From the 1911 book Past and Present of Hardin County Iowa, pp. 1020-1023:
George F. Althouse
In touching upon the life history of George F. Althouse, editor and publisher of The World at Ackley, Hardin county, the biographer aims to avoid fulsome ecomium and extravagant praise, yet he desires to hold up for consideration these facts which have shown the distinction of a true, useful and honorable life, which has been characterized by broad charity, perseverance, energy and well defined purpose. To do this will be but to reiterate the dictum pronounced upon Mr. Althouse by the people who have known him so long and well. He is widely known as a writer of unusual felicity of expression whose facile pen has delighted thousands of readers.

Mr. Althouse was born in Waterloo, Iowa, April 19, 1869, the scion of a sterling old pioneer family of the Hawkeye state, being the son of John and Margaret (Feusner) Althouse. He grew to manhood at Waterloo, and when twelve years of age he began working before and after school, and on Saturdays worked in the offices of the Waterloo Tribune and Courier and livered these popular papers to numerous patrons.

Mr. Althouse has had a very extensive experience in the newspaper field. When a lad at Dubuque, Iowa, he joined Typographical Union No. 22, and in all matters that have engrossed the attention of labor, and union labor in particular, he has taken a lively interest and has held his membership in the union ever since. However, he being now an employer, is an honorary member of this organization, and has always manifested a lively interest in the welfare of the union. At the time of his removal from Waterloo to Ackley he intended to stay only two years, while pursuing a certain course of study, but becoming identified with the life of the community, propering and buying property, he found it to his interest to remain longer, and he has taken his place in the front rank of representative citizens in this locality.

From boyhood Mr. Althouse has been an active and influential worker in the Democratic party, although in the campaign of 1896 and 1900, with the "gold standard coinage of money" the leading issue, opposed as he was to "free silver," he remained steadfast; believing that the true principles of Democracy would ultimately triumph, he continued to force the issue for the party in the third district, through the avenue of his newspapers, The World and Eldora Enterprise. For several years he has been secretary of the Democratic county central committee. His paper has been devoted to the interests of the community and state and to Democracy in a very noteworthy manner, and during campaigns it has wielded a very potent influence.

His father and mother were pioneers of Black Hawk county. They came direct to Waterloo, Iowa, from Germany in 1861, where John Althouse (his father) established a wagon and carriage factory, conducting the business up to the time of his death. He became well and firmly established. He was energetic and progressive and prospered in various lines and was a stockholder in different companies and semi-public organizations and associations. His death occurred in January, 1897, and that of his wife in August, 1893. The children have kept the large estate together, maintaining the old homestead just as it was.

The children of Mr. and Mrs. John Althouse were as follows: George F., of this review, was fifth in order of birth; the oldest son, George -- the parents following the customs of the fatherland -- died in early youth; his two brothers, Henry and Lewis, both of Waterloo, being older than he; Charles and Edward are also dead; one sister, Elizabeth, died at the age of seventeen years; the remaining sisters, allyounger, are Mrs. J. O. Coombs, of Sioux Falls; Mrs. R. T. Heywood, of Bowman, North Dakota; Mrs. Frank T. Setchel, of Sandwich, Illinois.

George F. Althouse was married in Ackley, in 1896, to his cousin, Katherine, and to this union three children have been born, Ruth, Margaret and George.

Mr. and Mrs. Althouse are members of the Presbyterian church, and fraternally he belongs to the Masons, the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Modern Woodmen of America. Personally he is a genial, approachable, pleasant gentleman, a good mixer and has been popular with the newspaper fraternity as well as the general public wherever he is known.

Page 1 of The Ackley World Journal, published in Ackley, Iowa on Thursday, May 22nd, 1947