Luther Loren Baxter (June 8, 1832 – May 22, 1915) was an American politician and lawyer. Baxter was born in

Cornwall, Vermont Cornwall is a New England town, town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. It was founded November 3, 1761. The population was 1,207 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Geography Cornwall is located in south-central Addison Count ...

and attended

Norwich University Norwich University is a private university in Northfield, Vermont, United States. The university was founded in 1819 as the "American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy". It is the oldest of six senior military college, senior militar ...

. He studied law with

Horatio Seymour Horatio Seymour (May 31, 1810February 12, 1886) was an American politician. He served as the eighteenth Governor of New York from 1853 to 1854 and again from 1863 to 1864. He was the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Pa ...

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

. Baxter was admitted to the Wisconsin and Minnesota bars. He moved to Minnesota in 1857 and live in

Glencoe, Minnesota Glencoe ( ) is a city and the county seat of McLeod County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 5,744 at the 2020 census. History Glencoe was laid out in 1855 and named after Glen Coe in Scotland. A post office has been in operation ...

and then in

Chaska, Minnesota Chaska ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Carver County, Minnesota, Carver County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 27,810 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. An outer ring suburb of the Twin Cities located southwe ...

. He started the ''Glencoe Register'' newspaper with his brother. Baxter lived in

Shakopee, Minnesota Shakopee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota, United States. It is southwest of Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of Minneap ...

with his wife and family. Luther served in the 4th Minnesota Infantry 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 ...

and was commissioned a colonel. He served as a United States Attorney and as a county attorney for

Carver County, Minnesota Carver County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 106,922. Its county seat is Chaska. Carver County is named for explorer Jonathan Carver, who in 1766–67, traveled from Boston to the Minn ...

. Baxter also served as a probate judge. He served in the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Minnesota Legislature, Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any State legislature (Unite ...

from 1865 to 1868 and from 1870 to 1874 and in the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the U.S. state of Minnesota's Minnesota Legislature, legislature. It operates in conjunction with the Minnesota Senate, the state's upper chamber, to write and pass legislation, whic ...

in 1869, in 1875, and from 1879 to 1882. Baxter was 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 ...

. He died at his home in

Fergus Falls, Minnesota Fergus Falls ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,119 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and was estimated to be 14,258 in 2024. Hi ...

and was buried in

.Minnesota Legislators: Past & Present-Luther Loren Baxter
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References

1832 births 1915 deaths People from Cornwall, Vermont People from Chaska, Minnesota People from Shakopee, Minnesota Editors of Minnesota newspapers People of Minnesota in the American Civil War Norwich University alumni Minnesota state court judges Minnesota lawyers Wisconsin lawyers Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Democratic Party Minnesota state senators 19th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature {{Minnesota-MNSenate-stub