Benjamin Hyde Edgerton (August 17, 1811 – December 9, 1886) was an American engineer, businessman, pioneer, and politician.

Early life and education

Edgerton was born in

Saybrook, Connecticut Deep River is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut. The population was 4,415 at the 2020 census. The town center is designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP). Deep River is part of what the locals call the "Tri- ...

on August 17, 1811. Edgerton studied to be a surveyor in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

Career

After moving to Green Bay,

Michigan Territory The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan. Detroi ...

, in 1835, he worked for the government as a surveyor and civil engineer. While in Green Bay, Edgerton was chosen to the

seventh Michigan Territorial Council The Seventh Michigan Territorial Council, also known as the Rump Council, was a meeting of the legislative body governing Michigan Territory in January 1836, during the term of Acting Governor John S. Horner. At the time, most of Michigan Territor ...

(the Rump Council) in 1835, including the western area of the Michigan Territory (present day Wisconsin and parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota) to provide for a smooth transition involving the establishment of

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...

and the admission of the State of

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. Edgerton helped survey the city blocks in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

and the railroads in Wisconsin. He served on the first harbor commission in Milwaukee and was an alderman of the

Milwaukee Common Council The municipal government of the U.S. city of Milwaukee, located in the state of Wisconsin, consists of a mayor and common council. Traditionally supporting liberal politicians and movements, this community has consistently proved to be a strong ...

from 1847 to 1848.

Personal life

Edgerton married Sophia Hosmer in 1837. He died at his home in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, on December 9, 1886. His brother was

Elisha W. Edgerton Elisha W. Edgerton (June 26, 1815 – April 15, 1904) was an American businessman and politician who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1863. Early life Edgerton was born in South Coventry, Connecticut. Career Edgert ...

, a businessman and state legislator.'Proceedings of the Society of the Wisconsin Historical Society at its Sixth-eight Annual Meeting,' October 21, 1920, vol. 68, Rump Council, Biographical Sketch of Benjamin Hyde Edgerton, pg. 155

Notes

External links

The Rump Council, Wisconsin Historical Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edgerton, Benjamin Hyde 1811 births 1886 deaths People from Deep River, Connecticut Politicians from Green Bay, Wisconsin Politicians from Milwaukee Members of the Michigan Territorial Legislature Wisconsin city council members Businesspeople from Milwaukee Engineers from Wisconsin Engineers from Connecticut 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople