marking A legacy of counsel
John Willard
The law offices of Lane & Waterman in downtown Davenport's Wells Fargo Building reflect its deep roots in the Quad-Cities.
Some areas have the same windows and wood trim that were in place when the firm moved into the bank tower in 1928, the year it opened.
The spaces offer a veritable museum of the firm's heritage.
A framed deed signed in 1851 by city founder Antoine LeClaire hangs in a corridor, as do old Scott County maps, plats, photos of early partners and an 18th century last will and testament penned in elaborate script.
Dominating the firm's original library, lined with leather bound law books, is an oak conference table, a fixture since the firm set up shop in the building. Another artifact from the firm's first years as an original tenant is a glass transom panel bearing the name "Lane & Waterman."
Lane & Waterman, believed to be the oldest law firm west of the Mississippi, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this week with a $150,000 gift to H.E.L.P. Legal Assistance and Prairie States Legal Services. Such commitment to civic good is nothing new for the firm, which long has been in the vanguard of community service and leadership.
The saga begins in 1854, when A. Abner Davison, a farm boy from Oswego County, N.Y., and David C. True formed a partnership, Davison & True, for the practice of law. Both men had arrived in Davenport two years earlier. Upon the death of True in 1873, James T. Lane, a native of Freeport, Pa., became A. Abner Davison's partner. The firm was renamed Davison & Lane.
Their sons, Charles Davison and Joe R. Lane, joined the firm in 1881. With the death of Charles Davison in 1902, Charles M. Waterman, a native of Freeport, Ky., resigned his position as a justice on the Iowa Supreme Court to become a partner with Joe R. Lane. The firm was renamed Lane & Waterman.
The two law partners became legends in legal, political and business circles.
Waterman, son of a Methodist minister, was Davenport city attorney before he served 11 years as a Scott County District Court judge and 4½ years as an Iowa Supreme Court justice. His civic interests included the Davenport Public Library, of which he served as president of the board for 16 years.
He enjoyed tending the garden of his home at 615 Kirkwood Blvd. and relaxing at his summer home on Smith's Island near LeClaire. He died of a stroke at age 77 on Jan. 28, 1924.
"Judge Waterman was always alive in the citizen's responsibilities … ," the Davenport Democrat and Leader reported in a front page obituary.
His partner, Joe R. Lane, also was a giant in the community. Because of his skill in helping corporations with organizational, financial and operational problems, he became known as Davenport's "business doctor." His business interests covered a broad range of enterprise, from real estate and banking to railroads and mass transportation.
He helped organize and finance the company that the built the Black Hawk Hotel in 1915, and he headed the campaign to raise $125,000 to build a new home for St. Luke's Hospital, a predecessor of Genesis Medical Center, on East High Street in 1916. A barn on a farm he owned near Pleasant Valley was the first clubhouse of the Davenport Country Club.
Politics was another passion. He served on the Davenport City Council in the 1880s and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 2nd Congressional District in 1898, choosing not to seek re-election.
He died of a stroke at his home at 1017 Mississippi Ave. on May 1, 1931, at age of 77.
"His natural enthusiasm was such that he was ready to plunge into almost every whirlpool in the river of life," the Davenport Democrat and Leader reported in a front page obituary.
He and Waterman laid a strong foundation for the firm that bears their names. Over the years, its lawyers continued to help build the community and represent clients on a variety of fronts. The firm helped Alcoa come to town in the 1940s and worked on the incorporation of the town of Riverdale. In the 1950s, the firm successfully represented the City of Davenport in battles involving construction and financing of the second span of the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge, today known as the Interstate 74 Bridge.
Other work handled by the firm in more recent years has run the gamut from an anti-trust suit filed by a local movie theater operator to counseling the QUAD-CITY TIMES in its investigative reporting.
As Lane & Waterman passes the half-way mark to its second century, C. Dana Waterman III, managing partner and great-grandson of Charles M. Waterman, said the firm is well positioned for the future. It can attract top law school graduates, who are assigned diverse and sophisticated cases, he said.
"Such candidates should be articulate, effective communicators who have an interest in being part of our community," he said. "Community service and leadership are a very important part of our cultural values."
John Willard can be contacted at (563) 383-2314 or jwillard@qctimes.com.