith regained his usual health, but as soon as he had acquired sufficient strength, he engaged in farming. He bought eighty acres of land in a wild and unimproved condition on section 32, Bloomfield Township, upon which he erected a log cabin and then leased his farm for a year, but at the end of that time devoted his own energies to its development. He cleared away the brush, planted crops, and in a short time had made a good farm, to the value of which he has constantly added by his many improvements and the high state of cultivation under which it was placed. He found an able helpmate in his wife, whose maiden name was Miss Catherine Bell. She had previously been married, however, being the widow of Moses Handley, who died in 1861. By that marriage she had four children, three of whom are now living, William F., James B. and Moses B. The only daughter, Mary B., is now deceased. Mrs. Smith is a daughter of Samuel and Rachel (Craskey) Bell, and came with her parents to Iowa in 1856; she was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, April 18, 1835. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Smith was celebrated December 16, 1864, and unto them have been born four children: Josephine, who is now Principal of the Howe School, of Des Moines; Theron, deceased; Stella E. and Bell, who are at home. Neither labor nor expense has been spared by the parents in providing their children with excellent educational advantages, and of their daughters the parents may well be proud. As before stated the eldest now occupies the position of principal in one of the schools of Des Moines. Miss Stella is a graduate of the High School of that city of the class of 1888, and the youngest expects soon to complete the same course.
Mr. Smith and his wife began their domestic life in a little log cabin, and there many happy days were passed, but after seven years, success having attended their efforts, the pioneer home was replaced by a large and commodious two-story residence. Other improvements were soon afterward made, including a large barn and the necessary outbuildings and their home was beautified by surrounding it with a grove of evergreens. It indeed presents an attractive appearance to the passer-by and indicates to the traveler that the owner is a man of culture and refinement as well as of thrift and industry. To his original purchase he has added until he now owns four hundred acres of finely developed land, two hundred and forty acres of which is in the incorporated limits of the city, upon which can be found a good grade of stock. For a period of twelve years he made a specialty of breeding fine stock but now raises only enough for his own use. He has certainly been very successful in his undertakings but his prosperity is due alone to his own efforts. As a citizen he is public spirited and progressive and has identified himself with the worthy interests of the county since 1847. On his arrival in Iowa there was but one frame house in the city of Des Moines and it was not weather-boarded, the homes of the few settlers were widely scattered, the work of progress had scarcely begun and the most imaginative would hardly have predicted the wonderful growth which has been made. The county is on a par with any in the State of Iowa, and the capital city compares favorably with the older cities of the East. The wild prairies have been made to bloom and blossom as the rose, industries and manufactories of great importance have been introduced, and in no particular is Des Moines behind the large cities of other States. It has been no easy task to bring about his pleasing result and to the pioneers who bore the hardest part of the labor, much praise is due. Mr. Smith is one of these and he also deserves the encomiums due to the valiant soldier and enterprising citizen. In politics he is a supporter of the Republican party and, socially, is a member of Crocker Post, G.A.R.
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of Des Moines. Mrs. Smith and her daughters are members of the Christian Church, holding their membership at the Central Church of Christ. She is also a charter member of that organization, and an earnest worker in the Master's cause, having joined the church when but a girl. She is a lady of refinement and culture and has been a true helpmate indeed, taking charge of the domestic affairs of her home and bringing her children up in the faith of a living God. The home of Mr. Smith is the abode of hospitality, and while in his presence and that of his worthy wife one feels at ease, and it is with pleasure we record the lives of so worthy a couple for the coming generations.
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BARLOW GRANGER
 COL. BARLOW GRANGER, the pioneer journalist of Polk County, and one of the most widely-known of Iowa's early settlers, was born in Cayuta, Tioga County, N.Y., May 31, 1816, and is a son of Erastus and Betsy (Gillet) Granger. The Granger family is of English origin, and dates its residence in Northern New York long prior to the War of the Revolution. The paternal grandfather of out subject was born in Whitehall, on Lake Champlain, and removed thence to Cortland County, were he died at an advanced age.
