First Capitol Historic Site (Wisconsin)

United States historic place
First Capitol
The museum in 2013
42°46′12″N 90°21′39″W / 42.770124°N 90.360746°W / 42.770124; -90.360746
Area9.9 acres (4.0 ha)
Built1836
NRHP reference No.70000036[1]
Added to NRHPApril 28, 1970

First Capitol Historic Site is a free-admission historic museum located outside Belmont, Wisconsin, United States. The museum includes two of the buildings first used by legislators to meet in Wisconsin Territory. Currently owned and operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society, the site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Background

From 1818 to 1836, the land that is now Wisconsin was part of Michigan Territory. In 1836, Michigan itself achieved statehood and Congress created Wisconsin Territory from the frontier lands to the west.[2] This territory included lands that are now Minnesota, Iowa, and the eastern Dakotas. At that time, this vast area was sparsely settled, with a total population of about 22,000.[3] In 1836, Milwaukee had under 2,000 people. Madison was only wooded hills and swamps between the four lakes, which had just been bought by James Doty and some other real estate speculators with an eye toward founding a city there.[2]

Territorial capital

Early leaders in the territory needed a place to meet and establish the territorial government. Several land speculators saw this need even before the territory was official, and tried to prepare sites which could be chosen as the territorial capital, hoping to become wealthy if the capitol was built in their city. One such speculator was John Atchison, a general merchandise businessman from Galena. In 1835 he laid out the village of Belmont, Wisconsin and in 1836 began building four public buildings there to attract the lawmakers to his site: a council house where lawmakers could convene, a lodging house for the legislators, a house for the territorial governor, and a courthouse for the territorial supreme court. These wooden buildings were constructed outside of Wisconsin (possibly Pittsburg) and shipped to Belmont for final assembly. (At least one of the buildings was constructed in or near Galena, Illinois. In his 1903 obituary, John Osborn said that he "and partner took the contract and built the first capitol building of the territory." John lived in Galena, Illinois, 1833-42, and later lived in Belmont 1842-1864.[1]). On September 9, 1836, territorial Governor Henry Dodge announced that Belmont would be used as the territorial capital, at least for the first legislative session, making Atchison's council house the first capitol. The likely reason for Dodge's selection of Belmont as capital city was its location in Wisconsin's lead mining region, which at that time was the territory's most populous area. However, the selection was controversial, and some contend that Dodge had other motives for the selection based upon his earlier associations with Atchison.[4]

The first session of Wisconsin's territorial legislature began at Belmont on October 25, 1836. Soon after the session convened, Governor Dodge gave a speech outlining the purpose of the session: to establish a system of government for the territory and make a final selection for the territorial capitol. Perhaps because of the controversy over his choice of Belmont, Dodge announced that he would approve any site the legislature voted to become the permanent capital, even though he had the legal power to veto all territorial legislation. That announcement re-opened the scramble for locating the territorial capital. Most lawmakers were opposed to the idea of continuing to use the capitol at Belmont, since the lodging house was small and overcrowded, and none of the buildings had heat or water. Burlington, Cassville, Fond du Lac and Madison had their advocates, among others. The boosters of Dubuque even invited the whole legislature over for a weekend visit.[5] But Doty was there, too, lobbying for his proposed Madison City. Supposedly he even sent a wagon to Dubuque to bring back buffalo robes, which he then doled out to sway the freezing legislators.[2] After much wrangling, both houses of the legislature approved moving the capital to Burlington for a year, then permanently to the site advocated by James Doty, on the isthmus at his "Madison City," just as soon as buildings could be erected.[5]

When legislators were not debating the future site of the capital, they set the groundwork for the territorial government. In all, 42 acts were approved by the legislature before it adjourned on December 9, 1836. These acts organized Wisconsin government, created a judicial system, and established several new counties in the territory. The legislature would not meet again in Belmont, preferring to meet at a temporary location in Burlington until the new capitol at Madison was completed. Later, in 1838, Burlington became a part of Iowa Territory, forcing the legislature to move to Madison earlier than anticipated.[6]

Later use

As the isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona developed into the city of Madison, the village of Belmont slowly faded. Many of the settlers who had rushed to Belmont when it became territorial capital were now leaving for Madison.[7] Still, the village survived, although the route taken by the Mineral Point Railroad prompted most of its residents to relocate three miles to the southeast of the original town in 1867, meaning that the first capitol is now three miles northwest of Belmont.[8]

1903 illustration of Capitol Building

After the territorial officials left, the capitol building and accompanying structures were used as private residences and later livestock barns.[7] Souvenir hunters scavenged relics from the building.[9] Then in 1910 the Wisconsin Federation of Women's Clubs initiated a restoration project, completing a restoration of the original council house in 1924. Later, the lodging house, which had been moved and used as the home of territorial Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Dunn, was returned to its original site and underwent restoration in 1956. Together, these two structures created First Capitol Historic Site. The site was initially operated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. In 1994, it was transferred to the Wisconsin Historical Society, which is now responsible for the museum's operations.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "The Creation of Wisconsin Territory". Turning Points in Wisconsin History. Wisconsin Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2008-09-19. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  3. ^ D. N. Anderson (1970-01-23). "NRHP Inventory/Nomination: First Capitol". National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2020-03-22. Retrieved 2017-03-06. With one photo.
  4. ^ Stanley H. Cravens. "The State of Wisconsin 1983-84 Blue Book". Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 99–107. Archived from the original on 2017-03-07. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  5. ^ a b Smith, Alice E. (1985). The History of Wisconsin: Vol I: From Exploration to Statehood. Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin. pp. 249-258. ISBN 0-87020-122-0.
  6. ^ "Wisconsin Capitols". Wisconsin Historical Society. 9 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2017-03-07. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  7. ^ a b c "History of First Capitol". First Capitol. Wisconsin Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2017-03-07. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  8. ^ "Old Belmont, A Sense of Place and Time - First Capitol Educational Packet" (PDF). Wisconsin Historical Society. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  9. ^ "First Capitol". Wisconsin Historical Society. January 2012. Archived from the original on 2017-03-08. Retrieved 2017-03-06.

