Encyclopedia Dubuque
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LANGWORTHY, James
LANGWORTHY, James. (Windsor, VT, Jan. 20, 1800-Monticello, IA, Mar. 31, 1865). Businessman. In October 1833, Langworthy, "head of the family," aided in the construction of Iowa's first schoolhouse. Later he had the route surveyed and then hired Lyman DILLON to construct the MILITARY ROAD stretching from Dubuque to Iowa City. Langworthy built the second brick home in Dubuque (1836) on the corner of Iowa and 12th STREETS.
Langworthy came to the area as early as 1823 to visit the SAUK and FOX village at the mouth of CATFISH CREEK. While the natives would not allow him to mine LEAD, he was permitted in 1829 to explore the entire area between the Maquoketa and Turkey rivers. In June 1830, he was the author of the first LAWS to be written within the borders of Iowa.
DUBUQUE MINES,
June 17, 1830.
We, a committee, having been chosen to draft certain rules and regulations, by which we, as miners, will be governed; and, having duly considered the subject, do unanimously agree that we will be governed by the regulations on the east side of the Mississippi River, with the following exceptions, to wit:
ARTICLE I.- That each and every man shall hold two hundred years of ground by working said ground one day in six.
ART. II.- We further agree, that there shall be chosen by the majority of the miners present, a person who shall hold this article, and who shall grant letters of arbitration, on application being made, and that said letter arbitration shall by obligatory on the parties concerned so applying.
To the above, the undersigned subscribe
J.L. Langworthy,
H.F. Lander.
James McPheeters.
Samuel H. Scoles.
E.M. Urn.
So successful was the firm of J. L. Langworthy and Bros. that in 1855-1856 it paid one-twelfth of the entire tax collected in Dubuque. This co-partnership of James, Edward and Solon LANGWORTHY in MINING, real estate, and banking continued until all retired in 1862.
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Source:
History of Dubuque County Iowa. Chicago: Western History Company, 1880