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.
MARK A. DASHIELL, a pioneer in central Iowa, was born in Dearborn County, Indiana. October 2, 1826. He received his education at Aurora and Wilmington in his native State and obtained the degree of M. D. from the Indiana Central Medical College at Indianapolis in 1851. Two years later he removed to Iowa, locating at Hartford, Warren County, where he entered upon the practice of medicine. He was one of the early Republicans of the State and was appointed a member of the Board of Medical Examiners of the Pension Bureau under Lincoln's administration and still holds the position. Dr. Dashiell was elected Representative in the House of the Twelfth General Assembly, in 1868, and in 1872 was elected to the Senate, serving four years. In 1878 he was again elected to the Semite, thus serving in the General Assembly for a period of twelve years. During his term he was chairman of the committee on the suppression of intemperance and on reform schools. He has been a prominent member of the Pioneer Lawmakers' Association and was a trustee of the State Reform Schools for ten years.
GEORGE DAVENPORT, in whose honor the city of Davenport was named, was born in England in 1783. He was a sailor in his youth and coming to New York in 1804 enlisted in the army and served ten years. In the spring of 1816 he was with the expedition under Colonel Lawrence which was sent to Rock Island to build a fort. After he was discharged from the army he engaged in trade with the Indians and in a few years built up a profitable business. In 1825 a post-office was established at Rock Island of which Mr. Davenport was appointed postmaster. In 1826 he became a member and agent of the American Fur Company and had charge of its business from the Iowa to the Turkey River. In the Black Hawk War he was quartermaster with the rank of colonel. He had built a residence on the lower part of Rock Island near the old fort and in 1835
