HIRAM H. GILES


From History of Dane County, Wisconsin, publ. by Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1880, page 990

HIRAM H. GILES, son of Hon. Samuel and Hannah (FOSTER) GILES; was born March 22, 1820, in New Salem, Mass., and was reared on a farm; his father was in fair circumstances for a New England yeoman, and was at one time a member of the Massachusetts State Senate. Hiram was educated at New Salem academy, and was preparing for college in 1837, when his health failed and he was compelled to relinquish the purpose he had in view; he then went to Chautauqua Co., N.Y., where he joined a brother who was lecturing on electricity, traveling in Ohio, and spending the winter in Kentucky and Tennessee; he returned to Fredonia, N.Y., in the spring of 1839, and soon afterward began a more extended lecturing tour, traveling two years over parts of the States of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the province of Upper Canada; he was successful in his undertaking and though but 20 years of age won for himself many laurels in the field as a lecturer; becoming tired of travel he entered Fredonia College with health resorted; confinement to study so affected him that he abandoned its pursuit and came to Wisconsin territory in 1844. Returning to New York state, he married in the autumn of 1844, Rebecca S. WATSON, and in the winter of 1844-45 taught the village school at Fredonia; in the spring of 1845, he removed to Harbor Creek, Penn., where he resided for two years; thence to Wisconsin Territory in 1847; he settled in Dunkirk, Dane Co., and engaged in the occupation of a farmer; removed to Stoughton in 1853, and engaged in business; two daughter, Belle T. and Ella A., and a loving wife, have made his home a happy and peaceful one. Mr. GILES is a member of the Unitarian Church. He joined the Republican party at its first organization and has remained with it, but was a Democrat in his boyhood. He was elected to the Assembly from the southeast district of Dane Co. in 1852, carrying a strong Democratic district upon the bank issue; he was the Whig candidate for Dane Co. for the Senate in 1853, and was defeated; he was again a candidate in 1855, and was elected, then re-elected in 1857; was President of the Senate in 1859; he was Assistant Assessor of Internal revenue under Gen. Atwood for four years; he removed to Madison in the fall of 1869. Mr. GILES signed the total abstinence pledge when 15 years of age, and has ever since been a prominent advocate of the cause of temperance.

Transcribed and contributed to this site by Carol

 

 

Last Update Monday, 07-May-2018 17:23:36 CDT

 Untitled 1

WIGenWeb State Coordinator:  Tina Vickery
WIGenWeb Assistante State Coordinator:  Marcia Ann Kuehl
Copyright 2010 by the WIGenWeb Team.  All rights reserved.  Copyright of submitted items belongs to those
responsible for their authorship or creation unless otherwise assigned.