Lewis Riggs (January 16, 1789 – November 6, 1870) was an American physician and politician who served one term 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

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from 1841 to 1843.

Biography

Born in

Norfolk, Connecticut Norfolk () is a New England town, town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,588 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Regi ...

, Riggs attended the common schools and schools of Latin and Greek. He was apprenticed to the carpenter's trade. He studied medicine in the village of Torringford, Connecticut, and received his diploma in May 1812. He also attended medical lectures given by

Benjamin Rush Benjamin Rush (April 19, 1813) was an American revolutionary, a Founding Father of the United States and signatory to the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a physician, politician, social refor ...

at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

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, in 1812. Practiced in East Winsted, Connecticut. He moved to

Vernon, New York Vernon is a town in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 5,408 at the 2010 census. The Town of Vernon is on the western border of the county. The town contains a village, also named Vernon. History The first European s ...

, in 1813 and later to

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 ...

, continuously practicing his profession.

Political career

He also engaged in business as a retail druggist and in 1828 in the sale of dry goods. He served as secretary of the Cortland County Medical Society 1820–1823 and as president in 1825 and 1826. He was appointed postmaster of Homer by President Jackson on April 25, 1829, and served until August 7, 1839.

Congress

He 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 Twenty-seventh Congress (March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843).

Later career and death

He resumed the practice of medicine. Also operated a flour mill. He died in

, November 6, 1870. He was interred in Glenwood Cemetery.

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Riggs, Lewis 1789 births 1870 deaths New York (state) postmasters Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) People from Norfolk, Connecticut 19th-century New York (state) politicians 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives