USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > Historical and biographical record of Black Hawk County, Iowa > Part 16
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On either side of the creeks and ravines which come into the valley of the Des Moines River, the gypsum is seen jutting out from beneath the drift in the form of ledges and bold quarry fronts, having al- most the exact appearance of ordinary lime- stone exposures, so horizontal and regular its lines of stratification, and so similar in color is it to some varieties of that rock. The principal quarries now opened are on Two Mile Creek, a couple of miles below Fort Dodge.
Epsomite, or native Epsom salts, having been discovered near Burlington, all the sulphates of alkaline earths of natural origin have been recognized in Iowa, all except the sulphate of lime being in very small quantity.
Sulphate of lime in the various forms of fibrous gypsum, selenite and small, amor- phous masses, has also been discovered in various formations in different parts of the State, including the Coal Measure shales near Fort Dodge, where it exists in small quantities, quite independently of the great gypsum of deposit there. The quantity of gypsum in these minor deposits is always too small to be of any practical value, usually occurring in shales and shaly clays, associated with strata that contain more or less sulphuret of iron. Gypsum has thus 15
been detected in the Coal Measures, the St. Louis limestone, the Cretaceous strata, and also in the dead caves of Dubuque.
Sulphate of strontia is found at Fort Dodge.
CLIMATE.
The greatest objection to the climate of this State is the prevalence of wind, which is somewhat greater than in the States south and east, but not so great as farther west. The air is purer than either east or south, as indicated by the bluer sky and conse- quent deeper green vegetation, and is therefore more bracing. By way of con- trast, Northern Illinois has a whiter sky and a consequent more yellowish green vegetation.
The prevailing direction of the wind is from the west.
Thunder-storms are somewhat more vio- lent here than east or south, but not so furious as toward the Rocky Mountains. The greatest rainfall is in the southeastern part of the State, and the least in the north- western portion. The increase of timber growth is increasing the amount of rain, as well as distributing it more evenly through- out the year. As elsewhere in the North- western States, easterly winds bring rain and snow, while westerly ones clear the sky. While the highest temperature occurs here in August, the month of July averages the hottest, and January the coldest. The mean temperature of April and October nearly corresponds to the mean temperature of the year, as well as to the seasons of spring and fall, while that of summer and winter is best represented by August and Decem- ber. Indian summer is delightful and well prolonged. Untimely frosts sometimes oc- cur, but seldom severely enough to do great injury. The wheat crop being a staple product of this State, and not injured at all by frost, this great resource of the State continues intact.
164
HISTORY OF IOWA.
CENSUS OF IOWA.
COUNTIES.
IS50.
1860.
1870
1880.
COUNTIES,
1850
IS60.
1870.
1 SSo.
Adair ..
984
3,982
11,199
Adams. .
1,533
4,614
11, ISS
Allamakee.
777
12,237
17,868
19,791
Appanoose
3,131
11,931
16,456
16,636
Audubon
692
8,496
22,454
24,888
Page ..
551
4,419
9,975
19,667
Black Hawk.
135
8,244
21,706
23913
Boone.
735
4,232
14,584
20,838
Plymouth.
148
2,199
8,567
Bremer.
4,915
12,528
14,081
Pocahontas.
103
1,446
3,713
Buchanan
517
7,906
17,034
18,547
Polk. .
4,513
11,625
27,857
42,395
Pottawattamie
7,828
4,968
16,893
39,846
Butler. .
3,724
9,951
14,293
Poweshiek ..
615
5,668
15,581
18,936
Calhoun
147
1,602
5 595
Carroll.
281
2,451
12,351
Cass ..
1,612
5,464
16,943
Scott ..
5,986
25,959
38,509
41,270
Cedar .. .
3,941
12,949
19,731
18 937
Shelby
818
2,549
12,696
Cherokee.
58
1,967
8,240
Story.
Tama.
S
5,285
16,131
21,585
Clarke.
709
5,427
8,735
11,512
Clayton.
3,873
20,728
27,771
28,829
Clinton
2,822
18,938
35,357
36,764
Crawford
383
2,530
12,413
Warren.
