John Winans was a lawyer, politician and Congressman born in Vernon, Sussex County, New Jersey. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1855, and in 1857 moved to Wisconsin, settling in Janesville, where he set up a law practice.

Winans was a Democrat and held local political offices in Janesville. He was a delegate to his party's national convention in 1864 and was state assemblyman in 1874 and 1882 and from 1887 to 1888 and again from 1891 to 1892. In 1882 he was elected to Congress, and served one term from March 1883 to March 1885. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1884, when returned to Janesville and practiced law there until his death. 

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[Source: Blue book]