PETTIT, Solander K.

PETTIT

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 5/31/2021 at 14:52:21

Solander Kneeland Pettit
(August 30, 1834 – May 26, 1914)

S. K. Pettit, Mayor of Ida Grove, Iowa, has been a resident of Ida County since 1884. He came here at that time from Oneida, New York, and after which he conducted a grocery business two years. Then he served two years as Deputy Sheriff, and since retiring from that office has been a justice of the peace. In March, 1892, he was elected to his present position, that of Mayor of Ida Grove. He is one of the most active politicians in the Republican ranks. Mr. Pettit does a general insurance and collecting business. He represents the following insurance companies: the American, of Philadelphia; State of Pennsylvania; Sun, of London, England; National, of Hartford City; and the Iowa, of Des Moines.
S. K. Pettit was born in Madison County, New York, August 30, 1846 [1834], son of Seth and Hulda (Saxton) Pettit, natives of Saratoga and Cooperstown, New York, respectively, his father’s people being French and his mother’s old “Down East” Yankees. He was reared on a farm in his native State and was educated in the public schools. In July, 1862, Mr. Pettit enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Fifty-seventh New York Volunteer Infantry, and in February, 1864, was promoted to First Lieutenant and assigned to Company F, One Hundred and Third Regiment. He remained with this regiment until September, 1867, when he was mustered out at Savannah, Georgia. He was wounded several times slightly, but was never off duty, never took any medicine, never answered the surgeon’s call. He participated in the battles of Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Honey Hill, and a large number of minor engagements; was captured at Chancellorsville, but was paroled on the field. Mr. Pettit is a member of Matthew Gray Post, No. 93, and is Adjutant of the same. He was a Mason soon after coming out of the army, and is now a member of Kane Lodge, No. 377, and Syria Chapter, No. 104, being High Priest of the same. He was married in December, 1867, to Miss Adela Pinckney, a native of Vernon, Oneida County, New York, and a daughter of William and Margaret (Ward) Pinckney. Her father died while in charge of the civil engineering on the Des Moines River when that river was being made navigable.
Source: Biographical History of Crawford, Ida, and Sac Counties, Iowa, 1893, p.579