Barlow Granger
Barlow Granger | |
|---|---|
 Granger in 1903 | |
| Mayor of Des Moines | |
| In office 1855–1856 | |
| Preceded by | Lampson P. Sherman |
| Succeeded by | William DeFord |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 31, 1816 |
| Died | June 7, 1905 (aged 89) |
| Resting place | Elm Grove Cemetery |
| Spouse | Lucinda Rush |
Barlow Granger (May 31, 1816 – June 7, 1905) was an American politician who founded The Des Moines Register and served as the mayor of Des Moines, Iowa, from 1855 to 1856. Granger was born in New York but travelled across the United States while working as a journeyman. In 1837, he started a tour out west, meeting a friend in St. Louis to explore Iowa, the newest state at the time. After moving to Des Moines, he bought a plot of land known today as Terrance Hill to initially start selling real estate, later starting a newspaper company called the Iowa Star that would become The Des Moines Register. He served as the mayor of Sevastopol, a Des Moines settlement, twice.
Early life
[edit]Granger was born in Cayuga, New York, on May 31, 1816. In 1828, he moved with his family to Rochester and attended public schools until he was 13, when he worked as a printer's apprentice.[1] In 1835, he found a job as a journeyman in New York City and travelled to cities such as Detroit, New Haven, and Cleveland. In 1838, he moved back to New York and lived in Albany for 10 years. In 1847, he started a tour out west to cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, and St. Louis to continue working.[2]
Work in Iowa
[edit]In St. Louis, Granger reunited with an old friend from Albany, and they both agreed to explore Iowa, which was the newest U.S. state at the time. They took a boat from St. Louis to Keokuk, then hired a horse and buggy to Des Moines, where they arrived in 1848.[3] Granger founded a plot of land in Des Moines, now known as Terrace Hill. Initially, Granger started buying and selling real estate. He later started a newspaper business called the Iowa Star, now known as The Des Moines Register.[4][5] Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cabin by the junction of the Des Moines and Raccoon River.[6] On July 26, 1849, the first papers came into publication, and only a few hundred copies were distributed.[7] The newspaper was known as "a spicy, well-gotten-up paper" with a mostly Democratic readership, though people from the Whig Party bought the paper as well.[8] On February 22, 1850, Granger was succeeded by Curtis Bates.[9]
Due to his previous experience with law in New York, he was admitted to the bar in 1848, and from 1850 to 1854, he served as colonel on the staff of the governor of Hampstead. In August 1854, he was elected prosecuting attorney of the county and served until July 1855.[10] He served as the mayor of Des Moines for a year and twice as the mayor of Sevastopol.[11]
Personal life and death
[edit]On October 7, 1856, Granger married his wife, Lucinda Rush. After their marriage, they built a house, and Granger resided there until his death on June 7, 1905. Granger was buried at Elm Grove Cemetery, 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of where he lived.[2][12] His property was turned into Pioneer Park, a 46.4 acres (18.8 ha) park southwest of Des Moines.[13]
References
[edit]- ↑ A Memorial and Biographical Record of Iowa. Walsworth Publishing Company. 1896. pp. 134–136.
- 1 2 Brigham, Johnson (1911). Des Moines: The Pioneer of Municipal Progress and Reform of the Middle West, Together with the History of Polk County, Iowa, the Largest, Most Populous and Most Prosperous County in the State of Iowa. S. J. Clarke publishing Company. pp. 62–66.
- ↑ Andrews, Lorenzo F. (1908). Pioneers of Polk County, Iowa: And Reminiscences of Early Days. Baker-Trisler Company. pp. 49–54.
- ↑ "Look back at 35 famous front pages as Des Moines Register celebrates its 175th anniversary". The Des Moines Register. July 7, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
- ↑ Petersen, William J. (September 1949). "Frontier Journalism". The Palimpsest. 30 (9) – via State Historical Society of Iowa.
- ↑ "Timeline: History of the Des Moines Register". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
- ↑ "Barlow Granger - Pioneer". The Palimpsest. pp. 275–278. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ↑ Brandt, Issac. "Pioneer Des Moines Postoffices". The Annals of Iowa. p. 272.
- ↑ "Biography of Judge Curtis Bates". Iowa Genealogy. July 12, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ↑ Gue, Benjamin F. (1903). History of Iowa from the earliest times to the beginning of the twentieth century by Benjamin T. Gue. New York Public Library. New York, The Century history company. pp. 106–107. Archived from the original on March 24, 2008.
- ↑ Annals of Iowa. Iowa State Historical Department, Division of Historical Museum and Archives. 1907. pp. 154–155.
- ↑ "Biography of Barlow Granger". Iowa Genealogy. June 9, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
- ↑ "Pioneer Park". City of Des Moines. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
