William Loughridge (July 11, 1827 – September 26, 1889) was a pioneer attorney, judge, and three-term United States Congressman from

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

. He was born in

Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio, Mahoning County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of ...

, where he attended the common schools. After studying law, he was admitted to the bar in 1849 and commenced practice in Mansfield, Ohio. He moved to Iowa in 1852 and settled in Oskaloosa, in

Mahaska County Mahaska County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,190. The county seat is Oskaloosa. Mahaska County comprises the Oskaloosa, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Mahaska County ...

. He served as a member of the

Iowa Senate The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly, United States. There are 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state of Iowa with populations of approximately 60,927 per constituency, . ...

from 1857 to 1860. In 1861 he became a judge of the sixth judicial circuit of Iowa, serving until 1867. In the 1866 Republican district convention for

Iowa's 4th congressional district Iowa's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers its northwestern part, bordering the states of Minnesota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, and the Missouri River. The district includes Sioux City, ...

, Loughridge upset incumbent Congressman Josiah B. Grinnell, winning (by thirteen votes) the nomination for the

U.S. 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

seat then held by Grinnell. After winning the general election and serving in the

Fortieth United States Congress The 40th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1867, ...

, Loughridge was re-elected in 1868 and served in the

Forty-first United States Congress The 41st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1869, ...

. In the 1870 Republican district convention, Loughridge was upset by Madison Miner Walden. Walden won the general election. However, when Walden ran for renomination in 1872 (in what was reapportioned in 1871 as

Iowa's 6th congressional district Iowa's 6th congressional district is a former U.S. congressional district in the State of Iowa. It existed in elections from 1862 to 1992, when it was lost due to Iowa's population growth rate being lower than that of the country as a whole. T ...

), Loughridge turned the tables on Walden, ousting Walden. Loughridge served only one term representing the new Sixth District. He sought renomination, but in the 1874 district convention ballotting, he finished behind his eventual successor, Ezekiel S. Sampson, and Sampson's successor,

James B. Weaver James Baird Weaver (June 12, 1833 – February 6, 1912) was a member of the United States House of Representatives and two-time candidate for President of the United States. Born in Ohio, he moved to Iowa as a boy when his family claimed a ...

(who had not yet left the Republican Party for the Greenback Party)."Local Matters," Iowa State Reporter, 1874-07-22 at p. 5. In all, Loughridge served in Congress from March 4, 1867, to March 3, 1871, and from March 4, 1873, to March 3, 1875. He died near

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...

, and is buried in Forest Cemetery in Oskaloosa.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loughridge, William 1827 births 1889 deaths Iowa state court judges Republican Party Iowa state senators Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa Politicians from Youngstown, Ohio Politicians from Mansfield, Ohio People from Oskaloosa, Iowa 19th-century American politicians Lawyers from Youngstown, Ohio 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers