HOWARD, 'Colonel' Elmer Addison 1858 - 1921

HOWARD, LAMSON, HUNT

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 1/26/2025 at 22:34:29

"The Fairfield Daily Journal"
Wednesday, May 4, 1921
Front Page, Column 3

COL. E. A. HOWARD DIED EARLY TODAY
Vice President of Burlington, Former Fairfield Man, Succumbs to Heart Failure

Colonel Elmer A. HOWARD, vice president of the Burlington railroad died at six o'clock this morning in Chicago at his home, 445 Barry avenue. His death was due to heart trouble. He had spent the winter near San Diego, Calif., returning home about two weeks ago.

The tentative plans for the funeral are that the body will be brought to Fairfield Saturday morning and services held here that day. Burial will be in the family lot in Evergreen cemetery.

Colonel HOWARD was born in Fairfield in July 1858. When about seventeen years of age he entered the employ of what is now the Burlington system, becoming a telegraph operator. He was located at various places and finally at Fairfield where he was made ticket agent. While here he was married to Miss Mame LAMSON.

Always an active, public spirited man, in politics a Democrat, President Cleveland appointed him during his first administration as an Indian agent with headquarters at Casa Granda Arizona. In his second term President Cleveland appointed him national bank examiner for Iowa.

He was mayor of Fairfield when the first and the most extensive paving project was carried through. He was a member of the county board of supervisors when the present court house was erected. It was through his action that the Burlington railroad bought from Fairfield the old Franklin school grounds, thus enabling the city to secure the present high school building site.

After the Burlington had built its new station on a part of the ground it had purchased, it gave the rest of it back to the city for a public park.

Colonel HOWARD had suffered from high blood pressure for several months. On the return trip from California he was in a critical condition while passing over the divide. He is survived by his wife, three sons Col Nat. L. of St. Louis, Hubert E. and Eugene of Chicago, as well as other relatives.

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"The Fairfield Daily Journal"
Thursday, May 5, 1921
Front Page, Column 1

FUNERAL OF COL. E. A. HOWARD TO BE SATURDAY, 11 A.M.

The funeral of the late Col. E. A. HOWARD will be held from the home of Mrs. Ed HUNT at 11 a.m., Saturday. The service will be public. The body accompanied by the family will arrive on Burlington train No. 3, Saturday. Stores will close from 11 to 12 during the funeral.

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"The Fairfield Tribune"
Thursday, May 5, 1921
Front Page, Column 2

ELMER HOWARD DIES AT HOME IN CHICAGO; BURIAL BE MADE HERE
Former Resident of Fairfield, High Burlington Official, Mourned in City.

Elmer A. HOWARD is dead at his home in Chicago, following a long, hard fight for life. His death occurred early Wednesday morning. No effort was spared in the grim fight which has been carried on against death since December, but news of his death has been expected by relatives here for some time.

Definite funeral arrangements have not been completed as yet, but relatives here have been advised that the body will be brought here for burial and that it will probably reach here early Saturday morning.

Mr. HOWARD's death was due to blood pressure and heart trouble. His illness began in early December of last year. Mr. HOWARD went to San Diego, Calif., but it was found advisable to remove him to his Chicago home some two weeks ago. It was feared then that he could not survive the long trip. After his return to Chicago, however, he ralled for a time and seemed to gain some strength.

"Colonel," as Mr. HOWARD was popularly and affectionately known in Fairfield, is today regarded as one of the most valued citizens with which the city has been favored. He was always among the foremost in every enterprise, and his counsel and help were highly prized. Mr. HOWARD was the first democrat to be elected as a member of the county board of supervisors. In this capacity he gave the county great service, and had a guiding hand in the construction of the present court house which was built while he was a member of the board.

He was later elected mayor of Fairfield and his administration was marked with a program of conspicuous progress, reform and improvement. Under his administration the city laid its first paving.

Mr. HOWARD entered the employ of the Burlington railway company as a telegraph operator shortly after completing his education in the public schools of this city. He was soon appointed station agent for the road in this city. Soon after he became interested in the retail shoe store business with Ed HUNT. When Grover Cleveland was elected to the presidency he appointed Mr. HOWARD Indian agent. After holding this position for three years he resigned and returned to Fairfield where he became vice president of the Iowa State Savings bank, which he had helped to organize. In the second administration of President Cleveland he was appointed national bank examiner for this state and served in this capacity for three years before resigning and again taking charge of the Iowa State Savings bank.

In 1900 he resumed his connection with the Burlington railway and officiated for years as a real estate and industrial commissioner for the road. He has steadily progressed in his connection with the road until, at the time of his death, he was a vice president.

Mr. HOWARD was born in Fairfield July 18, 1858, and was united in marriage to Miss Mary LAMPSON (sic - LAMSON) in 1883. Three children were born to the couple, Nathaniel, Hubert and Eugene, all of them living in Illinois at present.

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"The Fairfield Daily Journal"
Friday, May 6, 1921
Page TWO, Columns 3, 4, and 5

STORES TO CLOSE DURING FUNERAL OF E. A. HOWARD

Funeral services for the late Col. E. A. HOWARD will be held tomorrow morning at eleven o'clock from the home of Mrs. Ed HUNT, South Main street. The funeral party will arrive here from Chicago Saturday morning. The Fairfield stores will be closed from 11:00 to 12:00 tomorrow.

Funeral services are being held this afternoon at the HOWARD residence in Chicago.

