Morton Smith Wilkinson (January 22, 1819February 4, 1894) was an American

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

Biography

Born in

Skaneateles, New York Skaneateles ( , ) is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York (state), New York, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 7,112. The name is from the Iroquois term ...

, he moved to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

in 1837 and was employed in

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

work for two years. Upon returning to Skaneateles in 1840, he studied law, was admitted to the

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

in 1842, and commenced practice in

Eaton Rapids, Michigan Eaton Rapids is a city in Eaton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,203 at the 2020 census. The city is located in the south of Eaton Rapids Township, on the boundary with Hamlin Township, though it is politically ind ...

in 1843. He moved to

Stillwater, Minnesota Stillwater is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Washington County, Minnesota, Washington County. It is in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, on the west bank of the St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota), S ...

in 1847. Wilkinson was elected to the first legislature of

Minnesota Territory The Territory of Minnesota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1849, until May 11, 1858, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Minnesota and the w ...

in 1849 and served as

Register of Deeds Recorder of deeds or deeds registry is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights ove ...

of Ramsey County 1851 – 1853. After moving to

Mankato, Minnesota Mankato ( ) is a city in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, Blue Earth, Nicollet County, Minnesota, Nicollet, and Le Sueur County, Minnesota, Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is the county seat of Blue Earth County, Minnesota. The ...

in 1858, he served as a member of the board of commissioners to prepare a code of laws for the Territory of Minnesota in 1858. After winning the 1859 Senate election in Minnesota he served in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

from March 4, 1859 to March 3, 1865, as a Republican from

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, in the 36th, 37th and 38th congresses, but was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection. In the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Revolutionary Claims. He was a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from March 4, 1869 to March 3, 1871, but unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1870. Wilkinson moved to

Wells, Minnesota Wells is a city in Faribault County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,343 at the 2010 census. History Wells was laid out in 1869. The city was named for J.W. Wells, father in law of Clark W. Thompson. The city contains a prop ...

, and was member of the

Minnesota State Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are hel ...

1874 – 1877 as well as a prosecuting attorney of Faribault County 1880 – 1884. He died in

on February 4, 1894, and was interred in Glenwood Cemetery, Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minnesota.

References

Minnesota Legislators Past and Present
1819 births 1894 deaths Members of the Minnesota Territorial Legislature Minnesota state senators People from Skaneateles, New York Republican Party United States senators from Minnesota Politicians from Mankato, Minnesota Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota People from Eaton Rapids, Michigan People from Stillwater, Minnesota People from Wells, Minnesota 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century United States senators 19th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature {{Minnesota-MNSenate-stub