Nelson Dewey
Encyclopedia
Nelson Dewey was a politician from the U.S. state
of Wisconsin
; he was the first Governor of Wisconsin
, serving from 1848 until 1852.
on December 19, 1813 to Ebenezer and Lucy (née
Webster) Dewey. His father's family had lived in New England
since 1633, when their ancestor, Thomas Due, came to America from Kent County, England.
His family moved to Butternuts, New York (now called Morris) the following year and he attended school there and in Louisville, New York
; at the age of sixteen, he began attending the Hamilton Academy in Hamilton, New York
. He attended the academy for three years, and then returned to Butternut to teach.
Ebenezer Dewey was a lawyer
, and wished for his son to join the same profession. Dewey began studying law in 1833, first with his father, then with the law firm Hanen & Davies, then with Samuel S. Bowne in Cooperstown, New York
. He left Bowne in May 1836, and on June 19 of that year, he arrived in the lead
-mining region of Galena, Illinois
, working as a clerk for Daniels, Dennison & Co., a firm of land speculators from New York. About a week later, he moved to Cassville, Wisconsin
. He became a citizen of the territory in 1836. Daniels, Dennison & Co. had purchased the land on which Cassville was built, and their plan was to develop and promote the village in the hopes that it grow and eventually be chosen as the capital of Wisconsin Territory
or of a future state.
On March 4, 1837, Dewey was elected Register of Deeds for the newly formed Grant County, Wisconsin
; he was appointed the county's Justice of the Peace
by Governor Henry Dodge
the same year. He was, and continued to be for the rest of his political career, a member of the Democratic Party
. When Daniels, Dennison & Co.'s business plans collapsed in 1838, after Madison
was chosen to be the capital, Dewey moved to Lancaster, Wisconsin
, where he was admitted to the bar
in an examination held by Charles Dunn
, the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin Territory; he was appointed district attorney
of Grant County that same year. As a lawyer
, he entered into a partnership with J. Allen Barber
, which lasted from 1840 until May 1848. Together, they became well-known in Wisconsin's lead
-mining region, acquiring mines and investing in mining companies.
In November 1838, Dewey was elected to the territorial assembly as representative from Grant County; he was reelected in 1840 and became that body's speaker. He served as an assemblyman until 1842, when the voters of Grant County elected him to the territorial council; during the 1846 session, during which an upcoming convention which would produce a draft constitution for the State of Wisconsin was discussed, he served as the council's president. He failed to be re-elected in 1846, due to a new Whig
majority in Grant County.
in 1848, the Democratic Party
held a convention
to nominate their candidate for Governor of Wisconsin
. During the ratification of the state's constitution in 1847 and 1848, the state party had become divided into two major factions, one centered in the lead-mining regions, and another centered in the eastern portion of the state. Each faction favored its own candidate for governor: Hiriam Barber from the lead-region faction and Morgan L. Martin from the eastern faction; after neither candidate could gather enough votes to secure the nomination, the two factions began searching for a compromise candidate. They decided on Nelson Dewey, who was not associated with either faction. The party also hoped that Dewey might attract voters from the now Whig-majority Grant County.
The election was held on May 8, 1848, and Dewey defeated the Whig candidate, John Hubbard Tweedy
, and the independent Charles Durkee
becoming the first governor of the State of Wisconsin. John E. Holmes, also a Democrat, was elected lieutenant governor
in the same election.
Also in May, Dewey's law and business partnership with Barber came to an end; by the time of its dissolution, Dewey was known to be one of the leading men in Wisconsin.
and Wisconsin River
s. During his administration, the State Board of Public Works was organized.
Dewey was known for opposing the spread of slavery into new states and territories and for advocating the popular election of U.S. Senators
.
Near the end of his term, he married Catherine Dunn, (or Katherine) the daughter of Charles Dunn
, the former chief justice of Wisconsin Territory.
passed an act decreeing that the biennial elections for governor would begin in 1849; that year, in an election held in November, Dewey again defeated the Whig candidate, Alexander Collins, and the independent Warren Chase. Samuel W. Beall, also a Democrat, was elected lieutenant governor in the same election.
Dewey was elected the first president of the Wisconsin Historical Society
the same year.
