Wapello County IA Archives Biographies.....Pickler, Thomas H. 1859 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 July 3, 2013, 10:52 pm

Source: See Below
Author: S. J. Clarke, Publisher

THOMAS H. PICKLER.

Thomas H. Pickler is filling the office of deputy collector of United States
internal revenue service at Ottumwa. He has also been mayor of the city, and his
public record has received the indorsement of the majority of his fellow
townsmen. His birth occurred in Warren county, Illinois, April 18, 1859. He
dates his residence in Iowa from 1861 and in Wapello county from 1862, since
which time he has here made his home. He is a son of James R. and Elizabeth
(Ball) Pickler. The father was born in Salem, Washington county, Indiana, May 9,
1830, and the mother's birth occurred in Kentucky in 1835. When she was fourteen
years of age her parents removed to Indiana, settling in Daviess county in the
fall of 1850. In the same fall James Pickler arrived in that district and they
were married in Daviess county in 1852. For about two years they were residents
of Illinois. In 1861 they established their home in Monroe county, Iowa, but the
following year came to Wapello county. Mr. Pickler engaged in the grocery
business in Ottumwa for thirty years and since then has utilized his time in
looking after his financial interests and investments. He was the first grocer
of Ottumwa to begin the city delivery of his goods. He also sold flour and feed,
conducting that business along both wholesale and retail lines. He was the first
to ship flour in paper sacks and brought the first carload from Moline,
Illinois, by boat to Burlington and by train to Ottumwa This was in 1863 and he
had to pay freight charges of fifty-two dollars on the car from Burlington—a
twenty-six ton car. Mr. Pickler bought as high as six hundred barrels of flour
at one time and sold the product all through northern Missouri, hauling by wagon
to Missouri points.

While a most successful merchant James R. Pickler was reared to farm life and
followed general agricultural pursuits in early manhood. His educational and
other advantages were limited, but he made good use of his time, talents and
opportunities and as the years passed on success attended his efforts, and he
won for himself a prominent position in the field of commercial activity in
Wapello county. He was but ten years of age when his father died, after which he
resided with his widowed mother and her nine children. The first day that he
went to school his father went with him and blazed the trail through the woods
for two miles to make a short cut. The school season covered but three months of
the year, and the schoolhouse was a small log building with puncheon floor and
slab seats without backs. He would attend school for two or three days each week
and would then be forced to remain away in order to assist in the work of the
farm. He could hardly write his name when he entered the grocery business in
Ottumwa, but he acquired a fair business education, learning many valuable
lessons in the school of experience and developing his powers through the
exercise of efforts until he was recognized as one of the foremost merchants of
Wapello county. He recalls many interesting incidents of pioneer times and tells
many an amusing story of the primitive methods of the early days. He is today
one of the venerable and highly respected pioneer settlers of the county. His
wife passed away in Ottumwa in 1908. In the family were five children: Rose, who
is the widow of J. B. Joslyn and is connected with mercantile interests in
Ottumwa; J. W., living in Ottumwa; Thomas H., of this review; Frank, who died in
1911; and Etta, the wife of A. A. Wright of Ottumwa.

Thomas H. Pickler supplemented his public-school education by a course in a
business college and received practical training in his father's store, in which
he remained for a number of years. He then entered business 011 his own account
as a dealer in groceries, flour and feed and in that connection built up a large
trade, which he carefully directed year after year, acquiring therefrom a
comfortable competence. He disposed of his stock of groceries eight years ago,
when he was elected mayor, but afterward purchased the Spring Bottling Works and
engaged in the manufacture of soft drinks for seven years. In business affairs
his judgment is sound and his enterprise unfaltering.

In politics Mr. Pickler has been a lifelong democrat, firm in his advocacy of
the party and its principles. In 1889 he was elected alderman from the first
ward and again in 1890, 1891 and 1892. For four years he was a member of the
school board and in 1901 he was elected mayor, to which office he was reelected
in 1903, thus serving for four years. During his incumbency in the office the
present central fire station was built and equipped. He also purchased the
present patrol wagon and a team of horses. In July, 1913, he was appointed
general deputy collector for the United States in connection with the internal
revenue department, with headquarters at Omaha, Iowa and Nebraska being his
territory. His public service has thus covered a long period, and he has ever
been found faithful and loyal to the duties intrusted to him. For six years he
was chairman of the county central committee, and he has attended various
conventions as a delegate. He served as deputy postmaster of Ottumwa during
President Cleveland's first administration, and he was a member of the police
force in the position of desk sergeant for a short time.

In 1881 Mr. Pickler was united in marriage to Miss Etta E. Pickell, who was born
in Wayland, Henry county, Iowa, November 25, 1858, and in childhood came to
Wapello county with her parents, R. M. and Emeline Pickell. Her father was
United States internal revenue collector for the first district of Iowa under
President Lincoln. He died in Ottumwa and his widow survived him for many years,
passing away at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Pickler, January 27, 1912, at the
remarkable old age of ninety-two years. Mr. and Mrs. Pickell were married in
Sweetwater, Tennessee, in 1839 and in the same year drove overland in a covered
wagon, locating on a claim in Henry county, Iowa. The log house which was their
first home was for years the center of Methodism in that part of the state,
services being held there and the circuit riders being there entertained. Not
only was the hospitality of the home extended to religious gatherings, but it
was as freely given for all neighborhood purposes. Singing schools, spelling
matches and debates were held there, and in this way young men who later
achieved distinction received their first training. Mrs. Pickell also served as
postmistress for her township under appointment of President Buchanan. Mr. and
Mrs. Pickell resided on the homestead from 1839 until 1872, when they moved to
Ottumwa. They were the parents of eleven children, eight of whom preceded their
mother in death.

To Mr. and Mrs. Pickler have been born three children: Alfred, who died at the
age of one year; Herbert T., who was a graduate of the high school of Ottumwa, a
student in the State Agricultural College at Ames, and who passed away in June,
1910, at the age of twenty-six years; and Bessie, at home.

Mr. Pickler is well known in fraternal circles, holding membership with the
Elks, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Woodmen of the World, the Ancient Order
of United Workmen, the Knights of the Maccabees and the American Commercial
Travelers. He has practically spent his entire life in this county and is most
widely known, while his many substantial characteristics and qualities have
brought to him the high regard of those with whom he has been associated.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY IOWA
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME II
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1914


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