John T. Averill
John T. Averill | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Thomas Averill March 1, 1825 Alna, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | October 3, 1889 (aged 64) Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Buried | Oakland Cemetery Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Branch | United States Army Union Army |
| Service years | 1862–1865 |
| Rank | Colonel Brevet brigadier general |
| Commands | 6th Minnesota Infantry |
| Conflicts | American Civil War |
| Other work | U.S. Congressman |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota | |
| In office March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1875 | |
| Preceded by | Eugene McLanahan Wilson |
| Succeeded by | Horace B. Strait |
| Constituency | 2nd district (1871–1873) 3rd district (1873–1875) |
| Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 12th district | |
| In office December 7, 1859 – January 7, 1861 | |
| Preceded by | James Ridpath |
| Succeeded by | Stiles P. Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Republican |
John Thomas Averill (March 1, 1825 – October 3, 1889) was a United States Army officer in the American Civil War who later became a U.S. congressional representative from Minnesota.[1]
Early life and education
Averill was born in Alna, Maine, March 1, 1825. He moved with his parents to Montville, Maine, in 1838 and graduated from the Maine Wesleyan Seminary at Readfield in 1846. He taught school for a short time, and subsequently engaged in lumbering for one year. Averill then moved to Winthrop, Maine, and engaged in mercantile pursuits for three years. In 1852 he moved to northern Pennsylvania and again engaged in lumbering until 1857, when he settled in Lake City, Minnesota. Once there, he engaged in mercantile pursuits and the grain business; was a member of the Minnesota Senate 1858–1860 for the 12th district.[1]
Career
On August 22, 1862, Averill was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel of the 6th Minnesota Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to colonel on November 22, 1864, and was assigned as Provost Marshal General for the District of Minnesota. He was honorably mustered out on September 28, 1865; and was made a brevet brigadier general on October 18, 1865.[1]
In 1865, he ran for Governor of Minnesota. At the Republican State Convention of Minnesota on September 6, 1865, he led for the first two ballots before losing the nomination to William Rainey Marshall.[2]
In 1866, he moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, and engaged in the wholesale paper and stationery business (Averill, Russell & Carpenter Paper Manufacturers). He was a member of the Republican National Committee from 1868 through 1880; elected as a Republican to the 42nd and 43rd congresses (March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1875); He was chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs (Forty-third Congress); was not a candidate for renomination in 1874.[1]
Later life and death
Averill resumed his business activities in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he died on October 3, 1889; interred at the Oakland Cemetery.[1]
He is the namesake of the community of Averill, Minnesota.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
- ^ "Gen. Marshall Elected on 22nd Ballot". September 7, 1865.
- ^ Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 115.
External links
- Media related to John T. Averill at Wikimedia Commons
- John T. Averill at Minnesota Legislators Past & Present
- United States Congress. "John T. Averill (id: A000344)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.