George Baldwin Smith
Encyclopedia
George Baldwin Smith was an American politician and lawyer.
(present-day (Kenosha, Wisconsin
) in 1843. In 1845 he moved to the territorial capital of Madison
, where he was appointed district attorney
for Dane County
in January 1846. He served in this role until 1852. He was elected to represent Dane County at the 1846 Wisconsin Constitutional Convention.
Smith was elected Attorney General of Wisconsin in 1853, serving from 1854 to 1856; he declined a re-nomination in 1855. After leaving office, his name was drawn into the scandal involving the fraudulent re-election of William A. Barstow
in 1855.
He then served as mayor of Madison from 1858 to 1861. He represented the city in the Wisconsin State Assembly
in 1859, 1864, 1869. The Democratic Party
selected him as their candidate to run for his district's congressional seat
in 1864 and 1872, but he failed to win both times. Smith was also the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Senate in 1869, losing to Matthew H. Carpenter
.
In 1876 he helped to supervise the canvass of electoral votes in Louisiana
in the heavily-disputed 1876 presidential election
. He was re-elected as mayor of Madison in 1877, serving from 1878 to his death in 1879.
, New York
to Reuben Smith and Betsy Page Smith; his mother died ten weeks after his birth. His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio
in 1825, then to Medina, Ohio
in 1827. Smith studied law with attorneys in Medina and Cleveland before moving with his father to Wisconsin in 1843.
Smith married Eugene Weed in 1844. They had five children, two of whom survived to adulthood: James and Anna.
Legal and political career
Smith was admitted to the federal bar in to Southport, Wisconsin TerritoryWisconsin Territory
The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin...
(present-day (Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
) in 1843. In 1845 he moved to the territorial capital of Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, where he was appointed district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
for Dane County
Dane County, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 426,526 people, 173,484 households, and 100,794 families residing in the county. The population density was 355 people per square mile . There were 180,398 housing units at an average density of 150 per square mile...
in January 1846. He served in this role until 1852. He was elected to represent Dane County at the 1846 Wisconsin Constitutional Convention.
Smith was elected Attorney General of Wisconsin in 1853, serving from 1854 to 1856; he declined a re-nomination in 1855. After leaving office, his name was drawn into the scandal involving the fraudulent re-election of William A. Barstow
William A. Barstow
William Augustus Barstow was the third Governor of Wisconsin and a Union Army General during the American Civil War.-Early life:Barstow was born in Plainfield, Connecticut...
in 1855.
He then served as mayor of Madison from 1858 to 1861. He represented the city in the Wisconsin State Assembly
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
in 1859, 1864, 1869. The Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
selected him as their candidate to run for his district's congressional seat
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1864 and 1872, but he failed to win both times. Smith was also the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Senate in 1869, losing to Matthew H. Carpenter
Matthew H. Carpenter
Matthew Hale Carpenter , was a member of the Republican Party who served in the United States Senate for the state of Wisconsin from 1869–1875 and again from 1879 - 1881....
.
In 1876 he helped to supervise the canvass of electoral votes in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
in the heavily-disputed 1876 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1876
The United States presidential election of 1876 was one of the most disputed and controversial presidential elections in American history. Samuel J. Tilden of New York outpolled Ohio's Rutherford B. Hayes in the popular vote, and had 184 electoral votes to Hayes's 165, with 20 votes uncounted...
. He was re-elected as mayor of Madison in 1877, serving from 1878 to his death in 1879.
Personal life and education
Smith was born in Parma CornersParma, New York
Parma is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 15,633 at the 2010 census.The Town of Parma, then in Genesee County, was organized in 1808, named after Parma in Italy.-Geography:...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Reuben Smith and Betsy Page Smith; his mother died ten weeks after his birth. His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 1825, then to Medina, Ohio
Medina, Ohio
In the city the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males...
in 1827. Smith studied law with attorneys in Medina and Cleveland before moving with his father to Wisconsin in 1843.
Smith married Eugene Weed in 1844. They had five children, two of whom survived to adulthood: James and Anna.