William Larrabee (politician, 1832)

William Larrabee (born January 20, 1832 in Ledyard , Connecticut , † November 16, 1912 ) was an American politician ( Republican Party ) and from 1886 to 1890 the 13th governor of the state of Iowa .

Early years

William Larrabee was born to a career soldier and West Point officer. He attended the local schools in his homeland. In 1853 he moved to Clermont , Iowa, where he worked as a teacher and ran a flour mill. Larrabee volunteered for the Army during the American Civil War . He was denied military service due to a visual impairment in his right eye from an accident as a child.

Political Promotion and Governor of Iowa

Larrabee was a member of the Republican Party, of which he was one of the founders in Iowa. He served in the Iowa Senate between 1867 and 1885 . There he was a member of several committees. In 1885 he was elected the new governor of his state. He took up his new office on January 14, 1886 and, after being re-elected in 1887, could remain in office until February 27, 1890. Some improvements were made to the Iowa railroad system during his reign. The office of railway commissioner was now elected and the railway committee was given the power to participate in the determination of fares and freight charges. This resolved some injustices in this area.

Another résumé

After his governorship, Larrabee retired to his estate in Montauk near Clermont. Between 1898 and 1900 he was a member of the newly created Board of Control of the government of Iowa and a member of the planning commission for Iowa's contribution to the World's Fair , which was held in St. Louis , Missouri in 1904 . Politically, he supported Theodore Roosevelt . William Larrabee died in 1912. He was married to Anna Appleman, with whom he had seven children.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 2, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• William Larrabee at the National Governors Association (English)
• William Larrabee in the database of Find a Grave (English)