Representative Jedediah Lake View All Years

HON. JEDEDIAH LAKE.

MR. SPEAKER—Your committee appointed to prepare resolutions commemorating the life, character and public services of the Hon. Jedediah Lake, of Buchanan county, beg leave to submit the following report:

Colonel Jedediah Lake was born in Cortland county, New York, November 18, 1830, and passed away at his home, Independence, Iowa, June 7, 1914.

His parents were Jedediah Lake and Patience (Church) Lake, both of whom were descended from colonial and revolutionary ancestry.

He was educated in New York Central College and Homer Academy, where he laid a broad foundation for his life’s work, specializing in mathematics, English, grammar and German.

In 1855, he decided to come west to Des Moines, but stopped at Independence, where he soon found employment, and to the time of his death continued to make it his home.

In 1859 he was admitted to the bar with flattering recommendations from the examining board, and continued the successful practice of law until a few weeks before his death.

In the fall of 1861, he was elected to the legislature, where he served his state with distinction. In June of the same year, Colonel Lake was united in marriage with Miss Sarah E. Meyer. This union was blessed with three children, Jarvis M., who died in 1870; Rush C., a prominent lawyer of Kansas City, and Miss Harriet I. Lake, of Independence, Iowa, well known and prominent in women’s club circles.

The civil war having broken out, he enlisted the following summer in a company, being recruited by Capt. Noble, and was elected first lieutenant. A little later, he was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the Twenty-seventh Iowa by Governor Kirkwood. He served with his regiment through the war and when the war ended was its colonel. At the close of the war he returned to Independence and resumed the practice of law and was honored by his fellow citizens in many ways, being called upon by them to fill various offices of trust and responsibility.

Colonel Lake was eminently successful in his profession, and as a pioneer resident and attorney, he played a leading part in the development of Independence and Buchanan county.

In 1878 the firm of Lake and Harmon was retained to defend a large number of actions brought against residents of Iowa by the owners of a patent known as the “Driven well patent”. These actions were brought in the circuit court of the United States from the district of Iowa, the defendants in most of them being farmers who were sued for royalties by the owners of the patent. Col. Lake took charge of the defense in this extensive litigation, there being about one hundred and fifty actions against residents in Buchanan and adjoining counties. The trial in the federal court resulted in a victory for the defendants. The plaintiffs appealed the cases to the supreme court of the United States, which affirmed the judgment of the lower court, relieving the defendants of any liability. This important litigation lasted nine years and was of national importance, because actions had been brought in many states.

The General Assembly of Iowa, appreciating Col. Lake’s efforts and ability in this important litigation, adopted the following joint resolution:

WHEREAS, in 1878 Col. Jed Lake was employed by the farmers of Buchanan, Blackhawk, and several other counties to defend them in suits that had been commenced in the United States circuit court for infringing the patent commonly known as the “Driven well patent”, and

WHEREAS, said Lake pursued the defense of said cases with great vigor and indomitable energy, until by his labor and skillful presentation of the case, the United States supreme court in November, 1887, held the patent invalid and,

WHEREAS, by said decision the people of the state of Iowa have been saved more than a million dollars and the people of the United States more than two million dollars.

Therefore, Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa, that the gratitude and thanks of the people of Iowa are due to Col. Jed Lake for his skill, ability and perseverance in said cases; and the thanks of the General Assembly of the State of Iowa are hereby tendered to Col. Jed Lake for his labor in behalf of the people of the state.

Resolved: That a duly engrossed copy of these resolutions, signed by the proper officers of the Senate and House of Representatives and the governor and secretary of state, with the great seal affixed, be presented to Col. Jed Lake, as a token of our appreciation of his labors.

February 4, 1888.

J. A. T. HULL,

President of the Senate.

W. H. REDMAN,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

WM. LARRABEE,

Governor of Iowa.

FRANK D. JACKSON,

Secretary of State.