Harrison Ludington

Harrison Ludington
Harrison Ludington
13th Governor of Wisconsin
In office January 3, 1876 – January 7, 1878
Lieutenant	Charles D. Parker
Preceded by	William Robert Taylor
Succeeded by	William E. Smith
20th Mayor of Milwaukee
In office 1871–1872
Preceded by	Joseph Phillips
Succeeded by	David G. Hecker
22nd Mayor of Milwaukee
In office 1873–1876
Preceded by	David G. Hecker
Succeeded by	Ammi R. Butler
Personal details
Born	July 30, 1812 Kent, New York
Died	June 17, 1891 (aged 78) Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	E. Macy Tobey
Profession	businessman, politician

Harrison Ludington (July 30, 1812 – June 17, 1891) was an American Republican politician who served as the 13th Governor of Wisconsin and a mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.^[1]

Ancestry

Harrison Ludington descended from William Ludington, one of the earliest American colonists, who settled at Charlestown, Mass. in 1632, and died at the East Haven Iron Works, Connecticut, in 1662 or 1663.^[2] His grandfather was Colonel Henry Ludington (May 25, 1739 Branford, New Haven, CT – January 24, 1817 Patterson, Putnam. NY),^[3] a commanding officer of the volunteer 7th Regiment of the Dutchess County Militia, during the American Revolutionary War. Henry Ludington later became an aide to General George Washington. Henry's daughter, Sybil Ludington (1761–1839), was famous for risking her life when she was 16 years old to warn the American militia that British troops were burning Danbury, Connecticut.^[4]

Biography

Ludington was born in Kent, Dutchess County, New York. Son of Frederick and Susannah (Griffeth) Ludington. Harrison received common (district) school education.^[5] He moved to Milwaukee in 1838. At the age of 24 he became a joint owner of a merchandising business with his uncle, Lewis Ludington. This general merchandising business was conducted out of Solomon Juneau's warehouse between years 1839–1851.^[6] In 1851 he became involved in lumber business, operating in the northeastern part of the state. He was a member of the firm of Ludington, Wells (Daniel Wells, Jr.) and Van Schaick (Anthony G. Van Schaick). Ludington became an active developer in Milwaukee, where he began his political career. He served two terms as a Milwaukee alderman, three terms as Milwaukee's mayor, a position that he resigned from to serve as Wisconsin's governor. He defeated his predecessor William R. Taylor, Democrat, in November, 1875.^[7] Ludington served as a governor of Wisconsin from 1876 to 1878.^[8] He married twice, his first wife was Frances White, married on March 25, 1838 in Louisville, KY. His second wife was a widow Eve Mary Tobey, they married on June 7, 1875.^[9] He had a total of six children.

Governor

In his capacity as governor, Harrison Ludington facilitated promotion of commercial activity. He also undid changes in the financial sector made by his predecessor. He stood against state regulation of railroads. Under his administration the infamous Potter law was repealed, which was supposed to drastically increase government intervention in the railroad business. He also replaced the railroad commission, made up of three members with powers of establishing rates for the railroads, by a single commissioner who lacked such authority.^[10] Ludington declined renomination for the position of governor in 1879 due to pressure from younger members of the Republican party.^[11]

Retirement

Following his decision not to pursue renomination for governorship, Ludington resigned from public affairs and devoted himself to conducting business. German-American artist Conrad W. Heyd painted his portrait in this period of his life.^[12]

Ludington died on June 17, 1891 in Milwaukee and is interred in Forest Home Cemetery there.^[13]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harrison Ludington.

• Harrison Ludington at Find a Grave

Governors of Wisconsin
Territory (1836–48)	Dodge Doty Tallmadge Dodge Catlin (acting)
State (since 1848)	Dewey Farwell Barstow MacArthur Bashford Randall Harvey Salomon Lewis Fairchild Washburn Taylor Ludington Smith Rusk Hoard Peck Upham Scofield R. La Follette Davidson McGovern Philipp Blaine Zimmerman Kohler Sr. P. La Follette Schmedeman P. La Follette Heil (Loomis) * Goodland Rennebohm Kohler Jr. Thomson Nelson Reynolds Knowles Lucey Schreiber Dreyfus Earl Thompson McCallum Doyle Walker
(*) elected but died before taking office