James Earnest

James Earnest
James Earnest
Member of the Wisconsin Senate; from the 13th district
	In office; January 7, 1867 – January 4, 1869
Preceded by	Samuel Cole
Succeeded by	Hamilton H. Gray
	In office; January 5, 1863 – January 2, 1865
Preceded by	Samuel Cole
Succeeded by	Samuel Cole
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
	In office; January 1, 1877 – January 7, 1878
Preceded by	Danverse Neff (Lafayette County)
Succeeded by	Bernard McGinty
Constituency	Lafayette 2nd
	In office; January 5, 1857 – January 3, 1859
Preceded by	Hamilton H. Gray
Succeeded by	David W. Kyle
Constituency	Lafayette 3rd
	In office; January 2, 1854 – January 7, 1856
Preceded by	Eli Robinson
Succeeded by	Matthew Murphy
Constituency	Lafayette 1st
	In office; January 5, 1852 – January 3, 1853
Preceded by	Nathan Olmsted
Succeeded by	Eli Robinson
Constituency	Lafayette 1st
Personal details
Born	January 11, 1818; Franklin, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	June 12, 1900 (aged 82); Shullsburg, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting place	Saint Matthews New Catholic Cemetery, Shullsburg, Wisconsin
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Mary E. McGown (m. 1847⁠–⁠1900)
Children	Laura (Hughes); (b. 1847; died 1917); Katherine "Kate" (Dunlop); (b. 1850; died 1929); Arethusa R. "Susan" (Leclerc); (b. 1852; died 1924); James Emmett Earnest; (b. 1853; died 1902); Ida B. (Porter); (b. 1856; died 1892); Gratton William Earnest; (b. 1857; died 1917); Walter Washington Earnest; (b. 1859; died 1920); Charles D. Earnest; (b. 1861);

James Harrison Earnest (January 11, 1818 – June 12, 1900) was an American Democratic politician and Wisconsin pioneer. He served four years in the Wisconsin State Senate and six years in the Assembly, representing Lafayette County.

Background[]

James Earnest was born in Franklin, Kentucky, in 1818.^[1] His parents died while he was still young,^[2] and, when he was about sixteen years old, he went to Springfield, Illinois, to look for work.^[3] In 1836, he moved north into the Wisconsin Territory and settled at the township of New Diggings. He found work in the lead mines, and, after 1844, opened a store in the town and operated his own mining company.^[2]^[3]

In 1850, he used his earnings to purchase an unimproved farmstead in the vicinity of Shullsburg, Wisconsin. He constructed a home and other buildings on the property.^[2]

In politics, he became an outspoken supporter of the Democratic Party, which was popular with the laborers in the lead mining region. Over the next several decades, he was elected to six terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, and two 2-year terms in the Wisconsin State Senate. He was a constant defender of the economic interests of the lead mining region, until the industry began to decline in the aftermath of the American Civil War.^[1]

In his later years, he devoted his attention to his farmstead, where he raised thoroughbred livestock.^[1]

He died at his homestead near Shullsburg on June 12, 1900, after a long illness.^[3]

Personal life and family[]

James Earnest married Mary E. McGown of Mercer County, Kentucky, in 1847. They had eight children together, all of whom were still living at the time of his death in 1900.^[2]

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c "Earnest, James Harrison 1818 - 1900". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin. Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co. 1901. pp. 620-621. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Hon. James H. Earnest died at his home near this city..." The Southwestern Local. June 15, 1900. p. 1. Retrieved July 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

External links[]

James Earnest at Find a Grave

Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by Nathan Olmsted	Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Lafayette 1st district January 5, 1852 – January 3, 1853	Succeeded by Eli Robinson
Preceded by Eli Robinson	Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Lafayette 1st district January 2, 1854 – January 7, 1856	Succeeded by Matthew Murphy
Preceded by Hamilton H. Gray	Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Lafayette 3rd district January 5, 1857 – January 3, 1859	Succeeded by David W. Kyle
Preceded by Danverse Neff (all of Lafayette County)	Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Lafayette 2nd district January 1, 1877 – January 7, 1878	Succeeded by Bernard McGinty
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Samuel Cole	Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 13th district January 5, 1863 – January 2, 1865	Succeeded by Samuel Cole
Preceded by Samuel Cole	Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 13th district January 7, 1867 – January 4, 1869	Succeeded by Hamilton H. Gray

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[wihist-1] "Earnest, James Harrison 1818 - 1900". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved July 30, 2021.

[beers-2] Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin. Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co. 1901. pp. 620-621. Retrieved July 30, 2021.

[souwes-obit-3] "Hon. James H. Earnest died at his home near this city..." The Southwestern Local. June 15, 1900. p. 1. Retrieved July 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

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James Earnest

Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 13th district
In office January 7, 1867 – January 4, 1869
Preceded by	Samuel Cole
Succeeded by	Hamilton H. Gray
In office January 5, 1863 – January 2, 1865
Preceded by	Samuel Cole
Succeeded by	Samuel Cole
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
In office January 1, 1877 – January 7, 1878
Preceded by	Danverse Neff (Lafayette County)
Succeeded by	Bernard McGinty
Constituency	Lafayette 2nd
In office January 5, 1857 – January 3, 1859
Preceded by	Hamilton H. Gray
Succeeded by	David W. Kyle
Constituency	Lafayette 3rd
In office January 2, 1854 – January 7, 1856
Preceded by	Eli Robinson
Succeeded by	Matthew Murphy
Constituency	Lafayette 1st
In office January 5, 1852 – January 3, 1853
Preceded by	Nathan Olmsted
Succeeded by	Eli Robinson
Constituency	Lafayette 1st

Personal details
Born	(1818-01-11)January 11, 1818 Franklin, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	June 12, 1900(1900-06-12) (aged 82) Shullsburg, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting place	Saint Matthews New Catholic Cemetery, Shullsburg, Wisconsin
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Mary E. McGown (m. 1847⁠–⁠1900)
Children	Laura (Hughes) ^{(b. 1847; died 1917)} Katherine "Kate" (Dunlop) ^{(b. 1850; died 1929)} Arethusa R. "Susan" (Leclerc) ^{(b. 1852; died 1924)} James Emmett Earnest ^{(b. 1853; died 1902)} Ida B. (Porter) ^{(b. 1856; died 1892)} Gratton William Earnest ^{(b. 1857; died 1917)} Walter Washington Earnest ^{(b. 1859; died 1920)} Charles D. Earnest ^{(b. 1861)}