12th Minnesota Legislature
# 12th Minnesota Legislature

The twelfth Minnesota Legislature first convened on January 4, 1870. The 11 members of the Minnesota Senate who represented even-numbered districts were chosen in the General Election of November 3, 1868, while the 11 members of the Minnesota Senate who represented odd-numbered districts, and the 47 members of the Minnesota House of Representatives, were chosen in the General Election of November 2, 1869.

## Sessions

The legislature met in a regular session from January 4, 1870 to March 4, 1870. There were no special sessions of the 12th Minnesota Legislature.

## Party summary

### Senate

| | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | Vacant |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Dem. | Ind. | Rep. | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous Legislature | 6 | 0 | 16 | 22 | 0 |
| Begin | 8 | 0 | 14 | 22 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 36% | 0% | 64% | | |
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 8 | 2 | 12 | 22 | 0 |

### House of Representatives

| | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | Vacant |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Dem. | Ind. | Rep. | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous Legislature | 9 | 0 | 38 | 47 | 0 |
| Begin | 18 | 0 | 29 | 47 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 38% | 0% | 62% | | |
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 12 | 2 | 33 | 47 | 0 |

## Leadership

### Senate

**Lieutenant Governor**


    William H. Yale (R-Winona)

### House of Representatives

**Speaker of the House**


    John L. Merriam (R-Saint Paul)

## Members

### Senate

| Name | District | City | Party |
| - | - | - | - |
| Batchelder, George Washington | 08 | Faribault | Republican |
| Baxter, Luther Loren | 21 | Chaska | Democratic |
| Becker, George Loomis | 01 | Saint Paul | Democratic |
| Buck, Cornelius F. | 11 | Winona | Democratic |
| Buell, David L. | 13 | Caledonia | Democratic |
| Castle, James Nathan | 02 | Stillwater | Democratic |
| Chewning, Reuben J. | 07 | Farmington | Democratic |
| Crooker, Josiah B. | 16 | Owatonna | Republican |
| Henry, William | 18 | Belle Plaine | Democratic |
| Hill, Charles | 09 | Pine Island | Republican |
| Jackson, W. S. | 10 | Wabasha | Republican |
| King, Dana E. | 06 | Greenleaf | Republican |
| Latimer, Jacob A. | 20 | Winnebago City | Republican |
| Leonard, Joseph A. | 12 | Rochester | Republican |
| Lochren, William | 04 | Saint Anthony | Democratic |
| Lord, Samuel | 15 | Mantorville | Republican |
| Pettit, Curtis H. | 05 | Minneapolis | Republican |
| Pfaender, William | 19 | New Ulm | Republican |
| Smith, Benjamin F. | 17 | Castle Garden | Republican |
| Smith, Edson R. | 22 | Le Sueur | Republican |
| Sprague, Benjamin D. | 14 | Rushford | Republican |
| Waite, Henry Chester | 03 | Saint Cloud | Republican |

### House of Representatives

| Name | District | City | Party |
| - | - | - | - |
| Abbott, B. | 06 | Harrison | Republican |
| Barton, William | 14 | Lenora | Republican |
| Bratrud, Ole C. | 14 | Preston | Republican |
| Brown, Hosmer A. | 15 | Mower City | Republican |
| John Bullen | 11 | Elba | Democratic |
| Cameron, Sr., George Mansfield | 15 | Austin | Democratic |
| Canfield, S. G. | 14 | Canfield | Democratic |
| Close, William | 08 | Dodge City | Republican |
| Cool, John M. | 11 | Saint Charles | Democratic |
| Couplin, William L. | 19 | Saint Peter | Republican |
| Crandall, R. | 17 | Shelbyville | Republican |
| Cullen, J. K. | 21 | Watertown | Democratic |
| Densmore, Sr., Orin | 09 | Red Wing | Republican |
| Drought, Henry | 08 | Dundas | Republican |
| Faber, Paul | 01 | Saint Paul | Democratic |
| Flannegan, John H. | 07 | Hastings | Democratic |
| Fowler, Andrew J. | 10 | Lake City | Democratic |
| Fridley, Abram McCormick | 04 | Becker | Democratic |
| Gage, John | 10 | Minneiska | Republican |
| Gilman, John M. | 01 | Saint Paul | Democratic |
| Graham, S. W. | 12 | Eyota | Republican |
| Hall, Albert R. | 05 | Dayton | Republican |
| Jones, William | 07 | Hastings | Democratic |
| Larson, B. S. | 12 | Byron | Republican |
| Lowell, William | 02 | Marine | Republican |
| MacDonald, John Louis | 18 | Shakopee | Democratic |
| Meagher, John F. | 17 | Mankato | Democratic |
| Merriam, John L. | 01 | Saint Paul | Republican |
| Miller, John | 09 | Wastedo | Republican |
| Norris, James S. | 02 | Cottage Grove | Democratic |
| Pfaar, John A. | 22 | Le Sueur | Democratic |
| Potter, William E. | 13 | La Crescent | Republican |
| Pound, Joseph H. | 05 | Richfield | Democratic |
| Reed, Axel Hayford | 06 | Glencoe | Republican |
| Rice, E. A. | 05 | Minneapolis | Republican |
| Ruliffson, H. W. | 16 | Cooleyville | Republican |
| Scanlan, M. | 14 | Lanesboro | Democratic |
| Shanks, Michael E.L. | 20 | Fairmont | Republican |
| Slocum, Giles | 09 | Cannon Falls | Republican |
| Stewart, Charles N. | 12 | Stewartville | Republican |
| Swift, P. H. | 19 | Beaver Falls | Republican |
| Thorson, Isaac | 03 | Gilchrist | Republican |
| Vance, Nathan | 13 | Money Creek | Republican |
| Waterman, Chauncey N. | 11 | Winona | Republican |
| Wedge, Albert Clark | 16 | Albert Lea | Republican |
| Wilson, John L. | 03 | Saint Cloud | Democratic |
| Young, William C. | 16 | Waseca | Republican |