Erastus Granger, father of the Colonel, was born in Whitehall, N.y>, on the 15th of February, 1787, and married Miss Betsy Gillet, a cousin of the Hon. Ransom Gillet, of New York. She was born in New Lebanon, that State, on the 16th of December, 1787, and died in Green, Chenango County, on the 24th of June, 1840. Her husband survived her twenty years, and died in Steuben County in 1860, at the age of seventy-three. They had five children, two sons and three daughters, our subject being the eldest.
Col. Granger removed to Rochester, N.Y., with his parents, in 1823, and there witnessed the opening of the Erie Canal, and the leaps of Sam Patch into the Genesee River. He attended the common schools in his boyhood, and when thirteen years of age entered the office of the Cortland Advocate as an apprentice, under Henry S. Randall, the noted author. He continued in that office until the fall of 1835, when he went to New York City, being a resident of the metropolis when the great fire broke out on the 16th of December, of that year, burning over forty-five acres of ground, and destroying $20,000,000 of property. The following summer he spent in New Haven, Conn., working as a journeyman printer. In the fall of that year he returned to New York City, and from there went to Hudson, Ohio, to take charge of a paper. We afterward find him in Cleveland, and subsequently in Detroit, Mich., where he arrive in time to witness something of the excitement caused by the Patriot War in Canada, and where he first met Gen. Scott. He returned to New York State in 1838, and went to Albany, where he was employed on State printing. From 1838 until 1847 he made that city his home, although he spent considerable time in the interval in traveling and working at his trade in other cities and States.
Col. Granger went to South Carolina on a special service, and while there was employed on the Charleston Courier, and mad a firm friend of one of the publishers. Returning to New York he worked at his trade in Albany, on the State work, until the spring of 1847, when he set out for the Great West. He passed through Chicago, and traversed Wisconsin and Minnesota, and visited St. Anthony's Falls. From there he went down the Mississippi to St. Louis, where he secured employment in the office of the Missouri Republican, remaining on that force through the winter of 1847-48, during which time he met an old acquaintance from Albany, James V. Jones, a son of Nathaniel Jones, a prominent politician of the Empire State, with whom, after a few days conference, he set out for Fort Des Moines, Iowa. They traveled by boat to Keokuk, and from there by stage to Fairfield, where they hired a horse and buggy and drove to their destination, reaching the fort in August, 1848. They were not altogether suited with the prospects at Des Moines, and determined to seek another location, but on leaving the fort the road which they took led them past the site of the Colonel's present suburban residence, where such a magnificent view of Des Moines Valley
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met their gaze that they were charmed, and at once changing their determination decided to remain. Col. Granger selected the tract where they stood as the site of his future residence, while Mr. Jones chose the place where B. F. Allen afterward erected his mansion. Having settled this important matter, these gentlemen returned to the fort and established themselves in the real-estate and land-warrant business, then the most important and promising field of operations. Having a strong credit they succeeded in negotiating a loan of $5,000, and entered into business.
Col. Granger having studied law previous to coming to Iowa, was admitted to the bar in 1848, and opened a law office in connection with his real-estate business. In June, 1849, he established the Iowa Star, a Democratic weekly paper, a seven-column folio, which was the first newspaper of Polk County. He continued its publication for about a year, and then sold out, as he found it more profitable to devote his attention to his law and real-estate business than to journalism.
On the 7th of October, 1856, Col. Granger and Mrs. Lucinda L. Rush were united in the holy bonds of matrimony, by the Right Rev. Dr. Drake. The lady was the widow of John W. Rush, and daughter of Daniel and Abbie (Van Schaick) Powers, who were originally from Pennsylvania,but removed to Ohio, and from that State to Indiana. Mrs. Granger was born in Montgomery County, Ind., on the 12th of March, 1825, and came to Des Moines in 1849 with her first husband, who died two years later. At the time of his marriage Col. Granger built his present commodious and elegant residence, which is situated to the southward of Des Moines, on a picturesque bluff which commands an extensive view of the city, the river and valley. There is nothing in the vicinity of Des Moines to equal the beautiful and varied scenes spread out to the view from the Colonel's grounds. The broad sweep of river and valley, and the beautiful capital city of fifty thousand inhabitants meets the eye, while the busy hum of a thousand useful industries salutes the ear with its suggestions of enterprise, thrift and comfort. Within the brief space of forty-one years this magnificent city has grown to such dimensions that it stands without a rival in the State.
