George Washington Clarke, Iowa's twenty-first governor, was born in Shelby County, Indiana on October 24, 1852. In 1856 the Clarke family moved to Davis County, Iowa, settling one mile east of Drakesville. He taught school in Bloomfield before…
Beryl Franlkin Carroll, Iowa's twentieth governor, was born in Davis County, Iowa on March 15, 1860. In 1884, he graduated from the State Normal School in Kirksville, Missouri. After college, Carroll held several jobs including that of a livestock…
Warren Garst, Iowa's nineteenth governor, was born in Dayton, Ohio on December 4, 1850 to Dr. Michael Garst and Marie Louise Morrison. At age 8, he and his family moved to Illinois. At age 19 He moved to Iowa, and settled in Coon Rapids, where he and…
Albert Cummins was born in a log house in Carmichaels, Green County, Pennsylvania, the son of Thomas L. Cummins, a carpenter/farmer, and Sarah Baird Cummins. He attended country schools and completed a four-year course in two years at Waynesburg…
Leslie M. Shaw, 17th governor of Iowa, was born on a farm in Vermont, the first son of Boardman Osias Shaw and Lavisa (Spaulding) Shaw. He helped his father on the farm and attended school with two goals: to get a higher education and move west to…
Francis M. Drake, Iowa's sixteenth governor, was born in Rushville, Illinois on December 30, 1830 to John Adams Drake and Harriet Jane O'Neal. In 1837, his family moved to Fort Madison, Iowa, where Drake was educated in the common schools. He became…
Frank D. Jackson, fifteenth governor of Iowa was born in Arcade, New York on January 26, 1854. When he was 13, his family moved to Iowa and settled in Jessup. Jackson attended public schools and was the first Iowa governor to be educated in higher…
Horace Boies, Iowa's fourteenth governor, was born in Aurora, New York on December 7, 1827. His early education was limited and attained in New York's public school system. However, four years after working as a farm laborer, Boies decided to further…
William Larrabee, Iowa's thirteenth governor, was born in Ledyard, Connecticut on January 20, 1832. He was the seventh of nine children of Adam and Hannah Gallup (Lester) Larrabee. He was born in Ledyard, Connecticut, where he received his primary…
Buren B. Sherman, 11th governor of Iowa, was born in Phelps, New York, the third son of Phineas L. Sherman, ax maker, and Eveline (Robinson) Sherman. He went to school in Phelps until 1849, when the family moved to Elmira, New York. There he…
