William Ledyard Stark was a Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

 Populist politician.

Born in Mystic, Connecticut

Mystic, Connecticut

Mystic is a village and census-designated place in New London County, Connecticut, in the United States. The population was 4,001 at the 2000 census. A historic locality, Mystic has no independent government because it is not a legally recognized municipality in the state of Connecticut...

 in 1853. He moved to Wyoming, Illinois

Wyoming, Illinois

Wyoming is a city in Stark County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,424 at the 2000 census. It is the headquarters of the Rock Island Trail State Park. Wyoming is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 in 1872. He taught school and clerked a store for a while. He attended Union College

Union College

Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...

 of Law in Chicago, Illinois. He was admitted to the bar by the supreme court of Illinois in January 1878. He moved to Aurora, Nebraska

Aurora, Nebraska

Aurora is a city in Hamilton County, Nebraska in the United States of America. The population was 4,225 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hamilton County.-Geography:...

 in February in the same year, serving as superintendent of city schools in Aurora.

He became deputy district attorney and then judge of the Hamilton County

Hamilton County, Nebraska

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,403 people, 3,503 households, and 2,676 families residing in the county. The population density was 17 people per square mile . There were 3,850 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile...

 Court. He served in the Nebraska National Guard

United States National Guard

The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...

 as a major and judge advocate general. He ran in 1895 and 1897 as a Populist, losing the first time and being elected the second to the Fifty-fifth congress. He was reelected to the 56th and the 57th congress serving from March 4, 1897 to March 3, 1903. He ran as a Fusionist

Electoral fusion

Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties on a ballot list the same candidate, pooling the votes for that candidate...

 in 1902 for congress, but lost. He retired to Aurora and died in Tarpon Springs, Florida

Tarpon Springs, Florida

Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 21,003 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 22,554....

 in 1922. He is buried in the city cemetery in Aurora.