James Milton Riggs (April 17, 1839 – November 18, 1933) was a

U.S. Representative 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 c ...

from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Born on a farm near

Winchester, Illinois Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,593 at the 2010 census. Winchester is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Winchester is located at (39.6300 ...

, Riggs attended the common schools and

Eureka College Eureka College is a private liberal arts college in Eureka, Illinois, that is related by covenant to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Enrollment in 2018 was approximately 567 students. Eureka College was the third college in the Unite ...

(Illinois) in 1862 and 1863. He engaged in agricultural pursuits and taught school. Sheriff of Scott County from December 1, 1864, to December 1, 1866. He studied law. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

December 28, 1867, and commenced practice in

. Secretary of the Winchester School Board 1868-1884 and served as president 1889-1892. (That district is now part of Winchester Community Unit School District 1.) He served as member of the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

in 1871 and 1872. State's attorney for Scott County 1872-1876. He served as mayor of Winchester in 1876 and 1877. He was elected as a

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 ...

to the Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1886. He resumed the practice of law in

. He served as president of the

Illinois State Bar Association The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) is among largest voluntary state bar associations in the United States. Approximately 28,000 lawyers are members of the ISBA. Unlike some state bar associations, in which membership is mandatory, ISBA memb ...

in 1891. He served as delegate to several State conventions. He was elected judge of Scott County in 1922. He was reelected in 1926 and served until 1930 when he retired from active pursuits. He died in

, November 18, 1933. He was interred in Winchester Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Riggs, James Milton 1839 births 1933 deaths Eureka College alumni Illinois state court judges Mayors of places in Illinois Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives School board members in Illinois District attorneys in Illinois People from Winchester, Illinois Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois