Henry Putnam
{{short description|19th century American politician}}
{{about||the Wisconsin lumberman|Henry Cleveland Putnam|the American businessman|Henry W. Putnam}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Henry Putnam
|image = Henry Clay Putnam.png
|alt =
|caption =
|state = Wisconsin
|state_senate = Wisconsin
|district = 17th
| term_start = January 7, 1895
| term_end = January 2, 1899
| predecessor = Richard Burdge
| successor = Harry C. Martin
|office1 = Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
|constituency1 = Green district
| term_start1 = January 2, 1893
| term_end1 = January 7, 1895
| predecessor1 = District established
| successor1 = Nathaniel B. Treat
|constituency2 = {{nobreak|Green–Lafayette 2nd district}}
| term_start2 = January 5, 1891
| term_end2 = January 2, 1893
| predecessor2 = Philip Allen
| successor2 = District abolished
|party = Republican
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1846|01|17}}
|birth_place = Newark, Ohio
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1913|07|07|1846|01|17}}
|death_place = Brodhead, Wisconsin
|death_cause =
|restingplace =
|spouse = {{marriage|Frances Sutherland||1895|end=died}}
|children = {{unbulleted list
| Essie Putnam
| (b. 1872; died 1873)
}}
|education =
|occupation = Farmer, banker
|allegiance = United States
|branch = United States Volunteers
Union Army
|rank = Corporal, USV
|serviceyears = 1863–1865
|unit = 1st Reg. Wis. Vol. Cavalry
|battles = American Civil War
}}
Henry Clay Putnam (January 17, 1846{{spaced ndash}}July 7, 1913) was an American businessman, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served four years each in the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly, representing Green County. During the American Civil War, he was enlisted in the Union Army.
Early life
Putnam was born in Newark, Ohio, in 1846. He moved to Wisconsin with his parents in 1849, settling in Decatur in Green County. He was educated in the common schools in Green County until age 16, when he enlisted in the Union Army.{{cite report|url=http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1897 |title= The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1897 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Casson |editor-first= Henry |editor-link= Henry Casson |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1897/reference/wi.wibluebk1897.i0016.pdf |chapter= Biographical |page= 664 |accessdate= January 21, 2022 }}
Civil War service
Putnam enlisted in the Summer of 1863 and was enrolled as a private in Company B of the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment. He was subsequently promoted to corporal.{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/rosterofwisconsi01wisc/ |title= Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861–1865 |publisher= Office of the Adjutant General of Wisconsin |year= 1886 |chapter= First Regiment Cavalry |page= [https://archive.org/details/rosterofwisconsi01wisc/page/10/ 10] |accessdate= January 21, 2022 }} He joined the regiment near Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the midst of the Chattanooga campaign. With the regiment, he went on to participate in the Battle of Mossy Creek, the Battle of Dandridge, Sherman's Atlanta Campaign, and Wilson's Raid in Alabama and Georgia.{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/militaryhistoryo00quin/ |title= The Military History of Wisconsin |year= 1866 |publisher= Clarke & Co. |last= Quiner |first= Edwin B. |chapter-url= https://archive.org/details/militaryhistoryo00quin/page/881/ |chapter= Regimental History–First Cavalry |accessdate= January 21, 2022 }}
Postbellum career
Putnam mustered out with his regiment in July 1865. After returning to Wisconsin, he worked as a traveling salesman for nine years, then worked in the lumber business and operated a farm. In the 1890s he became involved with the Green County Bank of Brodhead as vice president.
Politically, Putnam associated with the Republican Party. He was elected president of the Village of Brodhead, Wisconsin, in 1883 and 1884 and was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1890 and 1892. In 1894, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate, representing the 17th Senate district for four years. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1898.
He died at his home in Brodhead, Wisconsin, in 1913.{{cite news|title=Death Sends Summons for H. Clay Putnam|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15134918/henry_putnam_18461913/|newspaper=Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter|date=July 7, 1913|page=1|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = November 15, 2017 }} {{Open access}}
Personal life and family
Putnam was active for the remainder of his life in the Wisconsin chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic. He married Frances Sutherland, but their only child died in infancy.
