About GEORGE BANCROFT
Who Died on Saturday, Jan. 17th, (1891) at Washington.
To the editor of the Bancroft Register:
The recent death of George Bancroft brings up and perhaps makes appropriate a bit of local history which may be new to some of your readers and possibility of interest to others. It is perhaps well known that the three northern congressional townships in Kossuth county originally constituted the county of Bancroft as designated and named by the Iowa Legislature, making the symmetrical number of 100 counties in the state. Kossuth county by an organic act passed in 1855, locating the county seat at Algona, absorbed the county of Bancroft. Later an attempt was made to reorganize the northern portion under the name of “Crocker County” which proved abortive. When the two counties were consolidated by the legislature the name of Bancroft was the unanimous choice of the few settlers, by which the County should be designated, but the legislature decided otherwise, as Algona the county seat was located in the original Kossuth county. During the years of 1880 and 81, when the C.& N. W. – Ry. Was under construction, the writer was by arrangement permitted to locate the two first stations north of Algona to be surveyed and platted under the supervision of the company. When the plats were returned to me for my certification the one located on section 24-97-29, by the name of “Burt” and the one on 24-98-29, of “Burt”. The writer believing that there was something in a name and that the upper town, owing to its location had a bright future before it, promptly substituted “Bancroft” for “Burt” and filed the plat for record under that name, wiring Mr. Simmons what I had done. The reply was, “all right, but we desire that the first station shall be called Burt”, which change was made. Noticing about Oct. 1st 1882, that a reception was to be given the ______historian at his home at Newport on the anniversary of his 83d birthday (the papers had it 33), I wrote him a congratulatory letter and closed by informing him that we had taken the liberty of naming an embryo city after him and making the request that he send a copy of some of his publications containing his autograph, as the nucleus of a city library. The following is his reply:
10-Oct.-82.
Dear Sir:
Yes with all my heart. But where is your Bancroft City?
Yours truly,
GEO. BANCROFT.
“Etatis sure” 82 and not 83.
Direct answer to Washington, D.C.
And later,
1823-H.Street N.W. Washington D.C.
7-May, 1883.
My Dear Sir;
Has the town that you wrote to me about and that you said would be named Bancroft come into existence? As soon as it is well organized I desire to follow your suggestion about sending to it copies of my published writings, etc. Yours very truly,
GEO.-BANCROFT
A few years ago when our indefatigable state historian, Hon. Charles Aldrich, was in Washington hunting up souvenirs for our state historical library he procured from Mrs. Gen’l. Logan a letter of introduction and an audience with the distinguished historian. Mr. Bancroft upon leaving that Mr. Aldrich was from Iowa, enquired earnestly concerning the town of Bancroft and seemed much gratified upon learning that it was a prosperous and growing town. Mr. Aldrich secured a page of manuscript copy in Mr. Bancroft’s hand writing, which is framed and depicted in the historical archives at the State Capitol. That Bancroft was the greatest historian America has ever produced is conceded. That he was one of our most distinguished scholars and statesman cannot be denied. Thoroughly versed in French and German literature the intimate friend of such man as Hugoton, Humboldt, Darwin, Goethe, Bamark, Von Moltke, as well as all the distinguished men of his own country; minister at the courts of St. James and Berlin, he was probably the most prominent man in literary circles of the present age. To receive the gift of a library selected by “Bancroft” is an honor perhaps no other town or city in the country can boast. Your city should appreciate the honor as time passes. The books will with each year become more valuable as souvenirs of the great man from whom they were received.
Ambrose A. Call
Bancroft Register – January 21, 1891
(Transcribers Notes: Parts of this article were difficult to read, and sometimes and educated guess was made in translation.)