Judge James H. Knowlton (I45846)
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Personal Facts and Details
  Events of close relatives | |
| Birth | 20 February 1814  27 Canajoharie, Montgomery, Ny |
| Death of father | 16 December 1867 (Age 53) Ephraim Hiram Baker Knowlton (I45842) (Age 81) - [Relationship Chart] |
| Death | 29 January 1879 (Age 64) Chicago,Cook,Il |
| Burial | Cemetery: Evergreen Hill, Middleton, Wi |
| Last Change | 25 March 2007 - 08:39:41 Last changed by: dcoplien |
Notes
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~1861, law firm Knowlton, Prichard and Jackson ~1868, law firm Knowlton and Jackson James Knowlton 1814 – 1879 To Janesville 1838 age 24, admitted to bar 1847 Knowlton, James H. — of Wisconsin. Presidential Elector for Wisconsin James H. Knowlton was a law partner in Janesville WI with AA Jackson, in the Hyatt House Block (until 1867 which also included the Hyatt House Hotel which caught fire.) As late as 1868, I can find ads in the Janesville Gazette for Jackson and Knowlton. James moved to Chicago IL in the 1870's. -- The Portrait and Biographical Album of Rock County, Wisconsin 1889 p. 1011 “Center, in the northwestern part of the county, was organized by a legislative enactment approved Feb. 17, 1842, and then included the present town of Center and portions of Plymouth, Spring Valley, Magnolia, and Janesville west of the river. Magnolia was set off Feb. 2, 1846, and other towns were formed, wholly or in part, from its territory at later dates. Its present limits are those of township 3 north, of range 11 east. Andrew STEVENS, the first settler, located at Black-Oak Grove in October, 1843. His nearest neighbor was five miles away, the next nearest ten. Other early settlers were David and Philander DAVIS, William WEBB, William WARREN and Elijah WOOD. The first election was held at the house of James V. KNOWLTON [appears this is James H Knowlton]. – former home of Judge William Holmes” History of Rock County, A New History of its Cities, Villages, Towns, Citizens and Varied Interests, From the Earliest Times, Up To Date Vols. 1 and 2., Wm. Fiske Brown, 1908 This reference shows that in 1842, Rockport was still not considered to be part of Janesville. p.702 “In the system of town government was first adopted. That portion of township 3, north of range 12 east, lying west of the river; township 2, north, and the half of township 3, north of range 11 east, and township 2, north, and the half of township 3, north, in range 10 east, were embraced in one town by the name of Center.” It goes on to list how many people live here at the time; 2 families in township 3, range 12 east, west of the river (The Knowlton’s and Holmes’) ** 5 families in township 2, north, range 11 east (includes John Inman) 6 families in township 2, north, range 10 – area that now border’s Green County **A Total of 13 families between the old Fourth ward and the Green County Border!! Only 5, 1 of which is John B. Knowlton in what turned into Janesville Thomas Holmes includes in his layout of Rockport a Canal - why? Could someone from NY with all it's canal's suggested it? Thomas moves to Plymouth, George dies in 1839 leaving William in the area. He has sold his home by 1846~1850 to James Knowlton St John dies in 1845, his land is sold, at least some to Ira Miltimore. John B. Knowlton dies in 1848, land appears to be owned ny Ira Miltimore in 1848. Land adjoins St. John Lands 9 Votes were cast p.702 cont. “The first town meeting was held in the house of James H. Knowlton, where Judge Holmes first settled, just above Monterey.” … By 1841, Judge William Holmes has moved to Plymouth Township just outside the old border – about 1850 part of Janesville Results of election “…commissioner of schools, John B. Knowlton” p. 703 – referring to 1846-1847 “…In the same year of the legislature, I believe, than portion of township 3, north of range 12 east, belonging to Center, was set off to Janesville…” p. 518 mentions that James H. Knowlton, Republican, had served for 3 years in the state assembly p. 555 “In 1858 the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, now at Milwaukee, ….” “….began business in Janesville. It was incorporated by chapter 129 of the laws of Wisconsin for 1857….” “…Among the Janesville incorporators were …James H. Knowlton” Mary Todd Lincoln: "Great Sorrows" and the Healing Waters of Waukesha By Kristine Adams Wendt p.14 ...On August 13 [1872], the Waukesha Plaindealer joined in with this tidbit: "Mrs. Lincoln, relic of the 'late lamented,' who is spending a few weeks in this village, recently visited Milwaukee to have an interview