Allen Potter

Allen Potter (October 2, 1818 – May 8, 1885) was a nineteenth-century businessman and Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Michigan who served one term in the United States House of Representatives and held numerous local and state offices. He was born in Galloway (now Galway), Saratoga County, New York, where he attended the common schools. In 1830 he moved with his family to Adrian, Michigan, then a developing frontier community, and in 1838 relocated to Jonesville, Michigan. There he learned the trade of tinsmith, acquiring practical skills that would form the basis of his early business career.

In 1845 Potter moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, which would remain his principal residence for the rest of his life. He engaged in the retail hardware business in Kalamazoo from 1845 until 1858, building a reputation as a successful merchant in a growing commercial center of western Michigan. After 1858 he shifted his interests into banking and the manufacture of gas, becoming involved in the financial and utility sectors at a time when Kalamazoo was expanding its urban infrastructure. His business activities provided him with both the means and the local prominence to enter public life.

Potter’s political career began at the state level when he was elected a member of the Michigan House of Representatives in 1857. In local government, he became a leading civic figure in Kalamazoo. He served as president of the village council in 1859, 1863, 1870, and again in 1872, playing a central role in the administration and development of the community before its later incorporation as a city. He was elected a member of the board of education in 1867, 1869, and 1871, serving as president of the board in 1869, and thereby contributing to the oversight and improvement of local public schools. In 1872 he was appointed a member of the board of water commissioners, participating in the planning and management of the village’s water supply system.

Also in 1872, Potter sought federal office as a Liberal Republican candidate for election to the Forty-third United States Congress but was unsuccessful. Remaining active in public affairs and business, he later aligned with the Democratic Party. He was elected as a Democrat from Michigan’s 4th congressional district to the Forty-fourth Congress and served from March 4, 1875, to March 3, 1877. During his term in the U.S. House of Representatives he represented a largely agricultural and developing region of southwestern Michigan at a time of post–Civil War reconstruction and economic adjustment. He did not stand as a candidate for reelection in 1876 and, upon the conclusion of his term, returned to private life.

After leaving Congress, Potter resumed his banking activities and expanded his business interests, becoming financially involved in railroad enterprises and in mining operations in Colorado. These investments reflected the broader national trends of railroad expansion and western resource development in the late nineteenth century and underscored his continued engagement with economic growth beyond Michigan.

Potter remained active in Kalamazoo’s civic affairs during his later years. He served as a member of the sewer commission from 1880 to 1883, contributing to the planning and construction of modern sanitary infrastructure in the community. He was also treasurer of the State asylum for the insane, a major state institution located in Kalamazoo, where he oversaw financial matters related to its operation. In 1884, following the incorporation of Kalamazoo as a city, he was elected the first mayor of Kalamazoo, marking the culmination of decades of local public service.

Allen Potter died in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on May 8, 1885. He was interred in the City Cemetery in Kalamazoo, leaving a legacy as a prominent businessman, state legislator, congressman, and local official who played a significant role in the political and civic development of his community and region.