James Barker Edmonds
Encyclopedia
James Barker Edmonds was president of the board of commissioners for the District of Columbia, USA, from 1883 to 1886.
Edmonds was born in Saratoga County, New York
. He began the study of the law early, and was only 21 when he was admitted to the New York State bar in 1853 and entered practice. Three years later, in 1856, Edmonds relocated to Iowa City, Iowa
, then the capital of the state, where he opened a law partnership with Charles T. Ransom and grew the firm into one of the most prestigious and wealthy in the Midwest.
Edmonds successfully practiced law in Iowa for 19 years, but in 1875 his poor health force him to relocate to Washington, D.C.
, where he settled into a retirement from the legal practice but remained a sought-after consultant for other attorneys in the city.
When former Louisiana
Senator
Joseph Rodman West resigned from the presidency of the D.C. Board of Commissioners in 1883 (although West remained the board's Republican commissioner until 1885), President
Chester A. Arthur
nominated Edmonds to serve as the board's Democratic commissioner and its chair. Edmonds served as chair of the commission from March 3, 1883 to April 1, 1886, at which time both his presidency and his term as a commissioner expired. President Grover Cleveland
offered him reappointment, but Edmonds turned it down. According to the Washington Post, "Mr. Edmonds was one of the most efficient and popular officials of those who have presided over the affairs of the district, and his refusal to accept a renomination for office was greatly regretted."http://www.rootsweb.com/~iabiog/iastbios/ih1885/ih1885-e.htm
Edmonds died at his home on K Street
in Washington on December 29, 1900, at the age of sixty-nine.
Edmonds was born in Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
. He began the study of the law early, and was only 21 when he was admitted to the New York State bar in 1853 and entered practice. Three years later, in 1856, Edmonds relocated to Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, then the capital of the state, where he opened a law partnership with Charles T. Ransom and grew the firm into one of the most prestigious and wealthy in the Midwest.
Edmonds successfully practiced law in Iowa for 19 years, but in 1875 his poor health force him to relocate to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where he settled into a retirement from the legal practice but remained a sought-after consultant for other attorneys in the city.
When former Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Joseph Rodman West resigned from the presidency of the D.C. Board of Commissioners in 1883 (although West remained the board's Republican commissioner until 1885), President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Chester A. Arthur
Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...
nominated Edmonds to serve as the board's Democratic commissioner and its chair. Edmonds served as chair of the commission from March 3, 1883 to April 1, 1886, at which time both his presidency and his term as a commissioner expired. President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
offered him reappointment, but Edmonds turned it down. According to the Washington Post, "Mr. Edmonds was one of the most efficient and popular officials of those who have presided over the affairs of the district, and his refusal to accept a renomination for office was greatly regretted."http://www.rootsweb.com/~iabiog/iastbios/ih1885/ih1885-e.htm
Edmonds died at his home on K Street
K Street (Washington, D.C.)
K Street is a major thoroughfare in the United States capital of Washington, D.C. known as a center for numerous think tanks, lobbyists, and advocacy groups.-Location:...
in Washington on December 29, 1900, at the age of sixty-nine.