History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Lafayette Young
LAFAYETTE YOUNG was born in Monroe County, Iowa, on the 10th of May, 1848. His early education was acquired in the public schools and in printing offices at Albia and Des Moines, where he soon mastered the printing and general newspaper business. His first business enterprise was the establishing of a weekly newspaper at Atlantic which he named the Telegraph. He was an active Republican and in the summer of 1873, received the nomination of that party for State Senator for the district composed of the counties of Adair, Cass, Adams and Union and was elected. In 1877 he was reëlected from the district consisting of Madison, Cass and Adair counties. In 1885 he was again elected to the Senate from the Eighteenth District composed of the counties of Adair, Adams and Cass for the term of four years, serving in that body for twelve years. In 1890 he removed to Des Moines and purchased the newspaper establishment of the Iowa Capital, which under his management has become one of the most enterprising daily papers in the State. In 1893 Mr. Young was one of the prominent candidates before the Republican State Convention for Governor. In 1894 Mr. Young was chosen State Binder, holding the position by reëlection until December 31, 1900. When war with Spain was declared he went with the American army to the seat of conflict near Santiago as war correspondent and furnished graphic reports of the campaign which resulted in the surrender of the Spanish army. He is an able public speaker as well as a fluent writer, and a successful journalist.