William Pitt Lynde
William Pitt Lynde (December 16, 1817 – December 18, 1885) was an American lawyer and politician from Wisconsin who served in the United States House of Representatives and as Mayor of Milwaukee.[1][2]
William P. Lynde | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 4th district | |
| In office March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1879 | |
| Preceded by | Alexander Mitchell |
| Succeeded by | Peter V. Deuster |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 1st district | |
| In office June 5, 1848 – March 3, 1849 | |
| Preceded by | District Established |
| Succeeded by | Charles Durkee |
| 12th Mayor of Milwaukee | |
| In office April 1860 – April 1861 | |
| Preceded by | Herman L. Page |
| Succeeded by | James S. Brown |
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 5th district | |
| In office January 1, 1869 – January 1, 1871 | |
| Preceded by | Henry L. Palmer |
| Succeeded by | Francis Huebschmann |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Milwaukee 2nd district | |
| In office January 1, 1866 – January 1, 1867 | |
| Preceded by | David Knab |
| Succeeded by | Harrison Carroll Hobart |
| United States Attorney for the Wisconsin Territory | |
| In office July 14, 1845 – June 6, 1848 | |
| President | James K. Polk |
| Preceded by | Thomas W. Sutherland |
| Succeeded by | Thomas W. Sutherland |
| 4th Attorney General of the Wisconsin Territory | |
| In office 1844 – July 14, 1845 | |
| Governor | Nathaniel P. Tallmadge |
| Preceded by | Mortimer M. Jackson |
| Succeeded by | Mortimer M. Jackson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Pitt Lynde December 16, 1817 Sherburne, New York |
| Died | December 18, 1885 (aged 68) Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Resting place | Forest Home Cemetery Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Blanchard Lynde |
| Alma mater | Yale College, Harvard Law School |
| Occupation | Attorney |
Biography
Lynde was born in Sherburne, New York. He graduated from Yale College, in 1838, and Harvard Law School, in 1841, and was admitted to the bar in New York. He moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin Territory, shortly thereafter, accompanied by his new wife, Mary.[3]
In 1842 he founded the law firm, Finch & Lynde, with his partner Asahel Finch, Jr. Finch & Lynde survives today as Foley & Lardner, one of the oldest and largest law firms in the country.
Lynde became Attorney General of the Wisconsin Territory in 1844 and United States Attorney for Wisconsin in 1845.[4] He also served as president of the board of trustees of the Village of Milwaukee.
When Wisconsin was admitted as a state in 1848, Lynde was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives, one of Wisconsin's first two representatives. He joined part of the 30th United States Congress from June 5, 1848, till March 3, 1849, representing Wisconsin's 1st congressional district. He lost his reelection bid for the 31st Congress. He was also unsuccessful in the 1849 election for associate justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Lynde served as Mayor of Milwaukee in 1860. His Wisconsin political career also led him to the state legislature; he served in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1866 and the State Senate in 1869 and 1870. He returned to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1875, where he served two full terms this time representing Wisconsin's 4th congressional district as part of the 44th and 45th Congresses from March 4, 1875, till March 3, 1879.
Lynde died in 1885 in Milwaukee at age 68. He is interred in Milwaukee's Forest Home Cemetery.[5] His wife died in 1897 and was also interred there.
Electoral history
U.S. House (1848)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Election, May 8, 1848 | |||||
| Democratic | William Pitt Lynde | 9,834 | 54.89% | ||
| Whig | Edward V. Whiton | 7,387 | 41.23% | ||
| Liberty | Ichabod Cotting | 696 | 3.88% | ||
| Plurality | 2,447 | 13.66% | |||
| Total votes | 17,917 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic win (new seat) | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 7, 1848 | |||||
| Free Soil | Charles Durkee | 5,038 | 38.49% | ||
| Democratic | William Pitt Lynde (incumbent) | 4,436 | 33.89% | -21.00% | |
| Whig | Asahel Finch, Jr. | 3,615 | 27.62% | ||
| Plurality | 602 | 4.60% | |||
| Total votes | 13,089 | 100.0% | -26.95% | ||
| Whig gain from Democratic | |||||
Milwaukee Mayor (1860)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 3, 1860 | |||||
| Democratic | William Pitt Lynde | 4,532 | 55.90% | ||
| Democratic | Otis H. Waldo | 3,552 | 43.81% | ||
| Scattering | 24 | 0.30% | |||
| Plurality | 980 | 12.09% | |||
| Total votes | 8,108 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
U.S. House (1874, 1876)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 3, 1874 | |||||
| Democratic | William Pitt Lynde | 12,046 | 55.79% | -9.31% | |
| Republican | Harrison Ludington | 9,545 | 44.21% | ||
| Plurality | 2,501 | 11.58% | |||
| Total votes | 21,591 | 100.0% | +5.83% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 7, 1876 | |||||
| Democratic | William Pitt Lynde (incumbent) | 17,653 | 59.63% | +3.84% | |
| Republican | William E. Smith | 11,952 | 40.37% | ||
| Plurality | 5,701 | 19.26% | +7.67% | ||
| Total votes | 29,605 | 100.0% | +37.12% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References
- William Pitt Lynde, Wisconsin Historical Society
- 'Proceedings of State Bar Association of Wisconsin,' Wisconsin State Bar Association: 1901, Biographical Sketch of William Lynde Pitt, vol. 3, pg. 313
- Langill, Ellen D. (2003). "Speaking with an Equal Voice: The Reform Efforts of Milwaukee's Mary Blanchard Lynde". The Wisconsin Magazine of History. 87 (1): 18–29. JSTOR 4637060.
- Obituary Record of the Graduates of Yale College Deceased during the Academical Year ending on June 3, 1856, (PDF). 1856. p. 306.
- "Historical People". Forest Home Cemetery. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
- Wisconsin U.S. House Elections, 1848-2008 (PDF). Humphrey School of Public Affairs (Report). Retrieved May 24, 2020 – via Wayback Machine.
- "Official Vote in the City". The Daily Milwaukee News. April 8, 1860. Retrieved May 24, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- United States Congress. "William Pitt Lynde (id: L000538)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- William Pitt Lynde at Find a Grave
| Wisconsin State Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Henry L. Palmer |
Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 5th district 1869 – 1871 |
Succeeded by Francis Huebschmann |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| New district | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 1st congressional district June 5, 1848 – March 3, 1849 |
Succeeded by Charles Durkee |
| Preceded by Alexander Mitchell |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 4th congressional district March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1879 |
Succeeded by Peter V. Deuster |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Herman L. Page |
Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1860 – 1861 |
Succeeded by James S. Brown |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by Mortimer M. Jackson |
Attorney General of the Wisconsin Territory 1844 – 1845 |
Succeeded by Mortimer M. Jackson |
| Preceded by Thomas W. Sutherland |
United States Attorney for the Wisconsin Territory 1845 – 1848 |
Succeeded by Thomas W. Sutherland |
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