Representative John Springer View All Years

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John Springer

Johnson County

JOHN SPRINGER was born in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, November 27, 1850, and died in Iowa City, Iowa, March 22, 1937. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery, Iowa City. He came to Iowa City during the early 1860’s and after attending high school he began work in a local printing shop. He attained unusual proficiency as a printer and during his long life was a devotee of that vocation. He came to be regarded as a master printer. In 1882 he and A. J. Hershere bought the Iowa State Press of Iowa City of John P. Irish, noted Democratic leader and editor, and edited and published it until 1894. Later he was one of the founders of the Economy Printing Company of Iowa City and was associated with it until his retirement in 1928. He was active most of his life in fraternal orders—I. O. O. F., Knights of Pythias, and the Masonic order, having become a Mason in 1874. He was a member of the Methodist church. He was elected representative in 1891 and served one term, that of the Twenty-fourth General Assembly. For many years he had been interested in the history of printing and succeeded in collecting 1,800 volumes on that subject. The oldest one was printed in Mainz, Germany, in 1515. The great collection was given to the State University of Iowa less than a year before his death.

House District 41