John Maxwell Coghlan (December 8, 1835 – March 26, 1879) was a

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician who represented

California's 3rd congressional district California's 3rd congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in California. John Garamendi, a Democrat, has represented the district since January 2013. Effective January 2023, California's 3rd congressional district will include m ...

in the

42nd United States Congress The 42nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1871, ...

from 1871 to 1873.

Biography

Coghlan was born in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

and moved with his parents to

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 ...

in 1847, and again in 1850 to California during the

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...

, where they settled in

Suisun City Suisun City ( ; Wintun for "where the west wind blows") is a city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 29,518 at the 2020 census. The city takes its name from the adjacent Suisun Bay, which in turn is named for the Su ...

. Coghlan studied law and was admitted to the bar and practiced in Suisun City.

Political career

He was a member of the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The A ...

from 1865 to 1867, representing Napa and

Lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

counties.

Congress

He was elected as a Republican to the 42nd Congress (1871–1873), but lost his bid for reelection in 1872 to Democrat

John K. Luttrell John King Luttrell (June 27, 1831 – October 4, 1893) was an American miner, lawyer and politician who served three terms as a U.S. Representative from California from 1873 to 1879. Early life and career Born near Knoxville, Tennessee, Lutt ...

Later career and death

He was the

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...

for the Northern District of California from 1876 to 1878, and was appointed Chief Justice of the Territorial Utah Supreme Court, and confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

, but declined to serve.Lewis Francis Byington,
History of San Francisco 3 Vols
' (S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1931). Vol. 3 Pages 10-11. He practiced law in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

until his death in 1879. He is buried in Mountain View Cemetery.

Electoral results

References

External links

The Political Graveyard
1835 births 1879 deaths Republican Party members of the California State Assembly People from Suisun City, California Politicians from Louisville, Kentucky Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California 19th-century American legislators Politicians from Oakland, California United States Attorneys for the Northern District of California Utah Territorial judges 19th-century American judges {{California-Representative-stub