John L. Wilson
United States Senator
from Washington
In office
February 19, 1895 – March 3, 1899
Preceded byJohn B. Allen
Succeeded byAddison G. Foster
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Washington's at-large district
In office
November 20, 1889 – February 18, 1895
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded bySamuel C. Hyde
Member of the Indiana House of Representatives from Montgomery County
In office
January 6, 1881 – January 3, 1883
Preceded byMaurice Thompson
Succeeded byJohn W. Straughan
Personal details
Born
John Lockwood Wilson

(1850-08-07)August 7, 1850
Crawfordsville, Indiana
DiedNovember 6, 1912(1912-11-06) (aged 62)
Washington, D.C.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseEdna Sweet[1]
Children1[1]
EducationWabash College (AM)
Signature

John Lockwood Wilson (August 7, 1850 – November 6, 1912) was an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. states of Indiana and Washington. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1889–1895) and U.S. Senate (1895–1899)

Biography

Wilson was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, the son of James Wilson, a U.S. Representative, and his wife, Emma (Ingersoll) Wilson, and was the elder brother of Henry Lane Wilson.[2] He attended the common schools and was a messenger during the American Civil War. Wilson received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wabash College in 1874.[3] Wilson's degree was subsequently upgraded to Master of Arts,[4] and in 1907 Wabash College awarded Wilson the honorary degree of LL.D.[5] After college he studied law, being admitted to the bar in 1878. He commenced practice in Crawfordsville and in 1880 was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives. He was appointed by President Chester A. Arthur as receiver of public moneys at Spokane Falls and Colfax in Washington Territory, serving in this position from 1882 to 1887.

Upon the admission of Washington into the Union, Wilson was elected as a Republican in the 1888 elections to the House of Representatives as the representative from Washington's at-large congressional district for the 51st United States Congress. Wilson was re-elected in 1890 and 1892 to the 52nd and 53rd Congresses, serving from November 20, 1889, to February 18, 1895, when he resigned to become a Senator.

Wilson was elected as a Republican to the Senate on February 1, 1895, to fill the vacancy in the term commencing March 4, 1893, but did not assume his senatorial duties until February 19, 1895. He lost his bid for reelection to Addison G. Foster in 1898 and left office on March 3, 1899. While in the Senate, Wilson was chairman of the Committee on Indian Depredations during the 54th and 55th Congresses.

After leaving the Senate, Wilson published the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He died in Washington, D.C., in 1912 and was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Crawfordsville.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Edna Sweet Wilson (1860-1934)
  2. ^ Snowden, Clinton A. (1911). History of Washington: The Rise and Progress of an American State. Vol. 5. Century History Company. pp. 251–254. Retrieved October 20, 2021 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Tuttle, Joseph F. (1880). Annual Catalogue of the Officers and Students of Wabash College. Crawfordsville, IN: Wabash College. p. 45 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Wabash College (1888). Catalogue of the Officers and Students of Wabash College. Indianapolis, IN: Carlon & Hollenbeck. p. 65 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Kane, William Patterson (April 1904). The Annual Catalogue of Wabash College. Crawfordsville, IN: Wabash College. p. 97 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ "John L. Wilson Dies in Washington Hotel". The Indianapolis Star. Washington. November 7, 1912. p. 2. Retrieved October 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
U.S. House of Representatives Preceded by— Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's at-large district November 20, 1889 – February 18, 1895 Succeeded bySamuel C. Hyde U.S. Senate Preceded byJohn B. AllenVacant U.S. senator (Class 1) from Washington February 19, 1895 – March 3, 1899 Served alongside: Watson C. Squire, George Turner Succeeded byAddison G. Foster
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