Leonard Hinkley
Leonard D. Hinkley | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Waukesha 1st district | |
| In office January 2, 1871 – January 1, 1872 | |
| Preceded by | Henry Totten |
| Succeeded by | Eliphalet Stone |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 3, 1839 Eagle, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | May 9, 1918 (aged 79) |
| Resting place | Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Volunteers Union Army |
| Years of service | 1862–1865 |
| Rank | Private, USV |
| Unit | 24th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Leonard Daniel Hinkley (February 3, 1839 – May 9, 1918) was an American merchant and Democratic politician. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Waukesha County during the 1871 session. He is said to be the first member of the Wisconsin Legislature to have been born in Wisconsin.[1] His last name is sometimes spelled Hinckley.
Biography
Leonard Hinkley was born February 3, 1839.[2] He was a child of the first American settlers at what is now the town of Eagle, Wisconsin, and he was only the second or third child born in that town. He was raised and educated there until 1862, when he volunteered for service in the Union Army.
He was enrolled as a private in Company A of the 24th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, but spent six months as a musician in the regiment band. He rejoined Company A in May 1863 and remained with the company through the end of the war.[3] The 24th Wisconsin Infantry served in the western theater of the war, and participated in many of the battles in Kentucky, Tennessee, and northern Georgia.[4]
After returning from the war, Hinkley was elected town clerk in 1867, treasurer in 1868 and 1869, and chairman of the town board in 1870.[2] In the fall of 1870, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly running on the Democratic Party ticket. He represented Waukesha County's first Assembly district, which then comprised much of the southern half of the county.[2]
After the Assembly, Hinkley was employed in the grain business and lived for at least some time in Janesville, Wisconsin, and was a crop inspector on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad.[5] He lived for a number of years in South Dakota.
Personal life and family
Leonard Hinkley was the eldest child of Ahira Rockwell "A. R." Hinkley and his wife Mary (née Daniels). Ahira Hinkley was a native of Grafton County, New Hampshire, and is considered the founder of Eagle, Wisconsin, having located the site and staked his claim there in 1836, along with his brother Henry.[6] The Hinkleys trace their lineage back to the brothers John and Thomas Hinckley, who came to the Plymouth Colony sometime before 1637. Leonard's father, Ahira, was the first in their line to drop the "c" from the family name.[7][8]
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly (1870)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 8, 1870 | |||||
| Democratic | Leonard D. Hinkley | 887 | 51.93% | ||
| Republican | Vernon Tichenor | 821 | 48.07% | ||
| Plurality | 66 | 3.86% | |||
| Total votes | 1,708 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References
- ^ Haight, Theron D., ed. (1907). Memoirs of Waukesha County. Western Historical Association. p. 482. Retrieved July 27, 2022 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
- ^ a b c d "Official Directory". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1871. p. 386. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
- ^ "Twenty-Fourth Regiment Infantry". Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861–1865. Vol. 2. Office of the Adjutant General of Wisconsin. 1886. pp. 257, 259. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
- ^ Quiner, Edwin B. (1866). "Regimental History–Twenty-Fourth Infantry". The Military History of Wisconsin. Clarke & Co. pp. 720–733. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
- ^ "L. D. Hinkley was First White Child". Janesville Gazette. October 24, 1901. p. 5. Retrieved July 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ The History of Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Western Historical Company. 1880. p. 897. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
- ^ Portrait and Biographical Record of Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Excelsior Publishing Co. 1894. pp. 229–231. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
- ^ Watrous, Jerome A. (1909). Memoirs of Milwaukee County. Vol. 2. Western Historical Association. pp. 942–943. Retrieved July 27, 2022.