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Subject: [IAHENRY] Rueben Eshelman, 1888 Henry Co. Bios
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 17:47:27 EDT

Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry County, Iowa Chicago: Acme
Publishing Company, 1888.

Page 501-502:

RUEBEN ESHELMAN, merchant tailor, dealer in ready-made clothing, gents'
furnishing goods, hats and caps, etc., commenced business in Mt. Pleasant in
1848, and has carried it on continuously ever since, while his wife is at
present engaged in the millinery business in the same establishment. Mr.
Eshelman was born in Union County, Pa., July 10, 1829, and is the son of John
and Elizabeth (Snavely) Eshelman, who were also born in Pennsylvania, the
family having resided there for several successive generations, and being
descendants of the original German settlers of that colony. His maternal
grandfather was a soldier of the Revolutionary War.

Reuben Eshelman left his native State in 1848 for the West, traveling by boat
and stage, and was twenty-two days on his way to Iowa. Here he located at
Mt. Pleasant, where he had a brother engaged in the merchant tailoring
business. After working for awhile for his brother he returned to
Pennsylvania, and for the next few years he was rather migratory in his
habits, traveling back and forth between the East and the West, the South and
the North, until 1857, when he again settled at Mt. Pleasant and engaged in
the clothing business. His is the oldest established house in this line in
the county. In 1867 he started a branch house at Fairfield, Iowa, and others
also in neighboring towns. The store in Fairfield he sold out, after three
years, to his business manager there. He now has a branch store at Malvern,
Iowa, where he carries a stock of goods valued at $7,000 or $8,000. His Mt.
Pleasant house is thirty-three feet front and 105 feet deep, and he carries
an average stock of about $25,000.

Mr. Eshelman has held various local offices, and was Alderman from his ward
three terms in succession. He was one of the Directors of the St. L., K. &
W.R.R., is at present one of the Directors of the National State Bank, and
has been President of the Executive Committee of the Old Settlers'
Association, and is at present Treasurer. He was married at Mt. Pleasant,
Jan. 10, 1866, to Miss Annie B. Hilderbrand, daughter of Michael Hilderbrand,
and a native of Pennsylvania. They had six children, four boys and two
girls: Franklin Reuben, born Nov. 14, 1871, died Jan. 24, 1875; Daniel
Frederick, born Feb. 8, 1874; Anna May and Hattie Mabel, twins, born May 16,
1877 and who are extremely bright; Reuben, born May 3, 1881, and Ralph, Oct.
24, 1884.

Mr. Eshelman is a member of the I.O.O.F., and in politics is a Democrat. He
is one of the most enterprising and successful citizens of Mt. Pleasant,
liberal and public-spirited, and is genial and affable in his manners, and
has won a safe place in the estimation and regard of his fellow-citizens.
The portrait of such a man is well worthy of a place in the PORTRAIT AND
BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM of Henry County, and it is with pleasure that we present
it to the readers of this volume, knowing that it will be appreciated by all.

[Note: Portrait of Reuben Eshelman appears on Page 500]

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