History of Pottawattamie County Iowa United States of America

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Theodore Guittar, ex-sheriff of Pottawattamie county, and at present deputy oil inspector for the state of Iowa, has had much to do with the history of this state although a native of Missouri. His father, Francis Guittar, was among the first white men to come to western Iowa. He first visited Council Bluffs, in 1825, in a keel boat while in the employ of the American Fur company. He thus traded with the Indians until 1840, at which time he engaged in the business on his own account. In 1852, having accumulated some money through his transactions with the Indians, he put in a stock of merchandise at Council Bluffs, and the same was continued until 1878, when he retired with a competency. He was of French-Canadian stock, but was born at St. Louis, as was his wife, Eugenia Bono.

Theodore Guittar was born December 20, 1842, at St. Louis, Mo. He removed to Council Bluffs with his parents when a small boy, and it was in the common schools of that place he acquired his education. He clerked in his father's store until 1862, when he responded to the tocsin of war, enlisting in the Second Iowa battery. He served throughout the whole of the great struggle, participating in the battles of Vicksburg, Nashville, Tupelo, Jackson, Raymond, Hurricane Creek, Old Town Creek, Oxford and others of less importance. He is a member of Abraham Lincoln post, No. 29, Grand Army of the Republic, department of Iowa.

The war over, he returned to Council Bluffs and engaged as a clerk until 1868, at which time he went into the grocery business. This he followed until 1870, when he purchased a farm and engaged in fruit raising and agricultural work until 1875, returning at that time to Council Bluffs. Having done effective work for the republican party, of which he was an enthusiastic supporter, he, in 1877, was appointed deputy sheriff of the county, serving as such for two years. In 1878 he was elected constable, and so well did he perform the duties of that office during the three years of his incumbency that he was the logical candidate for sheriff of the county. He was elected by a handsome majority, and was re-elected at the close of his first term. In 1890 he received the appointment of deputy internal revenue collector for the southern district of Iowa, serving for three years, and in 1894 was made deputy oil inspector, which position he is now filling. He was married December 20, 1869, to Elizabeth Beecroft. They have but one child, a daughter, Eugenia I. Guittar.

SOURCE: Biographies and Portraits of the Progressive Men of Iowa published by Conway and Shaw, Des Moines: 1899.

History of Pottawattamie County Iowa

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