Cyrus C. Carpenter

Cyrus Clay Carpenter

Cyrus Clay Carpenter (born November 24, 1829 in Harford , Susquehanna County , Pennsylvania , † May 29, 1898 in Fort Dodge , Iowa ) was an American politician ( Republican Party ) and from 1872 to 1876 the 8th governor of the state of Iowa and from 1879 to 1883 member of the US House of Representatives .

Early years and political advancement

Cyrus Carpenter attended local schools in his home country and the Harford Academy . In 1854 he moved to Iowa, where he worked as a teacher and then as a surveyor in Webster County . He also studied law. But he never worked as a lawyer.

From 1858 to 1860 he was a member of the Iowa House of Representatives . During the Civil War he rose to the rank of Colonel in the Union Army . From 1866 to 1868 he was a clerk with the Iowa State Department. In 1871 he was elected the new governor of his state.

Governor and Congressman

Cyrus Carpenter took up his new office on January 11, 1872. After re-election in 1873, he was able to serve until January 13, 1876. During his tenure, new laws regulating rail freight charges were passed. In this area he had run into problems between the farmers and the railroad. Otherwise, Carpenter's term of office was uneventful.

After the end of his tenure, Carpenter remained politically active. From 1876 to 1877 he was employed in a leading position ( Second Comptroller ) at the US Treasury Department. In 1878 he became the Iowa government's railroad commissioner. From 1879 to 1883 he represented his state in the House of Representatives in Washington ; from 1884 and 1886 he was again a member of the House of Representatives from Iowa. He then headed the post office at Fort Dodge between 1889 and 1893. He also ran a farm and worked in the real estate business. Cyrus Carpenter died in May 1898 and was buried in the Fort Dodge cemetery. He was married to Susan Kate Burkholder.

Web links

• Cyrus C. Carpenter in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• Cyrus Carpenter in the National Governors Association (English)
• Cyrus C. Carpenter in the database of Find a Grave (English)