Jacob Van Vechten Platto (January 17, 1822January 2, 1898) was an American lawyer, politician, and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

pioneer. He 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, ...

, representing the west side of the city of

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

during the 1862 session. In historical documents, his name was often abbreviated as , and his first name was sometimes incorrectly listed as "John".

Early life

Jacob V. V. Platto was born in

Schenectady, New York Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

, in January 1822. At age six, he moved with his parents to

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...

, where his father was employed. He was raised and educated in Albany, and, at age 16, he went to study law as a clerk in the office of Judge

Rufus Wheeler Peckham Rufus W. Peckham (November 8, 1838 – October 24, 1909) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1895 to 1909, and is the most recent Democratic nominee approved by a Republican-majorit ...

. While obtaining his legal education from Peckham, he also maintained Peckham's finances and became a skilled bookkeeper in the process. As a result, after his admission to the bar in 1843, his first job was as a bookkeeper for a large wholesale dry goods seller in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Legal career

In 1848, he moved to

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, where he became invested in a wholesale liquor business. His business ventures brought him a significant income, and, about 1856, he decided he had accumulated sufficient wealth to being a legal practice without endangering his financial situation. In 1860, he achieved significant notoriety among the Wisconsin legal community, when he took on the defense of George P. Shelton, a black man accused of killing an Irishman. The killing had inflamed racial tension in the city on the eve of 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 ...

, and while he was held as a defendant in the crime, the county had to pay $500 per day ($18,000 per day, adjusted for inflation to 2022) to protect Shelton from

mob violence A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...

. Shelton had difficulty finding legal representation, because many of Milwaukee's lawyers feared the wrath of the mob. Although Platto had little experience in criminal law, he accepted Shelton's case just days before the start of the trial. He argued that Shelton had acted in self defense and won a stunning acquittal, earning commendation from the bar and firmly establishing his standing among Milwaukee's legal elite. He also appeared as counsel in another major Milwaukee murder case, but generally preferred civil practice. Shortly after his arrival in Milwaukee, he purchased a lot at the corner of what was then 8th & Spring Streets (now 8th St & Wisconsin Avenue) in Milwaukee's Westown neighborhood. He built a cottage there, and later replaced it with a larger home, where he resided for the rest of his life. He died at his home in Milwaukee on January 2, 1898.'Proceedings of the State Bar Association of Wisconsin; Wisconsin State Bar Association: 1901, Biographical Sketch of Jacob Van Vechten Platto, pg. 346 He had been largely bedridden for seven years, due to a stroke in 1891.

Political career

Platto was interested in public affairs, but was not very active in politics, and not interested in holding offices. He was considered a conservative member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, and stood for election only once. He was elected to the

in 1861, representing

Milwaukee County Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous coun ...

's 4th Assembly district—comprising what was then the city's fourth ward, a strip of land about six blocks wide, running on the north bank of the

Menomonee River :''See also Menominee River'' The Menomonee River is one of three primary rivers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, along with the Kinnickinnic River and Milwaukee River. Description Named after the Menomonee (also spelled Menominee) Indians, the word wa ...

, from the west bank of the

Milwaukee River The Milwaukee River is a river in the state of Wisconsin. It is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 19, 2011 Once a locus of industry, the river is now the c ...

to the city's western limits.

Personal life and family

J. V. V. Platto was a son of Frederick Platto and his wife Bathshebu (' Chapman). Frederick Platto was an early settler in Schenectady and was a successful building contractor in New York. While the family was living in Albany, Frederick Platto was involved in constructing several buildings on behalf of the state government. J. V. V. Platto married Mary Whitney in 1843. They had at least five children, though only three survived to adulthood.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Platto, Jacob Van Vechten 1822 births 1898 deaths Politicians from Schenectady, New York Politicians from Milwaukee Businesspeople from Milwaukee New York (state) lawyers Wisconsin lawyers Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 19th-century American politicians Lawyers from Milwaukee Businesspeople from Schenectady, New York 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century American lawyers