Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 4.djvu/169

 JOHN F. DUNCOMBE, one of the pioneer lawyers and editors of northwestern Iowa, was born in Erie County, Pennsylvania, October 22, 1831. After living on his father's farm until the age of sixteen, he entered Meadville preparatory school and finally graduated at Allegheny College. After admission to the bar in April, 1855, he went to Fort Dodge, Iowa, and opened a law office. In 1856 he, in company with A. S. White established the first newspaper in northwestern Iowa—the Fort Dodge Sentinel. There was little law business on the frontier and Mr. Duncombe found time to write vigorous editorials for the Democratic party, of which he soon became one of the prominent leaders. When the Spirit Lake massacre in the spring of 1857 horrified the country, Mr. Duncombe was chosen captain of one of the companies which made up the relief expedition which marched under Major Williams to the protection of the settlers. In 1859 Mr. Duncombe was elected to the State Senate of the Eighth General Assembly, representing twenty counties of northwestern Iowa. He was an able and aggressive public speaker and for four years was the leader of his party in the Senate. Returning to the practice of his profession, as the years passed by he became a great lawyer. He was one of the first to develop the coal mining interests of Fort Dodge and was always prominent in public enterprises to build up that city. He was the leading spirit in the construction of several railroads and long the attorney of the companies. He was twice elected to the Legislature from Republican districts, was for eighteen years a regent of the State University and one of the commissioners of the World's Columbian Exposition and one of the Commissioners who superintended the erection of the monument to the memory of the victims of the Spirit Lake Massacre. In 1872 he was chairman of the Iowa delegation in the National Democratic Convention and again held the same position in 1892. He was once a candidate for Lieutenant-Governor, twice a candidate for Congress and once a candidate for Supreme Judge. But being a life-long Democrat, living in a Republican district and State, his election was hopeless. Had he been a Republican he might have attained the highest official positions in the State. Mr. Duncombe died at Fort Dodge, August 2, 1902. WARREN S. DUNGAN was born at Frankfort Springs, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, on the 12th of September, 1822. He was reared on a farm, attending school in the winter months and assisting in the work of the farm during the summers. When eighteen years of age he entered Frankfort Academy. He taught school winters, after leaving the academy, until he was twenty-eight, earning money to enable him to study law. He was admitted to the bar in 1856 and came to Iowa, locating at Chariton. where he opened a law office. In 1861 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the State Senate for four years. When the war began he was active in raising troops for the Union armies and in the organization of the Thirty-fourth Infantry, was appointed lieutenant-colonel,