Isaac Leffler

Isaac Leffler (November 7, 1788 – March 8, 1866), sometimes spelled Lefler or Loeffler, was an American lawyer and Iowa pioneer who represented Virginia's 18th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for one term in the 1820s. He also served in the legislatures of the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as the Wisconsin and Iowa Territories. His younger brother, Shepherd Leffler, became one of Iowa's first congressmen after achieving statehood.

Isaac Leffler
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 18th district
In office March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1829
Preceded by	Joseph Johnson
Succeeded by	Philip Doddridge
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Wisconsin Territory
In office November 6, 1837 – June 11, 1838
Preceded by	Peter H. Engle
Succeeded by	William B. Sheldon
Member of the House of Representatives of the Wisconsin Territory for Des Moines County
In office October 25, 1836 – November 26, 1838 Serving with Thomas Blair, John Box, George W. Teas, David R. Chance, Warren L. Jenkins, & Eli Reynolds
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the Ohio district
In office December 3, 1832 – December 2, 1833 Serving with John Parrott
Preceded by	Samuel H. Fitzhugh & John Parrott
Succeeded by	John Parrott & John McLure
In office December 5, 1825 – December 3, 1827 Serving with William McKinley (1825–1826) & Morgan Nelson (1826–1827)
Preceded by	William McKinley & Zachariah Jacob
Succeeded by	Samuel H. Fitzhugh & John Parrott
In office December 1, 1823 – November 29, 1824 Serving with Adam Faris
Preceded by	Adam Faris & James Shannon
Succeeded by	William McKinley & Zachariah Jacob
In office December 1, 1817 – December 6, 1819 Serving with William Irwin (1817–1818) & Moses W. Chapline (1818–1819)
Preceded by	Alexander Caldwell & William Irwin
Succeeded by	William Irwin & William Chapline
Personal details
Born	(1788-11-07)November 7, 1788 Washington County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	March 8, 1866(1866-03-08) (aged 77) Chariton, Iowa, U.S.
Resting place	Aspen Grove Cemetery, Burlington, Iowa, U.S.
Political party	Adams Party (1820s) Whig (1830s–1840s)
Spouses	Rebecca Foreman ​ ​ (m. 1813; died 1830)​ Lethenia Sprigg Mitchell (died 1879)
Children	Jane Ellouise (Kelly) ^(b. 1816; died 1888) Emily (Chalfant) ^(b. 1826; died 1898) Sarah Lowther (Edwards) ^(b. 1844; died 1908)
Relatives	Shepherd Leffler (brother)

Early life and education

Born on his grandfather's plantation, "Sylvia's Plain," in Washington County, Pennsylvania, near Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia), Leffler attended the public schools and was graduated from Jefferson College, (now Washington & Jefferson College), in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

Virginia career

After studying law, he was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Wheeling. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates for six terms, serving in the 1817–1819 sessions, the 1823–1824 session, the 1825–1827 sessions, and the 1832–1833 session.^[1] He also served as a member of the Virginia Board of Public Works in 1827.

In 1826, Leffler was elected as an Adams Party candidate to the Twentieth Congress, defeating incumbent Jacksonian Joseph Johnson. When running for re-election in 1828, he was beaten (along with President John Quincy Adams). Although Andrew Jackson defeated Adams, Leffler was defeated by Anti-Jacksonian Party candidate Philip Doddridge. Leffler's term in the U.S. House lasted from March 4, 1827, to March 3, 1829.

Iowa career

In 1835, Leffler moved to the area that is now Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa—then part of the Michigan Territory. At the time, Iowa and the other regions of the Michigan Territory west of the Mississippi River were broadly divided between Des Moines County in the south and Dubuque County in the north.

Leffler was admitted to the Des Moines County bar on April 15, 1835, and practiced law. While under Michigan's regional governance, he was named as the chief justice of the first judicial tribunal of Des Moines County on April 11, 1836. After the creation of Wisconsin Territory on April 20, 1836, he served in the first legislature of the new Territory from 1836 through 1838, and served as Speaker of the House during the 2nd session of the Assembly, in the winter of 1837–38.^[2]

After Iowa Territory was created from areas of Wisconsin Territory west of the Mississippi River—previously referred to as the Iowa District—in 1838, he served as a member of the Iowa Territory house of representatives in 1841.

President John Tyler appointed Leffler as United States marshal for the district of Iowa on December 18, 1843. He served until removed by President James K. Polk on December 29, 1845, when he resumed the practice of law in Burlington. He declined the appointment of the register of the land office at Stillwater (in what was then Minnesota Territory) in 1849. He was appointed by President Millard Fillmore as receiver of public sums of money for the Chariton land district of Iowa on August 30, 1852, and served on that position until removed by President Franklin Pierce on March 29, 1853.

He died in Chariton, Iowa, on March 8, 1866, at age 77.^[3] He was interred in Aspen Grove Cemetery, in Burlington.

References

1. Swem, Earl G.; Williams, John W., eds. (1918). A Register of the General Assembly of Virginia, 1776–1918, and of the Constitutional Conventions. Commonwealth of Virginia. pp. 96, 99, 112, 117, 120, 134. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
2. Heg, J. E., ed. (1882). "Annals of the Legislature" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 161–163. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
3. "Col. Isaac Leffler". Muscatine Evening Journal. April 5, 1866. p. 2. Retrieved December 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

• United States Congress. "Isaac Leffler (id: L000214)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Isaac Leffler at Find a Grave

Virginia House of Delegates
Preceded by Alexander Caldwell & William Irwin	Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the Ohio district December 1, 1817 – December 6, 1819 Served alongside: William Irwin (1817–1818) & Moses W. Chapline (1818–1819)	Succeeded by William Irwin & William Chapline
Preceded by Adam Faris & James Shannon	Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the Ohio district December 1, 1823 – November 29, 1824 Served alongside: Adam Faris	Succeeded by William McKinley & Zachariah Jacob
Preceded by William McKinley & Zachariah Jacob	Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the Ohio district December 5, 1825 – December 3, 1827 Served alongside: William McKinley (1825–1826) & Morgan Nelson (1826–1827)	Succeeded by Samuel H. Fitzhugh & John Parrott
Preceded by Samuel H. Fitzhugh & John Parrott	Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the Ohio district December 3, 1832 – December 2, 1833 Served alongside: John Parrott	Succeeded by John Parrott & John McLure
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Joseph Johnson	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 18th congressional district March 4, 1827 - March 3, 1829	Succeeded by Philip Doddridge