John Barney Peterson

John Barney Peterson (July 4, 1850 – July 16, 1944) was a United States Representative from Indiana and a cousin of fellow congressmen Horatio Clifford Claypool and Harold Kile Claypool. He was born near Lowell, Lake County, Indiana, where he attended the local public schools, receiving a basic education that prepared him for a career in the law and public service.

After completing his early schooling, Peterson pursued legal studies and was admitted to the bar in 1870. He commenced the practice of law in Crown Point, Indiana, the county seat of Lake County, where he quickly established himself as a practicing attorney. His legal career developed in tandem with his growing involvement in local affairs, and Crown Point remained his professional and residential base for the rest of his life.

Peterson entered public office as prosecuting attorney of the thirty-first judicial circuit of Indiana, serving from 1880 to 1884. In this role he was responsible for prosecuting criminal cases on behalf of the state, gaining experience in courtroom practice and public administration. His tenure as prosecuting attorney enhanced his reputation in northern Indiana and laid the groundwork for his later political career.

A member of the Democratic Party, Peterson was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat to the Sixty-third Congress, serving from March 4, 1913, to March 3, 1915. Representing an Indiana district during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson, he participated in the legislative work of a Congress that addressed significant national issues of the Progressive Era. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1914 to the Sixty-fourth Congress, and his service in the House concluded after a single term.

Following his departure from Congress, Peterson resumed the practice of law in Crown Point, Indiana. In addition to his legal work, he became active in the region’s financial sector. He engaged in banking and served as president of the Commercial Bank of Crown Point, Indiana. He also held the presidency of the First Calumet Trust & Savings Bank of East Chicago, Indiana, reflecting his prominence in business and financial circles in Lake County and the surrounding area. He continued in these banking roles until 1939, when he retired from active professional life.

Peterson spent his later years in Crown Point. He died there on July 16, 1944, at the age of ninety-four. He was interred in Maplewood Cemetery in Crown Point, Indiana, closing a long life marked by service as an attorney, local prosecutor, banker, and member of the United States House of Representatives.