Francis Springer

Background

Francis Springer was born on April 15, 1811, in Maine, United States, and was the son of Nathaniel Springer, a shipwright, and Mary (Clark) Springer, daughter of a ship’s captain who took part in the Boston Tea Party.

Education

When he was 11, circumstances separated him from his family, and Francis Springer went to live with a childless farming couple in New Hampshire.

Francis Springer attended the winter district school in New Hampshire. When he was 17, he spent a term at the Rochester Academy and received a teacher’s certificate.

Career

After receiving a teacher’s certificate at the Rochester Academy Francis Springer taught for four years and then returned to Maine and read law with William Goodenow in Portland. There, in 1838, he was admitted to the bar.

After 1838 Francis Springer, together with his young lawyer friend Edward H. Thomas, started practicing law at Wapello, Louisa County, in the Iowa Territory and were the first lawyers to reside in the county. Courts were held in log cabins, while the grand jury met in a nearby ravine. Within 18 months, he had entered public life, for he was nominated as Whig candidate for the Territorial Legislative Council (the upper territorial House) and was elected in 1840 to represent Louisa County, Washington County, and the country west. He was reelected in 1842.

When Iowa became a state in 1846, Francis Springer was elected to the new Iowa Senate for a four-year term. Then in 1849 and 1850, he was appointed special agent of the U.S. Post Office. He collected money from the post offices in Wisconsin and transferred it to St. Louis. Thereafter, from May 1851 to May 1853, Francis Springer served as the Register of the U.S. Land Office at Fairfield, Iowa. Next, he moved to Columbus Junction in Louisa County, where he developed two farms.

In 1854 Francis Springer was elected prosecuting attorney for Louisa County, and on the death of the county judge succeeded him ex officio. The following year he was elected county judge in his own right. In 1856 a call went out for a convention to meet in Iowa City to organize a state Republican Party. Francis Springer represented Louisa County and was among the most influential members of the platform committee. Moreover, he was chosen vice president of the delegation to the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia that nominated John C. Fremont for president.

The following year, 1857, Francis Springer was chosen as Louisa County’s delegate to Iowa’s constitutional convention in Iowa City. Before he arrived, the Republican delegates had chosen Francis Springer as their candidate for president of the convention. In a straight party-line vote, he was elected president by 20 Republican votes to 13 Democrat votes.

In 1858 Francis Springer was elected judge of the district court of the First Judicial District, comprising Des Moines, Henry, Lee, and Louisa counties. He was reelected in 1862.

Francis Springer left the bench in 1869 and became Collector of Internal Revenue for the First Collection District of Iowa. He retired in 1876.

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• John F. Dillon: "There was a strong presumption that any decision or judgment by Judge Springer was correct, and it so proved, for he was rarely reversed."

Connections

In December 1842 Francis Springer married Nancy R. Colman. They had six sons and two daughters. One son, Frank, became a distinguished attorney, businessman, philanthropist, and crinoid scholar.

Spouse:

Nancy R. Colman

Son:

Frank Springer

Daughter:

Nellie Springer

Friend:

Thomas H. Edwards

References

• Hudson, D., Bergman, M., & Horton, L. (Eds.) The biographical dictionary of Iowa
  2009