LeGrand Byington
1816-1907. Publisher, lawyer, politician, and entrepreneur, he arrived locally in 1849 as an anti-war liberal who spearheaded a local effort that brought the railroad to Iowa City, paying a $50,000 bonus on behalf of promoters. Considered principled, erratic, stubborn and talented, he supported the temperance movement, and so opposed war that he refused to pay Civil War era taxes, losing most of his property as a result. Sons Robert and Otto became prominent local lawyers, with Otto later becoming a long-serving judge. Le Grand, located near Marshalltown, is named for him for assisting its founders on their way west.