PALMER, David J., member of the state board of railroad commissioners, was born in Washington county, Penn., November 15, 1839, and came with his parents to Iowa in 1856, settling in Washington county, which is still his home. They began on eighty acres of raw prairie and passed through all the struggles incident to pioneer life. The family had previously lived for some time in Carroll county, in eastern Ohio, where they located in 1842.

Here young Dave attended the country district and subscription schools, which were conducted in log schoolhouses in those days.  For about a year and a half before the war young Palmer attended the United Presbyterian college in Washington, Iowa. He taught school for a few terms, but has chiefly followed farming, in which he has been highly successful. Colonel Palmer's parents were Samuel R. Palmer, a farmer, with rather limited means who had been a wagon maker by trade, and Margaret Munce. Samuel R. Palmer was born in County Armagh, Ireland, in 1811, and came to America with his parents at the age of 18, settling in Washington county, Penn.  His wife was born in Washington county, Penn., in 1812. Her father was a native of Ireland and died at the age of 99.

Colonel Palmer enlisted August 10,1861, as a private in Company C, Eighth Iowa infantry. He was promoted and mustered into the United States service August 81, 1861, as third corporal. At the battle of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6, 1862, he was severely wounded in the left shoulder, and was discharged by the order of the secretary of war September 9, 1862, to accept a position as captain of Company A, Twenty-fifth Iowa infantry.  They were mustered into the United States service September 27,1862. He was slightly wounded in the left foot at Arkansas Post, January 11, 1863, and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty-fifth Iowa June 9, 1863. At the battle of Taylor's Ridge, near Ringgold, Ga., November 27, 1863, he was wounded in the left leg, though he remained in the service until the close of the war, and was mustered out in Washington, D. C., June 6, 1865. He was in the battle of Shiloh, Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, the charge upon and siege of Vicksburg, the second attack on Jackson, Miss., also Canton, Miss., campaign from Memphis to Chattanooga, Cane Creek, Tuscumbia, Cherokee Station, Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge, Taylor's Ridge, campaign to Atlanta, including Dalton, Snake Creek Gap, Pumpkin Vine Creek, Resaca, Dallas, Altoona Hills, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain, Marietta, and final attack and capture of Atlanta, East Point, Jonesboro, Sherman's march to the sea, engagement near Macon, Ga., attack and capture of Savannah, campaign through the Carolinas, resulting in capture of Columbia, Bentonsville, Goldsboro, and occupancy of Raleigh, N. C., final march through Petersburg, Richmond, and on to Washington, D. C. Very few soldiers have passed through the number of battles and seen the service that Colonel Palmer saw, and come out with as little permanent injury as he has suffered. His record as a soldier is held up as a model by his companions in arms. He is a member of the G.  A. R., and was commander of I. G. White Post, No. 108, of Washington. The soldier ties are very strong with him, and he and his old comrades are always found standing together.

Colonel Palmer has always been a republican and has done his share of party work in every campaign. He is an eloquent and very vigorous speaker, and, when his feelings are aroused, is capable of most effective and inspiring oratory, as he has often shown while a member of the state senate.  He has served as road supervisor and auditor of Washington county, and presidential elector, First district, 1884, and a member of the senate from the Tenth district, composed of Henry and Washington counties, elected in 1891 and serving two terms. He resigned the office of senator April 1, 1898, to accept the appointment tendered him by Governor Shaw to be member of the board of railroad commissioners to fill a vacancy caused by the death of C. L. Davidson. He received the unanimous nomination from the republican state convention that year and was elected by a handsome majority in November. His standing at home is shown by the protest which the democratic paper in his town made against the methods used by the opposing candidate to injure Colonel Palmer.  This paper, the Washington Democrat, declared that " because men differ in politics is no reason why they should not be decent Colonel Palmer is a rank partisan, and the Democrat owes him nothing. He not so much as takes the Democrat, but we believe in fair play, and say what you will against him, he is a whole-souled, big-hearted, public-spirited citizen, and when a man is in trouble Colonel Palmer never asks whether he is a democrat or a republican, or a Hottentot; he helps him out." Colonel Palmer is a member of the Grant club, of Des Moines, and belongs to the United Presbyterian church. He was married October 25, 1866, to Miss Letitia H.  Young. They have no children.