James Harrison Earnest (January 11, 1818June 12, 1900) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

Democratic 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 served four years in the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those o ...

and six years in the Assembly, representing Lafayette County.

Background

James Earnest was born in

Franklin, Kentucky Franklin is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Simpson County, Kentucky, United States. The county is located on the south central border of the state, and its population was 10,176 at the 2020 census. Kentucky Downs, formerl ...

, in 1818. His parents died while he was still young, and, when he was about sixteen years old, he went to

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...

, to look for work. In 1836, he moved north into the

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized and 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. Belm ...

and settled at the township of New Diggings. He found work in the

lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

mines, and, after 1844, opened a store in the town and operated his own mining company. In 1850, he used his earnings to purchase an unimproved farmstead in the vicinity of

Shullsburg, Wisconsin Shullsburg is a city in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,173 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is adjacent to the Shullsburg (town), Wisconsin, Town of Shullsburg. Founded in 1827, it is one ...

. He constructed a home and other buildings on the property. In politics, he became an outspoken supporter of the Democratic Party, which was popular with the laborers in the lead mining region. Over the next several decades, he was elected to six terms in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

, and two 2-year terms in the

. He was a constant defender of the economic interests of the lead mining region, until the industry began to decline in the aftermath 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 ...

. In his later years, he devoted his attention to his farmstead, where he raised thoroughbred livestock. He died at his homestead near Shullsburg on June 12, 1900, after a long illness.

Personal life and family

James Earnest married Mary E. McGown of

Mercer County, Kentucky Mercer County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,772. Its county seat is Harrodsburg. The county was formed from Lincoln County, Virginia in 1785 and i ...

, in 1847. They had eight children together, all of whom were still living at the time of his death in 1900.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Earnest, James H. People from Franklin, Kentucky People from Shullsburg, Wisconsin Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 1818 births 1900 deaths 19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature