Member Biography

Biography

“Honest” John Strohm (Anti-Mason7) Lancaster County 1835-1836 (Whig6) Lancaster and York Counties 1836-1842

Early Life: 

“Honest” John Strohm born October 16, 1793, Little Britain (later Fulton) Township, near Centerville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; son of David and Ann Herr Strohm, attended, public schools; teacher; farmer; elected, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives 1831-1833; elected, Pennsylvania State Senate 1834-1842, Speaker of the Senate, 1842; elected, Whig, United States House of Representatives, 1845-1849; delegate, Whig National Conventions, 1848, 1852; delegate, Pennsylvania Republican State Convention, 1869; surveyor and justice of the peace, 1859-1880, Providence Township;  married Susanna Herr Barr, 1817; remarried Anne Witmer, 1857; eight children died, September 12,  1884 (age 90 years, 332 days), Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; interment, Mellinger Mennonite Cemetery, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  

Early Career: 

Teacher and farmer, New Providence, Lancaster County.

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Member, board of directors, Strasburg Bank; member, board, secretary (thirty-six years), president (two years) Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company; president, Big Spring and Beaver Valley Turnpike; treasurer, Providence Township School Board, (six years).

Pennsylvania Politics: 

Elected, Anti-Mason, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1832-1834. 

Elected, Anti-Mason, Pennsylvania State Senate, 7th district, 1835-1836, elected, Whig, Pennsylvania State Senate, 6th district, Lancaster and York Counties, 1836-1842; chairman, Claims Committee, 1836-1839, Pensions and Gratuities, 1840-1841, Roads, Bridges, and Inland Waterways, 1839; Improvements, 1841. Speaker of the Senate, 1942.

Delegate, Whig National Conventions, 1848, 1852. 

Delegate, Pennsylvania Republican State Convention, 1869.

Surveyor, Justice of the Peace in Providence Township, 1859-1880.

Continued Government Service/National Politics: 

Elected, Whig, United States House of Representatives, 8th Congressional District, 29th Congress, 1845-1846; elected, Whig, United States House of Representatives, 8th Congressional District, 30th Congress, 1847-1848.  

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography:

Has not been published yet. 

Legacy: 

Known for his abolitionist beliefs, his honesty, and his intelligence. A quote from Colonel Alexander Kelly McClure, describes Strohm as, “an Anti-Mason of high character and intelligence.” His honesty and moral compass empowered him to break from his party as one of two dissenting votes that enabled Democrat Ebeneezer Kingsbury's passage of the 1840 tax-bill, which raised taxes at a time that the State was nearly insolvent. He also strongly advocated new revenue programs in support of the fledgling education system.

While serving in the United States House of Representatives, he was one of several Whig Congressmen who resided and ate together at Mrs. Spriggs's boarding house, including Abraham Lincoln. 

Cited: 

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members S". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

Full text of "Letters of Hon. John Strohm" (archive.org)

LL_1965-02.pdf (friendsofthelincolncollection.org)

John Strohm (1793-1884) - Find a Grave Memorial