Sprott, James

Born: 1799-09-08 Pennsylvania

Died: 1865-05-15

Flourished: Lee County, Iowa

James Sprott was a farmer, livestock raiser, and state politician. He spent his early years in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, where he became involved in the anti-slavery movement and state military and political affairs. In January 1836, he chaired a meeting in Beaver County that adopted several anti-slavery resolutions and became treasurer of the newly-formed Beaver County Anti-Slavery Society. Sprott represented Beaver County in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1838, 1839, 1840, and 1841. He joined the Pennsylvania Militia, rising to the rank of colonel. In the 1840s, he moved from Pennsylvania to Iowa, settling in Summitville in Lee County. Known as "Colonel Sprott" for his exploits in the Pennsylvania Militia, he brought blooded sheep to Lee County, working to raise the level of stock throughout the county. From 1846 to 1850, he represented Lee County in the Iowa Senate. He remained a loyal follower of the Whig Party during his political career.

History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: A. Warner, 1888), 141, 247, 248; Benjamin F. Gue, History of Iowa from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century (New York: Century History, 1903), 3:459, 460; "James Sprott," The Iowa Legislature, accessed 24 April 2020, https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator?ga=1&personID=6007.