Carroll County IAGenWeb

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY IOWA

A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement

VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1912

Transcriptions by Mona Sarratt Knight placed on this site with her permission.

The territory of the judicial district of which Carroll County is a part also includes the counties of Greene, Crawford, Ida, Sac and Calhoun, thus embracing one of the most important sections of Iowa and involving the settlement of litigation effecting many valuable interests. Hon. Frank M. Powers, the present incumbent of the office, is now serving his third term and has so acquitted himself as to merit the confidence and respect of his brethren at the bar and of the people of the district. He was born at West Troy, New York, September 4, 1851, a son of Patrick Hayes and Catharine (HARRINGTON) POWERS, both of whom were born in Ireland. They were married in their native land and came to America about 1844, taking up their residence at Albany, New York. Later they moved to Ohio and in the early part of the 50's arrived in Iowa, locating in Black Hawk County on a piece of wild land which Mr. Powers developed into a productive farm. Subsequently, he moved to Buchanan County and purchased eighty acres of land west of Independence, upon which he established his homestead. There were nine children in the family of Mr. and Mrs. Powers: Maggie, who is the wife of A. STRONG, of Lake City; Hon. Frank M., of this review; John A., who is deceased; James N., who lives at Greenriver, Utah; Henry A., of Emmetsburg, Iowa; Joseph W., who is deceased; Etta, who is a teacher in the schools of Salt Lake City; Nellie M., a teacher of Spokane, Washington; and Lizzie, who is deceased. The father of these children learned the cooper's trade in his early manhood but devoted the principal part of his life to farming, in which he gained a fair measure of success.

Frank M. POWERS came to Iowa with his parents in his infancy and spent his boyhood days in Buchanan and Black Hawk Counties. He attended the old-fashioned district schools in the winter seasons and during the summer assisted his father upon the home farm. After arriving at the age of sixteen, he attended school at Jesup and LeClaire, Iowa, and, having decided to devote his attention to the study of law, entered the office of Bruckart & Ney, of Independence, Iowa, where he continued for two years, then becoming a student in the law department of the Iowa State University in 1878. He practiced for one year at Jesup and, perceiving the importance of a wider field, removed to Carroll in 1880, where he has since maintained his home. His abilities soon gained recognition, and he secured a lucrative and growing clientage. In 1902 he was elected district judge and was reelected in 1906 and 1910, his present term and impartiality have won the hearty approval of the best citizens irrespective of party, and his decisions have almost uniformly been sustained by the higher courts.

On the 3d of October 1882, Judge Powers was married to Miss Sarah DOHERTY, who was born in Illinois. She lost her parents early in life and became a resident of Carroll County, Iowa. One daughter, Edith, has come to brighten the home of Judge and Mrs. Powers. She is now a student of the Carroll High School. Judge Powers is not a member of any religious denomination but his wife is identified with the Methodist Church. He is prominently connected with the Masonic Order, holding membership in Signet Lodge, A. F.&A. M., Copestone Chapter, R. A. M., and Rose Croix Commandery No. 38, K. T.

Politically he is a Republican. A man of high scholarship and practical ability as a lawyer, he achieved success in his profession and is recognized as one of the thoroughly competent judges of the state. He is a close student and, as he possesses those sterling traits of character which everywhere attract confidence and regard, he enjoys in an unusual degree the respect of all with whom he comes into contact.

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