Mr. J.J. Glenn

James Joseph Glenn (1870-1955) was appointed as one of the nine trustees on the Marengo Public Library board in June of 1903 by Mayor Vette,[1] and Glenn was a member on the library board until at least 1915.[2] He was a very active member of the Marengo community. Glenn had been appointed as the postmaster in Marengo on Aug. 29, 1891,[3] and he was still in that position during the 1920 federal census.[4] In 1897, Glenn bought the Marengo Democrat and “has continued it very successfully since that time” until he sold it in 1918.[5] He was an editor and publisher of the Marengo Democrat as well as the owner for that time.[6] He was dedicated to the betterment of the community and lived most of his life in Marengo.

He was born on March 11, 1870 in Iowa County, Iowa.[7] His parents, Stephen Glenn and Margaret Mastorson, were born in Ireland and married in Iowa.[8] Glenn married Bridget (Bridgie) Mary Gallager in around 1902 and had nine children from 1903-1918.[9] He died on Dec. 27, 1955 in Marengo, Iowa and was buried at the IOOF Cemetery in Marengo.[10]

-Kayla Hodgson

[1] Marengo Sesquicentennial History Committee, Marengo 1859-2009, Community Then and Now: Businesses, Schools, Organizations, Churches, Government, Features,, (Marengo: Marengo Sesquicentennial History Committee, 2009), p. 150.

[2] James C. Dinwiddie, History of Iowa County, Iowa, and Its People, vol. 1, (Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing, 1915), p. 230.

[3] Ibid., p. 221.

[4] “1920 United States Federal Census,” Year: 1920; Census Place: Marengo, Iowa, Iowa; Roll: T625_494; p. 14B; Enumeration District: 54.

[5] James C. Dinwiddie, History of Iowa County, Iowa, and Its People, vol. 1, (Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing, 1915),. 226.

[6] “About Marengo Democrat.” Chronicling America, National Endowment for the Humanities & Library of Congress, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038308/.

[7] Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600-Current [database on-line], Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

[8] Ancestry.com. Iowa, State Census Collection, 1836-1925 [database on-line], Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.

[9] Gerald (1903-1979), Elizabeth Rosemary (1904-1984), James Edward (1906-1907), Margaret (1907-1966), Catharine Virginia (1910-1975), Paul (1911-1912), Pauline Frances (1911-2001), Joseph James (1915-1996), Mary Jane (1918-2000).

[10] Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600-Current [database on-line], Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

[11] Ibid.