Abner Lewis (August 17, 1801 – October 12, 1879) was a
U.S. 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 c ...
, judge and attorney from
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in southern Chautauqua County, in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 28,712 at the 2020 census. Situated between Lake Erie to the north and the Allegheny National Forest to the south, Jamestown is the largest po ...
and
Winona, Minnesota
Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf. The city is named after legendary figure Winona, who s ...
.
Biography
Lewis was born in
Wells, Vermont
Wells is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 1,214.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.42%, ...
on August 17, 1801. He was raised in
Chautauqua County, New York
Chautauqua County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 127,657. Its county seat is Mayville, and its largest city is Jamestown. Its name is believed to be the lone surviving remnant ...
, studied law with
Abner Hazeltine
Abner Hazeltine (June 10, 1793 – December 20, 1879) was a politician from New York.
Biography
Born in Wardsboro, Vermont, Hazeltine attended the common schools. He graduated from Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 1815. ...
in
Jamestown, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
.
He was a member of the
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits.
The Assem ...
(Chautauqua Co.) in
1838
Events
January–March
* January 10 – A fire destroys Lloyd's Coffee House and the Royal Exchange in London.
* January 11 – At Morristown, New Jersey, Samuel Morse, Alfred Vail and Leonard Gale give the first public demonstration ...
and
1839
Events
January–March
* January 2 – The first photograph of the Moon is taken, by French photographer Louis Daguerre.
* January 6 – Night of the Big Wind: Ireland is struck by the most damaging cyclone in 300 years.
* January 9 � ...
.
Lewis was elected as a
Whig
Whig or Whigs may refer to:
Parties and factions
In the British Isles
* Whigs (British political party), one of two political parties in England, Great Britain, Ireland, and later the United Kingdom, from the 17th to 19th centuries
** Whiggism ...
to the
29th United States Congress
The 29th 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, 1845 ...
, holding office from March 4, 1845, to March 3, 1847. He did not run for reelection, and served as Chautauqua County
Judge from June 1847 to November 1852.
In 1856 Lewis moved to
Winona, Minnesota
Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf. The city is named after legendary figure Winona, who s ...
, where he practiced law and was active in several businesses, including the city's transit railroad. Lewis was also involved in several civic causes, including construction of the State Normal School, Minnesota's academy for training teachers.
During 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 state ...
Lewis was a Voting Commissioner, responsible for enabling
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
soldiers from western states to cast ballots while in the field. In 1867 he was appointed U.S. Internal Revenue Assessor for the district that included Winona.
Active in the
Methodist church as a lay preacher, and a prominent member of the
prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
movement, in 1870 he was the
Prohibition Party
The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movement. It is the oldest existing third par ...
's nominee for
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 ...
.
Lewis was also interested in higher education, including serving as a Trustee of
Hamline University
Hamline University is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1854, Hamline is known for its emphasis on experiential learning, service, and social justice. The university is named after Bishop Leonidas Lent Hamline ...
and the State Normal School (now
Winona State University
Winona State University (Winona) is a public university in Winona, Minnesota. It was founded as First State Normal School of Minnesota in 1858 and is the oldest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. It was the first no ...
), Minnesota's academy for training schoolteachers.
He remained active until his health began to fail in the late 1870s, after which he lived in retirement in Winona.
Lewis died in Winona on October 12, 1879. He was interred in Winona's Woodlawn Cemetery.
Sources
*Minnesota Legal History Project
Biography, Abner Lewis 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Abner
1801 births
1879 deaths
People from Harmony, New York
People from Winona, Minnesota
Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly
New York (state) state court judges
Minnesota Prohibitionists
Methodists from New York (state)
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
19th-century American legislators
Activists from Vermont
Activists from New York (state)
People from Wells, Vermont
Activists from Minnesota
19th-century American judges
Methodists from Minnesota
19th-century American Methodist ministers