Asahel W. Hubbard

ASAHEL W. HUBBARD was born at Haddam, Connecticut, January 18, 1819. He was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools. After teaching for a few months in Rushville, Indiana, he began to study law. There he practiced his profession sixteen years. In 1847 he was elected to the State Senate, serving three years. In 1857 he removed to Sioux City, Iowa, and the following year was elected judge of the Fourth Judicial District, serving four years. In 1862 he was nominated by the Republicans of the Sixth District for Representative in Congress. The district then extended from Black Hawk County west to the Missouri River and from Boone County to the Minnesota line, embracing one-third of the counties of the State. Judge Hubbard was elected and twice reëlected, serving six years. He was influential in securing legislation which hastened the building of several lines of railroad through his district, besides securing to Sioux City a branch of the Union Pacific Railroad. He was one of the founders of the First National Bank of Sioux City and its president many years. Judge Hubbard died on the 22d of September, 1879.

SOURCE: Benjamin F. Gue, History of Iowa, Volume IV: Iowa Biography, p. 137

John A Kasson

JOHN A. KASSON was born at Charlotte, Vermont, January 11, 1822. His father died when he was but six years old and his boyhood days were я struggle to support himself and secure an education. He finally graduated at the State University in 1842, taught school and studied law. In 1851 he went to St. Louis and practiced his profession for six years. In 1857 he removed to Des Moines and in 1858 was appointed by Governor Lowe to examine and report upon the condition of the State offices. The same year he was chosen chairman of the Republican State Committee and effected a strong organization of the new party. He was a delegate from Iowa to the famous National Republican Convention held at Chicago in May, I860, which nominated Abraham Lincoln for President and was selected by the Iowa delegation to act on the committee on resolutions which at that critical time was to frame a platform for the party in the campaign. The committee was made up with great care in view of the momentous issues involved and among its members were some of the most eminent men of the Nation. It consisted of one from each State and upon its organization and comparison of views it was evident that the drafting of a platform must be delegated to a few men to expedite the work. On motion of Mr. Kasson a subcommittee of five was chosen for this purpose. It consisted of Horace Greeley, Carl Schurz, John A. Kasson, Austin Blair and William Jessup. This subcommittee received all resolutions submitted and then proceeded to consider them and agree upon the essential topics to be embraced in the platform. It unanimously indorsed Mr. Kasson's declaration "that the normal condition of all the territory of the United States is that of freedom." At midnight three of the members retired exhausted, leaving Kasson and Greeley to complete the work. As daylight approached, Mr. Greeley went to the telegraph office to send the substance of the resolutions to the Tribune, while Kasson finished and revised the platform. At nine in the morning Mr. Kasson reported the platform to the general committee and it was approved by a unanimous vote. There was a diversity of opinions on the tariff, which was difficult to reconcile. Mr. Kasson finally drafted a resolution on the subject which all accepted. The New York Tribune, on the 18th, published the following from Mr. Greeley:

"The platform gives great satisfaction and the demonstrations of applause on its adoption were most enthusiastic, lasting several minutes. When the tariff resolution was read there was great rejoicing, more than over any other. Such a platform, so adopted, is a new era in American party politics."

On the 22d the Tribune said editorially:

"The platform presented, so generally satisfactory as it has proved, is eminently due to John A. Kasson of Iowa, whose efforts to reconcile differences, and to secure the largest liberty of sentiment consistent with fidelity to Republican principles, were most effective and untiring. I think no former platform ever reflected more fairly and fully the average convictions of a great National party."

This platform, as will be remembered, was made the pretext for the inauguration of the Rebellion, which resulted in the emancipation of 4,000,000 of slaves. Never since Jefferson's immortal Declaration of Independence has a document been framed, fraught with such momentous results as this famous Chicago Platform of I860, penned by an Iowa statesman. It was with this platform that the Republican party won its first national victory. Mr. Kasson took an active part in that eventful campaign and upon the election of Mr. Lincoln was appointed First Assistant Postmaster General. In the summer of 1863 he was nominated by the Republicans of the Des Moines district for Representative in Congress and elected. The most important measures originated by him in that body, were securing an amendment to the bankrupt laws, saving to the head of the family of the debtor a homestead. He formulated a plan while in the post-office department for securing uniform and cheaper postage with foreign countries. He negotiated postal treaties with the chief nations of Europe. He served in Congress six terms in all, taking rank among its ablest members. He afterwards, as a member of the Iowa Legislature, secured the building of the permanent State House. In diplomacy be has attained the highest rank in the Nation, having served as minister to Austria-Hungary and Germany. He was chairman of the United States Commission at the Samoan Conference at Berlin in 1889. During McKinley's administration he negotiated important reciprocal treaties with many foreign nations in the interest of our commerce. During the forty years of arduous and most valuable public services rendered to the State and Nation Mr. Kasson has found time to contribute to the highest grade of American periodicals and has written a History of Diplomacy, which will have world-wide interest. Among the eminent statesmen who for fifty years have reflected credit upon our State, none have ranked higher in notable achievements and intellectual endowment than John A. Kasson.

