Jarvis K. Pike (December 19, 1781 – January 16, 1863) was an American attorney, judge and politician who served in local offices, and in the state legislatures, first in New York (state) and then in Cold Spring, Wisconsin.

Background

Pike was born December 19, 1781, in Dutchess County, New York, son of Jesse and Rebecca King Pike.

Public life

Pike represented

Chenango County, New York Chenango County is a County (United States), county located in the south-central section U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 47,220. Its county seat is Norwich, New York ...

at the second (1821) state

constitutional convention Constitutional convention may refer to: * Constitutional convention (political custom), an informal and uncodified procedural agreement *Constitutional convention (political meeting), a meeting of delegates to adopt a new constitution or revise an e ...

. He was one of the three members of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

from that county for two one-year terms, 1830–31. He served as

county clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

for Chenango from November 1830 to November 1834. In April 1831, he was one of the signatories of an anti-Masonic "Address to the People of New-York" opposing the supposed malign influence of Freemasonry on New York and national politics. In 1836, he was the Whig designee for the

New York's 21st congressional district The 21st congressional district of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives that is currently represented by Republican Elise Stefanik. The district is rural and includes all of Clinton, Essex, Frank ...

presidential elector. He spent some years as a county judge for Cortland County, New York before removing to Wisconsin Territory. In 1848, Pike was the Whig nominee for Wisconsin State Senate from Jefferson County for the

1st Wisconsin Legislature The First Wisconsin Legislature convened from June 5, 1848, to August 21, 1848, in regular session. Members of the Assembly and Senate were elected after an election on February 1, 1848, that ratified the proposed state constitution. Major event ...

in 1848, losing to

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 ...

Myron B. Williams Myron B. Williams (c. 1817December 7, 1884) was an American lawyer, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was important in the establishment and early development of Watertown, Wisconsin, and represented Jefferson County in the Wis ...

. At that time, he was already living in Cold Spring. He was elected in November 1848 to the Wisconsin State Assembly from Jefferson County's Second Assembly district for the

2nd Wisconsin Legislature The Second Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 10, 1849, to April 2, 1849, in regular session. Senators representing odd numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Senators ...

of 1849, succeeding Democrat Peter H. Turner. Contemporary reports claim that he won because Democrats in the neighboring Town of Ixonia were given ballots for the wrong Assembly district, and cast invalid votes for

Benjamin Nute Benjamin Nute (August 12, 1800December 1, 1877) was a farmer and businessman from Milford, Wisconsin, who served a single one-year term as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from Jefferson County during the 1849 session (the 2nd ...

, thus causing Pike to win by a twenty-vote margin in this predominantly Democratic district. He was succeeded in the Assembly for 1850 by Democrat Austin Kellogg. In 1850, Pike was a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

in Cold Spring. In 1852, Pike was elected one of the vice-presidents of the newly organized "Jefferson and Dodge County Agricultural Society." By 1860, Pike had become a Republican, and served as a delegate to the county convention of that party in September."Republican County Convention"
'' Watertown News'' September 18, 1860; p. 2, col. 4 via Newspapers.com

Private life

He died January 16, 1863, and is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Whitewater, Wisconsin along with his wife Rebecca Mead Pike (1781–1867).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pike, Jarvis K. Members of the New York State Assembly Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Wisconsin Whigs New York (state) lawyers Wisconsin lawyers County clerks in New York (state) County judges in the United States People from Jefferson County, Wisconsin People from Chenango County, New York People from Cortland County, New York Wisconsin Republicans Anti-Masonic Party politicians from New York (state) Politicians from Dutchess County, New York 19th-century American judges American justices of the peace 19th-century American legislators 1781 births 1863 deaths New York (state) Whigs 19th-century Wisconsin politicians 19th-century New York (state) politicians