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James O. Davidson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Ole Davidson
21st Governor of Wisconsin
In office
January 1, 1906 – January 2, 1911
Acting: January 1 1906 – January 7, 1907
LieutenantWilliam D. Connor
John Strange
Preceded byRobert M. La Follette
Succeeded byFrancis E. McGovern
19th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
In office
January 5, 1903 – January 1, 1906
GovernorRobert M. La Follette, Sr.
Preceded byJesse Stone
Succeeded byWilliam D. Connor
13th Treasurer of Wisconsin
In office
January 2, 1899 – January 5, 1903
GovernorEdward Scofield
Robert M. LaFollette, Sr.
Preceded bySewell A. Peterson
Succeeded byJohn J. Kempf
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Crawford County district
In office
January 2, 1893 – January 2, 1899
Preceded byAmbrose Thompson
Succeeded byHugh Porter
Personal details
Born(1854-02-10)February 10, 1854
Årdal, Sogn og Fjordane County, Norway
DiedDecember 16, 1922(1922-12-16) (aged 68)
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placeForest Hill Cemetery, Madison, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
SpouseHelen Bliss
Children2
Signature

James Ole Davidson (February 10, 1854 – December 16, 1922) was a Norwegian American immigrant, tailor, merchant, and progressive Republican politician from Crawford County, Wisconsin. He was the 21st governor of Wisconsin, serving from 1906 to 1911; he was initially elected as lieutenant governor under governor Robert M. La Follette, and ascended to the gubernatorial office after La Follette resigned, but then won two full terms as governor in the 1906 and 1908 elections.

Before becoming lieutenant governor, Davidson served as the 13th state treasurer of Wisconsin from 1899 to 1903, and represented Crawford County in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1893 to 1899.

Early life

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Davidson was born in Årdal, Sogn og Fjordane County, Norway, and emigrated in 1872 to the United States when he was 18 years old.[1][2] In Boscobel, Wisconsin he worked as a farmhand and as a tailor.[3] Davidson began a successful mercantile business and established his own tailor business in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin.[4]

Political career

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He held several political positions in Wisconsin, and was twice elected village president in Soldiers Grove.[5] Davidson was also elected as a Republican candidate to the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving three terms from 1893 to 1899. He was elected Wisconsin state treasurer in 1898 and 1900.[6]

In 1902, Davidson was elected the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin alongside governor Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette. Davidson and La Follette were re-elected in 1904, and in early 1905 La Follette was elected United States senator. La Follette delayed accepting the new office, overseeing a productive session of progressive legislation in the 47th Wisconsin Legislature before resigning on January 1, 1906. At that time, Davidson ascended to the office and became the 21st governor of Wisconsin.[7] He was then elected governor in 1906 and reelected in 1908.[6] He served from January 4, 1906, to January 3, 1911; and during his tenure, state regulation of the railroads was extended to include public utilities, telegraph, telephone, electricity, water companies, and the insurance industry.[8] After retiring from office, he was appointed by his gubernatorial successor to a five-year term as president of the State Board of Control.[9]

Death

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Davidson died in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 16, 1922,[1][3] due to pneumonia and heart complications. He is interred at Madison's historic Forest Hill Cemetery.[10]

Family life

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Davidson was the son of Ole Davidson and Ingabor (Jenson) Davidson.[10] On February 19, 1883, Davidson married Helen Bliss and they had two daughters, Mabel Elsie and Grace.[1][11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Ex-Governor of Wisconsin Dead". Wausau Daily Herald. December 18, 1922. p. 1. Retrieved April 11, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ "Davidson, James O. 1854 – 1922". Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2008.
  3. ^ a b Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration, and Herman, Jennifer L. (2008). Wisconsin Encyclopedia. North American Book Dist LLC. p. 218. ISBN 9781878592613.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Jens Davidson at NRK Sogn og Fjordane County Encyclopedia (in Norwegian)
  5. ^ "Did You Know?". Soldiers Grove Wisconsin America's First Solar Village. Retrieved May 24, 2014.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ a b Legislative Reference Bureau (1960). The Wisconsin Blue Book. Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 154.
  7. ^ "James O. Davidson". 1996–2014 Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  8. ^ "Marker 112: James Davidson". Marker 112: James DavidsonWisconsinHistorical Markers. Retrieved May 24, 2014.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ "Governors of Wisconsin". Genealogy Trails. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  10. ^ a b "Wisconsin Scandinavian Obituaries D". Ancestry.com. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  11. ^ "James O. Davidson". 1996–2014 Wisconsin Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
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Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for State Treasurer of Wisconsin
1898, 1900 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
1902, 1904 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Wisconsin
1906, 1908 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by State Treasurer of Wisconsin
January 2, 1899 – January 5, 1903 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
January 5, 1903 – January 1, 1906 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Wisconsin
January 1, 1906 – January 2, 1911 		Succeeded by
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