Representative Madison Miner Walden

Madison Miner Walden (October 6, 1836 – July 24, 1891) was a Civil War officer, teacher, publisher, farmer, coal operator, lieutenant governor of Iowa, and a one-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa’s 4th congressional district, then located in southeastern Iowa. As a member of the Republican Party representing Iowa, he contributed to the legislative process during one term in office, serving in Congress during a significant period in American history and participating in the democratic process while representing the interests of his constituents.

Walden was born near Brush Creek Township, Scioto County, Ohio, on October 6, 1836. In 1852 he moved with his family to Iowa, part of the broader westward migration into the developing Midwest. He settled in Lee County, Iowa, where he pursued his early education. Demonstrating an early commitment to learning, he attended Denmark Academy in Denmark, Lee County, and later enrolled at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Seeking further academic advancement, he returned to his native state and graduated from Ohio Wesleyan College in Delaware, Ohio, in 1859. After completing his studies, he established himself in Centerville, Appanoose County, Iowa, which would remain his principal home for much of his life.

With the outbreak of the American Civil War, Walden entered the Union Army in May 1861. He first served as a captain in the 6th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment and later in the 8th Iowa Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, remaining in service until May 1865. During the Atlanta Campaign, he was captured in July 1864 at Newnan, Georgia, in an engagement known as the Battle of Brown’s Mill, which occurred during “McCook’s Raid.” Held as a prisoner of war at Charleston, South Carolina, he managed to escape captivity and rejoin his command. Over the course of his military service he rose in rank, and by the end of the war he had been promoted to major, reflecting both his experience and his leadership in the field.

Following his return to civilian life in Centerville after the war, Walden resumed his involvement in education and public affairs. He taught school and, beginning in 1865, became the publisher of the Centerville (Iowa) Citizen, a local newspaper he operated until 1874. His work as an editor and publisher placed him at the center of community and political discourse in Appanoose County. At the same time, he entered state politics. Walden served as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives in 1866 and 1867, representing his constituents during the early years of Reconstruction. He then advanced to the Iowa Senate, serving from 1868 to 1869 as the senator from the 4th District. In 1869 he was elected lieutenant governor of Iowa, assuming office in 1870 and serving as the state’s second-highest executive officer.

Walden’s rising political career led him to seek national office. In 1870, at the Republican district convention for Iowa’s 4th congressional district, he challenged and unexpectedly defeated incumbent Representative William Loughridge for the party’s nomination. He subsequently won the general election and served in the Forty-second United States Congress from March 4, 1871, to March 3, 1873, as a Republican representative from Iowa’s 4th congressional district. His term coincided with the administration of President Ulysses S. Grant and the continuing implementation of Reconstruction policies. After the 1870 census, Iowa’s congressional districts were reapportioned, and the area he represented was redesignated as the 6th congressional district. When Walden sought renomination in 1872 in the new 6th district, Loughridge reversed their earlier contest and defeated him for the Republican nomination, ending Walden’s brief tenure in Congress.

After his defeat for renomination, Walden returned to private life in Centerville. He engaged in agricultural pursuits and became involved in coal mining, reflecting the economic development of southern Iowa in the late nineteenth century. His interest in public service, however, did not entirely subside. He remained active in Republican politics and local affairs, and his experience as a legislator and former lieutenant governor continued to make him a figure of influence in his community and party.

In the late 1880s Walden again took up federal service. He returned to Washington, D.C., in 1889 when he was appointed chief clerk in the office of the Solicitor of the Treasury, a senior administrative position within the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In this capacity he assisted in the legal and administrative work of the department during a period of expanding federal responsibilities. While still serving in this post, he was once more elected to the Iowa House of Representatives from Appanoose County in 1890, reflecting the continued confidence of his constituents in his leadership and experience, although his federal duties kept him primarily in the nation’s capital.

Walden served as chief clerk in the office of the Solicitor of the Treasury until his death in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 1891. His body was returned to Iowa, and he was interred in Oakland Cemetery in Centerville, Appanoose County, Iowa. His career encompassed military service in the Civil War, educational and publishing work, significant roles in Iowa state government including lieutenant governor, and a term in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as later federal administrative service in the Treasury Department.