Lewis 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 New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

.

Born in Norfolk, Connecticut

Norfolk, Connecticut

Norfolk is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,660 at the 2000 census.Norfolk is perhaps best known as the site of the Yale Summer School of Music – Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, which hosts an annual chamber music concert series in "the Music Shed," a...

, Riggs attended the common schools and schools of Latin and Greek.
He was apprenticed to the carpenter's trade.
He studied medicine in the village of Torringford, Connecticut, and received his diploma in May 1812.
He also attended medical lectures given by Dr. Benjamin Rush at the University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

, in 1812.
Practiced in East Winsted, Connecticut.
He moved to Vernon, New York

Vernon, New York

Vernon, New York may refer to:*Vernon , New York, located in Oneida County*Vernon , New York, located within the Town of Vernon...

, in 1813 and later to Homer, New York

Homer, New York

Homer, New York may refer to either:*Homer , New York, located in Cortland County*Homer , New York, located within the Town of Homer...

, continuously practicing his profession.
He also engaged in business as a retail druggist and in 1828 in the sale of dry goods.
He served as secretary of the Cortland County Medical Society 1820-1823 and as president in 1825 and 1826.
He was appointed postmaster of Homer by President Jackson on April 25, 1829, and served until August 7, 1839.
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 Twenty-seventh

27th United States Congress

The Twenty-seventh 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, 1841 to March 3, 1843, during the one-month...

 Congress (March 4, 1841-March 3, 1843).
He resumed the practice of medicine.
Also operated a flour mill.
He died in Homer, New York

Homer, New York

Homer, New York may refer to either:*Homer , New York, located in Cortland County*Homer , New York, located within the Town of Homer...

, November 6, 1870.
He was interred in Glenwood Cemetery.

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