A member of the Iowa Senate, 1882-1886. He was a native of the state of Ohio, where he was born February 2. 1843. The next year the family removed to Iowa, settling in Clinton County. There he grew to manhood. He was duly admitted to the bar, and practiced his profession there during the remaining years of his life. He married Miss Mary Wallace on 21 September 1870 in Clinton County, Iowa. In 1881 he was elected a member of the Senate. In the Nineteenth General Assembly he was placed on the committees of judiciary, appropriations, elections, and penitentiary, and was made chairman of the committee that had control of the state library. Two measures he introduced were placed in the statutes, one providing an annual salary for an assistant librarian, and the other authorizing the sale of indemnity swamp-lands, which the counties had come into possession of because of swamp-lands sold by the general land office. In the Twentieth General Assembly Senator Cotton was chairman of the committee on elections, and a member of the committee on appropriations. Retiring from the senate, he continued -to be interested in public affairs, but from that time on held no public office. He was active and prominent in the Masonic order. He was a member of the Christian Church.

A member of the Iowa Senate, 1882-1886. He was a native of the state of Ohio, where he was born February 2. 1843. The next year the family removed to Iowa, settling in Clinton County. There he grew to manhood. He was duly admitted to the bar, and practiced his profession there during the remaining years of his life. He married Miss Mary Wallace on 21 September 1870 in Clinton County, Iowa. In 1881 he was elected a member of the Senate. In the Nineteenth General Assembly he was placed on the committees of judiciary, appropriations, elections, and penitentiary, and was made chairman of the committee that had control of the state library. Two measures he introduced were placed in the statutes, one providing an annual salary for an assistant librarian, and the other authorizing the sale of indemnity swamp-lands, which the counties had come into possession of because of swamp-lands sold by the general land office. In the Twentieth General Assembly Senator Cotton was chairman of the committee on elections, and a member of the committee on appropriations. Retiring from the senate, he continued -to be interested in public affairs, but from that time on held no public office. He was active and prominent in the Masonic order. He was a member of the Christian Church.