Theodore Prentiss (September 10, 1818August 3, 1906) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

lawyer, Democratic 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 the first mayor of

Watertown, Wisconsin Watertown is a city in Dodge and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Most of the city's population is in Jefferson County. Division Street, several blocks north of downtown, marks the county line. The population of Watertown was 22, ...

, and represented Jefferson County for one year 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, ...

Biography

Prentiss was born on September 10, 1818, in

Montpelier, Vermont Montpelier () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Washington County. The site of Vermont's state government, it is the least populous state capital in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population w ...

. He attended the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1844. He moved to

Milwaukee 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. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

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 the Fall of 1844, and finally settled at

Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...

the following February. He practiced law in Watertown and became involved in the work of organizing a state government. He was one of only three people to be elected as a delegate to both Wisconsin constitutional conventions. The first, in 1846, produced a constitution that was rejected by voters. The second, in the Winter of 1847–1848, 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 ...

ratified in 1848, which allowed Wisconsin to be admitted as the 30th

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

. After Watertown was incorporated as a city in 1853, Prentiss was elected the first mayor, and was re-elected in 1854. In 1860, he was elected as Watertown's representative to the

, running on the

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ticket. He served as a member of the Watertown City Council for several years, and was elected to a final term as mayor in 1871.

Personal life and family

Theodore Prentiss was one of twelve children born to

Samuel Prentiss Samuel Prentiss (March 31, 1782January 15, 1857) was an associate justice and chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, a United States senator from Vermont and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Distric ...

and his wife Lucretia (' Houghton). Samuel Prentiss served two terms as

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

from Vermont and was then appointed

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...

for the District of Vermont, serving until his death. Two of his father's younger brothers were also prominent politicians.

John Holmes Prentiss John Holmes Prentiss (April 17, 1784June 26, 1861) was an American newspaper publisher and politician in the U.S. state of New York. He represented New York's 19th congressional district in the 25th and 26th U.S. Congresses from 1837 to 1841. ...

served as a

U.S. congressman 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 ...

from New York. William A. Prentiss was the 10th 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 served in the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

and the

. The Prentiss family were descendants of Captain Thomas Prentice, who emigrated from England 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 the 1640s and served as a captain during

King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between indigenous inhabitants of New England and New England coloni ...

. On December 4, 1855, Theodore Prentiss married Martha Jane Perry. They were the parents of three children. Prentiss died on August 3, 1906, in Watertown, after a disease of several months. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Watertown.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Prentiss, Theodore People from Montpelier, Vermont Politicians from Watertown, Wisconsin Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Mayors of places in Wisconsin Wisconsin city council members 19th-century American Episcopalians University of Vermont alumni 1818 births 1906 deaths 19th-century American politicians