History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Francis W. Palmer
FRANCIS W. PALMER
FRANCIS W. PALMER was born at Manchester, Indiana, on the 11th of October, 1827. His father removed to Jamestown, New York, where the son attended the public schools until fourteen years of age when he went to New York City where he learned the printer's trade. Returning to Jamestown he was for ten years engaged in publishing the Jamestown Journal. He was elected to the New York Legislature on the Whig ticket in 1853, serving two terms. In 1858 he removed to Iowa, locating at Dubuque where he purchased an interest in the Dubuque Times and became its chief editor. In 1860 he was elected State Printer and removing to Des Moines purchased the State Register. He held the office of State Printer eight years, resigning on the 1st of March, 1869, to enter upon his duties as Representative in Congress to which position he had been chosen on the Republican ticket the previous fall. Mr. Palmer served two terms in Congress, retiring on the 4th of March, 1873. During the time he was editor and publisher of the State Register it was the leading Republican daily in the State, attained a wide circulation, and possessed a powerful influence in the councils of the Republican party, as well as in the general affairs of the entire State. After the expiration of his term in Congress he removed to Chicago and assumed the editorial management of the Inter Ocean and some years later was appointed postmaster of that city, serving three terms. For some years he was chief editor of the Chicago Herald. When President Harrison was elected Mr. Palmer was appointed Public Printer at Washington, serving until Cleveland became President. Upon the election of McKinley, Mr. Palmer was restored to the position and was holding that important office at the close of the century.