Alexander Lynn Collins (March 17, 1812 – October 31, 1901) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. He was an important leader of the Whig Party in the early years of Wisconsin, serving as party chairman, nominee for United States Congress, for United States Senate, and for Governor of Wisconsin. He also served as a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge and a member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. In historical documents, his middle name is sometimes spelled "Linn" and he is sometimes referred to as "A. L. Collins."

The Honorable
Alexander L. Collins
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 9th Circuit
In office
January 1, 1856 – September 5, 1858
Preceded byPosition Established
Succeeded byLuther S. Dixon
Chairman of the Whig Party of Wisconsin
In office
1852–1854
2nd Village President of Madison, Wisconsin
In office
1847–1850
Preceded byThomas W. Sutherland
Succeeded byWilliam N. Seymour
Member of the Council of the Wisconsin Territory for Dane, Green, and Sauk counties
In office
January 4, 1847 – May 29, 1848
Preceded byJohn Catlin
Succeeded byPosition Abolished
Personal details
Born
Alexander Lynn Collins

(1812-03-17)March 17, 1812
Whitestown, New York
DiedOctober 31, 1901(1901-10-31) (aged 89)
Neenah, Wisconsin
NationalityAmerican
Political partyWhig
SpouseSarah Heaton Huggins
Children
  • Alexander W. Collins
  • (b. 1836; died 1916)
  • 2 other sons
  • Jessie Wingate (McCord)
  • (b. 1839; died 1932)
  • Charlotte Abernathy (Ilsley)
  • (b. 1841; died 1917)
  • Caroline B. (Brooks)
Parents
  • Oliver Collins (father)
  • Catharine (Kellogg) Collins (mother)
Relatives
Occupationlawyer, judge

Early life and education

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Alexander L. Collins was born in Whitestown, New York, to Oliver Collins and his fourth wife, Catharine (Kellogg) Collins. His father was a farmer and had been a volunteer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Oliver Collins rose to the rank of Brigadier General with the New York militia during the War of 1812. Alexander was the tenth of twelve children fathered by Oliver Collins.

At the age of 19, he began studying law in the office of Storrs and White, in Whitesboro, New York. In 1833, at age 21, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and continued his legal studies.[1][2] He was admitted to the State Bar in 1835, at the Supreme Court of Ohio.

Wisconsin politics

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Collins practiced law in Cleveland for several years, then moved to the Wisconsin Territory in 1842, settling in Madison. He continued his law practice there, first establishing a brief partnership with Thomas W. Sutherland, who had been the United States Attorney for the Wisconsin Territory. He soon moved into a longer-term legal partnership with George Baldwin Smith, and, after 1853, with Elisha W. Keyes,[1] through which Collins became a prominent and well-respected lawyer in the state.[2] Some of his siblings also relocated to Wisconsin—his older sister, Sarah, was the wife of Wisconsin Territorial Governor James Duane Doty.[3]

In 1846, Collins was elected to his first public office when he was chosen to represent Dane, Green, and Sauk counties on the Territorial Council. He served on the council until its dissolution, at the time Wisconsin became a state.

In Wisconsin's first election for voting members of Congress, Collins was the Whig Party's candidate in the 2nd Congressional district. He was defeated in that election by Democrat Mason C. Darling.[2] After the seating of the 1st Wisconsin Legislature, Collins stood, along with Edward V. Whiton, as Whig candidates for United States Senate—U.S. senators at the time were elected by the state legislature, rather than through popular election. The Democratic Party had a clear majority in the Legislature, thus Collins and Whiton were defeated by the Democratic Party ticket of Henry Dodge and Isaac P. Walker.[4] Later that year, Collins was appointed to the first board of regents of the University of Wisconsin. Whiton went on to serve on the Wisconsin Circuit Court and later became the first chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

The following year, in 1849, Collins was the Whig Party's nominee in the 2nd Wisconsin gubernatorial election, running against incumbent governor Nelson Dewey. Collins was defeated and Dewey went on to another term as governor.[2] Two years later, in 1851, Collins was, again, the Whig nominee for United States Senator, running against incumbent Democrat Henry Dodge. The Democratic Party still held a significant majority in the 1851 legislature, thus re-elected Dodge.

