Alonzo Jay Edgerton (June 7, 1827 – August 9, 1896) was a

United States senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

from

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

and a

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of the

United States District Court for the District of South Dakota The United States District Court for the District of South Dakota (in case citations, D.S.D.) is the United States District Court or the Federal district court, whose jurisdiction for issues pertaining to federal law or diversity for the state of ...

Education and career

Born June 7, 1827, in

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, Oneida County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, Edgerton graduated from

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...

in 1850 and

read law Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship un ...

in 1855. At Wesleyan, he became a member of the Mystical Seven. He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in Mantorville,

, from 1855 to 1861. He was prosecutor for Dodge County, Minnesota. He was a member of the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Minnesota Legislature, Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any State legislature (Unite ...

from 1858 to 1859. In 1862, during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, Edgerton organized a company of militia which later constituted Company B of the Tenth Minnesota Infantry Volunteers. By January 1864, he had risen to the rank of Colonel of the

67th Regiment Infantry United States Colored Troops 67 may refer to: * 67 (number) * one of the years 67 BC, AD 67, 1967, 2067 * "67", a 1992 song by Love Battery from the album ''Between the Eyes'' * 67 (rap group), a drill music group from London * 67 Asia, a main-belt asteroid See also * 67th Re ...

. He was brevetted a brigadier general on March 13, 1865, and confirmed on April 10, 1866. He resumed private practice in Mantorville from 1867 to 1871. He was Railroad Commissioner for Minnesota from 1871 to 1874. Edgerton became a regent of the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

in 1872. He again resumed private practice in Mantorville from 1874 to 1877. He served as a member of the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the U.S. state of Minnesota's Minnesota Legislature, legislature. It operates in conjunction with the Minnesota Senate, the state's upper chamber, to write and pass legislation, whic ...

and returned to private practice in Mantorville from 1878 to 1881.

Congressional service

Edgerton was appointed as a Republican to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

William Windom William Windom may refer to: * William Windom (politician) (1827–1891), U.S. representative from Minnesota * William Windom (actor) (1923–2012), his great-grandson, American actor See also * William Windham (disambiguation) {{hndis, Wi ...

and served from March 12, 1881, to October 30, 1881, during the

47th United States Congress The 47th 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, 1881, ...

, when a successor was elected.

Later career

Following his departure from Congress, Edgerton served as a Judge of the District Court for the District of Dakota Territory from 1881 to 1885. He returned to private practice in Mitchell,

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of ...

(State of

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

from November 2, 1889) from 1885 to 1889. He served as President of the constitutional convention of South Dakota.Jon K. Lauck, 'The Foundations of Political Culture in East River South Dakota', in ''The Plains Political Tradition: Essays on South Dakota Political Culture'' (eds. Jon K. Lauck, John E. Miller, Donald C. Simmons, Jr.), Pierre, South Dakota: South Dakota State Historical Society Press, 2011, p. 28

Federal judicial service

Edgerton received a

recess appointment In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the President of the United States, president of a Officer of the United States, federal official when the United States Senate, U.S. Senate is in Recess (motion), recess. Under the ...

from President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...

on November 19, 1889, to the

, to a new seat authorized by 25 Stat. 676. He was nominated to the same position by President Harrison on December 16, 1889. He was confirmed by the

on January 16, 1890, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on August 9, 1896, due to his death in

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 117th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into northern Lincoln County. The population was 192 ...

, South Dakota. He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in Mantorville.

Membership

Edgerton was a

freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

Honor

The town of Edgerton, Minnesota, is named in Edgerton's honor.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Edgerton, Alonzo J. 1827 births 1896 deaths Politicians from Rome, New York People of Minnesota in the American Civil War Wesleyan University alumni Union army colonels Republican Party Minnesota state senators Politicians from Sioux Falls, South Dakota Judges of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota United States federal judges appointed by Benjamin Harrison Justices of the Dakota Territorial Supreme Court Republican Party United States senators from Minnesota South Dakota Republicans United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law People from Mantorville, Minnesota 19th-century United States senators 19th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature