NORTHWESTERN IOWA ITS HISTORY AND TRADITION VOLUME II 1804-1926 W. F. Gilchrist On of the most important and valuable scientific attainments of the present century was the discovery of an effectual means of combating that dread animal scourge, the hog cholera, through the ravages of which the farmers of the United States lost millions of dollars, and in years like those of 1913-14 the loss was so great as to be almost incalculable. The Sioux City Serum Company is now the largest manufacturers of anti-hog cholera serum and hog cholera virus in the world and the business is now numbered among the prosperous and substantial enterprises of this city. In 1912 C. I. Peters came to Sioux City from Kansas City, Missouri, with a view of establishing an anti-hog cholera serum plant here, and became acquainted with William F. Gilchrist, who agreed to join him in the venture. They founded the Sioux City Serum Company as a partnership concern, and in October, 1913, the business was incorporated, with Mr. Peters as president, and Mr. Golchrist vice-president and treasurer. In 1913, the business was incorporated, with Mr. Peters as president, and Mr. Gilchrist, vice-president and treasurer. In 1913 Sylvestr F. Cusack, of Kansas City, Missouri, came to Sioux City and became connected with the company. In 1915 Mr. Gilchrist and Mr. Cusack acquired Mr. Peters' interest in the business, and in the readjustment which followed, Mr. Gilchrist was made president of the company, and Mr. Cusack was made vice-president and manager. The Sioux City Serum Company manufactures anti-hog cholera serum and hog cholera virus and are jobbers of a complete line of veterinary biologic and other specialties. The Spring Valley Farm Company, owner of four hundred acres of land abut eight miles from Sioux City, is a subsidiary corporation, the farm being operated by the company for the purpose of growing and fattening hogs to be used for the production of anti-hog cholera serum. They always have on feed and pasture at this farm from three to five thousand head of hogs. During the great cholera scourge of 1913-14, the worst in the history of the country, the company bought many thousands of pigs, which they treated and placed on their farm, and after the cholera had practically depopulated the country of hogs, they were in a position to restock hundreds of farms in the middle western country, a service of inestimable value to the farmers. William F. Gilchrist, president of the Sioux City Serum Company, was born in Monmouth, Illinois, on the 9th of April, 1878, and is a son of Richard and Mary Ellen (Hanna) Gilchrist, the former a native of New York, while the mother was born in Illinois. They were married in the latter state and settled in Monmouth, where they resided until 1887, when they moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where Mr. Gilchrist became one of the early livestock commission men, with which business he remained identified to the time of his death. William F. Gilchrist attended the public schools, graduating from high school in Omaha, after which he took a course in a business college. He then went to work for his father in the livestock commission business and in 1900 he accepted a position with Armour & Company as hog buyer in the Omaha yards. In 1904 he was transferred to Sioux City as hog buyer for that company, with which he continued until July, 1919, when he resigned in order to be able to give his entire time and attention to the serum business, which had grown to large proportions. He has since given his undivided attention to it, the splendid growth of the business being in a large measure due to his indefatigable and well directed efforts. On September 19, 1904, Mr. Gilchrist was united in marriage to Miss Lulu J. Kelly, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and they are the parents of a daughter, Jocelyn A.m who is now attending school at Brownell Hall, in Omaha. Mr. Gilchrist is a member of Sioux City Lodge, No. 112, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and also belongs to the Sioux City Country Club, the Sioux City Boat Club and the Chamber of Commerce. He and his family are members of the First Congregational church. He is a broad-minded, public spirited man, of sterling integrity and fine address, and enjoys the unbounded esteem of all who know him. Debbie Clough Gerischer Iowa Gen Web, Assistant CC, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ IAGENWEB: Special History Project: http://iagenweb.org/history/index.htm Gerischer Family Web Site: http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/