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Charles E. Bronson
Delaware County
Lawyer and editor, and one of the most in influential and prominent citizens of Manchester, Iowa, is a native of New York State and was born in Lee Center, Oneida county, November 14, 1841. In October, 1855, Charles B. Bronson was brought by his parents to Iowa City, Iowa, and here supplemented his early education by an academic course of study. In the spring of 1864 he went to Chicago, Ill., entered Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College, and received his diploma from that institution the following fall. Returning to Iowa City, he entered the law office of Fairall & Boal and under their tuition acquired so thorough knowledge of law that he was admitted to the bar in December, 1866, and at once settled in Manchester for practice. In the fall of 1877 he was nominated on the democratic ticket for state senator to fill for two years a vacancy caused by the resignation of that office by L. U. Hersey, of Earlville. At that time, Delaware County constituted the thirty-sixth senatorial district, and gave a republican majority of fully eight hundred, but Mr. Bronson was nevertheless elected by a majority of four hundred, so popular was he with all parties. While in the senate, he was appointed one of the legislative commission and joint committee of the general assembly to investigate the affairs of the state penitentiary, located at Fort Madison; he was also a member of the judiciary committee and of a number of other committees of almost equal importance, and, it is needless to state, was equal to the task imposed upon him by each and all of them. In 188O he was nominated on the democratic ticket as candidate for supreme judge, but the state was overwhelmingly republican, and consequently Mr. Bronson met with defeat, the contest having been conducted on strictly party lines. Just after Mr. Bronson had been sent to the state senate, he became one of the proprietors and editors of the Manchester Democrat. Mr. Bronson was appointed postmaster of Manchester in April, 1885, and filled the position to the entire satisfaction of the public until February, 1890. He has also held the office of city attorney, and has been a member of the school board for a number of years. On June 29, 1868, Mr. Bronson was united in marriage with Miss Jennie E. Shelden. Mr. Bronson is a Master Mason and a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
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