961
10,281
17,980
19,578
Dallas.
854
5,244
12,019
18,746
Washington.
4,957
14,235
18,952
20,375
Davis.
7,264
13,764
15,565
16,468
Wayne.
340
6,409
II,287
16,127
Decatur.
965
8,677
12,018
15,336
Delaware.
1,759
11,024
17,432
17,952
Des Moines.
12,988
19,611
27,256
33,099
Dickinson
180
1,389
1,901
Dubuque ..
10,841
31,164
38,969
2,997
Emmett.
105
1,392
1,550
Fayette ..
825
12,073
16,973
22,258
Floyd ..
3,744
10,768
14,677
Franklin.
1,309
4,738
10,248
1,244
5,074
11,174
17,653
Greene.
1,374
4,627
12,725
Grundy.
793
6,399
12,639
Guthrie ..
3,058
7,061
14,863
Hamilton.
1,699
6,055
11,252
Hancock
179
999
3,453
Hardin.
5,440
13,684
17,808
Harrison.
3,62 1
8,931
16,649
8,707
18,701
21,463
20,826
Howard.
3,168
6,282
10,837
Humboldt.
332
2,596
6,341
Ida.
43
226
4,382
Iowa.
822
8,029
16,664
19,22 I
Jackson.
7,210
18,493
22,619
Jasper.
1,2So
9,883
22,116
Jefferson
9,904
15,038
17,839
17,478
Johnson
4,472
17,573
24,898
Jones
3,007
13,306
19,731
Keokuk
4,822
13,27I
19 434
Kossuth.
416
3,35I
Lee
18,861
29,232
37,210
34,859
Linn.
5,444
18,947
28,852
37,235
Louisa.
4,939
10,370
· 2,877
13,146
Lucas
471
5,766
10,388
14,530
Lyon ..
1,968
Madison ..
1,179
7,339
13,884
17,225
Mahaska.
5 989
14,816
22,508
25,20I
Marion ..
5,482
16 813
24,436
25,III
Marshall.
338
6,015
17,576
23,752
Mills.
4,481
8,718
14,135
Mitchell.
3,409
9,582
14,361
Monona.
832
3,654
9,055
Monroc .
2 884
8,612
12,724
13,719
Montgomery
1,256
5,934
15,895
Muscatine
5,731
16,444
21,688
23,168
O'Brien .
8
715
4,155
Osceola ..
Palo Alto.
132
1,336
4,131
Buena Vista
57
1,585
7,537
Cerro Gordo
940
4,722
11,461
Sioux.
Taylor
204
3,590
6,989
15,635
Clay. ..
52
1,523
4,248
Union
2,012
5,986
14,980
Van Buren
12,270
17,081
17,672
17,042
Wapello.
8,471
14,518
22,346
25,282
Webster.
2,504
10,484
15,950
Winnebago.
168
1,562
4,917
Winneshiek.
546
13,942
23,570
23,937
Woodbury.
1,119
6,172
14,997
Worth.
756
2,892
7,953
Wright.
653
2,392
5,062
Total.
192,214
674,913 1,191,792 1,624,463
TERRITORIAL OFFICERS.
Governors .- Robert Lucas, 1838-'41; John Chamber, 1841-'45 ; James Clark, 1845.
Secretaries .- Wm. B. Conway, 1838, died 1839; James Clark, 1839-'41 ; O. H. W. Stull, 1841-'43; Samuel J. Burr, 1843-'45 ; Jesse Williams, 1845.
Auditors .- Jesse Williams, 1840-'43; Will- iam L. Gilbert, 1843-'45; Robert M. Secrest, 1845.
Treasurers .- Thornton Baylie, 1839-'40 ; Morgan Reno, 1840.
Judges .- Charles Mason, Chief Justice. 1838; Joseph Williams, 1838; Thomas S. Wilson, 1838.
Presidents of Council .- Jesse B. Brown, 1838-'49; Stephen Hempstead, 1839-'40; M. Bainridge, 1840-'41; J. W. Parker, 1841-'42; John D. Elbert, 1842-'43 ; Thomas Cox,
4,051
11,651
16,966
Chickasaw
4,336
IO, ISO
14,534
Ringgold.
