The Biographical Dictionary of America/Baldwin, Augustus Carpenter

BALDWIN, Augustus Carpenter, jurist, was born at Salina, Onondaga county, N. Y., Dec. 24, 1817. He removed to Michigan when that state was admitted to the union in 1837, and went immediately to Oakland county, where for the next five years he taught school and studied law, history and general literature. He was admitted to the bar in 1842 and established himself in his profession at Milford, Oakland county, but his growing practice required his presence at the county seat, and in 1849 he removed to Pontiac, where he afterwards resided. He was elected to the house of representatives of the state in 1843 and 1845, serving as speaker pro tempore in 1846. In 1862 he was chosen a representative to the 38th Congress as a Democrat and favored the adoption of the Thirteenth amendment to the constitution abolishing slavery. He was mayor of Pontiac in 1874, and from 1868 to 1886, was a member of the board of education of that city. In 1875 he was elected judge of the sixth judicial circuit of Michigan for the full term of six years. He pre sided for four years of his term, when he resigned and returned to his regular practice at the bar. Judge Baldwin was a delegate to the national Democratic convention at Charleston and Baltimore in 1860, delegate-at-large to the Chicago convention in 1864, delegate to the national peace convention in Philadelphia in 1860, and at different times a member of the Democratic state central committee. He was made a trustee of the Eastern Michigan asylum at Pontiac for the term expiring Jan. 1, 1899.