William O. Howard

HOWARD, SEAY, PETERSON

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 2/14/2011 at 16:19:59

William O. Howard, editor of the Armstrong Journal, was born March 10, 1874, in Drakesville, Davis county, Iowa, and is a son of George O. and Susan F. (Seay) Howard, natives of Ohio and Iowa respectively. The father, who was a shoemaker by trade, died in 1878, and the mother then removed to Clarinda, Iowa, to make her home with her father, the Rev. Isaac M. Seay, who was a pioneer Baptist minister of the state.

William O. Howard was reared and educated in Clarinda, and at the early age of twelve years entered the office of the Page County Democrat, where he quickly acquired a good knowledge of the printer's trade. At the age of sixteen years he established the Bradyville News and became the youngest newspaper publisher in Iowa. On disposing of the business there he worked at his trade in Minnesota for ten years, a part of which time he was in the employ of Brown & Bigelow, art calendar publishers of St. Paul. In 1908 Mr. Howard located at Forest City, Iowa, and for three years owned the controlling interest in the Forest City Summit. On selling out there he purchased the Wall Lake Blade, which he published until the spring of 1916 when he sold out, and in the fall of that year became a resident of Armstrong, Emmet county. Here he bought the Armstrong Journal which he now publishes. He has a well equipped office and being a thorough newspaper man undoubtedly will meet with success in his new field of labor.

On New Year's Day of 1897 Mr. Howard was united in marriage to Miss Sadie Peterson, a native of Norway, and they have become the parents of four children, namely: Harold M., born May 6, 1898; Morton O., July 3, 1899; Francis E., June 22, 1901; and Ruth M., September 17, 1904. Fraternally Mr. Howard is a member of the Masonic order and is also identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In politics he is a progressive republican, taking a commendable interest in public affairs and supporting all worthy enterprises for the benefit of his town and community.

Source: History of Emmet County and Dickinson County Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, The Pioneer Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1917.