Hon. William Boyd Allison 1829-1908

ALLISON, WILLIAMS, NEALLEY

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 5/18/2015 at 21:23:43

HON. WILLIAM B. ALLISON, Dubuque. William Boyd Allison a native of Ohio, was born in Perry, Wayne Co., on the 2s of March, 1829; his parents being John and Margaret (Williams) Allison. His youth was spent in aiding his father to cultivate a farm, and in attending common school a few months each year; his early manhood was devoted to studies in Allegheny College, Meadville, Penn. and Western Reserve College, Hudson, Ohio. He commenced studying law in Wooster, the latter State, in 1850, and was admitted at the Wayne county bar two years later; he practiced awhile in Ashland, Ohio, and, in 1857, moved to Dubuque, Iowa, which has since been his home. Mr. Allison applied himself closely to his profession and built up a large practice in a very short time. He immediately identified himself with every local enterprise tending to further the interest of Dubuque and the State, and became almost from the start, a leader in more than one important movement. When the rebellion, in 1861, Mr. Allison was appointed on the staff of Gov. Kirkwood as one of his aids, and acted with great efficiency until 1862, when he was elected to Congress; thrice he was re-elected, serving in all, eight years in the Lower House. He entered Congress in the darkest hours of our political history since independence was gained; rigorously supported every measure for suppressing the rebellion, and took advanced ground on the methods for accomplishing that end; he was one of the hopeful members of that body, and believed the rebellion would be crushed out. During the first two years he was a member of Congress, he introduced a bill for improving the navigation of the Mississippi, and had the happiness of seeing the measure succeed, he being one of its ablest and most earnest supporters. It was through his influence that the land grant was secured for the railroad leading westward to McGregor, Iowa. While in Congress, he voted for all the Constitutional Amendments, and earnestly supported every Republican measure, such as the Civil Rights Bill and the Freedman's Bureau Bill. During the last six years that he was in the Lower House, he was on the Committee of Ways and Means, and showed, by his efficiency, the wisdom of the selection. He did himself much credit, and rose higher and higher at the close of each session; his speeches were prepared with much care, have great logical strength and some of them have been much sought for and widely circulated. On leaving Washington, in March, 1871, Mr. Allison returned to his home in Iowa, and aided in pushing on several enterprises of great local importance. But the people of Iowa were not done with his services. In January, 1872, he was elected to the United States Senate, succeeding Hon. James Harlan. In 1878, he was again elected to the United States Senate. In the Upper House, he has proved himself and indefatigable worker on the Committees on Appropriations, Pension, Indian Affairs and Library. In the summer of 1875, he was appointed on the Commissioners to negotiate with the Sioux Indians for the sale of the Black Hills, but the attempts at negotiation were a failure. Mr. Allison has always acted with the Republican party, and in Iowa ha been one of its leaders; he attends the Presbyterian Church. On the 5th day of June, 1873, he married Miss Mary Nealley, of Burlington, Iowa.

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