William Leighton Carss

William Leighton Carss, (February 15, 1865 – May 31, 1931) was a U.S. Representative from Minnesota; born in Pella, Marion County, Iowa and subsequently moved with his parents to Des Moines, Iowa, in 1867. There he attended the public schools, studied civil and mechanical engineering and followed that profession for a number of years. He moved to St. Louis County, Minnesota in 1893 and settled in Proctor where he found work as a locomotive engineer and became a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Carss was elected Farmer-Labor candidate for the 66th Congress (March 4, 1919 -March 3, 1921) in Minnesota’s 8th congressional District.

Carss loved British literature and could recite selections from Shakespeare, Carlyle, and Burns right out of the book. He sponsored pro-labor legislation during his first term, supporting old age pensions (anticipating the Social Security system), women’s rights and (to the dismay of some of his supporters) the Prohibition Amendment.

Carss was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection as a Democrat in 1920 to the 67th congress and for election in 1922 to the 68th congress. He was elected to the Farmer-Labor ticket for the 69th, 70th, and 3 March 1929 congresses. However, he was defeated in 1928 to the 71.1st Congress. Carss moved to Duluth in 1929 where he resumed his position as a locomotive engineer at Proctor. In his 1930 attempt to be elected to the 72nd Congress, he was defeated. He was buried in Oneota Cemetery in Duluth, where he died on May 31, 1931.