Walter S. Greene

{{infobox officeholder

|name = Walter S. Greene

|image = Walter S. Greene.png

|caption = Portrait from The History of Jefferson County, Wisconsin (1879)

|state = Wisconsin

|state_senate = Wisconsin

|district = 23rd

| term_start = January 3, 1887

| term_end = November 15, 1891

| predecessor = William W. Reed

| successor = Albert Solliday

| term_start1 = January 6, 1873

| term_end1 = January 4, 1875

| predecessor1 = William W. Woodman

| successor1 = William W. Reed

|state_assembly3 = Wisconsin

|district3 = Jefferson 2nd

| term_start3 = January 6, 1862

| term_end3 = January 5, 1863

| predecessor3 = Horace B. Willard

| successor3 = Nathan S. Greene

|party = Democratic

|birth_date = {{birth date|1834|3|23}}

|birth_place = Salisbury, Herkimer County, New York, U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|1891|11|15|1834|3|23}}

|death_place = Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.

|death_cause = Stomach cancer

|restingplace = Evergreen Cemetery, {{nowrap|Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin}}

|spouse = {{unbulleted list

| {{marriage|Ella C. Potter|1861|1863|end=died}}

| {{marriage|Jennette Guile|1866|1891}}

}}

|children = {{unbulleted list

| Isabella P. Greene

| (b. 1862; died 1917)

}}

|father = Nathan S. Greene

}}

Walter S. Greene (May 28, 1834{{spaced ndash}}November 15, 1891) was an American businessman, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served six years in the Wisconsin State Senate and one year in the State Assembly, representing Jefferson County.

Biography

Walter Greene was born in Salisbury, in Herkimer County, New York, March 23, 1834.{{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. |editor-link= Thomas Cunningham (Wisconsin politician) |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1891/reference/wi.wibluebk1891.i0017.pdf |chapter= Biographical |page= 582 |accessdate= November 19, 2021 }} He came west with his family in 1846, settling at the town of Milford, in the Wisconsin Territory.{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/historyofjeffers00west |title= The History of Jefferson County, Wisconsin |year= 1879 |publisher= Western Historical Company |pages= [https://archive.org/details/historyofjeffers00west/page/n695/ 726] |accessdate= November 19, 2021 }} He attended collegiate courses at the University of Wisconsin and Beloit College and worked as a merchant for several years at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. He subsequently returned to Milford and worked with his father in a milling and manufacturing firm known as "Greene & Son".{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89195441/w-s-greene-obit-watertown/ |title= Death of Senator Walter S. Greene |newspaper= The Watertown News |date= November 18, 1891 |page= 5 |accessdate= November 19, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }}

While residing at Milford, he served on the town board for several years, served as Jefferson County treasurer, and was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly for the 1862 session. He was succeeded in office in 1863 by his father, Nathan S. Greene. He was subsequently elected to the Wisconsin State Senate from Jefferson County's Senate district in 1872.{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1873 |title= The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1873 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1873/reference/wi.wibluebk1873.i0023.pdf |chapter= Official Directory |page= 437 |accessdate= November 17, 2021 }}

In May 1883, he moved to Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, and was elected to another term in the Wisconsin Senate in 1886. The next year, he was elected mayor of Fort Atkinson. He was re-elected in 1890, but was stricken with stomach cancer shortly after the start of the new term. He was ill for several months before dying at St. Mary's hospital in Milwaukee in November 1891.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89195120/w-s-greene-obit-wsj/ |title= Death of a Senator |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= November 16, 1891 |page= 4 |accessdate= November 19, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }}'Proceedings of the Annual meeting of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.' Wisconsin Historical Society: 1892, Biographical Sketch of Walter S. Greene, pg. 20-21

Personal life and family

Walter Greene's father Nathan S. Greene also served in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Walter's younger brother William served as an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Walter Greene married twice. His first wife, Ella Porter, was the daughter of General James Potter, of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, and was a great granddaughter of American Revolutionary War major general James Potter.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89196448/greene-potter-obit/ |title= Green |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= April 24, 1863 |page= 1 |accessdate= November 19, 2021 |via= Newspapers.com }} They had one daughter together.

Walter Greene was survived by his second wife, Jennette Guile, and his daughter Isabella "Belle".

Electoral history

=Wisconsin Senate (1872)=

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Senate, 23rd District Election, 1872}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 5, 1872

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Walter S. Greene

|votes = 3,983

|percentage = 60.76%

|change = +3.67%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Luther A. Cole

|votes = 2,572

|percentage = 39.24%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 1,411

|percentage = 21.53%

|change = +7.34%

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 6,555

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = +34.19%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing|

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

=Wisconsin Senate (1886, 1890)=

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Senate, 23rd District Election, 1886{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1887 |title= The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1887 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Timme |editor-first= Ernst G. |editor-link= Ernst Timme |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1887/reference/wi.wibluebk1887.i0018.pdf |chapter= Official Directory |page= 489 |accessdate= November 19, 2021 }}}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 2, 1886

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Walter S. Greene

|votes = 3,601

|percentage = 56.93%

|change = +1.58%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = James W. Ostrander

|votes = 2,464

|percentage = 38.96%

|change = +2.18%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Prohibition Party (United States)

|candidate = George W. Jenkins

|votes = 260

|percentage = 4.11%

|change = -3.76%

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 1,137

|percentage = 17.98%

|change = -0.61%

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 6,325

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = +19.09%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing|

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Senate, 23rd District Election, 1890}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 4, 1890

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Walter S. Greene (incumbent)

|votes = 3,983

|percentage = 60.76%

|change = +3.83%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Jesse Stone

|votes = 2,572

|percentage = 39.24%

|change = +0.28%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Prohibition Party (United States)

|candidate = S. Faville

|votes = 319

|percentage = 4.64%

|change = +0.53%

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 1,411

|percentage = 21.53%

|change = +3.55%

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 6,874

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = +8.68%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing|

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

References

External links

{{Find a Grave|95189976|Walter S Greene}}

{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nowrap|from the Jefferson 2nd district}}|years= January 6, 1862{{spaced ndash}}January 5, 1863 }}

{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nowrap|from the 23rd district}}|years= January 6, 1873{{spaced ndash}}January 4, 1875 }}

{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nowrap|from the 23rd district}}|years= January 3, 1887{{spaced ndash}}November 15, 1891 }}

Category:1834 births

Category:1891 deaths

Category:People from Salisbury, Herkimer County, New York

Category:People from Milford, Wisconsin

Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni

Category:Beloit College alumni

Category:Businesspeople from Wisconsin

Category:County officials in Wisconsin

Category:County supervisors in Wisconsin

Category:Wisconsin city council members

Category:Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Category:Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators

Category:People from Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin

Category:19th-century American businesspeople

Category:19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature

Category:19th-century mayors of places in Wisconsin