SOURCE: Benjamin F. Gue, History of Iowa, Volume IV: Iowa Biography, p. 149-51

Josiah B. Grinnell

JOSIAH B. GRINNELL was born in New Haven, Vermont, in 1822. He received a liberal education, graduating at Oneida College, New York. He then took the course in theology at Auburn and became a Congregational minister, preaching several years at Washington and New York City. In the winter of 1853 he projected a colony to settle in the West and in May, 1854, went to Iowa City with members of the colony to procure wild lands. He selected several thousand acres in Poweshiek County which were entered and the town of Grinnell laid out. A college was projected which in time was realized in Iowa College. Mr. Grinnell helped to organize a Congregational church and was its first minister. In 1856 he began his political career by acting as a delegate to the convention which organized the Republican party of Iowa. In the fall of that year he was the Republican candidate for State Senator from the district consisting of the counties of Poweshiek, Jasper, Marshall and Tama. He was elected, serving four years. In 1860 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention which nominated Abraham Lincoln for President, ln 1862 Mr. Grinnell was elected to Congress from the Fourth District and in 1864 was reëlected, serving four years. He was at one time a prominent candidate for nomination for Governor and later for United States Senator, but without success. In 1872 Mr. Grinnell united with the "Liberal Republicans" and Democrats in supporting Horace Greeley for President as against General Grant. He was one of the promoters of the Central Railroad of Iowa and the first president of that company. Mr. Grinnell was an enthusiastic worker for the development of his adopted State and the city which bore his name, as well as the college he had helped to establish.

SOURCE: Benjamin F. Gue, History of Iowa, Volume IV: Iowa Biography, p. 111

William B. Allison

WILLIAM B. ALLISON was born in Wayne County, Ohio, March 2, 1829. He worked on his father's farm summers and attended school winters until the age of sixteen when he entered the Academy at Wooster. Later he spent a year in Meadville College and one at Western Reserve College at Hudson, Ohio. He then studied law and in 1852 was admitted to the bar of Wayne County and began practice in Ashland. In April, 1857, he came to Iowa, locating at Dubuque, and two years later was a delegate to the Republican State Convention which nominated Samuel J. Kirkwood for Governor. In I860 he was a delegate to the National Republican Convention which nominated Abraham Lincoln for President, acting as one of the secretaries. When the War of the Rebellion began, Mr. Allison was appointed a member of Governor Kirkwood's staff to assist in organizing the volunteer service. In 1862 he was elected to Congress in the Third District and was three times reelected, serving until 1871. In 1865 he became a member of the committee of ways and means and entered upon a career which eventually made him authority on financial legislation. In 1870 he was a prominent candidate for United States Senator but was not successful. In 1872 he was again a candidate, was nominated over Senator Harlan and elected, taking his seat in the Senate March 4, 1873. Mr. Allison was appointed on the committee on appropriations of which he became chairman in 1881. He was chairman of the committee on Indian affairs from 1875 to 1881, and chairman of the joint committee of investigation of the affairs of the District of Columbia, in which capacity he wrote a report which was embodied in a bill that has since constituted the municipal government. He has been a member of the Senate finance committee since 1877 and was largely instrumental in perfecting the act of Congress known as the Bland-Allison bill, which was a compromise between the advocates of a single gold standard and free coinage of silver. The bill, after a long discussion, passed both houses of Congress but was vetoed by President Hayes. It was passed over the veto, and under its provisions 370,000,000 silver dollars were coined before it was changed by the act of 1890. When our Government made provision for an international conference in 1892, Senator Allison was chosen by President Harrison as chairman on behalf of the United States. When the legislation of 1900 on the currency was under consideration by Congress, Senator Allison took a prominent part in the debates and the formulation of the law known as the Currency Act of March 14th, which provided for a permanent reserve sufficient to make certain the convertibility of all forms of money into gold at the will of the holder. Senator Allison had a large share in shaping the tariff legislation since 1877, and especially the revision of the tariff which followed the report of the Tariff Commission of 1882. He has long been at the head of the committee on appropriations and all expenditures of money made by Congress pass under his scrutiny. No Senator now a member of that body has served so long continuously as the senior Senator from Iowa, and no member of either branch of Congress has done so much to shape National legislation for the last quarter of a century as William B. Allison. Iowa has wisely retained the services of one so influential in the councils of the country, and has reelected him in 1878, 1884, 1890, 1896 and again in 1902. He was strongly urged by President Garfield to accept the position of Secretary of the Treasury, and again tendered the position by President Harrison and was offered the position of Secretary of State by President McKinley, but has wisely chosen to hold his place in the Senate. He has been frequently mentioned as an available candidate for President, and in 1888 was as near a nomination as any candidate who was unsuccessful. Senator Hoar of Massachusetts tells the story of that convention in Scribner's Magazine for February, 1899. In brief he says:

