WILLIAM LARRABEE is the thirteenth Governor of this State, and the sixteenth Governor of Iowa, counting from the Territorial organization. His ancestors bore the name of d'Larrabee, and were among the French Huguenots who came to American early in the seventeenth century, settling in Connecticut. Adam Larrabee was born March 14, 1787, and was one of the early graduates of West Point Military Academy. He served with distinction in the war of 1812, having been made a Second Lieutenant March 1, 1811. He was promoted to be Captain February 1, 1814, and was soon after, March 30, of the same year, severely wounded at the battle of Lacole Mills, during General Wilkinson’s campaign on the St. Lawrence. He recovered from this wound, which was in the lung, and was afterward married to Hannah Gallup Lester, who was born June 8, 1798, and died March 15, 1837. Captain Larrabee died in 1869, aged eighty-two.

     The subject of this sketch was born at Ledyard, Connecticut, January 20, 1832, and was the seventh of nine children. He passed his early life on a rugged New England farm, and received only moderate school advantages. He attended the district schools winters until nineteen years of age, and then taught school for two winters.

     He was now of an age when it became necessary to form some plans for the future. In this, however, he was embarrassed by a misfortune which befell him at the age of fourteen. In being trained to the use of fire-arms under his father’s direction, an accidental discharge resulted in the loss of sight in the right eye. This unfitted him for many employments usually sought by ambitious youths. The family lived two miles from the sea, and in that locality it was the custom for at least one son in each family to become a sailor. William’s two eldest brothers chose this occupation, and the third remained in charge of the home farm.

     Thus made free to choose for himself William decided to emigrate West. In 1853, accordingly, he came to Iowa. His elder sister, Hannah, wife of E. H. Williams, was then living at Garnavillo, Clayton County, and there he went first. In that way he selected Northeast Iowa as his future home. After teaching one winter at Hardin, he was for three employed as a sort of foreman on the Grand Meadow farm of his brother-in-law, Judge Williams.

     In 1857 he bought a one-third interest in the Clermont Mills, and located at Clermont, Fayette County. He soon was able to buy the other two-thirds, and within a year found himself sole owner. He operated this mill until 1874, when he sold to S. M. Leach. On the breaking out of the war he offered to enlist, but was rejected on account of the loss of his right eye. Being informed he might possibly be admitted as a commissioned officer he raised a company and received a commission as First Lieutenant, but was again rejected for the same disability.

     After selling the mill Mr. Larrabee devoted himself to farming, and started a private bank at Clermont. He also, experimentally, started a large nursery, but this resulted only in confirming the belief that Northern Iowa has too rigorous a climate for fruit-raising.

     Mr. Larrabee did not begin his political career until 1867. He was reared as a Whig, and became a Republican on the organization of that party. While interested in politics he generally refused local offices, serving only as treasurer of the School Board prior to 1867. In the autumn of that year, on the Republican ticket, he was elected to represent his county in the State Senate. To this high position he was re-elected from time to time, so that he served as Senator continuously for eighteen years before being promoted to the highest office in the State. He was so popular at home that he was generally re-nominated by acclimation, and for some years the Democrats did not even make nominations. During the whole eighteen years Senator Larrabee was a member of the principal committee, that on Ways and Means, of which he was generally chairman, and was also a member of other committees. In the pursuit of the duties thus devolving upon him he was indefatigable. It is said that he never missed a committee meeting. Not alone in this, but in private and public business of all kinds his uniform habit is that of close application to work. Many of the important measures passed by the Legislature owe their existence or present form to him.

     He was a candidate for the gubernatorial nomination in 1881, but entered the contest too late, as Governor Sherman’s following had been successfully organized. In 1885 it was generally conceded before the meeting of the convention that he would be nominated, which he was, and his election followed as a matter of course. He was inaugurated January 14, 1886, and so far has made an excellent Governor. His position in regard to the liquor question, that on which political fortunes are made and lost in Iowa, is that the majority should rule. He was personally in favor of high license, but having been elected Governor, and sworn to uphold the Constitution and execute the laws, he proposed to do so.

     A Senator who sat beside him in the Senate declares him to be “a man of the broadest comprehension and information, an extraordinarily clear reasoner, fair and conscientious in his conclusions, and of Spartan firmness in his matured judgement,” and says that “he brings the practical facts and philosophy of human nature, the science and history of law, to aid in his decisions, and adheres with the earnestness of Jefferson and Sumner to the fundamental principles of the people’s rights in government and law.”

     Governor Larrabee was married September 12, 1861, at Clermont, to Anna M. Appelman, daughter of Captain G. A. Appelman. Governor Larrabee has seven children—Charles, Augusta, Julia, Anna, William, Frederic and Helen.

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