Luther Hanchett (October 25, 1825 – November 24, 1862) 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 represented Wisconsin in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

and was a member of the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

Biography

Born in

Middlebury, Ohio Middlebury is an unincorporated community in Van Wert County, in the U.S. state of Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United ...

, Hanchett attended the common schools. He studied law in Ohio and was admitted to the bar in 1846. He became a practicing attorney in

Fremont, Ohio Fremont is a city in and the county seat of Sandusky County, Ohio, United States, located along the banks of the Sandusky River. It is about 35 miles from Toledo and 25 miles from Sandusky. It is part of the Toledo metropolitan area. The populat ...

, but moved to

Portage County, Wisconsin Portage County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of th2020 census the population was 70,377. Its county seat is Stevens Point. Portage County comprises the Stevens Point, WI Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the ...

, in 1849. He engaged in lumber and mining enterprises and was elected District Attorney of Portage County for two years. For a short time he was engaged in a partnership with James S. Alban, and, on November 11, 1853, he married Alban's daughter, Lucinda. In 1856, he was elected to represent Marathon, Portage, Waupaca, Waushara, and Wood counties in the newly created 27th district of the

. He was re-elected in 1858. Hanchett was elected as a

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 ...

to the

37th United States Congress The 37th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1861 ...

to represent

Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in southern Wisconsin, covering Dane County, Iowa County, Lafayette County, Sauk County and Green County, as well as portions of ...

and served from March 4, 1861, until his death in

Plover, Wisconsin Plover is a village in Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. A suburb of Stevens Point, it is part of the Stevens Point Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,519 at the 2020 United States census. History An 1825 treaty establ ...

, November 24, 1862. He was interred in Plover Cemetery.

Courtwright lynching

Hanchett's death has another unfortunate legacy in Portage County. When he was first elected to the Wisconsin Senate in 1856, he sought to extricate himself from a partnership with Amos Courtwright in a lumber mill. They agreed on a settlement of $2,000 to be paid to Hanchett for his share of the company, but, as Courtwright was unable to pay immediately, a mortgage was created for the amount to be owed to Hanchett. At the time of his death in 1862, the payment was still outstanding to the estate of Mr. Hanchett. In 1867, Hanchett's former law partner, James Oliver Raymond, married his widow, Lucinda, and pressed the claim, seeking to seize a part of the property owned by Courtwright. In 1870 a court ruled in favor of Raymond, but Courtwright refused to be evicted from his property. In 1875, County Sheriff Joseph H. Baker came to the property to execute a writ of restitution against the Courtwrights. During the attempt, Sheriff Baker was shot and killed by Isaiah Courtwright, the brother of Amos. The Courtwrights were arrested by the sheriff's posse and taken to

Stevens Point Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. The city was incorporated in 1858. Its 2020 population of 25,666 makes it the largest city in the county. Stevens Point forms the core of the United States Census Bur ...

, where, a few days later, a mob of about 12 to 40 men dragged them from the jail and

hanged Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...

them.

References

Sources

1825 births 1862 deaths People from Fremont, Ohio People from Knox County, Ohio People from Portage County, Wisconsin Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin 19th-century American politicians {{Wisconsin-WISenate-stub

Biography

Courtwright lynching

See also

References

Sources