Oliver Weld was born December 3, 1812, in Exeter, New Hampshire. His father Horatio, died in 1823. His widowed mother Mary Oliver Weld, with five children, lived in Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts. He arrived in Iowa sometime after November 1838 and was among the first attorneys to practice in Van Buren County. His colleague, George G. Wright, senator from Van Buren county, said of Weld, “He was a man of sterling worth, strong mind, was universally esteemed by a very large circle of friends, and bid fair to occupy a proud and enviable position as a lawyer and politician. He was my partner at his death, I knew him well. He was an honest man, possessed many rare eccentricities, but a good warm heart. In his death, the State lost an able man, the profession – a sound lawyer, and society – a valuable member.” He died October 30, 1843, in Keosauqua, Iowa.