Representative Daniel Wheelwright Gooch

Daniel Wheelwright Gooch (January 8, 1820 – November 1, 1891) was a United States Representative from Massachusetts and a member of the Republican Party who served multiple terms in Congress during a critical period in American history. He was born on January 8, 1820, in Wells, York County, then a part of Massachusetts and now in the state of Maine. Raised in New England, he attended local public schools before enrolling at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he received a classical preparatory education that prepared him for collegiate study.

Gooch continued his education at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, graduating in 1843. After college, he pursued legal studies and moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where he read law and completed the requirements for admission to the bar. In 1846 he was admitted to the bar in Boston and commenced the practice of law, establishing himself professionally in the legal community of the Commonwealth.

Before entering national politics, Gooch was active in Massachusetts state government. He served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, participating in the legislative affairs of the state. In 1853 he was a member of the Massachusetts constitutional convention, contributing to deliberations on the structure and governance of the Commonwealth. These roles helped build his reputation as a capable legislator and positioned him for election to federal office.

Gooch was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Nathaniel P. Banks, a prominent Massachusetts politician. He took his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 31, 1858. He was subsequently reelected to the four succeeding Congresses, serving continuously from January 31, 1858, to September 1, 1865. During this span, which encompassed the late antebellum period, the Civil War, and the beginning of Reconstruction, Daniel Wheelwright Gooch contributed to the legislative process over six terms in office. As a member of the House of Representatives from Massachusetts, he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents at a time of profound national crisis and transformation. He resigned his seat on September 1, 1865.

Following his initial congressional service, Gooch was appointed Navy agent of the port of Boston in 1865, a federal position involving oversight of naval supplies and expenditures in one of the nation’s principal maritime centers. His tenure in this office was cut short when he was removed by President Andrew Johnson, reflecting the often-contentious political environment of the Reconstruction era. After leaving that post, he remained engaged in public affairs and the legal profession.

Gooch returned to Congress later in his career. He was again elected as a Republican to the Forty-third Congress and served from March 4, 1873, to March 3, 1875. This additional term extended his total period of service in the House of Representatives from 1857 to 1875, with a break between 1865 and 1873, and underscored his continued standing among Massachusetts voters. However, he was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1874 to the Forty-fourth Congress, marking the end of his congressional career.

In his later years, Gooch held federal administrative responsibilities and continued his professional work. From 1876 to 1886 he served as a pension agent in Boston, administering benefits for veterans and their families at a time when Civil War pensions formed a significant part of federal domestic policy. After completing a decade in that role, he resumed the practice of law and also engaged in literary pursuits, reflecting his continued intellectual and professional activity well into his later life.

Daniel Wheelwright Gooch died in Melrose, Massachusetts, on November 1, 1891. He was interred in Wyoming Cemetery in Melrose. His long career in law and public service, including multiple terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and various state and federal positions, placed him among the notable nineteenth-century political figures from Massachusetts who helped shape national policy during and after the Civil War.