Wapello County IA Archives Biographies.....Wycoff, William Boyd 1835 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 July 4, 2013, 12:44 am

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

WILLIAM BOYD WYCOFF.

William Boyd Wycoff is one of the venerable citizens of Ottumwa but still
engages in business to some extent, handling real estate and loans. He has ever
enjoyed the high respect and confidence of the community in which he has lived
and for many years Wapello county has been his home. He was born May 6, 1835, in
Coshocton county, Ohio, a son of James and Rachel (Cecil) Wycoff. His
great-grandfather and his grandfather both bore the name of Peter Wycoff, and
both were natives of Holland. James Wycoff was born in Washington county,
Pennsylvania, in July, 1798, and his wife was a native of Maryland, born in
October, 1799. James Wycoff was a prominent canal builder of his day, taking
contracts for the construction of the White Woman canal and others through Ohio
in pioneer times, when travel by water was largely the means of reaching from
point to point.

With the removal of the family to Jefferson county, Iowa, William B. Wycoff
became a pupil in the public schools of that county. On starting out in life for
himself he began farming, which he followed for an extended period. He afterward
became manager of the Great Western Nursery, and under his direction the
business became one of profit. He secured a large trade and by reason of his
capable control made that one of the important business interests of the
community. At the time of the Civil war Mr. Wycoff offered his services to the
government, attempting to enlist in 1861, but was rejected on account of
physical disability. He had three brothers, Hazeal, Peter and James, who
enlisted, served throughout the war and lived to return home although they
participated in a number of hotly contested engagements.

Mr. Wycoff was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Elizabeth Martin, a daughter of
James and Rachel Martin, who emigrated to Iowa in 1842 and in 1844 settled in
Wapello county, where they continued to reside until called to their final rest.
To Mr. and Mrs. Wycoff were born six children: Mary Ellen, who became the wife
of George T. Bedwell and following his death married R. E. Coffman; James
Calvin, who married Miss Laura Spry and for his second wife chose Mrs. Maggie
Logan Harris; Laura Jane and Flora Jane, twins, who died in infancy; Cora May,
the wife of A. L. Shewey; and Annie M., the wife of D. N. Conroy. The marriage
of Mr. and Mrs. Wycoff was celebrated in Center township, Wapello county, and
they are today among the oldest residents of their part of the state. They
resided at No. 412 West Fourth street until the latter part of 1904, when they
left Iowa for Oklahoma. On that occasion the Ottumwa Courier of November 29,
1904, contained the following:

"The many friends of Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Wycoff of No. 412 West Fourth street
will regret to learn that they have decided to go to Oklahoma with the
expectation of making their home there in the future. The condition of Mrs.
Wycoff's health renders it necessary that they should seek a milder climate and
Mr. Wycoff has decided that Oklahoma offers an inviting field for business
enterprise at this time. The departure of this long time and valued citizen of
Ottumwa is a distinct loss to this community. Mr. Wycoff has lived in Wapello
county since the '50s, having come here from Indiana with his parents in 1846,
when he was yet a small boy. He has been engaged in the real-estate and loaning
business in Ottumwa for twenty years and has a record for reliability,
straightforwardness and honorable dealing of which any man might well be proud.
Mr Wvcoff has the high esteem of his friends and neighbors and the confidence of
all with whom he has had business relations. A few months ago, when engaged in
an important business transaction that took him to a distant part of the country
among strangers, Mr. Wycoff carried with him the following certificate signed by
prominent bankers, attorneys and others of this city. A higher indorsement could
not well be given. The certificate reads as follows:

"To Whom it May Concern: The bearer of this certificate, W. B. Wycoff, is a
citizen of Ottumwa, Iowa, and has been for many years, and the undersigned have
known him for the time set opposite our names and have found him honest and
truthful in all business transactions, and at all times to be willing and
financially able to meet any obligations he may have incurred.

(Signed)	J. J. SMITH, Ex-senator, twenty-two years.
W. B. BONNIFIELD, President First National Bank, thirty-five years.
A. C. STECK, Attorney, twenty-seven years.
William McNett, Attorney, twenty years.
R. P. Dana, County treasurer, thirty years.
J. B. MOWREY, President Ottumwa National Bank twenty-seven years.
M. B. Hutchison, Cashier First National Bank, nineteen years.
Calvin Manning, President Iowa National Bank, twenty-five years.
L. E. STEVENS, Cashier Ottumwa National Bank, twenty-five years.
W. D. Tisdale, attorney, thirty-two years.
I. N. MAST (retired), thirty-five years.

"The many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Wycoff will wish them abundant success and
happiness in their new home, wherever they may locate, with the earnest hope
that Mrs. Wycoff may be fully and speedily restored to health. Mr Wycoff has
rented his residence property for a period of three years and it is to be hoped
that at the end of that time he will be ready to return to the old home."

The wish of the editor and their many friends was realized, for Mr. and Mrs.
Wycoff returned and are still residents of Ottumwa. With various public
interests he has been closely identified. He was one of the directors and the
vice president of the Wapello County Agricultural Association and for six years
was its chief marshal. He joined the republican party on its organization,
voting for Fremont in 1856, and he has since voted at each presidential election
for the head of the ticket and on each occasion his vote has been cast in
Ottumwa. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, and his life has ever
been in harmony with his professions. Wherever known he is held in high esteem
and most of all where he is best known. He is today one of the venerable
citizens of the county and has been an interested witness of its progress from
an early age. He has lived to see great changes in this part of the state as the
work of development and improvement has been carried forward. He can remember a
day when the homes were largely log cabins or tiny frame dwellings and when much
of the land was still unclaimed and uncultivated. He has lived to see wild
tracts transformed into rich farms, in the midst of which thriving towns and
villages have sprung up with various industrial and commercial enterprises that
have made them important centers of trade. He relates many interesting incidents
concerning the early days and is enabled to speak with authority upon matters of
history, for he has been an eye witness of many events that are known to others
only through written chronicle.


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


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