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HON. LEWIS A. REILEY, of Wapello, Iowa, a prominent member of the Louisa County bar, and the present Representative of the Twenty-second District, was born in Holmes County, Ohio, March 1, 1845, and is a son of James and Ann (Hague) Reiley. His father was born in Fayette County, Pa., March 26, 1805, of Irish descent, and was married to Miss Ann Hague, Jan. 24, 1827. Mrs. Reiley was also born in Fayette County, Pa., and was descended from Scotch ancestry. They removed to Holmes County, Ohio, in 1839, and from there to Louisa county, Iowa, in 1853. They were the parents of ten children, four sons and six daughters, of whom three sons and four daughters are now living. Mr. Reiley was engaged in farming until his death, which occurred April 2, 1855. His wife survived him several years, her death occurring in 1868.
Lewis A. was reared on his father’s farm, receiving his primary education at the district schools. At twelve years of age he entered the Columbus City High School, which he attended four years, after which he spent two years at home in the management of the farm, and subsequently attended school a short time at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. He next took a business course at Eastman’s Commercial College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and was graduated in the class of ’65. He then entered Knox College, at Galesburg, Ill., where he took a two-years scientific course, at the close of which he returned to Iowa and was engaged in teaching school. In 1869 Mr. Reiley was elected County Superintendent of Schools, and entered upon a course of legal studies as he found leisure from official duty. He subsequently read law with the Hon. D. N. Sprague, of Wapello, then serving as District Attorney. Mr. Reiley was admitted to the bar in April, 1871, and at once formed a law partnership with his preceptor, Mr. Sprague, which connection continued until 1879, since which time he has been alone in practice.
In Louisa County, Iowa, April 24, 1872, Mr. Reiley was united in marriage with Miss Carrie L. Newell, a daughter of Robert F. Newell, and a native of Concord township, this county. Her father was born in Holmes County, Ohio, and settled in Concord Township in 1839. Mr. and Mrs. Reiley have one child, a son, Robert Leroy, born at Wapello, Feb. 21, 1873.
Mr. Reiley is an earnest Republican in politics, and a Universalist in religious belief. He was elected Representative to the Iowa Legislature from the Twenty-second District in 1885, was re-elected in 1887, and is now serving his second term. He has proved an able and useful representative, and has won prominence by his course in the case of the impeachment trial of State Auditor John L. Brown, and as the author of the present Grand Jury law of the State. He framed the law and engineered its passage, under which the Legislature organized as a court of impeachment in the John L. Brown trial, of which the expense to the State was reduced $34,000. The bill had the phenomenal record of having passed both Houses, and received the signature of the Governor within twenty-six hours of its presentation in the Lower House. The present Grand Jury law, which was framed by Mr. Reiley, has proved a wonderful im- . . .
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. . . provement on the former system, and has been of marked benefit to both the courts and the people, saving upward of $60,000 annually. Mr. Reiley is an able lawyer, and is conceded to be entitled to rank among the leading members of the Iowa bar. He is a 32d degree Mason, a member of Wapello Lodge No. 5, A. F. & A. M.; of St. Omer Commandery, of Burlington, and of DeMolay Consistory, of Lyons, Iowa.
A portrait of Mr. Reiley appears in connection with this sketch.
