October 24, 1804 – Judge Charles T. Mason – first Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice, U.S. Commissioner of Patents, politician, and businessman – is born in Pompey (Onandaga County) New York.

When Territorial Governor Henry Dodge announced the decision to move the Wisconsin Territorial capital south into Iowa (1837), Charles T. Mason wisely chose to follow suit, relocating to Burlington as well. Apparently, it didn’t take long for Governor Dodge to become impressed with Charles, inviting him to become one of his aides and appointing him the public prosecutor of Des Moines (De Moine) County.

On July 4, 1838, when Iowa became a territory, President Martin Van Buren appointed Mason as Chief Justice of the three-man Territorial Supreme Court. He took his oath of office twenty-one days later – on July 23, 1838, with two other men chosen as Judges – Joseph Williams from Muscatine,and Thomas S. Wilson from Dubuque.

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