Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 4.djvu/396

 position with zeal and enthusiasm, realizing that a woman was on trial for competency in the administration of the duties of a State office. She soon secured the attention and earnest cooperation of the Governor, Judge Cole and General Ed. Wright who was then Secretary of State. A bill was carefully prepared, at her suggestion, revising the laws relating to the State Library, which was passed by the Fourteenth General Assembly. This act provided for a board of trustees, consisting of the Governor, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Judges of the Supreme Court. Librarian was made a State officer, with a salary of $1,200 a year. Mrs. North planned the upbuilding of a library worthy of the State. She was retained in office by reappointments for nearly eight years, systematizing, enlarging and laying the foundation for a great library. In all of her valuable work she had the earnest coöperation of the trustees and with their help did a work that will live as a substantial monument to the ability and efficiency of the first woman who held a State office in Iowa, if not in the United States. After retiring from her position, in 1879, she was appointed librarian of the State University at Iowa City where she served with marked ability for thirteen years. She died at her home in Des Moines, on the 9th of January, 1899. HARDIN NOWLIN, one of the earliest of the pioneers of Iowa, was born October 12, 1804. He took up his residence in Dubuque in 1833 before the “Black Hawk Purchase” was incorporated into Michigan Territory. In 1836, when it was a part of Wisconsin Territory, and there were but two organized counties west of the Mississippi River, Mr. Nowlin was chosen one of the Representatives from Dubuque County to the Legislative Assembly which met at Belmont in October of that year. When the Territory of Iowa was created in 1838, Mr. Nowlin was again elected to its First Legislative Assembly which convened in Burlington in November. He thus participated in the framing and enactment of the first laws extended over Iowa citizens. He died at Waterloo in 1892. CHARLES C. NOURSE was born at Sharpsburg, Maryland, April 1, 1829. He received a liberal education and when quite young began the study of law. He graduated from the Law Department of the Transylvania University of Kentucky in 1850 and the following year removed to Iowa, making his home at Keosauqua. In 1852 he was elected Prosecuting Attorney and in 1854 chief clerk of the House of the Fifth General Assembly at Iowa City. In 1856 he was Secretary of the Senate. He was a delegate to the State Convention of that year which organized the Republican party of Iowa and served as one of the secretaries. In 1860 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention at Chicago which nominated Abraham Lincoln. At the State Convention the same year he was nominated for Attorney-General of Iowa and elected, serving four years.