Timothy Burns (Wisconsin politician)

Timothy Burns
3rd Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
In office January 5, 1852 – September 21, 1853
Governor	Leonard Farwell
Preceded by	Samuel W. Beall
Succeeded by	James T. Lewis
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Iowa–Richland 2nd district
In office January 1, 1849 – January 7, 1850
Preceded by	Abner Nichols
Succeeded by	Thomas M. Fullerton
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Wisconsin Territory
In office February 7, 1848 – March 13, 1848
Preceded by	Isaac P. Walker
Succeeded by	Ninian E. Whiteside
Member of the House of Representatives of the Wisconsin Territory for Iowa, Lafayette, & Richland counties
In office January 4, 1847 – May 29, 1848 Serving with James D. Jenkins (1847), Thomas Chilton (1847), M. M. Cothren (1847–1848), & Charles Pole (1847–1848)
Preceded by	Robert C. Hoard, Henry M. Billings, & Charles Pole
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	(1820-05-31)May 31, 1820 Dublin, Ireland, UK
Died	September 21, 1853(1853-09-21) (aged 33) La Crosse, Wisconsin, US
Resting place	Oak Grove Cemetery, La Crosse, Wisconsin
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Cordelia Esperson Burns
Children	Robert W. Burns
Profession	Miner Judge Railroad Man Politician

Timothy Burns (May 31, 1820 – September 21, 1853) was an Irish American immigrant, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was the third Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, serving from 1852 until his death in 1853.

Early life

Born in Dublin, Ireland, on May 31, 1820, Burns came to New York in America with his family as an infant. In the fall of 1837 as a young man, he settled in Iowa County in Wisconsin Territory, where he engaged in lead mining.

Career

In 1844 Burns was elected sheriff of Iowa County. Elected in 1846, he served in the Wisconsin territorial House of Representatives in 1847–1848 and became Assembly Speaker. He visited La Crosse in 1847. Later, in 1849 he served in the Wisconsin State Assembly. In 1850, he moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin, and took a position on the State Board of Public Works. He was the chairman of the first La Crosse Town Board, chairman of the first La Crosse County Board and the first La Crosse county judge, while also engaging in the railroad industry.

In 1851, he was elected as a Democrat and became the Wisconsin's third Lieutenant Governor under the State's second Governor, Leonard Farwell.

Death and legacy

While visiting his brother-in-law in Lafayette County, Burns became ill of bilious fever but recovered enough to travel home, and died of a relapse in La Crosse on September 21, 1853. He is interred at Oak Grove Cemetery, La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Burns Park, in downtown La Crosse, and the town and community of Burns were named after him.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election, 1851

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, November 4, 1851
	Democratic	Timothy Burns	24,605	55.44%	+2.85%
	Whig	James Hughes	16,793	37.84%	+3.25%
	Free Soil	Benjamin B. Spaulding	2,918	6.57%	−6.24%
		Scattering	65	0.15%
Plurality			7,812	17.60%	-3.45%
Total votes			44,381	100.0%	+42.72%
	Democratic hold

External links

• Timothy Burns, La Crosse Republican and Leader, Mose Strong, September 20, 1871.
• Timothy Burns:Short-lived Settler left huge last memory, Myer Katz, La Crosse Tribune, November 8, 1981.
• Burns lite fire under young La Crosse, Reid Magney, La Crosse Tribune, March 4, 1998.
• Newspaper clippings courtesy of the La Crosse public library-archives.
• Lieutenant Governor Timothy Burns of Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Historical Society
• Timothy Burns at Find a Grave