Orlando B. Potter
Encyclopedia
Orlando Bronson Potter was a U.S. Representative
from New York
.
Born in Charlemont, Massachusetts
, the son of Samuel and Sophia Rice Potter, he attended the district school, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
, and the Dane Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
. MA (Hon) 1867, LLD 1889. He was admitted to the bar
in 12 Feb 1845 and commenced practice in Boston, Massachusetts. He married Martha Green Wiley on 28 Oct 1850. In May 1853 he moved to New York and engaged in manufacturing and patent law as President of the Grover and Baker Sewing Machine Co as well as working at real estate development with the Potter and Arcade Buildings and pursuing agricultural interests with a six hundred acre farm on the Hudson in Ossining. He together with Asahel Clarke Geer and his son in law Walter Geer formed the NY Architectural Terra Cotta Co. He helped devise the National Banking Act of 1863.
He was unsuccessful for election in 1878 to the Forty-sixth
Congress. However, Potter was elected as a Democrat
to the Forty-eighth
Congress (March 4, 1883-March 3, 1885). He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1884.
He served as member of the Rapid Transit Commission of New York City 1890-1894 as well as Cornell University and Bleeker Street Savings Bank trustee. He died in New York City, January 2, 1894. He was interred in Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn along with his wife and three daughters: Mary, Martha, and Blanche.
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 New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Born in Charlemont, Massachusetts
Charlemont, Massachusetts
Charlemont is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,358 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, the son of Samuel and Sophia Rice Potter, he attended the district school, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...
, and the Dane Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. MA (Hon) 1867, LLD 1889. He was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 12 Feb 1845 and commenced practice in Boston, Massachusetts. He married Martha Green Wiley on 28 Oct 1850. In May 1853 he moved to New York and engaged in manufacturing and patent law as President of the Grover and Baker Sewing Machine Co as well as working at real estate development with the Potter and Arcade Buildings and pursuing agricultural interests with a six hundred acre farm on the Hudson in Ossining. He together with Asahel Clarke Geer and his son in law Walter Geer formed the NY Architectural Terra Cotta Co. He helped devise the National Banking Act of 1863.
He was unsuccessful for election in 1878 to the Forty-sixth
46th United States Congress
The Forty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1879 to March 4, 1881, during the last two years of...
Congress. However, Potter was elected as a 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...
to the Forty-eighth
48th United States Congress
The Forty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1883 to March 4, 1885, during the last two years...
Congress (March 4, 1883-March 3, 1885). He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1884.
He served as member of the Rapid Transit Commission of New York City 1890-1894 as well as Cornell University and Bleeker Street Savings Bank trustee. He died in New York City, January 2, 1894. He was interred in Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn along with his wife and three daughters: Mary, Martha, and Blanche.