Representative Capell Lane Weems

Capell Lane Weems (July 7, 1860 – January 5, 1913) was an American lawyer and Republican politician who served three terms as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1903 to 1909. His congressional service took place during a significant period in American history, and he participated actively in the legislative process as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the interests of his constituents and contributing to the work of the Republican Party in the early twentieth century.

Weems was born in Whigville, Noble County, Ohio, on July 7, 1860. He attended the common schools of the area and continued his education at a normal academy in Caldwell, Ohio, which prepared him for professional study. After completing his preliminary education, he turned to the study of law, laying the foundation for a career that would combine legal practice with public service at both the state and federal levels.

Weems studied law in Ohio and was admitted to the bar in 1883. He commenced the practice of law in Caldwell, where he quickly became involved in local legal and political affairs. In 1884 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Noble County, an office in which he gained experience in public prosecution and county administration. His growing prominence led to his election as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served in 1888 and 1889, participating in state-level legislative work during a period of economic and political change in Ohio.

In 1890, Weems moved from Noble County to St. Clairsville in Belmont County, Ohio, where he continued his legal career. That same year he was elected prosecuting attorney of Belmont County, a position he held from 1890 to 1896. His service as prosecuting attorney in two different counties underscored his reputation as a capable lawyer and public official and helped establish the political base from which he would later seek national office. Throughout this period he remained aligned with the Republican Party, which dominated Ohio politics in the post–Civil War era.

Weems entered national politics when he was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-eighth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Representative Joseph J. Gill. He took his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 3, 1903. He was subsequently reelected to the Fifty-ninth and Sixtieth Congresses, serving continuously from November 3, 1903, to March 3, 1909. During his three terms in Congress, Weems participated in the democratic process at the federal level, contributing to debates and legislation during the Progressive Era, and representing the interests of his Ohio district in matters of national policy.

At the conclusion of his congressional service in March 1909, Weems returned to private life and resumed the practice of law. He also served as solicitor for the Pennsylvania Railroad, a major transportation company whose operations were of considerable economic importance in Ohio and the surrounding region. In this capacity he applied his legal expertise to corporate and transportation matters, continuing a professional career that had begun more than two decades earlier.

In his personal life, Weems married Mary B. Nay of West Virginia on November 6, 1883. The couple had three children: Chester N., Milton M., and Lillian A. His family life paralleled his steady rise in public affairs, and his household remained based in eastern Ohio, particularly around St. Clairsville, even as his work took him to Columbus and Washington, D.C.

Capell Lane Weems died in Steubenville, Ohio, on January 5, 1913. He was interred in Union Cemetery in St. Clairsville, Ohio, reflecting his long association with Belmont County and the region where he had practiced law, held local office, and built his political career.