Representative Robert Spencer Finkbine View All Years

ROBERT S. FINKBINE was born at Oxford, Ohio, July 9, 1828; he died at Des Moines, Iowa, July 8, 1901. He was married at Oxford, Ohio, in 1852, to Miss Rebecca Finch, who survives him. Mr. Finkbine came to Iowa in 1850 and settled in Iowa City, where he resided until 1880, when he removed to Des Moines. He had, however, been a member of the board of capitol commissioners from 1873. The appreciative tribute paid to Mr. Finkbine’s memory upon the occasion of his funeral, by Hon. Peter A. Dey, of Iowa City, obviates the necessity of any extended notice in this place. Mr. Dey’s remarks appear elsewhere in this number of THE ANNALS, and very clearly set forth the services of his deceased associate upon the capitol commission. In 1890 Mr. Finkbine was appointed a member of the board of public works by the mayor of Des Moines and served four years. He was at an earlier period connected with the building of the blind asylum at Vinton, and with two or three of the nniversity buildings at Iowa City. He was also occasionally employed in the erection of county buildings elsewhere in the State. The people of Johnson county sent him to the Iowa house of representatives, where he served two regular terms—1864 and 1866. As a law maker he was at once alert, courageous, clear-headed and honest. Always courteous, never posing, doing nothing for mere show or effect, few men have ever so thoroughly commanded the respect and confidence of their associates in legislation. It was greatly due to his experience and energetic, judicious action, that the commissioners were able in the next decade to secure the large appropriations necessary to carry forward the capitol to completion. No suspicion of seeking self-aggrandizement in legislation, or in awarding public contracts, ever attached to his reputation. As a man of affairs, possessing rare executive ability, and the most exact knowledge of every department of his profession as a builder, Mr. Finkbine proved himself equal to the great responsibilities which devolved upon him. His knowledge was both minute and extensive, and he was able to meet every exigency that arose in the construction of our beautiful capitol. No structure ever erected in the State has evoked to such an extent the spontaneous pride of our people. It is the proud boast of everybody that not a dollar was wasted or stolen during the construction of that great work.