Orange Ferriss was born on November 26, 1814, in Glens Falls, New York, to John and Hannah Ferriss. His father was a hotel keeper and postmaster. He attended the University of Vermont, and he was admitted to the New York bar in 1840. He lived in Glens Falls, and he held a series of local offices. He served as a justice of the peace, an inspector of public schools, and a corporation clerk.

 

He supported the Whig Party, and in 1845, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for a seat in the state legislature. By 1850, he owned $200 of real estate. He married Amelia Martin on June 22, 1853, and their daughter Amelia was born on May 15, 1854. His wife, however, died on September 7, 1854. He married Cornelia Wing Carpenter on May 22, 1860, and their son Louis was born around 1864. By 1860, he owned $3,000 of real estate and $2,000 of personal property. He became a Republican in the 1850s, and he served in Congress from 1867 until 1871. He spent the next six years as a member of the Southern Claims Commission. He became Second Auditor of the Treasury in May 1880, and he held the position until June 19, 1885. He returned to Glens Falls, and he died there on April 11, 1894.

 

Image: Orange Ferriss (courtesy Wikicommons)

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