Background
Irwin was born December 25, 1844, in Butler County, Ohio, to Stephen and Elizabeth Martha (Nichol) Irwin. His family moved to Keokuk, Iowa, in 1856 and he was educated in public schools in both Ohio and Iowa before attending Miami University in his birth state. His education was interrupted by the American Civil War, when Irwin served with the 45th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment, and reached the rank of sergeant. Following the war he returned to his studies and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1867. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
After graduation, Irwin returned to Keokuk and studied law at the firm of Miller and Rankin. He additionally studied for a time at the University of Michigan Law School. On June 6, 1871, he married his mentor's daughter, Mary Love Rankin. The couple had three children, Alice, Elizabeth, and John R.
Despite his legal training, Irwin spent most of his efforts working at the family dry goods business. Performing occasional legal work, he also became a founder and director of the Keokuk Building and Loan Company. He served five terms as mayor of Keokuk and two terms in the Iowa House of Representatives.
Read more about this topic: John N. Irwin
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