A Narrative History of The People of Iowa with SPECIAL TREATMENT OF THEIR CHIEF ENTERPRISES IN EDUCATION, RELIGION, VALOR, INDUSTRY, BUSINESS, ETC. by EDGAR RUBEY HARLAN, LL. B., A. M. Curator of the Historical, Memorial and Art Department of Iowa Volume IV THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Inc. Chicago and New York 1931 ERNEST ALFORD PICKWORTH. In the busy marts of the enterprising and growing City of Waterloo the name of Pickworth, during recent years, has come to be synonymous with business solidity and integrity. This stable and solid old family has as one of its present day representatives Ernest Alfred Pickworth, a dealer in building materials, who not only has built up a large and prosperous commercial enterprise, but has borne his full share of the responsibilities of citizenship both in private and public life. Mr. Pickworth was born July 28, 1887, in the City of London, England, and his father, Rev. Felix H. Pickworth, also a native of that city, came of pure British ancestry. He acquired a good education, served an apprenticeship to the printer's trade, and finally was converted and became a preacher of the Wesleyan Methodist faith. In 1888 he came to the United States, where he was joined by his family, and his first pastorate was near Beason in Mahaska County, Iowa. Later he joined the Episcopal Church and was ordained an Episcopal minister by Bishop Perry, being first stationed at Durant, Iowa, later at Farley and then at Anamosa, where he served as chaplain at the State Prison for fourteen years, during which time he inaugurated the printing room at that institution, giving his time to teaching those of the prisoners who wished to learn the printer's trade. From Anamosa he was called to Mount Pleasant, where he continued as priest in charge of the Episcopal Church until his death in December, 1925, at the age of seventy-two years. He had been for many years a member of the Masonic fraternity. Reverend Pickworth married Emma J. Dudding, who was born in Kent County England, and died in November, 1924, at the age of seventy-nine years, having been the mother of two sons: Felix and Ernest A. Ernest A. Pickworth was bur one year old when brought to the United States, and he attended the public schools of the various communities in which his father had pastorates. Subsequently he pursued a course at the Shattuck Military Academy, at Faribault, Minnesota, and later graduated from the Iowa State College at Ames. Upon the completion of his education he went to Chicago, Illinois, where he was employed as a draughtsman in an architect's office, and was thus occupied until 1917, in which year he took up his residence at Waterloo and continued to be engaged in a similar capacity. This employment brought him into touch with men engaged in the building material business, and eventually he engaged in that line of business on his own account. He has built up a technical building specialty business, with offices in the Pioneer Building. On January 1, 1915, Mr. Pickworth was united in marriage with Miss Jessie Patterson Baird, who was born at Dundee, Scotland, a daughter of Alexander P. Baird, and a granddaughter of Fleming Baird, also a native of Dundee, where he grew to manhood and served an apprenticeship to the blacksmith trade. He came to the United States in 1906 and settled at Chicago, where he conducted a blacksmith business until his death in 1916. He married Jessie Patterson, who was born in Fyfeshire, Scotland, where she spent her entire life. Alexander P. Baird took too a seafaring life in his youth and followed the sea for some years, but in 1916 settled at Chicago, where he was still living in 1929. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Episcopal Church. He married Elizabeth McCauley, who was born in Dundee, Scotland, and died in 1921. She and her husband were the parents of six children: Agnes, Margaret, Jessie P., Elizabeth, Fleming and William. Mr. and Mrs. Pickworth are the parents of two children: Alfred Baird, born April 17, 1918; and Douglas Dudding, born August 12, 1920. The family are members of the St. Mark's Episcopal Church, and Mrs. Pickworth is a women of numerous accomplishments and graces. Debbie Clough Gerischer Iowa History Project _http://iagenweb.org/history/_ (http://iagenweb.org/history/) Scott County, Iowa _http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/index.htm_ (http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/index.htm) **************Make your life easier with all your friends, email, and favorite sites in one place. Try it now. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000010)