Eleazar Wheelock Ripley (1782-1839), brother of James Wheelock Ripley, was born in Hanover, N.H., April 15, 1782, was a U. S. Representative from Louisiana. He was graduated from Dartmouth College in 1800, studied law, and was admitted to the bar.

Ripley began his law practice in Waterville. He was a member from Maine of the Massachusetts house of Representatives in 1807 and 1811, and served as speaker during the last term.  He was living in the District of Maine, since this was before statehood. He moved to Portland in 1812 and became a member, from Maine, of the Massachusetts Senate.

He served in the War of 1812, being commissioned lieutenant colonel of the Twenty-first Infantry March 12, 1812.  Ripley was made a full colonel March 12, 1813, a brigadier general April 15, 1814, and major general on July 25, 1814.

By a resolution of Congress dated November 3, 1814, Eleazar Ripley was presented a gold medal in honor of his military service. He resigned from the Army February 1, 1820, and settled in Jackson, Louisiana, where he resumed the private practice of law.

Continuing his political career, Ripley became a member of the Louisiana State Senate. He then was elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-fourth Congress and was reelected as a Democrat to the Twenty-fifth Congress (March 4, 1835-March 2, 1839).

Ripley died on March 2, 1839, in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, with interment in a private cemetery at St. Francisville.

Additional resources

The town of Ripley was named for Eleazar Ripley, though he never lived there. The name was apparently in honor of the distinguished service in the War of 1812.

Source: Brian McCauley. The Names of Maine.  Acadia Press, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Congressional Biography of Eleazar W. Ripley: https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=R000265  (accessed December 24, 2020)

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