Wiley Ward Hatcher (May 3, 1828???) was an American businessman and politician. He served one term 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. Representatives are elected for two-year terms ...

representing

Fond du Lac County Fond du Lac County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 104,154. Its county seat is Fond du Lac. The county was created in the Wisconsin Territory in 1836 and later organized in 1844. Fond du La ...

Biography

Wiley Ward Hatcher was born in

Henry County, Tennessee Henry County is a county located on the northwestern border of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and is considered part of West Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,199. Its county seat is Paris. The county is named for the Virg ...

, on May 3, 1828. His parents both died of

Typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over severa ...

just two years later, leaving him an orphan. He was sent to live with his mother's brother, James Baker. He had little education as a child, but at age seventeen went off on his own, working as a farmhand in the summers and attending school in the winters. In 1849, he went west for the California Gold Rush. He took a ship from

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Cape Horn Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramí ...

, and stopped briefly in

Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...

, before arriving in California. He worked successfully as a miner in California until 1853, when he traveled to Australia to continue his mining and prospecting career. Over the next several years, he traveled extensively between California, Australia, and various Pacific islands. He shipped oil from Australia to California and shipped grain, wool, and pelts from California to Australia and New Zealand, some of this was in partnership with B. F. Pond. After several years, he returned to the eastern United States landing at

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

on December 23, 1855. He married there three months later, and journeyed from New York to Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and finally Wisconsin. They settled at

Waupun, Wisconsin Waupun is a city in Dodge and Fond du Lac counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 11,344 at the 2020 census. Of this, 7,795 were in Dodge County, and 3,549 were in Fond du Lac County. In Fond du Lac County, the Town of Waupun ...

, in

, and made that their permanent residence. Hatcher purchased land in the city and built a stone business block, which he used for a grocery store for seven years. He also dealt in real estate. Politically, Hatcher was always loyal to the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. He was elected to the

for the 1862 session. He also served on the village board and the county board of supervisors.

Personal life and family

Wiley Ward Hatcher was a son of Eli Hatcher and his wife Joanna (' Baker). The Hatchers and Bakers were both of English ancestry, and trace their ancestry to 18th century immigrants to Maryland. Wiley Ward Hatcher married Julia Alden Pond on March 20, 1856, in New York City. The Ponds trace their ancestry to

Daniel Pond Lt. Daniel Pond was a prominent early settler of Dedham, Massachusetts. Life in Dedham Pond arrived in Dedham around 1652 and purchased land from Nathaniel Fisher and Ralph Wheelock. Pond served as a selectman in Dedham for 14 terms, beginning in ...

, an early settler of Dedham, in the

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...

. Wiley and Julia had three children, though their son, Wiley Clifford Hatcher, died in childhood.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hatcher, Wiley Ward 1828 births Year of death unknown People from Henry County, Tennessee People from Waupun, Wisconsin People of the California Gold Rush Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 19th-century American politicians