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BORN: May 10, 1818 on a farm near Eddyville in Monroe County, Iowa

DIED: November 15, 1926, in Des Moines, Iowa

PARENTS: John and Rachel (Titus) Young

AGE 15: Tried to enlist in the Union Army, but was rejected due to his youth. Entered the office of the Albia Sentinel to learn the printer's trade. Over the next 7-8 years worked as a printer in Albia, Centerville, Keokuk, and Eddyville

1870: Became city editor of the State Register in Des Moines

FEBRUARY, 1871: Established the Atlantic Telegraph as a weekly paper

1873: Elected senator from the district of Adair, Adams, Cass and Union counties

1877: Re-elected senator from the district then composed of Adair, Cass, and Madison

DECEMBER, 1879: Changed Atlantic Telegraph to a daily paper

1885: Elected senator from district then composed of Adair, Adams, and Cass

MARCH 1890: Purchased Des Moines Capital, serving as editor and publisher for the rest of his life

REMAINDER OF LIFE: Active in politics at the state and national levels. Served as a newspaper correspondent and war correspondent overseas


The following sources are available offsite via PDF download:

Biography by B. F. Carroll available at The Annals of Iowa, Vol. 15 No. 8 pg. 630-632.

Obituary available at The Annals of Iowa, Vol. 15 No. 8 pg. 590-597.


Contributed by Cheryl Siebrass, Jan., 2018. Source: "Lafayette Young" The Annuals of Iowa" 15 (1927), pg. 590-597 and 630-632.