Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Smallwood, Charles J. 1865 - 1908
************************************************

Copyright.  All rights reserved.

http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm

************************************************



File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 23, 2006, 11:17 pm

Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908)

  CHARLES J. SMALLWOOD, of Worthington, is proprietor of the Worthington

telephone exchange and of several connecting lines, and is president of the

Midland Telephone company, an incorporated organization with headquarters at

Adrian, which also owns several connecting county lines. He has been a resident

of Worthington since 1893, has engaged in several different lines of business,

and has been prominent in the affairs of the community in which he lives. Mr.

Smallwood was born in McHenry county, Ill., Sept. 25, 1865, the son of Thomas B.

and Sarah (James) Smallwood. The father of our subject was born in Yorkshire,

England, in 1810, came to the United States when a young man, and located in

McHenry county, Ill. In that county and in Milwaukee, Wis., he lived practically

all his life, dying in the latter city June, 1898. Our subject's mother was a

daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James, early settlers of Milwaukee. She died in that

city in 1855.



  When Charles J. Smallwood was a mere lad the family moved to Milwaukee, and in

than city he was reared and educated, attending the public schools and an

academy of that city. After his school days Mr. Smallwood learned telegraphy and

entered the employ of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad company,

holding the position of telegraph operator at various points along the line of

that road and learning train dispatching. About 1881 he took a position as train

dispatcher with the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha road with

headquarters at St. Paul, and there he was employed one year. He was then

promoted to the position of chief train dispatcher for the Omaha company, with

headquarters at Omaha, Neb., and he was thus employed until 1893.



  After giving up his work with the railroad company, Mr. Smallwood moved with

his family to Worthington. For several years he was engaged in the lumber and

grocery business, and then he put in the first telephone exchange in the city.

Starting with about 45 subscribers, Mr. Smallwood has built up the business

until today he has 400 subscribers in the city, with numerous rural lines

operated in connection.



  Mr. Smallwood was president of the village council in 1895. For the past eight

years he has served as a member of the school board, as treasurer of that body.

He is a member of the Carnegie library board and is secretary of the Chautauqua

association.



  At Rochester, Minn., Aug. 11, 1881, occurred the marriage of Mr. Smallwood to

Miss Florence Moulton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Moulton, of Worthington.

Mr. Moulton was one of the prominent business men of Worthington. He died at Los

Angeles, Cal., Oct. 29, 1893, where he had gone in the hope of benefitting his

health. Mrs. Moulton died at Worthington Feb. 13, 1891. Mr. and Mrs. Smallwood

are the parents of three children. Justin T. was born at Worthington June 23,

1882, was graduated from the Worthington high school in 1902, studied three

years at Carleton college and then entered the medical department of the

Minnesota state university, from which he was graduated in June, 1908. Mary E.,

now the wife of J. A. Cashel, a Worthington attorney, was born at Omaha, Neb.,

Oct. 27, 1888. Charles Moulton was born in Worthington, Minn., Nov. 29. 1895.



  [Mr. Smallwood died at his home in Worthington, Oct. 22, 1908, after the above

biography was put in type.]



Additional Comments:
Extracted from:



AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY

MINNESOTA

BY

ARTHUR P. ROSE



NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY 

WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA 

PUBLISHERS

1908





File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/nobles/bios/smallwoo158gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/

File size: 4.1 Kb