Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 4.djvu/73

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in the Twenty-first, Twenty-second, Twenty-third, Twenty-fourth, Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth General Assemblies. He enjoyed the distinction of having served more terms in the Iowa Legislature than any other citizen, having been a member twenty-two years in the aggregate. Mr. Bolter was nominated by the Democrats of the Eighth District for Congress in 1876 but was defeated. He was a life-long Democrat and one of the leaders of his party in the State for a quarter of a century. He died on the 29th of April, 1901.

NATHAN BOONE, the famous pioneer of Iowa in whose honor Boone River, Boonesboro, Boone and Booneville were named, was a son of the noted Indian fighter of Kentucky, Colonel Daniel Boone. He was born in Kentucky in 1782 and lived with his father until he reached manhood when he removed to Missouri. In March, 1812, he was commissioned captain in a regiment of mounted “Rangers,” raised to protect the frontier against the British and their Indian allies. He was promoted to major of the regiment in 1813 and served to the close of the war. He served in the Black Hawk War under Major Henry Dodge and at its close became captain of a company of United States Dragoons. While stationed at old Fort Des Moines Captain Boone was sent in command of an exploring expedition up the Des Moines valley and from thence eastward. Lieutenant Albert M. Lea was under his command and wrote an account of the country through which they passed. They named the Boone River and Lieutenant Lea had his description of the region published in which it was called the “Iowa District.” This is believed to have been the first time that the name of “Iowa” was given to the country which became the Territory and later the State of Iowa. Captain Boone served on the Indian frontier and in the War with Mexico and became Lieutenant of the Second United States Dragoons. He died in 1857.

CALEB H. BOOTH, one of the pioneers of Dubuque, was born in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on the 25th of December, 1814. At the age of seventeen he began to study law and was admitted to the bar in 1836. In July of that year he came west and located in the frontier village of Dubuque, then in Michigan Territory, of which he was the first mayor. In 1841 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Iowa Territory. In 1849 he was appointed Surveyor General for Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. In 1857 he was chosen treasurer of the Dubuque & Sioux City Railroad Company in which he was largely interested. He built the first flouring mill in Dubuque in 1848 and was extensively engaged in lead mining. As one of the Iowa State Bank Commissioners he helped to establish the branches. In 1872 he was elected to the State Legislature. He died at his home in Dubuque on the 19th of June, 1898, after a residence in the city of sixty-two years.