William Lucas, indefatigable Union Army soldier and South Dakota congressman and Santa Cruz booster


Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I salute William Lucas, born near Indianapolis, July 3rd 1835. Age twenty-one, he moved to Iowa and engaged in farming. Outbreak of civil war, this patriot enlisted with the state’s 14th Volunteer Infantry. His regiment battled at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson and Shiloh.

Union restored, Lucas was town mayor and county treasurer. He later edited newspapers, the Waverly Republican and the Cerro Gordo Republican. The state house named him its chief clerk. After a term as state auditor, he moved to South Dakota. He won a term in the U.S. House of Representatives and was delegate to the GOP's 1896 national convention. President William McKinley appointed him federal land agent.

Lucas retired to California in 1904 and wrote: "I was impressed with Santa Cruz as being the prettiest location for a town or city of any I saw." He zealously promoted its economic development.

A eulogist observed that "never was a Republican meeting held here since his residence in Santa Cruz that he did not attend and at a majority of them he presided."

Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our party, the more Democrats will worry about the future of theirs. For more information, see www.grandoldpartisan.com. 

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Here is my Substack about this article.

Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, a history of GOP civil rights achievement.


Each day, his YouTube videos and TikTok videos and Rumble videos and Grand Old Partisan blog celebrate more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states.

Clarence Thomas cited Back to Basics for the Republican Party in a Supreme Court decision.

"This is the most amazing book about politics that I have ever read. The Overview should be required reading for anyone with even a minor interest in government. The remainder is an enthralling history lesson that I will never forget. For years, we have all been misled about the true nature of the GOP. This is the real deal! Read it and be proud!"

"Your book is a national treasure. I'm always recommending it."

"Michael Zak wrote the definitive history of the GOP."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is the most significant contribution to the Republican Party in the last twenty years apart from Ronald Reagan."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is more important to our party now than ever before."

and

"one of the best books I ever read"

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