Representative Orlando Kellogg

Orlando Kellogg (June 18, 1809 – August 24, 1865) was a U.S. Representative from New York who served in the House of Representatives during a critical period in American history, including the latter half of the American Civil War and the early days of Reconstruction. Over the course of his public career, he held local judicial office, participated in national party politics, and represented his constituents in Congress in multiple nonconsecutive terms between 1847 and 1867.

Kellogg was born on June 18, 1809, in Elizabethtown, Essex County, New York. In his youth he pursued an academic course and engaged in the carpentry trade, acquiring practical skills before turning to the study of law. Remaining in his native community, he prepared for a legal career while building local connections that would later support his entry into public life.

After completing his legal studies, Kellogg was admitted to the bar in 1838 and commenced the practice of law in Elizabethtown. His professional work quickly led to public responsibilities, and he served as surrogate of Essex County from 1840 to 1844. In this judicial-administrative role, he handled probate and related matters, gaining experience in legal procedure and public administration while solidifying his standing in the region.

Kellogg entered national politics as a member of the Whig Party and was elected as a Whig to the Thirtieth Congress, serving as a Representative from New York from March 4, 1847, to March 3, 1849. During this first term in the United States Congress, he contributed to the legislative process and represented the interests of his constituents at a time marked by debates over territorial expansion and sectional tensions. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1848 and, upon the conclusion of his term, resumed the practice of law in Elizabethtown.

As the American party system realigned in the 1850s, Kellogg affiliated with the emerging Republican Party. He took part in shaping the new party’s national direction as a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention, which nominated Abraham Lincoln for the presidency. His involvement in this convention reflected his growing prominence within Republican ranks and his alignment with the party’s anti-slavery and Unionist positions on the eve of the Civil War.

Kellogg returned to Congress as a Republican during the Civil War era. He was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth Congresses and served from March 4, 1863, until his death on August 24, 1865. In these later terms he again served as a Representative from New York, participating in the legislative deliberations of the Union government during the latter half of the Civil War and the early days of Reconstruction. His service in Congress during this period placed him at the center of national efforts to preserve the Union and to begin addressing the political and legal consequences of the conflict. Across his three terms in office, spanning from 1847 to 1867 as reflected in contemporary accounts, Kellogg contributed to the democratic process and the formulation of federal policy at moments of significant national change.

Kellogg died in office in Elizabethtown, New York, on August 24, 1865, while still serving in the Thirty-ninth Congress. He was interred in Riverside Cemetery in his hometown. His family continued to be active in public affairs; his son, Rowland C. Kellogg (1843–1911), later served as a New York State Senator, extending the Kellogg family’s involvement in state and national public life.