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Charles Huxley

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Birth	:	16 Apr 1817 Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent Unitary Authority, Staffordshire, England
Death	:	28 Jun 1881 Guthrie County, Iowa, USA
Burial	:	Valley Township Cemetery, Guthrie Center, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate	:	41.6818390, -94.4879790
Description	:	Charles Huxley Tradition truly avers that the first goods sold in the embryo town of Guthrie Center were disposed of by William Tracy, who had a small stock which he kept in his house; but the first store was established by E. B. Newton in 1856. This was in a log building that stood for many years thereafter on State street, just west of where the drug store of A. D. Lemmon is now located. In this little cabin, for it was but 16x18 feet in size and a story high, was kept the usual stock of neccessaries needed by the... Read More	Charles Huxley Tradition truly avers that the first goods sold in the embryo town of Guthrie Center were disposed of by William Tracy, who had a small stock which he kept in his house; but the first store was established by E. B. Newton in 1856. This was in a log building that stood for many years thereafter on State street, just west of where the drug store of A. D. Lemmon is now located. In this little cabin, for it was but 16x18 feet in size and a story high, was kept the usual stock of neccessaries needed by the new settlers, and was run by Charles Huxley, the first settler who kept the store, the post-office and a tailor shop for many years. The edifice was torn down in April, 1880, and the building now occupied as a restaurant by F. Dellett was moved upon its site. Charles Huxley was born in Tunstall, Staffordshiire, England, April 16, 1817. He was married at Wolstanton, December 28, 1837, to Ann Ball, who was born at Sneyd Green, March 11, 1819, all in the same shire. He landed in 1844 in New York as an emigrant. After living some years in Albany and Jersey City he moved with his family to Ohio, from whence he came to Iowa, and in the fall of 1855 settled in this locality. In 1856, he built the first cabin upon the site of Guthrie Center, as before mentioned. In 1859, he built the residence in which he died. We quote from Mrs. Maxwell's history of this country the following incidents of his first settlement, which deserve mention: "In November, 1855, Mr. Charles Huxley came to the county, and from the date of his arrival until the 14th of April, he, with his family--seven all told--existed in a shanty 12x12 in size, without a floor, and so low that the wolves, which were then quite numerous, ran over the roof, making anything but music in the ears of the lady and wee ones. To Mr. Huxley it was equal, if not superior, to an organ (possibly of the hand variety). When Mr. Huxley built a chimney, which necessary appurtenance the hut lacked, his tools were a horse shoe, which he used as a hammer, and a clapboard for a trowel; for mortar he used clay that had been thrown from a well; instead of the ordinary sticks, he used stone. When he pulled from its native bed a huge specimen of the latter in order to release two smaller ones which he wished to use, two large wolves jumped over his head. Of course he knew they were wolves, but some new-comers would have thought that away out here in Iowa stones had legs. They used the hickory pole double bed, which during the day answered the purpose of a lounge. "That Mrs. Huxley was homesick is not to be wondered at, for surely the prospect was not a bright one. To cap the climax of the terrors of a new country, a bald-headed neighbor (anybody within fifteen or twenty miles was a neighbor) called one evening, and overhearing the remark that he looked young to be so bald, explained that it was the effect of the cold Iowa winters, whereupon the lady insisted upon 'going back; she would not stay in a land so cold as to freeze the top of a man's head like that.'" Always an active, energetic citizen, he was alive to the interests of the town which he served devotedly, and was honored and respected by all. Ten children were born to him, eight daughters and two sons. Four of the daughters are dead, and one son, William, was killed in the army during a skirmish near Dallas, Georgia, May 29, 1864. His youngest daughter, Carrie, now the wife of J. L. Glasner, was the third child born in Guthrie Center. He was a member of the first board of trustees for the township, the first postmaster, the first justice of the peace and the first mayor of Guthrie Center. On Tuesday, June 28, 1881, at six o'clock p. m., Mr. Huxley passed away to his just reward, from a world that years of suffering had made a weary waste to him, for a brighter, better land. In speaking of the last days and demise of this truly good man, this pioneer, the Journal thus speaks: "For days and weeks prior to the sad event he had sat at his window and returned our salutations as we passed to and fro. He could not lie down, and during the dark hours of the the warm summer nights he sat at that window looking out on the silent street, to breathe the fresh air or to sleep, as he could. On the morning preceding the evening of his departure, as we hurried down the street to our office, he sat there, and the look of vigil and suffering on the face of our old friend struck us deeply, and we remarked to him, 'This warm weather is very hard on you, "Squire." "Indeed it is," he brokenly answered, and all day long the far-away look in his eyes, the stern, set lineaments of his face were in our thoughts. He was in the deep waters and dark shadows, where we, whom he had often helped by his friendship and fraternity, were powerless to help him. In the evening, as we went up to the post office he still sat there. The lines had deepened on his face. It was the last battle, the last foe he was facing, yet he returned our nod as a soldier dying on the field returns the pressure of his comrade's hand. As we came back, but a little while afterward, sitting in his chair at that window where he had kept so many of the sad vigils of this world, his family gathered around him, his eyes gazing upward as if they looked into the eternal world, as if all his battles were fought, as if a message of peace had come--and so, easily, almost like a child going to sleep, our old friend, neighbor, and brother was dying. "He was a Mason who did honor to the fraternity, who believed in the practice of the spirit of its principles and precepts, and was ever true to his brother. There was no sham about his Masonry. And on Tuesday evening when the word went abroad amongst his fellow citizens that he had passed over the border, to answer the summons of the Grand Master of the universe, all said: 'We have lost a good man. Peace be with him.' Again a lodge of sorrow met. Again a little band of brethren formed a mournful procession, with friends and fellow townsmen to bear to the grave the body of another departed brother to rest under the evergreen sprigs, which covered the coffin, a symbol, even in the darkness and coldness of the sepulchre, of that immortality which is God's crowning gift to his children. He was an honest man, a faithful brother, a true father, and in death as well as life had cared for and secured his family's welfare. His work is done." [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iabiog/guthrie/g1884/g188 Note from Guthrie County History; William Tracy came to Guthrie county in 1856 and purchased the land which is now Guthrie Center. He soon sold the land to E.B. Newton, who proceeded to lay out the town. The plat for the town was filed on May 6, 1856, by Tracy and Newton. The first house was constructed by Charles Huxley in the spring of 1856. The small log cabin, which was home to his family of seven, sat on the SW corner of Prairie and Fifth Street. Prior to the cabin, the Harris family had lived 6 months in a 12x12 shanty that had no floors and sat so low to the ground that the wolves could be heard running over the roof at night! HUXLEY, Charles Born: 16 APR 1819 Died: 28 JUN 1881 Cemetery: VALLEY Location: GUTHRIE County: GUTHRIE CO. - IOWA Record Notes: AGED 65; 10 CHILDREN; GUTHRIAN 30 JUN 1881, GUTHRIE CENTER [http://iowawpagraves.org/index.php]