Dewey lost much popular support during his terms as governor, due both to his inability to overcome the factionalism within his own party and to his association with Wisconsin's lead-mining regions, which were losing power in Wisconsin politics. He chose not to run for a third term.
in real estate
. He remained active in politics, however: in 1853, Dewey ran against Chief Justice Orsamus Cole
for a seat in the Wisconsin State Senate
for Wisconsin's Sixteenth District; he was elected by a majority of three votes, serving a two-year term. Throughout the remainder of his life, he was a delegate to most of the state conventions
of the Democratic Party. From 1854 until 1865, he was regent of the University of Wisconsin. During his time in Lancaster, Dewey served at various times as the chairman of the town board of supervisor and the director of the school board.
In 1854, Dewey and his wife Catherine began to plan to begin anew the development of Cassville, once the goal of Daniels, Dennison & Co. In 1855, he was able to purchase the village under foreclosure
; he remodelled the village plot and repaired the Dennison House, a hotel which had been built by the now-defunct firm, at a cost of $
15,000; his ultimate hope was that Cassville be developed into a large city. He also acquired about 2000 acres (8.1 km²) of land northwest of Cassville, on which he built a three-story Gothic-revival mansion, which he named "Stonefield
", at a cost of about $70,000; he expended another $30,000 on eleven miles (18 km) of stone fence. It was said that to have been the most modern house in Wisconsin at that time. At this time, Dewey employed around forty to fifty men as a means of returning money to Cassville; it is said that this was the origin of the prosperity of several of Cassville's residents.
Dewey lived in Cassville for the rest of his life, excepting the time from 1858 until 1863, when he lived at Platteville, Wisconsin
. While living in Cassville, he served as chairman of the town board of supervisors for seven years, and was also for a time the director of the school board.
In 1863, Dewey unsuccessfully ran for Lieutenant Governor
; he also lost his 1869 and 1871 attempts at re-election to State Senate
.
Dewey's Cassville project was attracting few people, and he began investing in a railroad line to the village. On January 2, 1873, Dewey's mansion was destroyed in a fire, and he was forced to give up the property to pay his creditors; the estate passed into the ownership of Walter C. Newberry of Chicago
. Also this year, Dewey lost his entire investment in the railroad line during the Panic of 1873
. At some time during this period, Dewey was involved in another financial setback involving the estate of the deceased Ben Eastman
, a former Congressman, of which he was the executor. Dewey returned to his law practice.
Dewey was at one time considered a wealthy man, but by the time of his death, he had little money.
In 1874, Governor William R. Taylor appointed Dewey to the board of directors of the State Prison at Waupun
; he served on the board until 1881.
In 1886, Dewey filed for a divorce
against his wife; the suit never came to trial. Catherine Dewey eventually moved to St. Louis, Missouri
, where her daughter and son-in-law
lived.
On February 22, 1889, Dewey suffered a stroke
while at court in Lancaster. He was paralyzed
and was brought home to Cassville the next day. He was not well prior to this, and was apparently aware of the possibility of becoming paralyzed. From the time of his paralysis, he was almost entirely confined to bed. He died in poverty at the Dennison House, which he had helped rebuild, a few minutes past midnight on the morning of July 21, 1889, after being unconscious for the previous forty-eight hours. He was seventy-five years old.
He was buried on July 23, 1889, in the Episcopal cemetery in Lancaster, next to the graves of his brother Orin and his son Charlie.
, and another son, Charlie, who died in 1869, while still a child. He eventually separated from his wife; Dewey applied for a divorce
, but one was never granted.
He had a brother, named William Dewey, who survived him, and another brother, Orin, who died in 1840.
He was called a "friend of the poor" and known for his generosity.
. He opposed the spread of slavery into new states and territories and advocated electing United States Senators by popular vote. He was described as one of "the old guard that never surrendered".
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
; he was the first Governor of Wisconsin
Governor of Wisconsin
The Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state...
, serving from 1848 until 1852.
Early life
Nelson Dewey was born in Lebanon, ConnecticutLebanon, Connecticut
Lebanon is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,907 at the 2000 census. The town lies just to the northwest of Norwich, north of New London, and east of Hartford...
on December 19, 1813 to Ebenezer and Lucy (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Webster) Dewey. His father's family had lived in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
since 1633, when their ancestor, Thomas Due, came to America from Kent County, England.
His family moved to Butternuts, New York (now called Morris) the following year and he attended school there and in Louisville, New York
Louisville, New York
Louisville is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 3,195 at the 2000 census. The town is reportedly named after a French king, but it is pronounced as "Lewis-ville."...
