Timothy Burns (Wisconsin politician)
Timothy Burns | |
|---|---|
| 3rd Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin | |
| In office January 5, 1852 – September 21, 1853 | |
| Governor | Leonard Farwell |
| Preceded by | Samuel W. Beall |
| Succeeded by | James T. Lewis |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Iowa–Richland 2nd district | |
| In office January 1, 1849 – January 7, 1850 | |
| Preceded by | Abner Nichols |
| Succeeded by | Thomas M. Fullerton |
| Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Wisconsin Territory | |
| In office February 7, 1848 – March 13, 1848 | |
| Preceded by | Isaac P. Walker |
| Succeeded by | Ninian E. Whiteside |
| Member of the House of Representatives of the Wisconsin Territory for Iowa, Lafayette, & Richland counties | |
| In office January 4, 1847 – May 29, 1848 Serving with James D. Jenkins (1847), Thomas Chilton (1847), M. M. Cothren (1847–1848), & Charles Pole (1847–1848) | |
| Preceded by | Robert C. Hoard, Henry M. Billings, & Charles Pole |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 31, 1820 Dublin, Ireland, UK |
| Died | September 21, 1853 (aged 33) La Crosse, Wisconsin, US |
| Resting place | Oak Grove Cemetery, La Crosse, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Cordelia Esperson Burns |
| Children | Robert W. Burns |
| Profession | Miner Judge Railroad Man Politician |
Timothy Burns (May 31, 1820 – September 21, 1853) was an Irish American immigrant, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was the third Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, serving from 1852 until his death in 1853.
Early life[]
Born in Dublin, Ireland, on May 31, 1820, Burns came to New York in America with his family as an infant. In the fall of 1837 as a young man, he settled in Iowa County in Wisconsin Territory, where he engaged in lead mining.[1]
Career[]
In 1844 Burns was elected sheriff of Iowa County.[1] Elected in 1846, he served in the Wisconsin territorial House of Representatives in 1847-1848 and became Assembly Speaker.[1] He visited La Crosse in 1847.[2] Later, in 1849 he served in the Wisconsin State Assembly. In 1850, he moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin, and took a position on the State Board of Public Works. He was the chairman of the first La Crosse Town Board, chairman of the first La Crosse County Board and the first La Crosse county judge, while also engaging in the railroad industry.[3]
In 1851, he was elected as a Democrat and became the Wisconsin's third Lieutenant Governor under the State's second Governor, Leonard Farwell.[1]
Death and legacy[]
While visiting his brother-in-law in Lafayette County, Burns became ill of bilious fever but recovered enough to travel home, and died of a relapse in La Crosse on September 21, 1853.[1] He is interred at Oak Grove Cemetery, La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Burns Park, in downtown La Crosse, and the town and community of Burns were named after him.[4]
Electoral history[]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 4, 1851 | |||||
| Democratic | Timothy Burns | 24,605 | 55.44% | +2.85% | |
| Whig | James Hughes | 16,793 | 37.84% | +3.25% | |
| Free Soil | Benjamin B. Spaulding | 2,918 | 6.57% | -6.24% | |
| Scattering | 65 | 0.15% | |||
| Plurality | 7,812 | 17.60% | -3.45% | ||
| Total votes | 44,381 | 100.0% | +42.72% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References[]
- ^ a b c d e "In Supreme Court". Wisconsin State Journal. September 27, 1853. p. 2. Retrieved May 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Thwaites, Haines, Reuben Gold, Mary Elizabeth (1912). Proceedings [of The] Annual Business Meeting, Volume 59 Publications, Publications. State Historical Society of Wisconsin., 1912. p. 214.
- ^ "Timothy Burns". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
- ^ Burns, Timothy 1820 - 1853
- ^ "State Official Canvass". Watertown Chronicle. December 24, 1851. p. 2. Retrieved December 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
External links[]
- Timothy Burns, La Crosse Republican and Leader, Mose Strong, September 20, 1871.
- Timothy Burns:Short-lived Settler left huge last memory, Myer Katz, La Crosse Tribune, November 8, 1981.
- Burns lite fire under young La Crosse, Reid Magney, La Crosse Tribune, March 4, 1998.
- Newspaper clippings courtesy of the La Crosse public library-archives.
- Lieutenant Governor Timothy Burns of Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Historical Society
- Timothy Burns at Find a Grave
- 1820 births
- 1853 deaths
- Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923)
- Lieutenant Governors of Wisconsin
- Members of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature
- Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- Wisconsin city council members
- Wisconsin sheriffs
- Wisconsin state court judges
- County supervisors in Wisconsin
- Politicians from La Crosse, Wisconsin
- People from Iowa County, Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Democrats
- 19th-century American politicians
- Burials in Wisconsin
- 19th-century American judges