Edward Payson Allen (October 28, 1839 – November 25, 1909) was a

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

from the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. He served two terms in the

United States 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 ...

from 1887 to 1891.

Early years

Allen was born in Sharon Township, Michigan, on October 28, 1839, and attended the district and select schools. Until his twentieth year his time was divided between farm labor in summer and attending and teaching school in winter. He graduated from the State normal school (now

Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United Sta ...

) in 1864, going thence to

Vassar, Michigan Vassar is a city in Tuscola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Founded March 1, 1849. The population was 2,727 at the 2020 census and 2,697 in 2010 (an increase of about 1.1%). The city is located on the western edge of Vassar Township but i ...

, where for three months he taught the Union School. In June, 1864, near the end of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, Allen enlisted and helped to raise a company for the Twenty-ninth Regiment, Michigan Volunteer Infantry, he was commissioned

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

in September 1864 and before the close of the war, he was promoted to a captaincy. He mustered out with his regiment in September 1865.

Career

Allen graduated from the law school of

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

at Ann Arbor in March 1867 and was admitted to the bar, commenced practice in co-partnership with the Hon. B. M. Cutcheon in Ypsilanti. He became assistant assessor of internal revenue in 1869 and prosecuting attorney of Washtenaw County in 1872. He was alderman of Ypsilanti 1872-1874 and was elected to the

Michigan State House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 U ...

in 1876 and again in 1878, at which time he was elected speaker pro tempore. He was mayor of Ypsilanti in 1880 and was appointed United States Indian agent for Michigan in August 1882, serving until December 1885. Allen lost his first election for the

in 1884. In 1886, Allen was elected as a U.S. Republican Party, Republican from Michigan's 2nd congressional district for the Fiftieth United States Congress, Fiftieth and Fifty-first United States Congress, Fifty-first Congresses, serving from March 4, 1887, to March 3, 1891. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1890 to the Fifty-second United States Congress, Fifty-second Congress.

Last years

After leaving Congress, Allen resumed the practice of law and was a member of the State board of agriculture 1897-1903 and was again mayor of Ypsilanti in 1899 and 1900. He was a member of the State soldiers’ home board 1903–1909. Allen died from a stroke in Ypsilanti and is interred in Highland Cemetery there.

References

Citations

Sources

* Retrieved on 2009-04-11
The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Edward P. 1839 births 1909 deaths Burials at Highland Cemetery Michigan lawyers Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives People of Michigan in the American Civil War Politicians from Ypsilanti, Michigan Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan Eastern Michigan University alumni University of Michigan Law School alumni 19th-century American legislators Mayors of Ypsilanti, Michigan