William Higby (August 18, 1813 – November 27, 1887) was a 19th-century American politician, a Republican, a lawyer, a

district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

, a judge, a newspaper editor, and a

United States representative 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 ...

from California, serving three terms, from 1863 to 1869.

Biography

Higby was born in Willsboro, New York. He spent his boyhood on his father's farm and worked in the lumber and iron business. He attended a preparatory school in Westport, New York and was graduated from the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, commonly referred to as the University of Vermont (UVM), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Foun ...

in 1840, where he was a founding member of the

Lambda Iota Society Lambda Iota Society () was a local fraternity at the University of Vermont. It was established in 1836 and merged with Pi Kappa Phi in 2018. History Lambda Iota was founded on at the University of Vermont. The main archive URL iThe Baird's Manua ...

. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1847 and commenced practice in

Elizabethtown, New York Elizabethtown is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,163 at the 2010 census. The county seat of Essex County is the hamlet of Elizabethtown, located in the northern part of the town. The name is derived from E ...

Career

Higby moved to California in 1850 and settled in

Calaveras County Calaveras County (), officially the County of Calaveras, is a County (United States), county in both the Gold Country and Sierra Nevada, High Sierra regions of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the ...

. After an unsuccessful attempt in the mining business, he resumed the practice of law and was a district attorney from 1853 to 1859. Due to his harsh treatment of criminals, he earned the rough nickname, "Bloody Bill". He was a district judge from 1859 to 1861. Higby served in the

California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature (the lower house being the California State Assembly). The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. ...

in 1862 and 1863.

Congress

Higby was elected as a Republican to the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, and Fortieth Congresses and served from March 4, 1863, to March 3, 1869. During the Fortieth Congress he served as the chairman of the committee on mines and mining. He married Ellen M. Ringer, daughter of Joseph Ringer, in 1865. He was a delegate to the Philadelphia Loyalist's Convention of 1866. He was a frequent guest at the Lincoln White House. He was chair of the Committee on Mines and Mining (thirty-ninth and fortieth Congresses). He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1868.

Later career

He was the editor of the ''Calaveras Chronicle'' for several years. Appointed by President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

, he was also the collector of internal revenue from 1877 to 1881.

Death

Higby devoted himself to horticulture until his death. Stricken with paralysis three years before, he died in

Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa (Spanish language, Spanish for "Rose of Lima, Saint Rose") is a city in and the county seat of Sonoma County, California, Sonoma County, in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay A ...

in 1887.

Electoral history

References

External links

Bio SketchgovtrackHistory of Willsboro (Essex County) New York
{{DEFAULTSORT:Higby, William 1813 births 1887 deaths People of California in the American Civil War Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California California state court judges Republican Party California state senators People from Elizabethtown, New York People from Willsboro, New York 19th-century California state court judges 19th-century members of the California State Legislature 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives