Senator Alfred Hurst View All Years

Senator G. E. Hilsinger from a special committee submitted the following report and moved its adoption.

MR. PRESIDENT—Your committee appointed to prepare resolutions commemorating the life, character and public services of Alfred Hurst beg leave to submit the following report:

ALFRED HURST.

Alfred Hurst was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1841, and died in Maquoketa, Iowa, on March 25, 1915. In 1852 his father brought his family to America, landing at New Orleans. From New Orleans the family traveled up the Mississippi River to Davenport which was then only a village.

Mr. Hurst’s father died in 1856. The son was but five years of age when the family came to America and nine years old when his father died.

He was but a boy when the civil war broke out, but he enlisted and served during the war, returning to St. Louis where he engaged in steamboating on the upper Mississippi, continuing until 1866 when he returned to Davenport with the object of learning the trade of mason and bricklayer. He worked in Davenport until 1871 and that year he went to Maquoketa and founded his present lime business which has developed into one of the large industries of the state, the product of his lime kilns being sold in practically every state in the Union. During the development of his industry Mr. Hurst has also found time for raising, feeding and shipping stock.

In 1888, Senator Hurst organized the Maquoketa, Hurstville and Dubuque Railway Company and constructed the railway from Maquoketa to Hurstville.

On December 12, 1873, Mr. Hurst was married to Sarah Lary, a native of Virginia. To this union six children were born, all of whom survive: Charles F. Hurst, Mrs. L. L. Riggs, Alfred A. Hurst, Alice A. Hurst, Mrs. D. B. Hunter and Harry Hurst.

Mr. Hurst was a democrat in politics and in 1886 was elected a member of the board of supervisors of Jackson county. He served four years and was re-elected and in 1894 he was elected state senator by a majority of 1,400. He was also re-elected to the upper house of the Iowa legislature, and when he retired he was recognized as one of the most influential statesmen in Iowa.

Mr. Hurst was seventy-four years of age at the time of his death and was one of the most splendid types of the early Iowan. He was a self made man in every sense of the word, by perseverance, genius and business sagacity building his own fortune, not forgetting in the meantime the practice of charity. Many poor families owe debts of gratitude to Mr. Hurst. He was a member of the Masons, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias.

He was a man who delighted to mingle with the people. He was honest and upright in all his dealings and had the confidence of all who knew him. He had a wide acquaintance and was loved by his friends throughout the state of Iowa.

While firm in his convictions he was a broad-minded, liberal man in every respect. The community in which he lived and the state of Iowa have sustained a great loss in his death. Therefore, be it

Resolved, That these resolutions be spread upon the Journal of the Senate, and that the Secretary of the Senate be directed to forward engrossed copies of these resolutions to the family of the deceased.

G. E. HILSINGER,

FREDERIC LARRABEE,

F. P. HAGEMANN,

Committee.

The resolutions were adopted unanimously by a rising vote.