History of East Troy, (Walworth County) Wisconsin United States of America

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John Fox Potter, representative, was born in Augusta, Maine, May 11, 1817; son of John and Caroline (Fox) Potter; grandson of the Rev. Isaiah and Elizabeth Edwards (Barrett) Potter of Lebanon, N.H., and of John Fox of Portland, Maine, and a descendant of William Potter, who emigrated from Lincoln, Eng., to New Haven, Conn., in 1637. He was educated at Phillips academy, Exeter, N.H., studied law in Augusta, was admitted to the bar in 1837, and removed to East Tracy, Wis., in 1838. He was married, Oct. 15, 1839, to Frances E. Lewis, daughter of George and Rebecca (Lewis) Fox of Portland, Maine, and secondly, to Sarah Fox. He was judge of Walworth county, Wis., 1842-46; a member of the assembly of Wisconsin in 1856, and a Republican representative from the first district of Wisconsin in the 35th-37th congresses, 1857-63. In 1860 a debate brought about by a speech of Representative Owen Lovejoy, announcing the death of his brother, Elisha P., caused Mr. Potter to be challenged by Representative Roger A. Pryor of Virginia, and in accepting the challenge, he named bowie-knives as the weapons ; but on the objection of Mr. Pryor's seconds to the weapons as "barbarous," the challenge was withdrawn. He was a delegate to the Crittenden peace congress of 1861; chairman of the investigating committee appointed by the 87th congress for unearthing treason and disloyalty in government offices and departments; was defeated for election by James S. Brown in 1862; commanded a battery in the Wisconsin volunteer artillery in the civil war, and declined the governorship of Dakota Territory, offered him by President Lincoln in 1863, but accepted the appointment as U.S. consul-general at Montreal, serving, 1863-66. He was a delegate to the Whig national conventions of 1852, 1856, 1860 and 1864. He died in East Troy, Wis., May 18, 1899.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of East Troy, (Walworth County) Wisconsin

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