Will T. LAUGHLIN, senior member of the law firm, LAUGHLIN & CAMPBELL, of Mt. Ayr, Iowa, is a native of DeWitt County, Illinois, born at Clinton, March 24, 1840, a son of Thomas and Nancy (LOWRY) LAUGHLIN, his father a native of North Carolina, and his mother of Kentucky. His father was a physician, practicing in Springfield and Clinton, but died in the prime of life, in 1843, of pulmonary consumption. The mother is still living. Their family consisted of three children - two sons and one daughter, of whom only the sons are living.

The boyhood of our subject was passed in Clinton, Illinois, where he attended the graded schools, and when seventeen years of age he began teaching, which he continued three terms, and in the meantime began the study of law with Hon. L. WELDON, of Clinton, now judge of the Court of Claims at Washington. He was admitted to the bar in 1861, and in the fall of the same year located to Mt. Ayr, and opened an office for the practice of his profession.

Two years later he formed a partnership with I. W. KELLER, which continued over five years. In 1873 he was elected district attorney for the Third District, comprising the counties of Page, Montgomery, Taylor, Adams, Ringgold, Union, Decatur, and Clarke. At the expiration of three years he resigned, and resumed his practice, becomming associated with Judge HENRY, unter the firm name of HENRY & LAUGHLIN. Four years later this partnership was dissolved, and the firm of LAUGHLIN & CAMPBELL was formed.

In 1863-'4 Mr. LAUGHLIN was superintendent of schools of Ringgold County. He was appointed county judge in 1862, vice Judge KELLER, resigned.

He was married March 10, 1861 [DeWitt County, Illinois] to Louisa J. BATES, daughter of Ansel [and Amanda] BATES. They have two children - Lora B. and L. Weldon.

Mr. LAUGHLIN is a member of both the Masonic and Odd Fellows orders.

John LAUGHLIN, was born in 1757, place not known, and was married [1799] in South Carolina to Elizabeth ORR, who was born in 1779. They went to Caldwell county, Ky., and had eight children there, and moved to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving in 1828, in what is now Ball township. John LAUGHLIN died Nov., 1829, and his widow died in Feb., 1833, both in Sangamon county. Of their children --

MARGARET [1804-1880], born in Kentucky, married in Sangamon county to William S. VINEY, who was born in Kentucky, son of Abraham VINEY (1781, VA - 1820, IL) and Rebecca (SKILES) (1781, PA - ?). Margaret and William live in Iowa.

WILLIAM L. married Isabel HOLLAND, and both died without children in Sangamon county.

JANE married Matthew CROWDER.

LEWIS A. [1805-1886] married; has five children, and lives near New London, Iowa.

THOMAS [born 1897, Caldwell Co. KY] married [February 22, 1837, Macon County, Illinois] Nancy LOWREY. They had two children. He was a practicing physician, and died in Clinton, Ill., leaving his family there.

JOHN married Catharine LOWREY. He died, leaving a widow in Ball Township.

JAMES [1811-1822] died, aged eleven years.

Isabel, born [1817] in Caldwell county, Ky., married Washington CROWDER.

Judge William LOWERY, an aged Methodist with a large family, emigrated from Kentucky [to DeWitt County, Illinois] and stopping a while in Edgar County of this state [Illinois], came and settled on the south side of Salt Creek Timber, one and a half miles east of the present town of Kenney, in 1829. That year, at the Mt. Carmel Conference, the Illinois Conference was organized: Rev. W. L. DENEEN, an effective and promising young man, was appointed to "Salt Creek Circuit", embracing all the country now included in Menard, Logan, Macon, and DeWitt Counties, and all of Sangamon County, north of Sangamon River. Mr. DENNEN organized the first society in DeWitt County, at the house of Judge LOWREY. The members were William LOWERY and wife, and two sons and three daughters: Ruben, Frank, Cecillia, Nancy, and Eliza LOWREY.

NOTE: Will T. LAUGHLIN died on July 12, 1893 at his home in Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa, with interment at Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr.

LAUGHLIN, LOREN H: Attorney: born Mount Ayr, Iowa Aug 13, 1896: son of Lawrence Weldon LAUGHLIN and Belle (HASS); education: Mount Ayr IA HS; Drake U, LLB 1918; Sigma Alpha Epsilon; married Marie CHANCE May 28, 1918 Des Moines IA; son George William; daughter Betty Lucille; 1917 admitted to Iowa bar; 1917-18 asst atty IA RR commission, Des Moines; 1919 asst to IA code revision com; 1919-27 in law firm Hazlett, Jack & Laughlin, Beatrice; 1927-29 mbr law firm Jack, Laughlin & Vette, Beatrice; 1925-29 state sen 16th dist; 1929- prac law, Lincoln; 1935-37 Lincoln city atty; 1923-24 VP Neb St Bar Assn; Lincoln & Amer Bar Assns; during World War priv 1st class coast arty, France 6 mos, batt A, 67th arty, CAC, Saumur Art Sch; Amer Leg; 40 & 8; VFW; MWA; KP; AF&AM 26, Scot Rite, Shrine; 1928-1936 del to natl Rep conv; off 438 Stuart Bldg; res 2711 Sumner, Lincoln [NE].

SOURCES:
Biography & Historical Record of Ringgold County, Iowa, Pp. 375-76, 1887.

Marriage Records, DeWitt Co. IL

POWER, John Carroll. History of the Early Settlers of Sangamon County, Illinois: Centennial Record Pp. 444-47. Edwin A. Wilson Co. Springfield IL 1876.

"The Methodist Epixcopal Church" History of DeWitt County, Illinois W. R. Brink & Co. Philadelphia. 1882.

"Lancaster County" Who's Who in Nebraska, 1940 Nebraska Press Assn. Lincoln NE. 1940

WPA Graves Survey

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, March of 2009

Biographical Sketches Pages Index: A - F,   G - L,   M - R,  S - Z