; at the age of sixteen, he began attending the Hamilton Academy in Hamilton, New York
Hamilton (village), New York
The Village of Hamilton is a village located within the town of Hamilton in Madison County, New York, USA.-Geography and climate:The village, located at , lies in the Chenango Valley, just south of the headwaters of the Chenango River. The village is approximately southeast of Syracuse and ...
. He attended the academy for three years, and then returned to Butternut to teach.
Ebenezer Dewey was a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, and wished for his son to join the same profession. Dewey began studying law in 1833, first with his father, then with the law firm Hanen & Davies, then with Samuel S. Bowne in Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
. He left Bowne in May 1836, and on June 19 of that year, he arrived in the lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
-mining region of Galena, Illinois
Galena, Illinois
Galena is the county seat of, and largest city in, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States, with a population of 3,429 in 2010. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, and ski and golf resorts. Galena was the residence of Ulysses S...
, working as a clerk for Daniels, Dennison & Co., a firm of land speculators from New York. About a week later, he moved to Cassville, Wisconsin
Cassville, Wisconsin
Cassville is a village in Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,085 at the 2000 census. The village is located along the Mississippi River within the Town of Cassville.-History:...
. He became a citizen of the territory in 1836. Daniels, Dennison & Co. had purchased the land on which Cassville was built, and their plan was to develop and promote the village in the hopes that it grow and eventually be chosen as the capital of Wisconsin Territory
Wisconsin 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...
or of a future state.
Territorial politics
Grant County, Wisconsin
Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 49,597. Its county seat is Lancaster. Estimates for 2008 show a population of 49,238...
; he was appointed the county's Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
by Governor Henry Dodge
Henry Dodge
Henry Dodge was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Territorial Governor of Wisconsin and a veteran of the Black Hawk War. His son was Augustus C. Dodge with whom he served in the U.S. Senate, the first, and so far only, father-son pair to serve concurrently....
the same year. He was, and continued to be for the rest of his political career, a member of 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...
. When Daniels, Dennison & Co.'s business plans collapsed in 1838, after 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....
was chosen to be the capital, Dewey moved to Lancaster, Wisconsin
Lancaster, Wisconsin
Lancaster is a city in and the county seat of Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 4,070.-History:...
, where he was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in an examination held by Charles Dunn
Charles Dunn
Charles Dunn was a United States jurist and politician.Born in Bullitt's Lick, Bullitt County, Kentucky, Dunn was educated in Kentucky and Illinois. Dunn read law under Nathaniel Pope in Illinois and was admitted to the Illinois bar. During the Black Hawk War of 1832, Dunn served in the Illinois...
, the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin Territory; 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...
of Grant County that same year. As a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, he entered into a partnership with J. Allen Barber
J. Allen Barber
Joel Allen Barber was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.Barber was born in the town of Georgia, Vermont, in Franklin County. After graduating from the Georgia Academy he attended the University of Vermont in Burlington, where he studied law. Upon graduation, Barber read law with George P. Marsh...
, which lasted from 1840 until May 1848. Together, they became well-known in Wisconsin's lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
-mining region, acquiring mines and investing in mining companies.
In November 1838, Dewey was elected to the territorial assembly as representative from Grant County; he was reelected in 1840 and became that body's speaker. He served as an assemblyman until 1842, when the voters of Grant County elected him to the territorial council; during the 1846 session, during which an upcoming convention which would produce a draft constitution for the State of Wisconsin was discussed, he served as the council's president. He failed to be re-elected in 1846, due to a new Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
majority in Grant County.
1848 election
After Wisconsin became a stateU.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
in 1848, 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...
held a convention
Political convention
In politics, a political convention is a meeting of a political party, typically to select party candidates.In the United States, a political convention usually refers to a presidential nominating convention, but it can also refer to state, county, or congressional district nominating conventions...
to nominate their candidate for Governor of Wisconsin
Governor of Wisconsin
The Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state...
. During the ratification of the state's constitution in 1847 and 1848, the state party had become divided into two major factions, one centered in the lead-mining regions, and another centered in the eastern portion of the state. Each faction favored its own candidate for governor: Hiriam Barber from the lead-region faction and Morgan L. Martin from the eastern faction; after neither candidate could gather enough votes to secure the nomination, the two factions began searching for a compromise candidate. They decided on Nelson Dewey, who was not associated with either faction. The party also hoped that Dewey might attract voters from the now Whig-majority Grant County.
The election was held on May 8, 1848, and Dewey defeated the Whig candidate, John Hubbard Tweedy
John Hubbard Tweedy
John Hubbard Tweedy was a delegate to the United States Congress from Wisconsin Territory from September 1847 to June 1848 being elected from the Whig Party.-Career:Tweedy was born in Danbury, Connecticut...
, and the independent Charles Durkee
Charles Durkee
Charles Durkee was an American politician and a Congressman and Senator from Wisconsin.-Early life:Durkee was born in Royalton, Vermont. He became a merchant and moved to Wisconsin in 1836...
becoming the first governor of the State of Wisconsin. John E. Holmes, also a Democrat, was elected lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
The Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the order of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, removal, impeachment, absence from the state, or incapacity due to illness of the Governor of Wisconsin...
in the same election.
Also in May, Dewey's law and business partnership with Barber came to an end; by the time of its dissolution, Dewey was known to be one of the leading men in Wisconsin.
First term
Dewey's first term as governor began on June 7, 1848, and lasted until January 7, 1850. During his time as governor, Dewey oversaw the transition from the territorial to the new state government. He encouraged the development of the state's infrastructure, particularly the construction of new roads, railroads, canals, and harbors, as well as the improvement of the FoxFox River (Illinois River tributary)
The Fox River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois in the United States. There are two other "Fox Rivers" in southern Illinois: the Fox River and a smaller "Fox River" that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana.-Wisconsin:The Fox River rises near...
and Wisconsin River
Wisconsin River
-External links:* * * , Wisconsin Historical Society* * * *...
s. During his administration, the State Board of Public Works was organized.
Dewey was known for opposing the spread of slavery into new states and territories and for advocating the popular election of U.S. Senators
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
Near the end of his term, he married Catherine Dunn, (or Katherine) the daughter of Charles Dunn
Charles Dunn
Charles Dunn was a United States jurist and politician.Born in Bullitt's Lick, Bullitt County, Kentucky, Dunn was educated in Kentucky and Illinois. Dunn read law under Nathaniel Pope in Illinois and was admitted to the Illinois bar. During the Black Hawk War of 1832, Dunn served in the Illinois...
, the former chief justice of Wisconsin Territory.
1849 election
During Dewey's first term as governor, the Wisconsin LegislatureWisconsin Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Wisconsin Senate and the lower Wisconsin Assembly...
passed an act decreeing that the biennial elections for governor would begin in 1849; that year, in an election held in November, Dewey again defeated the Whig candidate, Alexander Collins, and the independent Warren Chase. Samuel W. Beall, also a Democrat, was elected lieutenant governor in the same election.
Dewey was elected the first president of the Wisconsin Historical Society
Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society is simultaneously a private membership and a state-funded organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of North America, with an emphasis on the state of Wisconsin and the trans-Allegheny West...
the same year.
Second term
Dewey's second term began on January 7, 1850 and lasted until January 5, 1852.Dewey lost much popular support during his terms as governor, due both to his inability to overcome the factionalism within his own party and to his association with Wisconsin's lead-mining regions, which were losing power in Wisconsin politics. He chose not to run for a third term.
Later life
After his time as governor, Dewey returned to Lancaster, where he speculatedSpeculation
In finance, speculation is a financial action that does not promise safety of the initial investment along with the return on the principal sum...
in real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
. He remained active in politics, however: in 1853, Dewey ran against Chief Justice Orsamus Cole
Orsamus Cole
Orsamus Cole was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.Born in Cazenovia, New York, Cole attended the common schools and graduated from Union College, Schenectady, New York, in 1843.He studied law....
for a seat in the Wisconsin State Senate
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate, the powers of which are modeled after those of the U.S. Senate, is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature, smaller than the Wisconsin State Assembly...
for Wisconsin's Sixteenth District; he was elected by a majority of three votes, serving a two-year term. Throughout the remainder of his life, he was a delegate to most of the state conventions
Political convention
In politics, a political convention is a meeting of a political party, typically to select party candidates.In the United States, a political convention usually refers to a presidential nominating convention, but it can also refer to state, county, or congressional district nominating conventions...
of the Democratic Party. From 1854 until 1865, he was regent of the University of Wisconsin. During his time in Lancaster, Dewey served at various times as the chairman of the town board of supervisor and the director of the school board.
