Edward S. Minor
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin
In office
March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1907
Preceded byWebster E. Brown
Succeeded byGustav Küstermann
Constituency9th district
In office
March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1903
Preceded byLyman E. Barnes
Succeeded byJames H. Davidson
Constituency8th district
7th & 16th Mayor of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
In office
April 1918 – April 1920
Preceded byNathaniel C. Garland
Succeeded byJohn Boler
In office
April 1894 – April 1895
Preceded byLouis Reichel
Succeeded byGeorge Nelson
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 1st district
In office
January 1, 1883 – January 3, 1887
Preceded byWilliam A. Ellis
Succeeded byEdward Scofield
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Door district
In office
January 5, 1880 – January 2, 1882
Preceded byCharles August Masse
Succeeded byAdelbert Delos Thorp
In office
January 7, 1878 – January 6, 1879
Preceded byJarvis T. Wright
Succeeded byCharles August Masse
Personal details
BornDecember 13, 1840
Jefferson County, New York, U.S.
DiedJuly 26, 1924(1924-07-26) (aged 83)
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placeBayside Cemetery, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Mathilda Eloiza Graham
​
​
(m. 1867⁠–⁠1924)​
Children
  • Stanton Minor
  • Byron A. Minor
  • Sybil (Elwell) (Washburn)
  • Maude (Knudtson)
  • Ula Dorothy (Frank)
  • Ethel (Nelson)
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Volunteers
Union Army
Years of service1861–1865
Rank1st Lieutenant, USV
Unit2nd Reg. Wis. Vol. Cavalry
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Edward Sloman Minor (December 13, 1840 – July 26, 1924) was an American businessman, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served six terms in the United States House of Representatives, representing northeastern Wisconsin (1895–1907). He was also the 7th and 16th mayor of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, represented Door County for seven years in the Wisconsin Legislature, and served as a Union Army cavalry officer during the American Civil War.

Early life

Edward S. Minor was born on December 13, 1840, in Jefferson County, New York. As a child, he moved to the Wisconsin Territory with his parents, settling in the town of Greenfield, in Milwaukee County. They soon moved to Milwaukee, where his father worked as a ship calker and Edward attended the public schools. The family moved to a homestead in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, in 1852, where they worked as farm laborers.[1]

In the Spring of 1858, Edward Minor went north to Door County, Wisconsin, walking from Baileys Harbor to Fish Creek to claim a plot of land for the family from the United States General Land Office. The rest of the family joined him there in July.[2][3]

Civil War service

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Minor volunteered for service in the Union Army and was enrolled as a private in Company G of the 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment.[4] The 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry served in the western theater of the war and west of the Mississippi.[5]

He was promoted to corporal, and sergeant, and re-enlisted as a veteran with the regiment after the expiration of his three-year enlistment. At the end of the war, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant, and was then promoted to first lieutenant on July 29, 1865. He mustered out with the regiment in November 1865.[4]

Political career

After the war, Minor worked as a merchant in Fish Creek, dealing in timber products.[2]

He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1877, representing Door County in the 31st Wisconsin Legislature.[6] He did not run for re-election in 1878, but ran again in 1879 and 1880, and won both elections.[7][8]

In 1882, Minor won a four-year term in the Wisconsin State Senate.[9] He represented the 1st State Senate district, which then comprised most of the northeast quadrant of the state, and was elected president pro tempore of the Senate for the 1885 session.[10]

During his earlier Assembly term, he supported the construction of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, and during his Senate term he was appointed superintendent of the canal and moved to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.[2] He remained in this office until 1891, and served as a member of the Wisconsin Fish Commission for four years. He was then elected mayor of Sturgeon Bay in 1894.[10]

Congress

Later that year, he was nominated as the Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin's 8th congressional district. He went on to defeat incumbent Democrat Lyman E. Barnes in the 1894 general election.[10] He was subsequently re-elected three times in this district, in 1896, 1898, and 1900.[11][12][13] After the 1900 United States census, another congressional district was added to Wisconsin's delegation, and in the redistricting, Minor's county was moved from the 8th congressional district to the 9th. Minor was elected to two more terms in Congress representing the 9th congressional district.[14][15] In 1906, however, Minor was defeated in the primary election by Gustav Küstermann, who went on to succeed him in 1907.[16]

During his time in Congress, he was active in the work of the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, especially concerning funding for improvements of rivers and harbors. He was chairman of the Committee on Expenditures for the Department of the Interior during the 58th and 59th congresses. He was well known among the political class in Washington, D.C., and was described as a trusted friend of Theodore Roosevelt.[2]

Later years

After leaving office, he was appointed postmaster at Sturgeon Bay from 1911 through 1915, and was elected to another term as mayor in 1918. He died at his home in Sturgeon Bay on July 26, 1924, after a month-long decline in his health.[1] He was interred at Sturgeon Bay's Bayside Cemetery.[17]

Personal life and family

Edward S. Minor was one of five children born to Martin Minor and his wife Abigail (née St. Ores). The Minors were descendants of early British colonists to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.[2]

Edward Minor married Mathilda Eloiza "Tillie" Graham in 1867. Tillie was the daughter of Oliver Perry Graham, another Door County pioneer who erected the first lumber mill at Sturgeon Bay. Edward and Tillie had at least six children, though only five survived him. His eldest son, Stanton, worked as his private secretary during his years in Congress and was an unsuccessful candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly.[2]

He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, and the Grand Army of the Republic.[2]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1877, 1879, 1880)

