Darwin Phelps (April 17, 1807 – December 14, 1879) 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, ...

Biography

Darwin Phelps was born in

East Granby, Connecticut East Granby is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 5,214 at the 2020 census. History Original inhabitants of the current East Granby area were Native American peoples, including the Algonquin/Poquonock, th ...

. He was left an

orphan An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...

at an early age and went to live with his grandparents in Portage, Ohio, where he completed preparatory studies. He attended Western University in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

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

Kittanning, Pennsylvania Kittanning ( pronounced ) is a borough in, and the county seat of, Armstrong County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is situated northeast of Pittsburgh, along the east bank of the Allegheny River. The name is derived from ''Kithanink' ...

, in 1835. He was a member of the board of trustees of Kittanning Academy, a member of the town council in 1841 and 1848, and burgess in 1844, 1845, 1849, 1852, 1855, 1858, 1859, and 1861. He was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for auditor general in 1856. He was a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention. Phelps served as major of the Twenty-second Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia, in 1862. He was member of the

Pennsylvania State House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

in 1865. Phelps was elected as a Republican to the Forty-first Congress. He was not a candidate for renomination in

1870 Events January–March * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the ...

. He died in Kittanning in 1879. Interment in Kittanning Cemetery.

References

Retrieved on 2008-02-14
The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phelps, Darwin Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Union Army officers Pennsylvania lawyers People from Armstrong County, Pennsylvania 1807 births 1879 deaths Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century American politicians People from Portage, Ohio People from Hartford County, Connecticut 19th-century American lawyers Military personnel from Pennsylvania