# 13th Minnesota Legislature

The thirteenth Minnesota Legislature first convened on January 3, 1871. The 11 members of the Minnesota Senate who represented odd-numbered districts were chosen in the General Election of November 2, 1869, while the 11 members of the Minnesota Senate who represented even-numbered districts, and the 47 members of the Minnesota House of Representatives, were chosen in the General Election of November 8, 1870.

## Sessions

The legislature met in a regular session from January 3, 1871 to March 3, 1871. There were no special sessions of the 13th Minnesota Legislature.

## Party summary
### Senate

| | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | Vacant |
| | Dem. | Ind. | Rep. | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous Legislature | 8 | 0 | 14 | 22 | 0 |
| Begin | 8 | 2 | 12 | 22 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 36% | 9% | 55% | | |
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 10 | 0 | 31 | 41 | 0 |

### House of Representatives

| | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | Vacant |
| | Dem. | Ind. | Rep. | Total | Vacant |
| End of previous Legislature | 18 | 0 | 29 | 47 | 0 |
| Begin | 12 | 2 | 33 | 47 | 0 |
| February 7, 1871 | 13 | 2 | 32 | 47 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 28% | 4% | 68% | | |
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 36 | 0 | 70 | 106 | 0 |

## Leadership
### Senate
#### Lieutenant Governor

    William H. Yale (R-Winona)

### House of Representatives
#### Speaker of the House

    John L. Merriam (R-Saint Paul)

## Members
### Senate

| Name | District | City | Party |
| Baxter, Luther Loren | 21 | Chaska | Democratic |
| Becker, George Loomis | 01 | Saint Paul | Democratic |
| Bonniwell Jr., William T. | 06 | Hutchinson | Independent |
| Buck, Cornelius F. | 11 | Winona | Democratic |
| Buell, David L. | 13 | Caledonia | Democratic |
| Case, John Higley | 08 | Faribault | Republican |
| Chewning, Reuben J. | 07 | Farmington | Democratic |
| Doran, Michael | 22 | Le Sueur | Democratic |
| Farmer, John Quincy | 14 | Spring Valley | Republican |
| Hill, Charles | 09 | Pine Island | Republican |
| Hodges, Leonard B. | 12 | Oronoco | Democratic |
| Lord, Samuel | 15 | Mantorville | Republican |
| MacDonald, John Louis | 18 | Shakopee | Democratic |
| Pettit, Curtis H. | 05 | Minneapolis | Republican |
| Pfaender, William | 19 | New Ulm | Republican |
| Pillsbury, John Sargent | 04 | Saint Anthony | Republican |
| Sabin, Dwight May | 02 | Stillwater | Republican |
| Smith, Benjamin F. | 17 | Castle Garden | Republican |
| Tefft, Nathaniel S. | 10 | Plainview | Independent |
| Thompson, Clark W. | 20 | Wells | Republican |
| Waite, Henry Chester | 03 | Saint Cloud | Republican |
| Whallon, George W. | 20 | Unknown | Republican |
| Young, William C. | 16 | Waseca | Republican |

### House of Representatives

| Name | District | City | Party |
| Atwater, J. E. | 14 | Rushford | Republican |
| Barton, Ara | 08 | Northfield | Democratic |
| Brisbane, William | 16 | Wilton | Democratic |
| Bullis, L. H. | 22 | Waterville | Democratic |
| Chamberlain, George C. | 20 | Jackson | Republican |
| Colburn, Nathan Pierce | 14 | Preston | Republican |
| Collier, F. J. | 10 | Wabasha | Independent |
| Cool, John M. | 11 | Saint Charles | Democratic |
| Couplin, William L. | 19 | Saint Peter | Republican |
| Davis, F. B. | 16 | Owatonna | Republican |
| Densmore, Sr., Orin | 09 | Red Wing | Republican |
| Eyre, Daniel E. | 07 | Hastings | Republican |
| Flannegan, John H. | 07 | Rich Valley | Democratic |
| Flood, J. A.C. | 21 | Watertown | Republican |
| Fowler, Andrew J. | 10 | Lake City | Independent |
| Fridley, Abram McCormick | 04 | Becker | Democratic |
| Gilbertson, Teman | 13 | Spring Grove | Republican |
| Greenleaf, William Henry | 06 | Greenleaf | Republican |
| Griswold, Henry S. | 14 | Chatfield | Republican |
| Hall, Albert R. | 05 | Dayton | Republican |
| Haskell, Joseph | 02 | Afton | Republican |
| Honner, J. S.G. | 19 | Beaver Falls | Republican |
| Hubbell, James B. | 17 | Mankato | Republican |
| Hyde, Sam Y. | 11 | Saint Charles | Republican |
| Jackson, A. P. | 09 | Hader | Republican |
| Johnson, Tosten | 13 | Spring Grove | Republican |
| Jones, Richard A. | 12 | Rochester | Democratic |
| Marvin, Luke | 03 | Duluth | Republican |
| Meagher, John F. | 17 | Mankato | Democratic |
| Merriam, John L. | 01 | Saint Paul | Republican |
| Moore, William S. | 03 | Saint Cloud | Democratic |
| Page, Harlan W. | 15 | Austin | Republican |
| Patchen, A. L. | 20 | Unknown | Democratic |
| Pearson, Trued G. | 09 | Red Wing | Republican |
| Phelps, Thomas W. | 12 | Marion | Republican |
| Platt, Henry | 08 | Warsaw | Republican |
| Railson, Andrew | 06 | Norway Lake | Republican |
| Sencerbox, W. V. | 18 | Shakopee | Democratic |
| Sibley, Henry Hastings | 01 | Saint Paul | Democratic |
| Somerville, William | 12 | Eyota | Republican |
| Stahlman, Christopher | 01 | Saint Paul | Democratic |
| Stannard, Lucius K. | 02 | Taylors Falls | Republican |
| Telfer, W. G. | 15 | Le Roy | Republican |
| Underwood, A. J. | 05 | Long Lake | Republican |
| Valder, Hans | 14 | Newburg | Republican |
| Vale, J. Q. A. | 11 | Homer | Republican |
| Washburn, Sr., William Drew | 05 | Minneapolis | Republican |
| Wedge, Albert Clark | 16 | Albert Lea | Republican |

## Membership changes
### Senate

| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date successor seated |
| 20 | George W. Whallon (R) | Although Whallon was initially seated when the session began, the seat was contested by Thompson. On January 31, 1871, the Senate determined that Thompson was entitled to the seat. | Clark W. Thompson (R) | January 31, 1871 |

### House of Representatives

| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date successor seated |
| 20 | George C. Chamberlain (R) | Although Chamberlain was initially seated when the session began, the seat was contested by Patchen. On February 7, 1871, after having uncovered evidence of gross election fraud on the part of Chamberlain, the House of Representatives determined that Patchen was entitled to the seat. | A. L. Patchen (D) | February 7, 1871 |