Charles Dutton, 1823 - 1899

Charles Dutton

The Durant Star, April 4, 1899

Chas. Dutton died Sunday, April 2, at the home of his son, H.G. Dutton.  Mr Dutton had been quite feeble all winter and had been very low for the past four weeks, and Sunday the end came peacefully.  He was born in Chenango county, New York, September 17, 1828, and was therefore 75 years of age at the time of his death.  He came to Iowa with his father and three brothers in April, 1839, locating in Clinton county and lived there till his removal to Durant.  The funeral services will be conducted by Franklin Steiner, of Des Moines, at Mr. Dutton's old home in Clinton county Tuesday, April 4, at 2 p.m. with interment at the Union cemetery.  During the residence of Mr Dutton in Durant, which dates back about a year, he has won many friends, who were pained to learn of his death.  The bereaved family have the sympathy of the entire community.

 

Clinton County Advertiser, April 4, 1899

 

Charles Dutton, one of the very early settlers of Olive township, and well known to many of our readers, died at his home in Durant, Cedar county, at 4 o'clock yesterday morning, as announced by a telegram, received a little later by Mrs. Alex. Barr, a relative of the family by marriage.  Mrs. B. took the 10 o'clock train to Durant by way of Davenport.  She informed us that Mr. D. died from dropsy from which he suffered some two months.  The funeral will be held at 2 o'clock today at the former home of deceased in Olive township, with interment in the family burying ground.  Deceased was quite prominent as a leader of the Greenback and Peoples party, and a few years ago was the candidate of the latter party for congressional honors.

 

Wheatland Gazette, April 5, 1899

 

A brief message to relatives at his place received the 3rd last, announced the death of Charles Dutton at his late home in Durant, Iowa.  Certain information is not at hand at his writing, but it is supposed his death occurred April 2, 1899.  His health had been gradually declining for several months, and his demise was not unexpected.  There are few who passed so many years of continuous residence within the boundaries of Clinton county as did Charles Dutton.  Sixty years ago this spring, at a period less than a year after the establishment of the territory of Iowa and more than a year before the organization of Clinton county--when all the region hereabout was an unsettled wilderness, he came here with his father and brothers and with them established his home in what later became the southeast corner of Olive township.  There his home continued until one year ago, when, with his son, he moved to Durant.  Of the five Dutton brothers who came to the state at the early period named, his death marks the passing of the last.  He was born September 17, 1823, near the village of South Bainbridge (now Afton) Chenango County, N.Y.  In the fall of 1837 he, with his father and brothers, came down the Ohio river by raft to Madison, Ind.  One year later they proceeded by boat down the Ohio and up the Mississippi river to Alton Illinois.  In the spring of 1839 they continued their up river journey to Camanche, and thence a short overland trip brought them to the spot where three of them dwelt for so many years after.  He was married Oct. 6, 1845 to Hannah Grace, whose death occurred in 1896.  Four children were born to them, of whom but one,  H.G. Dutton, survives.  He possessed an earnest and steadfast interest in the betterment of his kind, and years of careful reading had made him thoroughly versed in the study of economics. To the advanced journals in this branch of inquiry he had, during a score of years past, been a frequent and able contributor.  He had convictions, and the courage of them.  His life was in consonance with nature, his thought and effort always in aid of progress and enlightenment, himself a constant influence urging to investigation and inquiry, and thus his career fulfilled the best and truest purpose by being, to the degree that destiny and circumstance allowed, a factor in evolution and advancement. Among his relatives his death has caused particular sorrow being as he was the last family representation of his generation. the funeral occurred at 2 o'clock the afternoon of the 4th last, at the old home southeast of Calamus.

 

[Source Unknown] April 6, 1899

 

The mortal remains of the late Charles Dutton, whose death at Durant was briefly noted in our last, arrived at the old homestead in Olive township at about eleven o'clock on Wednesday forenoon.  At two o'clock the funeral service was held, conducted by Franklin Steiner, "Liberal" of Des Moines, who read Austin Holyoake's Free Thought Burial Service, a portion of Bryant's Thanatopsis and then delivered a brief address in which he dwelt upon the character and opinions of deceased.  There was a good attendance at the funeral. The interment was in the Union cemetery, Olive township, in the family lot.  The pall bearers were W.R. Barber, Richard Harrington, Eugene A. Barber, Claus Kuehl, Henry Peterson, and John Kallenbath.  Charles Dutton was born in Chenango county, New York, Sept. 17th, 1823, therefore at the time of his death was  75 years, 6 months and 17 days old.  He came to Iowa with his father's family about April 1st, 1839 and was among the first settlers of Olive township, that portion of the township being known for many years as the "Dutton Settlement".  Deceased was active and energetic in whatever he undertook.  He held the offices of school director and trustee and was president of the board of school directors for his township and was always honest and straightforward in his duties. A few years ago he was the People's party candidate for congressman for this district, and at the time of his death was one of the vice presidents of the Old Settlers society, of Clinton county.  Deceased leaves one son, H.G. Dutton, whose home is in Durant, Cedar county, his wife and three children having previously passed to the spirit land.