William E. Walsh (December 25, 1869 – February 6, 1943) was a tailor from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who served one term as a

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Background

Walsh was born in Galway, Ireland. His father died when Walsh was 11 years old, and he was sent to Boston, where he lived with relatives for a year before returning to Ireland. He and attended school until the age of fourteen, when he became a tailor. In 1887, at the age of 17, he sailed for Rio de Janeiro and remained in Brazil for about one year, when he took passage for New Orleans. After remaining there a short time he went to

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; then moved on to New York City, to Boston, Massachusetts and to St. Louis, Missouri, working at the tailoring trade in every place visited. In 1893 he moved to Milwaukee, where he married Marie Murray, and he worked for other tailors until 1898, when he enlisted in Company G, Fourth Wisconsin Volunteer infantry and served in the Spanish–American War. He was mustered out in February 1899, and became the manager of tailoring departments in various Milwaukee retail stores.

Public office

He was elected to the Assembly for the 9th district of

Milwaukee County Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous coun ...

(9th ward of the City of Milwaukee) in 1912 ( Socialist incumbent

Edmund J. Berner Edmund J. Berner (May 17, 1864 – May 15, 1917) was a trade union activist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who served four terms as a Socialist member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Background Berner was born in Freistadt, Wisconsin in Ozau ...

was running for the state senate), receiving 1,209 votes against 1,035 for Socialist

Herman O. Kent Herman O. Kent (April 19, 1884 – ?) was a farmhand, typesetter and trade union activist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who served two terms as a Socialist member of the Wisconsin State Assembly representing Milwaukee County's 9th Assembly distri ...

, 459 for Republican Eugene Herman, and 31 for Prohibitionist Frank F. Wolfe. He was assigned to the standing committee on printing. He was later named deputy collector of internal revenue, in which capacity he was assaulted in April 1914 while inspecting a saloon. He does not appear to have run for re-election in 1914. He was succeeded by Kent, who defeated Republican and Democratic candidates for the seat.''The Wisconsin blue book, 1915'' Madison: Democrat Printing Co., State Printer, 1915; p. 250
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, William E. 1869 births 1943 deaths 19th-century Irish people 20th-century Irish people American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Irish emigrants to the United States Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Politicians from Milwaukee American tailors 19th-century American artisans