FAVILLE, ORAN

FAVILLE, PECK

Posted By: Gordon Felland (email)
Date: 10/25/2007 at 16:31:16

The first citizen of Mitchell county to be elected to a state office was Oran Faville. He was the first lieutenant governor of Iowa under the present state constitution. That was in the fall of 1857. He was nominated and elected on the republican ticket. He was nominated because he was a school man, and the state was being agitated for a school law that should provide for free tuition. His supporters wanted a school man to preside over the senate, and to appoint its committee on schools.

Mr. Faville was born October 13, 1817, in Manheim, Herkimer county, New York. In his youth he joined the Methodist church, and devoted himself to teaching. He taught several terms of country school, and prepared for college by attending Fairfield Academy and Granville College. He graduated at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, in 1844. He immediately began work as teacher of ancient languages in Oneida Conference Seminary, Cazenovia, New York.

Miss Maria M. Peck was then preceptress and teacher of modern languages, drawing and painting. She was a woman of unusual ability and attainments. They were married July 24, 1845, and remained in that seminary as teachers four years in all. In 1852 they came to McKendree College, Lebanon, Illinois, where Mr. Faville taught one year. Then they went to the Ohio Wesleyan Female College at Delaware, Ohio. Mr. Faville was the first president of this institution, and Mrs. Faville its first preceptress.

In 1855 Mr. Faville's health failed, and he was obliged to give up school work for the time being. They moved to Mitchell, and settled on a farm about one mile north of West Mitchell. He was chosen lieutenant governor without solicitation on his part. He appointed Hon J. B. Grinnell, chairman of the senate committee on schools. After a struggle, and with his assistance, the free tuition law was enacted. The same session of the legislature abolished the office of superintendent of public instruction, and gave the duties of that office to the secretary of the board of education. Thomas H. Benton, Jr., was made secretary of the board.

In January, 1864, he resigned and Governor Faville was appointed in his place. A little later the office of superintendent of public instruction was again created, and Governor Faville was appointed, and then elected to that position. His health failed again in 1867, and he resigned and moved to Waverly, Iowa, where he made his home until his death, November 2, 1872. Mr. Faville was president of the State Teachers Association in 1864 and 1865. He edited a school journal, and delivered many addresses on educational subjects before his retirement.

In 1859 he was elected county judge of Mitchell county, and ordered the county seat election which carried the county seat to Mitchell. In 1862 he was Mitchell county's candidate for the republican nomination for congress, but was beaten in the convention by William B. Allison.

Mrs. Faville survived her husband more than thirty years. She kept up a remarkable interest in social, educational and religious interests till the time of her death, December 28, 1903. She was greatly respected and loved by the good people of Waverly and vicinity.

The Favilles had no children. Three brothers and one sister of Mr. Faville were very prominent in early Mitchell county history, Judge Amos S., Miner S., H. Martin, and Mrs. T. W. Thurston. Of such material were many of the early settlers of Mitchell county.

Source: History of Mitchell and Worth Counties, Iowa, 1918, Vol. II, page 304.