Gilchrist Porter (November 1, 1817 – November 1, 1894) was an American lawyer, jurist, 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

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

from 1851 to 1853, then again from 1855 to 1857.

Early life and education

Born in

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places *Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region Australia New South Wales *Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...

, near

Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 27,982. It is south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond, Virginia, R ...

, Porter received a limited schooling. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in

Bowling Green, Missouri Bowling Green is a city and the county seat of Pike County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,334 at the 2010 census. History Bowling Green was settled in 1819, and designated county seat in 1824. Settled chiefly by migrants from K ...

. He owned slaves.

Congress

Porter was elected as a Whig to the Thirty-second Congress (March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1852 to the Thirty-third Congress. Porter was elected as an

Opposition Party In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government (or, in American English, the administration), party or group in political control of a city, region, state, coun ...

candidate to the Thirty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857). He served as chairman of the Committee on Private Land Claims (Thirty-fourth Congress). From 1866 to 1880 he was a Missouri circuit judge.

Later career and death

He resumed the practice of law until his death, which occurred in

Hannibal, Missouri Hannibal is a city along the Mississippi River in Marion County, Missouri, Marion and Ralls County, Missouri, Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 17,108, ...

on November 1, 1894. He was interred in Riverside Cemetery.

References

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Gilchrist 1817 births 1894 deaths Politicians from Fredericksburg, Virginia Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri Opposition Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri Missouri lawyers People from Bowling Green, Missouri Members of the United States House of Representatives who owned slaves 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives