Otis Colwell

Otis Colwell (born ca. 1797) was an American merchant and politician in the early years of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for the 1849 session, representing the village of Southport (now part of the city of Kenosha) and southeast Racine County (now eastern Kenosha County).[1]

Otis Colwell
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Racine 4th district
In office
January 1, 1849 – January 7, 1850
Preceded byJulius L. Gilbert
Succeeded bySamuel Hale Jr.
Personal details
Born1797
Massachusetts, U.S.
Died1861 or later
Political partyFree Soil Party

Background

Colwell was born in Massachusetts approximately 1797 (in January 1849 he was 52 years of age). He came to Wisconsin Territory in 1844, and operated a store in Southport.

Politics and legislature

In 1848 he was elected to the second session of the Wisconsin legislature from the district consisting of the Towns of Pike, Pleasant Prairie, and Southport,[2] succeeding Julius L. Gilbert, a Democrat. At that time he is described as being 52 years old, as a native of Massachusetts, and a merchant.[3] He was succeeded in the 1850 session by Samuel Hale, at that time a Democrat, but who would later join the Free Soil Party himself.

In 1852 he was one of two elected justices of the peace for what was now named the City of Kenosha.

Later life

A house built for Colwell in 1853 is still standing, at what is now 6215 7th Avenue in the City of Kenosha.[4]

Colwell spent a brief period (part of 1861) as Head Keeper of the Kenosha Light lighthouse in Kenosha Harbor; he was the second of three men to be Head Keeper in that year.[5]

References
  1. Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (2007). "Feature Article: Those Who Served - Wisconsin Legislators 1848-2007" (PDF). In Barish, Lawrence S.; Lemanski, Lynn (eds.). State of Wisconsin 2007-2008 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 130. ISBN 978-0-9752820-2-1. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  2. "State Legislature:In Assembly" Wisconsin Express January 16, 1849; p. 1, col. 3
  3. "List of Members of the Assembly of the State of Wisconsin Convened at Madison January 10, 1849" Wisconsin Express January 30, 1849; p. 4, col. 4
  4. "Property Record - 6215 7TH AVE". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  5. "In the Footsteps of the Keepers" Kenosha History Center, n.d.; p. 2
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