1903 Index

History of Iowa From the Earliest Times To The Beginning of the Twentieth Century
Volume IV, Iowa Biography, B. F. Gue, 1903.

L

Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Becke Dawson.

JOHN F. LACEY was born at New Martinsville, West Virginia, on the 30th of May, 1841. In 1855 he came with his father to Oskaloosa, near which they located on a farm. His education was limited by lack of means and he learned the trade of bricklaying. When the Civil War began he enlisted in Company H, Third Iowa Infantry, was captured at the Battle of Blue Mills but was soon released on parole. He returned home and began to read law with Samuel A. Rice, then Attorney-General of Iowa. After being exchanged in 1862, he enlisted in Company D, Thirty-third Iowa Volunteers, of which Mr. Rice was appointed colonel. He was soon promoted to first lieutenant of Company C and later was appointed Assistant Adjutant-General on the staff of General Steele, serving in that position to the end of the war. He participated in the battles of Helena, Little Rock, Elkin’s Ford, Prairie d’Ann, Camden, Jenkin’s Ferry and Blakely. Upon his return home he entered upon the practice of law. In 1869 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the House of the Thirteenth General Assembly, serving one term. He was city solicitor and is the author of Lacey’s Railway Digest in two volumes and also of the Third Iowa Digest. He was first elected to Congress from the Sixth District in 1888 and has been repeatedly reelected, serving to the close of the Nineteenth Century. He has taken a deep interest in the preservation of the forests and animals of the country and is the author of numerous important laws on the subject.

SCOTT M. LADD was born at Sharon in the State of Wisconsin on the 22d of June, 1855. His early education was acquired in Sharon Academy after which he entered Beloit College, remaining two years, then entered Carthage College where he graduated in 1879. He took the law course in the Iowa State University, finishing in 1881. Locating at Sheldon in O’Brien County, Iowa, in that year, he entered upon the practice of his profession and in 1886 was nominated on the Republican ticket for District Judge of the Fourth Judicial District and elected, entering upon the duties of that office in January following. He was twice re-elected, serving until January 1, 1897. At the Republican State Convention of 1896 he was nominated for Judge of the Supreme Court and was elected over Lemuel R. Bolter, the Fusion candidate, by a plurality of 64,377. The same year, the degree of LL. D was conferred upon Judge Ladd by Carthage College. He entered upon the duties of Supreme Judge on the 1st of January, 1897.

JED LAKE was a native of Cortland County, New York, where he was born November 5, 1830. He attended district school winters assisting at farm work during the summers until seventeen years old. His education was continued in New York Central College and a manual training school at McGrawville. He continued his studies at Cortland Academy, supporting himself by teaching. He came to Iowa in 1855, locating at Independence where he studied law and in 1856 was admitted to the bar. In 1861 he was elected Representative in the House of the Ninth General Assembly and in 1862 entered the Union army during the extra session. He was tendered the position of Collector of Internal Revenue, but preferred the military service and soon after was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty-seventh Iowa Volunteers. He participated in the capture of Little Rock, the Red River expedition, Battle of Nashville, and capture of Mobile besides many minor engagements. In 1865 he succeeded to the command of the regiment upon the promotion of Colonel Gilbert. After the war closed Colonel Lake resumed practice at Independence. In another place is given an account of his services in successfully defeating the drive well monopoly, for which the General Assembly of Iowa by passage of joint resolutions tendered to him the thanks of the people for the great service rendered the country in saving millions of dollars in unjust attempts to collect royalties. Colonel Lake was appointed by President Harrison one of the commissioners to appraise 60,000 acres of land in California. He was also one of the commissioners having in charge the building of the Hospital for the Insane at Cherokee.

JAMES T. LANE was born at Freeport, Pennsylvania, on the 16th of March, 1830. He was educated at the University of Lewisburg in that State, studied law, was admitted to the bar, and came west in 1854 in search of a location. He stopped in Davenport, then a flourishing little city on the upper Mississippi River. Here he located on the 23d of February, 1854, and opened a law office, making it his permanent home. He soon acquired a good practice and upon the organization of the Republican party on the 22d of February, 1856, Mr. Lane took an active part, serving as a delegate from Scott County in the first State Convention which met at Iowa City and was one of the secretaries of that gathering which brought a new party into existence. He entered into partnership with Abner Davisson, upon the death of D. S. True, and Davisson & Lane was for many years one of the leading law firms of Davenport. In 1861 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the House of the Ninth General Assembly and took rank among the leading members; was made chairman of the committee on military affairs, then the most important of the standing committees, as the country was in the midst of the great Civil War. In 1873 Mr. Lane was appointed by President Grant United States District Attorney for Iowa, serving with distinction until 1882. He died on the 19th of March, 1890.

