John Alfred Pickler (January 24, 1844 - June 13, 1910) was an American politician. He served as a member of 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 ...

Biography

Pickler was born in

Salem, Indiana Salem is a city in and the county seat of Washington Township, Washington County, Indiana, Washington Township, Washington County, Indiana, Washington County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 6,319 at the 2010 United States censu ...

, and moved to Davis County, Iowa, in his youth. He attended public schools in Davis and enlisted in the 3rd Iowa Cavalry Regiment during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He was promoted to the rank of

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

by the end of the war. He graduated from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

in 1870, attended the Old University of Chicago Law School in 1871 and graduated from the law school at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

in 1872. He was admitted to the bar in 1872 and began practicing law in

Kirksville, Missouri Kirksville is the county seat of and most populous city in Adair County, Missouri, United States. Located in Benton Township, Adair County, Missouri, Benton Township, its population was 17,530 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Kirk ...

. The Maj. John A. Pickler Homestead is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Career

Pickler was a Republican

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

. He was elected district attorney of

Adair County, Missouri Adair County is a County (United States), county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. The population census for 2020 United States census, 2020 was 25,314. As of July 1, 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau's population esti ...

, in 1872. He moved to Muscatine, Iowa, and served in the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

from 1882 to 1884. He moved to the

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of ...

and served in the territorial legislature between 1885 and 1886. While serving in the Dakota Legislature, he played a key role in introducing the territory's first bill to give women the right to vote. After

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

was admitted as a state, he was elected as a Republican to Seat A, one of South Dakota's at-large seats in the

. He was reelected in 1890, 1892, and 1894, and served from November 2, 1889, to March 3, 1897. Pickler and his wife, Alice Alt Pickler, worked for

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

in the state. In his final term he was chairman of the Committee on Invalid Pensions. He chose not to run for re-election in 1896. After leaving Congress, Pickler resumed the practice of law, and also became active in the real estate business.

Death

Pickler died on June 13, 1910, in Faulkton, South Dakota, at the age of sixty-six. He is interred at Faulkton Cemetery in Faulkton.

References

External links

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John Pickler
at GovTrack.us {{DEFAULTSORT:Pickler, John 1844 births 1910 deaths Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives Members of the Dakota Territorial Legislature People from Salem, Indiana University of Chicago Law School alumni University of Michigan Law School alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota People from Davis County, Iowa People from Faulkton, South Dakota Women's suffrage in South Dakota American suffragists People of Iowa in the American Civil War 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives