John Simpson Savage was a school teacher

Teacher

A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...

, attorney

Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

, and member of the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 from Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

.

John S. Savage was born in Clermont County, Ohio

Clermont County, Ohio

Clermont County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States, just east of Cincinnati. As of 2010, the population was 197,363. Its county seat is Batavia...

, the son of James and Frances (Battson) Savage. James Savage was a school teacher and later a farmer. John received an education in the local public schools and in 1853 relocated to Clinton County, Ohio

Clinton County, Ohio

Clinton County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 42,040. The 2008 Census Population Estimate places the figure at 43,200. It is named for former U.S. Vice-President George Clinton...

 where he took up his father’s early vocation.

During the five years he taught, he devoted his spare moments to the study of law, and in 1865, he was admitted to practice at the Ohio bar. The same year he was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Illinois

Supreme Court of Illinois

The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the five appellate judicial districts of the state: Three justices from the First District and...

. John Savage opened a law office at Wilmington, Ohio

Wilmington, Ohio

Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,520 at the 2010 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways, the city slogan of "We Honor Our Champions" is seen, accompanied by signs that highlight various...

, in partnership with Simeon G. Smith. Their firm of Savage & Smith was a large and remunerative practice well known in the county.

Mr. Savage was united in marriage, December 31, 1868, to Lydia Ayers, a native of Clinton county; they had four children.

John S. Savage was a strong Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

, casting his first vote for George B. McClellan

George B. McClellan

George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...

 in 1864. His election to Congress was wholly unsought—he accepted the nomination more to aid in maintaining the organization of his party than in the expectation of being elected. Ohio's third congressional district was overwhelmingly Republican, yet Savage defeated his incumbent opponent John Q. Smith by 1,162 votes. At the succeeding congressional election in 1876, he was narrowly defeated by Mills Gardner, who also served but a single term.

Savage resumed the practice of law in Wilmington. Mr. Savage was a Freemason

Freemasonry

Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...

, of the Knights Templar degree. He died in Wilmington and was interred there in Sugar Grove Cemetery.

Sources

• History of Clinton County, Ohio. Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1882.
• Taylor, William A. Ohio in Congress from 1803 to 1901. Columbus, Ohio: The XX Century Publishing Company, 1901.