Alfred Peck Edgerton (January 11, 1813 – May 14, 1897) was an American businessman who served as a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from Ohio for two terms from 1851 to 1855.

Early life and career

Edgerton was born in Plattsburgh, New York, on January 11, 1813. He graduated from Plattsburgh Academy and worked briefly for a newspaper. He moved to New York City to work in advertising and other business pursuits. Within a few years, in 1837, Edgerton moved to

Hicksville, Ohio Hicksville is a village in Defiance County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,581 at the 2010 census. It sits around 2.2 miles east from the Ohio- Indiana border. History Led by Henry W. Hicks, the Hicks Land Company platted the comm ...

, an area of development. He became manager of the American Land Company, engaging in surveying and selling land for settlement and development in northern

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. He was the founder of

Edgerton, Ohio Edgerton is a village in Williams County, Ohio, United States in the extreme northwest corner of the state. The population was 2,012 at the 2010 census. History The area around Edgerton was organized as St. Joseph Township on December 2, 1832 ...

Congress

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, Edgerton served in the Ohio State Senate from 1845 and 1846. He was elected to the

in 1850 and served two terms as a member of the Thirty-second and Thirty-third Congresses, March 4, 1851, to March 3, 1855.

Later career

After leaving Congress, Edgerton resided in New York City. He worked as the financial agent of Ohio's Board of Fund Commissioners, the agency responsible for issuing, paying interest on, redeeming and canceling the state's general obligation bonds. In 1857 he moved to

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

, as general manager of the

Wabash and Erie Canal The Wabash and Erie Canal was a shipping canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River via an artificial waterway. The canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Over 460 miles long, it was th ...

. Edgerton returned to Ohio in 1868, and that year was an unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor. In 1873 he built St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Hicksville, Ohio). The church was consecrated on Oct 1, 1875, and on the same day his grandson Robert Swartwout was the first child baptized. In 1885 Edgerton was appointed Chairman of the

United States Civil Service Commission The United States Civil Service Commission was a government agency of the federal government of the United States and was created to select employees of federal government on merit rather than relationships. In 1979, it was dissolved as part of t ...

, and he served until 1889.

Death and family legacy

Edgerton died in Hicksville, Ohio, on May 14, 1897. His body was transported to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he was buried in Lindenwood Cemetery, as was his brother. Alfred P. Edgerton was the brother of Joseph Ketchum Edgerton, an attorney and businessman who served in Congress from Indiana. His parents were Bela Edgerton and Phebe Ketchum. On February 9, 1841, he married Charlotte Elizabeth Dixon (1816-1895), daughter of Charles Dixon and Lucy Sage. They had eight children, Henry, Cornelia, Frances, Alfred Jr., Charlotte Anna, Arthur, and Dixon Edgerton. He was the grandfather to architect Egerton Swartwout.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edgerton Peck, Albert 1813 births 1897 deaths Politicians from Plattsburgh, New York People from Hicksville, Ohio Politicians from Fort Wayne, Indiana Democratic Party Ohio state senators Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio 19th-century American politicians

Early life and career

Congress

Later career

Death and family legacy

Links

References