Wyman Spooner (July 2, 1795 – November 18, 1877) was an American printer, 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 was the 9th

Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin The lieutenant governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the line of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, removal, impeachment, absence from the state, or incapacity due to ...

, the 10th Speaker of 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, ...

, and President pro tempore of the

Wisconsin 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 ...

for the 1863 session.

Background

He was born in 1795 in

Hardwick, Massachusetts Hardwick is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States, about west of the city of Worcester. It had a population of 2,667 at the 2020 census. It includes the villages of Hardwick, Gilbertville, Wheelwright and Old Furnace. Hist ...

, where he worked as a printer. He studied law in

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

and was admitted to the Vermont bar. In 1835, he moved to Canton, Ohio, where he practiced law. In 1842, he moved to what is now

Elkhorn, Wisconsin Elkhorn is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located southwest of Milwaukee. As of the 2020 census, it was home to 10,247 people, up from 10,084 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat. Geography Elkhorn is located ...

Public office

From 1847 until 1849 he served as Walworth County's

probate judge A probate court (sometimes called a surrogate court) is a court that has competence in a jurisdiction to deal with matters of probate and the administration of estates. In some jurisdictions, such courts may be referred to as Orphans' Courts o ...

. He then became a

Wisconsin Circuit Court The Wisconsin circuit courts are the general trial courts in the state of Wisconsin. There are currently 69 circuits in the state, divided into 10 judicial administrative districts. Circuit court judges hear and decide both civil and criminal cas ...

judge. Spooner was an

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

and initially a Freesoiler. He was elected in 1849 and 1850 for two one-year terms as a member of the

from Walworth County's 5th Assembly district. He became 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 ...

in 1854 upon the organization of that party, and was elected to two additional terms (1857 and 1861) before advancing to 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 ...

's 12th District from 1862 until 1863. He served three terms as the ninth

, from 1864 until 1870 under Governors

James T. Lewis James Taylor Lewis (October 30, 1819August 5, 1904) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 9th Governor of Wisconsin (1864–1866). Prior to his election as governor, he was the 7th Secretary of State of Wisconsin (1862&n ...

and

Lucius Fairchild Lucius Fairchild (December 27, 1831May 23, 1896) was an American politician, soldier, and diplomat. He served as the tenth Governor of Wisconsin and represented the United States as Minister to Spain under presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and Ja ...

. In 1872 he supported Liberal Republican Horace Greeley for the presidency of the United States. He renounced his membership in the Republican Party entirely in 1876, heading the slate of Democratic

presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia app ...

s for nominee Samuel J. Tilden."Term: Spooner, Wyman 1795 - 1877" in ''Dictionary of Wisconsin History''

Wisconsin Historical Society The Wisconsin Historical Society (officially the State Historical Society of Wisconsin) is simultaneously a state agency and a private membership organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of N ...

; accessed April 5, 2013 He died in 1877 in

Lyons, Wisconsin Lyons is a town in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,648 at the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Lyons and Springfield are located within the town. History It was originally created as Hudson by ...

Sources

References

1795 births 1877 deaths American printers Lieutenant Governors of Wisconsin People from Hardwick, Massachusetts Politicians from Canton, Ohio People from Royalton, Vermont People from Elkhorn, Wisconsin Wisconsin Democrats Wisconsin Free Soilers 19th-century American politicians Wisconsin lawyers Wisconsin state court judges Wisconsin state senators Lawyers from Canton, Ohio Speakers of the Wisconsin State Assembly 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American businesspeople Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly {{Wisconsin-WISenate-stub