Foremost among those who have aided in the growth and development of Des Moines stands Col. Granger, alway earnestly solicitous for the success of every projected improvement, and active in support of every enterprise and industry in the early days of the town, until the size and importance of the city attracted capital and assured success. When it was proposed to locate the capital here, no man exerted more influence or worked harder to secure that desired end than the Colonel, and at this writing no one is more proud of the beautiful capital city or more hopeful for her future than he.
Col. Granger is a Democrat, but independent and original in his political views. The title of Colonel was received from his service on the staff of Gov. Hempstead from 1850 to 1854. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Polk County without opposition, in 1854, and ex-officio was County Judge. In 1855 he served as Mayor of Des Moines, and since then has twice been Mayor of Sevastapol. Col. Granger, while a lawyer by profession, prides himself more upon being a farmer and stock-grower. He has a stock farm in Guthrie County, one in Adair, and one in Polk County adjoining the city of Des Moines, aggregating in all about eight hundred acres. In his home the Colonel is seen at his best. Devoted to his family and generous in his hospitality, he is an entertaining host, possessing a rich fund of anecdote, and an intimate knowledge of public men and current events. His reminisences of pioneer celebrities, and the early history of Iowa, constitute an enjoyable treat to this guests and friends. As neighbor and citizen, he is held in high esteem for his integrity of character, independence of thought and action, and genial, social manner.
NOTE: See more about Mr. Granger in the 1908 Pioneers of Polk County, Iowa Vol. II.
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OLIVER E. PEARSON
OLIVER E. PEARSON, photographer, of Des Moines, is without a superior in his art in Iowa. His studio is located on the corner of East Sixth and Locust Streets, where he has a large
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and constantly increasing business, such as could only be secured by taste and genius.
Mr. Pearson was born in Washington Township, Polk County, on the 14th of June, 1857, and is a son of Abel and Matilda (Wise) Pearson, both of whom were natives of Greencastle, Ind. The family located in this county about the year 1850, being among its earliest settlers. Here the father followed farming until 1876, when he removed to the city and served in the official capacity of jailor for four years. The three succeeding years of his life were spent in the hotel business, when, in 1883, he removed to Tappen, N. Dak., where he again assumed the occupation of farming. He was regarded as one of the enterprising and useful citizens of Polk County, and his removal was greatly regretted by many warm friends. He had taken an active part in political matters, was an ardent supporter of the Republican party, and did all in his power to advance its interests. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and earnest laborers in the Master's vineyard. Their family numbered four children: Josephine, wife of David Pearson, a farmer of Hamilton County, Iowa; Oliver, of this sketch; Elsworth and Retta, who are living their parents in North Dakota.
Our subject received his primary education in the district schools of the neighborhood, but afterward attended the Des Moines High School. HIs early life was spent in the usual manner of farmer lads, and though he aided his father in the cultivation of the land, it was his desire to follow some other pursuit. He early developed a taste for photography, and while a boy was always making sketches, in which much talent was displayed. At length his father afforded him the opportunity which he longed for, placing him in the studio of George W. Stiffler, who was then the leading photographer of Des Moines. No time was idly spent by young Pearson, but with great activity and energy he applied himself to the work and soon mastered the art. He remained with Mr. Stiffler for two years, during which time he made great progress, and then branched out in business for himself. He had made a careful study of his work, his instructor being one of the ablest in the State, and the public from the first gave him a liberal patronage, which has constantly increased. He has successfully contended with all competition, and by his indefatigable industry, skill and ability, has won a place in the foremost rank of the photographers of the country. He opened his gallery on the corner of Sixth and Locust Streets in 1880, and the throngs which daily visit his studio in quest of his services, testify to the excellent success which has rewarded his efforts. He keeps abreast of the times and the latest improvements in the art, and does all kinds of pastel, India ink, crayon and photo work. He has won many medals, and in 1888, to him was awarded the best medal for the finest art collection given by the Iowa State Agricultural Society.
