Charles Durkee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 6th Governor of Utah Territory | |
| In office September 30, 1865 – January 9, 1869 | |
| Appointed by | Abraham Lincoln |
| Preceded by | James Duane Doty |
| Succeeded by | John Shaffer |
| United States Senator fromWisconsin | |
| In office March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1861 | |
| Preceded by | Isaac P. Walker |
| Succeeded by | Timothy O. Howe |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWisconsin's1st district | |
| In office March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1853 | |
| Preceded by | William P. Lynde |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Wells Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1805-12-10)December 10, 1805 Royalton, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | January 14, 1870(1870-01-14) (aged 64) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Resting place | Green Ridge Cemetery,Kenosha, Wisconsin |
| Political party |
|
| Spouses | |
| Children |
|
Charles H. Durkee (December 10, 1805 – January 14, 1870) was an American politician, activist, andWisconsin pioneer. He represented Wisconsin as aUnited States senator from 1855 to 1861, and served two terms in theU.S. House of Representatives (1849–1853). Later in life he was appointedgovernor of theUtah Territory, serving from 1865 to 1869. Before his political career, Durkee was one of the founders ofKenosha, Wisconsin; he was a vehement advocate for temperance and abolition, though he personally struggled with alcoholism.
He originally became involved in politics as a member of theDemocratic Party, and was elected to the1st Wisconsin Territorial Assembly on the Democratic ticket. In the 1840s he became a leader in Wisconsin of the short-livedLiberty Party, which advocated for theabolition of slavery. In 1848, the Liberty Party merged with other abolitionist and anti-slavery Democrats into theFree Soil Party, and Durkee was elected to his two terms in the U.S. House on the Free Soil ticket. In 1854, the Free Soil Party merged with much of the Whig Party to become theRepublican Party, and a few months later Durkee became the first Republican U.S. senator from Wisconsin.
Durkee was born inRoyalton, Vermont. He became a merchant and moved to theWisconsin Territory in 1836. There he became involved in agriculture and lumbering, and was a founder of the town of Southport (laterKenosha, Wisconsin). Land he once owned in Kenosha is now part of theLibrary Park Historic District.[1]
He entered politics, serving two terms in the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature. Originally aDemocrat,[2] he became a member first of theLiberty Party and then of theFree Soil Party and was elected to theUnited States House of Representatives in 1848 as part of Wisconsin's first full congressional delegation. He served in the House for two terms as part of the31st and the32ndCongresses from March 4, 1849, till March 3, 1853, representingWisconsin's 1st congressional district. In 1854, he switched to the newly formedRepublican Party and was elected to theUnited States Senate by theWisconsin State Legislature. He served for one term, from 1855 to 1861. In 1865 he becamegovernor of theUtah Territory, and served in that position until 1869 when he resigned because of ill health.[3] He died inOmaha, Nebraska while returning home.[4]
A street in the city ofAppleton, Wisconsin, is named for him. An elementary school inKenosha, Wisconsin, bore his name for many years. It was demolished in 2008.
He gave a speech at the hammering of theGolden Spike in Promontory, Utah, on May 10, 1869, connecting the Union Pacific tracks to the Central Pacific Railroad.[5]
His former home, which later became anEpiscopal school for girls and is now known asKemper Hall, is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8th Vote of the8th Wisconsin Legislature, February 1, 1855 | |||||
| Republican | Charles Durkee | 54 | 50.47% | ||
| Democratic | Byron Kilbourn | 39 | 35.45% | ||
| Democratic | Charles Dunn | 5 | 4.67% | ||
| Republican | James Duane Doty | 4 | 3.74% | ||
| Democratic | David Agry | 2 | 1.87% | ||
| Democratic | Harrison Carroll Hobart | 2 | 1.87% | ||
| Republican | James McMillan Shafter | 1 | 0.93% | ||
| Plurality | 15 | 14.02% | |||
| Total votes | 107 | 100.0% | |||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | |||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromWisconsin's 1st congressional district March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1853 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | United States Senator (Class 3) from Wisconsin March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1861 Served alongside:Henry Dodge,James R. Doolittle | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Utah Territory September 30, 1865 – January 9, 1869 | Succeeded by |
| 1st district |   | |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd district | ||
| 3rd district | ||
| 4th district | ||
| 5th district | ||
| 6th district | ||
| 7th district | ||
| 8th district | ||
| 9th district | ||
| 10th district | ||
| 11th district | ||
| Territory | ||
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