"After several ineffectual ballots, the Convention took a recess. A meeting was held by a number of gentlemen representing different delegations to see if we could agree upon a candidate. Among these was James S. Clarkson, representing Mr. Allison. Platt, Miller, Depew and Hiscock represented the different shades of opinion in New York, and all were present except Depew. Several names were discussed, and I made a very earnest speech in favor of Mr. Allison. Finally all agreed that their States should vote for Allison when the Convention assembled. I suppose everybody in that room when he left it felt as certain as of any event in the future that Mr. Allison would be nominated in the Convention. When Mr. Depew was informed of our action he said that he had been compelled to withdraw as a candidate owing to the strong opposition of the northwest from which Allison's chief support was derived. He protested against allowing that section to name the candidate for the Republican party. The three other New York men therefore withdrew from the support of Allison. But for this New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Iowa, California and Missouri would have cast their unanimous votes for Allison and his nomination would have been assured. I think no other person ever came so near the Presidency of the United States and missed it."

SOURCE: Benjamin F. Gue, History of Iowa, Volume IV: Iowa Biography, p. 5-7

Hiram Price

HIRAM PRICE was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, January 10, 1810. He worked on his father's farm in boyhood, attending school during the winter months. He was a great reader, borrowing books of neighbors and thus acquiring an education. In 1844 he removed to Iowa, locating in Davenport, where he opened a store. In 1847 he was chosen School Fund Commissioner and a year later was elected recorder and treasurer of Scott County, holding the position eight years. Mr. Price was a radical advocate of temperance and was one of the founders of the order of "The Sons of Temperance." He was one of the framers of the first bill for the prohibition of the liquor traffic in the State, which was enacted into law by the Fifth General Assembly in 1854. He was the editor of the Temperance Organ, a State paper devoted to prohibition. He had been a Democrat in politics up to the time of the attempt to force slavery into Kansas when he left that party and was one of the organizers and founders of the Republican party of Iowa. Upon the enactment of the State Bank Law, Mr. Price was one of the organizers of the Davenport branch and was the second president of the State Bank officers. When the War of the Rebellion began he assisted in raising the money to enable Governor Kirkwood to equip the first two Iowa regiments. He was the first paymaster of Iowa troops and was untiring in his support and assistance to the Governor in raising men and money to meet the calls of the President. In 1862 he was elected by the Republicans of the Second District to Congress and for six years was one of the ablest members of the House. He was an earnest advocate of the most energetic war measures and of legislation to strengthen the credit of the Government. Mr. Price was one of the founders of the Soldiers' Orphans' Home. In 1876 he was again elected to Congress and served until 1880. In 1881 Mr. Price was appointed by the President Commissioner of Indian Affairs, in which position he served with distinguished ability for four years. He made many reforms where abuses had grown up in dealing with the Indians. He was one of the pioneers in railroad building in Iowa. In 1853, when the first railroad was being built from Chicago toward Iowa, Mr. Price was chosen to traverse the counties on the projected line through the State to the Missouri River to create an interest among the people and towns. In 1869 when a railroad was projected from Davenport in a northwesterly direction Hiram Price was elected president of the company which constructed the road. One of his last public acts before removing to Washington was to endow a free reading room in the public library of Davenport, his old home. He was a life-long and prominent member of the Methodist Church. He died in Washington, D. C., May 30, 1901.

