Morgan Lewis Martin (March 31, 1805December 10, 1887) was a delegate to 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from Wisconsin Territory during the

29th United States Congress The 29th 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, 1845, ...

(1845–1847). He also served as a member of the Wisconsin State Senate and

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 served as a county judge in Brown County, Wisconsin.

Early life and career

He was born in Martinsburg, New York, and graduated from Hamilton College in 1824. Martin then moved to

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, in 1826, and studied law, and became an

attorney Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gove ...

. In May 1827, Martin moved to what is now

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea lev ...

, on the advice of his cousin, James Duane Doty, to practice law. He formed a partnership with

Solomon Juneau Solomon Laurent Juneau, or Laurent-Salomon Juneau (August 9, 1793 – November 14, 1856) was a French Canadian fur trader, land speculator, and politician who helped found the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was born in Repentigny, Quebec, Canad ...

and owned much of the land that later became Milwaukee, but sold his share in 1836.

Wisconsin political career

Martin served in the

Michigan Territorial Council The Michigan Territorial Council, known formally as the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan, was the legislative body of the Territory of Michigan from 1824 to 1835, when it was succeeded by the Michigan Legislature in anticipation o ...

from 1831 to 1835. At the time, the land that would become Wisconsin was a 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 ...

. He served in the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature from 1838 to 1844, and served as President of the Territorial Council in 1843. He also served as President at the second Wisconsin Constitutional Convention. Martin was elected 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 as a non-voting member to represent the Wisconsin Territory in the Twenty-ninth Congress, with 6,803 votes to 5,787 for Whig

James Collins James, Jim, Jimmy, or Jamie Collins may refer to: Sports Association football * Jimmy Collins (footballer, born 1872) (1872–1900), Scottish footballer * Jimmy Collins (footballer, born 1895), Scottish footballer * Jimmy Collins (footballer, born ...

and 790 for Edward D. Holton of the Liberty Party. He would serve from March 4, 1845, to March 3, 1847. Martin was a candidate for Governor at the 1848 Wisconsin Democratic Party Convention prior to the state's first gubernatorial election. At the time, the party was split between a faction representing the lead-mining regions of the state, supporting Hiram Barber, and a faction of the eastern counties, supporting Martin. The deadlock between the two factions resulted in a compromise pick—

Nelson Dewey Nelson Webster Dewey (December 19, 1813July 21, 1889) was an American pioneer, lawyer, and politician. He was the first Governor of Wisconsin. Early life Dewey was born in Lebanon, Connecticut, on December 19, 1813, to Ebenezer and Lucy (né ...

. Martin served in the

in 1855 and 1872, and served in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1858 to 1859.

Later years

During the

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 ...

he served as an army paymaster, with the rank of major. In 1875, he became county judge (probate judge) of Brown County, serving until his death. Martin was also involved in the banking and railroad business. He died in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he had lived and practiced law, and was buried there.

Legacy

Martin has a school named after him in Green Bay, Morgan L. Martin Elementary School.Origin of Name of Martin Elementary School
/ref> His home, known as Hazelwood, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. A Westside neighborhood in Milwaukee is also named after him.

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Morgan Lewis 1805 births 1887 deaths 19th-century American judges 19th-century American politicians Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin Territory Burials in Wisconsin Hamilton College (New York) alumni Lawyers from Detroit Members of the Michigan Territorial Legislature Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Members of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature People from Martinsburg, New York People of New York (state) in the American Civil War People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Politicians from Green Bay, Wisconsin Wisconsin state court judges Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators