Pennsylvania's 25th congressional district

Pennsylvania's 25th congressional district was one of Pennsylvania's districts of the United States House of Representatives.

Geography

In 1903 the district was drawn to cover Crawford and Erie counties, which had been its original area 60 years earlier.

The district was again moved in 1922. At this time it was redrawn to cover Washington and Greene counties.[1]

In 1942 the boundaries of the district were redrawn without actually moving it for the first time. Greene County was transferred to the 24th District while parts of Allegheny County south and west of down-town Pittsburgh were moved to the 25th District. In 1944 the district boundaries were totally redrawn. It now consisted of Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties. These boundaries were then redrawn in 1972, with a small strip of northern Allegheny County being put in the 25th district.[2]

The district was eliminated in 1983.

Demographics

In 1902 the district was drawn to cover an area with a population of 162,116. Only 4 of Pennsylvania's 30 districts had fewer people at this point. Some Pennsylvania districts had over 250,000 people at this point. 0.4% of the population of what would be the 25th district in 1902 was black in 1900.[3]

History

This district was created in 1833. In 1853, it consisted of Crawford County, Pennsylvania and Erie County, Pennsylvania at this point. The district had a population of 76,591.[4]

It was eliminated in 1863. This district was recreated in 1873. The district was held at-large until 1875. In 1875 it was made a geographical district covering Forest County, Pennsylvania, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania and Indiana County, Pennsylvania. It had a population of 131,663.[5] In 1888 Pennsylvania congressional districts were redrawn because there was a decision to make Pennsylvania's 28th congressional district a geographical district and end its election at large. The 25th district was shifted to cover Butler County, Pennsylvania, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and Mercer County, Pennsylvania.[6] These would remain the boundaries until 1912.

The district was eliminated in 1983.

List of members representing the district

Member	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
District created in 1833
John Gailbraith	Jacksonian	March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1837	23rd 24th	[data unknown/missing]
Arnold Plumer	Democratic	March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839	25th	[data unknown/missing]
John Gailbraith	Democratic	March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841	26th	[data unknown/missing]
Arnold Plumer	Democratic	March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843	27th	[data unknown/missing]
District eliminated in 1843, District recreated in 1853
John Dick	Whig	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855	33rd 34th 35th	[data unknown/missing]
	Opposition	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857
	Republican	March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1859
Elijah Babbitt	Republican	March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1863	36th 37th	[data unknown/missing]
District eliminated in 1863, District recreated in 1875
George A. Jenks	Democratic	March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877	44th	[data unknown/missing]
Harry White	Republican	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881	45th 46th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
James Mosgrove	Greenback	March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883	47th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
John D. Patton	Democratic	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885	48th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Alexander C. White	Republican	March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1887	49th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
James T. Maffett	Republican	March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889	50th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Charles C. Townsend	Republican	March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1891	51st	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Eugene P. Gillespie	Democratic	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893	52nd	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Thomas W. Phillips	Republican	March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897	53rd 54th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Vacant		March 4, 1897 – April 20, 1897	55th	James J. Davidson was elected in 1896 but died on January 2, 1897.
Joseph B. Showalter	Republican	April 20, 1897 – March 3, 1903	55th 56th 57th	Elected to finish Davidson's term. Retired.
Arthur L. Bates	Republican	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1913	58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd	Redistricted from the 26th district and retired.
Milton W. Shreve	Republican	March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915	63rd	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Michael Liebel Jr.	Democratic	March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1917	64th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Henry A. Clark	Republican	March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1919	65th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Milton W. Shreve	Republican	March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1923	66th 67th	[data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the 29th district.
Henry W. Temple	Republican	March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1933	68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd	Redistricted from the 24th district. Lost re-election.
Charles I. Faddis	Democratic	March 4, 1933 – December 4, 1942	73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th	[data unknown/missing] Lost renomination. Resigned to join the United States Army.
Vacant		December 4, 1942 – January 3, 1943	77th
Grant Furlong	Democratic	January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945	78th	[data unknown/missing] Lost renomination.
Louis E. Graham	Republican	January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1955	79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd	Redistricted from the 26th district. Lost re-election.
Frank M. Clark	Democratic	January 3, 1955 – December 31, 1974	84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Vacant		December 31, 1974 – January 3, 1975	93rd
Gary A. Myers	Republican	January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1979	94th 95th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Eugene Atkinson	Democratic	January 3, 1979 – October 14, 1981	96th 97th	[data unknown/missing]
	Republican	October 14, 1981 – January 3, 1983
District eliminated in 1983

References

1. Martis, Kenneth C. Historical Atlas of Political Parties in Congress. (New York: Macmillan, 1989) p. 177
2. Martis. Historical Atlas. p. 227
3. Parsons. Congressional Districts p. 407
4. Parsons, Stanley B., William W. Beach and Michael J. Dubin United States Congressional Districts and Data, 1843-1883 (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1986) p. 82
5. Parsons. Congressional Districts and Data. p. 210
6. Parsons, Stanley B., Michale J. Dubin and Karen Toombs Parsons. United States Congressional Districts, 1883-1913. (Westwood: Greenwood Press, 1990) p. 136