John Marshall Hagans

John Marshall Hagans (August 13, 1838 – June 17, 1900) was a nineteenth-century politician, lawyer, and judge from Virginia and West Virginia. He was born in Brandonville, Virginia (now Brandonville, West Virginia), and spent his early years in what was then western Virginia. He attended the public schools as a child, receiving a basic formal education that prepared him for the study of law. In the late 1850s he read law in the traditional manner, and in 1859 he was admitted to the bar. Shortly thereafter, he commenced the practice of law in Morgantown, then part of Virginia and later part of the newly formed state of West Virginia.

Hagans quickly became a prominent figure in local legal and civic affairs. During the Civil War era and Reconstruction, he was elected prosecuting attorney for Monongalia County, West Virginia, in 1862, 1863, 1864, and again in 1870, reflecting sustained public confidence in his legal abilities and judgment. In addition to his prosecutorial duties, he served as law reporter for the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia from 1864 to 1873, a role in which he was responsible for compiling and reporting the court’s decisions, thereby contributing to the development and clarification of the state’s jurisprudence. He also held municipal office as mayor of Morgantown, West Virginia, in 1866, 1867, and 1869, helping to guide the community through the immediate postwar years.

Hagans played a role in shaping the legal and political framework of the new state of West Virginia. He was a member of the West Virginia Constitutional Convention, participating in the deliberations that helped define the structure and powers of the state government during its formative period. His work at the convention, combined with his service as a county prosecutor, law reporter, and mayor, established him as a leading Republican figure in northern West Virginia and prepared him for higher office.

As a member of the Republican Party representing West Virginia, John Marshall Hagans contributed to the legislative process during one term in the United States Congress. He was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives in 1872 and served a single term from 1873 to 1875. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, in the later years of Reconstruction, when issues of national reconciliation, civil rights, and economic development were central to federal policy. In this capacity he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his West Virginia constituents at the national level. He was unsuccessful in his bid for reelection, ending his congressional service after that term.

After leaving Congress, Hagans remained active in state politics and public service. He served as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from 1879 to 1883, where he continued to influence legislation affecting the state’s legal system, infrastructure, and postwar development. His legislative work in Charleston complemented his earlier and later judicial and legal roles, reinforcing his reputation as an experienced lawyer-legislator in the Republican Party.

Hagans’s judicial career culminated in his election as judge of the second judicial circuit of West Virginia in 1888. He held this position from 1888 until his death in 1900, presiding over a broad range of civil and criminal matters during a period of economic and social change in the state. His long tenure on the bench reflected both his legal expertise and the confidence placed in him by the electorate and the legal community.

In his personal and civic life, Hagans also left a mark on the identity of his community. He had a daughter, Lillie B. Hagans, his middle child, with whom he collaborated in designing the coat of arms of Morgantown, West Virginia, around 1885 for the city’s bicentennial. This emblem, created by father and daughter, was adopted by the city and remained in use until 2023, providing a lasting visual symbol of Morgantown’s heritage and of the Hagans family’s contribution to local civic culture.

John Marshall Hagans died in Morgantown, West Virginia, on June 17, 1900, while still serving as judge of the second judicial circuit. He was interred in Oak Grove Cemetery in Morgantown. His career as attorney, law reporter, mayor, constitutional convention delegate, state legislator, member of Congress, and circuit judge reflected the broader political and legal transformations of Virginia and West Virginia in the nineteenth century and secured him a place in the public life of his state.