History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Marsena E. Cutts
MARSENA E. CUTTS was born at Orwell, Addison County, Vermont, May 22, 1833. He received a liberal education and came to Iowa in June, 1855, settling in Poweshiek County. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and in 1858 was elected Prosecuting Attorney of that county and served as Representative in the Legislature for the extra session of 1861. In 1863 he was elected Senator for the Twenty-sixth District, composed of the counties of Iowa and Poweshiek, serving in the Tenth and Eleventh General Assemblies. In 1872 he was appointed by Governor Carpenter Attorney-General of the State to fill a vacancy. In November of the same year he was elected to a full term of two years and reëlected in 1874. In 1880 he was nominated by the Republicans of the Sixth District for Representative in Congress and in a very close vote was awarded the certificate of election. He served a part of the term but his election being contested by John C. Cook his Democratic competitor, the seat was finally awarded to him. In 1882 Mr. Cutts was again nominated for Representative in Congress in the Fifth District and was elected by a plurality over each of his competitors. He died before the expiration of his term in the prime of life. He was a lawyer, legislator and public speaker of marked ability and for many years one of the leaders of the Republican party of Iowa.