Electoral history
=Wisconsin Assembly (1890, 1892)=
{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Assembly, Green–Lafayette 2nd District Election, 1890{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1891 |title= The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1891 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Cunningham |editor-first= Thomas J. |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1891/reference/wi.wibluebk1891.i0017.pdf |chapter= Biographical |page= 592 |accessdate= January 21, 2022 }}}}
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 4, 1890
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Henry C. Putnam
|votes = 1,299
|percentage = 47.05%
|change = -1.43%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Rinaldo R. Fleek
|votes = 1,217
|percentage = 44.08%
|change = +4.48%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Prohibition Party (United States)
|candidate = J. C. Murdock
|votes = 151
|percentage = 5.47%
|change = -1.44%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Labor Party (United States, 19th century)
|candidate = James F. Grinnell
|votes = 94
|percentage = 3.40%
|change = -1.62%
}}
{{Election box plurality
|votes = 82
|percentage = 2.97%
|change =-5.91%
}}
{{Election box total
|votes = 2,761
|percentage = 100.0%
|change = -17.43%
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no swing
|winner = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Assembly, Green District Election, 1892{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1893 |title= The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1893 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Cunningham |editor-first= Thomas J. |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1893/reference/wi.wibluebk1893.i0016.pdf |chapter= Biographical |pages= 641–642 |accessdate= January 21, 2022 }}}}
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 8, 1892
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Henry C. Putnam
|votes = 2,226
|percentage = 44.04%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Gilbert T. Hodge
|votes = 2,061
|percentage = 40.77%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = People's Party (United States)
|candidate = Frank H. Smock
|votes = 411
|percentage = 8.13%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Prohibition Party (United States)
|candidate = William Smiley
|votes = 357
|percentage = 7.06%
|change =
}}
{{Election box plurality
|votes = 165
|percentage = 3.26%
|change =
}}
{{Election box total
|votes = 5,055
|percentage = 100.0%
|change =
}}
{{Election box new seat win
|winner = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Wisconsin Senate (1894)=
{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Senate, 17th District Election, 1894}}
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 6, 1894
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Henry C. Putnam
|votes = 7,129
|percentage = 61.40%
|change = +8.31%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Edward Drotning
|votes = 3,214
|percentage = 27.68%
|change = -13.40%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Prohibition Party (United States)
|candidate = F. R. Derrick
|votes = 741
|percentage = 6.38%
|change = +0.56%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = People's Party (United States)
|candidate = E. P. Hassinger
|votes = 526
|percentage = 4.53%
|change =
}}
{{Election box plurality
|votes = 3,915
|percentage = 33.72%
|change = +21.71%
}}
{{Election box total
|votes = 11,610
|percentage = 100.0%
|change = +42.30%
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no swing
|winner = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Find a Grave|69469025}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-wi-hs}}
{{s-bef|before = Philip Allen }}
{{s-ttl|title = {{nobreak|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nobreak|from the Green–Lafayette 2nd district}} |years=January 5, 1891{{spaced ndash}}January 2, 1893 }}
{{s-non|reason = District abolished }}
|-
{{s-non|reason = District established }}
{{s-ttl|title = {{nobreak|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nobreak|from the Green district}} |years= January 2, 1893{{spaced ndash}}January 7, 1895 }}
{{s-aft|after = Nathaniel B. Treat }}
{{s-par|us-wi-sen}}
{{s-bef|before = Richard Burdge }}
{{s-ttl|title = {{nobreak|Member of the Wisconsin Senate}} {{nobreak|from the 17th district}} |years= January 7, 1895{{spaced ndash}}January 2, 1899 }}
{{s-aft|after = Harry C. Martin }}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Putnam, Henry}}
Category:Politicians from Newark, Ohio
Category:People from Brodhead, Wisconsin
Category:Republican Party Wisconsin state senators
Category:Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly