Henry Waldron


Henry Waldron was an American politician and a United States Representative from the U.S. state of Michigan.

Early life

Waldron was born in Albany, New York, attended Albany Academy, and graduated from Rutgers College in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1836. He moved to Michigan in 1837 and was employed as a civil engineer in railroad work. In 1839 Waldron settled in Hillsdale, Michigan.

Career

Waldron became a member of the Michigan House of Representatives in 1843 and was a director of the Michigan Southern Railroad, serving from 1846 to 1848. He was active in promoting the construction of the Detroit, Hillsdale and South Western Railroad and served as its first president. He was a presidential elector on the Whig Party ticket in 1848.
In 1854, he defeated incumbent Democrat David A. Noble to be elected as a Republican from Michigan's 2nd congressional district to the Thirty-fourth Congress. He was re-elected to the Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1855 to March 3, 1861. He was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Treasury in the Thirty-fourth Congress. He was not a candidate for re-nomination in 1860.
In 1870, he was elected to represent Michigan's 1st congressional district to the Forty-second Congress and subsequently re-elected to represent Michigan's 2nd district to the Forty-third and Forty-fourth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1871 to March 3, 1877. He was chairman of the Committee on Mines and Mining in the Forty-second Congress. He declined to be a candidate for re-nomination.
In 1876, Waldron was elected president of the First National Bank of Hillsdale and served until his death.

Death and legacy

Waldron died in Hillsdale, Hillsdale County, Michigan, on September 13, 1880. He is interred at Oak Grove Cemetery, Hillsdale, Michigan.
The village of Waldron, Michigan is named in his honour because of his contribution to the village. .