Joseph B. and George W. Teas

TEAS

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 11/24/2013 at 20:11:28

Joseph B. Teas and George W. Teas were brothers. Joseph B. was a member from Des Moines County, of the Upper House of the Wisconsin Legislature in 1836, while we were a part of Wisconsin, and Henry Dodge was Governor. George W. Teas was a member of the House, from Des Moines County at the same session. [There were then only two counties, Des Moines and Dubuque.] Their names quite frequently occur in the early Reports. J. B. and G. W. Teas were attorneys for the plaintiff in the first case tried in Washington County, which was that of Stonefield vs. Milo Holcomb; he was also the prosecuting attorney in the first criminal case tried in Des Moines County, that of the State vs. Richard Chaney, for stealing a barrel of eggs. George W. became a resident of Washington County, where he died and was buried in 1863. After some years of practice, he abandoned the legal profession for that of the ministry and became a Methodist preacher of considerable local note. Of this period, Hawkins Taylor says of him:

He was always a man of decided ability and earnest in what he did. During this session of the legislature in the winter of 1837 and 1838, he took offense at the action of some of the brethren in the legislature and smarting under the supposed insult, he published in the Burlington Gazette:

"Be it known from shore to shore,
That I'm a Methodist no more. G.W. Teas."

A few years later, he again joined the church and went to preaching in good, square, hard earnest, when someone had it published:

"Know ye from Georgia down to Maine,
That I'm a Methodist again."

And he has been faithful and true since.

..They were esteemed good lawyers and had quite a wide practice.

["Recollections and Sketches of Notable Lawyers & Public Men of Early Iowa", page 671; Edward Stiles, 1916]