Representative Edward Hempstead

Edward Hempstead (June 3, 1780 – August 10, 1817) was an American lawyer, pioneer, and early settler in the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase, who became the first delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives for the Missouri Territory from 1812 to 1814. He was born in New London, Connecticut, and raised in Hebron, Connecticut, where he received his early education under the instruction of the Reverend Amos Basset. He was the older brother of Charles S. Hempstead, who later became the first mayor of Galena, Illinois.

Hempstead began his legal training at the age of eighteen, studying law under Sylvester Gilbert. He was licensed in 1801 and initially practiced law for about a year in Middlesex County, Connecticut. He then moved to Newport, Rhode Island, where he practiced for approximately two years before being formally admitted to the bar. Seeking broader opportunities on the American frontier, he relocated westward in 1804 to Vincennes in the Indiana Territory, then a principal center of government for the trans-Appalachian West.

In Vincennes, Hempstead formed a close association with William Henry Harrison, the territorial governor, and assisted Harrison in the administration of the District of Louisiana, which had been carved out of the Louisiana Purchase. His work in this capacity brought him into the early legal and political organization of the new American territories. When Harrison was replaced as governor by James Wilkinson, Hempstead resigned his post and moved to St. Louis, in Upper Louisiana, where he continued his legal career and entered more deeply into territorial public service. As one of the early American settlers in the region after the Louisiana Purchase, he played a significant role in establishing civil government and legal institutions.

In St. Louis and the surrounding territory, Hempstead served as territorial attorney general in Upper Louisiana, acting as a principal legal officer for the territorial administration. He also became active in the emerging political structures of the region, serving in the Missouri Territorial Legislature. His legal expertise and frontier experience made him a prominent figure in the governance of both the Louisiana and, later, Missouri territories, and he worked with successive territorial governors in shaping the legal framework of the region.

When the Territory of Missouri—renamed in 1812 to avoid confusion with the state of Louisiana—became entitled to representation in Congress, Hempstead was elected as its delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. As a member of the Unknown Party representing Missouri, he served a single two-year term from 1812 to 1814. During this significant period in American history, marked by the War of 1812 and ongoing westward expansion, Hempstead participated in the legislative process, representing the interests of his frontier constituents and contributing to debates over territorial governance and development. After completing his service, he declined to seek re-election and returned to private law practice in the territory.

Following his congressional service, Hempstead continued his involvement in territorial politics. He served in the Missouri Territory General Assembly, where he rose to the position of Speaker of the House, further solidifying his influence in the political life of the region. His prominence in Missouri public affairs coincided with the growing importance of the territory as it moved toward eventual statehood. Family circumstances were also affected by his rise; after Edward’s election and increasing responsibilities in Missouri, his younger brother Charles S. Hempstead relocated to Illinois, where Charles later became the first mayor of Galena.

Hempstead maintained friendships with several leading figures of the early West, including Thomas Hart Benton. Benton later remarked that he believed Hempstead would have become Missouri’s first United States senator had he lived longer. Benton was present with Hempstead at the time of his death and kept vigil with his body during the wake. Upon returning from that wake, Benton received a challenge to a duel from Charles Lucas, following a dispute over a court case; Benton replied that he would meet Lucas as soon as Hempstead was buried. The two men subsequently fought two duels, in the second of which Benton killed Lucas, an episode that became part of Missouri’s early political lore.

Edward Hempstead died at his home outside St. Louis, Missouri, on August 10, 1817, six days after being thrown from his horse in an accident. He was buried on his farm, on a plot that was later incorporated into Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis. His grave is among the oldest in that cemetery, reflecting his status as one of the region’s earliest American leaders. In recognition of his contributions to the development and governance of the western territories, Hempstead County, Arkansas, was named in his honor.