Jared Ham
56 YOA
Iowa River
Iowa City, IA
Johnson County
September 24, 1911
On Sunday, September 24, 1911, the body of 56-year-old Jared Ham was found floating in the Iowa River in Iowa City.
At first, police believed the wealthy retired merchant committed suicide. However, a Coroner’s Jury heard testimony that convinced them he was murdered.
Ham had a gash on his forehead and all his valuables except his watch were missing, including $2,000 in bank notes he was carrying.
Local citizens George Fairall, Henry Bouquet, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Maynard, Clarence Smith, Ed Maule, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Morris, Frank Brooks, Garfield Paulus, Ira Curtis, and Norwood Bothell testified before the Coroner.
Paulus and Bothell said they saw Ham at the Shrader Drug Store corner on Saturday evening, September 23. Bouquet testified he saw him about 1:00 a.m. the next morning on the lower bridge across the Iowa River.
Ira Curtis, a local contractor, was believed to be the last man who talked with the victim; he testified that he thought Ham was “insane” and was walking along the river when they parted.
Ham’s watch stopped at 2:00, indicating he fell or was dropped about that time early Sunday morning.
The other witnesses testified, according to the Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, that Ham’s “life had been a peaceful one, free from quarrels and other difficulties.”
A final verdict was never reached because authorities could not locate one Harry Mougovin, who left Iowa City without a trace the day of the murder. The reasons why he was believed to be associated with Ham’s death were not made public.
Jared Ham was born in 1855 in Iowa City to Mary A. Douglass and Daniel E. Ham, Pennsylvania natives who migrated west to become pioneer settlers of the town.
His father Daniel Ham was the city’s first gunsmith and firearms dealer. He owned a shop which he advertised as being on “Dubuque Street Under the Sign of the Gun.” He also traded in furs, pelts, and skins.
Jared Ham had six siblings — brothers Daniel, Jacob, Edward, and Williams as well as sisters Ella and Annie L. Ham.
Jared Ham married Mary M. Eister on November 25, 1880. His second wife Ella Morse gave birth to their son Clyde.
He worked as a painter and paper hanger and belonged to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, who held a memorial service for him in December 1911.
The Legendary Black Angel in Oakland Cemetery, where Jared Ham is buried.
Ham was buried with his family in Iowa City’s Oakland Cemetery, home to the famous 1912 “Black Angel” monument, which is the subject of many legends and myths and a stopping point on Iowa Ghost Tours.
Questions and comments about the unsolved 1911 murder of Jared Ham should be directed to the Iowa City Police Department at 319-356-5275 or to Iowa Cold Cases through the Contact form.
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