Jackson County IA Archives News.....Ansel Briggs Memorial Dedicated September 23, 1909
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Ken Wright kenneth565@aol.com September 4, 2009, 12:25 pm

Waterloo Reporter September 23, 1909
Waterloo Reporter, Waterloo, Iowa, September 23, 1909.

ANSEL BRIGGS MEMORIAL DEDICATED

Andrew, Iowa, Sept. 23-
The town of Andrew, the peace of which has never been disturbed by the whistle 
of a locomotive, and where the monument erected to the memory of Ansel Briggs, 
the first governor of the state, was unveiled Wednesday, is a place of 300 
inhabitants, quaint and interesting, but it played a large part in the early 
history of eastern, Iowa. Governor Carroll was the chief figure present.

Five thousand persons thronged the cemetery, the largest crowd probably 
gathered at Andrew. Second in importance from the standpoint of state interest 
was the presence of Ex-Governor Larrabee, who addressed the audience twenty 
minutes.

A memorial address reviewing the struggles and accomplishments of the life of 
Ansel Briggs delivered by W. G. Gregory, curator of the Jackson County 
Historical Society, Maquoketa. He revealed the efforts made to get 
appropriations through the legislature which finally culminated in securing 
one thousand dollars at the last session through the labors of Representative 
Ellis of Jackson County. This with three hundred dollars added by the society 
sufficed to move the body of the former governor from Omaha to Andrew and 
defrayed the expenses of erecting a monument.

As the band played patriotic airs and salutes were fired by the Maquoketa 
militia, Mrs. Nannie Briggs Robertson, granddaughter of the departed governor 
drew away the flag that veiled the monument. Governor Carroll then introduced 
and delivered the dedicatory address. After reviewing the school system 
inaugurated by Briggs he declared no official act of his own was he more 
heartily in on than in signing the bill for an appropriation for money for the 
Briggs monument. He wondered how such a memorial was possible at the price 
paid. He referred to wonderful growth in population, transportation 
facilities, educationally and commercially of the state since 1846 and 
declared Briggs laid the foundation for such growth. He urged the development 
in Iowa history through instruction of a hall of fame such as is placed in 
Washington and declared he would be glad to sign another bill of equal import 
to the Briggs appropriation measure.

Ansel Briggs was governor from 1846 to 1850. He was born in Vermont, but 
during his youth removed with his parents to Ohio and in that state became 
interested in the institution of stage lines and removing in 1836 to Jackson 
County, Iowa, followed the same vocation, holding numerous contracts for 
carrying United States mails in this section of the new territory. He was 
elected to the House of  Representatives in the Territory in 1842, and on the 
admission of Iowa to the sisterhood of states was nominated to the 
governorship, the election being held in October. He took his seat Dec. 3 
Governor Briggs continued his residence in Andrew until 1870, when he removed 
to Council Bluffs. In 1881, while making his home with his son in Omaha, he 
passed away.


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