Joseph Ketchum Edgerton (February 16, 1818 – August 25, 1893) was an American lawyer 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 1863 to 1865.

Early life and career

Born in Vergennes, Vermont, Edgerton attended the public schools of Clinton County, New York. He graduated from Plattsburgh Academy, which his older brother

Alfred Peck Edgerton Alfred Peck Edgerton (January 11, 1813 – May 14, 1897) was an American businessman who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio for two terms from 1851 to 1855. Early life and career Edgerton was born in Pla ...

had also attended. Joseph Edgerton read the law with an established firm and was admitted to the bar. In 1839 he commenced practice in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. In 1844 Edgerton moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he continued to practice. In 1854 he became a member of the board of directors for the

Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, and later was selected as its president. Edgerton also served as president of the

Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad at its height provided passenger and freight railroad services between Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, USA. The company was formed on January 18, 1854. Beginnings After grappl ...

and the Ohio Railroad, which were constructed to connect major cities of the Midwest, especially the booming industrial city of Chicago, through which many natural resources flowed to the East.

Congress

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 ...

, Edgerton was elected 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

in 1862 and served in the Thirty-eighth Congress, March 4, 1863, to March 3, 1865. His vote on the Thirteenth Amendment is recorded as nay. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1864 and returned to his business interests.

Death

Edgerton died in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 25, 1893. His body was returned to Indiana, where he was interred at Fort Wayne's Lindenwood Cemetery. His older brother

was elected to Congress for two terms from Ohio. After his death in 1897, his family arranged for his burial in Lindenwood Cemetery.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Edgerton, Joseph Ketchum 1818 births 1893 deaths People from Vergennes, Vermont People from Clinton County, New York Politicians from New York City Politicians from Fort Wayne, Indiana New York (state) lawyers Indiana lawyers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers