Washburn A. Stow was born in Vermont in 1842 and died suddenly on October 21, 1887, at Lincoln, Nebraska, while temporarily away from his home, which was then Omaha, Nebraska. He left Vermont when a boy and had commenced the study of law at Waverly, Iowa, when the Civil War broke out. He was among the first to enlist in the Eighth Iowa Cavalry, and remained with his regiment until the close of the war; whereupon he resumed his study of the law and was admitted to the bar in 1866. From Waverley he removed to Hamburg, Iowa, where he was actively engaged in the practice of his profession until the year 1882, and during his residence at Hamburg, Iowa, he was active in public life, always being publicly interested in the welfare of his community, and served many successive terms as mayor of his hometown, and, being a staunch Democrat, became a strength of his party, and twice he was elected to the office of representative of his political subdivision in the Iowa State Legislature, and was one of the state delegates from the State of Iowa when Mr. Tilden was nominated at the convention at St. Louis, Missouri.
He was also an elector on the Hancock and English ticket in 1880 and was a member by appointment of Governor Kirkwood, of the Board of Directors of the Iowa State Normal School, and by choice of the legislature was a member of the board of directors of the state reform school. In 1882 he moved to Omaha, Nebraska, which city remained his home until his death. He soon enjoyed an extensive law practice at Omaha and, notwithstanding the same, found time to answer further calls from his party in this locality. He represented Douglas County in the State Senate of the state legislature in 1886 and 1887 and at the time of his sudden death he had been nominated for the office of district judge. It is probable that he would have been elected to that office, as he vas considered one of the strongest men upon the ticket; the one selected to fill his vacancy on the ticket caused by his death was elected to office. In the practice of his profession and in positions of trust to which he was appointed or elected, his record was without a stain.
His entire career was devoted to matters of greatest importance publicly and his manner of living was in accord with the up-building and betterment of the communities in which he resided. He had gone to Lincoln, Nebraska, on legal business and had concluded an argument before the Supreme Court of the State of Nebraska and left the courtroom, when he was suddenly stricken with paralysis and lived but a day afterward, and was unconscious during that time.
His wife died less than two years prior to his death, which was considered one of the indirect causes of his death. He left surviving three children, whose ages were then ranging from eight to twelve years. These children are still living and located in the West--Carl B. Stow in the mercantile business in Monte Vista, Colorado, and Roswell, New Mexico; Frank. M. Stow in the mercantile business at Monte Vista, Colorado, and associated with his brother Carl B. Stow ; and Fred W. Stow who is engaged in the practice of law at Fort Collins, Colorado.