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Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
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L. S. Kennington L.
S. Kennington was born in Jasper County, Iowa, June 13, 1858, and he is the son
of Henry and Margaret (Slaughter) Kennington, the mother being a native of Ohio
and the father of Ireland, from which country he emigrated to America in 1849,
landing in New York where he began working as a locomotive machinist.
Four years later he moved to Dayton) Ohio, where he was married. In 1855 he came to Jasper County alone and purchased eighty
acres of land and in the spring of 1856 he returned, bringing his family, and
began developing the land. By hard work and good management he soon had an
excellent farm and a comfortable home and here he continued farming until 1880
when he moved to his beautiful home in Newton where he has since led a retired
life. He has always been a man of
public spirit, his greatest interest being in the up-building of the schools and
public roads, and during his active years he served as supervisor of roads and
as school director many times. To
the original tract he added eighty acres, making one hundred and sixty acres in
all, which valuable farm is now owned by his son, John M., brother of L. S.
Kennington. The elder Kennington is
a man of sterling attributes and popular with a wide circle of friends. At
the age of sixteen years L. S. Kennington started in life for himself by
canvassing for books. He then
entered Hazel Dell Academy for the winter term and the following spring began
teaching school. From then on till the fall of 1879 he either attended or taught
school. He was a success as a
teacher and his services were in great demand, but, believing that the law was
his proper sphere, he began studying Blackstone and other standards, and entered
the law department of the University of Iowa where he made a splendid record,
and was graduated from the law department in 1880.
Then he began the collegiate course from which he was graduated in 1884,
receiving the degree of Bachelor of Laws from the law department and the degree
of Bachelor of Arts from the college; later he received the degree of Master of
Arts. In
July 1884, Mr. Kennington bought a half interest in the Iowa State Democrat at
Newton, and he purchased the other half in 1887. This paper he published with singular success for a period of
fourteen years, during which time he built up a large circulation and made his
paper the equal of any its type in Iowa and rendered the same a moulder of
public opinion. In the spring of
1896 he was appointed postmaster of Newton and served two years in a manner that
reflected much credit upon himself and to the entire satisfaction of the
department and the citizens of this community.
After leaving the newspaper field he began the practice of law, which he
has continued ever since in connection with a real estate business.
As an attorney he takes high rank in the local bar and is a painstaking,
energetic and straightforward advocate and counselor who has long since won the
admiration and good will of all classes and he has built up an extensive and
ever growing clientele, figuring prominently in all the local courts.
He has kept well abreast of the times in all matters of jurisprudence and
is a close student. The
domestic life of L. S. Kennington began on June 12, 1895, when he was united in
marriage with Myra Davis, the daughter of J. S. Davis and wife, the former
deceased. Mrs. Kennington is a lady
of many estimable attributes. At
all times L. S. Kennington has taken an active interest in public affairs. In
June 1910, he completed a term of twenty-five years in some official capacity
within the organization of the Democratic party. He served several times as
county chairman of his party and also upon the congressional committee of his
district, being chairman during one of the Weaver campaigns.
He has served his party well and his counsels have done much for the
success of the same. In all, positions of public trust he has discharged his
duties in an able and conscientious manner, to the satisfaction of all,
irrespective of party alignment. Mr.
Kennington is a charter member of the Newton Business Men's Association.
He belongs to Central Lodge No. 73, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of
Newton; Newton Lodge No. 59) Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Gebal Chapter No.
12; Royal Arch Masons; Oriental Commandery No. 22, Knights Templar, and the
Za-Ga-Zig Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Des
Moines. Mrs. Kennington belongs to
the Episcopal church at Newton. The Past and Present of Jasper County, Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-In-Chief, 1912 B.F. Bowen Co., Indianapolis, IN, p. 516. |
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