John Walker Ryon was a Democratic

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...

.

Biography

John W. Ryon was born in Elkland, Pennsylvania

Elkland, Pennsylvania

Elkland is a borough in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 1,786 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Elkland is located at ....

. He attended the common schools, Millville Academy in Orleans County, New York

Orleans County, New York

As of the census of 2000, there were 44,171 people, 15,363 households, and 10,846 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 17,347 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile...

, and Wellsboro Academy in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania

Wellsboro, Pennsylvania

Wellsboro is a borough in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, 52 miles northwest of Williamsport. Early in the twentieth century, Wellsboro was the shipping point and trade center for a large area...

. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1847 and commenced practice in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania

Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania

Lawrenceville is a borough in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 627 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lawrenceville is located at . It is at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 287 and Pennsylvania Route 49. The only traffic light in town can be found at this...

. He served as district attorney of Tioga County, Pennsylvania

Tioga County, Pennsylvania

Tioga County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,981. Tioga County was created on March 26, 1804, from part of Lycoming County and named for the Tioga River. Its county seat is Wellsboro....

, from 1850 to 1856. During the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, Ryon assisted in the organization of Company A of the famous Bucktail Regiment

Pennsylvania Reserves

The Pennsylvania Reserves were an infantry division in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Noted for its famous commanders and high casualties, it served in the Eastern Theater, and fought in many important battles, including Antietam and Gettysburg....

. He was appointed by Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin

Andrew Gregg Curtin

Andrew Gregg Curtin was a U.S. lawyer and politician. He served as the Governor of Pennsylvania during the Civil War.-Biography:...

 as paymaster

Paymaster

A paymaster often is, but is not required to be, a lawyer . When dealing with commission payments on contracts dealing with large amounts of money , most banks in the United States are very wary of handling such large amounts of money...

 with the rank of major in the reserve corps. He moved to Pottsville, Pennsylvania

Pottsville, Pennsylvania

Pottsville is the only city in and the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,549 at the 2000 census. The city lies along the west bank of the Schuylkill River, north-west of Philadelphia...

, and resumed the practice of law.

Ryon was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-sixth

46th United States Congress

The Forty-sixth 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, 1879 to March 4, 1881, during the last two years of...

Congress. He served as president of the Pennsylvania National Bank for several years. He died in Pottsville in 1901. Interment in St. Patrick’s (No. 3) Cemetery.