Jefferson Parish Kidder (June 4, 1815 – October 2, 1883) was an American lawyer and jurist. He served as the non-voting delegate from the Dakota Territory to the United States House of Representatives. Kidder was born in Braintree, Orange County, Vermont, and studied law at Montpelier. He was admitted to the bar in 1839 and practiced at Braintree and West Randolph. His son Lyman Kidder was a US Cavalry 2nd lieutenant serving in the 2nd Cavalry under George Armstrong Custer, and was killed in action in what would be dubbed the Kidder massacre. Jefferson Kidder was also the grandfather to noted lawman and Arizona Ranger Jeff Kidder.
He was a member of the Vermont Constitutional Convention in 1843, and served as State’s attorney, as a member of the Vermont Senate, the 17th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, and a delegate to the 1856 Democratic National Convention. Kidder moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he joined the Republican Party, and was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
In 1865 he moved to Vermillion, Dakota, when Abraham Lincoln appointed him an associate justice of the territorial Supreme Court. In 1875 he resigned, having been elected the territory's delegate to the U.S. Congress. He served from March 4, 1875 - March 4, 1879. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1878, then was reappointed a justice of the territorial Supreme Court, where he served until his death in St. Paul.
Kidder County, North Dakota is named for him.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William C. Kittredge |
Lieutenant Governor of Vermont 1853 –1854 |
Succeeded by Ryland Fletcher |