Born at Point Pleasant, Virginia, now West Virginia, January 10, 1848, and died in Osceola, Iowa, October 21, 1926. He was brought by his parents, Thomas B. and Frances Gillespie Tallman, upon their removal to Iowa in 1851. The family first settled on a farm in Lee County, and later removed to Des Moines County. William helped on the farm, attended common school, and entered Burlington Collegiate Institute from which he was graduated in 1810. His parents having removed to Green Bay Township, Clarke County the previous year, he followed them, worked on the farm, teaching school in winters until 1876 when he became principal of the Woodburn school, which he conducted until 1879. He had been reading law under direction of M. L. Temple of Osceola, was admitted to the bar in 1880, and practiced his profession in Osceola until his death. From 1898 until 1908 he was in partnership in the practice with L. E. Crist. He was elected senator in 1899 and served in the Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth general assemblies. In 1912 he was the Eighth District presidential elector, chosen on the Democratic ticket.

Born at Point Pleasant, Virginia, now West Virginia, January 10, 1848, and died in Osceola, Iowa, October 21, 1926. He was brought by his parents, Thomas B. and Frances Gillespie Tallman, upon their removal to Iowa in 1851. The family first settled on a farm in Lee County, and later removed to Des Moines County. William helped on the farm, attended common school, and entered Burlington Collegiate Institute from which he was graduated in 1810. His parents having removed to Green Bay Township, Clarke County the previous year, he followed them, worked on the farm, teaching school in winters until 1876 when he became principal of the Woodburn school, which he conducted until 1879. He had been reading law under direction of M. L. Temple of Osceola, was admitted to the bar in 1880, and practiced his profession in Osceola until his death. From 1898 until 1908 he was in partnership in the practice with L. E. Crist. He was elected senator in 1899 and served in the Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth general assemblies. In 1912 he was the Eighth District presidential elector, chosen on the Democratic ticket.