Herman Loin Humphrey (March 14, 1830June 10, 1902) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

attorney, judge, and Republican politician. He served three terms in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, 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 Artic ...

, representing

Wisconsin's 7th congressional district Wisconsin's 7th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in northwestern and central Wisconsin; it is the largest congressional district in the state geographically, covering 20 counties (i ...

(1877–1883). Prior to his election to Congress, he was a

Wisconsin circuit court The Wisconsin circuit courts are the general trial courts in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. There are currently 69 circuits in the state, divided into 9 judicial administrative districts. Circuit court judges hear and decide both civil and crimina ...

judge for ten years in western Wisconsin, and served two years in the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those o ...

. Some sources give his middle name as Leon.

Biography

Born in

Candor, New York Candor is a town in Tioga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,172 at the 2020 census. The Town of Candor has a village named Candor. The town is south of Ithaca. History Settlement of the town began around 1794 on land p ...

, Humphrey attended the public schools, except for one year spent at the

Cortland Academy Homer Central High School is a grades 9-12 high school which is part of the Homer Central School District in Homer, New York Homer is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States of America. The population was 6,405 at the 2010 census. ...

, in

Homer, New York Homer is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States of America. The population was 6,405 at the 2010 census. The name is from the Greek poet Homer. The town of Homer contains a village called Homer. The town is situated on the west b ...

. At age 16, he was employed as a merchant's clerk in

Ithaca, New York Ithaca () is a city in and the county seat of Tompkins County, New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York, Ithaca is the largest community in the Ithaca metrop ...

. While living in Ithaca, he

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 ...

at the office of Walbridge & Finch, and was admitted to the bar. Sometime prior to 1854, moved west to

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, where he was one of the early settlers at the village of

Chippewa Falls Chippewa Falls () is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 14,731 in the 2020 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa County. The city's name orig ...

. At the initial organization of Chippewa County, he was the only lawyer present at the first session of the court, in January 1854, and was appointed the first

district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

of the county. He soon relocated to

Hudson, Wisconsin Hudson is a city in and the county seat of St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 14,755. It is part of the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. History Several Li ...

, where he established a legal practice. In 1860, he was appointed County Judge of St. Croix County, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Judge E. A. Clapp, he was subsequently elected to a full four-year term in the Spring of 1861. He resigned, however, after less than a year in office when he was elected to the

that fall. He served in the Senate for the 1862 and 1863 sessions. At the Republican State Convention in 1863, his name was placed in nomination for the office of

Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin The lieutenant governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Wisconsin, line of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, ...

, but he came in a distant third place as the convention chose Wyman Spooner for that office. In 1865, he was elected Mayor of Hudson, and served one year. In the 1866 Spring election, Humphrey defeated incumbent

judge Lucien P. Wetherby for his seat in the 8th judicial circuit. He was subsequently re-elected to a second six-year term in 1872. At the 1876 Republican Convention in

, Humphrey's name was placed in nomination against incumbent Congressman

Jeremiah McLain Rusk Jeremiah McLain Rusk (June 17, 1830November 21, 1893) was an American Republican politician. He was the second United States secretary of agriculture (1889–1893) and the 15th governor of Wisconsin (1882–1889), and served three terms ...

. Gilbert E. Porter of Eau Claire was also seeking the nomination. After ten ballots with none of the three capable of achieving a majority, Porter and Rusk withdrew, and Humphrey was unanimously nominated. Humphrey went on to win election to the Forty-fifth, Forty-sixth, and Forty-seventh

Congresses A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ad ...

(March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1883). Following the 1880 census and reapportionment, Wisconsin gained an 8th congressional seat, and Humphrey was placed in the new district. His bid for nomination for another term was defeated at the district convention by

William T. Price William Thompson Price (June 17, 1824December 6, 1886) was an American lawyer and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician. He represented Wisconsin's 8th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from ...

, who was heavily favored by the Temperance faction. He resumed his legal practice in Hudson. He served one final term in government, representing St. Croix County in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

for the 1887–1888 session. He died in Hudson, Wisconsin, June 10, 1902, and was interred in Willow River Cemetery.

Family and legacy

His former home, now known as the Herman L. Humphrey House, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Humphrey, Herman Loin 1830 births 1902 deaths Mayors of places in Wisconsin Wisconsin state court judges Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin People from Candor, New York Politicians from Ithaca, New York People from Hudson, Wisconsin 19th-century Wisconsin state court judges 19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives