Lewis, Gov. James Taylor (1819-1904) | Wisconsin Historical Society

Historical Essay

Lewis, Gov. James Taylor (1819-1904)

Wisconsin Civil War Officer, 9th Governor of Wisconsin

Lewis, Gov. James Taylor (1819-1904) | Wisconsin Historical Society
b. Clarendon, New York, October 30, 1819
d. Columbus, Wisconsin, August 5, 1904

Governor James Taylor Lewis was a lawyer, politician, and the ninth governor of Wisconsin. Beginning his political career as a Democrat, Gov. Lewis later joined the Republican Party and led the state through the tumultuous conclusion of the Civil War.

EnlargeGovernor Lewis, WHS 72991.

Governor Lewis, 1867

View the original source document: WHI 72991

Early Career

After his youth in western New York, Lewis studied law and taught school. His father speculated in lands in Wisconsin, and Lewis visited the territory with his father in 1840. In 1845, he moved to Wisconsin and opened a legal practice in Columbus. He was the only attorney in Columbia County for some time.

Lewis enjoyed a successful practice and entered politics as a Democrat. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1847-1848, served in the Assembly (1852) and the Senate (1853), and was lieutenant governor from 1854-1856. Lewis retired from public life for a short period, but entered politics again in 1861 as a Republican.

Governor

Lewis was elected secretary of state in 1861 and governor in 1863. He was an ardent supporter of President Lincoln, and faithfully supplied his state's quota of soldiers for the army. He made numerous trips to army hospitals and camps, and secured a special order to transfer Wisconsin's sick and wounded soldiers home. Lewis was also instrumental in founding homes for both soldiers and soldiers' orphans.

Later Career

Keeping his 1863 election promise, Lewis refused to run for a second term and lived the rest of his life in Columbus, where he played an important part in bringing water and electric utilities to it.

Links to Learn More

[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin Biography (Madison, 1965); E. B. Quiner, The Military History of Wisconsin (Chicago, 1866); Milwaukee Sentinel, Aug. 5, 1904.]