Joseph James Little (June 5, 1841 – February 11, 1913) was an American printer by trade who served 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

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

from 1891 to 1893, after winning a special election to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of

Roswell P. Flower Roswell Pettibone Flower (August 7, 1835May 12, 1899) was an American politician who served as the 30th Governor of New York from 1892 to 1894. He also served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1889 to 1891. Biography He was bo ...

. Little was a veteran of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

Biography

Born in

Bristol, England Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in S ...

, Little immigrated with his parents to the United States in 1846. The family settled in

Morris, New York Morris is a town located in Otsego County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 1,878. The town is named after General Jacob Morris. Town of Morris is located on the western border of the county. The V ...

. He attended the common schools, was apprenticed to the local printer and entered a New York book-printing office to complete his trade.

Civil War

During the US Civil War, he served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

1862-1864, as corporal, first sergeant, and first lieutenant.

Congress

Little 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

52nd Congress The 52nd 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, 1891, ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Roswell P. Flower and served from November 3, 1891 to March 3, 1893. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1892 to the Fifty-third Congress.

Later career

Little served as commissioner of education and president of the Board of Education of New York City. Little began business on his own account in a small way, having for a junior partner his former employer, Mr. Rennie. A third associate joining in the venture, the three with the combined capital of $5,000 started the printing office of Little, Rennie & Co. on Broome Street, in 1867. Being practical and hard working men they made their way by inches. In 1873,

William Jennings Demorest 325px William Jennings Demorest (aka W. Jennings Demorest) (1822–1895), from New York City, was an American magazine publisher, national prohibition leader, and, in collaboration with his second wife, Ellen Demorest, née Curtis, attained inter ...

joined the firm and brought them the printing of his fashion papers. The business finally grew quite large and in 1871 was moved to an uptown location. In his present large quarters on Astor place, they do an enormous business in the printing of books, magazines, etc., employing about 500 persons. The present title of J. J. Little & Co. was adopted in 1876. He remained in the printing and publishing business until his death in New York City on February 11, 1913.

Death

He died on February 11, 1913 and was interred in Kensico Cemetery,

Valhalla, New York Valhalla is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the New York City metropolitan area. Its population was 3,162 at the 2010 U.S. Census. The name was in ...

Family

Little's son was the tennis player Raymond D. Little.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Little, Joseph James 1841 births 1913 deaths Union Army officers Burials at Kensico Cemetery Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) People from Morris, New York 19th-century American politicians American printers 19th-century American businesspeople