JOSEPH R. LANE was born in Davenport, Iowa, on the 6th of May, 1858, and was the son of Hon. James T. Lane. He was educated at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois, attended the Law Department of the State University and began to practice law in Davenport in 1880. In 1898 he was elected to Congress on the Republican ticket in the Second District, serving but one term, as he declined a reelection. He has long been one of the active Republican leaders in the Second Congressional district, but prefers the line of his profession to official positions.

JAMES L. LANGWORTHY, one of the pioneers of Dubuque, was born in Windsor, Vermont, January 20, 1800. While a boy his father removed successively to New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois, always keeping in the frontier settlements. In 1821 James made his way to the Galena lead mines on foot and engaged in mining. Having acquired great influence with the Sac, Fox and Winnebago Indians, in 1827 Mr. Langworthy was employed by the Government to accompany General Henry Dodge to negotiate a treaty with these tribes by which they were induced to move to the west side of the Mississippi River. In 1830 Mr. Langworthy and his brother, Lucius, obtained permission to engage in lead mining on the west side of the river in the old Dubuque mines. Several other white men crossed the river, made a settlement in the vicinity of the mines and made rules and regulations as to taking and holding claims on the mineral lands. The Indians made complaint against the invaders and the Federal officials ordered them to leave the Indian country. When the Black Hawk War began, Mr. Langworthy became a scout for General Dodge and served to the end of the war. He returned to Dubuque and again engaged in mining, securing rich veins of ore. Mr. Langworthy and his brother increased their mining enterprises and in 1833 were among the leading citizens of Dubuque. They were foremost in all public enterprises, liberally aiding the schools, churches and railroads. No citizens contributed more to build up Dubuque for a quarter of a century than the Langworthy brothers. James died in March, 1865, and his brother Lucius died in the following July.

WILLIAM LARRABEE, twelfth Governor of Iowa, was born in Ledyard, Connecticut, January 20, 1832. His father Adam Larrabee was a graduate of West Point Military Academy and an officer in the War of 1812. The boyhood years of the son were passed on his father’s farm. His education was acquired in the common schools and at the age of nineteen he became a teacher. In 1853 he started west, stopping first in Clayton County, Iowa, where he resumed teaching. For three years he was employed as foreman on a large farm belonging to Judge Williams. In 1857 he purchased an interest in the Clermont mills, Fayette County, and eventually became the sole owner of the property. Later he became engaged extensively in farming and banking. In 1867 he was nominated by the Republicans of Fayette County for State Senator and elected. He remained in the Senate for eighteen years by successive reelections, serving the longest continuously of any member of the Iowa Legislature since the admission of the State. He was an able practical legislator and acquired by long service an intimate knowledge of public affairs, giving him great influence in shaping the laws and general State policy. During most of this period he was a candidate before the Republican State Convention for Governor but was not successful. In 1885 he received the nomination and was elected. His administration was noted for the firm stand he took in securing legislation to regulate the rates of railroad transportation and his rigid adherence to the principle of prohibition of the liquor traffic. At the close of his second term there was a formidable movement on part of the people to elect Governor Larrabee to the United State Senate. In 1893 he published a book on the “Railroad Question”, which was an able historical and practical treatise on railroads and remedies for their abuses. It is an exceedingly valuable work on a subject that has long engaged the attention of Congress and State Legislatures. Upon the creation of the State Board of Control for the management of the business of the various State Institutions, Governor Larrabee was appointed one of its members and was chosen president of the board. His son, William Larrabee, Jr., was a member of the House of the Twenty-ninth General Assembly.

