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Amos Witter
Scott County
In the early days there was probably no one in Linn County more widely or favorably known than Dr. Witter, who was not only a successful physician of Mt. Vernon, but also took a very prominent and influential part in public affairs. He was born in Phelps, Ontario County, New York, March 24, 1807, a son of Alfred and Deborah (Dunwell) Witter, natives of Connecticut. Dr. Witter was the third in order of birth in a family of thirteen children, and was ten years of age when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Lake County, Ohio. He lived with his parents at Kirtland until fifteen years of age, when he commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Chapman, of Middlebury, Ohio, having already obtained a good common-school education. He attended the medical college in Cincinnati, and after graduating from that institution he also received a diploma from the medical board of Cleveland, Ohio, and began the practice of his profession at Attica, Seneca County, Ohio. In 1849 he started for California with his family but on their arrival in Clinton county, Iowa, he traded his team for a tract of land near the Wapsipinicon river, where he remained one year, and then sold his property and removed to Tipton, Cedar county, where he was engaged in the practice of his profession with good success for four years. In 1854 he became a resident of Dixon, Scott county, where he lived for three years, and then in order to give his children better educational advantages he came to Mt. Vernon, where he continued to make his home throughout the remainder of his life. On the 24th of January, 1830, Dr. Witter was united in marriage with Miss Mary Anne Burr, who was born in Harrisville, Medina County, Ohio. When the Civil war broke out Dr. Witter offered his services to his country, and was at once commissioned surgeon of the famous Seventh Iowa Infantry. During his residence in this state, Dr. Witter became prominently identified with political affairs, and in 1851 was elected to the legislature while a resident of Tipton. Four years later he was chosen to represent Scott County in the general assembly, and during that term he presented a bill for the suppression of the liquor traffic, as he had also done in the previous session. In 1860 he was elected to represent Linn County, and served two extra sessions besides the three regular sessions. He was a natural orator and stumped the county, district and state on various causes which he represented. He was a strong abolitionist and a temperance man who labored earnestly for the principles which he believed would aid the cause of justice and right. He was also greatly interested in educational matters, and gave his support to any enterprise calculated to advance the moral, intellectual or material welfare of his community. For a time he served as trustee of the State University at Iowa City. In religious belief he was a member of the Methodist church.
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