Daniel Downs (December 2, 1824 – September 14, 1897) was a member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

and the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

Biography

Downs was born in

Trumbull County, Ohio Trumbull County is a county in the far northeast portion of U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 201,977. Its county seat is Warren, which developed industry along the Mahoning River. Trumbull County is part of the You ...

. A Congregationalist, Downs married Mary D. Cowen in 1850. They would have four children. Previously, Downs had completed his education at

Rush Medical College Rush Medical College is the medical school of Rush University, located in the Illinois Medical District, about 3 km (2 miles) west of the Loop in Chicago. Offering a full-time Doctor of Medicine program, the school was chartered in 1837, and ...

. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, he served with the 46th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

as a surgeon.

Political career

Downs was a member of the Assembly in 1855. In 1860, Downs changed his party affiliation from Democratic to

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

. He was a member of the Senate from 1876 to 1877 representing the 28th District. Other positions he held include County Treasurer of

Richland County, Wisconsin Richland County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,304. Its county seat is Richland Center. The county was created from the Wisconsin Territory in 1842 and organized in 1850. It is named fo ...

and Richland County judge. He died at home at the age of 73, following a stroke the week before."Death of Judge Downs", ''The Weekly Wisconsin'' (September 18, 1897), p. 2.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Downs, Daniel 1824 births Year of death missing People from Richland County, Wisconsin Wisconsin state court judges Wisconsin state senators Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly County treasurers in Wisconsin County judges in the United States Wisconsin Republicans Wisconsin Democrats People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Union Army surgeons American Congregationalists 19th-century Congregationalists Physicians from Wisconsin Rush Medical College alumni