HENRY W. LATHROP was born at Hawley, Massachusetts, October 28, 1819. His parents removed to Augusta, New York, where the son grew to manhood. He studied law at Albany and in 1847 removed to Iowa, locating at Iowa City where he engaged in teaching school. He became the editor of the IOWA CITY REPUBLICAN. He was a delegate to the convention of 1856 which organized the Republican party of Iowa. He was one of the first regents of the State University, helped to organize that institution and was chairman of the committee which selected the faculty. He served for seven years as treasurer of the University. In 1856 Mr. Lathrop sold the REPUBLICAN and moving onto a farm began to experiment in fruit raising. He was one of the founders of the State Horticultural Society and for more than half a century was a contributor to its work. He was for many years librarian of the State Historical Society and the author of many valuable historical articles for the ANNALS OF IOWA and the HISTORICAL RECORD. Mr. Lathrop’s most enduring work in history and biography is the “Life and Times of Samuel J. Kirkwood,” a book of four hundred and seventy-four pages, published in 1893. It is an exceedingly valuable contribution to the annals of the most important and exciting period of our State’s history.

JACOB G. LAUMAN was born in Tarrytown, Maryland, on the 20th of January, 1813. He came to Iowa in 1844, locating at Burlington where he engaged in mercantile business. At the beginning of the Rebellion he was active in raising military companies and on July 7, 1861, was commissioned colonel of the Seventh Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. His first battle was at Belmont where the Seventh Regiment was greatly distinguished for gallant conduct and suffered greater loss than any other regiment taking part in the engagement, amounting to more than four hundred in killed, wounded and missing. Colonel Lauman was among the wounded. At the Battle of Fort Donelson he was placed in command of a brigade and again greatly distinguished himself, receiving promotion to the rank of Brigadier-General. He commanded a brigade at Shiloh and at the Hatchie. At the Battle of Jackson he commanded a division and through a misunderstanding of orders it met with very heavy loss. At the close of the engagement General Lauman was relieved of his command and this closed his military career.

ALBERT M. LEA, who gave the name to Iowa before it had an organized existence as a Territory or State, was born in east Tennessee in 1807. With a common school education he entered the Military Academy at West Point in 1827 from which he graduated in 1831. He was appointed second lieutenant in the artillery service. In 1832 he was detached on topographic work and in 1834 was transferred to the First Dragoons, in the company commanded by Captain Jesse B. Browne. The regiment was sent to the upper Mississippi with headquarters at old Fort Des Moines (now Montrose) in Lee County, Iowa. It was from here in 1835 that Lieutenant Lea accompanied the exploring expedition under Captain Boone which marched through the wild regions bordering on the upper Des Moines, Boone and Iowa rivers. Lieutenant Lea wrote the first description of that part of the country ever published, from notes and maps made while on the march. After his return, he published a book of forty-five pages to which he gave the title "Notes on the Iowa District of Wisconsin Territory." This is believed to have been the first time the name " Iowa " was applied to the country which two years later became the Territory of Iowa. While in camp on the shores of a beautiful lake in southern Minnesota, Lieutenant Lea made a plat and sketch which was sent to the War Department, where the name ' Albert Lea ' was given it. He soon after resigned his commission and purchased claims at the mouth of Pine Creek on the west side of the Mississippi, eighteen miles below Rock Island, where he laid out a town which he named Ellenborough. He expected this to be an important city as the county became settled but the founding of Davenport on one side and Muscatine on the other, ruined his hopes and the plat became in time a farm. Lieutenant Lea was employed as a civil engineer to assist in establishing the disputed boundary between Iowa and Missouri. In 1841 he was chief clerk in the War Department and in 1843 was Professor of Mechanics in the University of Tennessee. During the Civil War he was an officer in the Confederate army. He died at Corsicana, Texas, on the 30th of January 1891.

