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 In historical documents, his middle name is sometimes spelled "Linn" and he is sometimes referred to as "A. L. Collins."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 | |
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Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 9th Circuit | |
In office January 1, 1856 – September 5, 1858 | |
Preceded by | Position Established |
Succeeded by | Luther S. Dixon |
Chairman of the Whig Party of Wisconsin | |
In office 1852–1854 | |
2nd Village President of Madison, Wisconsin | |
In office 1847–1850 | |
Preceded by | Thomas W. Sutherland |
Succeeded by | William 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 by | John Catlin |
Succeeded by | Position Abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | Alexander Lynn Collins March 17, 1812 Whitestown, New York |
Died | October 31, 1901 Neenah, Wisconsin | (aged 89)
Nationality | American |
Political party | Whig |
Spouse | Sarah Heaton Huggins |
Children |
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Parents |
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Relatives |
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Occupation | lawyer, judge |
Early life and education
editAlexander 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
editCollins 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
editAfter 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
editIn 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
editUnited States House of Representatives (1848)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
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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)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
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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)
editParty | 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)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
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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
edit- ^ a b c "Proceedings of the State Bar Association of Wisconsin". Vol. 5. State Bar of Wisconsin. 1903. p. 192. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
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(help) - ^ 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.
- ^ Tuttle, Charles R., ed. (1875). An Illustrated History of the State of Wisconsin. B. B. Russell & Co. p. 707. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ Journal of the Assembly of the First Legislature of the State of Wisconsin (Report). 1848. p. 36. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ "Wisconsin Official Canvass". The Weekly Wisconsin. Milwaukee. 21 June 1848. p. 2. Retrieved 23 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Journal of the Senate of Wisconsin, Annual Session A.D. 1851 (Report). 1851. p. 60. Retrieved 18 June 2019.