John Avery (politician)

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John Avery
From 1896's An Illustrated Congressional Manual.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 11th district
In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897
Preceded by	Samuel M. Stephenson
Succeeded by	William S. Mesick
Member of the Michigan Board of Health
In office 1880–1893
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
In office 1869–1870
Personal details
Born	(1824-02-29)February 29, 1824 Watertown, New York, US
Died	January 21, 1914(1914-01-21) (aged 89) Greenville, Michigan, US
Resting place	Forest Home Cemetery Greenville, Michigan
Alma mater	Cleveland Medical College
Profession	Physician
Military service
Allegiance	United States (Union)
Branch/service	Union Army
Years of service	1862-1865
Rank	Major (Surgeon)
Unit	21st Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	March to the Sea Carolinas Campaign

John Avery (February 29, 1824 – January 21, 1914) was a physician and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He served two terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1893 to 1897.

Avery was born in Watertown, New York, and moved with his parents to Michigan in 1836. He attended the common schools and entered Grass Lake Academy in Jackson, where he studied medicine for two years. He graduated from the Cleveland Medical College in 1850 and commenced the practice of medicine in Ionia, Michigan. He then moved to Otsego, Michigan, in 1852 and continued the practice of his profession.^[1]

During the American Civil War, he was assistant surgeon and surgeon of the Twenty-first Regiment, Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He served in the Army of the Cumberland in Kentucky and Tennessee and was with General William Tecumseh Sherman on his March to the Sea, as well as during the subsequent Carolinas Campaign.^[1]

He settled in Greenville, Michigan, in 1868 and again engaged in the practice of medicine. He was a member of the Michigan State House of Representatives in 1869 and 1870. He was appointed a member of the State Board of Health in 1880 and was reappointed in 1886.

Avery was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives for the Fifty-third and Fifty-fourth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1893, to March 3, 1897. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1896.^[1]

After leaving Congress, Avery went back to Greenville and returned to the practice of medicine. He died at the age of eighty-nine and was interred at Forest Home Cemetery of Greenville.^[1]

• United States Congress. "John Avery (id: A000346)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
•  Johnson, Rossiter, ed. (1906). "Avery, John". The Biographical Dictionary of America. Vol. 1. Boston: American Biographical Society. p. 169.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
• The Political Graveyard
• 21st Michigan Volunteer Infantry Page on Avery