In 1852, Collins became chairman of the Whig Party in Wisconsin and served as a delegate to the 1852 Whig National Convention, in Baltimore. The 1852 convention would turn out to be the last Whig National Convention.[2] At the convention, Collins was a strong supporter of Daniel Webster, who had been supportive of the Compromise of 1850 and associated with the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. When the convention chose General Winfield Scott as its nominee, Collins left in disgust.

As the Whig Party dissolved into the newly forming Republican Party, Collins became briefly associated with the Democratic Party. In 1855, with the support of the Democratic Party, he was elected Circuit Court Judge for the newly created 9th Circuit. He had to resign a few years later, in the fall of 1858, due to health problems.

Later years

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After leaving the court, he went into the land business with his brother-in-law, former Territorial Governor James D. Doty, in Menasha, Wisconsin. At the start of the American Civil War, their business faltered, and in 1864, Collins traveled to California for health and recreation. In 1867, he returned to Wisconsin. In 1874, he resumed his law practice in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Death

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In his later years, Judge Collins resided with his son, Alexander, Jr., in Neenah, Wisconsin, and his daughter, Mrs. Jessie McCord, in Milwaukee. He died in Neenah on October 31, 1901.[1]

Electoral history

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United States House of Representatives (1848)

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Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District Special Election, 1848[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Special Election, May 8, 1848
Democratic Mason C. Darling 9,683 58.62%
Whig Alexander L. Collins 6,836 41.38%
Plurality 2,847 17.23%
Total votes 16,519 100.0%
Democratic win (new seat)

United States Senate (1848)

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United States Senate election in Wisconsin, 1848
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Vote of the 1st Wisconsin Legislature, June 8, 1848
Democratic Isaac P. Walker 61 38.61%
Democratic Henry Dodge 60 37.97%
Whig Alexander L. Collins 18 11.39%
Whig Edward V. Whiton 17 10.76%
Whig William S. Hamilton 1 0.63%
Whig John Hubbard Tweedy 1 0.63%
Total votes '158' '100.0%'
Democratic win (new seat)
Democratic win (new seat)

Wisconsin Governor (1849)

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Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election, 1849
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 6, 1849
Democratic Nelson Dewey (incumbent) 16,649 52.42%
Whig Alexander L. Collins 11,317 35.63%
Free Soil Warren Chase 3,761 11.84%
Scattering 32 0.10%
Total votes '31,759' '100.0%'
Democratic hold

United States Senate (1851)

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United States Senate election in Wisconsin, 1851[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Vote of the 4th Wisconsin Legislature, January 20, 1851
Democratic Henry Dodge (incumbent) 69 83.13%
Whig James Duane Doty 7 8.43%
Whig Alexander L. Collins 3 3.61%
Whig Rufus King 2 2.41%
Free Soil Warren Chase 1 1.20%
John B. Terry 1 1.20%
Total votes '83' '100.0%'
Democratic hold

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Proceedings of the State Bar Association of Wisconsin". Vol. 5. State Bar of Wisconsin. 1903. p. 192. Retrieved 17 June 2019. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e Reed, Parker McCobb, ed. (1882). The Bench and Bar of Wisconsin. P. M. Reed. pp. 105, 106. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  3. ^ Tuttle, Charles R., ed. (1875). An Illustrated History of the State of Wisconsin. B. B. Russell & Co. p. 707. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  4. ^ Journal of the Assembly of the First Legislature of the State of Wisconsin (Report). 1848. p. 36. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  5. ^ "Wisconsin Official Canvass". The Weekly Wisconsin. Milwaukee. 21 June 1848. p. 2. Retrieved 23 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Journal of the Senate of Wisconsin, Annual Session A.D. 1851 (Report). 1851. p. 60. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
Party political offices
Preceded by Whig nominee for Governor of Wisconsin
1849
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Village President of Madison, Wisconsin
1847 – 1850
Succeeded by
William N. Seymour
Legal offices
Preceded by
Position established
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 9th Circuit
1856 – 1858
Succeeded by