JOSEPH B. LEAKE was born in Cumberland County, New Jersey, April 1, 1828. In 1836 he removed with his parents to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he received his early education. He entered the Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, graduating in the class of 1846. After leaving college he studied law in Cincinnati and was admitted to the bar in 1850. Coming to Iowa in 1856, Mr. Leake opened a law office at Davenport. In 1861 he was elected to fill a vacancy in the House of Representatives at the extra session of the Eighth General Assembly in 1861. He was elected to the Senate of the Ninth General Assembly, serving at the regular and extra sessions, when he resigned to enter the army. Mr. Leake was commissioned captain of Company G, and was soon promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the Twentieth Regiment of Volunteers. He participated in the Battle of Prairie Grove, where he commanded the regiment. Soon after his command was transferred to the Army of the Tennessee, and after the fall of Vicksburg the Twentieth Regiment joined the Army of the Gulf in the Mobile campaign. Colonel Leake was taken prisoner at the Battle of Bayou Fordoche, remaining in a Confederate prison until July, 1864. In 1865 he was brevetted Brigadier- General for conspicuous services and was mustered out in July of the same year. Upon his return to Iowa, General Leake was again elected to the State Senate of the Eleventh General Assembly where he was chairman of the judiciary committee. Later he occupied several positions of trust in his home city and county. Early in the seventies General Leake removed to Chicago, where in 1879 he was appointed by the President, United States Attorney for the District of Northern Illinois, serving until 1884. From 1887 to 1891 he was the attorney for the Chicago Board of Education; and he has filled the position of Commander of the Legion of Honor in Illinois.

ANTOINE LE CLAIRE was born at St. Joseph, Michigan, in 1797. His father was a French trader and his mother was the daughter of a chief of the Pottawattamie Indians. He was conversant with many Indian dialects and acted as interpreter for Colonel Davenport in his intercourse with the Indians, while stationed at Fort Armstrong. In 1829 Le Claire married the granddaughter of a Sac chief. In the treaty of 1832 between the Sac and Fox Indians and the United States, in the Le Claire was the interpreter, a grant of two sections of land was made to him by these tribes. One section is now embraced in the limits of Davenport and the other was where the town of Le Claire has been built. The Pottawattamies gave him two sections of land now embraced in the city of Moline. Mr. Le Claire was one of the founders of the cities of Davenport and Le Claire and a liberal promoter of many public enterprises in the two places in early days. He died at Davenport in September 1861.

HENRY W. LEE, the first Episcopal Bishop of Iowa, was born in Hamden, Connecticut, on the 29th of July, 1815. A few months later his father removed to Springfield, Massachusetts, where the son spent his youthful days and received his education. In October, 1839, he was ordained to the ministry of the Episcopal church by Bishop Griswold. He was called to be Rector of Christ Church at Springfield in April 1840, where he remained three years. He then accepted a call to St. Luke's church, at Rochester, New York, where he remained eleven years. The Degree of D.D. was conferred upon him by Hobart College in 1850 and by the University of Rochester in 1852. In 1867 the degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by the University of Cambridge, England. On the 1st of June, 1854, Dr. Henry W. Lee was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Iowa and on the 18th of October was consecrated at Rochester in the presence of the Bishops of New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan and Illinois, Bishop Eastman of Vermont, presiding. Bishop Lee made a visit to the principal churches of Iowa in the fall of that year and in January, 1855, removed to Davenport. He immediately entered upon the work of raising a permanent fund for the diocese which was wisely invested in more than 6,000 acres of land which as the years went by became valuable, yielding a large income. He was instrumental in founding Griswold College at Davenport which was opened in 1860. In 1867 he made a visit to the principal countries of Europe, preaching in some of the largest churches of England, France and Ireland. After an arduous service of twenty years as Bishop of Iowa Henry W. Lee died at his home on the 26th of December, 1874. The last great work he gave to the diocese was the erection of Grace Cathedral at Davenport.

SHEPHERD LEFFLER was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1814. His education was obtained in the common schools of that section and at Steubenville, Ohio. He studied law and came to the "Black Hawk Purchase" in 1835, locating at the "Flint Hills," then a little frontier village of log cabins. He improved a farm near by and began the practice of law. In 1839 he was elected a Representative in the Legislative Assembly of the new Territory when but twenty-five years of age. He was reelected in 1841 and in 1842 was promoted to the Council where he served by reelection in the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Legislative Assemblies until Iowa became a State. He was chosen a delegate to the First Constitutional Convention in 1844, served through its sessions and in 1846 was a member of the second convention which framed the Constitution under which Iowa became a State. In 1846 he received the nomination for Congress in the State at large, by the Democratic Convention and was elected. He was reelected from the Second District in 1848, serving four years. In 1856 he was again a candidate for Congress in the Second District but was defeated by Timothy Davis his old competitor, as the Republican party had now a large majority. In 1875 Mr. Leffler was nominated by the Democratic State Convention for Governor but was defeated by Governor Kirkwood. This was his last appearance in State politics. Few public officials in Iowa have exercised so wide an influence in shaping its policy, framing and enacting its laws and formulating its constitutions in the pioneer period, as Shepherd Leffler. Serving in six of its Territorial Legislatures, two Constitutional Conventions and four years in Congress immediately after the admission of the State, his impress is found upon all of our early laws. He was one of the trusted leaders of the Democratic party as long as it controlled the Territory and State. He died at Burlington in 1879.

