View source for Thomas Wall (politician)

{{short description|American politician}}
[[File:Thomas R Wall.png|thumb|Thomas R. Wall (1840-1896)]]
'''Thomas Robert Wall''' (May 4, 1840 &ndash; April 13, 1896) was an American lumberman, banker, farmer and politician.
== Background ==
Born in [[Lockport, New York]] May 4, 1840, Wall received a [[state schools|public school]] education.
Wall moved to [[Oshkosh, Wisconsin]] in 1855 with his brother William, and worked for ten years as a clerk on the steamboat ''Berlin City'' which ran between Oshkosh and [[Green Bay, Wisconsin|Green Bay]]. He was married to Sophronia Adams on November 30, 1864; the couple would have two sons. He became rich with successful investments in Northern [[timberlands]], eventually owning the Wall-Spalding Lumber Company (a firm so large that it once owned its own [[railroad]]), Winneconne Lumber Company, and the Torrey Cedar Company; and served as a director of the Commercial Bank of Oshkosh.<ref>[https://oshkosh.pastperfectonline.com/photo/075764C9-B1D4-4D0B-85DC-293606443591 "Photo Record: Thomas Wall" ''Past Perfect Online'' Oshkosh Public Museum website; accessed December 4, 2021]</ref>
== Public office ==
A [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]], Wall was elected an [[alderman]] of the City of Oshkosh in 1870, and re-elected in 1872. That year, he was first elected to the [[Wisconsin State Assembly]]'s 1873 session for the 1st [[Winnebago County, Wisconsin|Winnebago County]] Assembly district (the [[administrative divisions of Wisconsin#Town|Towns]] of [[Oshkosh (town), Wisconsin|Oshkosh]] and [[Vinland, Wisconsin|Vinland]], and the 1st, 2d, 4th and 5th [[Ward (United States)|Wards]] of the City of Oshkosh), with l,221 votes, to 998 for [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] former Assemblyman [[Henry C. Jewell]]. He was assigned to the [[standing committee]]s on [[ways and means]], and on [[insurance]], banks and [[banking]].<ref>[http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1873 Turner, A. J., ed. ''The legislative manual of the state of Wisconsin: comprising the constitution of the United States and of the state of Wisconsin, Jefferson's manual, forms and laws for the regulation of business; also, lists and tables for reference, etc.'' Twelfth Annual Edition. Madison: Atwood and Culver, Printers and Stereotypers, 1873; pp. 455, 465]</ref> He was not a candidate for re-election in 1873, and was succeeded by fellow Democrat [[Gabriel Bouck]]. In 1875 he again won the 1st District, with 1,227 votes to 671 for Republican H. B. Jackson and 42 for [[Independent (politics)|Independent]] H. B. Knapp (Democratic incumbent [[Asa Rogers (Wisconsin)|Asa Rogers]] was not a candidate). He returned to the committee on insurance, banks and banking, and was also on the [[Joint committee (legislative)|joint committee]] on [[apportionment]]. At this time, he listed his occupation as "farmer";<ref>[http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1876  Bashford, R. M., ed. ''The legislative manual of the state of Wisconsin: comprising the constitutions of the United States and of the state of Wisconsin, Jefferson's manual, forms and laws for the regulation of business; also, lists and tables for reference, etc.'' Fifteenth Annual Edition. Madison: E. B. Bolens, State Printer, 1876; pp. 480, 486, 490-91]</ref> He was re-elected in 1876, with 1,606 votes to 1,211 for Republican J. N. Roby. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1877, and was succeeded by Republican [[James V. Jones]]. In 1882, he was elected to
[[Wisconsin's 19th State Senate district]] (Winnebago County) with 3,833 votes to 2,772 for Republican [[Charles B. Clark]], 779
for [[Prohibitionist]] Charles Vesey, former and 104 for former Republican-turned-[[Greenback Party|Greenbacker]] Assemblyman [[David R. Bean]]. He was assigned to the committee on town and [[administrative divisions of Wisconsin#County|county]] organizations; and once again listed his occupation as "lumberman".<ref>[http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.WIBlueBk1883 Heg, J. E., ed. ''The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin 1883'' Madison: State of Wisconsin, 1883; pp. 479, 509, 515]</ref> He was not a candidate in 1884, and was succeeded by Republican [[George H. Buckstaff]].
== Later years ==
He died of a sudden stroke on April 13, 1896 while in [[Milwaukee]] on a business trip.
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wall, Thomas}}
[[Category:1840 births]]
[[Category:1896 deaths]]
[[Category:Politicians from Lockport, New York]]
[[Category:Politicians from Oshkosh, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly]]
[[Category:Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators]]
[[Category:American businesspeople in timber]]