Vermonters in Congress

Compiled from the

Congressional Record

by

Henry W. Taylor

and Published through the Courtesy of

Hon. Frank L. Greene

VERMONTERS IN CONGRESS

Allen, Heman. Representative from Vermont. Born in Poultney, Vermont, February 23, 1779; graduated from Dartmouth college, 1795; studied law, admitted to the bar, and began practice in Colchester. Sheriff of Chittenden county, 1808-09, and chief justice of the county court 1811-14. Elected to the Fifteenth Congress, and served from March 4, 1817, to April 20, 1818, when he resigned to become U. S. marshal from the District of Vermont. Minister to Chile, January 27, 1823 to July 31, 1827. Returned to Highgate, Vermont, and died there April 7, 1852. He was a son of Major Heber Allen, and a nephew of Ethan Allen of Revolutionary fame. He is spoken of as "Heman Allen of Colchester," to distinguish him from Heman Allen of Milton.

Allen, Heman. Representative from Vermont. Born in Ashfield (now Deerfield), Mass., June 14, 1777; attended public and preparatory schools; studied law, was admitted to the bar, and began practice in Milton, Vermont in 1803; member of the State legislature 1810-1811; elected as a Whig to the Twenty-second, Twenty-third, Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1831-March 3, 1839); defeated for re-election to the Twenty-sixth Congress; died in Burlington, Vermont, Dec. 11, 1844.

This Heman Allen seems to have been no relation to the other Congressman of the same name. He is spoken of as "Heman Allen of Milton".

Arnold, Lemuel Hastings. Representative from Rhode Island. Born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, January 20, 1792; moved with his parents to Rhode Island; was graduated from Dartmouth college in 1811; studied law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced, but later engaged in manufacturing; member of the State General Assembly 1826-1831; elected Governor of Rhode Island in 1831, and re-elected in 1832;

member of the executive council during the Dorr rebellion in 1842; member of the Twenty-ninth Congress (March 4, 1845-March 3, 1847); died in Kingston, R. I., June 27, 1852.

Arthur, Chester Alan. Twenty-first president of the United States. Born at Fairfield, Vermont, October 5, 1830. Graduated at Union College, Schenectady, in 1848, and was principal of an academy at Pownal, Vermont. In 1853 began the practice of law in New York, 1861-62, QuartermasterGeneral of the State of New York, 1871-78, Collector of the port of New York. 1880, elected vice-president with Garfield, and upon the death of the latter became president, September 19, 1881. Died in New York city, November 18, 1886.

Atwood, Harrison Henry. Representative from Massachusetts. Born in North Londonderry, Vermont, August 26, 1863; attended the public schools, and was graduated in 1877; studied architecture; elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1887, 1888 and 1889; appointed city architect of Boston during the terms 1889 and 1890; member of the state Republican committee 1887-88, and for many years a member of the Boston Republican city committee; elected as a delegate to the Republican national conventions in 1888 and 1892; elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1895-March 3, 1897); a resident architect in Dorchester, Mass.

Babcock, Joseph Weeks. Representative from Wisconsin. Born in Swanton, Vermont, March 6, 1850; moved with his parents to Iowa in 1855, where he resided until 1881; attended the common schools of Mt. Vernon and Cedar Falls; moved to Necedah, Wis., and engaged in the lumber business; elected to the Wisconsin assembly in 1888 and 1890; chairman Republican national congressional committee, 1894-1902; elected as a Republican to the Fifty-third, Fiftyfourth, Fifty-fifth, Fifty-sixth, Fifty-seventh, Fifty-eighth

and Fifty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1893-March 3, 1907); died in Washington, D. C., April 27, 1909.

Baldwin, Melvin R. Representative from Minnesota. Born in Windsor County, Vermont, April 12, 1838; moved to Wisconsin in 1847; entered Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis., 1855; studied law, but adopted civil engineering as a profession; engaged on Chicago & Northwestern railway until April 19, 1861, when he enlisted as a private in Company E, second Wisconsin infantry; commissioned captain of his company; captured at Gettysburg, and confined in Libby, Macon, Ga., Charleston and Columbia, S. C., prisons for eighteen months; after the war engaged in operative railway work in Kansas; general superintendent four years; moved to Duluth, Minn., in 1885; elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-third Congress (March 4, 1893-March 3, 1895); chairman of the Chippewa Indian commission for two years; went to Alaska in November, 1897; died upon his way home, in Seattle, Wash., April 15, 1901.

Barber, Joel Allen. Representative from Wisconsin. Born in Franklin County, Vermont, Jan. 17, 1809; studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1833; moved to Wisconsin in 1837 and settled in Lancaster, Grant County, and began the practice of law; member of the first constitutional convention of Wisconsin in 1846; elected to the state assembly in 1852, 1853 and 1863, and served the last year as speaker; member of the state senate 1856-57; elected as a Republican to the Forty-second and Forty-third Congresses (March 4, 1871-March 3, 1875); died in Lancaster, Wis., June 17, 1881.

Barlow, Bradley. Representative from Vermont. Born in Fairfield, Vermont, May 12, 1814, and engaged in business there until 1858, when he moved to St. Albans, Vermont; for twenty years he was active in banking and other pursuits; president of the Vermont National Bank, and interested in railroad enterprises; six times elected a member of the state