John B. Cassoday

John Bolivar Cassoday (July 7, 1830 – December 30, 1907) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. He was the 9th Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the 27th Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly.[1]

The Honorable
John B. Cassoday
9th Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office
July 4, 1895 – December 30, 1907
Preceded byHarlow S. Orton
Succeeded byJohn B. Winslow
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office
November 11, 1880 – December 30, 1907
Appointed byWilliam E. Smith
Preceded byEdward George Ryan
Succeeded byRobert McKee Bashford
27th Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly
In office
January 10, 1877 – January 9, 1878
Preceded bySam Fifield
Succeeded byAugustus Barrows
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Rock 2nd district
In office
January 1, 1877 – January 1, 1878
Preceded byFenner Kimball
Succeeded byCharles R. Gleason
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Rock 5th district
In office
January 1, 1865 – January 1, 1866
Preceded byHamilton Richardson
Succeeded byAllen C. Bates
Personal details
Born
John Bolivar Cassoday

(1830-07-07)July 7, 1830
Herkimer County, New York
DiedDecember 30, 1907(1907-12-30) (aged 77)
Resting placeForest Hill Cemetery
Madison, Wisconsin
Political party
Spouses
  • Mary Prentice Spaulding
  • (died 1900)
Children
  • Belle Ellsworth (Wheelock)
  • (b. 1862; died 1931)
Professionlawyer, judge
Signature

Biography

Born in Herkimer County, New York, he moved with his widowed mother to Tioga County, Pennsylvania, at age 3. After one year at the University of Michigan, he attended the Albany Law School. He moved to Janesville, Wisconsin, in July 1857 and established a law practice.

Politically, Cassoday was a Republican. He was a delegate from Wisconsin to the 1864 National Union National Convention, which nominated Abraham Lincoln for re-election, and was also a candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly that year on Lincoln's National Union ticket. He was elected to represent Janesville in the Assembly for the 1865 session, and was later elected to the 1877 session. In the 1877 session, he was chosen as Speaker by a vote of the Assembly. In 1880, he was chairman of the Wisconsin delegation to the 1880 Republican National Convention.[2][3]

Later in 1880, Cassoday was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor William E. Smith, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Chief Justice Edward George Ryan. Cassoday was elected to remain in office in 1881, and was re-elected in 1889 and 1899. In 1895, Chief Justice Harlow S. Orton died in office. As the next most senior member of the court, Cassoday became the chief justice. Cassoday served twelve years as Chief Justice until his death in 1907.[4]

John B. Cassoday is the namesake of Cassoday, Kansas.[5]

References
  1. Kestenbaum, Lawrence. "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Cassie to Castka". politicalgraveyard.com.
  2. "Dictionary of Wisconsin History". Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved November 9, 2009.
  3. "Members of the Wisconsin Legislature 1848 – 1999" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 18, 2001. Retrieved November 18, 2001.
  4. "Wisconsin Court System - John B. Cassoday (1830-1907)". Archived from the original on September 26, 2006. Retrieved November 9, 2009.
  5. Heim, Michael (2007). Exploring Kansas Highways. p. 12. ISBN 9780974435886.
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