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Biographical History of Cherokee County, Iowa
W. S. Dunbar & Co., Chigago - 1889

[page 595-596]

    WALTER W. ROBERTS, who is engaged in the transfer and ice business
    at Cherokee, Iowa, was born in Herfordshire, England, January 3, 1852
    and is a son of CHARLES C. and SOPHIA (BEAN) ROBERTS.  The family
    emigrated to America in 1858, and had been here but fifteen months
    when the father was taken ill, and they returned to England.  In 1872
    they came back to the Unites States, landing in the city of New York.
    Thence they came immediately to Cherokee, where the father opened a
    wagon and carriage shop, which he carried on until his death, which
    occurred in 1885.  The mother is still living.  There are three chil-
    dren in the family: WALTER W., the subject of this notice; EMILY, the
    wife of JOHN UNDERHILL, and GEORGE, now a resident of England.  WALTER
    W. ROBERTS began his business career by working on a farm by the month.
    In 1879 he established his dray and transfer line in Cherokee, which
    he carries on quite extensively, employing from six to twelve teams.
    The demand for ice during the warm months increasing as the place
    became of greater population, Mr. ROBERTS in 1883 began packing ice,
    and handles annually 700 tons.  He supplies a large part of the local
    trade, and ships largely to neighboring towns and counties.  In
    connection with his transfer line he takes contracts for delivering
    railroad ties to the Cherokee & Dakota branch of the Illinois Central
    Railroad between Cherokee and Onawa.  At one time he took a contact
    for grading the road-bed for two miles, and in this undertaking he
    was very successful.  His office is near the track of the Illinois
    Central Railroad, and is well fitted up for business purposes.  Mr.
    ROBERTS bought the old fort, which was built of logs, and moved to a
    tract of five acres which he owns in the south part of the town.  This
    now stands among the few relics of the past.  At one time he took a
    great interest in hunting, and has quite a selection of heads of
    animals in a fine state of preservation.  He also has a large collec-
    tion of petrified specimens and Indian relics.  Mr. ROBERTS owns a
    good stable where he keeps the horses used in his business, and also
    has a comfortable residence.  When he began life as a farmer boy he
    had not a single dollar, but force of character and industry and
    energy have brought their reward of success.

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