Samuel Jones Wilkin

Samuel Jones Wilkin (December 17, 1793 – March 11, 1866) was a United States Representative from New York and a prominent nineteenth-century lawyer and legislator, and was the son of James W. Wilkin, himself a former member of Congress. He was born in Goshen, Orange County, New York, on December 17, 1793, into a family already engaged in public affairs, which helped shape his later career in law and politics.

Wilkin pursued a classical education and attended the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), from which he graduated in 1812. Following his graduation, he returned to New York to study law. After completing his legal training, he was admitted to the bar in 1815 and commenced the practice of law in his native Goshen. His legal practice established him as a respected figure in the community and provided the foundation for his entry into public life.

Wilkin’s political career began at the state level. He was elected to the New York State Assembly as a representative from Orange County, serving in 1824 and 1825. During these years in the Assembly, he participated in the legislative affairs of a rapidly developing state, gaining experience in lawmaking and public administration at a time when New York was expanding its infrastructure and commercial reach.

Building on his state legislative service, Wilkin was elected as an Anti-Jacksonian to the Twenty-second Congress, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1831, to March 3, 1833. As an Anti-Jacksonian, he aligned with the opponents of President Andrew Jackson, reflecting the emerging divisions in national politics that would soon crystallize into the Whig Party. His term in Congress placed him at the center of debates over federal power, economic policy, and internal improvements during a formative period in American political history.

After leaving Congress, Wilkin remained active in New York politics. He became associated with the Whig Party and, in 1844, was an unsuccessful Whig candidate for the office of Lieutenant Governor of New York. Despite this electoral defeat, he continued to hold public office and exert influence in state affairs. He was elected to the New York State Senate from the 9th District, serving in 1848 and 1849, where he participated in legislative deliberations on issues affecting both his district and the state as a whole.

In addition to his legislative roles, Wilkin held an important administrative position related to New York’s transportation infrastructure. In 1850 he served as a state canal appraiser, a post connected to the oversight and valuation of properties and interests associated with New York’s canal system. This work was significant in an era when canals, particularly the Erie Canal, were central to the state’s economic growth and commercial prominence.

Wilkin’s family life was marked by both public service and personal loss. His son, Alexander Wilkin, followed a path of military and public duty and died in the Civil War, a conflict that claimed many lives and deeply affected families across the nation. Samuel Jones Wilkin spent his later years in Goshen, where he had been born and where he had long practiced law and engaged in civic affairs. He died there on March 11, 1866, and was interred in Slate Hill Cemetery, leaving a legacy of service in both state and national government during a transformative period in American history.