Lyman Kidder Bass (November 13, 1836 – May 11, 1889) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

lawyer, politician,

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 * '' ...

, and the 16th District Attorney of Erie County, New York.

Early life

Born in the town of

Alden, New York Alden is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 10,865 at the 2010 census. The town is derived from a family name known to early settlers. Alden is in the northeast part of Erie County, east of Buffalo. It contains ...

, Bass attended the common schools and was graduated from

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

Schenectady, New York Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

, in 1856. He 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 1858. He commenced practice in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

Career

In 1865, Bass ran against

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

and was narrowly elected district attorney for Erie County. He served in this role from 1866 to 1871. He was renominated in 1871, but declined to accept. In 1870, he was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for election to the Forty-second Congress. Bass 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 ...

U. S. Representative for the thirty-first district of New York to the Forty-third; and as Representative for the thirty-second district to the Forty-fourth Congresses. He served from March 4, 1873 to March 3, 1877. Because of ill health, he declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1876. While in congress, Bass made a name for himself while serving on the House Committee on Expenditures in the War Department. During his time on the committee, it looked into spending by Secretary of War William Worth Belknap. In addition, Bass served on the Committee on Railways and Canals as well as the Joint Select Committee to Inquire into the Affairs of the District of Columbia. On June 22, 1874, 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 ...

nominated Bass to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. He was confirmed by the Senate, but declined the position. After moving to

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

, in 1877, Bass was asked to be an associate counsel by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Co. Bass worked on a case against the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway regarding the right of way through the Arkansas Canon on the route from Denver to Leadville. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court and was won due to Bass' argument. He was then appointed chief counsel of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Co. and principal counsel of the Mexican National Railway.

Personal life

He married Frances Esther Metcalfe, a daughter of James Harvey Metcalfe and Erzelia Frances ( Stetson) Metcalfe. She was also the sister of critic

James Stetson Metcalfe James Stetson Metcalfe (June 27, 1858 – May 26, 1927) was an American drama critic who wrote for '' Life Magazine'' and ''The Wall Street Journal''. Early life Metcalfe was born on June 27, 1858, in Buffalo, New York. He was a son of James Harve ...

. Before his early death, they were the parents of one child: * Lyman Metcalfe Bass (1876–1955), who married Grace Holland, a daughter of Nelson Holland. Bass died of consumption, in New York City's Buckingham Hotel on May 11, 1889. He is

interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

at Forest Lawn Cemetery,

. After his death, his widow married

U.S. Senator 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 powe ...

from Colorado,

Edward O. Wolcott Edward Oliver Wolcott (March 26, 1848 – March 1, 1905) was an American politician during the 1890s, who served for 12 years as a Senator from the state of Colorado. Early life Wolcott was born on March 26, 1848 in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. H ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bass, Lyman Kidder 1836 births American prosecutors Union College (New York) alumni 1889 deaths Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Burials at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Buffalo) 19th-century American legislators Erie County District Attorneys 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in New York (state)