Mark Reeves Bacon (February 29, 1852 – August 20, 1941) was a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

and

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 ...

from the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. Bacon was born in

Phillipstown, Illinois Phillipstown is a village in White County, Illinois, White County, Illinois, United States. The population was 28 at the 2000 census. History Phillipstown was surveyed for Caleb Clifford on February 19, 1839, and the plat was recorded on January ...

, and attended the public schools there. He taught school at the Academy in

Bolivar, Missouri Bolivar is a city and county seat of Polk County, Missouri, United States. The city derives its name in-part from the South American revolutionary Simón Bolívar. According to the 2020 United States Census, Bolivar had a population of 10,772. ...

in 1871. He studied

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

, was admitted to the

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

on July 4, 1876, and commenced practice in Fairfield, Illinois. He was the city attorney of Fairfield and a delegate to several State conventions. He moved to

Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...

, in 1882 and to

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

, in 1886 and engaged in the abstract business. He moved to

Wyandotte, Michigan Wyandotte ( ) is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 25,058 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Wyandotte is located in southeastern Michigan, approximately south of Detro ...

, in 1895 and became associated with the Michigan Alkali Company through his marriage to Mary Ford, the granddaughter of founder Jean-Baptiste Ford (and the daughter of Edward Ford, founder of Edward Ford Plate Glass Company, subsequently part of Libbey-Owens Ford Glass and the

Pilkington Pilkington is a glass-manufacturing company which is based in Lathom, Lancashire, England. It includes several legal entities in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Japanese company Nippon Sheet Glass (NSG). It was formerly an independent company ...

). Bacon presented credentials as a Republican Member-elect from

Michigan's 2nd congressional district Michigan's 2nd congressional district is a United States congressional district in Western Michigan. The current 2nd district contains much of Michigan's 4th congressional district, Michigan's old 4th congressional district, and includes all of ...

to 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 ...

for the

Sixty-fifth Congress The 65th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1917, ...

. He served from March 4 until December 13, 1917, when he was succeeded by

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 ...

Samuel W. Beakes, who successfully contested the election. On April 5, 1917, he was one of the 50 representatives who voted against declaring war on Germany. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1918, retiring to

. He died at his winter home in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

, aged 89, and is interred at San Gabriel Cemetery,

San Gabriel, California San Gabriel (Spanish language, Spanish for "Gabriel, St. Gabriel") is a city located in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 39,568. San Gabriel was founded ...

References

The Political Graveyard

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bacon, Mark 1852 births 1941 deaths American businesspeople Illinois lawyers Politicians from Orlando, Florida People from Wyandotte, Michigan Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan Members of the United States House of Representatives removed by contest 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives