James Milton Riggs was a U.S. Representative

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,...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Born on a farm near Winchester, Illinois

Winchester, Illinois

Winchester is a city in Scott County, Illinois, United States. It is the county seat of Scott County. The population was 1,650 at the 2000 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land...

, Riggs attended the common schools and Eureka College

Eureka College

Eureka College is a liberal arts college in Eureka, Illinois related by covenant to the Christian Church and founded in 1855. It has a strong focus on the mutual development of intellect and character. Stated core values are learning, service and leadership...

 (Illinois) in 1862 and 1863.
He engaged in agricultural pursuits and taught school.
Sheriff of Scott County from December 1, 1864, to December 1, 1866.
He studied 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...

 December 28, 1867, and commenced practice in Winchester, Illinois

Winchester, Illinois

Winchester is a city in Scott County, Illinois, United States. It is the county seat of Scott County. The population was 1,650 at the 2000 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land...

.
Secretary of the Winchester School Board 1868-1884 and served as president 1889-1892. (That district is now part of Winchester Community Unit School District 1.)
He served as member of the Illinois House of Representatives

Illinois House of Representatives

The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...

 in 1871 and 1872.
State's attorney for Scott County 1872-1876.
He served as mayor of Winchester in 1876 and 1877.
He 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-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...

 and Forty-ninth

49th United States Congress

The Forty-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, 1885 to March 4, 1887, during the first two years...

 Congresses (March 4, 1883-March 3, 1887).
He was not a candidate for renomination in 1886.
He resumed the practice of law in Winchester, Illinois

Winchester, Illinois

Winchester is a city in Scott County, Illinois, United States. It is the county seat of Scott County. The population was 1,650 at the 2000 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land...

.
He served as president of the Illinois State Bar Association

Illinois State Bar Association

The Illinois State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the country. Approximately 30,000 lawyers are members of the ISBA. Unlike some state bar associations, in which membership is mandatory, ISBA membership is not required of lawyers licensed to practice in...

 in 1891.
He served as delegate to several State conventions.
He was elected judge of Scott County in 1922.
He was reelected in 1926 and served until 1930 when he retired from active pursuits.
He died in Winchester, Illinois

Winchester, Illinois

Winchester is a city in Scott County, Illinois, United States. It is the county seat of Scott County. The population was 1,650 at the 2000 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land...

, November 18, 1933.
He was interred in Winchester Cemetery.