James Sullivan Wiley (January 22, 1808 – December 21, 1891) was 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

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

Life

Born in Mercer, Massachusetts (now in

), Wiley moved to

Bethel, Maine Bethel is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,504 at the 2020 census. It includes the villages of Bethel and West Bethel. The town is home to Gould Academy, a private preparatory school, and is near the Sund ...

, in 1826 then attended Gould Academy and graduated from

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine, United States. Founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, it was renamed Waterville College in 1821. The donations of Christian philanthropist Gardner ...

Waterville, Maine Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. A college town, the city is home to Colby College, a New England Small College Athletic Conference, NESCAC college, and Thomas College. As ...

, in 1836. He moved to

Dover, Maine Dover-Foxcroft is the largest town in and the seat of Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,422 at the 2020 census. The town is located near the geographic center of the state. History Dover-Foxcroft was originally t ...

, and was an instructor at the

Foxcroft Academy Foxcroft Academy is a private preparatory high school located in Dover-Foxcroft, Piscataquis County, Maine. Foxcroft Academy is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and a member of the Independent School Associa ...

. He studied law and was admitted to the

Piscataquis County Piscataquis County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2020 census, its population was 16,800, making it Maine's least-populous county. Its county seat is Dover-Foxcroft. The county was incorporated on March 23, 1838, ...

bar in 1839 and commenced practice in Dover. Wiley 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 Thirtieth Congress (March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849). He resumed the practice of law in Dover. He moved to

Fryeburg, Maine Fryeburg is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,369 at the 2020 census. Fryeburg is home to Fryeburg Academy, a semi-private preparatory school, and the International Musical Arts Institute. The town is also si ...

, in 1889 and continued the practice of law until his death in that town on December 21, 1891. He was interred in Smart Hill Cemetery. Wiley's 1849 home in Dover-Foxcroft 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

Speech of Hon. James S. Wiley, of Maine, on the acquisition of territory
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiley, James Sullivan 1808 births 1891 deaths Colby College alumni People from Fryeburg, Maine People from Dover-Foxcroft, Maine People from Mercer, Maine Maine lawyers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maine People from Bethel, Maine 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives