Joseph Trotter Mills (December 18, 1812November 22, 1897) was an American attorney, jurist,

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

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 served four one-year terms in 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, ...

, and was

Wisconsin circuit court The Wisconsin circuit courts are the general trial courts in the state of Wisconsin. There are currently 69 circuits in the state, divided into 10 judicial administrative districts. Circuit court judges hear and decide both civil and criminal cas ...

judge for the 5th circuit from 1865 through 1877.

Biography

Born in 1812 in

Cane Ridge, Kentucky Cane Ridge was the site, in 1801, of a huge camp meeting that drew thousands of people and had a lasting influence as one of the landmark events of the Second Great Awakening, which took place largely in frontier areas of the United States. T ...

, near

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, Joseph Trotter Mills as a youth lived and studied with his uncle Benjamin Mills, who was a judge of the

Kentucky Court of Appeals The Kentucky Court of Appeals is the lower of Kentucky's two appellate courts, under the Kentucky Supreme Court. Prior to a 1975 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky. Th ...

. Moving west, in 1831 Mills studied at

Illinois College Illinois College is a private liberal arts college in Jacksonville, Illinois. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church (USA). It was the second college founded in Illinois, but the first to grant a degree ( ...

in Jacksonville, Illinois. He worked as a tutor in 1834 and 1835, teaching the children of Colonel

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...

, then commanding officer of Fort Crawford,

Prairie du Chien Prairie du Chien () is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP Code is 53821. Often referred to as Wisconsin's second oldest city, Prairie du Chien was esta ...

, Michigan Territory. Later Mills married and had a family. He prepared to change his work by reading the law with an established firm; in 1844, he was admitted to the Wisconsin bar. He practiced law in

Lancaster, Wisconsin Lancaster is a city in and the county seat of Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,907 at the 2020 census. History Lancaster originated as a planned community to serve as the county seat for Grant County. Anticipating th ...

. From 1865 to 1877, Mills served as

Wisconsin Circuit Court The Wisconsin circuit courts are the general trial courts in the state of Wisconsin. There are currently 69 circuits in the state, divided into 10 judicial administrative districts. Circuit court judges hear and decide both civil and criminal cas ...

judge. In 1856, 1857, 1862, and 1879, Mills served in the

as a

. His son-in-law,

James Sibree Anderson James Sibree Anderson (December 25, 1841 – May 9, 1927) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Anderson was born on December 25, 1841, in Kelvin Haugh, now part of Glasgow, Scotland. He moved to what is now Kossuth, Wisconsin i ...

, was also a member of the Assembly. Mills died at his son's home in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

.''Report of the Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin State Bar Association, Madison, Wisconsin, February 2–3, 1901'', Tayor and Gleason Book and Job Printers, Madison, Wisconsin: 1901, "Biographical Sketch of Joseph Trotter Mills," pg. 326

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, Joseph Trotter 1812 births 1897 deaths People from Paris, Kentucky People from Lancaster, Wisconsin Illinois College alumni Wisconsin lawyers Wisconsin state court judges Zachary Taylor People from Bourbon County, Kentucky Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly