Governor of Wisconsin. Lewis held positions as district attorney and county judge and was elected as a Democrat to single terms in the Wisconsin assembly and state senate. He served as lieutenant governor from 1854 to 1856 and was nominated by the newly formed Republican party to be secretary of state of Wisconsin in 1861. He won that election and served until 1863, when he was nominated by the Union-Republican party to be governor of the state. He easily defeated the Democratic candidate, Henry L. Palmer and carried two-thirds majorities of his party into power with his election. As governor, Lewis was focused on the needs of soldiers and their families who were fighting the Civil War. He borrowed money to fund Wisconsin's participation in the war, visited troops in the field and in hospitals, and helped to establish hospitals and homes for soldiers' orphans. He refused re-nomination in 1865 in favor of the war hero, Lucius Fairchild. Upon leaving office in 1866, he was content to return to Columbus, Wisconsin to continue his legal career.
Governor of Wisconsin. Lewis held positions as district attorney and county judge and was elected as a Democrat to single terms in the Wisconsin assembly and state senate. He served as lieutenant governor from 1854 to 1856 and was nominated by the newly formed Republican party to be secretary of state of Wisconsin in 1861. He won that election and served until 1863, when he was nominated by the Union-Republican party to be governor of the state. He easily defeated the Democratic candidate, Henry L. Palmer and carried two-thirds majorities of his party into power with his election. As governor, Lewis was focused on the needs of soldiers and their families who were fighting the Civil War. He borrowed money to fund Wisconsin's participation in the war, visited troops in the field and in hospitals, and helped to establish hospitals and homes for soldiers' orphans. He refused re-nomination in 1865 in favor of the war hero, Lucius Fairchild. Upon leaving office in 1866, he was content to return to Columbus, Wisconsin to continue his legal career.
Bio by: Thomas Fisher
Family Members
Advertisement
See more Lewis memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
