William M. Griswold

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William M. Griswold
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
In office
January 1, 1872 January 6, 1873
Education Union College
ProfessionLawyer

William M. Griswold (February 7, 1823 October 10, 1889) was an American lawyer, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served four years in the Wisconsin State Senate and three years in the State Assembly, representing Columbia County.

Contents

Early life

Born in Salisbury, Herkimer County, New York, [1] [2] Griswold graduated from Union College in 1844, and studied law with Judge Arphaxed Loomis in Little Falls, New York. He was admitted to the bar in 1850, at Schenectady, and then practiced law for three years as a junior partner to Loomis. [1] [3] He moved west to Wisconsin in 1853, and settled at Columbus, in Columbia County, Wisconsin. [2]

Career

In Columbus, he worked for several years in a mercantile trade with his older brother, George. He then devoted himself to cultivating his farm. [3]

Griswold was elected to three consecutive terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, running on the Republican Party ticket. He represented Columbia County's 2nd Assembly district, which then comprised the southeast portion of the county. [4] [5]

He was subsequently elected to two terms in the Wisconsin State Senate, in 1868 and 1870, representing all of Columbia County. [6] He declined renomination in 1872. [5] [1] Additionally, he was a member of the board of supervisors of Columbia County for four terms, and was chairman of the county board in 1871. [2] [3]

Personal life and death

William M. Griswold was the last child of Amos Griswold and his first wife Martha ( née Munson). William's older brother, George Griswold, was his business partner for several years. Their younger half-brother, Eugene S. Griswold, came to live and work with them in Columbus, Wisconsin, in the 1850s. [3]

William Griswold married Mary Sofied of Yates County, New York, in July 1868. They had two children, William and Mary. [3]

Griswold died of cancer at his home in Columbus at the age of 66. [1] [5]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Senate (1868, 1870)

Wisconsin Senate, 25th District Election, 1868 [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
General Election, November 3, 1868
Republican William M. Griswold 3,854 66.97%
Democratic Amplias Chamberlin1,90133.03%
Plurality1,95333.94%
Total votes5,755 100.0%
Republican hold
Wisconsin Senate, 25th District Election, 1870 [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
General Election, November 8, 1870
Republican William M. Griswold (incumbent) 2,291 63.11% -3.85%
Democratic Frederick C. Curtis1,33936.89%
Plurality95226.23%-7.71%
Total votes3,630 100.0% -36.92%
Republican hold

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Ex-Senator Griswold Dead". The Weekly Wisconsin. Milwaukee, WI. October 19, 1899. p. 2. Retrieved June 1, 2021 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Official Directory". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1872. p.  441 . Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Butterfield, Consul Willshire (1880). The History of Columbia County, Wisconsin. Western Historical Company. pp.  549, 967 . Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  4. "List of Assembly Districts, with Names of Members". A Manual of Customs, Precedents, and Forms, in use in the Assembly of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1861. p.  34 . Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 "Ex-Senator William M. Griswold". The Eau Claire News. Eau Claire, WI. October 18, 1899. p. 2. Retrieved June 2, 2021 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  6. 1 2 "Official Directory". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1870. p.  355 . Retrieved July 10, 2022.
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by
Oliver C. Howe
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Columbia 2nd district
January 4, 1858 January 7, 1861
Succeeded by
Nathan Hazen
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded byMember of the Wisconsin Senate from the 25th district
January 4, 1869 January 1, 1872
Succeeded by
Preceded byMember of the Wisconsin Senate from the 27th district
January 1, 1872 January 6, 1873
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Columbia County, Wisconsin
January 1871 January 1872
Succeeded by
A. J. Turner