William Alfred Ladd 1851-1928

LADD, ESTABROOK, FRANKLIN

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 10/22/2010 at 12:52:34

William A. Ladd, Local Attorney Since 1881, Dies
Services Held Sunday at Episcopal Church

William A. Ladd, who practiced law in Estherville since 1881, died at 1:15 a.m., Friday [December 7, 1928] at his home following a serious illness of several weeks, during which time his health failed rapidly. At the time of his death he was 77 year old.

Services were held Sunday by the Rev. Doan Up-John at the home and at Grace Episcopal church and burial was made in Oak Hill cemetery. Honorary pallbearers were F. H. Rhodes, H. C. Coon, O. Neville, and J. J. Klopp. Active pallbearers were L. E. Stockdale, N. J. Lee, James Rainey, J. P. Rainey, Howard Espeset, and L. L. Ringham.

At the services in the church a quartet consisting of Mrs. L. E. Stockdale, Mr. I. F. Hall, Fred Albertson, and Orin Manthe sang. The organist was Mrs. L. E. Stockdale. The Elks ceremony was given at the grave. Members of the local bar association and members of the Elk lodge attended the services in a body.

William A. Ladd was born Nov. 10, 1851, in Ohio. He attended district school, Friends Academy at Damascus, Ohio. Later he attended Mount Union college. After leaving college he taught school for a time and then began the study of law in the office of an attorney.

In 1879 he moved to Marshalltown and resumed the study of law in the office of O. L. Binford and later entered the law department of the University of Iowa, where he was graduated in June, 1880. He then formed a law partnership with O. L. Binford, but at the end of the year severed his connection with the firm and came to Estherville in 1881, forming a partnership with J. B. Binford, which continued until 1886. Since then he practiced alone.

Mr. Ladd was married in 1883 at Marshalltown to Miss Eva M. Estabrook, who survives him. He is also survived by their son, Clarence, of Minneapolis.

Mr. Ladd was the dean of the local bar and has the unusual record of having engaged in the practice of the law in this city without interruption for the period of forty-seven years. He was a man of unusual vigor and activity, and it is said that he always enjoyed excellent health until he was taken with the illness from which he died.

Mr. Ladd was a Republican in politics, although he was not a pronounced partisan. He held the office of city attorney of Estherville for four consecutive terms and a number of years ago he held the office of county superintendent for four years.

The confidence of his fellow lawyers and the people of this community in Mr. Ladd’s standing at the bar and as a citizen of worth was attested by the fact that on two different occasions, first in 1900 and again in 1906, he was put forward by unanimous consent as a candidate of this county for the important office of judge of the 14th Judicial District.

For a great many years Mr. Ladd was affiliated with and did active work in Grace Episcopal church. He was a charter member of the local Elks lodge and had the distinction of holding membership card number one issued by the lodge.

Mr. Ladd was a man of unquestioned integrity. No man had a higher standing in the community either as a citizen of professionally. He was a lawyer of high attainments, and in the practice of his profession, he exemplified the principles of equity and fair dealing. Throughout his [unreadable.] (Estherville News, Estherville, IA, December 13, 1928)

William Alfred Ladd who for forty six years had been a practicing attorney in Estherville, passed away at his home here early Friday at the age of 72 years. Up until within about two month ago he had been at his office every day. During his many years here had had been a prominent figure, in his own profession and in the affairs of the town and county. He was elected county superintendent of schools for Emmet county in 1882 and served in that position until 1892. For four terms he was city attorney.

Mr. Ladd was born on November 10, 1856 [1851] on a farm near Damascus, Mahoning county, Ohio. His early education was obtained in the common schools of the state and he later attended Friends Academy at Damascus, Ohio, and Mount Union college, completing the philosophical course in the latter institution in 1876. After completing his college work he engaged in farming and stock raising and during the winter and spring seasons taught in the common school for a number of years. He decided during this time that he would study law and read for some time in the office of an attorney. In 1879 he moved to Marshalltown, Iowa, and resumed the study of law in the office of Mr. O. L. Binford, later entering the college of law of the University of Iowa, graduating in June, 1880. He then entered into partnership with Mr. Binford at Marshalltown but at the end of the year severed his connection with the firm and in 1881 came to Estherville and formed a partnership with J. B. Binford which lasted until 1886. Since that time he had practiced alone.

On October 3, 1883, Mr. Ladd was married to Miss Eva M. Estabrook at Marshalltown. They have one son, Clarence E., now of Minneapolis, who with the widow and one granddaughter survive and mourn the loss of a kind and considerate husband and family.

Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at two thirty from Grace Episcopal church of which the deceased had been a communicant and member of the vestry for many years. The burial service was read by Rev. Doane Upjohn, rector of the church. L. L. Bingham, Lloyd Stockdale, Jas. Rainey, N. J. Lee, J. P. Kirby and Howard Espeset were the active pall bearers. Old time pioneer friends of Mr. Ladd were honorary pall bearers. They were A. O. Peterson, O. Neville, M. K. Whelan, Frank Rhodes, Henry Coon and John Klopp. Mr. Ladd was the first charter member of the Elks lodge of this city and members of that lodge attended the services in a body. Interment was made in Oak Hill cemetery. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, December 12, 1928)

W. A. Ladd
Atty. W. A. Ladd passed away at his home on South Ninth Street on last Thursday evening after an illness of several months. Atty. W. A. Ladd has been a resident of this county for the past forty-six years in the practice of his profession.

Mr. Ladd was born November 10, 1856 [1851], on a farm near Damascus, Mahoning county, Ohio, a son of Joshua and Lydia C. Ladd, the former a native of Charles City county, Virginia, and the latter of Mahoning county, Ohio.

In the common schools of his native state he began his education and later attended Damascus Academy and Mount Vernon College of Mount Vernon, Ohio, completing his philosophical course in the latter institution in 1876. Determining upon the practice of law as a life work, he began studying in the office of an attorney and later matriculated in the State University of Iowa, graduating from the law department of that institution with the class of June, 1880. Before entering upon his law studies, however, he engaged in farming and stock raising in Ohio and during the winter and spring seasons taught in the common schools for a number of years. It was in 1879 that he came to this state and began his law reading, at the same time acting as law clerk in the office where he studied. In 1881 he entered into partnership with O. L. Binford, of Marshalltown, Iowa, and in August, 1882, removed to Estherville, where he formed a partnership with J. B. Binford. That relationship was maintained until 1886, since which time Mr. Ladd has been in business alone.

On the 3rd of October, 1883, in Marshalltown, Iowa, Mr. Ladd was married to Miss Eva M. Estabrook, a daughter of Royal and Augusta (Franklin) Estabrook. One son, Clarence, now living in Minneapolis, was born to this happy union.

Mr. and Mrs. Ladd are members of the Grace Episcopal Church of this city and fraternally he was connected with the Brotherhood of American Yeomen and the Benevolent Protective Order of the Elks. In politics he has always been a republican since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and for four or more terms he served as city attorney of Estherville and was also county superintendent of schools for Emmet county from 1882-1892. He was recognized as a lawyer of pronounced ability, careful and painstaking in the preparation of his cases, direct and forceful in argument and logical in his conclusions. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, December 12, 1928)