Representative Edward Festus Horton View All Years

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Edward Festus Horton

Appanoose County

Born on a farm twelve miles west of Marietta, in Washington County, Ohio, on the 10th, of September, 1840. He attended the common schools where he acquired the elementary branches of an education, which he completed at Marietta College. Leaving home in 1857, at the age of seventeen, he went to Iowa, determined to fight his own battles and win his own way in the world. Locating at Unionville, he remained but a short time, and removed to Fort Dodge, in the same State, where he was engaged in the farm implement business. Returning to Unionville in the winter of 1858-59, he taught school until the following spring, and then began the study of medicine under S. H. Sawyer, M. D., in whose office he continued until the breaking out of the civil war in 1861. He entered the service of the Union as second lieutenant of company I of the Third regiment of Iowa cavalry, and September 1st, 1862, was promoted to the captaincy of his company. June, 1863, he was honorably discharged on account of physical disability. Returning to Unionville, he was elected a member of the General Assembly of Iowa, and entered upon his duties, but before the expiration of his term, in 1864, was appointed provost-marshal of the Fourth Iowa district, which position he held until the close of the war in 1865. Resuming his medical studies, he graduated from the medical department of the Iowa State University, at Keokuk, in 1866, and soon after he began to practice at Iconium, Iowa. At Iconium he remained until the spring of 1868, then removed to Grundy County and located in Trenton. Entering actively upon the practice of his profession, Dr. Horton soon attained a high standing in the community and secured a lucrative practice. In 1872 he was elected and represented the district in the lower branch of the Missouri legislature, and discharged the duties devolving upon him most creditably to himself and his constituents. Retiring from the practice of medicine in 1874, he engaged in the grain and seed business with Gilbert D. Smith, under the firm name of Smith & Horton, and continued until 1878, when he received the appointment of postmaster. Dr. Horton was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Dean, of Unionville, Iowa, October 8th, 1861, by whom he has three children living; namely, Blanche, Claude and Edward; and one dead: Dean, who died at the age of two years.

House District 4