Crosby, James O. 1828-1921

CROSBY, GIBBS

Posted By: Clayton co. coordinator
Date: 7/15/2008 at 23:59:35

James 0. Crosby was born on March 22, 1828, in the Village of Lake George, Warren County, New York, and died at Garnavillo, Iowa, on May 23, 1920*. He had reached the advanced age of ninety-three years.

He received his early education in the common schools and later attended the Seneca Falls and Fredonia academies. He then entered a law office at Ellicottville to read law, and finished his instruction in a law school at Cherry Valley, New York. He was admitted to the Bar at Albany, New York, on May 9, 1849, and practiced at Ellicottville until 1854, when he came West and located at Garnavillo, Iowa, which has since been his home. For a short time he was a partner of Elijah Odell, and later of Alonzo Brown, but from 1861 until his retirement from the practice in 1902, he practiced alone.

Mr. Crosby was a strong character, of the type of the pioneers who made the United States what it is. He had lived through a wonderful period of growth and development, and had seen the forest give way to the farm and the prairies give forth bounteous grain. He had seen the ox-team give way to the tractor and the coming of the railroad, the automobile, and the
aeroplane. In the span of his active life came the telegraph, the telephone, the wireless, electric lights and power, and the many other miracles of modern science and mechanics.

Mr. Crosby was a deep student and thinker, with a wide knowledge of not only the law, but of history, science, literature and public affairs. This knowledge, with high character, and a splendid reputation for honor and integrity brought him a lucrative practice and many honors.

He was a member of the First Commission for the New Capital of Iowa in 1870-72. He was a Commissioner from Iowa to the International Exposition in Paris in 1889. He was President of the Iowa Commission at the Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893. He has served as President of the Clayton County Bar Association and of the Iowa State Bar Association.

Mr. Crosby was married early in life to Miss Caroline Gibbs, who preceded him in death in 1909. They were the parents of four sons, all but one of whom have passed away, William C., born in 1861, being the sole survivor.

~Proceedings of the Twenty-Seventh Annual Session of the Iowa State Bar Association; published by the association, 1921; Report of Committee on Legal Biography, memorials, pg 44-45

*note: correct year of death is 1921