FRANK LEVERETT, geologist, was born near Denmark, Iowa, March 10, 1859. He was reared in the atmosphere of the academy founded by the grandfather, Rev. Asa Turner, which he entered in 1872. Upon leaving the academy in 1878 the young man spent a year on his father's farm. In 1880 he was made teacher of natural science, a position which he held for three years. During this time he became especially interested in geology which led him to spend a year in Colorado, partly at Colorado College and partly in field work. In 1884 he entered the Iowa Agricultural College, and before completing his contemplated course preparatory to teaching, he became especially interested in glacial geology. Through the influence of W. J. McGee and Professor T. C. Chamberlain he received the position of Special Field Assistant on the United States Geological Survey. In 1890 he was made an Assistant United States Geologist. He has given his attention chiefly to glacial geology, considering the deposits both in their economic and scientific phases. In 1892 he spent some time in the service of the Illinois Board of World's Fair Commissioners, preparing an exhibit of the soils of the State. His scientific publications began in 1884 and he has since contributed numerous valuable articles to scientific publications, among which may be mentioned the "Water Resources of Illinois," and two monographs published by the United States Geological survey, the first on the "Illinois Glacial Lobe," and the second "Glacial Formations and Drainage Features of the Erie and Ohio Basins."

LORENZO D. LEWELLING, was born in Salem, Iowa, December 21, 1846. His father, William, was a Quaker minister, who died when his son was a small boy. Lorenzo worked for farmers in the neighborhood, went to district school in the winter and later graduated from Whittier College. When sixteen years of age he began work at bridge building, drove cattle in the quartermaster's department in Tennessee during the war and again became a member of a company of bridge builders. He was a teacher under the Freedman's Aid Society in Missouri after the close of the war. Mr. Lewelling served some time as assistant superintendent of the State Reform School and in 1870 established a paper at Salem. He and his wife were employed in the Girls' Industrial School at Mitchellville for a number of years and later he was president of the State Normal School. In 1880 Mr. Lewelling removed to Des Moines and established the IOWA CAPITAL. In 1887 he removed to Kansas, locating at Wichita, where he took an active interest in politics, espousing the cause of the new Populist party and becoming one of the most eloquent advocates of its principles. In 1888 he was nominated by that party for Secretary of State but was defeated at the election. In 1892 the Democrats and Populists united upon a ticket and Mr. Lewelling was the fusion candidate for Governor. After a spirited canvas he was elected over the Republican candidate by a plurality of over 5,000. He was renominated in 1894 but was defeated at the election.

WARNER LEWIS, one of the pioneers of northern Iowa, was born in Goochland County, Virginia, in November, 1805. He emigrated to the mining region of Michigan Territory in 1827 and was appointed clerk of the United States District Court of that Territory. He served in the Black Hawk War and in 1833 removed to Dubuque. At the first session of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature Mr. Lewis served as chief clerk of the House of Representatives. Upon the creation of Iowa Territory in 1838 he was elected to the Council of the First Legislative Assembly where he took a prominent part in framing the first laws. In 1841 he was again a member of the Assembly and was chosen Speaker of the House. In 1850 he was elected to the State Senate where he served four years. He was appointed by Governor Lucas Major-General of the Iowa militia and assisted in its organization. In 1845 he was appointed Register of the United States Land Office at Dubuque. In 1853 he was appointed by President Pierce Surveyor-General for Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota and at the expiration of his term was reappointed by President Buchanan. He served twenty-four years as recorder of Dubuque County. Mr. Lewis was a prominent member of the Democratic party during all of his mature life and died in Dubuque, May 4, 1888, at the age of eighty-three.

