Biography

James A. Throop was raised by his uncle D.D.W.C. Throop. The two were engaged in the hardware business in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, before and during the Civil War. An ardent Republican, James Throop was elected secretary of the Loyal Union League of Henry County, Iowa, in 1864. These Union Leagues were dedicated to supporting the Union cause and the Lincoln administration's policies and were committed to exposing Copperheads (Southern sympathizers) in their midst. In 1872, James A. Throop became one of the proprietors of the Mount Pleasant Free Press. When his partner moved in 1877, Throop assumed editorial control. Returning to the hardware trade in 1881, he placed the paper under the editorial control of his uncle and cousin. The following year, Throop became the sole owner of the Free Press. Disposing of the hardware store in 1885, he again assumed the management of the newspaper office, with D.D.W.C. Throop continuing with him as editor.

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