author
D. C. (Dexter C.) Bloomer
1816–1900
A 19th-century editor, lawyer, public servant, and writer, he led a remarkably varied life on the New York and Iowa frontiers. He is often remembered alongside Amelia Bloomer, but his own career reached from newspaper work and law to civic leadership in Council Bluffs.
1 Audiobook
Life and writings of Amelia Bloomer
by D. C. (Dexter C.) Bloomer
About the author
Born on July 4, 1816, in New York to a Quaker family, Dexter C. Bloomer had only limited schooling as a boy before studying law and moving into journalism. He worked as a newspaper editor in New York and Ohio, married Amelia Jenks in 1840, and served as postmaster in Seneca Falls during the years when reform movements were reshaping American public life.
In 1855, he and Amelia moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he practiced law and became deeply involved in local affairs. Over the years he served the city in many roles, including mayor, alderman, school board member, library trustee, and civic organizer, building a reputation as one of the community's most active public figures.
Bloomer also wrote and published, and after Amelia Bloomer's death he prepared The Life and Writings of Amelia Bloomer, helping preserve the story of one of the best-known women reformers of the 19th century. He died in Council Bluffs on February 24, 1900.