Richard Henry Whiting (January 17, 1826 – May 24, 1888) 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

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. He was the uncle of Rep.

Ira Clifton Copley Ira Clifton Copley (October 25, 1864 – November 2, 1947) was an American publisher, politician, and utility tycoon. From 1911 to 1923, he served 6 consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives Life Born in rural Knox County, Ill ...

, and the grandfather of composer Richard A. Whiting. Born in

West Hartford, Connecticut West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol Planning Region. The population was 64,083 at the 20 ...

, Whiting attended the common schools. He moved to

Altona, Illinois Altona (formerly LaPier & Walnut Grove) is a village in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The population was 531 at the 2010 census, down from 570 in 2000. It is part of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Altona was origin ...

, in 1850, thence to

Galesburg, Illinois Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is northwest of Peoria, Illinois, Peoria. At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, its population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County and the principal cit ...

, in 1860, where he built a gas works. During the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

he served in the Union Army as paymaster of Volunteers 1862-1866. He was appointed assessor of internal revenue for the fifth district of Illinois in February 1870, serving until May 20, 1873, when the office was abolished. He was appointed collector of internal revenue for the same district May 20, 1873, with office at

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Illinois River, the city had a population of 113,150 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Ill ...

, and served until his resignation on March 4, 1875, having been elected to Congress. Whiting was elected as a Republican to the Forty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1875 - March 3, 1877). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1876. He served as delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1884. He died in New York City, May 24, 1888. He was interred in Springdale Cemetery,

References

Richard H. Whiting
in ''Kansas: a cyclopedia'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Whiting, Richard Henry 1826 births 1888 deaths People from West Hartford, Connecticut Politicians from Peoria, Illinois Union army officers Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives