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William Sprague (February 23, 1809 – September 19, 1868) was a minister and politician in the U.S. state of Michigan. From 1849 to 1851, he served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Biography

Sprague was born in Providence, Rhode Island, a distant cousin of William Sprague, Governor of Rhode Island. He attended the public schools there, moved to Michigan, and settled in Kalamazoo, where he studied theology and was ordained as a minister. He was presiding elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Kalamazoo district, 1844–1848. Sprague served as United States Indian Agent in Michigan 1852–1853.

Religious leader

In the early 1830s, Sprague was a circuit minister for many communities in central and southwest Michigan. He delivered the first gospel sermon ever given in Van Buren County, Michigan, in the first log cabin which was built in spring 1829. He organized the first Methodist class in Niles in 1832 and was pastor there in 1862 when construction began on a historical Italianate style church building.

In the fall of 1832, Sprague became circuit pastor for Coldwater.

Congress

Sprague defeated incumbent Democrat Charles E. Stuart to be elected as a Whig, though he is sometimes also identified with the Free Soil Party, from Michigan's 2nd District to the Thirty-first Congress, serving March 4, 1849–March 3, 1851. He did not run for re-election.

Retirement and death

He retired to his farm in Oshtemo Township, Kalamazoo County.

He died in Kalamazoo, and was interred in Mountain Home Cemetery.

References

1. "The History of Van Buren County, Michigan :: The Southwest Michigan Directory". Retrieved 2008-02-20.
2. "Michigan Historical Markers". Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
3. "History of Branch County Churches". Archived from the original on 2009-07-29. Retrieved 2008-02-20.

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• The Political Graveyard

v t e Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan
Territory Woodbridge Sibley Richard Wing Biddle Wing Lyon G. Jones At-large Crary J. Howard Kelley Staebler
1st district McClelland Buel Penniman D. Stuart W. Howard Cooper W. Howard Granger Beaman Waldron Field A. S. Williams Newberry Lord Maybury J. L. Chipman Griffin Corliss Lucking Denby Doremus Codd Clancy Sosnowski Clancy Sadowski Tenerowicz Sadowski Machrowicz Nedzi Conyers Stupak Benishek Bergman 2nd district Lyon J. S. Chipman E. Bradley C. Stuart Sprague C. Stuart Noble Waldron Beaman Upson Stoughton Waldron Willits Eldredge Allen Gorman Spalding H. Smith Townsend Wedemeyer Beakes Bacon Beakes Michener Lehr Michener Meader Vivian Esch Pursell Hoekstra Huizenga Moolenaar 3rd district Hunt Bingham J. Conger Clark Walbridge Kellogg Longyear Blair Willard McGowan Lacey O'Donnell Burrows Milnes A. Todd Gardner J. Smith Frankhauser J. Smith A. B. Williams Hooper Kimball Main Shafer Johansen P. Todd G. Brown Wolpe Henry Ehlers Amash Meijer Scholten 4th district H. L. Stevens Peck Leach Trowbridge Kellogg Ferry Foster Burrows Potter Keightley Burrows Yaple Burrows Thomas Hamilton Ketcham Foulkes Hoffman Hutchinson Stockman Siljander Upton Camp Moolenaar Huizenga 5th district Baldwin Trowbridge O. Conger Foster W. Williams Stone Webber Houseman Comstock M. Ford Belknap M. Ford Belknap Richardson W. Smith Diekema Sweet Mapes Jonkman G. Ford Vander Veen Sawyer Henry Barcia D. E. Kildee D. T. Kildee Walberg 6th district Driggs Strickland Sutherland Begole Durand Brewer Spaulding Winans Brewer Stout Aitken S. Smith Kelley Hudson Person Cady Blackney Transue Blackney Clardy Hayworth Chamberlain Carr Dunn Carr Upton Dingell 7th district O. Conger Rich Carleton Whiting Snover Weeks McMorran Cramton Wolcott McIntosh O'Hara Mackie Riegle D. E. Kildee N. Smith Schwarz Walberg Schauer Walberg Slotkin Barrett 8th district N. Bradley Ellsworth Horr Tarsney Bliss Youmans Linton Brucker Fordney Vincent Hart Crawford Bentley Harvey Traxler Carr Chrysler Stabenow Rogers M. Bishop Slotkin Kildee McDonald Rivet 9th district Hubbell Cutcheon H. Wheeler Moon R. Bishop McLaughlin Harry W. Musselwhite Engel Thompson Griffin Vander Jagt D. E. Kildee Knollenberg Peters S. Levin A. Levin McClain 10th district Hatch Fisher F. Wheeler Weadock Crump Aplin Loud Woodruff Loud Currie Woodruff Cederberg Albosta Schuette Camp Bonior Miller Mitchell McClain J. James 11th district Breitung Moffatt Seymour Stephenson Avery Mesick Darragh Dodds Lindquist Scott Bohn P. Brown Luecke F. Bradley Potter Knox Clevenger Ruppe Davis Knollenberg McCotter Curson Bentivolio Trott H. Stevens 12th district Stephenson Shelden Young MacDonald W. F. James Hook Bennett Hook Bennett O'Hara Bonior Levin J. Dingell Jr. D. Dingell Tlaib 13th district Nichols McLeod Brennan McLeod O'Brien McLeod O'Brien Coffin O'Brien Diggs Crockett Collins W. Ford Rivers Kilpatrick Clarke Conyers B. Jones Tlaib Thanedar 14th district Weideman Rabaut Youngblood Rabaut Ryan Nedzi Hertel Conyers Peters Lawrence 15th district J. Dingell Sr. J. Dingell Jr. W. Ford Collins Kilpatrick J. Dingell Jr. 16th district Lesinski Sr. Lesinski Jr. J. Dingell Jr. 17th district Dondero Oakman Griffiths Brodhead Levin 18th district Dondero Broomfield Huber Blanchard Broomfield 19th district Farnum McDonald Broomfield

• 1809 births
• 1868 deaths
• Politicians from Providence, Rhode Island
• Politicians from Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Michigan Free Soilers
• Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan
• Free Soil Party members of the United States House of Representatives
• 19th-century Michigan politicians
• 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives