Representative Walter Cass Newberry

Walter Cass Newberry (December 23, 1835 – July 20, 1912) was an American soldier, municipal official, and Democratic politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Illinois from 1891 to 1893. He was born in Waterville, New York, where he spent his early years before the outbreak of the American Civil War drew him into military service.

Newberry enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War as a private in the 81st Regiment, New York Volunteers. His rise through the ranks was rapid and reflected both the demands of wartime and his own capabilities as an officer. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1861 and to captain in 1862. In 1863 he became a major in the 24th Regiment, New York Cavalry. His advancement continued in 1864, when he was successively promoted to lieutenant colonel and then colonel. For his service, he was brevetted brigadier general of volunteers on March 31, 1865, marking the culmination of a distinguished wartime military career.

After the Civil War, Newberry moved to Petersburg, Virginia, in 1865, entering public life in the Reconstruction-era South. He was elected mayor of Petersburg and served in that capacity in 1869 and 1870. His tenure as mayor ended with his resignation in 1870. That same year he relocated to Richmond, Virginia, where he continued his public service as superintendent of public property for the Commonwealth of Virginia, a position he held for four years. In this role he was responsible for overseeing and managing state-owned properties at a time when Virginia was rebuilding its institutions and infrastructure following the war.

In 1876 Newberry moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he became increasingly involved in civic and federal service. His administrative experience and political connections led to his appointment as postmaster of Chicago, one of the most important postal positions in the Midwest, a post he held in 1888 and 1889. This appointment placed him at the center of a rapidly growing urban and commercial hub, overseeing a key element of the federal government’s presence in the city.

Newberry’s prominence in Chicago and his affiliation with the Democratic Party paved the way for his election to the United States House of Representatives. He was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-second Congress and served as a Representative from Illinois from March 4, 1891, to March 3, 1893. During his single term in Congress, he contributed to the legislative process and represented the interests of his Illinois constituents during a significant period in American history marked by industrial expansion, labor unrest, and debates over economic policy. He did not seek renomination in 1892, thereby concluding his congressional service after one term.

In his later years, Newberry remained in Chicago. He died there on July 20, 1912. Walter Cass Newberry was interred in Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois, a resting place for many of the city’s notable figures, closing a life that had spanned military service in the Civil War, municipal leadership in Virginia, and federal office in Illinois.