Ormsby, George J.

George J. Ormsby was a farmer in Tipton, Iowa. He was a friend of Paul Moore and J.W. Lenker, who were arrested because of their involvement in the eastern Iowa Cow War. As a member of the National Farmers Union, he participated in efforts to have Moore and Lenker released and pardoned by circulating petitions, raising money, and writing to state officials. In this the Union was successful with the parole of Moore and Lenker on August 16, 1934, and their pardon in the following year.

Cow War (Eastern Iowa): On September 21, 1931, state deputies escorted veterinarian Peter Malcolm to the farm of J. W. Lenker in an attempt to test cattle for tuberculosis. The group was met by a crowd of approximately 500 farmers and by means of rotten eggs, rocks, and clubs were driven from the farm. Resistance to such testing had wide support throughout eastern Iowa and had continued since 1929 with the legal imposition of compulsory testing. In 1931 farmers in eastern Iowa were organized by Milo Reno, Norman Baker, Paul Moore, and J. W. Lenker as the National Farmers Union. J. W. Lenker also created the Farmers Protective Organization. As a consequence of the incident at Lenkers farm, both he and Moore were arrested and martial law was declared. Governor Turner also called out the National Guard in Muscatine, Henry, and Des Moines counties where many farmers refused to submit their cattle for testing, by the end of 1931, testing was completed and the war ended.

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