On the 18th of January, 1883, Mr. Pearson was united in marriage with Miss Susie Pierce, a native of Canada, and a daughter of Edward and Alice Pierce, who are now residing near Nevada, Iowa. Their union has been blessed with one child, a little daughter——Hazel.
Socially, Mr. Pearson is a member of the Knights of Pythias, Modern Woodmen of America and the Royal Arcanum. He is truly a self-made man, and all honor and respect him for the position to which he has attained.
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ROBERT A. PATCHIN
ROBERT A. PATCHIN, M. D., who is engaged in the practice of his profession at Des Moines, is a native of the Empire State. He was born in Livonia, Livingston County, on the 29th of December, 1849, and is the son of Ira and Clara (Dixon) Patchin. Both families were founded in America at a very early day and became prominently connected with the history of New England. The progenitor of the Patchin family, a native of Wales, left the old country and crossing the Atlantic, settled in Connecticut, from whence his descendants removed to Pennsylvania and New York and Westward to other States. The name is now spelled in two different ways, ending both in en and in. The Dixon family is also one of note and like the Patchin family furnished
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members to all the learned professions. The great-grandfather of our subject was its founder in America. He was a native of the North of Ireland, but was of Scotch descent and traces his origin in an unbroken line back to the Duke of Argyle.
Ira Patchin, father of the Doctor, was born in Seneca County, N.Y., and is one of the well-known educators of the Empire State. For some years he held the position of County Superintendent of schools of Livingston County,a nd in connection with Victor M. Rice, was mainly instrumental in organizing the public school system of that State. He was connected with the firm of Farmer, Brace & Co., and later with Ivison, Finney & Co., in the publication of school books and thereby amassed a large fortune. He is now living in Livonia, N.Y. with his aged wife, they being seventy-five and seventy-two years old respectively. He has also taken an active part in political affairs, supporting first the Whig, and then the Republican party. He entertains the religious views of the Methodists and his wife is a member of the Congregational Church. Their family numbered only two children. Arthur, the elder, is now interested in the publishing business at Rochester, N.Y.
As his father took such an interest in educational matters, the Doctor received liberal advantages in that direction. He displayed a great aptitude for learning and his primary training in the public schools was supplemented by a course in the State Normal at Albany, from which he was graduated in 1866. In deciding upon a profession which he wished to make his life work, his choice fell upon that of medicine and in the office of C. H. Richmond he began his studies, which he later continued under the instruction of Prof. Thomas S. Rochester, and graduated from the Buffalo Medical College in 1870. To him was awarded the honor of valedictorian of his class. While pursuing his studies he acted as assistant to the chair of physiology, and immediately after his graduation went to Perry, Wyoming County, N.Y., where he engaged in practice until 1875, when he came to Des Moines. During his residence in Perry, he served for six years as Coroner of the county. Under President Cleveland's administration he was the Republican member of the board of pension examiners, and is now medical referee of the Manhattan Life Insurance Company of New York. He is also chief surgeon for the Des Moines & Kansas City Railroad Company, the Union Railroad Company, and for the Des Moines Northern; is local surgeon for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, the Wabash & Western, and the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Companies. He is a member and formerly served as President of the County Medical Society and also belongs to the State Medical Society, the American Medical Association and the Association of Railroad Surgeons of the United States. He has twice held the office of City Physician.
In 1880, Dr. Patchin was united in marriage with Miss Calista Halsey, the wedding being celebrated in Hallsville, Ohio. The lady is a native of New York State and a descendant of an old English family. She is a graduate of the State University of New York and is a lady of culture and refinement, recognized as the social equal of any. For a number of years she was connected with the editorial staff of the Washington Post, and is the author of quite a popular book, entitled &Two of Us.& In religious belief she is an Episcopalian. To the Doctor and his wife have been born three children, sons, Robert H., Ira H. and Philip H. The Doctor has made valuable contributions to the literature of his profession and is widely known as a skilled and able physician. He takes considerable interest in civic societies, belonging to the Masons, and the Knights of Pythias and in politics, is a supporter of the Republican party.
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