Leonard J. Farwell
Encyclopedia
Leonard James Farwell was an American
politician and the second Governor
of Wisconsin
.
Farwell was born in Watertown, New York
, and moved to Wisconsin in the 1840s, prior to its statehood. He first settled in Milwaukee
and later in Madison
, where he owned a great amount of property, and made considerable improvements to the city.
He was elected governor of Wisconsin as a member of the Whig Party
and served as governor from 1852 to 1854. On 12 July 1853, in one of his more notable actions as governor, he signed a law that abolished the death penalty in Wisconsin
and replaced it with a penalty of life imprisonment
.
In 1857 he ran for alderman in Madison but lost by a close margin. Also that year, Farwell lost his land holdings due to the effects of the Panic of 1857
.
During the 1860s, Farwell worked in Washington, D.C.
as principal examiner in the U.S. Patent Office. He was present at Ford's Theatre
the day President Abraham Lincoln
was assassinated in 1865, and was the first person to inform then-Vice President Andrew Johnson
of the assassination.
After seven years in Washington, Farwell moved to Chicago and started a patent
agency, but he fell victim to the Great Chicago Fire
of 1871. He then relocated to Grant City, Missouri
where he died.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and the second Governor
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...
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...
.
Farwell was born in Watertown, New York
Watertown (city), New York
Watertown is a city in the state of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated approximately south of the Thousand Islands. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 27,023, an increase of 1.2% since 2000. The U.S...
, and moved to Wisconsin in the 1840s, prior to its statehood. He first settled in Milwaukee
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...
and later in 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 owned a great amount of property, and made considerable improvements to the city.
He was elected governor of Wisconsin as a member of the Whig Party
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...
and served as governor from 1852 to 1854. On 12 July 1853, in one of his more notable actions as governor, he signed a law that abolished the death penalty in Wisconsin
Capital punishment in Wisconsin
Capital punishment in Wisconsin was abolished in 1853. Wisconsin was one of the earliest United States states to abolish the death penalty, and, along with Michigan, one of only two states that has performed only one execution in its history....
and replaced it with a penalty of life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
.
In 1857 he ran for alderman in Madison but lost by a close margin. Also that year, Farwell lost his land holdings due to the effects of the Panic of 1857
Panic of 1857
The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Indeed, because of the interconnectedness of the world economy by the time of the 1850s, the financial crisis which began in the autumn of 1857 was...
.
During the 1860s, Farwell worked in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as principal examiner in the U.S. Patent Office. He was present at Ford's Theatre
Ford's Theatre
Ford's Theatre is a historic theater in Washington, D.C., used for various stage performances beginning in the 1860s. It is also the site of the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865...
the day President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
was assassinated in 1865, and was the first person to inform then-Vice President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
of the assassination.
After seven years in Washington, Farwell moved to Chicago and started a patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
agency, but he fell victim to the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
of 1871. He then relocated to Grant City, Missouri
Grant City, Missouri
Grant City is a city in Worth County in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 926 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town. It is the county seat of Worth County.-Geography:Grant City is located at...
where he died.