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Lest those who read this book should forget, we again refer to the fact that this publication consists of two volumes, one a Biographical and the other a Historical volume, and that the author of this Historical volume has had no connection with the Biographical volume. It is to be presumed that all the residents of the county at the present time who desired their biographies or the biographies of any of their friends or relatives in this work have made arrangements therefor with the publishers. The author has, however, in this Historical volume, inserted brief biographical notices of a few of our departed pioneers, because they are considered as representatives of the early pioneers, and because their sketches will not likely appear in the biographical volume.

As is well known, the first resident lawyers in the county were Francis Springer and Edward H. Thomas, who came here December 21, 1838.

The next resident lawyer to settle here was Colonel John Bird, who came in 1843.

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Next came James Noffsinger, who was not much of a practitioner, but devoted his attention more to the newspaper business, having started the Louisa County Times in 1850.

B. F. Wright came in 1853, from Indianapolis, Indiana.

James S. Hurley came to the County in 1840, but came to Wapello as an attorney in 1854.

D. N. Sprague came in 1855, and Levi Chase came about the same time as Sprague, or perhaps a little earlier; we have not the exact date of his arrival.

These five men, Bird, Wright, Hurley, Sprague and Chase gave Wapello a strong bar during the years of their activity. Sketches of Mr. Hurley and Mr. Sprague will be found in the chapter on Personal Mention; we have not adequate material for writing sketches of the other three.

Colonel Bird was not only an active man in the practice of law, but was a man of great public spirit, and took great interest in the promotion of any enterprise which promised well for Wapello. Both he and Mr. Hurley were instrumental in getting the B. C. R. & M. Railroad to Wapello.

B. F. Wright was active at the bar for a great many years, and was nearly always in demand during his palmy days to assist in the defense of noted criminal cases, as well as to make public addresses. Mr. Wright was a member of Company G of the 19th Iowa, and came out of the war as second lieutenant.

Colonel Bird organized Company F of the 19th Iowa and was its captain.

Another prominent member of the Wapello bar who now lives in Utah, was E. W. Tatlock, who came here in 1869.

In October, 1874, J. B. Wilson was admitted to practice, and for a long time the firm of Tatlock & Wilson was well known in the legal circles of the county. Mr. Wilson is now practicing in Fredonia, Kansas.

After John Hale retired from the Clerk's office he became a partner with James S. Hurley; a sketch of Mr. Hale will be found elsewhere.

The present members of the Louisa County bar, are as follows:

Columbus Junction: C. A. Carpenter; D. N. Johnson; F. M. Molsberry and E. B. Tucker.

Morning Sun: Fred Courts and Guy J. Tomlinson.

Wapello: Oscar Hale; W. H. Hurley; L. A. Reiley; Arthur Springer: H. O. Weaver and C. M. Wright.

We append herewith an alphabetical list of all the lawyers who have ever been resident practitioners in this county: Charles H. Abbott, John Bird, W. E. Blake. J. B. Brigham, R. C. Burchell, Charles Baldwin, C. A. Carpenter, Robert Caldwell, Levi Chase, Fred Courts, H. E. Curran, James M. Edwards, P. W. Forbes, F. E. Goble, W. H. Gray, W. P. Gregory, John Hale, Oscar Hale, G. B. Haddock, James S. Hurley, W. H. Hurley, R. H. Hanna, K. O. Holmes, John Huff, A. W. Jarvis, D. N. Johnson, Jerry M. Limbocker, A. P. Limbocker, F. M. Molsberry, Perry McVey, James Noffsinger, Joseph L. Paschall, Royal Prentis, H. W. Perkins, L. A. Reiley, Francis Springer, D. N. Sprague, Frank Springer, Arthur Springer, E. W. Tatlock, E. H. Thomas, Guy J. Tomlinson, E. M. Timony, E. B. Tucker, James M. Virgin, H. O. Weaver, J. B. Wilson, G. W. Watters, G. T. Whisler, B. F. Wright, A. M. Williams, C. M. Wright.

We have included in this list the names of Hon. W. E. Blake of Burlington, and Hon. Frank Springer of Las Vegas, New Mexico, both of whom have ...

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... attained great distinction in their profession, and both of whom were residents of the county at the time they were admitted to the bar, and both of them first began practice at Burlington, Mr. Blake as the partner of Judge Newman, and Mr. Springer as the partner of Hon. Henry Strong.

For a short time there was a lawyer by the name of Dunlap at Burris City; there was also a lawyer-editor by the name of Stafford connected with the "Burris Commercial," but his residence was New Boston most, if not all the time.

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