Politician. He was the son of an Irish immigrant who moved first to Wisconsin, then to Iowa. A lawyer by trade, he got his start in politics by serving as a city alderman in Marengo, Iowa. After twice being a delegate from Iowa to the Democratic National Convention, he moved to Davenport, Iowa. He served twice as mayor of Davenport in the 1870s. He was a member of the Iowa State Legislature from 1874 to 1878, lost his first bid for Congress in 1876, then was elected as a Democrat as U.S. Representative from Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, serving from 1883 to 1887, when he failed to win renomination.
Politician. He was the son of an Irish immigrant who moved first to Wisconsin, then to Iowa. A lawyer by trade, he got his start in politics by serving as a city alderman in Marengo, Iowa. After twice being a delegate from Iowa to the Democratic National Convention, he moved to Davenport, Iowa. He served twice as mayor of Davenport in the 1870s. He was a member of the Iowa State Legislature from 1874 to 1878, lost his first bid for Congress in 1876, then was elected as a Democrat as U.S. Representative from Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, serving from 1883 to 1887, when he failed to win renomination.
Bio by: Dustin Oliver
Family Members
Advertisement