Wisconsin Assembly, Door District Election, 1877[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 6, 1877
Republican Edward S. Minor 554 56.47% +32.77%
Democratic George Basford 427 43.53% +1.33%
Plurality 127 12.95% -5.55%
Total votes 981 100.0% -35.42%
Republican gain from Democratic
Wisconsin Assembly, Door District Election, 1879[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 4, 1879
Republican Edward S. Minor 527 52.02% -8.47%
Greenback Moses Kilgore 391 38.60% -0.91%
Democratic Grary Pinney 95 9.38%
Plurality 136 13.43% -7.56%
Total votes 1,013 100.0% -28.41%
Republican hold
Wisconsin Assembly, Door District Election, 1880[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 2, 1880
Republican Edward S. Minor (incumbent) 1,191 56.45% +4.42%
Democratic J. T. Wright 856 40.57% +31.19%
Greenback Rufus M. Wright 63 2.99% -35.61%
Plurality 335 15.88% +2.45%
Total votes 2,110 100.0% +108.29%
Republican hold

Wisconsin Senate (1882)

Wisconsin Senate, 1st District Election, 1882[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 7, 1882
Republican Edward S. Minor 5,072 55.63% -2.73%
Democratic John Fetzer 4,046 44.37%
Plurality 1,026 11.25% -5.46%
Total votes 9,118 100.0% -9.34%
Republican hold

U.S. House of Representatives, 8th district (1894, 1896, 1898, 1900)

Year Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
1894[10] Nov. 6 Edward S. Minor Republican 19,902 54.22% Lyman E. Barnes Dem. 15,522 42.29% 36,703 4,380
John Faville Proh. 949 2.59%
A. J. Larrabee Peo. 330 0.90%
1896[11] Nov. 3 Edward S. Minor (inc) Republican 26,471 60.30% George W. Cate Dem. 16,845 38.37% 43,896 9,626
John W. Evans Proh. 580 1.32%
1898[12] Nov. 8 Edward S. Minor (inc) Republican 16,910 54.19% Philip Sheridan Dem. 13,668 43.80% 31,207 3,242
John W. Evans Proh. 629 2.02%
1900[13] Nov. 6 Edward S. Minor (inc) Republican 25,263 60.15% Nathan E. Morgan Dem. 16,740 39.85% 42,003 8,523

U.S. House of Representatives, 9th district (1902, 1904)

Year Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
1902[14] Nov. 4 Edward S. Minor Republican 15,958 57.08% Edward Decker Dem. 11,479 41.06% 27,955 4,479
T. W. Lomas Proh. 518 1.85%
1904[15] Nov. 8 Edward S. Minor (inc) Republican 19,764 58.12% Robert J. McGeehan Dem. 13,124 38.59% 34,005 6,640
Joseph W. Harris Soc.D. 667 1.96%
Charles W. Loomis Proh. 450 1.32%

References

  1. ^ a b "E. S. Minor, Ex-Congress Member, Dies". The Capital Times. July 26, 1924. p. 3. Retrieved March 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g History of Door County, Wisconsin, the County Beautiful. Vol. 2. The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. 1917. pp. 64–68. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  3. ^ Martin, Charles I. (1881). History of Door County, Wisconsin. Expositor Job Print. pp. 53–54. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Second Regiment Infantry". Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861–1865. Vol. 1. State of Wisconsin. 1886. p. 71. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  5. ^ Quiner, Edwin B. (1866). "Regimental History–Second Cavalry". The Military History of Wisconsin. Clarke & Co. pp. 900–908. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Bashford, R. M., ed. (1878). "Official Directory" (PDF). The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 469. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Warner, Hans B., ed. (1880). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 512. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Heg, J. E., ed. (1881). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 508–509. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Heg, James E., ed. (1885). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 419. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d Casson, Henry, ed. (1895). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 660. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Casson, Henry, ed. (1897). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 654–655. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Froehlich, William H., ed. (1899). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 746–747. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Froehlich, William H., ed. (1901). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 724. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Erickson, Halford, ed. (1903). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 1075–1076. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  15. ^ a b Erickson, Halford, ed. (1905). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 1068. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  16. ^ "Minor Defeated for Renomination". The Post-Crescent. September 7, 1906. p. 6. Retrieved March 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Death Takes E. S. Minor of Sturgeon Bay". Green Bay Press-Gazette. July 26, 1924. p. 1. Retrieved March 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

Wisconsin State Assembly Preceded byJarvis T. Wright Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Door district January 7, 1878 – January 6, 1879 Succeeded byCharles August Masse Preceded byCharles August Masse Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Door district January 5, 1880 – January 2, 1882 Succeeded byAdelbert Delos Thorp Wisconsin Senate Preceded byWilliam A. Ellis Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 1st district January 1, 1883 – January 3, 1887 Succeeded byEdward Scofield U.S. House of Representatives Preceded byLyman E. Barnes Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 8th congressional district March 4, 1895 - March 3, 1903 Succeeded byJames H. Davidson Preceded byWebster E. Brown Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 9th congressional district March 4, 1903 - March 3, 1907 Succeeded byGustav Küstermann Political offices Preceded byLouis Reichel Mayor of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin April 1894 – April 1895 Succeeded byGeorge Nelson Preceded byNathaniel C. Garland Mayor of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin April 1918 – April 1920 Succeeded byJohn Boler
Wisconsin's delegation(s) to the 54th–59th United States Congresses (ordered by seniority)
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