Gilbert Lafayette Laws was a Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

 Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

.

Biography

Born 1838 near Olney, Illinois

Olney, Illinois

Olney is a city in Richland County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,631 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Richland County.-History:...

, he moved to Iowa County, Wisconsin

Iowa County, Wisconsin

Iowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 22,780. Its county seat and largest city is Dodgeville.Iowa County is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...

 in 1845 with his parents. He attended Haskell University

Haskell Indian Nations University

Haskell Indian Nations University is a tribal university located in Lawrence, Kansas, for members of federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States...

 and Milton College

Milton College

Milton College was a private college located in Milton, Wisconsin. Founded in 1844 as the Milton Academy, it closed in 1982. Its campus is now part of the Milton Historic District....

 and afterwards taught school. During the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 he enlisted in the 5th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment

5th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment

The 5th Wisconsin was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 5th Infantry was assembled at Camp Randall, in Madison on July 12, 1861. It left Wisconsin for Washington, D.C. on July 24, 1861. During the war it moved through Virginia, Maryland,...

. After the war he returned to Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

 and settled in Richland County, Wisconsin.

He was elected as the Richland County Clerk in 1862 and twice reelected also publishing a newspaper. He became a member of the Richland Center, Wisconsin

Richland Center, Wisconsin

Richland Center is a city in Richland County, Wisconsin, United States, which also serves as the county seat. The population was 5,184 at the 2010 census.-History:Richland Center was founded in 1851 by Ira Sherwin Hazeltine, a native of Andover, Vermont...

 city council

City council

A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...

 in 1868 and 1869 and then the city's mayor in 1869. In 1869 and 1870 he was the chairman of the county board of supervisors, and the postmaster from 1866 to 1876. He resigned his posts in 1876 and moved to Orleans, Nebraska

Orleans, Nebraska

Orleans is a village in Harlan County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 425 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Orleans is located at ....

.

In 1883 he was appointed register of the United States land office

General Land Office

The General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...

 in McCook, Nebraska

McCook, Nebraska

McCook is a city in Red Willow County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Red Willow County...

 until November 1, 1886 when he was elected Secretary of State of Nebraska

Secretary of State of Nebraska

The Secretary of State of Nebraska is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Nebraska. In Nebraska, the Secretary of State is elected for a four-year term. Vacancies are fill by appointment by the Governor....

. He served in that position from 1886 to 1888 when he was elected to the 51st United States Congress

51st United States Congress

The Fifty-first United States Congress, referred to by some critics as the Billion Dollar Congress, was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C...

 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of James Laird

James Laird (politician)

James Laird was a Nebraska Republican politician.Laird was born in Fowlerville, New York and moved with his parents to Hillsdale County, Michigan. He attended Adrian College and served in the Sixteenth Regiment of the Michigan Volunteer Infantry in the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil...

. He did not run for reelection, instead moving to Enid, Oklahoma

Enid, Oklahoma

Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...

 and sold houses. He returned to Nebraska in 1895 to Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska

The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....

. He became secretary of the State board of transportation from 1896 to 1900. He died in Lincoln on April 25, 1907 and is buried in Wyuka Cemetery.