Joseph W. Beardsley

Joseph Warren Beardsley was born in Herkimer County, New York, in 1820. He was educated as a medical doctor and came to the Wisconsin Territory about 1845, working as a physician and surgeon in Johnstown, in Rock County.{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90684619/beardsley-surgeon/ |title= Dr. J. W. Beardsley |newspaper= Janesville Gazette |date= August 29, 1846 |page= 1 |accessdate= December 16, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }}

In the mid-1850s, Beardsley relocated to Pierce County, in northwest Wisconsin, and operated a general store. He became a leading member of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in that county, and was active in the unsuccessful effort to move the county seat to Prescott, Wisconsin.{{cite book|url= https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wch/id/2479 |title= The Story of Pierce County |last= Weld |first= Allen P. |publisher= Brookhaven Press |pages= [https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wch/id/2488 8], [https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wch/id/2557 77], [https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wch/id/2589 109], [https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wch/id/2632 152] |accessdate= December 17, 2021 |via= Wisconsin Historical Society }} During the American Civil War, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Union Democrat,{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1862 |title= The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1862 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last1= Warren |editor-first1= John H. |editor-last2= Dean |editor-first2= John S. |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1862/reference/wi.wibluebk1862.i0007.pdf |chapter= Legislative Department |pages= 83, 116 |accessdate= December 17, 2021 }} and formed a coalition with the Republicans in which he was elected speaker and Republicans received many of the other Assembly offices.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90721639/assembly-organization/ |title= Legislature |newspaper= Appleton Crescent |date= January 11, 1862 |page= 2 |accessdate= December 17, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com}}

He died at Ilion, New York, in September 1868.{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90722622/beardsley-obit/ |title= Death of Ex-Speaker Beardsley |newspaper= The Wisconsin State Register |date= September 12, 1868 |page= 2 |accessdate= December 17, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }}

The Beardsleys are direct descendants of William Beardsley, one of the first settlers at Stratford, Connecticut, who arrived in the country about 1635.{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/BeardsleyGenealogyTheFamilyOfWilliamBeardsleyOneOfTheFirstSettlersOfStratfordCon |title= Beardsley Genealogy: The Family of William Beardsley - One of the First Settlers of Stratford, Connecticut |last= Holt |first= Nellie Beardsley |year= 1950 |page= [https://archive.org/details/BeardsleyGenealogyTheFamilyOfWilliamBeardsleyOneOfTheFirstSettlersOfStratfordCon/page/n205/ 204] |accessdate= December 16, 2021 }}

Joseph Warren Beardsley's father, also named Joseph, was the first white child born at Monticello, Otsego County, New York. His uncles, Samuel and Levi Beardsley, were prominent lawyers and politicians in New York, and served in several elected offices.{{Cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/genealogicalhist00bear |title= Genealogical History of the Beardsley-lee Family in America |year= 1902 |publisher= J. Dove |last= Beardsley |first= Isaac Haight |page= [https://archive.org/details/genealogicalhist00bear/page/311/ 311] |accessdate= December 16, 2021 }}

He married Caroline Maxson and had at least five children.

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• {{find a Grave|64877757|Dr Joseph Warren Beardsley }}

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{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nowrap|from the Pierce–St. Croix district}} |years= January 6, 1862{{spaced ndash}}January 5, 1863 }}

{{s-aft|after = Charles B. Cox }}

{{s-bef|before = Amasa Cobb }}

{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} |years= January 8, 1862{{spaced ndash}}January 14, 1863 }}

{{s-aft|after = J. Allen Barber }}

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{{Speakers of the Wisconsin State Assembly}}

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Category:1820 births

Category:1868 deaths

Category:Date of birth missing

Category:People from Herkimer County, New York

Category:People from Prescott, Wisconsin

Category:Speakers of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Category:Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Category:19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature