William Lockridge

#10,11 & 12 Willliam Lockridge (1832-1903) 1878-1879-1880

William Lockridge, son of John Lockridge and Eliza Ervine, was born June 23, 1832 in Craigsville, Augusta County, Virginia. His father acquired a quarter section of land in Story County, Iowa and offered it to the son who would move west and occupy it. William, accepting his father’s proposition, thus arrived in Nevada in May 1856. He took a job as deputy treasurer of Story County and when the treasurer resigned, he was appointed and then elected to fill the position.

On January 1, 1860, he married Lydia Ann Letson, daughter of Christian Bemper Letson and Jane Huston, in Story County, Iowa and located on a farm a mile and a half south and east of Nevada. In 1870, he sold the farm, moved into town and and went into the lumber business with his father-in-law. A year later he bought out Mr. Letson and operated the business on his own.

William Lockridge served on city council 1872, 1873, 1875 and 1876 before serving three consecutive terms as mayor from 1878 to 1880. He continued to be active in politics running for county treasurer in 1879 and for state representative in 1893. Upon his retirement from the lumber business in 1895, he served as president of First National Bank for a few years.

He passed away unexpectedly on July 22, 1903 of heart trouble. Planning a fishing trip with Frank A. McLain, he had come home early to dinner and went behind his barn to dig for some bait. Mr. McLain found him lying dead where he had fallen about a half hour later. He was survived by his wife and five children.