Joseph Hutton DeFrees (May 13, 1812 – December 21, 1885) was an American businessman and politician who served one term 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 1865 to 1867. His brother,

John D. Defrees John Dougherty Defrees (1810–1882) was an American newspaperman and politician. Political career Born in Sparta, Tennessee, Defrees moved to Ohio and worked in the law office of Thomas Corwin, who would later serve as Governor of Ohio ...

, was a major figure in Indiana Republican party politics.

Biography

Born in

Sparta, Tennessee Sparta is a city in and the county seat of White County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,001 in 2020.U.S. Census we ...

, DeFrees moved to Ohio with his parents, who settled in Piqua in 1819. He attended the common schools. Defrees was an apprentice to the blacksmith trade from 1826 to 1829, and learned the art of printing. He moved to Indiana and settled in

South Bend South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

in 1831, where he established the ''Northwestern Pioneer''. He moved to

Goshen, Indiana Goshen ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. It is the smaller of the two principal cities of the Elkhart-Goshen Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the South Bend-Elkhart-Mishawaka ...

, in 1833 and engaged in mercantile pursuits and later in banking. Defrees served as sheriff of

Elkhart County Elkhart County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. , the county's population was 207,047. The county seat is Goshen. Elkhart County is part of the Elkhart- Goshen Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the South ...

between 1835 and 1840. He was a member of the

Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House memb ...

in 1849, then served in the

Indiana Senate The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year terms ...

between 1850 and 1854. He returned to the state house in 1872.

Congress

DeFrees 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 ...

to the Thirty-ninth Congress (March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1867). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1866.

Later career and death

He resumed his former business pursuits. He was also interested in milling, the manufacture of linseed oil, and the construction of the Goshen Hydraulic Works. He served as director of the Cincinnati, Wabash & Michigan Railroad and served as its first president. He died at

, December 21, 1885. He was interred in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:DeFrees, Joseph Hutton 1812 births 1885 deaths People from Sparta, Tennessee People from Elkhart County, Indiana Republican Party Indiana state senators 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American newspaper founders Indiana sheriffs Republican Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana