Eugene McLanahan Wilson (December 25, 1833 – April 10, 1890) was an American
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
and
Democratic politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
who served in various legal and political offices in
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
including as a
member of Congress
A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
and as the fifth and seventh
mayor of Minneapolis
This is a list of mayors of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The current mayor is Jacob Frey (DFL).
Minneapolis
From 1867 to 1878 mayors were elected for a 1-year term. Beginning in 1878 the term was extended to 2 years.
As the city became larger and mor ...
.
Early life
Wilson was born in
Morgantown,
Monongalia County,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
(now
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
) on December 25, 1833. His father
Edgar C. Wilson had been a lawyer and US representative from Virginia (as had his grandfather
Thomas Wilson). On his mother's side he was the great-grandson of
Isaac Griffin
Isaac Griffin (February 27, 1756October 12, 1827) was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, serving two terms from 1813 to 1817.
Early life and career
Isaac Griffin (gre ...
, also a longtime US Representative from Pennsylvania. He attended school in Morgantown and graduated from
Jefferson College in 1852. He studied law, was
admitted to the bar
An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...
in 1855 and relocated to Minnesota shortly thereafter.
Career
Wilson worked in
Winona, Minnesota
Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf. The city is named after legendary figure Winona, who ...
for several years in a law practice with former classmate
William B. Mitchell. In 1857 he was named
United States Attorney
United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...
for the
District of Minnesota and relocated to Minneapolis. During the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
Wilson served in 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
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
of Company A in the
1st Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. The regiment was primarily involved with the
Dakota War of 1862
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several ban ...
.
After the war, Wilson was elected to the
Forty-first Congress (1869 – 1871). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1870. He resumed the practice of law, and was elected mayor of Minneapolis in 1872 and 1874. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1874 to the
Forty-fourth Congress
The 44th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1875, ...
. He served as a delegate to the
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...
in 1876 and was a member of the
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are hel ...
in 1878 and 1879. He was an unsuccessful candidate for
Governor of Minnesota
The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...
in 1888.
Wilson remained active in social as well as political affairs in Minnesota. He was twice president of the
Minneapolis Club, in 1886 and 1890.
Personal life
Wilson married Elizabeth Kimball, daughter of Colonel William M. Kimball, of Minneapolis on October 6, 1865. Together, they had four children.
Death
Wilson died while on a visit to regain his health in
Nassau
Nassau may refer to:
Places Bahamas
*Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence
Canada
*Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792
*Nassau Street (Winnipeg), ...
,
British West Indies
The British West Indies (BWI) were colonized British territories in the West Indies: Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grena ...
(now
The Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
) on April 10, 1890. He was interred in
Lakewood Cemetery
Lakewood Cemetery is a large private, non-sectarian cemetery located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It is located at 3600 Hennepin Avenue at the southern end of the Uptown area. It is noted for its chapel which is on the National Re ...
, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Electoral history
*Minneapolis Mayoral Election, 1872
**Eugene McLanahan Wilson 2,208
**
Dorilus Morrison
Dorilus Morrison (December 27, 1814 – June 26, 1897) was an American banker, businessman, and Republican politician. He was the first and third Mayor of Minneapolis and was a member of the Minnesota Senate.
Life and career
Morrison was born i ...
1,534
*Minneapolis Mayoral Election, 1874
**Eugene McLanahan Wilson 2,533
**
George A. Brackett 2,147
**John H. Thompson 415
References
Retrieved on 2009-04-13
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Eugene Mclanahan
1833 births
1890 deaths
Democratic Party Minnesota state senators
Mayors of Minneapolis
Union Army officers
People of Minnesota in the American Civil War
Washington & Jefferson College alumni
United States Attorneys for the District of Minnesota
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota
Burials at Lakewood Cemetery
19th-century American politicians