Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 4.djvu/172

 nearly fifty years, taking an active part in its development, the securing of railroads, and building up the nourishing town of Sac City. He was a native of Ohio, having been born in Brown County, April 21, 1830. He studied law and was admitted to the bar before he left that State. ENOCH W. EASTMAN was born at Deerfield, New Hampshire, April 15, 1810. He was educated in the public schools with a few terms at an academy, and worked on his father's farm until the age of twenty-one when he began the study of law, practicing in his native State until the summer of 1844 when he removed to Iowa, locating at Burlington. Although a Democrat, he distinguished himself the first year of his residence in Iowa by taking the stump against the adoption of the Constitution recently framed by his party and helped to defeat it at the election. Under this Constitution the boundaries of the State would have extended north taking in a large portion of southeastern Minnesota and would have excluded all of the Missouri slope west of a line running north and south from near the west side of Kossuth and Ringgold counties. Enoch W. Eastman, Theodore S. Parvin and Frederick D. Mills, all Democrats and young men, warmly opposed the adoption of such boundaries and influenced enough of their Democratic associates to unite with the Whigs to defeat the Constitution. This was one of the most important public services ever rendered the State. When Iowa was called upon to contribute a stone for the Washington monument in 1850, Enoch W. Eastman was the author of the inscription placed upon it: “Iowa—Her affections like the rivers of her borders, flow to an inseparable Union.” Mr. Eastman removed to Oskaloosa in 1847 and to Eldora in 1857. When the Rebellion began he left the Democratic party and united with the Republicans. In 1863 he was elected Lieutenant-Governor and in 1883 he was elected to the State Senate. He died on the 9th of January, 1885.  ARIEL K. EATON, one of the lawmakers of Iowa, was born at Sutton, New Hampshire, on the 1st of December, 1813. His education was acquired in the public schools and for several years he was a teacher. In 1841 he located at Winchester, Indiana, where he was elected county auditor. He was admitted to the bar and for several years practiced law. In 1846 he removed to Delaware County, Iowa, where he built the second log cabin in the new town of Delhi. He was soon elected prosecuting attorney and afterwards county judge. In 1850 he was elected a representative in the Third General Assembly and was chairman of the committee on schools. He was reëlected to the Fourth General Assembly which enacted the Code of 1851. Upon the establishment of the new United States Land Office at Decorah in 1855, Mr. Eaton was appointed by President Pierce receiver of public money. In 1856 the Land Office was removed to Osage and Mr. Eaton made that place his permanent home. 