with a spiritual medium there, which is reported to have been very satisfactory. During the last few weeks she has been holding spiritualistic communion through the most celebrated mediums of the east, and has now opened communication through the operator at Milwaukee. The particulars of this spiritual interview are not made public." Two days later, the Waukesha Freeman, possibly miffed at missing the same scoop, issued an editorial reprimand to the other newspapers: "Mrs. Abraham Lincoln is living in Waukesha at present, in retirement, and has manifested no desire to thrust herself upon public notice. Under these circumstances we consider it in very bad taste for newspapers to concern themselves with comments upon her visiting Spiritualists or any other persons whom she may wish to visit." The first of Mrs. Lincoln's two letters from Waukesha was written to James H. Knowlton, a former LaFayette County (Wisconsin) judge and member of the Wisconsin assembly from Janesville who was then practicing law in Chicago. In it, she directs considerable venom toward Ward Hill Lamon, Lincoln's former law partner at Danville, Illinois, who published The Life of Lincoln from his Birth to his Inauguration as President in May 1872. Lamon had purchased the rights to Herndon's research for $4,000 after Herndon fell upon financial difficulties in 1869. He then hired Chauncey F. Black, a man whose personal politics were distinctly unfriendly to Lincoln's memory, to ghost write the project. Under the prodding of Lamon and Black, Herndon elaborated upon the gossipy stories from his lectures. Printed as written in Black's uncharitable style, Herndon's assertions assumed new ugliness. Herndon's biographer, David Donald, characterized the book as "probably the most harshly critical biography that had appeared in America." In addition to the old Ann Rutledge/defaulting bridegroom/unhappy marriage trilogy, The Life of Lincoln also cast doubts on the legitimate birth of both Abraham Lincoln and his mother, disparaged the shiftless character of his father, portrayed Lincoln as pretending to be a Christian, and further cast him as a cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled political schemer. (Donald, pp. 250 - 269) For Mary Lincoln, Lamon's name on such "vile slander" was yet another betrayal by someone she had considered a friend. The letter to Judge Knowlton is significant as the opening salvo in what became a ferocious clash between Mary Lin- [p. 19] coln and the Herndon followers during the next eighteen months. In this round of her "brave, wholehearted fight to get the better of destiny," (Helm, p. 111) Mary Lincoln sought to salvage her husband's memory and reputation, little dreaming that the work of these "small barking dogs" would ultimately savage only her own portrait for posterity. (Turner and Turner, p. 606) -- Underground Railway in Janesville and Milton The Milton House and Joseph Goodrich Joseph Goodrich, was a Seventh-Day Baptist, one of many to leave the "Burned-over District' in western New York to settle in Wisconsin. The Milton Historical Society collections contain a small brown piece of paper from the Lois Goodrich estate on which is written "Andrew Pratt came to J (paper torn off) in 1861 was cared for and . . . the underground passage, him a job with David Plotts . . . village where he worked . . . afterwards emigrated to where he proved up on Gov . . ." Later accounts report that Ezra Goodrich found Andrew Pratt a job and he remained in the area. Fiftieth Anniversary of the First Congregational Church, Janesville, Wis. February 10, 11, and 12, 1895: Reminiscences of A Pastor's Wife Mrs. Eliza M. Becker Foote married Reverend Hiram Foote in Utica, New York. Reverend Foote received his theological training at Oberlin, Ohio. He became pastor of the Janesville congregation in 1848. Hiram and Eliza lived in Joliet and Rockford in Illinois, in Racine, spent three years in Rock County including Milton, Mt. Zion, Emerald Grove then Brodhead and Waukesha. Reverend Foote was "outspoken upon the evils of slavery, intemperance and all other vices." Fiftieth Anniversary . . .1895. page 79 "Some of you may like to know that our little home which stood on the lot now covered by a portion of this edifice (First Congregational Church, Janesville), was one of the underground railroad stations by which the slaves of those days were helped on their way to freedom. One fugitive in whom we were especially interested, who had already fallen into good hands and had the bullet of his pursuers removed from his leg, was cared for at our home two days and a night. Three