R. N. Messenger

Riley N. Messenger (sometimes spelled Messinger[1]) was an American lawyer and teacher who served in 1848 as a Democratic member of the first Wisconsin State Senate.

R. N. Messenger
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 19th district
In office
June 5, 1848 – January 1, 1849
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byJohn B. Smith
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Milwaukee 2nd district
In office
June 6, 1853 – January 2, 1854
Preceded byHerman Haertel
Succeeded byWilliam Reinhardt
Personal details
BornNew York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic

Background

Messenger came to Smithville, New York, about 1834 from Oneida, New York, settling in the Smithville Flats area.[2] He practiced law there (from 1837 until the end of the Van Buren administration he also served as Postmaster of Smithville, a patronage appointment) until about 1841, when he moved to Milwaukee.

In Milwaukee

In 1846 he was elected to the Milwaukee Board of School Directors from the Second Ward of Milwaukee, but was not re-elected for 1847.[3] On February 18, 1847, he was the marshal from the Second Ward for the parade of Milwaukee Democrats held to support the first Wisconsin State Constitution. He was elected co-secretary of the subsequent meeting. In April 1847, he was elected Alderman for the Second Ward.[4]

He represented the 19th Senate District (part of Milwaukee County) in the first session of the state legislature, which convened June 5, 1848, and adjourned August 21 of that year. He was succeeded in the next term by John B. Smith.[5]

In the Spring of 1853, Milwaukee Assemblymember Herman Haertel was appointed state commissioner for immigration. Messenger was elected in a May special election to fill the remaining seven months of his term.[6] Typically, in the legislative schedule of this era, no work would be happening in the Assembly this late into the year. In 1853, however, the Legislature was planning to re-convene in the Summer to handle the impeachment of Judge Levi Hubbell.[7]

In 1853, he was on the board of directors of the new Milwaukee & Horicon Railroad, which was not a success and eventually was sold to the Milwaukee Road.[8]

In 1856, he was in charge of the Hall of Fine Arts for the Wisconsin State Fair.[9] (In 1852, Messenger had himself taken prizes for "Fine egg plants"; for "Best six varieties" of pansies, and for "Best collection of green-house plants owned by one person" at that year's State Fair.[10]) He was the recording secretary of the Milwaukee Horticultural Society – Association for 1857, at which time he was a justice of the peace for the Sixth Ward of the City of Milwaukee.[11]

John Messenger

It is unknown whether Messenger was related to John Messenger, a contemporary fellow Milwaukee Democrat, who risked his life in helping captured fugitive slave Joshua Glover escape to safety after he was freed from jail.

References
  1. "January 23, 1850". Journal of the Assembly of the Third Legislature of the State of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Legislature. 1850. p. 122. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  2. Williams, Edwin. The New York Annual Register, for the Year of Our Lord, 1845 New York: Jansen & Bell, 1845; p. 375
  3. Pereles, James Madison. "The Milwaukee School Board: An address on the history of this organization... delivered before the Old Settlers' Club September 2, 1895" in The American School Board Journal, Volumes 10-11; no pagination
  4. Buck, James S. Pioneer History of Milwaukee: Vol. 3: Under the Charter, From 1847 to 1853, Inclusive. Milwaukee: Symes, Swain & Co., 1884; p. 61
  5. Warner, Hans B., ed. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin Madison, 1880; pp. 177, 179
  6. "The New Member". Wisconsin State Journal. May 27, 1853. p. 2. Retrieved September 1, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Heg, J. E., ed. (1882). "Annals of the Legislature" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 185–186. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  8. Buck, James S. Pioneer History of Milwaukee: Vol. 4: Under the Charter, From 1854 to 1860, Inclusive. Milwaukee: Swain & Tate, 1886; pp. 164-165
  9. Powers, D. J.; Skinner, E. W. (eds.) The Wisconsin Farmer, and Northwestern Cultivator; a monthly journal, devoted to agriculture, horticulture, mechanics and rural economy April 1856 (Volume VIII, No. 4); p. 150
  10. Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. Transactions of the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, with portions of the correspondence of the secretary Vol. II. Madison: Beriah Brown, State Printer, 1852; pp. 68, 82
  11. "Horticultural" and "Messinger, R. N." in Milwaukee City Directory for 1857 & 1858 Volume 1 First Series; Milwaukee: Steam Press of King, Jermain & Co., 1858
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