WALLER, Richard

Richard Waller. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

WALLER, Richard. (Yorkshire, England, Feb. 26, 1796--Dubuque, IA, Dec. 31, 1888). Arriving in the area in 1834, Waller with and Robert Bonson, Samuel HUGHLETT, Major Rountree of Platteville and others formed a company to construct blast furnaces. (1) Their first was built in 1835 along the Little Platte in Wisconsin. It was the first furnace for smelting constructed in the area. (1) Waller served as the company chief engineer, manager and chief agent because he was the only one with any background in the business. (2) The following year they built three more, one at the mouth of the Fever River, one at Rockdale (WALLER'S FURNACE),and one at Mineral Point.

In 1838 the original company was dissolved. Waller operated the furnace at Rockdale for many years with his brother John Robert WALLER, Sr. and his cousin Richard BONSON. The Waller Catfish Smelting Business operating under the firm name of Waller & Company proved extremely profitable. From 1837 through 1860 the company earned in profit 37 million pounds of LEAD worth $1,000,000. (3)

Waller continued his success in the smelting business for nearly thirty years and then formed an association with Jesse P. FARLEY in the mercantile business. He left an estate estimated at $500,000.

In addition to his business activities, Waller preached in the Methodist church which stood where BYRNE BROTHERS was later built at 7th and Locust. In 1837 the church established a branch at Rockdale. Waller served as the class leader for much of the rest of his life.

Waller married Miss Mary Harker before they left England; they had eleven children of whom only three survived him.

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Source:

1. Oldt, Franklin. History of Dubuque County, Iowa. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1880, p. 892

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

Hughes, Christa-descendant--email, March 4, 2014