In 1854, Dewey and his wife Catherine began to plan to begin anew the development of Cassville, once the goal of Daniels, Dennison & Co. In 1855, he was able to purchase the village under foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
; he remodelled the village plot and repaired the Dennison House, a hotel which had been built by the now-defunct firm, at a cost of $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
15,000; his ultimate hope was that Cassville be developed into a large city. He also acquired about 2000 acres (8.1 km²) of land northwest of Cassville, on which he built a three-story Gothic-revival mansion, which he named "Stonefield
Stonefield
Stonefield, located at 12195 County Road VV outside Cassville, Wisconsin, United States, was the 2,000 acre estate of Wisconsin's first governor, Nelson Dewey. Much of the original estate has been separated into Nelson Dewey State Park and the Stonefield historic site, an expansive museum operated...
", at a cost of about $70,000; he expended another $30,000 on eleven miles (18 km) of stone fence. It was said that to have been the most modern house in Wisconsin at that time. At this time, Dewey employed around forty to fifty men as a means of returning money to Cassville; it is said that this was the origin of the prosperity of several of Cassville's residents.
Dewey lived in Cassville for the rest of his life, excepting the time from 1858 until 1863, when he lived at Platteville, Wisconsin
Platteville, Wisconsin
Platteville is the largest city in Grant County in southwestern Wisconsin. The population was 11,224 at the 2010 census, growing 12% since the 2000 Census. Much of this growth is likely due to the enrollment increase of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville...
. While living in Cassville, he served as chairman of the town board of supervisors for seven years, and was also for a time the director of the school board.
In 1863, Dewey unsuccessfully ran for Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
The Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the order of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, removal, impeachment, absence from the state, or incapacity due to illness of the Governor of Wisconsin...
; he also lost his 1869 and 1871 attempts at re-election to State Senate
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate, the powers of which are modeled after those of the U.S. Senate, is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature, smaller than the Wisconsin State Assembly...
.
Dewey's Cassville project was attracting few people, and he began investing in a railroad line to the village. On January 2, 1873, Dewey's mansion was destroyed in a fire, and he was forced to give up the property to pay his creditors; the estate passed into the ownership of Walter C. Newberry of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Also this year, Dewey lost his entire investment in the railroad line during the Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
. At some time during this period, Dewey was involved in another financial setback involving the estate of the deceased Ben Eastman
Ben Eastman
Benjamin "Ben" Bangs Eastman , alias "Blazin' Ben", was an American middle distance runner. He was born in Burlingame, California, and graduated from Stanford University in 1933....
, a former Congressman, of which he was the executor. Dewey returned to his law practice.
Dewey was at one time considered a wealthy man, but by the time of his death, he had little money.
In 1874, Governor William R. Taylor appointed Dewey to the board of directors of the State Prison at Waupun
Waupun, Wisconsin
Waupun is a city in Dodge and Fond du Lac Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 10,718 at the 2000 census. In Fond du Lac County, there is also the Town of Waupun which abuts the city of Waupun....
; he served on the board until 1881.
In 1886, Dewey filed for a divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
against his wife; the suit never came to trial. Catherine Dewey eventually moved to St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, where her daughter and son-in-law
Son-in-Law
Son-in-Law was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire, especially for sport horses.The National Horseracing Museum says that Son-in-Law is "probably the best and most distinguished stayer this country has ever known." Described as "one of the principal influences for stamina in...
lived.
On February 22, 1889, Dewey suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
while at court in Lancaster. He was paralyzed
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
and was brought home to Cassville the next day. He was not well prior to this, and was apparently aware of the possibility of becoming paralyzed. From the time of his paralysis, he was almost entirely confined to bed. He died in poverty at the Dennison House, which he had helped rebuild, a few minutes past midnight on the morning of July 21, 1889, after being unconscious for the previous forty-eight hours. He was seventy-five years old.
He was buried on July 23, 1889, in the Episcopal cemetery in Lancaster, next to the graves of his brother Orin and his son Charlie.
Personal life
Dewey was married to Catherine Dunn. They had three children: a daughter Katie, whose married name was later Cole, a son who at the time of Dewey's death lived in the WestWestern United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
, and another son, Charlie, who died in 1869, while still a child. He eventually separated from his wife; Dewey applied for a divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, but one was never granted.
He had a brother, named William Dewey, who survived him, and another brother, Orin, who died in 1840.
He was called a "friend of the poor" and known for his generosity.
Political views
Dewey was a member of the Democratic PartyDemocratic 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...
. He opposed the spread of slavery into new states and territories and advocated electing United States Senators by popular vote. He was described as one of "the old guard that never surrendered".