Nelson Webster Dewey (1813 - 1889)

Born 19 Dec 1813 in Lebanon, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Catherine Amy Dunn — married 18 Dec 1849 in Belmont, Lafayette, Wisconsin, United States

Died 21 Jul 1889 at age 75 in Cassville, Wisconsin

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Preceded by 4th Territorial Governor Henry Dodge

Nelson Dewey 1st Governor of Wisconsin 1848—1852

Succeeded by 2nd Governor Leonard J. Farwell

Autobiography

Nelson Dewey is Notable.

The following is taken from the autobiography prepared by Nelson Dewey just prior to his death, and found by Herman Grim, the executor named in his will, among the governor's papers:

I was born in Lebanon, State of Connecticut, December 19, 1813. When about six months old my father and mother moved from there to Cooperstown, Otsego county. New York. When I was four and one-half years old my father took me back to Lebanon, Conn., and I lived with my grandparents in that place until I was nearly eight years old. In the meantime, my parents left Cooperstown and settled in the village of Louisville, in the town of Butternut (now Morris) in Otsego county. In 1821 I was brought home to my parents in Louisville until I left for Wisconsin in 1836.

Outside of a common school education, I was educated at Hamilton Academy, a non-sectarian school at Hamilton, Madison county, New York. I attended that school, commencing in the spring of 1830 and continuing until the close of the school year 1832. Among my class and schoolmates at that school were William Pitt Lynde, late of Milwaukee; Prof. John W. Sterling, of the State University; and Harlow S. Orton, now one of the Justices of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin.

After completing my education at the above school (which has long since been abandoned as an academy), I taught school one year in Butternut, now Morris, and read law more or less with my father, whose profession was law, and with James W. Davis and Nicholas Hansen, lawyers of Louisville. This Hansen was a native of Albany, N. Y., I think. He had three sisters married to three prominent families in Butternut, being with one or two other families the aristocratic families of a certain part of that town. Hansen sometime during the 20's lived in central Illinois, and took an active part in politics with William S. Hamilton. At the time there was an effort to establish slavery in that State. He was elected to the Legislature of Illinois, but his seat was contested by one John Strong, and Hansen lost his seat. Afterwards he returned to New York and settled in Louisville.

In the fall of 1835 I went to read law in Cooperstown, in the office of Samuel S. Bowen. This Bowen was elected to congress in Otsego county in 1840, as a Democrat. He supported Tyler's administration in 1841, 1842 and 1843. In 1843 he was appointed by Tyler register of the land office at Mineral Point, Wisconsin, and qualified as such. He not liking the situation, very soon resigned, and returned to New York.

On the 12th of May, 1836, I left reading law with Bowen in Cooperstown, and my home in Louisville, and started for Cassville, Wis. That place was then in Michigan, the territory of Wisconsin not being organized until July 4th, 1836. I traveled by stage to Buffalo, on the steamer Michigan to Detroit, and by stage to Schoolcraft or Round Prairie, in Michigan. There I stopped with Simon I. Daniels three weeks or more, under whose advice and protegeship I came to Wisconsin. Thence I went in a lumber wagon to the mouth of St. Joseph river, thence by a sail vessel to Chicago, and thence by stage to Galena, arriving there on the 19th day of June, 1836. From there I went to Dubuque by steamer, and thence on horseback with Joseph Hogue to the mouth of Panther's creek, now Buena Vista, and thence on foot around the foot of the bluff to the mouth of Turkey river and across the Mississippi to Cassville. We were ferried across the Mississippi river in a flat-boat by William Walker, who ran the ferry, and stopped at the hotel then kept by Capt. Jas. B. Estes and Robert R. Read. The night before we reached Cassville we camped out in the woods and rain, having missed the Indian trail which was the road from Dubuque to Turkey river. I filled the position of clerk and bookkeeper for Daniels, Dennison & Co., the proprietors of Cassville, in 1836 and 1837, till the close of the spring of that year. They built in 1836 the two houses in which G. Prior and Dr. F. M. Cronin now live, and laid in 1836 the foundation walls of what is now the " Dennison House." Ciovis A. LaGrave and his brother Charles L. LaGrave built in 1836 the present frame building adjoining Geiger's brick store, and one Charles Bensill in 1836 built the now old building on the alley in block 11. G. M. Price in 1836 built the building now owned by Holloway Stephens on lot 11, block 3. It was originally built on lot 10, in block 11, and Ezra and John Gleason kept store in it in 1837 and 1838. John F. Gleason died in Prairie du Chien. Ezra lived in Madison and Mineral Point, and was living in Chicago when I last heard of him. Charles L. LaGrave is now living in Minneapolis, and Ciovis A. LaGrave resides in California. Simon I. Daniels, whose wife was a sister of the LaGraves, died March 11, 1837, at the house of Moses Hicklin, who lived at the head of Blake's Prairie in a log house. Mrs. Hicklin is yet living.

