John James Tallmadge (January 10, 1818 – October 16, 1873) was the 17th mayor of

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 ...

, and one of the founders of the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce.

Biography

Tallmadge was born on January 10, 1818, in

Claverack, New York Claverack is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 6,021 at the 2010 census. The town name is a corruption for the Dutch word “Klaverakker” for "Clover Fields" or "Clover Reach". In 1705, the first discovery ...

. He was the seventh of eight children born to James Tallmadge and Anne West Tallmadge. At age 16, he was hired as a clerk at a dry goods store in

Lyons, New York Lyons is a town in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 5,682 at the 2010 census. It is named after Lyon, France.

, where he was educated in business. He became involved in the transportation business in

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 ...

, and later moved his company to Buffalo. From Buffalo, he moved to Milwaukee in 1855 as an agent for the Western Transportation Company. He became a prominent businessman in Milwaukee and was one of the founders of the Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce. He was elected the first President of that organization in 1863. His success as President of the Chamber of Commerce led to his election as Mayor of Milwaukee in 1865. The day of the inauguration of Mayor Tallmadge happened to coincide with the news of the

assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

, thus Tallmadge's first act as Mayor was to proclaim a symbolic funeral procession through Milwaukee, held on April 20, 1865. He was re-elected as Mayor in 1866. After leaving office, in 1867, he was the

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nominee for

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...

in the 1867 gubernatorial election. In the election, Tallmadge was defeated by incumbent Republican Governor and

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 ...

hero

Lucius Fairchild Lucius Fairchild (December 27, 1831May 23, 1896) was an Americans, American politician, soldier, and diplomat. He served as the List of Governors of Wisconsin, tenth Governor of Wisconsin and represented the United States as List of ambassadors o ...

. After the gubernatorial election, Tallmadge retired from politics and spent the remainder of his years focused on his business interests. In 1869, Tallmadge was one of the founding signatories of the incorporation of the Northwestern National Insurance Company in Milwaukee.

Family and personal life

Tallmadge married Harriet Jacobs on January 3, 1840. They had six children, of which four survived to adulthood. John J. Tallmadge was a descendant of early American settler Thomas Talmadge, who came 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 1631. The Tallmadge family produced many notable businessmen, military officers, and public officeholders in 18th and 19th century America.

Nathaniel P. Tallmadge Nathaniel Pitcher Tallmadge (February 8, 1795November 2, 1864) was an American lawyer and politician. He served two terms as United States Senator from New York (1833–1844) and was the 3rd Governor of the Wisconsin Territory (1844– ...

, who had been Governor of the

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...

in 1844 and 1845, was his first cousin, once removed. Tallmadge died on October 16, 1873, in

Summit, Waukesha County, Wisconsin Summit is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,784 at the 2020 census. The former unincorporated communities of Summit Center, Summit Corners, and Waterville are located in the village. History Summit was in ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tallmadge, John People from Claverack, New York Mayors of Milwaukee Wisconsin Democrats 1818 births 1873 deaths 19th-century American politicians