Samuel W. Moulton
Encyclopedia
Samuel Wheeler Moulton was a U.S. Representative
from Illinois
.
Born in Wenham, Essex County, Massachusetts, Moulton was the son of William Moulton (1775-1859) and Mary Lunt Moulton (1776-1850). The Moulton family was one of old Massachusetts stock, with Samuel's family lineage in the Americas going back to his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, James Moulton, who likely arrived in to Essex County from Norfolk, England in the early 1630s.
Young Samuel attended the public schools in Essex County. After completing his primary and secondary education, he moved to Kentucky, where he taught school for several years, thence to Mississippi where he continued to teach. While teaching in Mississippi, Samuel met Mary H. Afflick, and they married in 1844. This early experience as an educator would be part of the legacy Moulton would provide to his adopted home of Illinois.
The newly-married Moultons moved to to Illinois in 1845 and settled in Oakland, Coles County where he commenced the study of law. He was admitted to the bar
in 1847 and commenced practice in Sullivan, Illinois
.
He moved to Shelbyville in 1849 and continued the practice of law.
He served as member of the State house of representatives 1852-1859.
He served as presidential elector on the Democratic ticket in 1856.
He served as president of the board of education of the State of Illinois 1859-1876.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1862 to the Thirty-eighth
Congress.
Moulton was elected as a Republican
to the Thirty-ninth
Congress (March 4, 1865-March 3, 1867).
Moulton was elected as a Democrat
to the Forty-seventh
and Forty-eighth
Congresses (March 4, 1881-March 3, 1885).
He served as chairman of the Committee on Mileage (Forty-eighth
Congress).
He was not a candidate for renomination in 1884.
He resumed the practice of law in Shelbyville.
He was affiliated with the Republican Party
after 1896.
He died in Shelbyville, Illinois
, June 3, 1905.
He was interred in Glenwood Cemetery.
Moulton Hall at Illinois State University
in Normal, Illinois
, the middle school, Moulton United Methodist Church and the street Moulton Drive in Shelbyville, Illinois are all named in his honor.
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 Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
Born in Wenham, Essex County, Massachusetts, Moulton was the son of William Moulton (1775-1859) and Mary Lunt Moulton (1776-1850). The Moulton family was one of old Massachusetts stock, with Samuel's family lineage in the Americas going back to his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, James Moulton, who likely arrived in to Essex County from Norfolk, England in the early 1630s.
Young Samuel attended the public schools in Essex County. After completing his primary and secondary education, he moved to Kentucky, where he taught school for several years, thence to Mississippi where he continued to teach. While teaching in Mississippi, Samuel met Mary H. Afflick, and they married in 1844. This early experience as an educator would be part of the legacy Moulton would provide to his adopted home of Illinois.
The newly-married Moultons moved to to Illinois in 1845 and settled in Oakland, Coles County where he commenced the study of law. 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 1847 and commenced practice in Sullivan, Illinois
Sullivan, Illinois
Sullivan is a city in Moultrie County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,326 at the 2000 census, and 4,396 in 2009. It is the county seat of Moultrie County...
.
He moved to Shelbyville in 1849 and continued the practice of law.
He served as member of the State house of representatives 1852-1859.
He served as presidential elector on the Democratic ticket in 1856.
He served as president of the board of education of the State of Illinois 1859-1876.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1862 to the Thirty-eighth
38th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:Before this Congress, the 1860 United States Census and resulting reapportionment changed the size of the House to 241 members...
Congress.
Moulton was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Thirty-ninth
39th United States Congress
The Thirty-ninth 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, 1865 to March 4, 1867, during the first month of...
Congress (March 4, 1865-March 3, 1867).
Moulton 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-seventh
47th United States Congress
The Forty-seventh 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, 1881 to March 4, 1883, during the administration...
and 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...
Congresses (March 4, 1881-March 3, 1885).
He served as chairman of the Committee on Mileage (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).
He was not a candidate for renomination in 1884.
He resumed the practice of law in Shelbyville.
He was affiliated with the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
after 1896.
He died in Shelbyville, Illinois
Shelbyville, Illinois
Shelbyville is a city in Shelby County, Illinois, along the Kaskaskia River. As of the 2010 census, the population was at 4700. It is the county seat of Shelby County...
, June 3, 1905.
He was interred in Glenwood Cemetery.
Moulton Hall at Illinois State University
Illinois State University
Illinois State University , founded in 1857, is the oldest public university in Illinois; it is located in the town of Normal. ISU is considered a "national university" that grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research; it is also recognized as one of the top ten largest...
in Normal, Illinois
Normal, Illinois
Normal is an incorporated town in McLean County, Illinois, United States. It had a population of 52,497 as of the 2010 census. Normal is the smaller of two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
, the middle school, Moulton United Methodist Church and the street Moulton Drive in Shelbyville, Illinois are all named in his honor.