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Morgan Lewis Martin

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Morgan L. Martin
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 2nd district
In office
January 4, 1858 – January 2, 1860
Preceded byPerry H. Smith
Succeeded byEdward Decker
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Brown 1st district
In office
January 5, 1874 – January 4, 1875
Preceded byJoseph S. Curtis
Succeeded byThomas R. Hudd
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the BrownDoorKewaunee district
In office
January 1, 1855 – January 7, 1856
Preceded byFrancis X. Desnoyers
Succeeded byJohn Day
Delegate to the
U.S. House of Representatives
from the Wisconsin Territory's
at-large district
In office
March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847
Preceded byHenry Dodge
Succeeded byJohn H. Tweedy
President of the Council of the Wisconsin Territory
In office
March 18, 1843 – December 4, 1843
Preceded byMoses M. Strong
Succeeded byMarshall Strong
Personal details
Born
Morgan Lewis Martin

(1805-03-31)March 31, 1805
Martinsburg, New York, U.S.
DiedDecember 10, 1887(1887-12-10) (aged 82)
Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Elizabeth Smith
(m. 1837⁠–⁠1887)
Children6
EducationHamilton College, New York (BA)
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Union Army
Years of service1861–1865
RankMajor, USA
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Morgan Lewis Martin (March 31, 1805 – December 10, 1887) was a delegate to the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin Territory during the 29th United States Congress (1845–1847). He also served as a member of the Wisconsin State Senate and Wisconsin State Assembly, and served as a county judge in Brown County, Wisconsin.

Early life and career

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He was born in Martinsburg, New York,[1][2] and graduated from Hamilton College in 1824.[1][2] Martin then moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1826, and studied law, and became an attorney. In May 1827, Martin moved to what is now Green Bay, Wisconsin,[1][2] on the advice of his cousin, James Duane Doty, to practice law. He formed a partnership with Solomon Juneau and owned much of the land that later became Milwaukee, but sold his share in 1836.[2]

Wisconsin political career

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Martin served in the Michigan Territorial Council from 1831 to 1835. At the time, the land that would become Wisconsin was a part of the Michigan Territory. He served in the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature from 1838 to 1844, and served as President of the Territorial Council in 1843. He also served as President at the second Wisconsin Constitutional Convention.

Martin was elected on the Democratic Party ticket as a non-voting member to represent the Wisconsin Territory in the Twenty-ninth Congress, with 6,803 votes to 5,787 for Whig James Collins and 790 for Edward D. Holton of the Liberty Party.[3] He would serve from March 4, 1845, to March 3, 1847.

Martin was a candidate for Governor at the 1848 Wisconsin Democratic Party Convention prior to the state's first gubernatorial election. At the time, the party was split between a faction representing the lead-mining regions of the state, supporting Hiram Barber, and a faction of the eastern counties, supporting Martin. The deadlock between the two factions resulted in a compromise pick—Nelson Dewey.[4]

Martin served in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1855 and 1872, and served in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1858 to 1859.

Later years

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During the Civil War he served as an army paymaster, with the rank of major.[2] In 1875, he became county judge (probate judge) of Brown County, serving until his death.[1] Martin was also involved in the banking and railroad business. He died in Green Bay, Wisconsin,[1] where he had lived and practiced law, and was buried there.[5]

Legacy

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Martin has a school named after him in Green Bay, Morgan L. Martin Elementary School.[6] His home, known as Hazelwood, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A Westside neighborhood in Milwaukee is also named after him.

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Death of Judge Martin". The Weekly Wisconsin. December 17, 1887. p. 8. Retrieved April 14, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ a b c d e "Fox-Wisconsin Waterway Ruined Developer". The Post-Crescent. December 19, 1959. p. 6. Retrieved April 14, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ "Vote for Delegate", Mineral Point Democrat November 25, 1845; p. 2, col. 4 via Newspapers.com
  4. ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1960). "Wisconsin's former governors, 1848-1959". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1960 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 73. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  5. ^ "Martin, Morgan Lewis 1805-1887". Wisconsin Historical Society. 3 August 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  6. ^ Origin of Name of Martin Elementary School
[edit]
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the BrownDoorKewaunee district
January 1, 1855 – January 7, 1856
Succeeded by
John Day
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Brown 1st district
January 5, 1874 – January 4, 1875
Succeeded by
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 2nd district
January 4, 1858 – January 2, 1860
Succeeded by
Edward Decker
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives
from the Wisconsin Territory's at-large congressional district

1845–1847
Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by County Judge of Brown County, Wisconsin
January 1, 1876 – December 10, 1887
Succeeded by
Howard J. Huntington