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Redhead, Wesley

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1825-1891

Biography

Wesley Redhead (1825-1891) was born in England but immigrated to Canada when he was four years old. When his parents died in 1831, he was sent to Cincinnati to live with an uncle. There he was apprenticed to learn the printing business. However, his uncle decided to send him east to Vermont where he was to live with his older brother and learn cabinet making. Unhappy there, Redhead ran away to work at whatever jobs he could find. These jobs included working on canals, farms, riverboats, etc. In 1844, he landed in Iowa and stayed. In Iowa City, he apprenticed himself for three years to a tailor and in 1851 he opened his own tailor shop in Fort Des Moines. He remained in Des Moines for the rest of his life, becoming one of its most prominent pioneer citizens.   In 1853, Redhead was appointed postmaster. He combined this office with a book store. In 1855, he opened an Aetna Fire Insurance Company office and issued the first insurance policy in Des Moines. Redhead was later elected vice-president of the Equitable Life Insurance Company. In 1864, Wesley Redhead began investing in coal mining operations. His first was the Des Moines Coal Company, but he also was involved in the Black Diamond Coal Co. and the Pioneer Coal Co.   Although he was never a politician, Redhead was elected as a representative to the state's 21st General Assembly in 1866. That same year he was elected to represent Des Moines township on the County Board of Supervisors.   Some of Redhead's other investments included State Bank of Iowa (director and stockholder), Des Moines Scale Co. (treasurer), and the State Printing Company (vice-president). He also helped organize the Pioneer Hay Company and the local Grange. In 1879, Wesley Redhead helped secure the State Fair permanently in Des Moines and donated some of the land for the fairgrounds.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Wesley Redhead Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MsC0021
Abstract

Businessman of Des Moines, IA. Diaries and account books, business correspondence, and tax receipts concerning his business ventures in early Des Moines.

Dates: 1853-1893; Majority of material found within 1860-1879