Jonas Folts (March 12, 1808June 24, 1876) was an American farmer, 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 southeast Jefferson County during the 1868 session. He was also a delegate from Jefferson County to Wisconsin's 2nd constitutional convention, which produced the

Constitution of Wisconsin The Constitution of the State of Wisconsin is the governing document of the U.S. State of Wisconsin. It establishes the structure and function of state government, describes the state boundaries, and declares the rights of state citizens. The ...

Biography

Born in

Herkimer, New York Herkimer is a town in Herkimer County, New York, United States, southeast of Utica. It is named after Nicholas Herkimer. The population was 10,175 at the 2010 census. The town contains a village also called Herkimer. Herkimer County Community ...

, Folts moved to what is now

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 ...

, in 1835. At that time the area was still part of the

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroit w ...

. A year later, he moved west to what is now the town of

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 ...

. In 1843, Folts moved to

Hebron Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies above sea level. The second-largest city in the West Bank (after East J ...

, Wisconsin Territory. He was a farmer and bookkeeper. He served as register of deeds in 1846 for Jefferson County and then served as a delegate to Wisconsin's second constitutional convention (Winter of 1847–1848). Then, in 1867, Folts was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly running on 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 ...

ticket. Folts also served as town clerk and town board chairman He died in Hebron, Wisconsin.Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin,' vol. 8, 1879, pg. 450

References

1808 births 1876 deaths People from Herkimer, New York People from Jefferson County, Wisconsin Businesspeople from Wisconsin Farmers from Wisconsin Mayors of places in Wisconsin 19th-century American legislators People from Summit, Waukesha County, Wisconsin Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Wisconsin pioneers 19th-century Wisconsin politicians {{Wisconsin-WIAssembly-Democratic-stub