Jo Hamilton (politician)

Jo Hamilton (April 7, 1827 – August 4, 1904) was a California lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General of California from 1867 to 1871 and again from 1875 to 1880[1] He also served as Trustee of the State Library, 1874–82.

Jo Hamilton
District Attorney of Placer County, California
In office
1860–1860
In office
1862–1862
10th & 12th Attorney General of California
In office
December 9, 1875 – January 8, 1880
GovernorWilliam Irwin
Preceded byJohn Lord Love
Succeeded byAugustus L. Hart
In office
December 5, 1867 – December 8, 1871
GovernorHenry Huntly Haight
Preceded byJohn G. McCullough
Succeeded byJohn Lord Love
Personal details
Born(1827-04-07)April 7, 1827
Barren County, Kentucky, U.S.
DiedAugust 4, 1904(1904-08-04) (aged 77)
Auburn, California, U.S.
Spouse
Nancy Blair
​
(m. 1849)​
Children5
OccupationLawyer and politician

Hamilton was born in Barren County, Kentucky[2] and came to California in 1859 after being admitted to the bar in Georgia.[3][4][5] Upon his arrival in California, Hamilton worked in the mines for a short time and initially practiced law at Yankee Jims, California.[5] A pioneering lawyer of Placer County, California, Hamilton served as District Attorney in 1860 and again 1862. He was listed as a leading Democrat of California and was one of the best known lawyers of his time.[6] After retiring, he continued to practice law in Auburn, Placer County.[7] Jo Hamilton died at his home in Auburn on August 4, 1904.[8][4]

Hamilton was married in 1849 to Nancy Blair, a native of Tennessee. They had five children. His wife, Nancy Hamilton, died just over a month following his death, on September 20, 1904.[3] His son, George W. Hamilton, was a member of the California State Assembly for Placer County from 1893 to 1895.[5]

References
  1. Sacramento County and Its Resources: Our Capital City, Past and Present : a Souvenir of the Bee, page 149, 1895, J. McClatchy & Company,
  3. "Again Bereaved". Woodland Daily Democrat. September 21, 1904. p. 1. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  4. "Jo Hamilton is Claimed By Grim Reaper". San Francisco Call. August 5, 1904. p. 14. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  5. Lardner, William B.; Brock, Michael J. (1924). History of Placer and Nevada Counties California : with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present. Los Angeles, California: Historic Record Company.
  6. Boessenecker, John, Badge and Buckshot: Lawlessness in Old California, page 35, University of Oklahoma Press, 1993
  7. History of Placer County, California, page 320, 1887, Thompson & West, Placer County, California
  8. "Died". The Placer Herald. August 6, 1904. p. 5.


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