Fenner Ferguson (April 25, 1814 – October 11, 1859) was an American attorney and politician from the

Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebras ...

. He was most notable for his service as member of the

Michigan 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 ...

in 1849, chief justice of

from 1854 to 1857, and Delegate to 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 the ...

from Nebraska territory (1857-1859).

Biography

Fenner Ferguson was born in Nassau, New York on April 25, 1814, the son of Stephen Ferguson and Dorothy (Palmer) Ferguson. His father Stephen Ferguson owned and operated a farm, and Fenner Ferguson worked on the farm while attending the local schools. After graduating from Nassau Academy and deciding on a career as an attorney, Ferguson studied law at the

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York Ci ...

firm of Coon and Branhall. He was

Admission to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1840 and commenced practice in Albany as a partner in Coon, Branhall, and Ferguson. In 1846, Ferguson moved to

Albion, Michigan Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,616 at the 2010 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area. The earliest English- ...

, where he continued the practice of law. a Democrat, he served as master in chancery and district attorney. In 1849, he served in the

. In 1854, President Franklin Pierce appointed Ferguson to serve as chief justice of the

, and Ferguson relocated to

Bellevue, Nebraska Bellevue (French for "beautiful view"; previously named Belleview) is a suburban city in Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area, and had a population of 64,176 as of the 2020 Census, mak ...

. While on the bench, he organized the first district and supreme courts of Nebraska, and assisted the first Territorial legislature in drafting the first code of laws enacted for the government of the Territory. He resigned as chief justice in 1857, having been elected as a Democrat to serve as Nebraska Territory's non-voting delegate in the

35th Congress The 35th 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, 1857, ...

. Ferguson served from March 4, 1857 to March 3, 1859. He was not a candidate for re-nomination in 1858. Ferguson died in

, on October 11, 1859. He was buried at Bellevue Cemetery in Bellevue.

Family

In 1841, Ferguson married Helena E. Upjohn of

Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany ...

. They were the parents of four sons, Arthur N., Alfred G., Stephen W. and Charles F.

References

External links

1814 births 1859 deaths 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American politicians Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Nebraska Territory Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Michigan lawyers Michigan state court judges Nebraska Democrats New York (state) lawyers People from Bellevue, Nebraska People from Rensselaer County, New York People from Seward, Nebraska {{Nebraska-politician-stub