Representative Winslow T. Barker View All Years

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Winslow T. Barker

Dubuque County

Born at Canton, St. Lawrence county, N. Y., in 1825. In his youth he had few advantages of education. The common schools of northern New York thirty-five or forty years ago afforded only the mere rudiments of education. But a boy, ambitious without ostentations display of the powers he knew he possessed, would naturally seek more knowledge than could be gained at home or from the limited resources of the district school. Among thousands of such boys twenty-five years ago, was the subject of this sketch. He determined to educate himself, and seek assistance in his intellectual development at the best point nearest to his home. Accordingly he determined to be a student at the academy at Potsdam in his native county. Mr. Barker, after completing his academic course, commenced the study of law in his native town in the office of John L. Russell, then and afterwards one of the most distinguished lawyers of that part of the state. On being admitted to the bar he formed a partnership with a Mr. Sawyer and the firm of "Barker & Sawyer, Attorneys," was soon well known in St. Lawrence county. He came to Dubuque, Iowa, in the fall of 1854, and made arrangements requisite to his purpose. He was married in 1850, Miss Louisa Jane Lucas. Judge Baker had only been three years in Iowa when he was elected a member of the General Assembly for 1858. He then began that legislative career which has distinguished him ever since as possessing a comprehensive mind equally adapted to the intricate subjects of state legislation, to the more perplexing matters occurring at the bar and to the higher position of the duties and responsibilities of a Judge. During the period of his first services as legislator he was selected as one of the. three commissioners to revise the Code of Iowa, since known and continued as the statute law under the name of "Revision of 1860." He was engaged on that work most of the time for two years. He was subsequently appointed a member of the Board of Legal Inquiry whose duties were to make recommendations to the legislature as to amendments and additions to existing laws.

House District 41