In the spring of 1837 I ceased to work for Daniels, Dennison & Co., and Grant county being organized March 4, 1837, an election was held for county officers, at which I was elected the first register of deeds of Grant county. Cassville was the temporary county seat. In June, 1837, the first district court was held by Judge Charles Dunn in the building now owned by Holloway Stephens, and wherein he now lives. It then stood on the corner of lot 10, block II. In the summer and fall of 1837, the county authorities built the first brick court house in Lancaster, the permanent county seat of the county having been located there. In the fall of 1837 the county authorities ordered the county offices to be removed from Cassville to Lancaster. In October, 1837, the first district court was held in Lancaster. The courthouse not being finished, the court was held in a one-story frame building owned by George H. Cox and Patten McMillen, built where C. H. Baxter's store now stands. In the summer of 1837 I was appointed a justice of the peace of Grant county by Gov. Henry Dodge. In November, 1837, I moved the office of register of deeds and myself from Cassville to Lancaster, and lived there until the spring of 1855, when I moved back to Cassville.

Then follows a somewhat lengthy account of a local murder and the subsequent trial and release of the murderers, after which he continues:

In 1838 I was elected a member of the House of Representatives of the Territorial Legislative Assembly, that first met at Madison in November, 1838. In 1840 I was elected speaker of the House. In 1840 I was re-elected to the House for two years. In 1842 I was elected to the Legislative Council for four years, and was president of the Council one session. I was clerk of the Board of County Supervisors one or two years in the 40's, and also district attorney one year, or a part of a year, in the 40's.

In 1845 Henry L. Massey, James E. Freeman (the latter now living in California), and myself, were appointed commissioners to survey, lay out into lots, settle pre-emption claims to lots, and sell the section No. 34, town 3, range 3 west, now Potosi, which section was granted by Congress to the territory to aid in digging a canal from the Mississippi river to Grant river slough, opposite or near the mouth of Snake Hollow, now LaFayette, which duty we performed. James F. Chapman, under the authority of the Legislature, expended the money in partially digging the canal.

In 1848 myself, Clovis A. LaGrave and a gentleman whose name I do not recollect, were appointed commissioners to survey into lots and settle claims of pre-emptors for lots of 200 acres of land comprising the present village of Beetown, which was granted by congress as a town site. We performed that duty.

In early May, 1848, I was elected as a Democrat the first Governor of the State of Wisconsin, under the present constitution, and qualified June 5, 1848, at Madison. In 1849 I was re-elected, and served as the first governor during the years, 1849, 1850 and 1851. In 1853 I was elected State Senator from Grant county by three majority over Orsamus Cole, the Whig candidate, and now the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State. While living in Lancaster I was the director of the school board of that district and built the first school-house in that village. I was one year the chairman of the Town Board of Supervisors, and was also the same year chairman of the County Board of Supervisors.

In the sping of 1855 I moved back to Cassville, lived there three years, and then, in 1858, moved to Platteville, and lived there five years. While living in Platteville I was director of the school board of the north district several years, and while such director the brick school- house was built. I was also president of the village board of trustees three years, during which time the calaboose was built, and saloons were ordered closed at ten of the clock p. m. and to be kept closed on Sunday, which is the law there now; and hogs were stopped from running at large.

In the '50's and '6o's I was several years a member of the Board of Regents of the State University. I was a candidate for Lieutenant-Governor on the Democratic ticket with Henry L. Palmer as the candidate for Governor; but we were badly beaten by Gov. Lewis, the Republican candidate. This was, I think, in 1863. In the spring of 1863 I moved back to Cassville and have lived in Cassville since that time, and had my home there, although my family have lived at Madison a part of the time. In 1869 I was a candidate for the State Senate, and was beaten by George C. Hazelton. I was also a candidate for the State Senate against Noah H. Virgin, when he was a Republican, and I was beaten. I think this was in 1871.

After moving back to Cassville I was several years a director of the Cassville School District No. 1, during which time the second brick schoolhouse, adjoining the one previously built, was built. On my return to Cassville in 1863 I was elected chairman of the Town Board of Supervisors, and held the office for seven years in succession. In 1874 I was appointed by Gov. Taylor one of the Board of Directors of the State prison at Waupun; was reappointed by Gov. Smith in 1880, and held that office until the Board of Directors was abolished and the Board of Supervision of the State Institutions was established in the early summer of 1881.

I have always taken a moderate interest in politics as a Democrat, and attended as a delegate very many county and State Democratic conventions. I was a delegate to the Democratic National conventions when Pierce, Buchanan, Seymour and Greeley were nominated.

As I have hitherto refused all applications for a biographical sketch of myself, I thought I would make one as above, and leave it with my will for the use of anyone that might desire it. I have written the foregoing as a brief genealogy, and sketch of my early history, education and life, and how I came to settle in Wisconsin. It shows for itself. My executor, Herman Grimm, will deliver it to whom he pleases.

NELSON DEWEY ^[1]

Sources

• Find A Grave Memorial# 6878923

• Nelson Dewey on Wikipedia

• Dewey, A.M., et. al (1898). Life of George Dewey, Rear Admiral, U.S.N. ; and Dewey Family history: Being an authentic historical and genealogical record of more than fifteen thousand persons in the United States by the name of Dewey, and their descendants. life of rear admiral George Dewey, written and book ed. by Adelbert M. Dewey. Dewey family history comp. by Louis Marinus Dewey, assisted by William T. Dewey, and Orville C. Dewey. (United States: Dewey Publishing Co.) Pages 628-633

1. ↑ Dewey: Pages 628-631 (copied directly from text with obvious OCR errors corrected)