W. R. LEWIS, was born in Muskingham County, Ohio, October 12, 1835. In April, 1857, he removed to Poweshiek County, Iowa, which has since been his home. He worked at carpentering and taught school until 1861, and during hours not otherwise employed studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1866. Mr. Lewis held a number of positions in his home county and in 1880 was elected judge of the Circuit Court. This position he held six years until that court was abolished. He was then elected judge of the District Court, retiring from the bench in 1890, and resuming the practice of law. In 1897 he was elected to the State Senate, serving in the Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth General Assemblies.

JAMES R. LINCOLN was born in Maryland, February 3, 1845, and was educated at Landon Military Academy in his native State, and in the Pennsylvania Military College. When the Civil War began he enlisted in the Confederate army serving through the war. In 1867 he came to Iowa, locating at Boonsboro where he was superintendent of a coal mining company, and served as mayor of the city. He removed to Ames in 1884 and was elected Professor of Military Tactics in the State College of Agriculture when General Geddes was displaced by the trustees. In 1892 he was steward of the college and later Professor of Commercial Law and Mining Engineering. He was Inspector-General of the Iowa National Guard when the Spanish War began and was placed in command of Camp McKinley at Des Moines. In May, 1898, he was promoted to Brigadier-General of Volunteers.

CHARLES LINDERMAN was born in Orange County, New York, on the 4th of February, 1829, and was educated in the common schools and at Bloomingburg and Clinton Academies. In 1855 he removed to Iowa, locating at Davenport, where he has been engaged in banking and farming. He removed to Page County before the beginning of the Civil War and upon the organization of the Eighth Iowa Cavalry was commissioned second lieutenant of Company A, serving to the close of the war, having been promoted to first lieutenant. He served as clerk of Page County from 1860 to 1863, and in 1865 was elected on the Republican ticket Representative to the Eleventh General Assembly. Before the expiration of his term he was elected clerk of the Supreme Court, serving by reelection until 1875. In 1891 he was again chosen to represent his county in the Twenty- fourth General Assembly, serving two terms.

MATHIAS LORAS, the first Catholic Bishop of Iowa, was born at Lyons, France, August 30, 1792. His father, who was a loyalist at the time of the French Revolution, fell a victim to the 'reign of terror.' Young Loras studied at Lyons several years and became a priest in 1817. He came to America in 1829. His fine ability attracted attention and in a few years he became Vicar- General. When the Diocese of Dubuque was established Father Loras was made bishop. He returned to France and procured six missionaries for the new diocese and reached Dubuque in April, 1839. The diocese embraced all of the territory north of Missouri between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers in which were more than 30,000 Indians who were in his charge. Throughout this region he established schools. State Senate, serving four years. In 1861 he was chosen judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, serving until January, 1867. He was elected to Congress in 1866 and twice reelected, being a member of the Fortieth, Forty-first and Forty-third Congresses.

WILLIAM LOUGHRIDGE was born in Youngstown, Ohio, July 11, 1827. He received a common school education, studied law and began practice in Mansfield, Ohio. Coming to Iowa in 1852 he located at Oskaloosa where he practiced law. In 1856 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the State Senate, serving four years. In 1861 he was chosen judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, serving until January, 1867. He was elected to Congress in 1866 and twice reelected, being a member of the Fortieth, Forty-first and Forty-third Congresses.

JAMES M. LOVE was born in Fairfax, Virginia, March 4, 1820. The family removed to Zanesville, Ohio, when he was a lad of twelve and there he obtained a good education and studied law with an older brother. When the war with Mexico began he volunteered and was chosen captain of a company, serving through the war. In 1850 he removed to Iowa, locating at Keokuk where he entered into partnership with Samuel F. Miller in the practice of law. In 1852 he was elected on the Democratic ticket to the State Senate where he served four years as chairman of the judiciary committee. In 1855 he was appointed by President Pierce Judge of the United States District Court for Iowa, a position he held the remainder of his life. In 1875 he accepted an appointment in the State University as Professor of Commercial Law and served three years as Chancellor of the Law Department. Of all the decisions rendered by Judge Love during his long term of service but three were reversed by the Supreme Court. He died July 2, 1891. At the following meeting of the Pioneer Lawmakers' Association, Judge George G. Wright said of Judge Love: "As a lawyer, he ranked among the ablest in the west; as a legislator he was the peer of any of his colleagues; as a judge he was honest, laborious, courteous, learned and strong; his life and character were pure and spotless."