lawyers and a few others, who could be trusted, came under cover of darkness for fear of pro-slavery laws, to interview our guest, and pronounced him no impostor. He was fed, clothed and provided with a satchel that he might appear more like a northern tourist than a runaway slave, and was furnished with an envelope directed to Mr. Foote, to be mailed when he should arrive in Canada. In due time the missive returned, which meant as much to us as though containing an account of the journey. We knew George was safe." (p. 85) Could James H Knowlton have been one of the attorney's? This was about the time he was a partner with Jackson and ??? - 3 attorneys, one a known abolistionist -- Dictionary of Wisconsin biography Knowlton, James H. 1813 - 1879 Definition: (Note: birth date given in original as "ca. 1813.") lawyer, politician, b. Canandaigua, N.Y. He was the brother of Wiram Knowlton (q.v.). He joined his brother and parents in Janesville about 1838. He moved to Shullsburg in 1847, where he was admitted to the bar and served for several years as county judge. A Whig and later Republican, he was state assemblyman (1854, 1856). In 1856 he returned to Janesville, and represented that district in the assembly (1858). Knowlton was a leading Wisconsin attorney during the 1850's, and participated in several of the legal and political controversies of that period. He was one of the attorneys defending circuit judge Levi Hubbell (q.v.) in his 1853 impeachment trial, and in 1856 was an attorney for Coles Bashford (q.v.) when Bashford contested the election of William A. Barstow (q.v.) as governor. While serving in the assembly in 1858, Knowlton was head of the committee investigating the La Crosse and Milwaukee R.R. land-grant frauds, and played a leading role in that investigation. In 1862 he was the unsuccessful candidate of the farm mortgagors for the office of state Supreme Court justice. After being defeated for this office, he moved to Chicago where he practiced law until his death. [ this was after 1868 and prior to 1870] J. R. Berryman, ed., Bench and Bar of Wis. (2 vols., Chicago, 1898); Proc. State Bar Assoc. Wis., 1881 (1883); Colls. State Hist. Soc. Wis., 9 (1882); Madison Wis. State Journal, Jan. 31, 1879. -- Wisconsin's Legal History: Part III James H. Knowlton was born in New York in 1813. He moved to Wisconsin in 1839 and practiced law at various times in Mineral Point, Shullsburg and Janesville. He served in the state Assembly from 1855 to 1858. Knowlton was known for being eccentric, intemperate and abrasive but honest. In the 1850s and early 1860s he used all of these qualities against Wisconsin's railroads, and in so doing he generated two important Supreme Court decisions and created for himself a footnote in Wisconsin's history. In the 1850s Article VIII, section 1 of the Wisconsin Constitution required that all property be taxed on a uniform basis. It was difficult to apply this rule to railroads because their property often was distributed throughout several different counties and states. In the early 1850s the railroads induced the Legislature to tax them on the basis of their gross receipts rather than property, which imposed a considerably lighter tax burden on them than a property-based tax would have done. In 1859 Knowlton brought a test case, Knowlton v. Supervisors of Rock County, 9 Wis. 410 (1859), and persuaded the Wisconsin Supreme Court to invalidate the railroad tax. However, his triumph was short-lived as three years later the court reversed itself and upheld the tax in Kneeland v. Milwaukee, 15 Wis. 454 (1862). Knowlton was heavily involved in getting Congress to give Wisconsin its first railroad land grant in 1856. He was an opponent of the La Crosse & Milwaukee Railroad, which won the grant, and unfortunately for the La Crosse & Milwaukee, he was appointed to head the Assembly committee which investigated rumors that the road had obtained the grant through wholesale bribery. Knowlton led a lengthy, thorough and relentless investigation during which he won a decision from the Supreme Court establishing the Legislature's power to investigate, to subpoena witnesses and to hold them in contempt. In re Falvey, 7 Wis. *630 (1858). The investigation sent one former legislator to jail and ended the political careers of many others involved in the scandal. In the 1860s Knowlton supported the farm mortgage leagues, and in 1863 he ran unsuccessfully for the Supreme Court as their candidate against Justice Cole. Toward the end of his life Knowlton moved to Chicago where he died about 1875.-- |
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