Elihu Lyman Phillips (February 16, 1800January 10, 1884) was an American businessman, politician, and

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

pioneer. He was a member of the

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, representing Fond du Lac County during the

1860 Events January * January 2 – The astronomer Urbain Le Verrier announces the discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan (hypothetical planet), Vulcan at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 &ndas ...

and

1861 This year saw significant progress in the Unification of Italy, the outbreak of the American Civil War, and the emancipation reform abolishing serfdom in the Russian Empire. Events January * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico Ci ...

sessions, and earlier represented

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, in the

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during the 1846 session. His name was often abbreviated as

Biography

New York career

Elihu Phillips was born in Manlius,

, in February 1800. He was raised and educated in that area, and at age 16 went to work in a store of owned by Amos P. Granger in

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a Syracuse metropolitan area, metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13 ...

. After a few years, he returned to Manlius and worked in his brother's store for several years until he was ready to begin his own mercantile business. He also became active in local politics as a member of the Whig Party. In 1836, he was designated a commissioner for the establishment of the Syracuse and Utica Railroad. In 1837, he was elected sheriff of Onondaga County. Finally, he was elected to the

in 1845, to serve in the 1846 session. While living in New York, he was also involved in the state militia and held the rank of colonel. Through the 1840s, Phillips was active in contracting. He was contracted to build a 60 mile stretch of railroad in western New York. In the year after his election to the New York Assembly, he was appointed canal appraiser and served two years in that role. Afterward he took another railroad contract, building a stretch of the

Ohio and Mississippi Railway The Ohio and Mississippi Railway (earlier the Ohio and Mississippi Rail Road), abbreviated O&M, was a railroad operating between Cincinnati, Ohio, and East St. Louis, Illinois, from 1857 to 1893. The railroad started in 1854 and paralleled the ...

in Ohio.

Wisconsin career

In 1852, he and his brother moved west to Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, and settled on farms in the town of

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. Phillips tended to his farms for about 15 years, then moved his main residence into the city of Fond du Lac, and left his farms in the hands of tenants for the rest of his life. He quickly became involved in politics with the Republican Party, after it was created in 1854, and was elected president of the County Republican convention in 1855. In 1859, he was nearly nominated for

Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin The lieutenant governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Wisconsin, line of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, ...

at the Republican state convention. He led in the first two rounds of balloting, falling 8 votes short of a majority in both votes. In the third round, Butler Noble overtook Phillips and secured the nomination. Phillips subsequently received the Republican nomination for

in the 20th Senate district, which then comprised just his home county of He defeated Democrat D. E. Hoskins in the general election and went on to serve in the

and

legislative sessions. He did not run for re-election in 1861, and was subsequently appointed provost marshal of the Fond du Lac district under the

Enrollment Act The Enrollment Act of 1863 (, enacted March 3, 1863) also known as the Civil War Military Draft Act, was an Act passed by the United States Congress during the American Civil War to provide fresh manpower for the Union Army. The Act was the fir ...

, in the midst of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. Among Wisconsin districts, Phillips had an outstanding record at enrolling volunteers and conscripts for the Union Army. In the later part of the decade, Phillips secured a charter for the Fond du Lac Savings Bank and served two years as president of the bank. He died at his home in Fond du Lac on January 10, 1884. He was in poor health and withdrawn from society for several years before his death.

Personal life and family

Phillips worked closely with his brother, Lyman, for much of his life. Elihu Phillips was married twice. He married Harriet Tousley in 1825, but she died just six months later. In 1828, he married Eleanor Jones, who died in 1838. With his second wife, he had three children, but none survived him: two died in childhood and the third at age 22. His closest remaining relative at his death was his niece, Susan, a daughter of Lyman Phillips, who was then the wife of Edward Colman. Susan and her husband escorted his body back to Syracuse, New York, for burial.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Elihu 1800 births 1884 deaths People from Manlius, New York Politicians from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin New York (state) sheriffs Members of the New York State Assembly Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Wisconsin pioneers 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature 19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature