James Alexander Daugherty

James Alexander Daugherty (August 30, 1847 – January 26, 1920) was an American politician, jurist, and businessman who served as a Democratic U.S. Representative and state judge from southwest Missouri. He represented Missouri in the United States House of Representatives for one term from 1911 to 1913, during a significant period in American political and economic development, and was also long active in local government and civic affairs in Jasper County.

Daugherty was born in Athens, McMinn County, Tennessee, on August 30, 1847. In 1867 he moved with his parents to Missouri, where the family settled near Carterville in Jasper County. Coming of age in the post–Civil War era, he became closely identified with the development of his adopted community. As an adult he was active in civic enterprises at both the state and county levels, reflecting an early and sustained engagement with public life in southwest Missouri.

Before entering elective office, Daugherty worked in farming, stock raising, and mining, occupations that were central to the economy of Jasper County in the late nineteenth century. He assisted in developing the lead and zinc fields of Missouri, industries that helped transform the region into an important mining center. His involvement in these enterprises gave him practical experience in business and land use that later informed his public service, particularly in matters affecting local infrastructure, economic development, and resource management.

Daugherty’s formal public career began in county government. From 1890 to 1892 he served as associate judge for the western district of Jasper County, Missouri. He then became the presiding judge of Jasper County, holding that position from 1892 to 1896. In these judicial and administrative roles he exercised significant authority over county affairs, including oversight of local courts and public expenditures, and he gained a reputation as a leading figure in the civic life of the county.

In 1897 Daugherty advanced to state-level office as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives. A Democrat, he participated in the legislative process in Jefferson City at a time when Missouri was grappling with issues of industrial growth, transportation, and rural interests. Building on this experience, he was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-second Congress and served as a Representative from Missouri in the United States Congress from March 4, 1911, to March 3, 1913. During his single term in the U.S. House of Representatives, he contributed to the legislative process and represented the interests of his southwest Missouri constituents in a period marked by progressive-era reforms and debates over tariffs, banking, and regulation. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1912, which ended his brief tenure in national office.

Alongside his political and judicial work, Daugherty maintained a prominent role in local finance and business. He served as president of the First National Bank of Carterville from 1907 until his death in 1920, a position that placed him at the center of the community’s commercial and financial life. His leadership in banking complemented his earlier experience in agriculture and mining, and reinforced his status as a key figure in the economic development of Carterville and the surrounding area.

In his later years, Daugherty returned to county office. He was reappointed presiding judge of Jasper County on May 17, 1919, resuming the role he had held decades earlier. He continued in this capacity until his death, underscoring his long-standing commitment to local governance and public service. Daugherty died in Carterville, Jasper County, Missouri, on January 26, 1920. He was interred in Webb City Cemetery in Webb City, Missouri, where his large dark granite memorial stone stands near the main entrance of the cemetery. His family connections included his niece, Leila Denmark, who became a noted pediatrician and supercentenarian.