John H. Rountree | |
|---|---|
| Member of theWisconsin Senate from the16th district | |
| In office January 1, 1866 – January 6, 1868 | |
| Preceded by | Milas K. Young |
| Succeeded by | George Cochrane Hazelton |
| Member of theWisconsin State Assembly from theGrant 1st district | |
| In office February 8, 1863 – January 4, 1864 | |
| Preceded by | John Harms (challenged) William Brandon(previous term) |
| Succeeded by | Hanmer Robbins |
| Member of theWisconsin Senate from the6th district | |
| In office January 7, 1850 – January 5, 1852 | |
| Preceded by | George W. Lakin |
| Succeeded by | Joel C. Squires |
| Member of the Council of theWisconsin Territory fromGrant County | |
| In office November 26, 1838 – January 4, 1847 Serving with James R. Vineyard (1838–1842)andNelson Dewey (1842–1847) | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Orris McCartney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1805-03-24)March 24, 1805 Warren County, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | June 27, 1890(1890-06-27) (aged 85) Platteville, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hillside Cemetery,Platteville, Wisconsin |
| Political party |
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| Spouses | |
| Children |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | Michigan Territory Militia |
| Years of service | 1832 |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles/wars | Black Hawk War |
John Hawkins Rountree (March 24, 1805 – June 27, 1890) was anAmerican farmer, businessman, politician, andWisconsin pioneer. He was the founder ofPlatteville, Wisconsin, and was instrumental in the early development of that village. He was also one of the founders of theNorthwestern Mutual Insurance Company, and remained a director in the company until his death. In politics, he representedGrant County for five years in theWisconsin Legislature, and was a delegate toWisconsin's 2nd constitutional convention in 1847.[1][2]
Born inWarren County, Kentucky,[1] Rountree moved north in 1824 toHillsboro, Illinois,[1] where he served as deputy sheriff. In 1827, he continued north into theMichigan Territory to seek economic opportunity in theleadmining region in the area that is now southern Wisconsin.[1] He staked aclaim near thePlatte River—where the city ofPlatteville, Wisconsin, now stands—and discovered rich deposits of lead in the area.[1][2][3][4] He constructed a sod house for himself and, the next year, opened the firstlead smelting furnace in the town, the first store, and a logboarding house for newcomers. In 1829 he was appointed the first postmaster for the village and helped organize Platteville'sMethodist Episcopal congregation, and in 1836 he established the first sawmill and built the first hotel. In 1841, he platted the originalvillage of Platteville. He also helped establish acreamery and a newspaper there, and had a hand in bringing theChicago & Northwestern Railway to town in the 1870s.[5][6]
Rountree owned large parcels of land around the village of Platteville and every five or ten years would plat another addition to the village, selling the lots for businesses and homes. Rountree at this time also owned slaves, something that was not legal in the area at the time. His slaves were named Rachel, Maria and Felix. All three were granted their freedom in 1841 by the US Government, although Rachel stayed with Rountree until her death in 1854.[citation needed] In 1853 he built his own fine home on a large parcel south of the downtown. The building still stands, and is now listed as theJ. H. Rountree Mansion in theNational Register of Historic Places. He had previously built a house for his father-in-law, Samuel Mitchell, now known as theMitchell-Rountree House, that is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Despite its proximity to the downtown, his house remained the only house on that parcel until after Rountree died in 1890, when his heirs subdivided the parcel and the lots quickly filled. The fine homes of theBayley Avenue Historic District now occupy part of Rountree's home parcel.[6]
Rountree served as judge in the Michigan Territory and later theWisconsin Territory. He was a captain of themilitia during theBlack Hawk War of 1832,[1] and was involved with Col.Henry Dodge's negotiations attempting to keep theWinnebago from allying with theSauk.[3]
He served on the Council (equivalent to a Senate) from the newly createdGrant County in the Second through Fourth Wisconsin Territorial Legislatures (1838–1846)[7] and as a delegate to the 1847-1848 Wisconsin State Constitutional Convention from Grant County (where he is recorded as insisting that a stronguniformity clause was "a matter of very great importance".[8]
In1850 and1851, Rountree served as aWhig member of theWisconsin State Senate from the original6th Senate district,[1] succeeding fellow WhigGeorge W. Lakin; in 1852, he was replaced byDemocratJoel Squires.
In 1863, he was elected as aRepublican member of theWisconsin State Assembly from the 1st Grant County district (Towns ofHazle Green,Smeltzer andPlattville) to succeedWilliam Brandon, after acontested election result initially awarded the seat to Democrat John Harms; at that time, he characterized his profession as "farmer."[9] He was succeeded in 1864 byHanmer Robbins of the Republican/National Union party.
In1866 and1867, Rountree served in theWisconsin State Senate again, elected on the National Union ticket to represent the16th Senate district (Grant County), succeedingMilas K. Young (another Whig-turned-Republican elected on the National Union ticket); he still described his profession as "farmer". He was assigned to thestanding committees on finance, agriculture, andbenevolent institutions.[10] He was succeeded in 1868 by RepublicanGeorge Hazelton.
Rountree was married twice, and had fifteen children.[1] His first wife was Mary Grace Mitchell, the daughter of Reverend Samuel Mitchell, another of the pioneer settlers at Platteville.[11] They married August 7, 1828, atGalena, Illinois, and had five children before her death in 1837.[11] He subsequently married Lydia H. Southworth ofClinton, New York, the niece of New York politician Sylvester Gridley.[11] Rountree and his second wife had ten children.[1]
Though theNorthwest Ordinance forbade slavery in theNorthwest Territory—including Wisconsin—Rountree bought a woman named Rachael in 1827, inGalena, Illinois, to have her work as a servant to his new wife. "Aunt" Rachael was freed in the 1840s, but stayed with the family until her death. She was buried in the Rountree family plot, under the smallest stone, marked only with an initial "R."[citation needed]
| Wisconsin State Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theWisconsin State Assemblyfrom theGrant 1st district February 8, 1863 – January 4, 1864 | Succeeded by |
| Wisconsin Senate | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theWisconsin Senatefrom the6th district January 7, 1850 – January 5, 1852 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theWisconsin Senatefrom the16th district January 1, 1866 – January 6, 1868 | Succeeded by |