Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: while young
         Buried: 

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: while young
         Buried: 

He was a student at Howe's Academy, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. He read law with Charles Negus, of Fairfield, Iowa, and then entered Yale Law School and graduated in 1857-8. He then engaged in practice of law at Fairfield. In 1882 he removed to Burlington, Iowa. As what is generally called "a jury lawyer", Mr. Culbertson stood at the head of his profession. As a jury lawyer he gained more than statewide celebrity. His thorough knowledge of the law, quick perception, and indomitable energy made him sought after by both rich and poor, the latter especially, knowing his generous mind and sympathetic feeling toward them. He was a Democrat in politics. In 1880, he was Democratic candidate for Congress in the First District\emdash a strong Republican district\emdash and yet he ran 1400 votes ahead of his own party ticket, a thing without precedent in that state. He was elected to the Legislature in 1883.