The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-12-06
Random Sketches
Iowa's First Governor.

toWdo FIRST SoVeTnor.
It will be remembered that in June,
1888, the bill pending before congress
entitled. IAN act to divide the terri
tory Of Wisconsin and to establish the
territorial government Of Iowa." be-
came a law, having been approved by
| the president on June II. 1t provided
that y
From and after the Sd day of July,
next, all Of that part Of the present
| territory Of Wisconsin which lies west
of the Mississippi river, and west Of
a line darwin due north from the head
waters Of said river to the territorial
| line shall be constituted separate
territorial government by the name Of
| Iowa."
Provision being made in the act, the
president appointed the territorial Off
| GERS for Iowa, including Robert Lucas
| for governor, and William B. Conway,
we name these two officers specially,
for thereby hangs a tale"
| It seems that there were sharp po-
| litical practices even in the remote
past for when Governor Lucas arriv-
ed in this frontier country he was
surprised to learn that William B.
Conday, the secretary, when notified
of his appointment, at his home in
Pittsburgh, had hurried to the terri
tory and assumed the duties of gov
ernor, issued a proclamation for an
election, signing the document, act
/ ing governor" Governor Lucas Is said
/ to have quietly ignored the presump-
tuous act of the secretary and at once
entered upon the discharge of his
duties. It is remarkable how familiar
the subjects treated in his first mes
sage appear to those who read the
| messages written at the present day.
Our modern presidents, governors and
statesmen generally are still fighting
over the same issues which puzzled
and worried our fathers and grand
fathers anG yet the early problems
have not yet been solved.
1 But this sketch was commenced as
a memory Of Iowa's first governor,
Robert Lucas. and that 1T shall be.
Robert Lucas, the first territorial
governor of Iowa.. was born at Shep-
i herdstown, Jefferson county, Va,
i April 1, 1881. His father was an Of
ficer in the revolutionary war. In
1900 he liberated his slaves in the Old
Dominion and removed to Sciota eoun-
ty, Ohio. The son. Robert, the future
governor Of Iowa, whose education
was received under a private teacher
became a surveyor. When the
/ war Of 1912 began, he was appointed
captain in the regular army and. as
! the war progressed, attained the rank
Of colonel. For nineteen years he
served in the Ohio legislature, during
which period he was presiding officer
OF both house and senate In 1882 he
was the president Of the democratic
national convention which nominated
Andrew Jackson for president In the
same year he was elected governor of
Ohio and in 1884 was reelected, serv-
| ing four years. On the 7th of July,
1888, he was appointed by President
| Van Buren, governor Of the new ter
ritory Of Iowa. 1t has been said of
him. by one familiar with the early po-
/ litical history Of Iowa, that "he gave
to Iowa an able, intelligent and faith
1 full administration"
At the close he retired to his farm
near Iowa City in June. 1871. He was
chosen a member Of the first consti-
tutional convention which met in 1874
and was one OF the ablest and most
useful DELEGATES. He died at his home
February Z, 1853.