Isaac Leffler | |
|---|---|
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's18th district | |
| In office March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1829 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Philip Doddridge |
| Speaker of the House of Representatives of theWisconsin Territory | |
| In office November 6, 1837 – June 11, 1838 | |
| Preceded by | Peter H. Engle |
| Succeeded by | William B. Sheldon |
| Member of theHouse of Representatives of theWisconsin Territory forDes Moines County | |
| In office October 25, 1836 – November 26, 1838 Serving with Thomas Blair,John Box,George W. Teas,David R. Chance,Warren L. Jenkins,& Eli Reynolds | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Member of theVirginia House of Delegates from theOhio district | |
| In office December 3, 1832 – December 2, 1833 Serving with John Parrott | |
| Preceded by | Samuel H. Fitzhugh& John Parrott |
| Succeeded by | John Parrott& John McLure |
| In office December 5, 1825 – December 3, 1827 Serving with William McKinley (1825–1826)& Morgan Nelson (1826–1827) | |
| Preceded by | William McKinley& Zachariah Jacob |
| Succeeded by | Samuel H. Fitzhugh& John Parrott |
| In office December 1, 1823 – November 29, 1824 Serving with Adam Faris | |
| Preceded by | Adam Faris& James Shannon |
| Succeeded by | William McKinley& Zachariah Jacob |
| In office December 1, 1817 – December 6, 1819 Serving with William Irwin (1817–1818)& Moses W. Chapline (1818–1819) | |
| Preceded by | Alexander Caldwell& William Irwin |
| Succeeded by | William Irwin& William Chapline |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1788-11-07)November 7, 1788 |
| Died | March 8, 1866(1866-03-08) (aged 77) Chariton, Iowa, U.S. |
| Resting place | Aspen Grove Cemetery,Burlington, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party |
|
| Spouses |
|
| Children |
|
| Relatives | Shepherd Leffler (brother) |
Isaac Leffler (November 7, 1788 – March 8, 1866), sometimes spelledLefler orLoeffler, was an American lawyer andIowa pioneer who representedVirginia's 18th congressional district in theUnited States House of Representatives for one term in the 1820s. He also served in the legislatures of theCommonwealth of Virginia, as well as theWisconsin andIowa Territories. His younger brother,Shepherd Leffler, became one of Iowa's first congressmen after achieving statehood.
Born on his grandfather'splantation, "Sylvia's Plain," inWashington County, Pennsylvania, nearWheeling, Virginia (nowWest Virginia), Leffler attended the public schools and was graduated fromJefferson College, (now Washington & Jefferson College), inCanonsburg, Pennsylvania.
After studyinglaw, he was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Wheeling. He served as a member of theVirginia House of Delegates for six terms, serving in the 1817–1819 sessions, the 1823–1824 session, the 1825–1827 sessions, and the 1832–1833 session.[1] He also served as a member of theVirginia Board of Public Works in 1827.
In 1826, Leffler was elected as anAdams Party candidate to theTwentieth Congress, defeating incumbentJacksonianJoseph Johnson. When running for re-election in 1828, he was beaten (along with PresidentJohn Quincy Adams). Although Andrew Jackson defeated Adams, Leffler was defeated byAnti-Jacksonian Party candidate Philip Doddridge. Leffler's term in theU.S. House lasted from March 4, 1827, to March 3, 1829.
In 1835, Leffler moved to the area that is now Burlington,Des Moines County, Iowa—then part of theMichigan Territory. At the time, Iowa and the other regions of the Michigan Territory west of theMississippi River were broadly divided between Des Moines County in the south and Dubuque County in the north.
Leffler was admitted to the Des Moines County bar on April 15, 1835, and practiced law. While under Michigan's regional governance, he was named as the chief justice of the first judicial tribunal of Des Moines County on April 11, 1836. After the creation ofWisconsin Territory on April 20, 1836, he served in thefirst legislature of the new Territory from 1836 through 1838, and served as Speaker of the House during the 2nd session of the Assembly, in the winter of 1837–38.[2]
AfterIowa Territory was created from areas of Wisconsin Territory west of the Mississippi River—previously referred to as theIowa District—in 1838, he served as a member of the Iowa Territory house of representatives in 1841.
President John Tyler appointed Leffler asUnited States marshal for the district of Iowa on December 18, 1843. He served until removed by President James K. Polk on December 29, 1845, when he resumed the practice of law in Burlington. He declined the appointment of the register of the land office at Stillwater (in what was thenMinnesota Territory) in 1849. He was appointed by PresidentMillard Fillmore as receiver of public sums of money for the Chariton land district of Iowa on August 30, 1852, and served on that position until removed by PresidentFranklin Pierce on March 29, 1853.
He died inChariton, Iowa, on March 8, 1866, at age 77.[3] He was interred inAspen Grove Cemetery, in Burlington.
| Virginia House of Delegates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Alexander Caldwell& William Irwin | Member of theVirginia House of Delegatesfrom theOhio district December 1, 1817 – December 6, 1819 Served alongside:William Irwin (1817–1818)& Moses W. Chapline (1818–1819) | Succeeded by William Irwin& William Chapline |
| Preceded by Adam Faris& James Shannon | Member of theVirginia House of Delegatesfrom theOhio district December 1, 1823 – November 29, 1824 Served alongside:Adam Faris | Succeeded by William McKinley& Zachariah Jacob |
| Preceded by William McKinley& Zachariah Jacob | Member of theVirginia House of Delegatesfrom theOhio district December 5, 1825 – December 3, 1827 Served alongside:William McKinley (1825–1826)& Morgan Nelson (1826–1827) | Succeeded by Samuel H. Fitzhugh& John Parrott |
| Preceded by Samuel H. Fitzhugh& John Parrott | Member of theVirginia House of Delegatesfrom theOhio district December 3, 1832 – December 2, 1833 Served alongside:John Parrott | Succeeded by John Parrott& John McLure |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's 18th congressional district March 4, 1827 - March 3, 1829 | Succeeded by |
