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Jesse James Allee
Jesse James Allee was a Civil War veteran who traveled back to the Newell area after the war. His service enabled him to acquire several land vouchers from the government which allowed him to establish land claims by making improvements on the land. He was a progressive farmer owning as many as twenty farms as well as introducing thoroughbred horse racing into the area. Jesse also owned The Peoples Bank in Newell. He and his wife built the Allee Mansion at a cost of $4000.00.
Mary Kingman Allee
Mary Kingman Allee’s family heritage includes three uncles who made their fortune in the railroad business. Her family had important political connections in the Illinois legislature and was involved in bringing President Lincoln home on the “death train”. The Kingman family also started building “yellow wagons” in the early 1900s, a business which evolved into a company now called “Caterpillar”.
Mary Kingman Allee was a true Victorian lady, well educated and found it to be immoral to have a toilet in her new home. The three-room outhouse remained for a period of time after the Mansion was built in 1891.
George Matthew Allee
George Allee as a cadet at Cornell College where he attended for two years before enrolling at Harvard.
George Allee’s Harvard graduation picture. His fellow class mate was FDR who invited the entire class to his inaugural celebration. George did not attend as he did not smoke, nor drink and was not a Democrat!
George dedicated his life to improving a better strain of inbred corn that would yield a better rate of gain for his cattle and withstand Iowa’s climate.
George Allee was president of the Iowa Small Grain Growers and devoted many hours perfecting the “Iowa yield test” for small grains. This yield test is now used throughout the world. He was the chairman of the Newell Corn Shows promoting new farming practices and awarding farmers for the best show of corn and livestock. He contributed generously his community and was dedicated to the development of early hybrid corn research.
Sara Rose Allee
Sara Rose Allee graduated from Newell High School and attended Cornell College. The only one of the children to be engaged, she became a recluse after the engagement was broken off.
Sara, in her later years, maintained the home but was rarely only seen walking the grounds of the mansion.
Hannah Polly Allee
Hannah Polly Allee suffered from mental health issues and the remainder of her adult life was spent in a mental health institute in the Minneapolis St. Paul Minnesota area. It was said she was politically outspoken and loved the symphony. After her death, her will designated funds for a butterfly garden in St. Paul as well as the Minneapolis Symphony.
The Allee Family
Allee Family Portrait: left to right: Sara Rose, Jesse James; (father) George Mathew, Mary Kingman Allee, (mother) and Hannah Polly
The Allee children Hannah, George, and Sara traveled with the Kingman relatives to Europe. On the trip back, Mary’s brother, Edward Kingman, died and was buried at sea. The family history goes back to an early settlement on the land presently occupied by the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street.