Representative James Alonzo Stahle

James Alonzo Stahle (January 11, 1829 – December 21, 1912) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania who served one term in Congress from 1895 to 1897. Over the course of a varied career as a tradesman, soldier, civil servant, and farmer, he represented the interests of his Pennsylvania constituents during a significant period in American history.

Stahle was born on January 11, 1829, in West Manchester Township, York County, Pennsylvania. He was educated in the common schools of the area and later attended York Academy in York, Pennsylvania. As a young man he learned the printing trade, acquiring technical skills that were valuable in a growing, literate society. He subsequently turned to commerce and established himself as a merchant tailor, gaining experience in business and local affairs that would later inform his public service.

With the outbreak of the American Civil War, Stahle entered military service. In 1861 he organized a local militia unit known as the Ellsworth Zouaves, reflecting the widespread influence of early-war volunteer formations. In August 1861 he and his company of forty recruits enlisted in the Union Army as Company A of the 87th Pennsylvania Infantry. Stahle advanced through the ranks and ultimately attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. He served with the regiment until his discharge in 1864, participating in the Union war effort during some of its most critical years.

Following his military service, Stahle returned to York County and entered federal civil service during the Reconstruction era. From 1869 to 1885 he served as deputy collector of internal revenue at York, Pennsylvania, administering federal tax laws at a time when the national government was expanding its fiscal reach. In addition to his revenue work, he engaged in agricultural pursuits, managing and working his land, which further rooted him in the economic life of his region and strengthened his ties to the local community.

Stahle’s political career culminated in his election as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth Congress. He was elected as a Representative from Pennsylvania and served in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1895, to March 3, 1897. During this single term in office, he contributed to the legislative process as a member of the Republican Party and participated in the democratic governance of the nation during a period marked by industrial expansion and evolving national policy. He represented the interests of his Pennsylvania constituents in the House of Representatives, taking part in debates and votes that reflected the concerns of his district and party. Stahle was not a candidate for renomination in 1896, thereby concluding his brief but notable tenure in Congress.

After leaving Congress, Stahle resumed his agricultural pursuits, returning to the management of his estate and continuing the farming activities that had long been a part of his livelihood. He spent his later years on his estate at Emigsville, near York, Pennsylvania, maintaining his connection to the community in which he had been born and had spent most of his life.

James Alonzo Stahle died on December 21, 1912, on his estate at Emigsville near York. He was interred in Prospect Hill Cemetery in York, Pennsylvania. His life encompassed service as a tradesman, Civil War officer, federal revenue official, farmer, and member of the United States Congress, reflecting the broad civic engagement characteristic of many nineteenth-century American public figures.