Alexander Wilson
12th Attorney General of Wisconsin
In office
January 7, 1878 – January 2, 1882
GovernorWilliam E. Smith
Jeremiah McLain Rusk
Preceded byA. Scott Sloan
Succeeded byLeander F. Frisby
County Judge of Iowa County, Wisconsin
In office
December 9, 1867 – January 3, 1870
Appointed byLucius Fairchild
Preceded byLuman M. Strong
Succeeded byRobert Wilson
District Attorney of Iowa County, Wisconsin
In office
January 2, 1865 – December 9, 1867
Preceded byJoseph H. Clary
Succeeded byE. P. Weber
In office
January 7, 1861 – January 5, 1863
Preceded byJoseph H. Clary
Succeeded byJoseph H. Clary
Personal details
Born(1833-08-16)August 16, 1833
Westfield, New York, U.S.
DiedMarch 4, 1888(1888-03-04) (aged 54)
Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Resting placeWyuka Cemetery, Lincoln, Nebraska
Political partyRepublican

Alexander Wilson (August 16, 1833 – March 4, 1888) was an American lawyer and Republican politician. He was the 12th Attorney General of Wisconsin, serving from 1878 through 1882, and served several years as a district attorney and county judge in Iowa County, Wisconsin.

Biography

Born in Westfield, New York,[1] Wilson graduated from Union College in 1854, studying the science and civil engineering course.[1] He taught school for two winters at Huntley, Illinois, then moved to Dubuque, Iowa, where he read law and worked as a land surveyor. He was admitted to the bar in the Fall of 1855, and moved to Wisconsin later that year.[2]

He settled at Mineral Point, Wisconsin, in Iowa County, and worked for several years as a teacher, served on the board of education, and was elected city superintendent of schools. While teaching, he read law in the offices of Cobb & Messmore.[3] In 1860, he began his own law practice in partnership with E. P. Weber. He was elected district attorney at the fall 1860 general election and was elected to the office again in 1864 and 1866. In December 1867, he was appointed county judge of Iowa County, replacing Luman M. Strong, who died in office.[2]

In 1874, he established a private bank in partnership with Edward Harris. The bank later developed into the City Bank of Mineral Point.[4]

He was elected Attorney General of Wisconsin in the general election of 1877 and was re-elected in 1879.[1] The Wisconsin Bar Association described Wilson as conservative, patient, and safe.[2]

After leaving office in 1882, Wilson returned to his private law practice. He died in March 1888 in Lincoln, Nebraska, while en route to California.[1][5] He is buried in Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Attorney General Election, 1877[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 6, 1877
Republican Alexander Wilson 77,304 44.25% -5.22%
Democratic Joseph M. Morrow 72,300 41.39%
Greenback Henry Hayden 25,090 14.36%
Plurality 5,004 2.86% +1.80%
Total votes 174,694 100.0% +2.96%
Republican gain from Liberal Republican
Wisconsin Attorney General Election, 1879[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 4, 1879
Republican Alexander Wilson (incumbent) 100,562 53.43% +9.17%
Democratic J. Montgomery Smith 74,821 39.75% -1.64%
Greenback Edward Q. Nye 12,846 6.82% -7.54%
Plurality 25,741 13.68% +10.81%
Total votes 188,229 100.0% +7.75%
Republican hold

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Death of Ex-Attorney General Wilson". Wisconsin State Journal. March 8, 1888. p. 1. Retrieved May 4, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ a b c "Memoirs - Alexander Wilson". Report of the Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin State Bar Association. 3: 413. 1901. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  3. ^ Reed, Parker McCobb (1882). The Bench and Bar of Wisconsin. p. 200–201. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  4. ^ "Wilson, Alexander (1833 - 1888)". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  5. ^ "The Funeral of Hon. Alexander Wilson". The Nebraska State Journal. March 8, 1888. p. 8. Retrieved May 5, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ Bashford, R. M., ed. (1878). "Official Directory" (PDF). The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 454. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  7. ^ Warner, Hans B., ed. (1880). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 496. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
Party political offices Preceded byJohn R. Bennett Republican nominee for Attorney General of Wisconsin 1877, 1879 Succeeded byLeander F. Frisby Legal offices Preceded byJoseph H. Clary District Attorney of Iowa County, Wisconsin January 7, 1861 – January 5, 1863 Succeeded byJoseph H. Clary Preceded byJoseph H. Clary District Attorney of Iowa County, Wisconsin January 2, 1865 – December 9, 1867 Succeeded byE. P. Weber Preceded byLuman M. Strong County Judge of Iowa County, Wisconsin December 9, 1867 – January 3, 1870 Succeeded byRobert Wilson Preceded byA. Scott Sloan Attorney General of Wisconsin January 7, 1878 – January 2, 1882 Succeeded byLeander F. Frisby
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