2,923
5,691
12,085
Sac. .
246
1,41I
8,77+
IO
570
5,426
2,219
Benton
454
1,212
7,448
221
23,771 25,962
25,429 21,052 21,259 6,179
Fremont.
Henry ..
HISTORY
1843-'44; S. Clinton Hasting, 1845; Stephen Hempstead, 1845-'46.
Speakers of the House .- William H. Wal- lace, 1838-'39; Edward Johnson, 1839-'40 ; Thomas Cox, 1840-'31 ; Warner Lewis, 1841-'42; James M. Morgan, 1842-'43; James P. Carleton, 1843-'44; James M. Morgan, 1845 ; George W. McLeary, 1845-'46.
STATE OFFICERS.
Governors. - Ansel Briggs, 1846-'50 ; Stephen Hempstead, 1850-'54: James W. Grimes, 1854-'58; Ralph P. Lowe, 1858- '60; Samuel J. Kirkwood, 1860-'64; Will- iam M. Stone, 1864-'68 ; Samuel Morrill, 1868-'72; Cyrus C. Carpenter, 1872-'76; Samuel J. Kirkwood, 1876-'77 ; J. G. New- bold, 1877-'78; John H. Gear, 1878-'82 ; Buren R. Sherman, 1882-'86 ; William Lar- rabee, 1886.
Lieutenant-Governors .- Oran Faville, 1858- '60; Nicholas J. Rusch, 1860-'62; John R. Needham, 1862-'64; Enoch W. Eastman, 1864-'66; Benjamin F. Gue, 1866-'68 ; John Scott, 1868-'70; M. M. Walden, 1870-'72 ; H. C. Bulis, 1872-'74; Joseph Dysart, 1874-'76; Joshua G. Newbold, 1876-'78; Frank T. Campbell, 1878-'82; Orlando H. Manning, 1882-'85 ; John A. T. Hull, 1886.
This office was created by the new con- stitution Sept. 3, 1857.
Secretaries of State .- Elisha Cutter, Jr., 1846-'48; Joseph H. Bonney, 1848-'50; George W. McCleary, 1850-'56; Elijah Sells, 1856-'63; James Wright, 1863-'67 ; Ed. Wright, 1867-'73; Josiah T. Young, 1873-'79 ; J. A. T. Hull, 1879-'85; Franklin D. Jackson, 1885.
Auditors of State .- Joseph T. Fales, 1846-'50; William Pattee, 1850-'54; Andrew J. Stevens, 1854-'55 ; John Pattee, 1855-'59 ; Jonathan W. Cattell, 1859-'65 ; John A. Elliott, 1865-'71; John Russell, 1871-'75 ; Buren R. Sherman, 1875-'81; Wm. V. Lucas, 1881 ; John L. Brown, 1882-'83 ; J. W. Cattell, acting, 1885-'86.
OF IOWA.
165
Treasurers of State .- Morgan Reno, 1846-'50; Israel Kister, 1850-'52 ; Martin L. Morris, 1852-'59; John W. Jones, 1859-'63 ; William H. Holmes, 1863-'67; Samuel E. Rankin, 1867-'73; William Christy, 1873- '77 ; George W. Bemis, 1877-'81 ; Edwin H. Conger, 1881-'85 ; Voltaire Twombly, 1885.
Attorney-Generals. - David C. Cloud, 1853-'56; Samuel A. Rice, 1856-'60 ; Charles C. Nourse, 1860-'64 ; Isaac L. Allen, 1865- '66 ; Frederick E. Bissell, 1866-'67; Henry O'Connor, 1867-'72; Marcena E. Cutts, 1872-'76; John F. McJunkin, 1877-'81; Smith McPherson, 1881-'85 ; A. J. Baker, 1885.
Adjutant-Generals .- Daniel S. Lee, 1851- '55 ; George W. McCleary, 1855-'57; Eli- jah Sells, 1857; Jesse Bowen, 1857-'61 ; Na- thaniel Baker, 1861-'77; John H. Looby, 1877-'78; W. L, Alexander, 1878-'84.