Col. Elmer A. HOWARD, vice president of the C., B. & Q., died at his home in Chicago on the morning of May 4th. His death was due to heart trouble. He had spent the winter in California, returning home about two weeks ago. Col. HOWARD was born in Fairfield July 18, 1858. His father and grandfather were pioneers and the family is among the oldest in the county. He entered the service of the C., B. & Q. when about seventeen years old and was located at various points and finally at Fairfield.

In 1882 he was married to Mary LAMSON HOWARD. He then entered into partnership with his brother-in-law Ed HUNT in the shoe business under the name of Hunt & Howard, the business still continuing under the name of the Hunt-Ireland Shoe company.

He was active in politics as a Democrat and was an alternate to the Chicago convention that nominated Cleveland in 1884. Through the illness of the delegate he acted as substitute and voted for Cleveland on the floor of the convention.

In 1885 he was appointed agent of the reservation of the Pima Indians with headquarters at Casa Grande, Arizona. His record there was good and received the hearty approval of the department for his courage and skill in guarding the rights of the Indians.

Resigning from the government service, he became one of the founders of the Iowa State Savings bank, was the first vice president, and with J. N. Roth and James Sullivan, had immediate charge of its business. Cleveland in his second term appointed him a bank examiner for Iowa.

In 1890 he was elected a member of the county board. The building of a court house was submitted to the voters on November 20 following his election and many more Democrats were persuaded to vote favorably as the county board would be non-partisan, and the project carried and he and Andrew F. Cassel and John McClain erected our present court house. In 1895, he was elected mayor of Fairfield and during his administration the first and larger part of the paving was placed on our streets(.) Through his influence W. C. Spaulding was appointed superintendent of this work, an appointment that contributed to giving his city one of the best jobs of paving ever done in this state.

He with J. E .Roth (sic), J. S. McKemey and J. S. Richardson built the opera house since destroyed by fire. It was on the site now occupied by the Ford garage. This was an undertaking for the good of Fairfield but not of much profit to its builders.

The year 1896 found him again with the C., B. & Q. He had general charge of securing right of way for the road in its effort to shorten the line between Chicago and Denver. For a time he lived in Denver, then returned to Fairfield. His services to the Q were so valuable he was induced to go to Chicago, and was made vice president of the road, and one of the most valuable men in its employment. He was greatly interested in the union depot in Chicago, had charge of the movement to secure the ground for its location and was chairman of its building committee.

While in Fairfield he was a part of almost every enterprise in the city. He had stock in nearly all the local companies and contributed to the wisdom and enterprise that made them a success. Keen and foresighted in business his advice was sought on all hands.

A public spirited citizen, all the character of the community profited by his beneficence.

Naturally a leader, chear headed and self-reliant, with integrity and fairness that were never questioned, he was a dominant personality in any enterprise with which he was connected, or in any community where he might live. The announcement of his death brought from the lips of hundreds of men in this county expressions of sorrow at his going, and tributes of respect and eulogy to his memory.

Colonel HOWARD had suffered from high blood pressure for several months. On the return trip from California he was in a critical condition while passing over the divide. He is survived by his wife, three sons, Col. Nat. L. of St. Louis, Hubert E. and Eugene of Chicago, as well as other relatives.

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"The Fairfield Daily Journal"
Friday, May 6, 1921
Page THREE, Column 1

WHY NOT HOWARD PARK?

The late Col. E. A. HOWARD is not the only man whose public spirit and generosity have blessed Fairfield. An unusual number of such men, who did not live to themselves alone, have made Fairfield what it is today.

But Colonel HOWARD did much for Fairfield and one of those things was the purchase of the old Franklin school grounds by the Burlington railroad for station purposes. Having more than was needed, this railroad have back to Fairfield the remainder, to be used as a public park. What could be more fitting, now that the man who was responsible for this has passed away, than to re-name that park?

Why not name it Howard park?

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"The Fairfield Daily Journal"
Saturday, May 7, 1921
Page TWO, Columns 1 and 2

WILL ASK CITY TO DESIGNATE IT "HOWARD PARK"

Since the death of Col. E. A. HOWARD in Chicago last Wednesday, R. H. Spence, president of the Lions club, has been active in urging that the memory of this public spirited citizen of Fairfield be perpetuated by designating as "Howard Park" the former Franklin school grounds, given to the city through Mr. HOWARD's good offices.

The Lions club has adopted the following resolutions:

"WHEREAS, death has called Col. E. A HOWARD, vice presdent of the Burlington Railway system and native of Fairfield, and,

"WHEREAS, The late colonel HOWARD was throughout his life actively interested in the advancement of Fairfield, giving liberally of his time and means towards its advancement in varied lines, and,

"WHEREAS, One of the latest of his activities for the betterment of Fairfield, resulted in the purchase by the Burlington railroad of the Franklin school grounds for a modern station, the remainder of the ground being given bock (sic) to the city for a public park, Now, therefore be it,

"RESOLVED, That no more fitting name could designate that much appreciated "breathing place," than the name "Howard Park," and to this end Be it further,

"RESOLVED, That the city officials of Fairfield, Iowa, and citizens generally are called upon to consider the appropriateness of this tribute to an honored Fairfield boy, who never outgrew his home town."

The board of directors of the Lions club of Fairfield, adopoted the resolution May 5th. Others interested in thus honoring the memory of Colonel HOWARD are asked to join in a common movement to this effect.

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"The Fairfield Daily Journal"
Monday, May 9, 1921
Page EIGHT, Column 1

Personal Mention

... --Mr. and Mrs. Nat. HOWARD, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene HOWARD and Mr. and Mrs. Hubert HOWARD returned to Chicago, Illinois, last night. ...

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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: Buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, IA, in Lot 2nd.132. Wife Mary died in 1937 and was buried with him.