William Higby (August 18, 1813 – November 27, 1887) was an American politician, 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 ...

, a lawyer, a

District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...

, a judge, a newspaper editor, and a

United States 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 ...

from California.

Biography

Higby was born in

Willsboro, New York Willsboro is a town in Essex County, New York, United States, and lies south of the city of Plattsburgh. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 2,025. The town is named after early landowner William Gilliland. History During the Amer ...

. He spent his boyhood on his father's farm and worked in the lumber and iron business. He attended a preparatory school in

Westport, New York Westport is a town in Essex County, New York, United States overlooking Lake Champlain. The population was 1,312 at the 2010 census. The town is on the eastern border of the county and is south of Plattsburgh and south of Montreal, Quebec, Canad ...

and was graduated from the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

in 1840, where he was a founding member of the

Lambda Iota Society Lambda Iota Society () was a local fraternity at the University of Vermont until it merged with Pi Kappa Phi in 2018. History Lambda Iota was founded on at the University of Vermont. The main archive URL iThe Baird's Manual Online Archive homep ...

. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1847 and commenced practice in

Elizabethtown, New York Elizabethtown is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,163 at the 2010 census. The county seat of Essex County is the hamlet of Elizabethtown, located in the northern part of the town. The name is derived from Eliz ...

Career

Higby moved to California in 1850 and settled in

Calaveras County Calaveras County (), officially the County of Calaveras, is a county in both the Gold Country and High Sierra regions of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 45,292. The county seat is San Andreas. Angels Ca ...

. After unsuccessfully attempting the mining business, he resumed the practice of law and was a district attorney from 1853 to 1859. Due to his harsh treatment of criminals, he earned the rough nickname, "Bloody Bill". He was a district judge from 1859 to 1861. Higby served in the

California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Cal ...

in 1862 and 1863. Higby was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-eighth, Thirty-ninth, and Fortieth Congresses and served from March 4, 1863, to March 3, 1869. During the Fortieth Congress he served as the chairman of the committee on mines and mining. He married Ellen M. Ringer, daughter of Joseph Ringer, in 1865. He was a delegate to the Philadelphia Loyalist's Convention of 1866. He was a frequent guest at the Lincoln White House. He served as chairman of the Committee on Mines and Mining (Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses). He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1868. He served as the editor of the ''Calaveras Chronicle'' for several years. Appointed by 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 ...

, he was also the collector of internal revenue from 1877 to 1881.

Death

Higby devoted himself to horticulture until his death. Stricken with paralysis three years before, he died in

Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa (Spanish language, Spanish for "Rose of Lima, Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, California, Sonoma County, in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area ...

in 1887.

References

External links

Bio SketchgovtrackHistory of Willsboro (Essex County) New York

{{DEFAULTSORT:Higby, William 1813 births 1887 deaths People of California in the American Civil War Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California California state court judges Republican Party California state senators People from Elizabethtown, New York People from Willsboro, New York 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges