James B. Hughes

James was born October 12, 1805, in Prince Edward County, Virginia to Simon Hughes and Betsy Colman Bigger. He was raised just outside Farmville near Hampden-Sydney. He studied at Hampden-Sydney College as a youth until he moved to Richmond where he studied law under the guidance of William Wirt, the ninth US Attorney General.

He moved to Jackson County, Ohio in 1835 until 1849, publishing successively the Jackson Standard and the Meigs County Telegram, both Whig papers. He also served in the Ohio House of Representatives in 1836 - 1838,^[1] and served as Colonel in the local militia. He met and married Elizabeth Mather in Jackson County, Ohio, September 4, 1838. Elizabeth was born in Brooklyn, Connecticut April 27, 1816. She was the daughter of Eleazer Mather and L. Williams and a direct descendant of Rev. Richard Mather.

A book published about the history of Jackson County, Ohio lists him along with his brother in-law William Mather as one of the three most important individuals to come from the county. The book also lists James as the first Governor of Minnesota which is inaccurate. He was actually sent to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1849 as a Whig agent by President Zachary Taylor. He brought with him the first printing press and outfit in that city, and established the Minnesota Chronicle, which subsequently united with the Register; the first number bears the date June 1, 1849. In November of the same year he sold his interest in the Chronicle and Register and removed to Hudson, Wisconsin where he established the St. Croix Banner the first paper printed and issued in the St. Croix valley.