HON. LAFAYETTE YOUNG
Lafayette Young is a native of the Hawkeye State, being born in Monroe county, May 10, 1848, on a farm. When about ten years of age, he went with his parents to the town of Albia, and in 1860, entered the office of the Albia Sentinel to learn the printer's trade. He remained in the employ of that paper until 1861, when it changed hands. Again thrown out in 1862, by the editor, Josiah Young and all hands joining the Union army and closing the office. He continued working at his trade in a printing office in Albia, Eddyville and neighboring towns, until about 1866. At that time he went to Des Moines--walking the entire distance--and set to learning the "art preservative" more completely, at Mills and Company's large printing house, and during the years of 1868 and 1869, worked at his trade in St. Louis, Missouri. In March, 1870, Mr. Young returned to Des Moines and became city editor of the State Register, and held that position until January, 1871, when he came to Atlantic and established the paper which he has since published. The paper was established on an actual capital of $400. Mills and Company sold him a large amount of second-hand material on time. Success has attended Mr. Young's labors on every hand. To-day he has a large daily and weekly newspaper steam printing office, second to none in southwestern Iowa, and owns the two story brick building in which the office is situated, besides a fine residence property in a desirable location. In March, 1870, he was married in Jones county, Iowa, to Miss Josephine Bolton, by whom three children have been born, one daughter and two sons. In 1873 he was elected State senator for a term of four years, from the district composed of Adair, Cass, Adams and Union counties. He served on several important committees, and voted for the original law fixing railway, freight and passenger charges. He was re-elected senator in 1877, for another term of four years, from the district comprised of Adair, Cass and Madison counties, and served as chairman of the Senate committee at the two following sessions, and led the contest against the repeal of the railway tariff law. He has always been a Republican, and was elected senator as a Republican. He has also borne an active part in all public enterprises proposed for the advancement of Atlantic or Cass county. He had much to do with building the water works and served as secretary of that incorporation for about two years, during the construction of the same. He has also attained a high degree in Masonry.
Contributed by Lisa Varnes-Rex from "History of Cass County, Iowa. Together With Sketches of its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens." Springfield, Ill.: Continental Historical Company, 1884, pp. 443-444.
