William Black Anderson

Independent Representative of Illinois's 19th district

Congresses Served

House Terms

January 1, 1830 (71 years old)

Birthday

January 1, 1901

Death

Served as a member of the United States House of Representatives
Born to a father who served as Lt. Governor of Illinois
Attended McKendree College and studied law but never practiced, opting for agriculture and surveying instead
Elected Jefferson County Surveyor in 1851 and to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1856 and 1858
Passed the Illinois bar in 1858
Served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, rising to the rank of colonel and later appointed brevet brigadier general of volunteers
Participated in the Illinois Constitutional Convention in 1869
Served in the Illinois Senate from 1871 to 1875
Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1874 as an Independent
Worked for the Internal Revenue Service and as a United States pension agent after leaving politics
Died in Chicago, Illinois, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Illinois