John Lewis Bretz (September 21, 1852 – December 25, 1920) was an American lawyer and politician who served two terms as 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

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

from 1891 to 1895.

Biography

Born near

Huntingburg, Indiana Huntingburg is a city in Patoka Township, Dubois County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 6,362 at the 2020 census. Located in southwestern Indiana, the city is known for its downtown with numerous antique shops. It is part of t ...

, Bretz attended the country schools and Huntingburg High School. He taught school 1876-1880. He studied law, and was graduated from the Cincinnati Law School in 1880. 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 ...

and commenced practice in

Jasper, Indiana Jasper is a city in, and the county seat of, Dubois County, Indiana, United States, located along the Patoka River. The population was 16,703 at the 2020 census making it the 48th largest city in Indiana. On November 4, 2007, Dubois County returne ...

. He served as prosecuting attorney of the eleventh judicial circuit 1884-1890. Bretz 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 Fifty-second and Fifty-third Congresses (March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1895). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1894 to the Fifty-fourth Congress. He served as judge of the circuit court of Pike and Dubois Counties from 1895 until his death. He served as delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1900. He died in

, December 25, 1920. He was interred in Fairmount Cemetery, Huntingburg, Indiana.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bretz, John Lewis 1852 births 1920 deaths University of Cincinnati College of Law alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana People from Huntingburg, Indiana