Willis C. Silverthorn

Willis C. Silverthorn
The Honorable; Willis C. Silverthorn
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 16th Circuit
	In office; Spring 1898 – January 3, 1910
Appointed by	Edward Scofield
Preceded by	Charles V. Bardeen
Succeeded by	Alexander H. Reid
Member of the Wisconsin Senate; from the 21st district
	In office; January 1, 1875 – January 1, 1877
Preceded by	Myron H. McCord
Succeeded by	Henry Mumbrue
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly; from the Marathon district
	In office; January 1, 1874 – January 1, 1875
Preceded by	Daniel L. Plumer
Succeeded by	Bartholomew Ringle
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly; from the Marathon and Wood district
	In office; January 1, 1868 – January 1, 1869
Preceded by	George Hiles
Succeeded by	Henry Reed
District Attorney of Marathon County
	In office; January 1, 1865 – January 1, 1871
Preceded by	J. P. West
Succeeded by	J. P. West
Personal details
Born	Willis Chisholm Silverthorn; August 30, 1838; Toronto, Upper Canada, British North America
Died	October 7, 1916 (aged 78); Wausau, Wisconsin
Resting place	Pine Grove Cemetery; Wausau, Wisconsin
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Margaret Virginia Myers; (died 1878); Ida Mae Single; (died 1916);
Children	with Margaret Myers; Margaret (Hadley); (b. 1874; died 1966); Nellie G. Silverthorn; (b. 1877; died 1943); with Ida Mae Single; James Chisholm Silverthorn; (b. 1880; died 1950); Hermione Silverthorn; (b. 1882; died 1967); George Silverthorn; (b. 1884; died 1962);

Willis Chisholm Silverthorn (August 30, 1838 – October 7, 1916) was a Canadian American lawyer, judge, banker, politician, and businessman in Wausau, Wisconsin. He was a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for 11 years and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Wisconsin in 1896. Earlier in his life, he served two years each in the Wisconsin State Senate and the Wisconsin State Assembly.[1]

Background and personal life

Silverthorn was born on August 30, 1838 in Toronto, Upper Canada,[2] the son of George and Sarah (Austin) Silverthorn. When he was three years old his family emigrated to Oakland in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, where he lived until leaving for Albion Academy, and then the University of Wisconsin. He graduated from their law school, was admitted to the Wisconsin Bar in 1863, and in 1864 moved to Wausau. He practiced law there, and in 1869 went into the banking business with his brother George Silverthorn and Daniel L. Plumer.[3]

Elected office

Silverthorn, a Democrat, was elected Marathon County District Attorney in 1864, and re-elected twice. In 1867 he was elected to the Assembly district which encompassed both Marathon and Wood Counties, succeeding fellow Democrat George Hiles; he was assigned to the standing committees on school and university lands, and on enrolled bills. He was succeeded for the 1869 term by another Democrat, Henry Reed.

In 1873 he was again elected to the Assembly for a one-year term (the district now consisted solely of Marathon County) to succeed his banking partner Daniel L. Plumer, this time as a "Liberal Democrat". Like Plumer, he was part of the Reform Party, a short-lived coalition of Democrats, reform and Liberal Republicans, and Grangers formed in 1873. He was assigned to the committees on the judiciary and on elections. In 1874 he was elected to the State Senate from the 21st District (Marathon, Oconto, Shawano and Waupaca counties and parts of Outagamie County) as a Liberal Democratic/Reform candidate, with 4693 votes to 3968 for Stalwart Republican Elisha L. Bump, for a two-year term; he was assigned to the committees on the judiciary and on federal relations in the first year, moving in the next session from federal relations to the committees on banks and banking, and on privileges and elections. He was not a candidate for re-election, and was succeeded by another Liberal, Henry Mumbrue.

In 1884, with the Reform Party having collapsed, Silverthorn ran as the Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Wisconsin, coming in second to Leander Frisby in a four-way race (Frisby 162,167; Silverthorn 145,018; 8313 for Prohibitionist F. M. Angel; and 4261 for Greenbacker M. W. Stevens). In 1896, he was the Democratic nominee for Governor, losing to Edward Scofield in a five-way race. in January 1897 he was the Democratic candidate for United States Senate; he was defeated by John Coit Spooner, the Republican candidate; he was also opposed by Gold Democrats such as Jesse Clason (who voted for Spooner) and Albert Solliday, who cast a protest vote for William Freeman Vilas.[4]

In 1903, Scofield appointed Silverthorn to a Wisconsin Circuit Court seat; he was re-elected in 1904, defeating old rival Elisha Bump.

Leaving public life

Silverthorn left the judiciary in 1909 to devote his time to his private businesses, including the banking firm of Silverthorn & Plumer (which later became the First National Bank of Wausau) and the Northern Chief Iron Company.[5]

Personal life

In 1865, he married Maggie Virginia Myers, who came from Bowling Green, Kentucky. They had three children before her 1878 death. In 1879, he married Ida M. Single; they would have one son. Silverthorn died on October 7, 1916 in Wausau.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election, 1896[6]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
General Election, November 3, 1896
	Republican	Edward Scofield	264,981	59.67%	+7.42%
	Democratic	Willis C. Silverthorn	169,257	38.11%	+0.22%
	Prohibition	Joshua H. Berkey	8,140	1.83%	-1.16%
	Socialist Labor	Christ Tuttrop	1,306	0.29%
	Prohibition	Robert Henderson	407	0.09%
		Scattering	19	0.00%
Total votes			'*444,110'*	'*100.0%'*	+18.29%
	Republican hold

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References

"Members of the Wisconsin Legislature 1848–1999 State of Wisconsin Legislative Bureau. Information Bulletin 99-1, September 1999. pp. 17, 107
"Silverthorn, Willis C. Hon. (1881)". Clark Co., WI Internet Library. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
Hart, Bill. "Willis Chisholm Silverthorn" Marathon County Historical Society website
"Gold Democrat Voted for Spooner; Made a Speech Denouncing the Silverites and Col. Spooner Sent Him a Bouquet When He Closed" Chicago Tribune January 27, 1897; p. 5, col. 5
"Silverthorn, Willis Chisholm". Political Graveyard. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
Casson, Henry, ed. (1897). "Part III. Election statistics". The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin (Report). p. 305. Retrieved December 20, 2019.

Party political offices
Preceded by George Wilbur Peck	Democratic nominee for Governor of Wisconsin 1896	Succeeded by Hiram Wilson Sawyer
Legal offices
Preceded by J. P. West	District Attorney of Marathon County, Wisconsin 1865 – 1871	Succeeded by J. P. West
Preceded by Charles V. Bardeen	Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 16th Circuit 1898 – 1910	Succeeded by Alexander H. Reid

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[1] "Members of the Wisconsin Legislature 1848–1999 State of Wisconsin Legislative Bureau. Information Bulletin 99-1, September 1999. pp. 17, 107

[2] "Silverthorn, Willis C. Hon. (1881)". Clark Co., WI Internet Library. Retrieved October 26, 2011.

[3] Hart, Bill. "Willis Chisholm Silverthorn" Marathon County Historical Society website

[4] "Gold Democrat Voted for Spooner; Made a Speech Denouncing the Silverites and Col. Spooner Sent Him a Bouquet When He Closed" Chicago Tribune January 27, 1897; p. 5, col. 5

[5] "Silverthorn, Willis Chisholm". Political Graveyard. Retrieved October 26, 2011.

[bb1897-6] Casson, Henry, ed. (1897). "Part III. Election statistics". The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin (Report). p. 305. Retrieved December 20, 2019.