Timothy Burns (Wisconsin politician)

Timothy Burns (May 31, 1820 – September 21, 1853) was an Irish American immigrant, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was the third Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, serving from 1852 until his death in 1853.

Timothy Burns
3rd Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
In office
January 5, 1852 – September 21, 1853
GovernorLeonard Farwell
Preceded bySamuel W. Beall
Succeeded byJames T. Lewis
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Iowa–Richland 2nd district
In office
January 1, 1849 – January 7, 1850
Preceded byAbner Nichols
Succeeded byThomas M. Fullerton
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Wisconsin Territory
In office
February 7, 1848 – March 13, 1848
Preceded byIsaac P. Walker
Succeeded byNinian E. Whiteside
Member of the House of Representatives of the Wisconsin Territory for Iowa, Lafayette, & Richland counties
In office
January 4, 1847 – May 29, 1848
Serving with James D. Jenkins (1847), Thomas Chilton (1847), M. M. Cothren (1847–1848), & Charles Pole (1847–1848)
Preceded byRobert C. Hoard, Henry M. Billings, & Charles Pole
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Personal details
Born(1820-05-31)May 31, 1820
Dublin, Ireland, UK
DiedSeptember 21, 1853(1853-09-21) (aged 33)
La Crosse, Wisconsin, US
Resting placeOak Grove Cemetery, La Crosse, Wisconsin
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseCordelia Esperson Burns
ChildrenRobert W. Burns
ProfessionMiner
Judge
Railroad Man
Politician

Early life

Born in Dublin, Ireland, on May 31, 1820, Burns came to New York in America with his family as an infant. In the fall of 1837 as a young man, he settled in Iowa County in Wisconsin Territory, where he engaged in lead mining.[1]

Career

In 1844 Burns was elected sheriff of Iowa County.[1] Elected in 1846, he served in the Wisconsin territorial House of Representatives in 1847-1848 and became Assembly Speaker.[1] He visited La Crosse in 1847.[2] Later, in 1849 he served in the Wisconsin State Assembly. In 1850, he moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin, and took a position on the State Board of Public Works. He was the chairman of the first La Crosse Town Board, chairman of the first La Crosse County Board and the first La Crosse county judge, while also engaging in the railroad industry.[3]

In 1851, he was elected as a Democrat and became the Wisconsin's third Lieutenant Governor under the State's second Governor, Leonard Farwell.[1]

Death and legacy

While visiting his brother-in-law in Lafayette County, Burns became ill of bilious fever but recovered enough to travel home, and died of a relapse in La Crosse on September 21, 1853.[1] He is interred at Oak Grove Cemetery, La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Burns Park, in downtown La Crosse, and the town and community of Burns were named after him.[4]

Electoral history
Wisconsin Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election, 1851[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 4, 1851
Democratic Timothy Burns 24,605 55.44% +2.85%
Whig James Hughes 16,793 37.84% +3.25%
Free Soil Benjamin B. Spaulding 2,918 6.57% -6.24%
Scattering 65 0.15%
Plurality 7,812 17.60% -3.45%
Total votes 44,381 100.0% +42.72%
Democratic hold

References
  1. "In Supreme Court". Wisconsin State Journal. September 27, 1853. p. 2. Retrieved May 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  2. Thwaites, Haines, Reuben Gold, Mary Elizabeth (1912). Proceedings [of The] Annual Business Meeting, Volume 59 Publications, Publications. State Historical Society of Wisconsin., 1912. p. 214.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. "Timothy Burns". Wisconsin Historical Society. January 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
  4. Burns, Timothy 1820 - 1853
  5. "State Official Canvass". Watertown Chronicle. December 24, 1851. p. 2. Retrieved December 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.


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