HON. ARTHUR B. BRALEY


From History of Dane County, Wisconsin, publ. by Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1880, page 958

HON. ARTHUR B. BRALEY, was born at Perry, Wyoming Co, N.Y., Feb. 11, 1824; he was the only son of Rufus and Hepzee BRALEY. His father was born in the town of Adams, Mass., and was among the early settlers of western New York; his mother's name was FOSTER, and her father, Arthur B. had the misfortune to lose an excellent father when he was 15 years of age; this great bereavement practically threw him upon his own resources; his education at that time was limited, with the exception of two or three terms in what might be termed a select or private school; his habits in early life were formed under the influence of a most excellent mother, and were consequently good; his mother was a member of the Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers; in the pure faith of that sect she lived and died; her life-exemplified its purity, and her death its power. After the death of his father, he went to live with a wealthy relative; the generosity of a friend supplied him with the means, and he occupied many a leisure hour in perusing the works of the immortal bard of Avon, while hidden from the eye of his watchful guardian; his stay, however, in the house of his relative was short, and once more he returned to his home; in the spring of 1843, he ventured out into the world in search of fortune, and his first building place was Erie, Penn., where he spent some weeks among his friends; thence to Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and to the blue-grass regions of Kentucky; in the fall of 1844, he returned once more to New York; in the ensuing spring he began the study of law, making use of borrowed books for that purpose; the next winter was spent in the beautiful Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania, famous in history and in song; after teaching three months in the last-named place, he returned to his home, and in the spring of 1846 emigrated to Wisconsin, settled first at Delavan, where he completed his legal studies, and in 1848 visited Madison, where he was admitted to the bar, and came to Madison to reside in the fall of 1852; upon the organization of the capital city in 1856, Mr. BRALEY was elected to the office of Police Justice, which place he held for three successive terms, of two years each; in 1864, he was chosen Alderman of the First Ward, an office which he held for three years; at the opening of the Presidential campaign in 1864, he took editorial charge of the Wisconsin Daily Patriot, a position which he retained until after election; at the close of the Presidential campaign, he vacated the editorial chair, and returned to the duties of his profession; in the spring of 1868, he was elected City Attorney of Madison, and in the summer and fall of the same year, he became principal political editor of the Madison Daily Democrat, which position he resigned at the close of the Presidential election; in the spring of 1869, he removed to the village of Waukesha, Wis., where he remained until the fall of 1870, while here, he had the misfortune to lose his only remaining child, a bright and promising boy of 6 years; saddened beyond expression by this terrible blow, he returned to Madison, where he still resides; in the spring of 1872, he was elected Police Justice, without opposition, and, this court having been re-organized and converted into a municipal court, for the city and county in the spring of 1874, he was chosen Judge of this court without opposition by the electors of Dane Co., for the term of six years. Mr. BRALEY was married Feb. 11, 1855, at Madison, to Miss Philida STEVENS, a most grand and noble woman; they had three children, all deceased; in 1879, he lost his wife, this was indeed a most terrible blow to the happiness of Judge BRALEY; in April 1880, he was again married, to Miss Alta E. JORDON, of Allegany Co., N.Y., an accomplished and most amiable lady, who studies to make the residence of her husband the most hospitable home in Madison.

Transcribed and contributed to this site by Carol

 

 

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