An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893

J.W. SPRIGGS, United States Commissioner of Washington, and resident of Seattle,
was born in Noble county, Ohio, February 9, 1847. His parents, M.D. and
Katherine (Pool) Spriggs, were natives of Pennsylvania, but after marriage
located in Ohio and later in Illinois, Mr. Spriggs continuing an agricultural
life. J.W. Spriggs was reared upon the farm and attended the common schools up
to his seventeenth year, when he began teaching and thus paid his way while
pursuing the higher branches of study at the high school at Senecaville. He
studied law with his brother, J.P. Spriggs, at Woodfield, and was admitted to
the bar in the fall of 1869. He then removed to Clay city, Clay county,
Illinois, as principal of the high school, filling that position for two years,
when he located at Xenia, Illinois, engaged in the practice of law and was
subsequently elected City Attorney. In 1875 he entered the ministry of the
Christian Church, influenced by the spirit to proclaim the principles of divine
truth as understood by that denomination, and in churches of Xenia, Pekin,
Williamsville, Minier and Washington was engaged until the spring of 1882, when
he was assigned to the church in Salem, Oregon, and was there located until
1885, when he again engaged in the practice of law, forming a copartnership
under the firm name of Pawne, Richardson & Spriggs. Mr. Dawne was subsequently
appointed United States District Judge of Alaska, and Mr. Richardson became City
Attorney of Salem. In 1888 Mr. Spriggs removed to Seattle and spent two years in
the offices of County Auditor and United States Marshal. In 1889 he returned to
his profession, and in 1890 was appointed United States Commissioner by the
United States Circuit Court, and since has given his attention to the duties of
that office, the references of the District Court and Admiralty proceedings
occupying much of his time. He was married in Xenia, Illinois, in 1871, to Miss
Kate Gibson, of Indiana. They have had six children, five of whom survive:
Winifred, now Mrs. Irwin Watson, of Portland; Florence, Lotta, Edna and Imo.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in January 2004 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.