Jefferson County's first Law Student

GRAY, HUSTON

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/20/2006 at 19:06:10

"Annals of Iowa", Vol. X, July 1872, Pgs. 164-166

Immediately after the town (Fairfield) was located, William HUSTON came to the place with a stock of goods, and for some time he was the sole merchant and land-lord in the town, and the postmaster for all the country west of Henry County. HUSTON brought with him a young man by the name of Thomas H. GRAY, who, for a while, acted as his clerk, but afterwards studied the legal profession -- was the first law student in the county, and was admitted to the bar in 1841. He was possessed of easy and agreeable manners, well calculated to suit himself to whatever company he might chance to meet, and was generally beloved and respected by all who knew him...

He was possessed of a keen, active mind, but had rather delicate physical functions, and his constitution could not endure hardships. As soon as he commenced practicing as a lawyer he got business, and was successful with his cases, and but few young men rose faster, or stood higher in his profession, than GRAY did at his age.

In the early days of Iowa, it was the custom of most of the lawyers of talent to travel and attend all the courts of their district. In the spring of 1848, GRAY and myself started around the district... GRAY had a large amount of business, and worked hard for his clients; was up late hours, and frequently had little or no sleep during the night. This was more than his constitution would bear; the result was, he came home with impaired health, and was soon brought to a sick-bed, from which he never got up. GRAY had no relations in the west, but he had many friends who attended to his wants.... The extensive acquaintance and popularity of GRAY, brought many from a distance to attend his funeral, and draw together the largest collection of people that had ever been assembled in the town; and probably it has been the lot of but few persons, in the early settlement of Iowa, to be followed to the grave by as many real mourners as followed Thomas H. GRAY.

A few years after his death, at an old settlers' celebration, by voluntary subscription, there were enough means contributed to erect a suitable monument over his remains, which points out the grave of the first individual who was a student of law in Jefferson County.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.