PHINEAS M. CASADY
| PHINEAS M.
CASADY was born at Connersville in Indiana, December 3,
1818. He acquired a liberal education, studied law and was admitted
to the bar. In 1846 he came to the new State of Iowa, traveling
westward over its wild prairies to Fort Des Moines then on the Indian
frontier. He was appointed by President Polk the first postmaster of
the future Capital of Iowa. He opened a law office and soon procured
his share of the legal business of the vicinity. In 1847 he was
elected school fund commissioner with custody of the school money. In
1848 he was nominated by the Democrats for State Senator in an immense
district embracing the counties of Polk, Dallas, Jasper, Marion and all of
the unorganized region north and west to the Missouri River. He was
elected and took his seat in the Second General Assembly. In looking
over the map of the State he observed that nearly one-half of its
territory was unnamed. He at once determined to prepare a bill
providing for its divisions into counties. The bill was referred to
the committee on new counties of which he was a member. He gave much
time to this bill as there was a wide difference of opinion as to names.
The differences were finally harmonized and forty new counties were
created and named. It was by far the most important act of the
Second General Assembly and the name of Senator P. M. Casady became
imperishably associated with one of the most interesting events of Iowa
history. A paper of great value was prepared in 1894 by Judge Casady
for the Pioneer Lawmakers' Association giving an account of the incidents
which led to the naming of these counties. In 1854 Mr. Casady was
elected Judge of the Fifth District. Soon after he was appointed
Receiver of the United States Land Office by President Pierce. In
1872 he was elected one of the regents of the State University, serving
four years. He was one of the founders of the Pioneer Lawmakers'
Association and has contributed many valuable historical articles for its
publications. For nearly a quarter of a century he has been
president of the Des Moines Savings Bank.
History of Iowa, Vol. 4 Biographical Sketches of Notable Iowa Men and Women |
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