John Hovey Rice (February 5, 1816 – March 14, 1911) 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 ...

Biography

Born in Mount Vernon, Massachusetts (now in

), to Nathaniel and Mary Jane (Swazey) Rice, Rice attended the common schools. He served as clerk in the office of the register of deeds,

Augusta, Maine Augusta is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Maine. The city's population was 18,899 at the 2020 United States census, making it the List of cities in Maine, 12th-most populous city in Maine, and third ...

from 1831 to 1841. He engaged in the mercantile business. Deputy sheriff. He served as aide-de-camp to General Bachelor in the

Aroostook War The Aroostook War (sometimes called the Pork and Beans WarLe Duc, Thomas (1947). The Maine Frontier and the Northeastern Boundary Controversy. ''The American Historical Review'' Vol. 53, No. 1 (Oct., 1947), pp. 30–41), or the Madawaska War, w ...

, the northeastern boundary dispute with Great Britain, in 1838. He moved to

Piscataquis County, Maine 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, 183 ...

, in 1843. He studied law. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Piscataquis County in 1848. He served as prosecuting attorney for Piscataquis County 1852–1860. He served as delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1856. Rice was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-seventh, Thirty-eighth, and Thirty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1867). He served as chairman of the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds (Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth Congresses). He declined to be a candidate for renomination. United States collector of customs at the port of

Bangor, Maine Bangor ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's List of municipalities in Maine, third-most populous city, behind Portland, Maine, Portland ...

from 1861 to 1871. He moved to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, where he practiced law for twelve years. Thence to New York City in 1884 and practiced until 1899. He moved to

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, in May 1899 and remained there until his death on March 14, 1911. He was interred in Oakwood Cemetery.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rice, John Hovey 1816 births 1911 deaths People from Mount Vernon, Maine People from Piscataquis County, Maine Politicians from Bangor, Maine Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maine 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives