James Sheakley (April 24, 1829December 10, 1917) was an American Democratic

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 ...

who was the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of the

District of Alaska The District of Alaska was the federal government’s designation for Alaska from May 17, 1884 to August 24, 1912, when it became Alaska Territory. Previously (1867–1884) it had been known as the Department of Alaska, a military designation ...

from 1893 to 1897. He was also a member of 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

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, ...

from 1875 to 1877.

Background

Sheakley was born on April 24, 1829, to Moses and Susanna (Limber) Sheakley in Sheakleyville, Pennsylvania. He was educated at the Sheakleyville

common school A common school was a public school in the United States during the 19th century. Horace Mann (1796–1859) was a strong advocate for public education and the common school. In 1837, the state of Massachusetts appointed Mann as the first secretary ...

and Meadville Academy. Sheakley was trained as a

cabinet maker A cabinet is a case or cupboard with shelves and/or drawers for storing or displaying items. Some cabinets are stand alone while others are built in to a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood (so ...

but worked instead as a teacher in rural schools.McMullin & Walker p. 7 The California Gold Rush prompted Sheakley to head west. Arriving in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

on February 2, 1852, he worked as a miner for three years.White p. 564 Sheakley returned to Pennsylvania after his work in the gold fields and married Lydia Long of

Greenville, Pennsylvania Greenville is a borough with home rule status in northwestern Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located along the Shenango River, it lies roughly 80 miles from both Pittsburgh and Cleveland. It is 1.89 square miles in area, and had a ...

on December 25, 1855. The marriage would produce three children, two daughters who died as children and one son who survived to adulthood. Following his wedding, Sheakley moved to Greenville and, in 1860, established a

dry goods Dry goods is a historic term describing the type of product line a store carries, which differs by region. The term comes from the textile trade, and the shops appear to have spread with the mercantile trade across the British Empire (and forme ...

business. Then, with the start of the Pennsylvanian oil rush, he switched industries and became a pioneer of the oil industry.

Congressional career

Sheakley continued his work in the oil industry until 1874. Running in a traditionally

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 ...

area, the

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

was elected to represent Pennsylvania's 26th congressional district. He advocated passage of legislation blocking the use of rebates of freight charges during the transportation of petroleum products on the railroads.White p. 564-5 He pushed through an appropriation that enlarged the

Bureau of Education The Office of Education, at times known as the Department of Education and the Bureau of Education, was a small unit in the Federal Government of the United States within the U.S. Department of the Interior from 1867 to 1972. It is now separated ...

.White p. 565 During the resolution of the

1876 U.S. presidential election The 1876 United States presidential election was the 23rd quadrennial United States presidential election, presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 1876, in which Republican Party (United States), Republican nominee Rutherford B. Haye ...

, he helped lead a filibuster blocking the bill granting the Presidency to

Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governo ...

. He was unsuccessful during his 1876 run for reelection.

Alaska

Upon the recommendation of

US Secretary of the Interior The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natural ...

Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II (September 17, 1825January 23, 1893) was an American politician, diplomat, and jurist. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Mississippi in both houses of Congress, served as the United States Se ...

, Sheakley was appointed a United States Commissioner for District of Alaska, a position equivalent to a U.S. Circuit Court judge, on June 23, 1887. After starting this position in

Wrangell, Alaska The City and Borough of Wrangell ( tli, Ḵaachx̱ana.áakʼw, russian: Врангель) is a borough in Alaska, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 2,127, down from 2,369 in 2010. Incorporated as a Unified Home Rule Bor ...

on August 9, 1887, the Commissioner of Education added to his duties by appointing his superintendent of schools for southeastern Alaska. In 1888, Sheakley was admitted to the Alaskan bar. He was one of Alaska's two delegates to the 1892 Democratic National Convention. During the convention, the Alaska delegation cast the final two votes needed to secure the party's nomination for

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

.White p. 566

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sheakley, James 1829 births 1917 deaths Alaska Democrats Alaska lawyers American Presbyterians Governors of the District of Alaska Mayors of places in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania state court judges People from Greenville, Pennsylvania People of the California Gold Rush Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers