EDWARD D. LACEY.

HONORABLE EDWARD D. LACEY, of Marmaton township, ex-Representative to the State Legislature and ex-County Commissioner has been a citizen of Allen County more than twenty-one years. He

came amongst as in the fall of 1879 and purchased the northwest quarter of section 23, town 24, range 20, a piece of wild prairie belonging to the "Peck land." He was from Illinois and Illinois emigrants possess the energy and the industry to successfully combat the trials and obstacles always encountered in the settlement of a new country. Then it is not a matter of wonderment that his one-time pasture should rapidly take on the appearance of a well managed and well-improved farm.

Mr. Lacey migrated to Kansas from Champaign County, Illinois, to which State he moved some time after the war. He was born in Jackson County, Michigan, June 23, 1843, and was reared in Licking County, Ohio. He was a son of Sandford Lacey who went into Michigan from New York and died in 1835. He married Louisa Parmelee and our subject is their first child. The latter grew up in the country and was educated in the district school. The elementary principles of an education were about all that could be acquired from that source, in the days before the war, and these Mr. Lacey secured and supplemented with practical experience in the warfare of life. His first efforts in the direction of individual independence were put forth the first year of the Civil war. He enlisted August 12, of that year in Company A, 17th Ohio infantry, Col. J. M. Connell. His regiment was mustered in at Zanesville and was ordered into Kentucky. Its second important engagement was the one at Perryville, Kentucky, in October, 1862. Mr. Lacey was in the battle of Shiloh and in the Murfreesboro fight, where he received a wound through the right thigh in the second day's engagement. He lay in the field hospital three months and was then sent to hospital No, 7, at Nashville. Upon his recovery he was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps by orders of the War department. His command was the 15th regiment, Company F, and he was Clerk in the Provost Marshal's office for nearly one year. He was then transferred to Washington, D. C., and, soon after, was ordered to Chicago where he acted as drill-master till his muster out of the service September 25, 1864. The following letter explains itself:

"To All Whom It May Concern:
"I cheerfully recommend Corporal Edward D. Lacey as an honest and upright young man, smart, intelligent, devoid of all bad habits, and in every respect a soldier and a gentleman. He has served in my Company for ten months, the most of which time he has acted as sergeant. He has always performed his duty with credit to himself and the Company. He has been highly spoken of by all the officers he has served under, is well posted in tactics, is a good drill master and would do honor to the service as a line officer. His descriptive list from his former Company, Company A, 17th Ohio infantry, shows that he was wounded in the right leg at the battle of Stone River, January 1, 1863. SAMUEL MCDONALD,
Second Lieutenant, Commanding Co. F, 15th Reg. V. R. C.
Dated Camp Douglas, Chicago, Ill., October 26, 1864."

Having served his country in time of war more than three years, Mr. Lacey was content to return to civil life. He re-engaged in farming in Iroquois county, Ill., to which point his mother's family had removed during

his absence. He was married there January 31, 1867, to Mary H. Culbertson, a daughter of Joseph Culbertson, now a resident of Iola. Mr. Culbertson was born in Ohio, in 1821, and was married to Pernetta Matthews. Mrs. Lacey is the fifth of eight children.

Mr. and Mrs. Lacey's children are: Joseph Lacey, postmaster of Savonburg, Kansas, is married to Claudia Southard; Emma Lacey, who is the wife of Harry Keith, of Marmaton township; Reuben C. Lacey, of Marmaton township, is married to Rose Evans; Quincy H., near Moran, is married to Daisy Eflin; Melvill, Pearl G., and Bulah are with their parents.

Edward D. Lacey became a Republican long before he could vote. His first vote was cast while in the army. One of the first things he did upon reaching Allen County was to identify himself with the Republican organization of the county. His frank and earnest manner and his intelligent bearing made him a valuable acquisition to the party and he soon took rank as one of its leaders. He was urged forward as soon as he could be prevailed upon to accept a nomination and was elected township trustee three terms. So conspicuously efficient were his services in this capacity that he was earnestly supported in his candidacy for the Legislature in 1887. He was elected by a good majority and re-elected in 1889, serving four years in all. He served on some of the important committees of the House and introduced House Bill No. 91, providing for the care of old soldiers, in indigency, outside of the Alms house. He was the author of some measures of local importance, only, and was always on the alert in the interest of wise and wholesome laws for the State. He was on the Joint Committee with Murray in preparing the Prohibition law, now in operation, and was one of its earnest supporters.

The same year he retired from the office of Representative Mr. Lacey was nominated by his district for County Commissioner and was elected. He was again elected in 1895 and was the Board's Chairman the last four years of his service. One thing was especially characteristic of Mr. Lacey's public service. He was always well enough informed to have a decided opinion on matters of public policy and whenever called upon for it it was always forthcoming. He was a guiding spirit of the County Board while an incumbent of the office of Commissioner and if he was unpopular with a few it is accounted for by the fact that they were not his invited advisors.

As a business man Mr. Lacey is successful and conservative. He has extended his domain materially by the addition of another eighty to his original tract and his individual prosperity is noted in other lines of industry. He is a member of the Methodist congregation of Moran of which body he is one of the Trustees, being Chairman of the Board.

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