Representative Clayton Barney Hutchins View All Years

HON. C. B. HUTCHINS

MR. SPEAKER: Your committee, appointed to prepare resolutions in commemoration of the life, character and services of the Hon. Clayton B. Hutchins, beg leave to submit the following report:

Clayton B. Hutchins was born near Moira, in Franklin County, New York, January 11, 1849, the son of Dexter H. and Helen M. (Whitney) Hutchins. With his parents he came to Iowa in the spring of 1855, traveling by prairie schooner and by boat on the Great Lakes from Ogdenburg, New York, to Chicago, a journey that required eighteen days to reach their destination, which was a farm near the village of National, in Clayton County, Iowa. In 1869, the family emigrated to Kossuth county, where Mr. Hutchins resided for sixty-two years. Hence this hardy pioneer became one of the outstanding men in the county’s and northwestern Iowa’s history.

In September, 1869, he started by stage to attend the State University of Iowa. Here he spent two years, but on account of the losses occasioned by the depredations of the grasshoppers in the early seventies, was compelled to abandon this work.

Mr. Hutchins then went to teaching school and taught in Kossuth, Palo Alto and Clayton counties. About this time he was united in marriage to Miss Eva Hamilton and to them seven sons were born, four of whom survive: Harold D., Lawrence C., Carlton B., at Algona, and Ralph W., at Gilman, Wis.

Mr. Hutchins’ work for the public, and his definite ideas in regard to some of the legislation proposed at the time of the Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth General Assemblies, from 1910 to 1913, resulted in his election to the Iowa Legislature as representative from Kossuth county.

He sponsored the primary election law, which changed the time thereof from the first Tuesday to the first Monday in June. He took the leadership in the effort to prevent the division of Kossuth county.

In the course of his life of over sixty years in Kossuth county, Mr. Hutchins occupied many positions of public trust and responsibility, such as school director, county surveyor, county auditor, president of the Kossuth County Farmers Institute, president of the Algona Co-operative Creamery Company, president of the Kossuth County Mutual Fire Insurance Company, vice president of the County Savings Bank, and other offices of minor character.

He espoused the religious faith of the Congregational Church, and was chairman of the board of trustees of the Algona church during the pastorate of Rev. W. J. Suckow.

He passed away March 28, 1931, in his eighty-third year.

Therefore, Be It Resolved, That the House of Representatives take this occasion to present this tribute to the memory of a faithful public servant, and to express appreciation of his character and public services, and at the same time extend to relatives most sincere sympathy.

Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be printed in the Journal of the House and that the Chief Clerk be directed to forward to the family of the deceased an enrolled copy.

A. H. BONNSTETTER,

E. O. HELGASON,

P. H. DONLON,

Committee.

Unanimously adopted April 13, 1931.