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biography from Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
HON. WILLIAM H. SEEVERS, Judge of the Supreme Court of Iowa, one of the early pioneers of Mahaska County, is the son of James and Rebecca (Wilkins) Seevers, and was born in Shenandoah County, Va., April 8, 1822. He moved to Frederick and Clarke Counties in youth, where he began the study of law, and came to Oskaloosa June 22, 1844, and has made this his place of residence continuously since. Our subject pursued the study of law with Mr. Milton T. Peters, and was admitted to the bar in the District Court of Mahaska County, in 1846, and at once entered upon the practice of his pro- fession, as a partner of William T. Smith, which connection continued until 1852. He was subse- quently associated with his brother James, in law practice, the firm name being William H. and James A. Seevers. Several years later Mr. M. T. Williams, now deceased, was admitted to the firm, and the style changed to Seevers, Williams & Seevers. Upon James entering the United States service in the late war the firm name was again changed, this time to Seevers & Williams. Several years later they dissolved partnership, and Mr. Seevers became associated with Mr. M. E. Cutts, now deceased, which connection continued until 1876, when Mr. Seevers was elected Judge of the Supreme Court of Iowa, and the partnership was dissolved. Judge Seevers was elected to the General Assem- bly of Iowa in 1847, and again in 1875, resigning in 1876, upon his appointment to the Supreme Bench of the State. He was elected and served as County Attorney in 1850 and 1851, and in the spring of 1852 was chosen Judge of the Third Judicial District of Iowa, and served four years. He has been prominently identified with the educa- tional interests of the city, and took an active part in the organization of the Iowa Central Railroad Company, serving as a member of its Board of Di- rectors many years. He was a stockholder in the Mahaska County Savings Bank, and also in the Os- kaloosa National Bank, and has served two years as President of the latter. He took an active interest in developing the coal resources of the county, and was a stockholder and director of two local coal companies. Judge Seevers was married at Oskaloosa, Iowa, Feb. 20, 1849, to Miss Caroline M. Lee, daughter of Dr. E. G.. Lee, Mrs. Seevers is a native of Ohio. Seven children have been born of this un- ion, two sons and five daughters, five of whom are living: Virginia R. married Henry L. Briggs, and died in 1881, leaving one child, a-daughter; Carrie A. L. married James C. Fletcher, and lives in the town of Fletcher, Sac Co., Iowa; Harry W. is single, and is connected with the Seevers Manu- facturing Company, of Oskaloosa; Grace is un- married and is residing with her parents; Nell is the wife of William H. Kalbach, a hardware mer- chant of this city; William H., Jr., is a student of Shattuck College, Faribault, Minn. All of the children were born in Oskaloosa. Judge Seevers has been ten years on the Supreme Bench of Iowa, during two of which he served as Chief Justice. Ripe in the experience of years, possessed of a mind trained in the logic of law, and naturally gifted in the power of reaching just and legal conclusions, he stands foremost among the few notable legal celebrities of the State.
Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy