Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 4.djvu/479

 the city of Dubuque and served as mayor in 1856-6. Mr. Shields was elected on the Democratic ticket to the State Senate in the summer of 1848 and was repeatedly reëlected, serving continuously for eight years. His district embraced thirteen counties a portion of the time. He was a practical legislator and took an active part in formulating the early laws of Iowa. In 1851 he was appointed senior Major-General of the State Militia by Governor Hempstead and organized the troops to repel the Clear Lake invasion of 1854. General Shields, with Jesse P. Farley organized the first Dubuque steamboat line in 1850 long before any railroads were built in Iowa. He was a lifelong Democrat and was one of the honored and highly esteemed pioneers of Dubuque. He died on the 25th of June, 1856. OLIVER P. SHIRAS, jurist, a native of Pennsylvania, was born in Pittsburg, October 22, 1833. He graduated from the Ohio University in 1853 and took a three years' course at Yale, graduating in the Law Department and in 1856 was admitted to the bar. He came to Iowa the same year, locating at Dubuque, where he became a member of the law firm of Bissell, Wells and Shiras. In 1862 Mr. Shiras joined the Union army as quartermaster of the Twenty-seventh Iowa Infantry, serving until November, 1864. He resumed the practice of law in Dubuque and in 1882 was appointed by the President Judge of the United States District Court for Northern Iowa. Judge Shiras has long been deeply interested in education and literary affairs, having served many years as president of the Literary Association of Dubuque. As a lawyer and judge he ranks among the ablest in the State. CHRISTIANA W. SLAGLE was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, November 17, 1821, and graduated from Washington College in 1840. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1843. Coming to Iowa the same year, he located at Fairfield which became his permanent home. Here he engaged in the practice of his profession. In 1848 he was one of the active promoters of Congressional grants of public lands for aiding in the construction of railroads in Iowa. He was one of the founders of the Jefferson County Agricultural Society and also of the State Agricultural Society. He was an untiring worker in the establishment and development of the public library and museum of Fairfield and one of the first trustees of the institution. To him is due the preservation of the recollections of pioneers of that section of the State in a County History. Mr. Slagle took a deep interest in the development of the State University of Iowa, serving as one of the regents from 1866 to 1882, and acting president of the University in 1877-8. His death occurred in Fairfield October 3, 1882.  HIRAM Y. SMITH was born in Piqua, Ohio, March 22, 1843. He received a liberal education, graduating at the Law School of Albany. He 