Representative Burt Van Horn

Burt Van Horn (October 28, 1823 – April 1, 1896) was a United States Representative from New York during the American Civil War and the early Reconstruction era. A staunch supporter of President Abraham Lincoln and the Union, he served New York’s 31st Congressional District from 1861 to 1863 and the 29th Congressional District from 1865 to 1869 as a member of the Republican Party, contributing to the legislative process during three terms in office and representing the interests of his constituents at a pivotal moment in American history.

Van Horn was born in Newfane, Niagara County, New York, on October 28, 1823, the son of James Augustus Van Horn and Abigail (Carpenter) Van Horn. He was raised in western New York, where he attended the local common schools before pursuing further education at Yates Academy in Orleans County. He later studied at the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution in Hamilton, New York, an institution that would become the predecessor of Colgate University. His early life in a rural community and his formal schooling together laid the foundation for his later engagement in both agriculture and public affairs.

After completing his education, Van Horn engaged in agricultural pursuits in Niagara County, reflecting the agrarian character of the region in the mid-nineteenth century. In addition to farming, he later became involved in the manufacture of cloth, entering the textile business that would remain associated with his family in subsequent years. These early business and agricultural activities provided him with practical experience in economic and local matters that would inform his later legislative work.

Van Horn’s political career began at the state level. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1858 to 1860, representing his locality during a period of mounting national tension over slavery and sectional conflict. On January 15, 1860, while serving in the Assembly, he delivered a notable speech titled “Liberty and The Union,” reflecting his strong Unionist convictions and aligning him with the emerging Republican Party’s opposition to the expansion of slavery. His service in the Assembly helped establish his reputation as a committed advocate of the Union cause and prepared him for national office.

In 1860, Van Horn was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-seventh Congress, representing New York’s 31st District and holding office from March 4, 1861, to March 3, 1863. His first term coincided with the outbreak and early years of the Civil War, during which he was a firm supporter of President Abraham Lincoln and the Union war effort. After a brief interval out of Congress, he was elected again as a Republican to the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses, this time representing New York’s 29th District, and served from March 4, 1865, to March 3, 1869. His later terms covered the closing months of the Civil War and the early Reconstruction period. Van Horn participated actively in the democratic process during these three terms in office, contributing to debates and legislation that shaped wartime and postwar policy. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1868, bringing his congressional career to a close at the end of his third term.

During his time in Congress, Van Horn’s alignment with the Republican majority and his support for Lincoln and the Union placed him among those legislators who backed strong measures to prosecute the war and reconstruct the South. His role extended into the constitutional crisis surrounding the presidency of Andrew Johnson. On March 31, 1868, in the course of the impeachment trial of President Johnson before the United States Senate, Van Horn was called as a witness by the prosecution and gave testimony, underscoring his continued involvement in critical national issues even as his own congressional service was nearing its end.

In 1867, while still serving in Congress, Van Horn moved to Lockport, New York, in Niagara County. There he engaged in the family’s farming and textile businesses, continuing the agricultural and manufacturing pursuits that had characterized his earlier career. He also became involved in community banking, particularly in making loans, thereby playing a role in local economic development and finance. His public service continued in the federal executive sphere when he was appointed collector of internal revenue at Rochester, New York, a position he held from 1877 to 1882, administering federal tax laws during the post-Reconstruction period.

Burt Van Horn spent his later years in Lockport, remaining connected to the business and civic life of his community. He died in Lockport on April 1, 1896. He was interred at Glenwood Cemetery in Lockport, New York, closing a life that had encompassed service in state and national legislatures, participation in the Union cause during the Civil War, involvement in the impeachment proceedings against a sitting president, and continued engagement in business and public administration in western New York.