History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Walter I. Hayes
WALTER I. HAYES was born in Marshall, Michigan, December 9, 1841. He entered the Law Department of the Michigan University, graduating in 1863, and coming to Iowa in 1866 became a law partner of Adjutant-General N. B. Baker. He was three times elected city solicitor of Clinton, and was elected judge of the Seventh Judicial District in 1878, serving until 1887. His most notable decision during his term of service was that declaring the Prohibitory Amendment to the Constitution, adopted by a vote of the people, to be void. Upon appeal to the Supreme Court his decision was sustained. In 1876 he was one of the Democratic candidates for Supreme Judge but was defeated with his party ticket. In 1886 he was elected Representative in Congress from the Second District and three times reëlected, serving until 1895. Mr. Hayes was a warm supporter of the Hennepin canal. He served at the extra session of the Twenty-sixth General Assembly, which acted upon the new code. He was a life-long Democrat and one of the leaders of the party in Iowa. He died on the 14th of March, 1901.