Simon Casady (June 16, 1852 – March 25, 1928) was a prominent banker in Iowa, best known for his role in organizing the Des Moines Bank, which later evolved into the Des Moines Savings Bank. Casady served as the president of the Des Moines Savings Bank and the Central State Bank, as well as the vice president of the Iowa National Bank and the treasurer of the Bankers Life Association. Casady has been referred to as "the dean of Iowa bankers" in news accounts.[1] He was a member of the Casady family, an influential lineage of bankers, politicians, landowners, and farmers who played a significant role in the early history and legislative matters of Iowa.[2]
Simon Casady | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 16, 1852 Des Moines, Iowa, US |
| Died | April 5, 1928 (aged 75) |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Known for | Organizing the Des Moines Savings Bank |
| Spouse | Sarah Conarroe Griffiths Casady
Jane (m. 1880) |
| Children | 4 (Thomas Casady, Simon Casady Jr., Phillip Murray Casady, and Rose Conarroe Casady) |
Life
editBorn in Des Moines in 1852, at 314 Fifth Street, in a house that later became the site of the Central State Bank, where he would later serve as president, Simon Casady was the son of state senator and judge Phineas M. Casady and his wife Wilhelmina Augusta Grimmel. Judge Casady was an early pioneer settler in Iowa and held prominence in both city and state politics.[3] On June 1, 1880, Casady and his wife, Sarah Conarroe Griffiths, became the first native-born settler couple to be married in Des Moines, having their wedding at the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul.[4] A court case between Simon Casady and his brother Frank Casady, concerning inheritance from their father Phineas, known as Casady v. Casady, 184 Iowa 1241 (1918), was taken to the Iowa Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Simon Casady.[5]
Casady and his family resided in Rosebrae, a home situated on Prospect Boulevard in Des Moines. In 1920, a Casady family reunion commemorated the 40th wedding anniversary of Casady and Sarah, and notable attendees included Thomas Casady.[6]
Simon Casady held membership in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.[7] He was also a founding member and treasurer of the Des Moines Club, which is now recognized as the Des Moines Embassy Club.[8]
Simon's wife, Sarah, actively opposed the extension of women's suffrage. In January 1916, Sarah Casady established and led the Iowa branch of the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NAOWS). This organization primarily comprised middle to upper-class, college-educated Christian housewives.[9]
Legacy
editThe Simon Casady Residence, built in 1905, is still standing and is located on 715 Hickman Road in Des Moines. The original address for the Simon Casady Residence was 715 Prospect Road, Des Moines.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "The Elbert Files: Bankers Trust's first 100 years". Business Record. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
- ^ Biographical history of Pottawattamie County, Iowa : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States, with accompanying biographies, history of Iowa, with biographies of the governors, and engravings of prominent citizens of Pottawattamie County. Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Company. 1997. pp. 431, 439.
- ^ "Simon Casady". State Historical Society of Iowa. Archived from the original on December 1, 2015. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
- ^ "Hickman Road, Simon Casady Residence". Drake University Digital Collections. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
- ^ "Casady v. Casady, 184 Iowa 1241 (1918)". Caselaw Access Project. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
- ^ "Casady Home Scene of Big Reunion". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ^ "The Ninety-Eighter". Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
- ^ "History". Des Moines Embassy Club. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
- ^ "Opposition to female enfranchisement: the Iowa anti-suffrage movement". Iowa State University. Retrieved 2023-01-25.