James Wakefield

James Beach Wakefield (March 21, 1825 – August 25, 1910) was a United States Congressman from Minnesota. He was also Senator and 8th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota.

James Beach Wakefield
8th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
In office
January 7, 1876 – January 10, 1880
GovernorCushman Davis
John S. Pillsbury
Preceded byAlphonso Barto
Succeeded byCharles A. Gilman
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 2nd district
In office
March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887
Preceded byHorace B. Strait
Succeeded byJohn Lind
8th Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office
1866–1866
Preceded byJared Benson
Succeeded byJohn Q. Farmer
Member of the Minnesota Senate
In office
1867-1869
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office
1858
1863
1866
Personal details
Born(1825-03-21)March 21, 1825
Winsted, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedAugust 25, 1910(1910-08-25) (aged 85)
Blue Earth, Minnesota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseNannette Reinhart
Professionlawyer, judge, politician

Wakefield was born in Winsted, Connecticut to Dr. Luman Wakefield and Betsey Rockwell. His father was a Connecticut politician, and his brother was a Doctor from Yale University, who married Sarah F. Wakefield.[1] His niece was Helen Wakefield Yale, member of the Yale family and wife of Judge John H. Kennard.[2][3] His sister, Lucy Clarissa, married to the son of Congressman Lancelot Phelps, and brother of Congressman James Phelps, whose father-in-law, Samuel Ingham, was also Congressman and Senator from Connecticut.[4]

James attended the public schools at Westfield, Massachusetts, and Jonesville, New York, graduated from Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, in 1846 and studied law in Painesville, Lake County, Ohio. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Delphi, Indiana, in 1852. He moved to Shakopee, Minnesota, in 1854. He was first judge of the probate court of Faribault County, Minnesota.

He was elected as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1858, 1863, and 1866, serving as speaker in the session of 1866. He was elected as a member of the Minnesota State Senate 1867–1869. He was appointed receiver of the United States Land Office at Winnebago City Township, Minnesota, June 1, 1869, and served until January 15, 1875, when he resigned. He was the eighth Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota 1875–1877. He was elected as a Republican to the 48th and 49th congresses, (March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887).

He retired from public life and died at Blue Earth, Faribault County, Minnesota with interment in Evergreen Cemetery, Painesville, Ohio.

References
  1. White Captives: Gender and Ethnicity on the American Frontier, June Namias, p. 204-208
  2. White Captives: Gender and Ethnicity on the American Frontier, June Namias, p. 204-208
  3. Rodney Horace Yale (1908). "Yale genealogy and history of Wales. The British kings and princes. Life of Owen Glyndwr. Biographies of Governor Elihu Yale". Archive.org. Milburn and Scott company. p. 311-312-467-468.
  4. Wakefield, Homer (1897). Wakefield memorial, comprising an historical, genealogical and biographical register of the name and family of Wakefield, Bloomington, Ill., Priv. print. for the compiler Pantagraph Printing and Stationery Co., New York Public Library, p. 66
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