38 



national reputation have paid homage to his worth and 

 expressed their admiration of his many virtues. 



Emery Davis Potter was born in Providence, Rhode 

 Island, the 7th da}' of October, 1804, and died Febru- 

 ary 1 2th, 1896, in the ninety-second year of his age. 

 The family removed to Otsego County, New York, in 

 1806. Like most of the early pioneers of our countr}'' 

 he devoted his leisure hours to stud3ang such books as 

 fell, by chance, into his possession, and during the 

 winter he attended the public schools^ receiving such 

 instruction in the branches of learning as were taught 

 in those days. After many 3^ears of hard, earnest 

 labor he entered the office of John A. Dix, at Coopers- 

 town, New York. Mr. Dix was subsequently Governor 

 of New York ; later United States Senator from that 

 state, and Secretary of the Treasury. Completing his 

 studies, Mr. Potter was admitted to practice in New 

 York, but soon decided to make his home in the West. 

 He arrived at Toledo, Ohio, in the winter of 1834. 

 His qualities as a lawj^er and his high standing among 

 the people were appreciated, and in 1838 he was post- 

 master in Toledo. In 1839 ^i^ ^^'^^ elected by the 

 Legislature as Presiding Judge of the Common Pleas 

 Court of the Thirteenth Judicial District, covering all of 

 Northwestern Ohio. 



Many interesting experiences he delighted to 

 repeat, in later years, relative to his traveling from 

 county to count}^ on horseback, through dense wilder- 

 ness, and how in the absence of bridges he was com- 

 pelled to swim streams and resort to methods wholly 

 unknown to the present generation in the same section. 

 Wild animals roamed at will in the forest; the streams 

 were filled with fish, and in such vast quantities he 

 often selected the size and kind desired in advance of 

 biting. In 1843 1^^ "^^'^s elected a Member of Congress 

 from a district embracing ten counties. In Congress 

 he at once took a prominent position, which laid the 



