Constantine Jacob Erdman
Encyclopedia
Constantine Jacob Erdman (September 4, 1846–January 15, 1911) was a Democratic
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
.
Constantine J. Erdman (grandson of Jacob Erdman
) was born in Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania
, near Allentown, Pennsylvania
. He attended the common schools of the district and a classical school in Quakertown, Pennsylvania
. He graduated from Pennsylvania College
in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
, in 1865. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1867 and practiced in Allentown. He was elected district attorney
in 1874. He served as adjutant
of the Fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard
, during the riots
at Reading, Pennsylvania
, in 1877.
Erdman was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-third
and Fifty-fourth
Congresses. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1896
. He resumed the practice of law in Allentown. He served as a trustee of Muhlenberg College
at Allentown. He was also president of the Coplay Cement Manufacturing Co., the Allentown & Coopersburg
Turnpike Co., and the Allen Fire Insurance
Co. for many years. He died in Allentown in 1911. Interment in Fairview Cemetery.
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...
member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Constantine J. Erdman (grandson of Jacob Erdman
Jacob Erdman
Jacob Erdman was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.Jacob Erdman was born in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1834 to 1836.Erdman was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-ninth Congress...
) was born in Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Saucon Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley....
, near Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
. He attended the common schools of the district and a classical school in Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Quakertown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 8,979. The borough is south of Bethlehem and north of Philadelphia, making Quakertown a border town of both the Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley metropolitan areas...
. He graduated from Pennsylvania College
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg College is a private four-year liberal arts college founded in 1832, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States, adjacent to the famous battlefield. Its athletic teams are nicknamed the Bullets. Gettysburg College has about 2,700 students, with roughly equal numbers of men and women...
in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
, in 1865. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1867 and practiced in Allentown. He was elected district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
in 1874. He served as adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the Fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard
Pennsylvania National Guard
The Pennsylvania National Guard is composed of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. It is one of the largest National Guards in the nation. It has the largest Army National Guard of all the states and the fourth largest Air National Guard. These forces are...
, during the riots
Great railroad strike of 1877
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States and ended some 45 days later after it was put down by local and state militias, and federal troops.-Economic conditions in the 1870s:...
at Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
, in 1877.
Erdman was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-third
53rd United States Congress
The Fifty-third 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, 1893 to March 4, 1895, during the fifth and sixth...
and Fifty-fourth
54th United States Congress
- House of Representatives :-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Adlai E. Stevenson * President pro tempore: William P. Frye - Majority leadership :* Republican Conference Chairman: John Sherman- Minority leadership :...
Congresses. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1896
United States House election, 1896
The U.S. House election, 1896 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1896 which coincided with the election of President William McKinley....
. He resumed the practice of law in Allentown. He served as a trustee of Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America.- History...
at Allentown. He was also president of the Coplay Cement Manufacturing Co., the Allentown & Coopersburg
Coopersburg, Pennsylvania
Coopersburg is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb of Allentown in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Coopersburg was 2,386 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
Turnpike Co., and the Allen Fire Insurance
Property insurance
Property insurance provides protection against most risks to property, such as fire, theft and some weather damage. This includes specialized forms of insurance such as fire insurance, flood insurance, earthquake insurance, home insurance or boiler insurance. Property is insured in two main...
Co. for many years. He died in Allentown in 1911. Interment in Fairview Cemetery.