George Potter Wilson (January 19, 1840 – January 20, 1920) was an American lawyer and politician. Wilson was born in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1840. He studied at

Bucknell University Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now consists of the College of Arts and Sciences, Freeman College of Management, and the College of Engineering. ...

and

Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium ...

before moving to Winona, Minnesota in 1860. He

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

in the offices of Lewis & Simpson and William Mitchell, a former justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, before being admitted to the bar at Rochester in October 1862. Wilson served as assistant secretary of the Minnesota Senate from 1854 to 1855 and as secretary from 1856 to 1857. He served as county attorney for

Winona Winona, Wynona or Wynonna may refer to: Places Canada * Winona, Ontario United States * Winona, Arizona * Winona, Indiana * Winona Lake, Indiana * Winona, Kansas * Winona, Michigan * Winona County, Minnesota ** Winona, Minnesota, the seat of Wi ...

1865 to 1871. In 1871 Wilson was appointed a United States commissioner on the

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

. Wilson served as the member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 8th District in 1873. Wilson served three two-year terms as

Minnesota Attorney General The attorney general of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. State of Minnesota. Thirty individuals have held the office of Attorney General since statehood. The incumbent is Keith Ellison, a DFLer. Electi ...

, serving from January 9, 1874, to January 10, 1880. In 1898 Wilson was elected to the Minnesota Senate from the 41st district. He was reelected in 1902. A Republican, Wilson was a member of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

and a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

. He was married September 26, 1866, to Ade H. Harrington, a daughter of William H. and Miranda Harrington, who were among the early settlers of Winona. Wilson had three children: Jessie M., later married to William R. Sweatt of

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, Walter H., and Wilt Wilson.

External links

Profile
from the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library *Stevens, Hiram Fairchild Stevens.
History of the bench and bar of Minnesota, Volume 1
'. 1904. {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, George P. 1840 births 1920 deaths Members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Minnesota state senators Minnesota attorneys general American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law Bucknell University alumni Ohio Wesleyan University alumni