SIDEROAD: Lewis Lichty, Servant of the People of Waterloo

This is a continuation of information related to the renown Lichty family of Waterloo, Iowa. My 2GAunt Mary Madora "Dora" Smith married Benjamin Franklin Lichty.

Lewis Lichty, son of Jacob Lichty (brother of Abram through whom BF Lichty is related) and Catherine Hunter, was the second of nine children. He was born 29 Feb 1828 in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

Lewis came to Waterloo when it was a village, still not even spread to the east bank of the Cedar River. That was in the early 1860s. He married his wife Henrietta C "Etta" Bennett in 1862 at Winchester, West Virginia. According to family accounts, the couple had difficulty leaving West Virginia due to the Civil War, but eventually reached Somerset County, where they resided for many years. She died in 1873 in Waterloo after giving birth to three children, a son and two daughters. Lewis spent the next 37 years a widower, but maintained a home for his children until his daughters married, then he moved in with his son Harry.

His early years in Waterloo found him practicing law. His brother, who later moved to Michigan and died before Lewis, was a practicing physician in Waterloo for several years. In 1868, the Waterloo municipal organization was established and Lewis was named its first solicitor. The next year, he was named Clerk and he served in that role until 1873. In 1873, he was elected Waterloo's second mayor and remained so until 1876. In 1874, he was also trustee of the Fourth Ward, and in 1878, was chosen at the regular election for trustee. He served as mayor again from 1882-1884.

Once Waterloo established their own independent school district in 1866, Lewis served as its first vice president, and later spent 30 years as the secretary.

In 1878, he was one of those responsible for the creation of the Waterloo Building & Loan Association and served as its first secretary. He was active in its management until 1898, having to give up the more difficult duties of secretary to serve as president.

Active in the community, he participated in Masonic work until his death. He was a charter member of Lodge No 25. He died, after a lifetime of service, on 06 Feb 1911.

His son, Harry, would pick up his mantle, serving as president of the Library Board, referee in probate for Black Hawk County from 1933 until 1945. He was a past president of the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club. He was member of the Elks Club, director of the Waterloo Building and Loan Association, and a director of the Waterloo Dairy Cattle Congress.

Harry graduated from the University of Iowa in 1891 with a BA. He was born 29 Dec 1869 in Waterloo. He married Annie M Buren at Princeton, Mo. on 07 June 1893. Lichty owned and managed the Waterloo Concrete Co, which became the Construction Machinery Co, and was sold. He also was one of those responsible for the platting of the Highland Addition in Waterloo and was associated with the Sedgwick-Lichty Abstract Co. He died of a heart ailment on 26 May 1946.