David Wilber

David Wilber (October 5, 1820 – April 1, 1890) was a United States Representative from New York and a prominent businessman and local official in Otsego County. Born near Quaker Street, a hamlet in Duanesburg, New York, he moved with his parents in childhood to Milford, Otsego County, New York. He attended the common schools and grew up in a rural environment that shaped his later involvement in agriculture and local commerce.

In his early adulthood, Wilber engaged in the lumbering trade, the hop business, and general agricultural pursuits, becoming one of the region’s active entrepreneurs at a time when hops were an important crop in central New York. On January 1, 1845, he married Margaret Belinda Jones. The couple had two sons, David F. Wilber and George I. Wilber, both of whom would be associated with the family’s business and public activities. His growing success in business and his standing in the community led naturally to positions of local responsibility and influence.

Wilber’s public career began at the county level. He served as a member of the board of supervisors of Otsego County in 1858, 1859, 1862, 1865, and 1866, participating in the administration of local government during and immediately after the Civil War. In addition to his political roles, he became involved in regional transportation and finance, serving as a director of the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad and as a director of the Second National Bank of Cooperstown, New York. In 1874 he became president of the Wilber National Bank of Oneonta, a position he held from 1874 until his death in 1890, and through which he played a significant role in the economic development of Oneonta and the surrounding area.

As a member of the Republican Party representing New York, Wilber contributed to the legislative process during four terms in office. He was first elected as a Republican to the Forty-third Congress and served from March 4, 1873, to March 3, 1875. After this initial term in the House of Representatives, he was not a candidate for renomination in 1874 and returned to his business and local interests. He remained an active figure in Republican politics, however, and his standing within the party and his district led to his return to national office.

Wilber was elected again as a Republican to the Forty-sixth Congress and served from March 4, 1879, to March 3, 1881. Once more, he declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1880, choosing instead to focus on his business affairs and party activities. During this period he also served as a delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1880 and 1888, reflecting his influence within the party beyond his own district. In 1886 he moved to Oneonta, New York, where his banking interests were centered and where he would reside for the remainder of his life.

Following his move to Oneonta, Wilber again sought national office and was elected as a Republican to the Fiftieth Congress. This time he was a candidate for renomination and was reelected to the Fifty-first Congress, giving him a total of four terms in the House of Representatives. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, and he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his New York constituents during years marked by post–Civil War economic development and political realignment. Owing to ill health, however, he took the oath of office for his final term at his home and never attended a session of the Fifty-first Congress, effectively limiting his active service in that term.

Wilber’s final years were marked by declining health but continued prominence in Oneonta as a banker and senior Republican figure. He remained president of the Wilber National Bank of Oneonta from 1874 until his death, overseeing its operations and maintaining his role in local economic affairs even as illness curtailed his activities in Washington. He died on April 1, 1890, in Oneonta, New York, while still a member of Congress, placing him among the members of the United States Congress who died in office in the nineteenth century. He was buried in Glenwood Cemetery in Oneonta, where his grave reflects both his local prominence and his long career in business and public service.