Cyrus C. Carpenter

Cyrus Clay Carpenter (November 24, 1829 – May 29, 1898) was a Civil War officer, the eighth governor of Iowa and U.S. representative from Iowa's 9th congressional district.

Early life Born near Harford, Pennsylvania, Carpenter attended the common schools, and was graduated from Harford Academy in 1853. His parents were Asahel Carpenter and Amanda M. Thayer and he is a descendant of the immigrant William Carpenter, the founder of the Rehoboth Carpenter family who came to America in the mid-1630s.

Early work He moved to Iowa in 1854 and engaged in teaching in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and afterwards in land surveying, working as the County surveyor of Webster County in 1856. He studied law but never practiced. In March, 1857, he joined the relief expedition sent to Spirit Lake to aid the settlers driven from their homes by the Sioux Indians in the aftermath of the Spirit Lake Massacre.

He initially served as member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 1858 to 1860. After serving in the 46th United States Congress, he was re-elected in 1880 and served in the 47th United States Congress. He did not seek re-election to Congress in 1882. In all, he served in Congress from March 4, 1879, to March 3, 1883.

Returning to Iowa from Washington, District of Columbia for the last time, he served as postmaster of Fort Dodge from 1889 to 1893. He also engaged in the management of his farm and in the real-estate business. He was interred in Oakland Cemetery in Fort Dodge.