John Boyd (Wisconsin State Representative)

John Boyd (May 1, 1824 – July 2, 1882) was an Irish American immigrant, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He represented northern Fond du Lac County as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for four terms. He later served part of a term in the Kansas House of Representatives, but was unseated due to a dispute over his election.

For others of the same name, see John Boyd.
John Boyd
Member of the Kansas House of Representatives
from the 64th district
In office
January 5, 1874 – February 13, 1874
Preceded byT. B. Eldridge
Succeeded byC. S. Brown
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Fond du Lac 3rd district
In office
January 1, 1870 – January 1, 1871
Preceded byIrenus K. Hamilton
Succeeded byGerrit T. Thorn
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Fond du Lac 4th district
In office
January 1, 1862 – January 1, 1863
Preceded byJohn W. Hall
Succeeded bySamuel O'Hara
In office
January 1, 1860 – January 1, 1861
Preceded byO. Hugo Petters
Succeeded byJohn W. Hall
In office
January 1, 1855 – January 1, 1856
Preceded byNicholas M. Donaldson
Succeeded byJoseph Wagner
Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin
In office
April 1861 – April 1862
Preceded byGeorge W. Sawyer
Succeeded byBenjamin F. Moore
In office
April 1857 – April 1858
Preceded byNicholas M. Donaldson
Succeeded byWilliam Plocker
Personal details
Born(1824-05-01)May 1, 1824
England, UK
DiedJuly 2, 1882(1882-07-02) (aged 58)
Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political party
Spousemarried
Childrenat least 1
Parent
  • Thomas Boyd (father)
RelativesThomas Boyd (brother)
EducationTrinity College Dublin
Professionfarmer

Biography

John Boyd was born in England on May 1, 1824, and graduated from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, in 1843.[1] He emigrated to the United States with his parents and siblings in 1844. The Boyd family settled at Calumet, in the Wisconsin Territory.[2]

Boyd became active with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and was elected to four terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly from the district comprising northeastern Fond du Lac County. He served in the 1855, 1860, 1862, and 1870 sessions.[3] In addition, he was a member of the Fond du Lac County Board of Supervisors for nine years between 1854 and 1866, and was chairman for 1857 and 1861.[2]

After visiting his brothers-in-law in Kansas in 1871, he moved to Montgomery County, Kansas, with his wife and son, George.[4][5]

He was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1873, with an apparent margin of victory of just four votes.[6] His Republican opponent, C. S. Brown challenged the results of the election in the Kansas House Committee on Elections, alleging he had identified at least four illegal votes for Boyd. The House ultimately voted to grant the seat to Brown in February 1874, by a narrow vote.[6][7][8] He remained involved in Kansas politics and served as an officer of the state Grange and was active in the Greenback movement in the latter half of the 1870s.[9][10]

His health began to decline about 1880 and he returned to Wisconsin, hoping the environment would improve his health. After a year in Wisconsin, he returned to Kansas, feeling restored. Two months later, he began to fail again until finally, in June 1882, he decided to take another trip to Wisconsin. He died at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, on July 2, 1882.[9]

Personal life and family

John Boyd was a son of Thomas Boyd (1785–1862) and his wife Ann. Thomas Boyd was an Irishman who served in the British Army, he brought the family to America and purchased land in Calumet and Fond du Lac.[2] John Boyd had several brothers and sisters, many of his brothers also became notable in early Wisconsin—Thomas Boyd served in the State Assembly,[2] Samuel Boyd became a county judge, and Adam Boyd was a prominent real estate dealer and businessman in Fond du Lac.[11]

References
  1. "Wisconsin State Government and State Institutions" (PDF). The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1870. p. 361. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  2. The History of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. Western Historical Company. 1880. pp. 393, 1029. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  3. Barish, Lawrence S.; Lemanski, Lynn, eds. (2007). "Feature Article: Those Who Served - Wisconsin Legislators 1848–2007" (PDF). State of Wisconsin 2007–2008 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-9752820-2-1. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  4. "Personal–Mr. John Boyd". The Kansas Democrat. July 20, 1871. p. 5. Retrieved December 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF58-MKP : 14 July 2016), John Boyd, Fawn Creek, Montgomery, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district ED 153, sheet 225C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0389; FHL microfilm 1,254,389.
  6. Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Kansas. Kansas Legislature. 1874. pp. 245, 401. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  7. "Liberal Republican and Democratic Convention". The Kansas Democrat. October 10, 1872. p. 4. Retrieved December 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  8. "The Greenbackers". The Weekly Commonwealth. August 3, 1876. p. 4. Retrieved December 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  9. "Died–Hon. John Boyd". The Independence Kansan. July 12, 1882. p. 3. Retrieved February 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Farmers' Clubs". The Kansas Democrat. March 14, 1873. p. 5. Retrieved December 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  11. "Adam Boyd, an Early Lawrence Student, Died in Fond du Lac Saturday". The Post-Crescent. January 8, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved February 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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