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Charles Huxley's memorial?
Charles Huxley's memorial is located at: Valley Township Cemetery, Guthrie Center, Guthrie County, USA.
When did Charles Huxley death?
Charles Huxley death on 28 Jun 1881 in Guthrie County, Iowa, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Charles Huxley's memorial?
Latitude: 41.6818390
Longitude: -94.4879790

Family Members:

Spouse

Ann Ball Huxley

(1819 - 1890)

Children

Dr Charles E. Huxley

(1848 - 1908)

Carrie B. Huxley Glasener

(1861 - unknow)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Valley Township Cemetery
Guthrie Center, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6818390, -94.4879790

2. Union Cemetery
Guthrie Center, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6800680, -94.4917180

3. Resurrection Cemetery
Guthrie Center, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6870003, -94.4550018

4. Victory Union Cemetery
Guthrie Center, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.7282982, -94.4738998

5. Maplewood Cemetery
Guthrie Center, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6389020, -94.5224090

6. Monteith Cemetery
Monteith, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6307850, -94.4348130

7. West Cemetery
Panora, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6925011, -94.3780975

8. Moffit Grove Cemetery
Yale, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.7668991, -94.4539032

9. Brethren Cemetery
Panora, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.7170050, -94.3674620

10. Bear Grove Cemetery
Guthrie Center, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6455994, -94.6194000

11. Glendon Cemetery
Glendon, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5985240, -94.4018810

12. Seeley Township Cemetery
Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.7318993, -94.6147003

13. Dalmanutha Cemetery
Guthrie Center, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5867004, -94.5543976

14. East Greenwood Cemetery
Panora, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6869011, -94.3375015

15. Yale Cemetery
Yale, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.7690000, -94.3585000

16. Dodge Center Cemetery
Bagley, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8194008, -94.4697037

17. Morrisburg Cemetery
Dale, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5983009, -94.3193970

18. Highland Cemetery
Bayard, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8241997, -94.5717010

19. Union Township Cemetery
Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.7391450, -94.6858030

20. Spring Valley Cemetery
Casey, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5220000, -94.5046000

21. Rosehill Cemetery
Menlo, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5335999, -94.4052963

22. Menlo Cemetery
Menlo, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5321999, -94.4028015

23. Stanfield Cemetery
Casey, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5124870, -94.5016370

24. Pleasant Hill Cemetery
North Branch, Guthrie County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6603012, -94.7236023