For
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume II, Biographical, 1911, page 404
JUDGE LAWRENCE J. HORAN....The Muscatine bar has had various worthy and capable representatives and by the consensus of public opinion Lawrence J. Horan is included in this number. For some years he was engaged in general practice, but is now serving as judge of the seventh judicial district. He is one of Muscatine's native sons, for his parents Thomas and Johanna ( Russell ) Horan, were here residing at the time of his birth on the 25th of October, 1863. He was named for his paternal grandfather, a native of Ireland, who devoted his life to farming and spent his last days in Syracuse, New York, where he died when more then sixty years of age. He had wedded Miss Mary Dwyer and unto them were born five children : Cornelius, Thomas, Daniel, Grace and Mary. After losing his first wife the grandfather was married again, and there were four children by that union. The maternal grandfather was John Russell, who died in Ireland when about thirty-three years of age. He had wedded a Miss Maher and she passed away in early womanhood. Their family numbered three daughters : Johanna, Mary and Bridget.Both Thomas Horan and Johanna Russell were natives of County Tipperary, Ireland. The father was a farmer and on coming to America when nineteen years of age settled in Syracuse, New York. A year later he removed westward, establishing his home in Muscatine, Iowa, in the spring of 1856. In the fall of that year he wedded Johanna Russell and they began their domestic life in Muscatine, where they remained until the spring of 1868. Subsequently they spent three years upon a farm in Wilton township and in 1871 purchased a tract of land of one hundred and sixty acres in Sweetland township, Mr. Horan cultivating that farm until 1893, when he put aside business cares and removed to Muscatine. He continued the owner of the old homestead, however, until his death, which occurred in 1903 when he was seventy-three years of age. His wife still survives him. She is a member of the Catholic church, to which Mr. Horan also belonged. They were the parents of seven children, a son and six daughters : Lawrence J.; Sarah, the wife od John Maher, of Chicago ; Bridget, the wife of Thomas J. Delaney, of Casey, Iowa ; Mary, the widow of W. F. Dwyer, of Muscatine ; Johanna, the widow of James T. Mahoney, of Victor, Iowa ; Anna, The wife of John J. Farrell, of Goshen township, Muscatine county ; and Emma, the wife of James J. Archer, of Muscatine.
The youthful days of Lawrence J. Horan were spent upon his father's farm, and he early became acquainted with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He attended the district schools and supplemented the knowledge therein by study in the Norton Scientific Academy at Wilton Junction, from which he was graduated in April, 1885. He afterward engaged in teaching during the fall and winter terms for two years and worked upon the farm in the summer seasons but regarded this merely as an initial step to other labor and took up the study of law in the office and under the direction of J. J. Russell, of Muscatine. Later he entered the law department of the State University of Iowa and was there graduated on the 17th of June, 1891, with the LL.B. degree. Forming a partnership with John F. Devitt, a classmate, they opened an office in Muscatine in August, 1891, and practiced together until December 31, 1910, when he assumed the duties of district judge. In a class of fifty-two Judge Horan won highest grade on composition and thesis, and at the time of his graduation was admitted to practice in both the state and federal courts. He is a lawyer of wide learning and never feared that laborious attention to his case which constitutes the office work and must precede the strong and forceful presentation of a case in the courts.
On the 25th of June, 1902, Judge Horan was married to Miss Agnes Logan, a daughter of John and Elizabeth ( Smith ) Logan, both of whom were natives of Ireland and became early settlers of Muscatine. Her father was a veteran of the Civil war. Early during the period of hostilities he joined Company E of the Thirty-fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until victory had crowned the Union army. He died in Muscatine in 1888 and is still survived by his widow. Their family numbered four children who reached years of maturity : Charles H., now deceased ; John ; Samuel and Agnes. The last named became the wife of Lawrence J. Horan, and this marriage has been blessed with four children : Thomas ; John ; Mary and Agnes.
Judge and Mrs. Horan are members of the St. Mathias Catholic church, and he belongs to the Knights of Columbus and is also connected with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In his political views he is a democrat and served as city attorney for three years. In the summer of 1910 he was nominated by his party as one of the candidates for the office of judge of the seventh judicial district of Iowa, which district is composed of Muscatine, Scott, Clinton and Jackson counties, and in the fall of that year was elected as one of the four judges. On the 1st of January, 1911, he assumed the duties of that office and is the present incumbent.
Back to Biographical Index Page