James Hervey Foster (August 3, 1827August 11, 1907) was an American farmer, Republican 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 Senate (1871, 1872) and

State Assembly State Assembly is the name given to various legislatures, especially lower houses or full legislatures in states in federal systems of government. Channel Islands States Assembly is the name of the legislature of the Bailiwick of Jersey. The Baili ...

(1869, 1870), representing Winnebago County.

Early years

James H. Foster was born in the town of

Ware, Massachusetts Ware is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,066 as of 2020. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The census-designated place of Ware, comprising the main settleme ...

, in August 1827. He received a common school education and came west to the Wisconsin Territory with his parents in 1846, settling on a farm what is now the town of Nepeuskun, in Winnebago County. After arriving in Wisconsin, he attended a partial college education at Ripon College, but never graduated.

Political career and public office

He first entered public notoriety in 1847, when he delivered a speech for the

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

celebrations. He subsequently organized a debating society and a temperance society. He was soon elected superintendent of schools, and served in that office several years. A post office was established in the home of Foster's father in the community of

Koro Koro may refer to: Geography *Koro Island, a Fijian island * Koro Sea, in the Pacific Ocean * Koro, Ivory Coast *Koro, Mali * Koro, Wisconsin, United States, an unincorporated community Languages *Koro language (India), an endangered language spo ...

in 1850, and Foster was named the first postmaster. He served in that role until elected

register of deeds Recorder of deeds or deeds registry is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over ...

for Winnebago County in 1858. He was re-elected to another two year term in 1860. His father was appointed to succeed him as postmaster and served until his death in 1862. After which, James H. Foster returned to the office of postmaster. He continued as postmaster until elected to 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, ...

in 1868. At that point, his daughter, Florette, was appointed postmaster at Koro. Foster was elected to two consecutive terms in the Assembly, running on the Republican ticket. He served in the

1869 Events January–March * January 3 – Abdur Rahman Khan is defeated at Tinah Khan, and exiled from Afghanistan. * January 5 – Scotland's oldest professional football team, Kilmarnock F.C., is founded. * January 20 – E ...

and

1870 Events January–March * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the Broo ...

sessions. In 1870, he won election to the Wisconsin State Senate, representing all of Winnebago County during the

1871 Events January–March * January 3 – Franco-Prussian War – Battle of Bapaume: Prussians win a strategic victory. * January 18 – Proclamation of the German Empire: The member states of the North German Confederation and the sout ...

and

1872 Events January–March * January 12 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first ruler crowned in that city in over 500 years. * February 2 – The government of the United Kingdom buys a number of forts on ...

sessions. He again resumed the office of postmaster after his daughter's marriage in May 1872, until forced to abdicate the office again after he was chosen by the Republican Party of Wisconsin as a

presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

1876 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin. ** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol. * February 2 – The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs i ...

. At that time, his younger daughter, Jennie, received the office. He did not hold elected office again, but remained involved in the state Republican Party as a frequent delegate to the state conventions, and served as secretary of the state party for several years. In 1877, Foster was appointed clerk to the

Wisconsin Railroad Commissioner The Office of the Commissioner of Railroads is the independent regulatory agency responsible for regulating railroads located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin.

(later the title changed to "deputy commissioner"), and was retained in this position by the next four railroad commissioners, holding office for 16 years. He also received several honorary appointments during these years. He was appointed delegate to the Mississippi River Improvement Convention in 1881, and to the National Farmer's Congress in 1887. In 1891, he was one of the founders of the Berlin National Bank, in Berlin, Wisconsin, and was the first president of the bank. He relocated to Berlin in the early 1900s, and died at his home in Berlin in August 1907.

Personal life and family

James H. Foster was the only son of Asahel B. Foster and his wife Avis (' Topliff). James' mother was a niece of Revolutionary War officer

William Eaton William Eaton or Bill Eaton may refer to: * William Eaton (soldier) (1764–1811), United States Army soldier during the Barbary Wars * William Eaton (athlete) (1909–1938), British long-distance runner * William Eaton (guitarist), American luth ...

. The Fosters trace their lineage back to Sergeant Thomas Foster, who came from England to the

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...

in 1634. James Foster married Lucy Jane Lathrop at

Green Lake, Wisconsin Green Lake is a city in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 960 at the 2010 census. The city is located on the north side of Green Lake. The city of Green Lake is the county seat for the county of Green Lake. The Tow ...

, in 1848. They had three daughters. Foster was survived by his wife and two of his daughters. Aside from his business and political pursuits, Foster was a lifelong supporter of temperance, but opposed the idea that it should be handled as a political issue—preferring that it should be handled as a moral and societal concern.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1868, 1869)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 2, 1869

Wisconsin Senate (1870)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 8, 1870

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, James 1827 births 1907 deaths People from Ware, Massachusetts People from Winnebago County, Wisconsin Republican Party Wisconsin state senators County officials in Wisconsin American bank presidents 19th-century American legislators Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 19th-century Wisconsin politicians