Harry D. Horton

Harry D. Horton was born in 1894 and passed away Labor Day 1964. A lifelong resident of DeKalb, Harry was a veteran, railroad engineer, businessman, Justice of the Peace, alderman, good neighbor, husband, and father. Mr. Horton attended DeKalb public school and became a railroad engineer after attending Northwestern Railroad Engineering School in Chicago. During World War I he served as a locomotion engineer in the U.S. Army Railroad Transportation Corps in France. He also attended the U.S, Army Diesel-Locomotive School. Harry was a third degree Mason and fifty year member of the Loyal Order of the Moose, Lodge 586. In 1913 he was asked to be fireman on a special train on the Aurora branch of the C&NW RR. That train carried Grand Lodge officers to the spot where Mooseheart was to be built. It was in hearing the speeches there that harry was inspired to become a Moose member and help the dream become a reality. He retired from the railroad after thirty years, and opened a small appliance and furniture store in his neighborhood. As a businessman, he exemplified the same honesty and fairness as in civic affairs; he operated on the principle that “business is service”. People were known to say, “Take it over to ‘Hap’ Horton, he can fix anything”. Mr. Horton always dreamed about being able to go to law school. Although he was not able to fulfill his dream, he did offer to help his brother go to law school, another simple and generous demonstration of his love for democracy and the democratic process.