William Augustus Prentiss (March 24, 1799 – November 10, 1892) was a merchant and 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...

 politician. He was born in Northfield, Massachusetts

Northfield, Massachusetts

Northfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,951 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area...

. He was a merchant in Jericho, Vermont and served in the Vermont House of Representatives

Vermont House of Representatives

The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members. Vermont legislative districting divides representing districts into 66 single-member districts and 42 two-member...

.
He was the first Republican to be the Mayor of Milwaukee.
Prentiss came to Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

, on June 23, 1836.

Throughout his career he served as justice of peace, chairman of Milwaukee Board of County Commissioners, 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...

 Legislature, member of the first Board of Trustees of Village of Milwaukee, 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....

 and Milwaukee Common Council. Prentiss served for one year as mayor of Milwaukee from 1858 to 1859. He was the first Republican mayor of Milwaukee. The Democratic administration after him let by Herman L. Page

Herman L. Page

Herman L. Page was a merchant and Wisconsin politician. He was born in Oneida County, New York, later moving to Nunda in Livingston County, New York, in 1844....

, was very hostile toward him, often lying in their attempts to prove him bad.

He was said to be a tall and stout man, with a large head, light brown hair and blue eyes. His voice was strong and powerful; he spoke slow and distinct, with a heavy accent. He walked slow and was never in a hurry. He was a good legislator always retaining the confidence of his fellow citizens.

He was a prominent and active member in the Milwaukee Pioneer Association. He was the first president and was instrumental in drafting its first constitution.

There never was a man in this city whose public record is any cleaner than is that of William A. Prentiss, and his name will pass into the history of the city and state as one of the best men among all its official corps, while that of some of his traducers will sink into oblivion, or if remembered at all will be remembered only for their political dishonesty.-James Smith Buck