Turning Points
in Wisconsin History
The memoirs of Nelson Dewey, the state's first governor.
The Autobiography of Nelson Dewey (1813-1889)
Dewey was the State of Wisconsin's first governor. Thinking in 1836 that the new Wisconsin Territory (which then included much of Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas) would have its capitol on the Mississippi, he settled at Cassville, in Grant Co., only to see the state capital located at Madison. After serving in the territorial legislature, he was elected governor in 1848 and served two terms. As Republicans came to dominate the state's political life during and after the Civil War, Dewey (a Democrat) encountered in later life a series of political and economic disappointments. His Cassville home, "Stonefield," is now a historic site. His memoirs occupy only the first five pages of this document; the remaining 10 are recollections by his friends and associates.
Related Topics: |
Explorers, Traders, and Settlers Territory to Statehood The Creation of Wisconsin Territory The State Constitutions of 1846 and 1848 |
Creator: | Dewey, Nelson. 1813-1889 |
Pub Data: | Lancaster (Wis.) Teller, Oct. 24, 1889. |
Citation: | Dewey, Nelson. "Nelson Dewey: Autobiography of Wisconsin's First Governor." Lancaster (Wis.) Teller, Oct. 24, 1889. Online facsimile at: http://wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=651; Visited on: 3/28/2024 |
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