Registers of the State Land-Office .- Anson Hart, 1855-'57 ; Theodore S. Parvin, 1857- 59; Amos B. Miller, 1859-'62; Edwin Mitchell, 1862-'63; Josiah A. Harvey, 1863-'67 ; Cyrus C. Carpenter, 1867-'71 ; Aaron Brown, 1871-'75 ; David Secor, 1875-'79 ; J. K. Powers, 1879-'82 .*
Superintendents of Public Instruction .- James Harlan, 1847-'48 ; Thos. H. Benton, Jr., 1848-'54; James D. Eads, 1854-'57, Joseph C. Stone, 1857; Maturin L. Fisher, 1857-'58; Oran Faville, 1864-'67 ; D. Frank- lin Wells, 1867-'68 ; A. S. Kissell, 1868-'72 ; Alonzo Abernethy, 1872-'76; Carl W. Van Coelen, 1876-'82; John W. Akers, 1882-'84.
This office was created in 1847 and abol- ished in 1858, and the duties then devolved upon the secretary of the Board of Educa- tion ; it was re-created March 23, 1864.
State Printers .- Garrett D. Palmer and George Paul, 1849-'51 ; William H. Merritt, 1851-'53; William A. Hornish, 1853 ; Den-
*Office abolished January 1, 1883, and duties devolved on the Secretary of State
166
HISTORY OF IOWA.
nis A. Mahoney and Joseph B. Dorr, 1853- '55 ; Peter Moriarty, 1855-'57 ; John Tees- dale, 1857-61 ; Francis W. Palmer, 1861- '69; Frank M. Mills, 1869-'71 ; G. W. Ed- wards, 1871-'73 ; Rich. P. Clarkson, 1873- 79; Frank M. Mills, 1879-'81 ; Gco. E. Roberts, 1881.
State Binders .- William M. Coles, 1855- '58; Frank M. Mills, 1858-'67 ; James S. Carter, 1867-'71 ; J. J. Smart, 1871-'75 ; H. A. Perkins, 1875-'79 ; Matt. Parrott, 1879- '85 ; L. S. Merchant, 1885.
Secretaries of Board of Education .- T. H. Benton, Jr., 1859-'63 ; Oran Faville, 1863-'64.
This office was abolished March 23, 1864.
Presidents of the Senate .- Thomas Baker, 1846-'47; Thomas Hughes, 1847-'48; John J. Selman, 1848-'49; Enos Lowe, 1849-'51; Wm. E. Leffingwell, 1851-'53; Maturn L. Fisher, 1853-'55 ; Wm. W. Hamilton, 1855- 57.
Under the new Constitution the Lieuten- ant-Governor is President of the Senate.
Speakers of the House .- Jesse B. Brown, 1846-'48; Smiley H. Bonham, 1848-'50; George Temple, 1850-'52; James Grant, 1852-'54; Reuben Noble, 1854-'56; Samuel McFarland, 1856-'57; Stephen B. Sheledy, 1857-'59; John Edwards, 1859-'61 ; Rush Clark, 1861-'63 ; Jacob Butler, 1863-'65; Ed. Wright, 1865-'67; John Russell, 1867-'69; Aylett R. Cotton, 1869-'71 ; James Wilson, 1871-'73; John H. Geer, 1873-'77; John Y. Stone, 1877-'79; Lore Alford, 1880-'81 ; G. R. Struble, 1882-'83 ; Wm. P. Wolf, 1884 ; Albert Head, 1886.
Chief Justices of the Supreme Court .- Charles Mason, 1847; Joseph Williams, 1847-'48; S. Clinton Hastings, 1848-'49 ; Joseph Williams, 1849-'55; George G. Wright, 1855-'60; Ralph P. Lowe, 1860-'62; Caleb Baldwin, 1862-'64 ; George G. Wright, 1864-'66; Ralph P. Lowe, 1866- '68; John F. Dillon, 1868-'70 ; Chester C.
