Solomon Newton Pettis (October 10, 1827 – September 18, 1900) was 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 ...

member of the U.S. House of Representatives from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Early life

S. Newton Pettis was born in Lenox, Ohio. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1848 and commenced practice in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He was a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention.

Public service

On March 21, 1861, President Lincoln appointed Pettis an associate justice of

Colorado Territory The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado. The territory was organized in the ...

, but he never really served in the position. He departed Denver some time after July 30, 1861 without ever presiding over the court he was appointed to. He remained absent until his replacement,

Allen A. Bradford Allen Alexander Bradford (July 23, 1815 – March 12, 1888) was a Delegate from the Territory of Colorado. Born in Friendship, Maine, Bradford moved to Missouri in 1841. He studied law and was admitted to the bar and practiced. He served as cl ...

was appointed associate justice in June 1862. He returned to Meadville and continued to practice law. Pettis was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Darwin A. Finney. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in

1868 Events January–March * January 2 – British Expedition to Abyssinia: Robert Napier leads an expedition to free captive British officials and missionaries. * January 3 – The 15-year-old Mutsuhito, Emperor Meiji of Jap ...

. He resumed the practice of law in Meadville. Pettis was appointed Minister to Bolivia September 4, 1878, and served until November 1, 1879. He was again engaged in the practice of law until his death in Meadville in 1900. Interment in Greendale Cemetery.

Sources

The Political Graveyard

References

Pennsylvania lawyers Justices of the Colorado Supreme Court 1827 births 1900 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Bolivia 19th-century American diplomats Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century American politicians Colorado Territory officials Burials at Greendale Cemetery 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers {{Pennsylvania-Representative-stub