Representative John Wells Traer View All Years
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John Wells Traer
Benton County
A native of Knox county, Ohio, where he was born, November 13, 1832. He is of English-Irish ancestry. Young Traer was educated to agricultural pursuits during his minority with the advantages of the common schools of the Buckeye State. At the age of sixteen years he began the study of medicine under Dr. R. H. Meridith. At the age of 21 he began as a druggist but sold out in 1858 and moved to Vinton, Iowa, where he engaged in banking and real estate. For the past seven years he has been actively engaged as a general business agent of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Minnesota Railroad. In 1866 he was elected to fill a vacancy in the Legislature. In 1867 he was elected as Representative and re-elected to the same position in 1869. He made a very successful legislator, being earnest and constant in defense of what he believed to be right. Failing health and his private business have prevented his accepting other and more important offices in the gift of the people. Politically he was an old-line Whig, and a Republican from the organization of the party and took an active part in organizing the party in the county, and during the war took an active part in organizing clubs and was the organizing officer of the Union League in the county. He was married In 1858 to Allowesia D. Beardslee, daughter of Beverly Beardslee of Whiteside county, Illinois. Religiously he is a liberal, taking a wide view of theology and a liberal estimate of man, his duty and his destiny. All in all Mr. Traer was a true and loyal man, full of business and successful in all undertakes.
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