SOURCE: Benjamin F. Gue, History of Iowa, Volume IV: Iowa Biography, p. 216-7

William Vandever

WILLIAM VANDEVER was born in Baltimore, Maryland, March 31, 1817. He was educated in the schools of Philadelphia. In 1839 he went to Rock Island where he engaged in surveying public lands. For several years he was editor of the Northwestern Advertiser. In 1851 he removed to Dubuque and was employed in the office of the Surveyor-General. He afterwards became a partner of Ben M. Samuels in the practice of law. In 1856 he was a delegate to the convention which organized the Republican party of Iowa. In 1858 he was nominated for Representative in Congress in the Second District and elected over his former law partner, B. M. Samuels. He was reelected in 1860 but resigned his seat in 1861 to enter the military service and was appointed colonel of the Ninth Iowa Infantry. Mr. Vandever commanded a brigade at the Battle of Pea Ridge and won promotion to Brigadier-General. He served through the war with distinction in the armies of Grant and Sherman and was brevetted Major-General. Some years after the close of the war he removed to California where he was again elected to Congress. He died on the 23d of July, 1893.

SOURCE: Benjamin F. Gue, History of Iowa, Volume IV: Iowa Biography, p. 271-2

James F. Wilson

JAMES F. WILSON was born at Newark, Ohio, October 19, 1828. His education was obtained in the common schools and he learned the trade of harness making in his youth. He soon decided to study law and was admitted to the bar in 1851. In 1853 he became a resident of Iowa, and locating at Fairfield opened a law office. In 1856 he was a delegate to the convention which organized the Republican party. In 1857 he was a member of the convention which framed the present Constitution of the State. Although one of the youngest members he took an active part in the work. In October of that year he was elected to the House of the Seventh General Assembly and was chairman of the committee on ways and means. In I860 he was a member of the State Senate and after serving through a regular and extra session was elected Representative in Congress to fill a vacancy in the First District. He was three times reflected, serving through the war and reconstruction periods until March, 1871. When Grant was inaugurated President in 1869 he tendered Mr. Wilson a place in his cabinet as Secretary of State which was declined. In the impeachment trial of President Johnson. Mr. Wilson was one of the managers on part of the House. He had originally opposed impeachment and as a member of the judiciary committee had made a minority report in which he gave an able review of the most important cases of impeachment in the British Parliament and Senate of the United States. His report forms a valuable treatise on the subject. He was the author of the joint resolution for amendment of the Constitution of the United States in 1864, abolishing slavery, and made one of the greatest speeches of his life on that subject. In January, 1882, Mr. Wilson was elected to the United States Senate for six years and was reelected, serving until March, 1895. Mr. Wilson died at his home in Fairfield in April, 1895.

SOURCE: Benjamin F. Gue, History of Iowa, Volume IV: Iowa Biography, p. 290

Samuel R. Curtis

SAMUEL R. CURTIS was born in Ohio on the 3d of February, 1807. He entered the Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1831. At the beginning of the War with Mexico he was appointed Adjutant General of Ohio and soon after was commissioned Colonel of the Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served with distinction through the war and was military governor of several of the captured cities. In 1847 he removed to Keokuk, Iowa and was for several years chief engineer of the Des Moines River improvement. He became civil engineer for several railroads constructed in Iowa, Indiana and Illinois. In 1856 he was nominated by the Republicans of the First District for Representative in Congress and elected, serving until 1861, when he resigned his seat to enter the military service. He was the first colonel of the Second Iowa Infantry and was soon promoted to Brigadier-General. He commanded the Union army in the Battle of Pea Ridge where he won a brilliant victory over superior numbers. General G. M. Dodge, one of the ablest of the higher officers from Iowa writes of that battle:

"Probably no one had a better opportunity than I to judge of the battle. My command opened the battle, and I think was the last to fire a gun. General Curtis, the commander of that army, was entitled to the full credit of that great victory. The battle virtually cleared up the southwest and allowed all our forces to concentrate on or east of the Mississippi. General Curtis had under him as the division commanders several experienced, educated soldiers, who performed their duties with great ability, but it was General Curtis who met and defeated on their own ground, three hundred miles away from any base, twice his number. He was attacked in the rear and on the flank with great force, the fighting lasting three days, and he defeated, yes, virtually destroyed, Van Dora's army."

General Curtis was promptly promoted to Major-General in recognition of his great victory and given command of the Department of Missouri. After a vigorous campaign a clique of unscrupulous politicians of Missouri secured his removal and he was transferred to the Department of Kansas where he won additional honors. He was the first Major-General from Iowa, the only one who commanded an independent army. He was never defeated in battle and it was not creditable to the administration that a commander so able and successful should have been displaced from a Department where he had won enduring fame.

SOURCE: Benjamin F. Gue, History of Iowa, Volume IV: Iowa Biography, p. 66