James T. Lewis

James Taylor Lewis ( born October 30, 1819 in Clarendon, Orleans County, New York; † August 5, 1904 ) was an American politician and from 1864 to 1866, the ninth Governor of the State of Wisconsin.

Early years

After school, Lewis was even worked for a short time as a teacher before he studied law. In 1845 he moved to Columbus in Wisconsin Territory, where he was admitted to the bar. Between 1846 and 1852 he was district attorney and judge in a probate court in Columbia County. In the years 1847 and 1848 he was a delegate to the Constituent Assemblies of the future State of Wisconsin. In 1852 he sat in the Wisconsin State Assembly, 1853 in the state Senate. Between 1854 and 1856 he was lieutenant governor. He then retired for a few years out of politics and worked as a lawyer. In 1861, he returned as Secretary of State of Wisconsin back on the political stage. This office he held until his election as governor. Meanwhile, the former Democrat Lewis had left the party and became a member of the Republican Party. As the candidate he was also elected governor.

Governor of Wisconsin

Lewis began his two -year term on January 4, 1864. In the first year of his reign was raging in the United States is still the civil war. The governor campaigned for the soldiers from Wisconsin and their families. On the other hand, he had to provide fresh soldiers for the Union army also at this time still. He undertook some troops out and let in Wisconsin hospitals to treat the wounded set up. Also for the children of fallen soldiers orphanages were built. In 1865 he declined a re- nomination for the office of governor. Therefore, he retired on January 1, 1866 from the office.

After the end of his term, he retired to Columbus. There he played an important role in the establishment of a new water supply and electrification of the village in the following decades. In 1876 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention, was nominated at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Candidate. James Lewis died in August 1904. He was married to Orlina Sturgis, with whom he had four children.