John L. Wilson

Who was John L. Wilson?

John Lockwood Wilson was an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. states of Indiana and Washington. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate

Wilson was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, the son of James Wilson, a U.S. Representative, and his wife, Emma Wilson, and was the elder brother of Henry Lane Wilson. He attended the common schools and was a messenger during the American Civil War. Wilson graduated from Wabash College in Crawfordsville in 1874 and studied law, being admitted to the bar in 1878. He commenced practice in Crawfordsville and in 1880 was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives. He was appointed by President Chester A. Arthur as receiver of public monies at Spokane Falls and Colfax in Washington Territory, serving in this position from 1882 to 1887.

Upon the admission of Washington into the Union, Wilson was elected as a Republican in the 1888 elections to the House of Representatives as the representative from Washington's at-large congressional district for the 51st United States Congress.