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federal government. The federal government had allowed states to reclaim this land by an 1850 act of congress, but in
Wisconsin the situation had languished due to controversy over how to fairly claim and dispose of the lands and how to distribute the proceeds. Through his influence, half the state proceeds from the swamp lands were allocated to a new "normal school fund" which funded several of the "normal schools" around the state which much later would become campuses of the
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proposed a referendum in Fond du Lac to approve the change. The referendum was tainted by inconsistent ballot language around the county, and both sides claimed victory. In the immediate aftermath, Elwood received an application to record a deed which was located in Ripon and he refused on the grounds that it was not part of Green Lake County. He was sued by the property owner,
468:. The case received such attention because of the political and financial interests involved in the status of Ripon. Ultimately, the Wisconsin Supreme Court found in favor of Elwood and against the separation of Ripon from Fond du Lac, ruling that the language of the act was technically deficient and the subsequent ballot inconsistency made the referendum invalid.
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of
Marquette County. Two years later, Green Lake County was established from the eastern half of Marquette County, and Elwood was elected the first register of deeds of Green Lake County. He ultimately served two more terms as register of deeds, leaving office in January 1865. During his last two
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legislative sessions, where he was member and then chairman of the Senate committee on education. Elwood was well respected by his colleagues, and after the 1865 session was given the important role of implementing the controversial sale and settlement of swamp lands granted to the state by the
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In 1860, Elwood, as register of deeds of Green Lake County, found himself at the center of a legal battle over the status of the nearby town and city of Ripon. An 1859 act of the legislature had proposed detaching Ripon from Fond du Lac County and attaching it instead to Green Lake County, and
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In
September 1849, he came west to Wisconsin. Unlike many early settlers, Elwood stated that his main reason for migrating was to seek a better climate for his health. He arrived at the port of Milwaukee and quickly settled at what is now the town of
391:. His father died when he was only about two years old. He was raised working on the family farm with his mother and siblings, attended the common schools, and when he was able began earning money as a teacher.
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420:. After arriving in Wisconsin, Elwood again worked as a teacher. Elwood was motivated by the cause of education and was also active in the
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435:. He was elected county surveyor (of Marquette County), justice of the peace, and superintendent of schools. In 1856, he was elected
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483:. At the time, his district comprised all of Green Lake and Marquette counties. He won the election and went on to serve in the
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G. DeWitt Elwood married Sarah
Jeannette DeForest in July 1849. They had four children together, though two died in childhood.
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and was argued by some of the leading attorneys in the state. For
Spaulding, former Wisconsin Supreme Court justices
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G. DeWitt Elwood was the fourth of five children born to
Richard P. Elwood and his wife Elisabeth (
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Portrait and
Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin
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legislative sessions. In historical documents, his last name is sometimes spelled
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In 1864, rather than running for another term as register of deeds, he became the
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An Act to dispose of the swamp and overflowed lands, and the proceeds therefrom
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Van Camp). Elwood's ancestry was a mix of
English, German, French, and Swiss.
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507:. He died of the disease at his home in St. Marie on March 31, 1868.
340:(May 23, 1818 – March 31, 1868) was an American educator,
424:, establishing one of the first temperance clubs in central Wisconsin.
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464:. For Elwood, future chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
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years as register, he also served as deputy county treasurer.
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Elwood soon became involved in local politics, first with the
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He used his earnings to pay for his admission to the
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737:January 2, 1865 – January 7, 1867
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771:January 1, 1857 – May 12, 1858
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655:(Report). State of Wisconsin. 1866. p.
503:, in 1868 this condition was exacerbated by
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387:G. DeWitt Elwood was born May 23, 1818, at
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285: 1849–1868)
55:January 2, 1865 â January 7, 1867
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849:Republican Party Wisconsin state senators
839:People from Green Lake County, Wisconsin
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834:People from Marquette County, Wisconsin
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145:January 1, 1857 â May 12, 1858
101:May 12, 1858 â January 1, 1865
793:Green Lake County, Wisconsin
89:Green Lake County, Wisconsin
651:"Standing Committees of the Senate".
602:. Acme Publishing Co. 1890. pp.
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499:Elwood suffered his entire life from
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859:Temperance activists from Wisconsin
565:"Memoir of Hon. G. De Witt Elwood"
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630:State ex rel. Spaulding v. Elwood
431:and then with its successor, the
348:pioneer. He was a member of the
569:Wisconsin Historical Collections
16:19th century American politician
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844:County officials in Wisconsin
448:, in a case that rose to the
577:Wisconsin Historical Society
414:Green Lake County, Wisconsin
767:Marquette County, Wisconsin
133:Marquette County, Wisconsin
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854:Educators from Wisconsin
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511:Personal life and family
272:Sarah Jeannette DeForest
216:Cause of death
639:Wisconsin Supreme Court
494:University of Wisconsin
450:Wisconsin Supreme Court
304:Eugene Cornelius Elwood
783:New county government
338:Gasharee DeWitt Elwood
685:Wisconsin Legislature
481:29th Senate district
473:National Union Party
354:29th Senate district
209:St. Marie, Wisconsin
112:Position established
561:Hastings, Samuel D.
422:temperance movement
352:, representing the
864:Wisconsin pioneers
750:Political offices
635:11 Wis. 17
466:Edward George Ryan
446:Benjamin Spaulding
396:Cazenovia Seminary
229:Oakwood Cemetery,
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800:Succeeded by
789:Register of Deeds
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763:Register of Deeds
740:Succeeded by
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400:Fairfield Academy
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129:Register of Deeds
85:Register of Deeds
66:Charles S. Kelsey
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220:Tuberculosis
204:(1868-03-31)
189:May 23, 1818
161:Succeeded by
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119:Succeeded by
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73:Succeeded by
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824:1868 deaths
819:1818 births
683:(Act 537).
356:during the
251:Natl. Union
151:Preceded by
107:Preceded by
61:Preceded by
813:Categories
530:References
429:Whig Party
342:Republican
324:Occupation
246:Republican
185:1818-05-23
729:from the
409:St. Marie
383:Biography
371:G. DeWitt
346:Wisconsin
141:In office
97:In office
51:In office
40:from the
733:district
662:June 10,
609:June 10,
582:June 10,
563:(1872).
293:Children
44:district
691:Jun 10,
604:206â207
479:in the
377:G. DeW.
366:Ellwood
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253:(1860s)
687:. 1865
637: (
633:,
501:asthma
327:Farmer
267:Spouse
211:, U.S.
194:, U.S.
681:(PDF)
281:(
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489:1866
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456:and
398:and
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360:and
358:1865
257:Whig
199:Died
179:Born
42:29th
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.