Representative John Thomas Averill

John Thomas Averill (March 1, 1825 – October 3, 1889) was a United States Army officer in the American Civil War who later became a U.S. congressional representative from Minnesota. He was born in Alna, Lincoln County, Maine, on March 1, 1825, and in 1838 moved with his parents to Montville, Maine. Raised in rural New England, he pursued his early education locally before enrolling at the Maine Wesleyan Seminary in Readfield, from which he graduated in 1846. Following his graduation, Averill taught school for a short time, reflecting an early engagement with education and community life.

After his brief period as a teacher, Averill entered the lumber business for one year, then moved to Winthrop, Maine, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits for three years. Seeking broader opportunities in the expanding American frontier economy, he relocated in 1852 to northern Pennsylvania and again engaged in lumbering, remaining in that line of work until 1857. That year he settled in Lake City, Minnesota, where he became involved in mercantile enterprises and the grain business, participating in the commercial development of the young state. His growing prominence in local affairs led to his election to the Minnesota Senate, in which he served from 1858 to 1860.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Averill entered military service in the Union Army. On August 22, 1862, he was commissioned as lieutenant colonel of the 6th Minnesota Infantry Regiment. During his service he took part in the military and security operations that occupied Minnesota’s forces during the war years. He was promoted to colonel on November 22, 1864, and was assigned as Provost Marshal General for the District of Minnesota, a position that placed him in charge of important administrative, disciplinary, and security responsibilities within the district. He was honorably mustered out of the volunteer service on September 28, 1865, and in recognition of his service was brevetted brigadier general of volunteers on October 18, 1865.

After the war, Averill returned to civilian life and continued his career in business and politics. In 1866 he moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he engaged in the wholesale paper and stationery business as part of the firm Averill, Russell & Carpenter, Paper Manufacturers. His standing within the Republican Party grew steadily, and he became a member of the Republican National Committee, serving in that capacity from 1868 through 1880. During these years he helped shape party organization and strategy at the national level while maintaining his commercial interests in St. Paul.

Averill’s prominence in Minnesota and within the Republican Party led to his election to the United States House of Representatives. As a member of the Republican Party representing Minnesota, he contributed to the legislative process during two terms in office. He was elected as a Republican to the Forty-second and Forty-third Congresses and served from March 4, 1871, to March 3, 1875, a significant period in American history marked by Reconstruction and the continued westward expansion of the nation. During his congressional service he represented the interests of his Minnesota constituents and participated in the democratic process at a time of national political and social transformation.

While in Congress, Averill held a key leadership role as chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs during the Forty-third Congress. In that capacity he was involved in legislative oversight and policy concerning Native American affairs at a time when federal Indian policy and relations on the western frontier were central issues for the nation and particularly for western states and territories such as Minnesota. After completing his second term, he was not a candidate for renomination in 1874 and returned to private life.

Following his departure from Congress, Averill resumed his business activities in St. Paul, continuing his involvement in the wholesale paper and stationery trade and remaining a respected figure in the city’s commercial community. He lived in St. Paul until his death there on October 3, 1889. He was interred at Oakland Cemetery in St. Paul. His legacy in Minnesota is reflected in the naming of the community of Averill, Minnesota, in his honor, commemorating his role as a soldier, businessman, state legislator, and member of the United States Congress.