Cole, 1870-'71; James G. Day, 1871-'72 ; Joseph M. Beck, 1872-'74; W. E. Miller, 1874-'76; Chester C. Cole, 1876; Wm. H. Seevers, 1876-'77 ; James G. Day, 1877-'78; James H. Rothrock, 1878-'83 and '84 ; Joseph M. Beck, 1879-'80 and '85 ; Austin Adams, 1880-'81 and '86; Wm. H. Seevers, 1882.
Associate Justices .- Joseph Williams, held over from territorial government until a successor was appointed ; Thomas S. Wil- son, 1847; John F. Kinney, 1847-'54; George Greene, 1847-'55; Jonathan C. Hall, 1854- '55 ; William G. Woodward, 1855 ; Norman W. Isbell, 1855-'56; Lacon D. Stockton, 1856-'60; Caleb Baldwin, 1860-'64; Ralph P. Lowe, 1860; George G. Wright, 1860; John F. Dillon, 1864-'70 ; Chester C. Cole, 1864-'77; Joseph M. Beck, 1868; W. E. Miller, 1870; James G. Day, 1870.
United States Senators. - Augustus C. Dodge, 1848-'55 ; George W. Jones, 1848- '59; James Harlan, 1855-'65 ; James W. Grimes, 1859-'69; Samuel J. Kirkwood, 1866; James Harlan, 1867-'73; James B. Howell, 1870; George G. Wright, 1871- '77; William B. Allison, 1873-'79; Samuel J. Kirkwood, 1877-'81; Wm. B. Allison, 1879-'85 ; James W. McDill, 1881 ; James F. Wilson, 1883.
Present State Officers (1886) .- Governor, William Larrabee ; Secretary of State, Frank D. Jackson ; Auditor of State, J. W. Cattell, acting ; Treasurer, Voltaire Twom- bly ; Superintendent Public Instruction, John W. Akers; Printer, George E. Rob- erts; Binder, L. S. Merchant; Adjutant- General, W. L. Alexander · Librarian, Mrs. S. B. Maxwell.
Supreme Court. - William H. Seevers, Chief Justice, Oskaloosa; James G. Day, Sidney, James H. Rothrock, Tipton, Joseph M. Beck, Fort Madison, Austin Adams, Dubuque, Judges; A. J. Baker, Attorney- General.
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1
Governors of lowa.
٠٫٠
G
OUR
LIBERTIES
AND OUR
RIGHTS WE
WE
WILL MAINTAIN
PRIZES
James Clarke
Lot Chambers
171
ROBERT LUCAS. -
*ROBERT LUCAS.+
OBERT LUCAS, the first Governor of Iowa Ter- ritory, was the fourth son and ninth child of William and Susan. nah Lucas, and was born April 1, 1781, in Jefferson Valley, at Shepherdstown, Jefferson County, Virginia, a few miles from Harper's Ferry, where his ancestors settled before the Rev- olution. His father, who was descended from William Penn, was born January 18, 1743, and his mother, of Scotch extrac- tion, was born October 8, 1745. They were married about the year 1760, and reared a family of six sons and six daughters. His father, who had served as a Captain in the Continental army during the Revolutionary war, and had distinguished himself at the battle of Bloody Run, emigrated with his family to Scioto County, Ohio, early in the present century.
At the time of this removal Robert was a young man. He had obtained his educa- tion chiefly in Virginia, from an old Scotch schoolmaster named McMullen, who taught him mathematics and surveying. The latter afforded him remunerative employment im- mediately upon his entrance into Ohio.
He was married at Portsmouth, Ohio, April 3, 1810, to Elizabeth Brown, who died October 18, 1812, leaving an infant daugh-
ter, who afterward became Mrs. Minerva E. B. Sumner. March 7, 1816, he formed a second matrimonial connection ; this time with Friendly A. Sumner, who bore to him four sons and three daughters.
The first public office held by Robert Lucas was that of County Surveyor of Sci- oto County, the commission from Governor Edward Tiffin, of Ohio, appointing him such being dated December 26, 1803. Decem- ber 16, 1805, he was commissioned by Governor Tiffin justice of the peace for three years. His first military appointment was that of Lieutenant of militia, by virtue of which he was authorized to raise twenty men to assist in filling Ohio's quota of 500 volunteers called for by the President in view of possible difficulties with the Spanish. He was subsequently promoted through all the military grades to Major Gen- eral of Ohio militia, which latter rank was conferred upon him in 1818.
