Jairus Edward Neal (18 August 1818 – 3 August 1882) was an American politician. Neal was born on 18 August 1818 in

Onondaga County, New York Onondaga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 476,516. The county seat is Syracuse. Onondaga County is the core of the Syracuse, NY MSA. History The name ''Onondaga'' derives fro ...

. From the age of 18, he taught at a country school. He settled in

West Point, Iowa West Point is a city in Lee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 921 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Fort Madison– Keokuk, IA- MO Micropolitan Statistical Area. History West Point was incorporated on March 25, ...

, in 1839 and later moved to

Fort Madison Fort Madison is a city and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States along with Keokuk. Of Iowa's 99 counties, Lee County is the only one with two county seats. The population was 10,270 at the time of the 2020 census. Located along the ...

to read law. In 1851, Neal married Catherine Brees. The family settled in

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state's ...

. Their daughter Emily later married

Edward R. Cassatt Edward Roberts Cassatt (April 14, 1839 – June 26, 1907) was an American politician. Cassatt was born on April 14, 1839, in Wabash County, Indiana. He attended Indiana common schools and first moved to Iowa in 1857, where he enrolled at Centra ...

. From May 1856, Neal was eligible to practice law before the United States District Court of Iowa, headquartered in

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

. Between 1854 and 1856, Neal was a member of the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

, elected from District 35 as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. Neal then served two four-year terms on the

Iowa Senate The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly, United States. There are 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state of Iowa with populations of approximately 60,927 per constituency, . ...

, representing

District 17 A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

until 1860, and

District 18 A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

thereafter. While serving as a state senator, Neal contested the October 1861 House of Representatives election in Iowa, losing to

James F. Wilson James Falconer "Jefferson Jim" Wilson (October 19, 1828April 22, 1895) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a Republican U.S. Congressman from Iowa's 1st congressional district during the American Civil War, and later as a two-te ...

. Neal moved from Knoxville to Keokuk in 1868, then to

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

in 1870. He returned to Knoxville by 1872 and established the Marion County National Bank. By June 1873, Neal relocated to

Newton, Kansas Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 18,602. Newton is located north of Wichita. The city of North Newton is located immediately north and e ...

, and became the president of the Harvey County Savings Bank. He divested from the Harvey County Savings Bank in 1879, and opened another bank later that year in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, followed by another in

Caldwell Caldwell may refer to: People * Caldwell (surname) * Caldwell (given name) * Caldwell First Nation, a federally recognized Indian band in southern Ontario, Canada Places Great Britain * Caldwell, Derbyshire, a hamlet * Caldwell, East ...

in 1882. Neal died on 3 August 1882. His residence in Newton, the Jairus Neal House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Harvey County, Kansas.Alternate URL
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neal, Jairus Edward 19th-century American educators Schoolteachers from New York (state) American bank presidents 19th-century American lawyers 1882 deaths Democratic Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives Democratic Party Iowa state senators 19th-century American legislators People from Knoxville, Iowa People from Keokuk, Iowa People from Onondaga County, New York People from Newton, Kansas 1818 births Iowa lawyers