ENOS LOWE, one of the pioneer lawmakers of Iowa, was born on the 5th of May, 1804, in the county of Guilford, North Carolina. He took a course in medicine at the Ohio Medical College and, locating at Greencastle, Indiana, entered upon the practice of his profession. He became an active Democratic politician and was elected to a seat in the Indiana Legislature. In 1837 he removed to the "Black Hawk Purchase" and located at Burlington, then a small frontier village where he practiced medicine. He became widely and favorably known and in 1844 was chosen a member of the First Constitutional Convention where he made the acquaintance of many young men who afterwards became famous in the history of Iowa. The Constitution framed by this Convention having been rejected, Dr. Lowe was elected to the Convention of 1846 which enacted the Constitution under which Iowa became a State. He was elected to preside over that body. When the United State Land Office was established at Iowa City Dr. Lowe was appointed receiver of public money and removed to the Capital. In 1853 he was appointed receiver of the United States Land Office at Council Bluffs. He became one of the founders of the city of Omaha, being a member of the company that platted the town in 1853. He died on the 13th of February, 1880.

RALPH P. LOWE, fourth Governor of the State of Iowa, was born in Warren County, Ohio, on the 27th of November, 1805. His father owned a farm and kept a stage station and tavern. Ralph assisted his father, and when a boy his ambition was to some day become a stage driver. But as he grew older and listened to the talk of Henry Clay and other distinguished statesmen who stopped at his father's tavern, on their journeys by stage coach, he imbibed a higher ambition. He began to study and entered the Miami University where he graduated. He then began the study of law. In 1840 he came to Iowa, crossing the Mississippi River at Bloomington (now Muscatine ) where he bought a farm. He improved the farm and began to practice law, taking an active part in public affairs. In 1844 he was elected to the First Constitutional Convention. In 1845 he was nominated by the Whigs for Delegate in Congress, but the Democrats had a clear majority in the Territory and he was defeated by General A. C. Dodge. In 1852 Mr. Lowe was chosen judge of the District Court, serving until 1857 when he resigned, having been nominated by the Republican State Convention for Governor. He was elected and was the first Governor under the new Constitution, serving but one term. In 1859 he was elected Judge of the Supreme Court and became Chief Justice in 1860. He was reelected in 1861 and again became Chief Justice in 1866. He removed to Washington D. C. In 1874 where he resumed his practice of law, and died in that city December 22, 1883.

ROBERT LUCAS, first Governor of Iowa Territory, was born at Shepherdstown, Jefferson County, Virginia, on the 1st of April, 1781. His father was an officer in the Revolutionary War who, in 1800, liberated his slaves and removed to Scioto County, Ohio. Robert received his education under a private teacher and became a surveyor. When the War of 1812 began he was appointed captain in the regular army and as the war progressed attained the rank of colonel. He served nineteen years in the Ohio Legislature and during that period was presiding officer of both House and Senate. In 1832 he was president of the Democratic National Convention which nominated Andrew Jackson for President. In the same year he was elected Governor of Ohio and in 1834 was reelected, serving four years. On the 7th of July, 1838, he was appointed by President Van Buren Governor of the new Territory of Iowa. As his services in that position have been mentioned quite fully elsewhere it is sufficient here to say that he gave to Iowa an able, intelligent and faithful administration. At its close he retired to his farm near Iowa City in June, 1841. Governor Lucas was chosen a member of the First Constitutional Convention which met in 1844 and was one of its ablest and most useful delegates. He died at his home February 7, 1853.

JOSEPH LYMAN was born at Lyons, Michigan, September 13, 1840. He received but a common school education as the war came soon after he entered college and he left to enlist in the Union army. He first became a private in the Fourth Iowa Cavalry but in October, 1862, was promoted to adjutant of the Twenty-ninth Infantry and in February, 1865, was promoted to major, serving to the close of the war. Upon returning home he studied law, was admitted to the bar and entered upon practice at Council Bluffs. He was for a time deputy collector of Internal Revenue in the Fifth District and was circuit judge of the Thirteenth Judicial District from January, 1884, until he was elected Representative in Congress from the Fifth District at the general election of that year. He served two terms, having been reelected in the fall of 1886. Mr. Lyman died at Council Bluffs on the 9th of July, 1890.