External links

Media related to First Capitol Historic Site (Wisconsin) at Wikimedia Commons

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  • Blackhawk Lake
  • Bloomfield
  • Borst Valley
  • Brillion
  • Brooklyn
  • Brusky
  • Buckhorn
  • Buena Vista
  • Burlington
  • C.D. Besadny
  • Casey Lake
  • Chief River
  • Chimney Rock
  • Clam Lake
  • Clay Corners
  • Clover Valley
  • Colburn
  • Collins Marsh
  • Crex Meadows
  • Cylon Marsh
  • Cylon
  • Deansville
  • Deer Creek
  • Dell Creek
  • Deppe
  • Dewey Marsh
  • Dike 17
  • Douglas County
  • Dover
  • Dunnville
  • Eau Galle River
  • Eldorado
  • Emerald Valley
  • Evansville
  • Fish Lake
  • Flat Creek
  • Footville
  • French Creek
  • Galbraith
  • Gardner Swamp
  • Germania Marsh
  • Gilbert Creek
  • Goose Lake (Burnett County)
  • Goose Lake (Dane County)
  • Goose Pond
  • Grand River Marsh
  • Grassy Lake (Barron County)
  • Grassy Lake (Columbia County)
  • Green Bay West Shores
  • Greenwood
  • Hacker Drive
  • Hay Creek
  • Hay Creek-Hoffman Lake
  • Hay River
  • Highway 144
  • Highway T
  • Holland
  • Honey Creek Streambank
  • Honey Creek
  • Hook Lake Bog-Grass Lake
  • Hoosier Creek
  • Horicon Marsh
  • Jackson Marsh
  • Jaeger's Island
  • Jefferson Marsh
  • Jennings Creek
  • Joel Marsh
  • Johnson
  • Karcher
  • Kickapoo River Bell Center
  • Kickapoo River Wauzeka Unit
  • Kiel Marsh
  • Killsnake
  • Kimberly Clark
  • Kinnickinnic River Oscar Lee
  • Kinnickinnic River Potton
  • Kinnickinnic River Headwaters
  • Kinnickinnic River South Fork
  • Kissick Swamp
  • Knapp Creek
  • Koshkonong
  • Lake Mills
  • Lake Noquebay
  • Lake Pepin
  • Lakes Coulee
  • Lambs Creek
  • Lawrence Creek
  • Leola Marsh
  • Liberty Creek
  • Lightning Creek
  • Lima Marsh
  • Little Rice
  • Lodi Marsh
  • Loon Lake
  • Lundy Pond
  • Lyons
  • Mack
  • Maine
  • Manion
  • Mashek Creek
  • McAdams
  • McKenzie Creek
  • McMillan Marsh
  • Mead
  • Meadow Valley
  • Morgan Marsh
  • Mount Hope
  • Mud Lake (Columbia County)
  • Mud Lake (Dane County)
  • Mud Lake (Dodge County)
  • Muddy Creek
  • Mukwa
  • Mullet Creek
  • Nagel
  • Namekagon Barrens
  • Navarino
  • New Auburn
  • New Munster
  • New Wood
  • Nichols Creek
  • North Bend Bottoms
  • North Branch Milwaukee River
  • Oakridge
  • Oden
  • Omer Springs
  • Otter Creek
  • Outagamie
  • Paradise Marsh
  • Paradise Valley
  • Paul J. Olson
  • Pershing
  • Peshtigo Brook
  • Peter Helland
  • Peters Marsh
  • Pierce County Islands
  • Pine Island
  • Pleasant Valley
  • Potato Creek
  • Powell Marsh
  • Poygan Marsh
  • Prince's Point
  • Quaderer's Creek
  • Rat River
  • Ray
  • Ray Morrison Memorial
  • Rice Beds Creek
  • Ridgeville
  • Rock Falls
  • Rome Pond
  • Rush River
  • Sampson
  • Sandhill
  • Schmit
  • Scuppernong River
  • Sette
  • Shaw Marsh
  • Sheboygan Marsh
  • Silvernail
  • South Beaver Creek
  • Spring Creek
  • St. Croix Islands
  • Star Prairie Seed Farm
  • Storrs Lake
  • Straight Lake
  • Swan Lake
  • Sweeny Pond
  • Swinging Gate
  • Tamarack Creek
  • Ten Mile Creek (Rusk County)
  • Ten Mile Creek (Saint Croix County)
  • Theresa Marsh
  • Thunder Lake
  • Tichigan
  • Tiffany
  • Tollefson Marsh
  • Tom Lawin
  • Totagatic Lake
  • Totogatic
  • Town Corner
  • Troy
  • Turtle Creek
  • Turtle Valley
  • Ulrich
  • Underwood
  • Van Loon
  • Vermillion River
  • Vernon
  • Vosse Coulee
  • Washington Creek
  • Waterloo
  • Waunakee Marsh
  • Weirgor Springs
  • West Taylor
  • Whalen Creek
  • White River
  • White River Marsh
  • Whitman Dam
  • Willow River
  • Wind Lake
  • Wolf River Bottoms Herb Behnke
  • Wolf River Bottoms LaSage
  • Wolf River
  • Wood County
  • Woodboro Lakes
  • Yellow River
  • Yellowstone