WM. P. STAUB

STAUB, FRENCH, MARTIN, PIERCE, JACKSON, DOUGLAS

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 4/4/2020 at 20:31:00

WM. P. STAUB - Wm. P. Staub was born on the first day of June, 1833, in Hagerstown, Maryland and was the eldest of thirteen children whose parents were Horatio Staub and Maria French, who were both natives of Hagerstown, Md. His father followed in life the useful trades of chair-maker, cabinet-maker and painter, and was in comfortable circumstances during the boyhood of the subject of this sketch. He was a man very much interested in the welfare of his children, and being a pious gentleman of intelligent views, gave them the benefit of a good education. William finished his education at the early age of fourteen, at St. Xavier College, St. Louis. He then went on the farm of his parents, and remained with them engaged in study and labor till the age of seventeen. At this date he began the study of the trade of printing in Burlington, Iowa, and served an apprenticeship for three years. After working at journey work for the space of ten months, in company with Homer H. Hopkins and William Murray, he started a newspaper in Fort Madison under the name of the Fort Madison Argus. Having been connected with this paper for about seven months, he sold his interest in it to Hopkins and Murray, and went to Davenport, Iowa, where he resided till 1859. He then returned to Fort Madison and bought the Plain-Dealer. He was editor of this paper for four years, when he sold it and removed to Davenport, and remained there till 1867. In this year he went to Des Moines and purchased the Statesman in company with Jenkins and Parkhurst. In 1870, he gave up his interest in the Statesman, came to Fort Madison, immediately bought out the Democrat, and has been editor of this paper ever since. Mr. Staub has been very successful as a journalist, and has been the only editor who has ever been successful in running a Democratic journal in Lee County, Iowa. It may be in taste to remark that in the various theatres of action in his profession he has given his entire attention and energies, and his style of writing is remarkable for its Strength and nervous force. In the year 1856, he was united in marriage to Damaris C. Martin, a native of Columbus, Ohio. He is the father of three children, two of whom are living. In politics, he is a staunch Democrat, and voted first for Franklin Pierce. He has always been enthusiastic in his admiration of that democracy of which Jackson and Douglas were the patriotic exponents. In society, he is pleasant and affable. In religion, he is a Catholic. We find him to-day enjoying good health and an enthusiastic confidence in democratic journalism as the most efficacious instrument to be used by patriots in rescuing our country from its present lamentable condition of political chaos.

Source:
Illustrated Historical ATLAS of Lee County, IOWA
A. T. Andreas
Chicago, ILL.
1874

Transcription by Mary H. Cochrane, Volunteer