Born September 13, 1825, in Pike County, Ohio, and was a lad of fourteen years when he came with his parents to Iowa. His education was mainly acquired in the public schools of Ohio, and soon after locating in Iowa City he began his career as a clerk in a general store for E. Clark, after which he formed a partnership with Messrs. Clark & Crosthwait, engaging in locating Government lands and having their office first at Iowa City. Later a new firm was organized comprised of J. Clark, Kirkwood & Lucas, and the office located at Des Moines, and subsequently at Ft. Dodge. In the late war he was Lieutenant-Colonel of the Fourteenth Iowa Infantry, being commissioned October 30, 1861. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6, 1862, and on October 13 of that year was paroled from Libby Prison. He entered the service again after he had been exchanged, and resigned in 1863 to organize a cavalry regiment, which plan, however, he did not carry out, as an order from Washington was sent out not to organize any new regiments, requiring the recruits to be put in old regiments. His fellow-citizens, appreciating his worth and ability, have called upon Mr. Lucas a number of times to fill positions of more than usual importance and trust. For twenty-five months he was Postmaster at Iowa City under Johnson's administration, commencing the duties of that office in April 1887, and being removed by Gen. Grant in May, 1869. He has always been a stanch Democrat and a leading man in his party, on which ticket he was elected a member of the Legislature from Johnson County to the Nineteenth and Twentieth General Assemblies of 1881, and being re-elected, served on several important committees. He was one of the original members of the first agricultural society of the county, and was its President at one time, serving faithfully in the society for twenty-two years. For many years our subject has taken a great deal of interest in fine stock, and was one of the principal breeders of Shorthorn cattle in the county for some time, having as many as fifty head. He was active in the introduction of good horses into the county and is now a member of the Iowa Stock Breeders' Association. On September 29, 1852, Col. Lucas married Miss Phoebe A. Clark, of Des Moines. In politics, he was always a stanch Democrat.

Born September 13, 1825, in Pike County, Ohio, and was a lad of fourteen years when he came with his parents to Iowa. His education was mainly acquired in the public schools of Ohio, and soon after locating in Iowa City he began his career as a clerk in a general store for E. Clark, after which he formed a partnership with Messrs. Clark & Crosthwait, engaging in locating Government lands and having their office first at Iowa City. Later a new firm was organized comprised of J. Clark, Kirkwood & Lucas, and the office located at Des Moines, and subsequently at Ft. Dodge. In the late war he was Lieutenant-Colonel of the Fourteenth Iowa Infantry, being commissioned October 30, 1861. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6, 1862, and on October 13 of that year was paroled from Libby Prison. He entered the service again after he had been exchanged, and resigned in 1863 to organize a cavalry regiment, which plan, however, he did not carry out, as an order from Washington was sent out not to organize any new regiments, requiring the recruits to be put in old regiments. His fellow-citizens, appreciating his worth and ability, have called upon Mr. Lucas a number of times to fill positions of more than usual importance and trust. For twenty-five months he was Postmaster at Iowa City under Johnson's administration, commencing the duties of that office in April 1887, and being removed by Gen. Grant in May, 1869. He has always been a stanch Democrat and a leading man in his party, on which ticket he was elected a member of the Legislature from Johnson County to the Nineteenth and Twentieth General Assemblies of 1881, and being re-elected, served on several important committees. He was one of the original members of the first agricultural society of the county, and was its President at one time, serving faithfully in the society for twenty-two years. For many years our subject has taken a great deal of interest in fine stock, and was one of the principal breeders of Shorthorn cattle in the county for some time, having as many as fifty head. He was active in the introduction of good horses into the county and is now a member of the Iowa Stock Breeders' Association. On September 29, 1852, Col. Lucas married Miss Phoebe A. Clark, of Des Moines. In politics, he was always a stanch Democrat.