William Smith Purdy (August 28, 1822 – January 5, 1901) was an American farmer, judge, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 30th Senate district during the 1863 session. He also served as county judge of Vernon County, Wisconsin, where he famously won a Wisconsin Supreme Court case invalidating his own election defeat in 1873.
William S. Purdy | |
|---|---|
| County Judge of Vernon County, Wisconsin | |
| In office January 1, 1870 – January 1, 1878 | |
| Preceded by | Carson Graham |
| Succeeded by | Cyrus M. Butt |
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 30th district | |
| In office January 5, 1863 – January 4, 1864 | |
| Preceded by | Norman S. Cate |
| Succeeded by | William Ketcham |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Clerk for Vernon County, Wisconsin | |
| In office January 1, 1860 – January 1, 1868 | |
| Preceded by | John R. Casson |
| Succeeded by | H. N. Preus |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 28, 1822 Carlisle, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | January 5, 1901 (aged 78) Wichita, Kansas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Highland Cemetery, Wichita |
| Political party |
|
| Spouse |
Jane Elizabeth Lemen
(m. 1846–1901) |
| Children |
|
| Occupation | Saddler, Farmer |
Early life edit
William S. Purdy was born in Carlisle, Indiana, in August 1822. His father died when he was 11 years old, and Purdy went to work assisting his mother. Because of limited funds and few schooling options, Purdy was mostly educated by subscription school. At age 15, he went to work as an apprentice saddler in his native town.[1] He continued pursuing that trade until 1845, when he moved west to the Wisconsin Territory. He initially settled in Mineral Point, where he went to work in the booming mining industry.[1]
Wisconsin career edit
After earning no money from mining, he returned to harness making and saddle making in Mineral Point and began earning a profit. In 1849, Purdy moved to what is now the town of Sterling, Vernon County, Wisconsin, and purchased a farm. At the time, the town was known as "Bad Ax" and was part of an enlarged Crawford County. During his first year at Sterling, he cut a road to Port Andrew on the Wisconsin River.[1] He managed his farm for ten years with varying success.
Purdy authored the petition which eventually led to the creation of the Sterling as an independent town government in 1857.[1] At the first organized town meeting in Sterling, the elected treasurer, Lee Grant Sterling, failed to qualify, and Purdy was therefore appointed the first town treasurer. It was the first of many local offices he'd hold in Sterling.[1] In 1859 he was chairman of the town board, and was an ex officio member of the Bad Ax County board of supervisors. Purdy's land at the time was also the site of a post office, known as Purdy, which is the present site of the unincorporated settlement known as Purdy, Wisconsin.[1]
Politically, Purdy was initially associated with the Whig Party, but then joined the Republican Party when that party was established in 1854. Purdy was admitted to the bar in 1859 but never practiced as a lawyer. That year, he was elected Wisconsin circuit court clerk for Bad Ax County, running on the Republican Party ticket.[1]
The court was located at the county seat in Viroqua, Wisconsin, and during his first year as clerk, Purdy moved full time into the village of Viroqua.[1] He was subsequently re-elected in 1861, 1863, and 1865.[1] During 1863, his name was placed in nomination for state bank comptroller, which was then a state-wide elected office, but the convention renominated the incumbent William Ramsey.[2] While living in Viroqua, Purdy again resumed his craft as a harness maker and opened the first harness shop in the village. His son, Brice Field Purdy, took over the business sometime before the 1880s.[1] In addition to his county offices, Purdy served in several local offices in Viroqua, including village clerk, trustee, and justice of the peace.[1]
Following the resignation of incumbent state senator Norman S. Cate, a special election was scheduled for Fall 1862 to fill the remaining year of his term. Purdy was chosen as the Republican nominee. He defeated Democratic nominee Charles Rodolf[3] and went on to serve in the Wisconsin Senate for the 1863 session.[4] Purdy was not a candidate for re-election to the Senate in 1863.[1]
On June 28, 1865, a tornado swept through Viroqua, killing 22 people and destroying almost the entire village. Purdy's house was completely destroyed, the only fatality in his household was a servant girl who worked for the family at their home.[1] His wife and children survived by running into the parlor and lying on the ground as the house was lifted from its foundation.[5]
Purdy returned to elected office in 1869, when he was elected county judge. He ultimately served eight years in office, surviving a contested re-election race in 1873.[1]
Newell v. Purdy (1874) edit
In 1873, Purdy ran for another four-year term as county judge. In the April general election, he was narrowly defeated by his opponent, James E. Newell, with Newell prevailing by 23 votes. Purdy, however, refused to relinquish the office on the grounds that Newell had used an illegitimate campaign tactic. During the campaign, Newell had stated that he would perform the duties of the office for $600, as opposed to the established salary of $1,000. Purdy contended that this amounted to a type of bribery, and corrupted the election process. Purdy then named 100 voters who claimed to have been induced to change their votes by Newell's promise.[1]
The matter was referred to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by the state attorney general. In the case State ex rel. Newell v. Purdy, the court decided in Purdy's favor, finding that the salary promise did represent a pecuniary benefit to the taxpayers of the county, and was therefore an illegal inducement. Any vote tainted by the inducement was therefore illegitimate, and Newell's majority was eliminated.[1][6]
Later years edit
Purdy did not run for another term in 1877, and left office in 1878. Later that year, suffering from poor health, he decided to move south to a warmer climate. He relocated to Pratt County, Kansas, where he resided for much of the rest of his life.[1] In his later years, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, where he died on January 8, 1901.[7]
Personal life and family edit
William S. Purdy married Jane Elizabeth Lemen in 1846 at Knox County, Indiana. They had ten children together, though at least one died young.[1]
Electoral history edit
Vernon County Circuit Court Clerk (1859, 1861, 1863, 1865) edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 8, 1859 | |||||
| Republican | William S. Purdy | 938 | 58.01% | +11.16% | |
| Democratic | B. F. Hartshorn | 678 | 41.93% | -11.22% | |
| Independent | J. M. McCes | 1 | 0.06% | ||
| Plurality | 260 | 16.08% | +9.78% | ||
| Total votes | 1,320 | 100.0% | +64.33% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 5, 1861 | |||||
| Republican | William S. Purdy (incumbent) | 785 | 65.69% | +7.68% | |
| Democratic | Vandwall | 410 | 34.31% | ||
| Plurality | 375 | 31.38% | +15.30% | ||
| Total votes | 1,195 | 100.0% | -26.10% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 7, 1865 | |||||
| Republican | William S. Purdy (incumbent) | 1,055 | 83.66% | ||
| Democratic | W. G. Davis | 183 | 14.51% | ||
| Independent | John R. Casson | 23 | 1.82% | ||
| Plurality | 872 | 69.15% | |||
| Total votes | 1,261 | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
Vernon County Judge (1869, 1873) edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 6, 1869 | |||||
| Republican | William S. Purdy | 1,587 | 89.66% | +33.40% | |
| Democratic | Hugh McDill | 183 | 10.34% | ||
| Plurality | 872 | 79.32% | +66.80% | ||
| Total votes | 1,261 | 100.0% | +40.25% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 6, 1873 | |||||
| Reform | James E. Newell | 1,240 | 50.47% | ||
| Republican | William S. Purdy (incumbent) | 1,217 | 49.53% | -40.13% | |
| Plurality | 23 | 0.94% | -78.39% | ||
| Total votes | 2,457 | 100.0% | +38.81% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w History of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Union Publishing Company. 1884. pp. 140–141, 189, 239, 266–267, 293–294, 321–322, 645 646, 683, 693–694, 698. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ "Republican Union State Convention". Wisconsin State Journal. August 21, 1863. p. 2. Retrieved May 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Legislative Nominations of 1862". Wisconsin State Journal. November 3, 1862. p. 2. Retrieved May 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Statistical List of the Senate of 1863". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1863. p. 76. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ "Terrible Tornado in Vernon County, Appeal in Behalf of the Sufferers". Wood County Reporter. July 6, 1865. p. 1. Retrieved May 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ State ex rel. Newell v. Purdy, 36 Wis. 213 (Wisconsin Supreme Court June 1874).
- ^ "Former Wisconsin Judge is Dead". The Daily Tribune. January 12, 1901. p. 2. Retrieved May 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.