William Adam Piper

William Adam Piper was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives from California. He was born on May 21, 1826 in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. He attended the common schools and later moved to St. Louis, Missouri. During the U.S.-Mexican War, he served in Company A, Eighth Missouri Light Artillery, from June 8, 1846, to June 24, 1847. He moved to California in 1848 and settled in San Francisco in 1849, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits.

William Adam Piper was elected as a Democrat to the 44th United States Congress. He received only 49.06% of the vote, the opposition being divided between Iva P. Rankin running as a Republican and the independent canidate John F. Swift.(Dubin, Michael J. "United States Congressional Elections". p. 234.) Piper served from March 4, 1875 until March 3, 1877. In 1876, he was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election to the 45th United States Congress. He continued his business activities, and he died on August 5, 1899 in San Francisco, California. He was interred in Odd Fellows Cemetery.