He was a Brigadier-General on the breaking out of the war of 1812, and had much to do with raising troops. He was appointed a Captain in the regular army, but before his commission reached him he was already in active service, scouting, spying, carrying a musket in the ranks and in other useful capacities. After Hull's surrender he was paroled and returned to Ohio. He was in the course of time made a Lieutenant-Colonel, and then a Colonel, from which position he resigned.
He served in numerous civil offices in
172
GOVERNORS OF IOWA.
Ohio, and at the time of his second marriage, in 1816, he was and had been for some time a member of the Ohio Legislature, serving successively for nineteen years in one or the other branch, and in the course of his leg- islative career presiding over first one and then the other branch. In 1820 and again in 1828, he was chosen one of the Presidential electors of Ohio. In May, IS32, at Baltimore, Maryland, he presided over the first Democratic National Con- vention-that which nominated Andrew Jackson for his second term as President, and Martin Van Buren for Vice Presi- dent. In 1832 he was elected Governor of Ohio, and re-elected in 1834. He declined a third nomination for the same office.
Under the act of Congress to divide the Territory of Wisconsin and to establish the territorial government of Iowa, approved June 12, 1838, the subject of this sketch was appointed Governor of the new Territory, and he immediately accepted the responsi- bility. A journey from the interior of Ohio to the banks of the Upper Mississippi was then a matter of weeks; so that, although Governor Lucas set out from his home on the 25th of July, delaying on his route a few days at Cincinnati, to arrange for the selection of the books for a territorial library, it was not till nearly the middle of August that he reached Burlington, then the temporary seat of government.
The first official act of Lucas as Gov- ernor of Iowa was to issue a proclamation dated August 13, 1838, dividing the Terri- tory into eight representative districts, ap- portioning the members of the Council and House of Representatives among the nine- teen counties then composing the Terri- tory, and appointing the second Monday in September ensuing for the election of members of the Legislative Assembly and a delegate to Congress. His first message to the Legislature, after its organization, was dated November 12, 1838, and related
chiefly to a code of laws for the new com- monwealth. He opposed imprisonment for debt, favored the death penalty for murder (executions to be in the presence of only the Sheriff and a suitable number of wit- nesses), and strenuously urged the organi- zation of a liberal system of common schools. The organization of the militia was also one of his pet measures. There was a broad difference between the views of a majority of this Legislative Assembly and the Governor, on many questions of public policy, as well as points of authority. This resulted in the sending to the Presi- dent of a memorial, dated January 12, 1839, signed by eight of the council and seven of the Representatives, praying the re- moval of Governor Lucas. In addition to this, a memorial for the Governor's re- moval was passed by both Houses, signed in due form by their presiding officers, and transmitted to the President. The charges made were met by a protest signed by eight Representatives, and as a result Gov- ernor Lucas was allowed to remain in office until the next change of administration.
In 1839 and '40 occurred the well-known boundary dispute with Missouri, which was finally settled in favor of Iowa, by the Supreme Court of the United States. No- vember 5, 1839, Governor Lucas announced that the Territory had advanced in improve- ment, wealth and population (which latter was estimated at 50,000) without a parallel in history, and recommended the necessary legislation preparatory to the formation of a State government. This was overruled by the people, however. Among the latest of Governor Lucas's acts was a proclama- tion dated April 30, 1841, calling the Leg- islature to assemble, for the first time, at Iowa City, the new capitol.
March 25, 1841, he was succeeded by John Chambers. He lived a private life near Iowa City until his death, February 7, 1853, at the age of seventy-one years.
173
JOHN CHAMBERS.
