Representative John Madison Wever

John Madison Wever (February 24, 1847 – September 27, 1914) was a United States Representative from New York and a prominent banker in Plattsburgh, New York. A member of the Republican Party, he served two consecutive terms in Congress during the early 1890s, a significant period in American political and economic development, and was long active in local public finance and banking.

Wever was born on February 24, 1847, in Ganges Township, Allegan County, Michigan. He was educated in the common schools of his native state and later attended Albion College in Albion, Michigan. His formal education was interrupted by the outbreak of the American Civil War, during which he entered military service as a teenager.

At the age of sixteen, during the Civil War, Wever enlisted in the Union Army. He served in the Army of the Cumberland and the Army of the Ohio, two major field armies that operated primarily in the Western Theater of the war. His wartime experience as a young soldier occurred during some of the most intense years of the conflict and helped shape his subsequent commitment to public service and civic affairs.

After the close of the war, Wever settled in Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York. There he entered the banking business, beginning a long career in finance that would make him a leading figure in the local economic community. His competence in financial matters and growing prominence in Plattsburgh led to his election as county treasurer of Clinton County in 1884, a position to which he was reelected in 1887. In this role he was responsible for managing county funds and public revenues, further establishing his reputation for fiscal management.

Wever’s local service and standing in the Republican Party culminated in his election to the United States House of Representatives. He was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-second and Fifty-third Congresses, representing New York and serving from March 4, 1891, to March 3, 1895. During his two terms in office, he participated in the legislative process at a time marked by debates over tariffs, monetary policy, and economic regulation, representing the interests of his constituents in northern New York. He did not seek renomination in 1894 to the Fifty-fourth Congress, choosing instead to return to his business pursuits.

Following his congressional service, Wever resumed his banking career in Plattsburgh. He served as cashier of the Merchants’ National Bank of Plattsburgh and later became its president, a position that placed him at the center of regional financial activity. Through these roles he continued to influence the economic life of Plattsburgh and Clinton County well into the early twentieth century.

John Madison Wever died in Plattsburgh, New York, on September 27, 1914. He was interred in Riverside Cemetery in Plattsburgh. His life encompassed service as a Union soldier, local financial officer, banker, and two-term Republican member of Congress, reflecting a career devoted to public service and community leadership.