John Kemble Tarbox (May 6, 1838 – May 28, 1887) was 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

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Biography

Early life and education

Tarbox was born in that part of

Methuen, Massachusetts Methuen () is a 23 square mile (60 km2) city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 53,059 at the 2020 census. Methuen lies along the northwestern edge of Essex County, just east of Middlesex County and just south of ...

that became incorporated into Lawrence, Massachusetts, Tarbox pursued classical studies, engaged in newspaper work, studied law and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1860 and practiced law. In May 1859 Tarbox married Sarah Ann Harmon. She died in 1874.

American Civil War service

During 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 ...

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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

as a first lieutenant in Company B of the Fourth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered out with his regiment on August 28, 1863. For a time after his military service Tarbox was the political editor of the ''Lawrence Sentinel''.

Early public service career

Tarbox was a delegate at the 1864 Democratic National Convention, and an alternate delegate at the 1868 Democratic National Convention. Tarbox served as a member of the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

in 1868, 1870, and 1871, in the

Massachusetts State Senate The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the st ...

in 1872, and as the sixteenth

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

from 1873 to 1874.

Congressional service

Tarbox 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 Forty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1876 to the Forty-fifth Congress.

Later public service career

Tarbox was the City solicitor of Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1882 and 1883. From April 21, 1883 to May 28, 1887, Tarbox was the Massachusetts State Insurance Commissioner.

Death and burial

Tarbox died in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 28, 1887 and was interred in

Bellevue Cemetery Bellevue Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Lawrence and Methuen, Massachusetts. Established in 1847 and owned by the city of Lawrence, it is the first and principal cemetery of the city and a notable example of a rural cemetery. In conjunctio ...

, Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Notes

References

Retrieved on 2008-02-15 * Harmon, Artemas Canfield:, ''The Harmon Genealogy, Comprising all Branches in New England'', p. 120, (1920). * Singer, Isidore:, ''The Annual Cyclopedia of Insurance in the United States., 1893–1894'', p. 301, (1894).

External links

''New York Times'' Obituary ''HARD WORK KILLED HIM.; A FAITHFUL PUBLIC SERVANT OF MASSACHUSETTS''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarbox, John Kemble 1838 births 1887 deaths Democratic Party Massachusetts state senators Mayors of Lawrence, Massachusetts Democratic Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Massachusetts lawyers American newspaper people Union Army officers People of Massachusetts in the American Civil War 19th-century American newspaper editors Burials in Massachusetts Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts American male journalists 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers