Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 4.djvu/557

 elected judge of the District Court, holding the position until 1863. He was employed as counsel in one of the most important suits ever tried in Iowa involving millions of dollars. The Chouteau heirs claimed title through the grant to Julien Dubuque of the vast tract of land embracing the lead mines and the city of Dubuque. Reverdy Johnson, one of the greatest lawyers of the country, was employed by the St. Louis heirs to prosecute the claim. The city of Dubuque employed Judge Wilson and Platt Smith to defend in the United States Circuit and Supreme Courts. They were successful in both courts in defeating the claim. While judge of the Territorial Court, Mr. Wilson rendered the first decision liberating a slave brought by his master into Iowa. He died on the 16th of May, 1894, after having served as a lawyer and judge for fifty-eight years. He outlived nearly all of his pioneer associates of 1836.  WALTER C. WILSON was born at Arkwright, Cnautauqua County, New York, on the 28th of December, 1824. He came to Iowa in 1854 and with his brother, Sumler, purchased the site of Webster City. A small tract of the land had been platted and given the name of New Castle. The Wilsons changed the name to Webster City and at once proceeded to erect buildings, including a mill and hotel. They improved the roads, bridged the Boone River and set about securing a division of the large county of Webster, which at that time included the territory now embraced in Webster and Hamilton. Walter C. Wilson was elected to the Legislature in 1856 and secured the passage of a bill by the General Assembly, with the aid of the citizens of Fort Dodge, by which the county was divided and Hamilton County established. Homer had been the county-seat but was now left so near the division line that the county-seat of Hamilton was established at Webster City and that of Webster removed to Fort Dodge. For many years the Wilsons devoted their energies to building up Webster City. In 1878 Walter undertook the building of a railroad from Webster City to Lehigh on the Des Moines River for the purpose of developing coal mines. He secured the building and equipment of the road and built up a large coal trade. On the 16th of August, 1900, he was killed in an accident on this road. EDWARD F. WINSLOW was born in Kennebec County, Maine, on the 28th of September, 1837. He received a good education and in 1850 removed to Iowa, locating at Mount Pleasant, where he engaged in the mercantile business. When the Rebellion began he recruited a company for the Fourth Iowa Cavalry which was incorporated into the regiment as Company F and Mr. Winslow was commissioned captain. In January, 1863, he was promoted to major and in July following was commissioned colonel. Soon after he was placed in command of a brigade where he rendered good service in the armies of Generals Sherman, Grant, Sturgis and Wilson. In 1864 he was brevetted Brigadier-General.