Powers Gormer Moulton (August 9, 1829 – December 21, 1904) was an American farmer, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing La Crosse County during the 1870 and 1871 terms.
Powers Moulton | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the La Crosse 2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 1870 – January 1, 1872 | |
| Preceded by | Nathan P. Waller |
| Succeeded by | Gideon Hixon (whole county) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 9, 1829 Trenton, New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 21, 1904 (aged 75) Onalaska, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Onalaska City Cemetery, Onalaska, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Republican |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Volunteers Union Army |
| Years of service | 1864–1865 |
| Rank | Corporal, USV |
| Unit | 1st Reg. Wis. Heavy Artillery |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Biography
editPowers Moulton was born August 9, 1829, in Trenton, New York.[1] He received a common school education in New York before moving west with his parents in 1846. They settled in Lake County, Illinois, where they were some of the earliest settlers at Waukegan.[2] Through his father, he became involved in the Democratic Party in Illinois, but he and his father would later split with the party over slavery. They both became staunch Republicans after that party was established in the 1850s.
Some time in the late 1850s, Powers Moulton moved north into Wisconsin, and settled at the town of Onalaska, in La Crosse County. Shortly after his arrival, he was elected as a town assessor for 1859 and was re-elected in 1860. He was subsequently elected justice of the peace in 1862, and town treasurer in 1863.[3]
In 1864, he volunteered for service in the Union Army during the fourth year of the American Civil War. He was enrolled as a private in the 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery Regiment and was later promoted to corporal.[4] He served with the regiment in Virginia until the end of the war.[1]
Upon his return, he was again elected justice of the peace in 1868 and 1871.[3] During this time, he was also elected to two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, running on the Republican Party ticket. He served in the 1870 and 1871 sessions, representing La Crosse County's 2nd Assembly district, which then comprised the northern half of the county.[1] His district was abolished in the 1871 redistricting act, and La Crosse resident Gideon Hixon was chosen as the Republican nominee for the county's sole Assembly district in 1871.[5]
After leaving the Assembly, he was elected town chairman in 1874, and served another term as justice of the peace in 1881.[3]
Powers Moulton died at his home in Onalaska, on December 21, 1904.[6] He was buried at Onalaska City Cemetery.[citation needed]
Personal life and family
editPowers Moulton was one of six children born to Josiah Powers and his wife Chloe (née Greene). Chloe was a sister of Judge Powers Greene, a veteran of the War of 1812, and one of the pioneer settlers of South Bend, Indiana. Josiah Powers often used the title "colonel" due to a commission in the New York militia granted by Governor William L. Marcy in the 1830s.[7]
The Moultons were direct descendants of Robert Moulton, a shipbuilder who emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony from England in 1629.[7]
Powers Moulton married Citana J. Hall of Vermont. They had ten children who all grew to maturity.[7]
Electoral history
editWisconsin Assembly (1869, 1870)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 2, 1869 | |||||
| Republican | Powers Moulton | 670 | 71.50% | ||
| Democratic | Sever Anderson | 267 | 28.50% | ||
| Plurality | 403 | 43.01% | |||
| Total votes | 937 | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 8, 1870 | |||||
| Republican | Powers Moulton (incumbent) | 454 | 61.52% | −9.99% | |
| Democratic | William Hartley | 284 | 38.48% | ||
| Plurality | 170 | 23.04% | -19.97% | ||
| Total votes | 738 | 100.0% | -21.24% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Official Directory". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1871. p. 379. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ "Illinois State News". Nashville Journal. August 27, 1880. p. 2. Retrieved July 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Butterfield, Consul Willshire (1881). History of La Crosse County, Wisconsin. Western Historical Co. pp. 717–719. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ "First Regiment Heavy Artillery". Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861–1865. Vol. 1. Office of the Adjutant General of Wisconsin. 1886. p. 285. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ "Official Directory". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1872. p. 450. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ "Hr. P. G. Moulton..." Nord Stern (in German). December 23, 1904. Retrieved July 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Moulton, Henry William (1906). Moulton, Claribel (ed.). Moulton Annals. Edward A. Claypool. pp. 414–415. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ "Official Directory". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1870. p. 365. Retrieved July 23, 2022.