JOHN CHAMBERS"
OHN CHAMBERS was the second Governor of Iowa Territory. He was born October 6, 1780, at Bromley Bridge, Somer- set County, New Jersey. His father, Rowland Cham- bers, was born in Pennsyl- vania, of Irish parentage. According to a tradition in the family, their remote ancestors were Scotch, and belonged to the clan Cam- eron. Having refused to join in the rebellion of 1645, they migrated to Ireland, where, by an act of Parliament, on their own petition, they took the name of Cham- bers. Rowland Chambers espoused with enthusiasm the cause of American inde- pendence, and was commissioned a Colonel of New Jersey militia. At the close of the war, reduced in circumstances, he immi- grated to Kentucky and settled in Wash- ington, then the seat of Mason County. John, the youngest of seven children, was then fourteen years old. A few days after the family settled in their new home he found employment in a dry-goods store, and the following spring was sent to Transylvania Seminary, at Lexington. He returned home in less than a year. In 1797 16
he became deputy under Francis Taylor, Clerk of the District Court. His duties being light, he applied himself to the study of law. In the spring of 1800 he assumed all the duties of the office in which he had been employed, and in November following he was licensed to practice law.
In 1803 Mr. Chambers, who had now entered upon a career of uninterrupted professional prosperity, was married to Miss Margaret Taylor, of Hagerstown, Mary- land. She lived but about three years, and in 1807 he married Miss Hannah Taylor, a sister of his first wife. Not long after he engaged in the manufacture of bale rope and bagging for the Southern market. In this he incurred heavy losses.
In the campaign of 1812 he served as aid-de-camp to General Harrison, with the rank of Major. In 1815 Mr. Chambers was sent to the Legislature, and in 1828 he went to Congress to fill the unexpired term of General Thomas Metcalfe. In 1830 and 1831 he was again in the State Legislature. In 1832 he lost his wife. She was a lady of cultivated mind and elegant manners, and had made his home a happy and attractive one. The same year he was offered a seat on the bench of the Supreme Court of Kentucky, but this he declined. The same office was tendered him in 1835, but before the time for taking his seat, he was obliged
174
GOVERNORS OF IOWA.
to resign, out of consideration for his health. From 1835 to 1839 he was in Congress, making for himself a high reputation.
Between 1815 and 1828 Mr. Chambers was, for several years, the commonwealth's attorney for the judicial district in which he lived. He was during that period at the zenith of his reputation as a lawyer and ad- vocate. He met the giants of the Ken- tucky bar in important civil and criminal trials. His well-known high sense of honor, and his contempt for professional chicanery, commanded the respect of his legal com- peers. His appearance and manner were dignified, his tone calm and impressive, and his language singularly direct and vigorous.
He closed his congressional career in 1839 with the purpose of resuming the practice of law, but his old friend General Harrison was nominated for the Presi- dency and induced him to aid in the personal canvass General Harrison made through the country. He was urged by President Harrison to accept some office requiring his residence in Washington, but this he declined, though he afterward ac- cepted the appointment of Governor of Iowa. He entered upon the duties of this office May 13, 1841. His success in his administration of the affairs of the Territory was well attested by the approbation of the people, and by the hearty commendation of those in authority at Washington, espe- cially for his management of Indian affairs. During his term of office he found it neces- sary on several occasions to suppress the feuds of the red men, which he did with such firmness and decision that quiet was promptly restored where war seemed im- minent. Governor Chambers was repeat- edly called on to treat with the Indian tribes
for the purchase of their lands. In October, 1841, he was commissioned jointly with Hon. T. H. Crawford, Commissioner of In- dian Affairs, and Governor Doty, of Wis- consin, to hold a treaty with the Sacs and Foxes, which, however, did not result in a purchase. In September, 1842, being ap- pointed sole Commissioner for the same purpose, he succeeded fully in carrying out the wishes of the Government. In 1843 he held a treaty with the Winnebagoes, but in this instance no result was reached.
In 1844, his term of office having expired, he was re-appointed by President Tyler, but was removed in 1845 by President Polk. Shortly afterward, with greatly im- paired health, he returned to Kentucky, where, with skillful medical treatment and entire relief from official cares, he partially recovered. During the few remaining years of his life Governor Chambers's recollec- tions of Iowa were of the most agreeable character. He spoke gratefully of the re- ception extended to him by her people, and often referred with great kindness to his neighbors in Des Moines County.
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