Emery Davis Potter (October 7, 1804 – February 12, 1896) was an American lawyer and politician who served two non-consecutive terms as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

in the mid-19th century.

Biography

Born in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

, Potter attended the district school and the academy in

Herkimer County, New York Herkimer County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 60,139. Its county seat is Herkimer (village), New York, Herkimer. The co ...

. He studied law in

Cooperstown, New York Cooperstown is a village in and the county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in ...

with

John Adams Dix John Adams Dix (July 24, 1798 – April 21, 1879) was an American politician and military officer who was Secretary of the Treasury, Governor of New York and Union major general during the Civil War. He was notable for arresting the pro-Southe ...

, later a senator and governor.

Legal career

He was admitted to the New York State bar at Utica in 1833 and commenced practice in

. He moved to

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...

, in 1834 and continued the practice of law, opening the first office in that city. Knapp 1872 : 285–288 He served as judge of the circuit court for the northern counties of Ohio. He served as president judge of the court of common pleas from 1834 to 1843, when he resigned.

Congress

Potter was elected as a

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 (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the Twenty-eighth Congress from March 4, 1843 to March 3, 1845. He was not a candidate for renomination. He served as mayor of Toledo from 1846 to 1848. He served as member of the State house of representatives from 1848 to 1850. Potter was elected to the Thirty-first Congress from March 4, 1849 to March 3, 1851. He served as chairman of the Committee on Post Office and Post Roads (Thirty-first Congress). He was not a candidate for renomination.

Later career

He resumed the practice of law in Toledo. He declined the appointment of judge of the Territory of Utah in 1858. City solicitor of Toledo in 1861 and 1862. He served as member of the board of education in 1864 and 1865. He served as member of the State senate from 1874 to 1876 and served as president. He retired from active practice in 1880.

Death

He died in Toledo, Ohio, February 12, 1896. He was interred in Forest Cemetery.

Private life

Potter was married in 1843 to Mary A Card of

Willoughby, Ohio Willoughby is a city in Lake County, Ohio, United States, along the Chagrin River. The population was 23,959 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A suburb of Cleveland, it is part of the Greater Cleveland, Cleveland metropol ...

who died in 1847, and left a son, Emery D. Potter, Jr. He later married Anna B. Milliken of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, who had a daughter called Anna Claire Potter. Reed 1897 : 176–177 He was six feet two inches tall (1.88 m), and of large frame.

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Potter, Emery Davis 1804 births 1896 deaths Democratic Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island Mayors of Toledo, Ohio New York (state) lawyers Ohio lawyers Presidents of the Ohio Senate Democratic Party Ohio state senators Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Ohio General Assembly