Obed Pease Hale (1809–1892) 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 ...

farmer and Wisconsin pioneer. He served one term in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing

Kenosha County Kenosha County is located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 169,151 as of the 2020 census, making it the eighth most populous county in Wisconsin. The county shares the same name as the city of Kenosh ...

in the first session after the county was created.

Background

Obed P. Hale, son of Obed and Mindwell Hale, was born in Enfield, Connecticut, in 1809. At the age of seventeen he moved to Ohio, and became a farmer. He married Laura B. King, daughter of Jabez and Hannah King, and the first white child born in Chardon, Ohio. They had two sons and two daughters. In 1842, the Hales came to Wisconsin, and settled on a farm in the town of Paris in Kenosha County.

Civic life

Hale was active in local politics, serving as a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for about twenty-five years and holding other minor offices. When Kenosha County was separated from

Racine County Racine County (, sometimes also ) is a county in southeastern Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, its population was 197,727, making it Wisconsin's fifth-most populous county. Its county seat is Racine. The county was founded in 1836, then a par ...

in April 1850, he was elected to the State Assembly running as a (Free Soil) Democrat. He was succeeded in 1852 by

Lathrop Burgess Lathrop Burgess (August 31, 1805 – March 11, 1899) was an American carpenter and farmer from Brighton, Wisconsin who spent two one-year terms as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from Kenosha County; the first as a Freesoiler, the second ...

, also a Free Soiler.

Later life

In 1870, he left Paris for Kenosha, where he resided for the rest of his life. He died in 1892.J.H. Beers and Co. ''Commemorative biographical record of prominent and representative men of Racine and Kenosha counties, Wisconsin, containing biographical sketches of business and professional men and of many of the early settled families'' Chicago: J.H. Beers and Co., 1906; p. 250
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References

1809 births 1892 deaths Date of birth unknown Date of death unknown Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Politicians from Kenosha, Wisconsin Wisconsin Free Soilers 19th-century American politicians People from Enfield, Connecticut People from Kenosha County, Wisconsin {{Wisconsin-WIAssembly-stub