Lot Thomas (October 17, 1843 – March 17, 1905) was a state-court judge who also served three terms as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

's now-obsolete 11th congressional district, in northwestern Iowa. Born on a farm near Markleysburg, Pennsylvania to Christian and Susan Fiske Thomas,"Lot Thomas is Dead," Emmettsburg Democrat, 1905-03-22 at p. 3. Lot Thomas attended the public schools in Pennsylvania, then Vermillion Institute in

Hayesville, Ohio Hayesville is a village in Ashland County, Ohio, United States. The population was 448 at the 2010 census. History Lemuel Boulter was the original owner of the land that the village of Hayesville was formed. Boulter sold his interest in the l ...

. He moved to Iowa in 1868. After teaching school in New Virginia, in

Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War: * Warren County, Georgia * Warren County, Illinois * Warren County ...

, he attended the

University of Iowa College of Law The University of Iowa College of Law is the law school of the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. It was founded in 1865. Iowa is ranked the 28th-best law school in the United States by the '' U.S. News & World Report'' "Best Law Sch ...

. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1870. That year he moved to Sioux Rapids in

Buena Vista County, Iowa Buena Vista County (; ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,823. Its county seat is Storm Lake. The county is named for the final victory of Field General Zachary Taylor in the Mexic ...

, where he started his law practice. When the county seat was moved to Storm Lake, Thomas also moved there."Died En Route to California," Perry Daily Chief, 1905-03-18 at p. 2. He was Buena Vista County Attorney from 1872 to 1885. From 1885 until 1898, he served as judge of the fourteenth judicial district of Iowa (which included Buena Vista, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Dickinson, Emmett, Kossuth, Humboldt, and Clay Counties).Editorial, The Milford Mail, 1898-02-24 at p. 4. In February 1898, Thomas challenged incumbent Republican Congressman George D. Perkins for the Republican nomination for the 11th congressional district seat held by Perkins since 1891. After defeating Perkins for the nomination on the 217th ballot, he resigned his judgeship effective August 16, 1898. Thomas won the general election, and in 1899 became a member of the Fifty-sixth Congress. He was re-elected twice, and served in the Fifty-seventh, and Fifty-eighth Congresses. Thomas' service in Congress coincided with a worsening of factionalism within the Iowa Republican Party, with an "insurgent" contingent loyal to the career and platform of Des Moines attorney (and later Governor and U.S. Senator) Albert B. Cummins, and another "stand-patter" faction hostile toward Cummins. Thomas was considered a leader in the pro-Cummins faction. He also served on the

House Committee on the Judiciary The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, a ...

. He tried and failed to win renominated by his party in 1904."Hubbard Wins in the Eleventh District," Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, 1904-05-05 at p. 1. In all, Thomas served in Congress from March 4, 1899, to March 3, 1905. Thomas lived only two weeks following the end of his congressional service. In poor health and in search of a more hospitable setting, died on a train near

Yuma, Arizona Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, M ...

on March 17, 1905, while en route to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. He was interred in Storm Lake Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Lot 1843 births 1905 deaths Iowa state court judges People from Buena Vista County, Iowa University of Iowa College of Law alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa 19th-century American politicians People from Fayette County, Pennsylvania 19th-century American judges