James H. Knowlton

James H. Knowlton (August 22, 1813 – January 29, 1879) was an American politician and lawyer. He served three terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly. His brother, Wiram Knowlton, was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

James H. Knowlton
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
In office
January 1, 1858 – January 1, 1859
Preceded byEzra A. Foot
Succeeded byWilliam E. Wheeler
ConstituencyRock 3rd district
In office
January 1, 1856 – January 1, 1857
Preceded byJoseph White
Succeeded byJames Earnest
ConstituencyLafayette 3rd district
In office
January 1, 1854 – January 1, 1855
Preceded byPhilemon Simpson
Succeeded byA. A. Townsend
ConstituencyLafayette 2nd district
Personal details
Born(1813-08-22)August 22, 1813
Canandaigua, New York
DiedJanuary 29, 1879(1879-01-29) (aged 65)
Chicago, Illinois
Resting placeEvergreen Hill Cemetery, Middleton, Wisconsin
Political party
SpouseAgnes Flanders (died 1886)
RelativesWiram Knowlton (brother)
Professionlawyer, politician

Early life and career

Knowlton was born in Canandaigua, New York, in 1813.[1] His brother and parents moved to the Wisconsin Territory in the 1830s, and he joined them at Janesville in 1838.[2] He was there only briefly before moving to Mineral Point, and in 1847, he moved to Shullsburg, in Lafayette County.[1] At Shullsburg he completed his legal studies, was admitted to the bar, and served as the first probate judge of the county.[1]

Political career

He was a member of the legal team defending Judge Levi Hubbell during his 1853 impeachment, and later that year was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Democrat. He was not reelected in 1854, but was returned to office again in 1856, this time as a Republican. Following the 1855 election, however, Knowlton became involved in Republican gubernatorial candidate Coles Bashford's legal challenge of the election results. Bashford ultimately prevailed and took office in March 1856.[1]

After the 1856 legislative session, Knowlton moved back to Janesville, in Rock County, where he was elected to his third and final Assembly term in 1857.[1]

In 1862, he was a candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court but was not elected.[1]

Later years

Knowlton moved to Chicago in 1865 and continued his law practice. He lost his entire library in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.[1]

He died in 1879 after a long period of illness.[1]

Personal life and family

Knowlton's brother, Wiram Knowlton, was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.[3]

References
  1. Berryman, John R. (1898). History of the Bench and Bar of Wisconsin. Vol. 2. Chicago: H. C. Cooper Jr. pp. 197–199. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  2. "Knowlton, James H. 1813 - 1879". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  3. "Knowlton, Wiram 1816 - 1963". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.