George Armstrong Halsey

George Armstrong Halsey (December 7, 1827 – April 1, 1894) was a 19th-century American Republican Party politician and leather manufacturer from New Jersey, who served two non-consecutive terms representing New Jersey’s 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he contributed to the legislative process during two terms in office, serving in Congress from 1867 to 1869 and again from 1871 to 1873, during a significant period in American history following the Civil War.

Halsey was born on December 7, 1827, in Springfield Township, New Jersey, to Samuel Halsey and Mary Halsey (née Hutchings). He attended local schools in his native community and later pursued further studies at Springfield Academy. His early education in New Jersey’s local institutions prepared him for both a career in business and later public service.

In 1840, Halsey moved with his family to Newark, New Jersey, where his father engaged in the leather business. Immersed in this trade from a young age, Halsey entered the family firm in 1846 at the age of nineteen. The business, known as Samuel Halsey & Sons, continued to operate under that name even after his father’s death, reflecting both the continuity of the enterprise and Halsey’s growing role as a leather manufacturer. His success in this industry established him as a prominent figure in Newark’s commercial life and provided the foundation for his entry into politics.

Halsey’s political career began at the state level. He served as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly in 1861 and 1862, a period coinciding with the opening years of the Civil War. From 1862 to 1866, he held federal office as United States assessor of internal revenue, administering aspects of the wartime and postwar revenue system. During this time he was offered, but declined, the post of Register of the Treasury, indicating the regard in which he was held in federal financial and administrative circles.

Building on his state legislative experience and federal revenue service, Halsey was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives in 1866, representing New Jersey’s 5th congressional district. He served his first term from March 4, 1867, to March 3, 1869, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents during the Reconstruction era. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1868, but remained active in public affairs and the Republican Party.

Halsey returned to Congress after winning election again in 1870, serving his second, non-consecutive term from March 4, 1871, to March 3, 1873. During this period he held a significant leadership role as chairman of the House Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds from 1871 to 1873, overseeing matters related to federal construction and property. He chose not to be a candidate for renomination in 1872, thereby concluding his congressional service after two distinct terms that spanned critical years of national reconstruction and development.

After leaving Congress, Halsey resumed his former manufacturing pursuits in the leather industry in Newark. In addition to his continued involvement in business, he also served as president of an insurance company, further extending his influence in the commercial and financial life of the city. His post-congressional career reflected a return to the private sector while maintaining the stature he had gained through public service.

George Armstrong Halsey died in Newark, New Jersey, on April 1, 1894, of pneumonia. His funeral was attended by a large number of prominent men, including United States Senator James Smith Jr. and many state political leaders, underscoring the respect he commanded in both political and business circles. He was interred in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Newark, New Jersey, where his career as a manufacturer, state legislator, federal revenue official, and two-term Republican representative from New Jersey’s 5th congressional district is remembered as part of the state’s 19th-century political history.