William Allen Dart (October 25, 1814 – March 8, 1890) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.

Life

William A. Dart was born in West Potsdam, New York on October 25, 1814, the son of Simeon Dart (1770–1859) and Phebe (Allen) Dart (1778–1873). He worked on his father's farm, attended St. Lawrence Academy and taught school. In 1834, he became a clerk in the law office of John Leslie Russell in

Canton, New York Canton is an incorporated town in St. Lawrence County, New York. The population was 11,638 at the time of the 2020 census. The town contains two villages: one also named Canton, the other named Rensselaer Falls. The town is named after the gr ...

, and the next year began to study law with Judge Horace Allen in Potsdam. Dart was admitted to the bar in 1840, and practiced in Potsdam. In September 1841, he married Judge Allen's daughter Harriet S. Allen (b. 1822), and they had two daughters. He was appointed Postmaster of Potsdam in 1845, and was District Attorney of St. Lawrence County from 1845 to 1847.''The New York Civil List''
compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 136, 140 and 380; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) He joined the

Free Soil Party The Free Soil Party was a short-lived coalition political party in the United States active from 1848 to 1854, when it merged into the Republican Party. The party was largely focused on the single issue of opposing the expansion of slavery into ...

in 1848. He was a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...

(15th D.) in

1850 Events January–June * April ** Pope Pius IX returns from exile to Rome. ** Stephen Foster's parlor ballad "Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway" is published in the United States. * April 4 – Los Angeles is incorporated as a cit ...

and

1851 Events January–March * January 11 – Hong Xiuquan officially begins the Taiping Rebellion. * January 15 – Christian Female College, modern-day Columbia College, receives its charter from the Missouri General Assembly. ...

. He was among the 12 state senators who resigned on April 17, 1851, to prevent a quorum in the Senate; and was re-elected at the special election on May 27. Upon its foundation in 1855, he joined the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. In April 1861, he was appointed by President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York The United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York is the chief federal law enforcement officer in 32 counties in the northern part of the State of New York. The current U.S. Attorney is Carla B. Freedman who was named on October 8, ...

, and remained in office until 1866 when he was removed by President

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

. In 1869, he was appointed by President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

as U.S. Consul-General at

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...

, Canada, and remained in office until 1878 when he resumed his law practice at Potsdam, in partnership with his son-in-law

George Z. Erwin George Zalmon Erwin (January 15, 1840 – January 16, 1894) was an American politician. Life He was born on January 15, 1840, in Madrid, St. Lawrence County, New York. He was educated at Saint Lawrence Academy at Potsdam, New York. He graduat ...

(1840–1894). He died in Potsdam on March 8, 1890.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dart, William A 1814 births 1890 deaths New York (state) state senators United States Attorneys for the Northern District of New York People from Potsdam, New York New York (state) Democrats St. Lawrence County district attorneys New York (state) postmasters New York (state) Republicans 19th-century American politicians