Representative John Walton Mahoney View All Years

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John Walton Mahoney

Winnebago County

His birth occurred in Laporte county, Indiana, April 24, 1841, and there he remained until his seventeenth or eighteenth year, when he removed with his parents to Floyd county, Iowa. He was educated in the common schools and in 1861, upon the outbreak of the Civil war, he enlisted as a member of the Third Iowa Battery. At the close of the war Mr. Mahoney returned to Floyd county, where he resided until 1869, when he came to Forest City and engaged in merchandising, erecting the first good store building in the town. Therein he conducted the first mercantile establishment of importance in Forest City, being associated with B. A. Plummer for a year and a half. On the expiration of that period he took over Mr. Plummer's interests and conducted the business independently for a number of years. Later his son, Irving W., became his partner and the energy and enterprise of the young man, and the sagacity and experience of the father, made a strong business combination. Mr. Mahoney was also financially interested in Forest City's first sawmill, which was subsequently converted into a grist mill. Mr. Mahoney was connected with many interests of public importance. In 1870 he was appointed deputy postmaster of Forest City and in 1873 was made postmaster, which office he filled for about fourteen years. He was also a member of the first board of councilmen of Forest City, being called to that office in 1878 and serving for two years, and for a similar period held the office of mayor. He served on the school board for many years and did everything in his power to advance the cause of education. In 1888 he was elected to represent his district in the state legislature for a two years' term and was a candidate for renomination, but the nomination was declared a tie and in order to keep harmony he resigned in favor of his opponent. He worked for the betterment of public conditions and the development of the resources of Winnebago county and co-operated in every plan and measure for the general good. On March 20, 1868, Mr. Mahoney was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary E. Barmore, of Rockford, Iowa, a daughter of John and Julette (Waters) Barmore, natives of New York state. Mr. Mahoney was a stanch republican in politics and he was for forty years a member of the Masonic lodge of Forest City, of which he was ever a most loyal adherent, exemplifying in his life the beneficent spirit of the craft. He and his wife attended the Congregational church. He was generous to a fault, giving freely in aid of those who needed assistance. He was prominent in social circles of the city and is everywhere spoken of as one of Nature's noblemen.

House District 85