James Washington Singleton (November 23, 1811 – April 4, 1892) 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 state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

. Born at "Paxton," his family's estate in

Frederick County, Virginia Frederick County is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,419. Its county seat is Winchester. The county was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. It is Virginia's northernmost county ...

, Singleton attended Winchester (Virginia) Academy. He moved to Mount Sterling, Illinois, in 1834. He studied medicine and practiced. 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 ...

in 1838 and commenced practice in Mount Sterling. He engaged in agricultural pursuits. Singleton was elected brigadier general of the Illinois Militia in 1844 and took a conspicuous part in the so-called Mormon War. He served as delegate to the State constitutional conventions in 1847 and 1861. He served as member of the State house of representatives 1850-1854. He moved to Quincy, Illinois, in 1854. He was again a member of the State house of representatives in 1861. He was appointed in 1862 by Governor Yates as a member of the commission to confer with the British and Canadian authorities on the establishment of continuous water communication between the United States and Canada. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1868 to the Forty-first Congress. Constructed the Quincy & Toledo and the Quincy, Alton & St. Louis Railroads and served as president of both companies. Singleton 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-sixth and Forty-seventh Congresses (March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883). He returned to his farm near Quincy, Illinois, and engaged in farming. He moved to

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, about 1891, and died there on April 4, 1892. He was interred in Mount Hebron Cemetery,

Winchester, Virginia Winchester is the most north western independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Frederick County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Winchester wit ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singleton, James Washington 1811 births 1892 deaths People from Frederick County, Virginia Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives People from Mount Sterling, Illinois Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois 19th-century American politicians People from Baltimore Burials at Mount Hebron Cemetery (Winchester, Virginia)