James O. Davidson

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James Ole Davidson
21st Governor of Wisconsin
In office
January 1, 1906 – January 2, 1911
LieutenantWilliam D. Connor
John Strange
Preceded byRobert M. La Follette, Sr.
Succeeded byFrancis E. McGovern
19th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
In office
January 5, 1903 – January 1, 1906
GovernorRobert M. La Follette, Sr.
Preceded byJesse Stone
Succeeded byWilliam D. Connor
13th Treasurer of Wisconsin
In office
January 2, 1899 – January 5, 1903
Preceded bySewell A. Peterson
Succeeded byJohn J. Kempf
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
In office
1893–1899
Personal details
Born(1854-02-10)February 10, 1854
Årdal, Sogn og Fjordane County, Norway
DiedFebruary 16, 1922(1922-02-16) (aged 68)
Madison, Wisconsin
Resting placeForest Hill Cemetery, Madison, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
SpouseHelen M. Bliss Davidson
ChildrenMabel Elsie Davidson
Grace Davidson
Parent(s)Ole Davidson
Ingabor (Jenson) Davidson
ProfessionMiller
Merchant
Politician

James Ole Davidson (February 10, 1854 – December 16, 1922) was an American merchant and politician in Wisconsin. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin and the 21st Governor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.

Early life

Davidson was born in Årdal, Sogn og Fjordane County, Norway and immigrated in 1872 to the United States when he was 18 years old.[1] In Boscobel, Wisconsin he worked as a farmhand and as a tailor.[2] Davidson began a successful mercantile business and established his own tailor business in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin.[3]

Political career

He held several political positions in Wisconsin, and was twice elected village president in Soldiers Grove. [4] Davidson was also elected as a Republican candidate to the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving three terms from 1893 to 1899. He was elected Wisconsin state treasurer in 1898 and 1900.[5]

Elected the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin alongside governor Robert M. La Follette, Sr., Davidson served until January 1, 1906, when La Follette resigned to join the United States Senate, making Davidson acting governor.[6] He was elected governor in 1906 and reelected in 1908.[7] He served from January 4, 1906 to January 3, 1911; and during his tenure, state regulation of the railroads was extended to include public utilities, telegraph, telephone, electricity, water companies, and the insurance industry. [8] After retiring from office, he was appointed by his gubernatorial successor to a five-year term as president of the State Board of Control.[9]

Death

Davidson died in Madison, Wisconsin on December 16, 1922 (age 68 years, 309 days),[10] due to pneumonia and heart complications. He is interred at Forest Hill Cemetery, Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin.[11]

Family life

Davidson was the son of Ole Davidson and Ingabor (Jenson) Davidson.[12] On February 19, 1883 Davidson married Helen Bliss and they had two daughters, Mabel Elsie and Grace.[13]

References

  1. ^ Davidson, James O. 1854 - 1922
  2. ^ Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration, and Herman, Jennifer L. (2008). Wisconsin Encyclopedia. North American Book Dist LLC,. p. 218.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Jens Davidson at NRK Sogn og Fjordane County Encyclopedia Template:No icon
  4. ^ "Did You Know?". Soldiers Grove Wisconsin America's First Solar Village. Retrieved May 24, 2014. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |publisher= at position 25 (help)
  5. ^ Legislative Reference Bureau (1960). The Wisconsin Blue Book. Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 154.
  6. ^ "James O. Davidson". 1996-2014 Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  7. ^ Legislative Reference Bureau (1960). The Wisconsin Blue Book. Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 154.
  8. ^ "Marker 112: James Davidson". Marker 112: James DavidsonWisconsinHistorical Markers. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  9. ^ "Governors of Wisconsin". Genealogy Trails. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  10. ^ Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration, and Herman, Jennifer L. (2008). Wisconsin Encyclopedia. North American Book Dist LLC,. p. 218.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "Wisconsin Scandinavian Obituaries D". Ancestry.com. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  12. ^ "Wisconsin Scandinavian Obituaries D". Ancestry.com. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  13. ^ "James O. Davidson". 1996-2014 Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved 21 May 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to James O. Davidson.


Political offices
Preceded by Treasurer of Wisconsin
1899–1903 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
1902–1906 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Wisconsin
1906 – 1911 		Succeeded by
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