James Tracy Hale (October 14, 1810 – April 6, 1865) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

James T. Hale
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania
In office
March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1865
Preceded byAllison White
Succeeded byStephen Fowler Wilson
Constituency15th district (1859–1863)
18th district (1863–1865)
Personal details
Born(1810-10-14)October 14, 1810
Towanda, Pennsylvania
DiedApril 6, 1865(1865-04-06) (aged 54)
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Political partyRepublican

Biography

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James T. Hale was born October 14, 1810, in Towanda, Pennsylvania, the son of Reuben & Wealthy Ann (Tracy) Hale. He studied law partly with his brother-in-law, General William Patton (1799-1877), and partly with his uncle, Elias White Hale (1775-1832). He was admitted to the bar in 1832 in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, and where he practiced for several years. He married Jane Walker Huston (1815-1883), daughter of Justice Charles Huston of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and Mary Winter. Afterward Mr. Hale and his bride moved to Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, where his father-in-law resided. After practicing there for a short time in 1851 he was appointed president judge of the twentieth judicial district and served in that office until 1858.[1] Hale served as president of the Tyrone and Clearfield Railroad from 1856–1858.[2]

In 1858 Hale was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-sixth and in 1860 elected to Thirty-seventh Congresses and in 1862 as an Independent Republican to the Thirty-eighth Congress. During his last term he served as chairman of the United States House Committee on Claims. He was conservative in his political views and urged Congress to pass compromise resolutions soon after the outbreak of the Civil War.

He was a Christian, and a member of the Episcopal Church.

Children of James T. Hale and Jane Walker Huston: Charles H. Hale (1837–1872), James Tracy Hale (1848–1877) & George N. Hale (1850–1885).

James T. Hale, Sr. died after a short bout of typhoid fever on April 6, 1865, in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and was there buried at Union Cemetery. He was the first cousin of Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles.

References

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  1. ^ Obituary of James T. Hale, Bradford Reporter, Towanda, Pennsylvania, Thursday, April 20, 1865, p.3
  2. ^ Bezilla, Michael; Gette, Luther (2017). Branch Line Empires: The Pennsylvania and the New York Central Railroads. Railroads Past and Present. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. pp. 22, 26. ISBN 978-0-253-02958-4.

Sources

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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district

1859–1863
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district

1863–1865
Succeeded by