Luther Hanchett (October 25, 1825 – November 24, 1862) was an American lawyer, politician, andWisconsin pioneer. He represented Wisconsin in theUnited States House of Representatives and was a member of theWisconsin State Senate.

Born inMiddlebury, Ohio, Hanchett attended the common schools. He studied law in Ohio and was admitted to the bar in 1846. He became a practicing attorney inFremont, Ohio, but moved toPortage County, Wisconsin, in 1849. He engaged in lumber and mining enterprises and was electedDistrict Attorney of Portage County for two years. For a short time he was engaged in a partnership withJames S. Alban, and, on November 11, 1853, he married Alban's daughter, Lucinda. In 1856, he was elected to represent Marathon, Portage, Waupaca, Waushara, and Wood counties in the newly created27th district of theWisconsin State Senate. He was re-elected in 1858.

Hanchett was elected as aRepublican to the37th United States Congress to representWisconsin's 2nd congressional district and served from March 4, 1861, until his death inPlover, Wisconsin, November 24, 1862. He was interred in Plover Cemetery.^[1]

Hanchett's death has another unfortunate legacy in Portage County. When he was first elected to the Wisconsin Senate in 1856, he sought to extricate himself from a partnership with Amos Courtwright in a lumber mill. They agreed on a settlement of $2,000 to be paid to Hanchett for his share of the company, but, as Courtwright was unable to pay immediately, a mortgage was created for the amount to be owed to Hanchett. At the time of his death in 1862, the payment was still outstanding to the estate of Mr. Hanchett.

In 1867, Hanchett's former law partner, James Oliver Raymond, married his widow, Lucinda, and pressed the claim, seeking to seize a part of the property owned by Courtwright. In 1870 a court ruled in favor of Raymond, but Courtwright refused to be evicted from his property. In 1875, County Sheriff Joseph H. Baker came to the property to execute a writ of restitution against the Courtwrights. During the attempt, Sheriff Baker was shot and killed by Isaiah Courtwright, the brother of Amos. The Courtwrights were arrested by the sheriff's posse and taken toStevens Point, where, a few days later, a mob of about 12 to 40 men dragged them from the jail andhanged them.^[2]

• List of members of the United States Congress who died in office (1790–1899)

• United States Congress."Luther Hanchett (id: H000145)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

• 1825 births
• 1862 deaths
• People from Fremont, Ohio
• People from Knox County, Ohio
• People from Portage County, Wisconsin
• Republican Party Wisconsin state senators
• Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin
• 19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature
• 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives

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