William M. Dennis

William M. Dennis was born in Newport County, Rhode Island, in January 1810. At a young age, he moved to Troy, New York. He subsequently moved to the Wisconsin Territory in 1837.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99284741/william-m-dennis-obit/ |title= Death of Hon. Wm. M. Dennis |newspaper= The Watertown News |date= July 19, 1882 |page= 7 |accessdate= April 7, 2022 |via= Newspapers.com }}

He was one of the earliest settlers in what is now Watertown, Wisconsin, and remained there for the rest of his life. Shortly after his arrival, he was named as the first postmaster in that town.

Politically, Dennis associated with the Democratic Party, which was dominant in the state during these year. He was elected to the last session of the 4th Wisconsin Territorial Assembly, serving in the Territory's House of Representatives in 1846. That same year, he was elected as a delegate for Dodge County to Wisconsin's first constitutional convention.{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/conventionthe00quairich/page/n785/ |title= The Convention of 1846 |last= Quaife |first= Milo Milton |year= 1919 |publisher= Wisconsin Historical Society |page= [https://archive.org/details/conventionthe00quairich/page/n785/ 768] |accessdate= April 7, 2022 }} The constitutional document produced by this convention was ultimately rejected by voters, but a subsequent effort secured Wisconsin statehood in 1848. That February, Dennis was elected from Dodge County to represent them in the first session of the Wisconsin State Senate.{{Cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/memorialrecordof00tenn/ |title= Memorial Record of the Fathers of Wisconsin |last= Tenney |first= Horace A. |year= 1880 |publisher= David Atwood |pages= [https://archive.org/details/memorialrecordof00tenn/page/69/ 69–70] |accessdate= April 7, 2022 }}

In 1852, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Dodge County's 3rd Assembly district in the 6th Wisconsin Legislature. His district comprised the southeast corner of the county.{{cite report|url= http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1853 |title= Manual for the Use of the Assembly of the State of Wisconsin for the Year 1853 |year= 1853 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |chapter-url= https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1853/reference/wi.wibluebk1853.i0015.pdf |chapter= Members and Officers of the Senate |page= 85 |accessdate= April 7, 2022 }} That Fall, he was the Democratic nominee for the statewide elected position of state bank comptroller.{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52112292/wisconsin-general-election-1853/ |title= The Official Canvass |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= December 10, 1853 |page= 2 |accessdate= April 7, 2022 |via= Newspapers.com}} He was the first person elected to this office (the previous holder was appointed by the Governor). He was re-elected in 1855.{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56900785/wisconsin-state-election-1855/ |title= The Official Canvass |newspaper= Daily Free Democrat |date= December 19, 1855 |page= 2 |accessdate= April 7, 2022 |via= Newspapers.com }}

Subsequently, Dennis became president of the Wisconsin National Bank and was elected to two non-consecutive terms as mayor of Watertown, in 1862 and 1866. His association with bad railway bonds significantly damaged his reputation and he never held elected office again after his second mayoral term. After retiring from the bank, he made significant profitable investments in the region of Watertown, Dakota Territory, which he left to his sons.

He died at his home in Watertown, in September 1882. His death was sudden and occurred after a period of apparent good health.

William M. Dennis was married twice. He had at least one daughter with his first wife. After his first wife's death, he married Catherine Elizabeth Coughlin and had at least four more children. He was survived by his second wife and five children.

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Bank Comptroller Election, 1853}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 4, 1853

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = William M. Dennis

|votes = 30,750

|percentage = 55.58%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Whig Party (United States)

|candidate = Benjamin F. Pixley

|votes = 24,363

|percentage = 44.04%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Free Soil Party

|candidate = E. A. Howland

|votes = 211

|percentage = 0.38%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 6,387

|percentage = 11.54%

|change =

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 55,324

|percentage = 100.0%

|change =

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing|

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Bank Comptroller Election, 1855}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 6, 1855

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = William M. Dennis (incumbent)

|votes = 38,625

|percentage = 52.07%

|change = -3.52%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Francis H. West

|votes = 35,561

|percentage = 47.93%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 3,064

|percentage = 4.13%

|change = -7.41%

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 74,186

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = +34.09%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing|

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-ppo}}

|-

{{s-non|reason = New elected office }}

{{s-ttl|title = Democratic nominee for {{nowrap|Bank Comptroller of Wisconsin}} |years= 1853, 1855 }}

{{s-aft|after = Joel C. Squires }}

{{s-par|us-wi-hs}}

{{s-bef|before = Maximilian Averbeck }}

{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nowrap|from the Dodge 3rd district}} |years= January 3, 1853{{spaced ndash}}January 2, 1854 }}

{{s-aft|after = Francis McCormick }}

{{s-par|us-wi-sen}}

|-

{{s-non|reason = New state government }}

{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin Senate}} {{nowrap|from the 10th district}} |years= June 5, 1848{{spaced ndash}}January 7, 1850 }}

{{s-aft|after = James Giddings }}

{{s-off}}

{{s-bef|before = Myron B. Williams }}

{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap| Mayor of Watertown, Wisconsin}} |years= April 1862{{spaced ndash}}April 1863 }}

{{s-aft|after = Joseph Lindon }}

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{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap| Mayor of Watertown, Wisconsin}} |years= April 1866{{spaced ndash}}April 1867 }}

{{s-aft|after = Henry Mulberger }}

{{s-bef|before = James S. Baker }}

{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Bank Comptroller of Wisconsin}} |years= January 2, 1854{{spaced ndash}}January 4, 1858 }}

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{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dennis, William M.}}

Category:1810 births

Category:1882 deaths

Category:People from Newport County, Rhode Island

Category:Businesspeople from Wisconsin

Category:Mayors of Watertown, Wisconsin

Category:Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators

Category:19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature

Category:19th-century mayors of places in Wisconsin

Category:19th-century American businesspeople

Category:Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly