Biographies from Wolfe’s History of Clinton County (1911)

Published as two volumes in 1911, Wolfe’s History of Clinton County (vol. 1, vol. 2) contained information on history, geography, government, transportation, education, and religion, in addition to biographical sketches “of representative citizens of this county whose records deserve preservation because of their worth, effort and accomplishment.” These included at least one woman and three Wolfes, one of whom, Judge Patrick B. Wolfe, served as the project’s editor-in-chief. County histories such as these became popular in the decades following the centennial of 1876, resulting in about 5,000 books accounting for 80 percent of all American counties.

James B. Wolfe.

The Emerald Isle, far-famed in song and story, has furnished a large number of enterprising and high-minded citizens to the United States, and they have ever been most welcome, for we have no better class of citizens. They are, almost with no exceptions, industrious, and they are loyal to our institutions and may always be relied upon to do their full duty as citizens in whatever community they may cast their lot. Among this large class the name of James B. Wolfe, whose long, strenuous and interesting career has resulted in much good to himself, his family and to his friends and neighbors, for his example has ever been exemplary and his influence salutary.

Mr. Wolfe was born in Ireland, on April 13, 1843.[1] He is the son of John R. Wolfe, mentioned at length on another page of this work. Most of Mr. Wolfe’s life has been spent in the country of his adoption, for he was but a child when his parents crossed the great Atlantic and brought him to Chicago in 1847. Later they moved to Ottawa, Illinois, and in May, 1855, they reached Clinton county, Iowa, and here James B. Wolfe was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools. He was put to work in the fields when old enough, and early in life became acquainted with general farm work. Farming has been his principal occupation and he also engaged in merchandising at Lost Nation for some time. He has been very successful as a business man and has laid by a competency for his declining years. He is owner of a valuable and highly improved farm of two hundred and eighty acres, and he has also given his son a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres. Stock raising has long been one of his hobbies and chief occupations and he has sent out some very fine live stock from his place, being a breeder of Shorthorn cattle. He also feeds cattle and hogs extensively. He is an excellent judge of live stock of all grades, and he has long been regarded as one of the leading general farmers in this township. He has a beautiful home in the midst of forest and fruit trees and he has such substantial outbuildings as his needs require.

Politically, Mr. Wolfe is a Democrat, and while he has never taken a very prominent part in public affairs, he has been more or less active in local matters, and has been school director for twenty years. He and his family are members of the Catholic church and very faithful in their support of the same.

Mr. Wolfe was married in Clinton county, on February 8, 1872, to Anna O’Connor, a native of Jackson county, Iowa, the daughter of Jeremiah O’Connor and wife. Her father was born in Ireland, from which country he came to America in an early day, and here he and his wife spent the rest of their lives, being now deceased. They were highly respected in their community.

To Mr. and Mrs. James B. Wolfe seven children have been born, named as follows: John O. C.; Jerry, a veterinary surgeon of Grand Mound; Mary, Nora, James, Walter and Anna. They are all living and have received good educations and are popular in the social life of their community.[2] There are no more worthy or highly honored people in Clinton county than the Wolfes.

Jerry Wolfe, V. S.

In his chosen field of endeavor Dr. Jerry Wolfe, of Grand Mound, Orange township, Clinton county, has achieved success such as few attain and his present eminent standing among the veterinary surgeons of eastern Iowa is duly recognized and appreciated not only in his own town and township, but throughout the county and in adjoining localities, and as a citizen he easily ranks with the most progressive and influential in his vicinity. His course has ever been above suspicion, and those favored with an intimate acquaintance with him are profuse in their praise of his many virtues and upright character.

Doctor Wolfe is a native of Liberty township, Clinton county, Iowa, having been born here on August 16, 1875; and he is the son of James B. and Anna (O’Connor) Wolfe, and a nephew of Judge P. B. Wolfe, well known in judicial circles of Clinton county. The father was born in Ireland, and the mother’s birth occurred in Jackson county, Iowa.

The Doctor was reared on a farm, where he worked in the fields during the summer months and attended the public schools in the wintertime at Lost Nation. Later he spent three years at the Iowa State Teachers’ College, and one year at the State Agricultural College at Ames, Iowa. He applied himself very closely to his text-books and made rapid progress, receiving a high education along general lines. Deciding to turn his attention to veterinary surgery, he took the course at the Chicago Veterinary College, from which he was graduated with honor in 1905. Soon afterwards he returned to Clinton county and located at Grand Mound, where he has since remained, having been very successful from the first, and he has built up a large and ever-growing patronage, his services being in great demand. He has been very successful in his chosen calling and he keeps abreast of the times in all discoveries, research work and whatever pertains to veterinary surgery.

While in college Doctor Wolfe was the champion foot racer of the state of Iowa, and he has thirty-seven gold medals and seventeen silver medals. He became widely known as a foot racer and athlete.

The Doctor is chief of the fire department at Grand Mound, and he has built up a very proficient and reliable force of fire fighters there. Politically, he is a Democrat, and he and his family are members of the Catholic church and faithful in their attendance and support of the same.

On February 11, 1909, the marriage of Doctor Wolfe and Mary Wiley, of Chicago, was solemnized. She is a native of Horton, Kansas, having been born on August 23, 1887. She is a lady of education and culture and the representative of an excellent and highly honored family. To the Doctor and his wife one child, James Wiley, has been born, his birth being recorded as April 7, 1910.[3] Doctor Wolfe is a life member of the Chicago Veterinary Society.

Judge Patrick B. Wolfe.

The present review is concerned with the life of a man whose character and ability are, by reason of his long and honorable connection with the practice of law, well known to the people of Clinton county and of the state of Iowa, and whose extensive familiarity with his own county made him especially fitted to serve as editor-in-chief of the history of Clinton county.

Patrick B. Wolfe was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 7, 1848, the son of John R. and Honora (Buckley) Wolfe. John R. Wolfe was born in county Kerry, Ireland, in 1824,[4] the son of Richard Wolfe, who was the agent having charge of the property of the Knight of Kerry. He received an excellent education. During his young manhood he helped to organize the “Young Ireland” party. He left Ireland in 1848,[5] coming to America, first locating at Ottawa, Illinois. Here he remained on a farm until 1854, when he moved to Clinton county, Iowa, to land near Lost Nation, which he had entered the winter before, and lived there until his death in 1885, becoming one of the largest landholders and most successful farmers of his township. Mr. Wolfe did not take any great interest in politics. He was opposed to slavery. In religion he and his entire family were stanch Catholics, and active workers in the church.

John R. Wolfe was married in Ireland to Honora Buckley. She was member of a family prominent in the church and at the bar, Michael Buckley, her brother, having been the leader of the Belfast bar for many years. The Wolfe family were also prominent in the church and in law, so that it was natural for the American descendants to turn to the bar in choice of a profession. Mrs. Wolfe died in 1888.

Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe were the parents of ten children, two of whom died in infancy, and those who grew to maturity are the following: James, a farmer near Lost Nation; Patrick B.; Johanna, who is now Sister Scholastica of the Order of Sisters of Mercy at Sioux City, Iowa; John, a farmer at Melrose, Monroe county, Iowa; Maurice, a farmer near Lost Nation; Margaret, now the wife of Dr. D. Langan, of Clinton; Katherine, the widow of Judge T. D. Fitzgerald, of Montana, at one time president of the Montana Senate, now living in Clinton; and Richard B., an attorney at De Witt, Clinton county, Iowa.

Patrick B. Wolfe attended the common schools of Liberty township, Clinton county, for a time, then spent one year in the Christian Brothers Academy at La Salle, Illinois. He was a student in the academic department of Iowa State University for two years, then took a full law course from that institution, graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1870. In January, 1871, he began the practice of law at De Witt, Clinton county, Iowa, and for a few years suffered the proverbial hardships of the young lawyer, but soon came into an extensive practice. In 1877 he formed a partnership with W. A. Cotton, under the name of Cotton & Wolfe, which continued until 1888. For four years he served as attorney for the town of De Witt, and was a member of the De Witt school board for fifteen years. In 1885 he was elected to the Iowa Senate, and served three sessions, resigning from his position in October, 1891, when he was appointed judge of the district court for the seventh judicial district, holding his first term of court in November of 1891. He served on the bench until September 1, 1904, when he resigned to form a partnership in the law with his son. It is a unique fact that Judge Wolfe has resigned from every public office which he has held. In 1899 he was nominated for judge of the supreme court of the state of Iowa, and was defeated by a close margin. He is again a candidate in 1910. His law office was moved from De Witt to Clinton in May, 1891, and his residence was transferred in 1893. Mr. Wolfe was a member of the public library board of the city of Clinton.

Mr. Wolfe was married on May 1, 1878, to Margaret Connole, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah (Malone) Connole, who came from Ireland and located in De Witt. To this union three children were born. John L. Wolfe was born in 1879; graduated from the Clinton high school; took the classical course at St. Mary’s College in Kansas, graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Arts; took a post-graduate course in Georgetown University, Washington, D. C., receiving there his Master of Arts degree, and then took the law course there, and received the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He spent a year in the University of Berlin, Germany, and in 1904 entered into partnership with his father. He is now serving on his second term as a representative in the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly. Mary Wolfe was born on June 27, 1881, and is a graduate of Sinsiniwa College, of Wisconsin, and Trinity College, in Washington, D. C. One child died in infancy.[6]

Top of the page, map of Clinton County, Iowa, 1865 (Library of Congress)

[1] His gravestone gives the year 1844.

[2] James Wolfe died on January 27, 1916.

[3] The Wolfes had two additional children: Mary I. Wolfe Schulz (1912–1964) and Alice Grace Wolfe Alward (1922–1991). Dr. Jerry Wolfe died at his home in Grand Mound on December 15, 1949.

[4] John Richard Wolfe’s gravestone in Toronto, Clinton County, records a birthdate of November 15, 1809.

[5] Records indicate that John R. Wolfe and family arrived in New York City from Liverpool on August 23, 1847.

[6] Judge Wolfe died on June 11, 1922.