John Wesley Longyear (October 22, 1820 – March 10, 1875) was a

United States 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 ...

from

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

and a

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...

of the

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (in case citations, E.D. Mich.) is the federal district court with jurisdiction over of the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula of the State of Michigan. The Court is based ...

Education and career

Longyear was born on October 22, 1820, in

Shandaken, New York Shandaken is a town on the northern border of Ulster County, New York, United States, northwest of Kingston, New York. As of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 2,866.2020 US Census, Shandaken, Ulster County, New York https://www ...

, the son of Petrus Longyear (also known as Peter Longyear, 1784–1845), of Dutch heritage, and Jerusha Longyear (née Jerusha Stevens), of English heritage. The Longyears were descendants of Jacob Longyear Sr. (also known as Jacob Langjaer), an 18th-century immigrant to New York from

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

. Longyear pursued classical studies at the Lima Academy in New York. He taught school for several years in New York. He moved to Mason,

Ingham County Ingham County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 284,900. The county seat is Mason. Lansing, the state capital of Michigan, is largely located within the county. (Lansing is the only ...

in 1844 and taught school. He read law and was admitted to the Ingham County bar in 1846. He entered private practice in Mason from 1846 to 1847. He continued private practice in

Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...

, Michigan from 1847 to 1870.

Congressional service

Longyear was elected as a

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 ...

from

Michigan's 3rd congressional district Michigan's 3rd congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in West Michigan. From 2003 to 2013, it consisted of the counties of Barry and Ionia, as well as all except the northwestern portion of Kent, including the city of Grand Ra ...

to the

United States House of Representatives 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 ...

of the 38th and

39th United States Congress The 39th 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, 1865 ...

es, serving from March 4, 1863, to March 3, 1867. He was Chairman of the

United States House Committee on Expenditures on Public Buildings The Committee on Oversight and Reform is the main investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. The committee's broad jurisdiction and legislative authority make it one of the most influential and powerful panels in the ...

for the 38th and 39th United States Congresses. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1866.

Other service

Longyear was delegate to the

Loyalist Convention The National Union Convention (also known as the Loyalist Convention, the Southern Loyalist Convention, the National Loyalists' Loyal Union Convention, or the Arm-In-Arm Convention) was held on August 14, 15, and 16 1866, in Philadelphia, Pennsylva ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

in 1866 and to the Michigan State constitutional convention in 1867.

Federal judicial service

Longyear was nominated by President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

on February 7, 1870, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge

Ross Wilkins Ross Wilkins (February 19, 1799 – May 17, 1872) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Michigan and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Education and care ...

. He was 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 ...

on February 18, 1870, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on March 10, 1875, due to his death in Detroit, where he had moved in 1871. He was interred in Mount Hope Cemetery in Lansing.

References

Sources

* *
The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Longyear, John Wesley 1820 births 1875 deaths Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan United States federal judges appointed by Ulysses S. Grant 19th-century American judges People from Shandaken, New York Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan 19th-century American politicians