Don A. J. Upham

Don Alonzo Joshua Upham (May 1, 1809 – July 19, 1877) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 4th Mayor of Milwaukee and was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Wisconsin in the 1851 election. He also served as President of the first Wisconsin Constitutional Convention and United States Attorney for the Wisconsin. He was sometimes referred to as "D. A. J. Upham" in historical documents.

Don A. J. Upham
United States Attorney for the District of Wisconsin
In office 1858–1861
Appointed by	James Buchanan
Preceded by	John R. Sharpstein
Succeeded by	John B. D. Cogswell
4th Mayor of Milwaukee
In office April 1849 – April 1851
Preceded by	Byron Kilbourn
Succeeded by	George H. Walker
Member of the Council of the Wisconsin Territory for Milwaukee and Washington counties
In office December 7, 1840 – December 5, 1842 Serving with Jonathan Earle Arnold (1841) and John Hubbard Tweedy (1842)
Preceded by	William A. Prentiss and Daniel Wells, Jr.
Succeeded by	Hans Crocker Lemuel White and David Newland
Personal details
Born	May 1, 1809 Weathersfield, Vermont, U.S.
Died	July 19, 1877 (aged 68) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Home Cemetery Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Citizenship	United States
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Smith Jaques ​ ​ (m. 1836⁠–⁠1877)​
Children	John Jaques Upham ^(b. 1837; died 1898) Caroline Jaques (Raymond) ^(b. 1842; died 1924) Adelaide J. (Taylor) ^(b. 1850; died 1933) Sarah Maria (Ransom) ^(b. 1851; died 1912) Horace A. J. Upham ^(b. 1853; died 1919)
Mother	Phebe (Chamberlain) Upham
Father	Joshua Upham
Alma mater	Union College
Profession	lawyer, politician

Early life

Upham was born in Weathersfield, Windsor County, Vermont in 1809.[1][2] After graduating from Union College in Schenectady, New York, in 1831,[3] he taught mathematics for three years at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware.

He then studied law privately in Delaware under James A. Bayard, Jr. He practiced law after being admitted to the Delaware bar in 1835. That year, he was also elected the Wilmington City Attorney.[4] He was the owner and editor of The Delaware Gazette for three years.[5] In 1837, Upham traveled west, eventually settling in the village of Milwaukee in the Wisconsin Territory, where he continued to work as a lawyer.

Political career

Upham held various political positions and in 1840 he served as a member of the Territorial Council, the upper house in the territory's legislature. He served in the Territorial Legislature from 1840 to 1842.[4][3] In 1843 he was the Milwaukee County Attorney,[6] and in 1846 he served as president of the first Wisconsin Constitutional Convention.[7] Upham served two terms as Mayor of Milwaukee, for 1849 and 1850.[8]

In 1858, President James Buchanan appointed Upham United States Attorney for the District of Wisconsin, where he served until 1861.[9]

Upham was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Wisconsin in 1851, but lost by less than one percent of the vote to Leonard J. Farwell, the Whig candidate.[10]

He died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 19, 1877, and is interred in Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee.[7][11]

Family life

Upham was the son of Joshua Upham and Phebe (Chamberlain) Upham. He married Elizabeth Smith Jaques October 20, 1836, and they were married until his death.[12] They had five children: John Jaques Upham, Adelaide Upham, Horace Alonzo Upham, Caroline Jaques Upham and Sarah Maria Upham.

Horace's former summer home, now known as Wawbeek-Horace A.J. Upham House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Uphams were descended from Massachusetts Bay colonist John Upham, who arrived in 1680 and settled in Malden.[3]

References

1. State Bar Association of Wisconsin (1905). Proceedings of the State Bar Association of Wisconsin. The Association. p. 236.
2. "A Brief History of Weathersfield" Excerpted from Bicentennial Edition Gazetteer of Vermont Heritage 1974 Accessed July 15, 2006.
3. Atwood, David (1880). Memorial Record of the Fathers of Wisconsin: Containing Sketches of the Lives and Careers of the Members of the Constitutional Conventions of 1846 and 1847-8. D. Atwood. pp. 176–178.
4. Gregory, John. A New and Vastly Improved Edition of the Industrial Resources of Wisconsin. Milwaukee: See-Bote Job Print, 1870, pp. 118-119. Accessed February 3, 2018.
5. Gilman, Marcus Davis (1897). The Bibliography of Vermont: Or, A List of Books and Pamphlets Relating in Any Way to the State. With Biographical and Other Notes. Free Press association. p. 290.
6. Gilman, Marcus Davis (1897). The Bibliography of Vermont: Or, A List of Books and Pamphlets Relating in Any Way to the State. With Biographical and Other Notes. Free Press association. p. 290.
7. Forest Home Cemetery. "Self-Guided Historical Tour" Archived 2018-02-04 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed February 3, 2018.
8. Sentinel Company (1899). The Sentinel Almanac and Book of Facts. Sentinel Company. p. 49.
9. Dictionary of Wisconsin History. Accessed July 15, 2006.
10. Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. State of Wisconsin 1997-1998 Blue Book. Madison: Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, 1997, p. 680.
11. "Don Alonzo Joshua Upham (1809 to 1877)". Forest Home Cemetery. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
12. Wisconsin Historical Society "Cool Breezes: Souvenirs from Near and Far." Accessed July 15, 2006.