Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-09-01
W1scOnsin's First Governor.

Davidson is the head, entrusted with
the expenditure Of the fund appro-
prlated by the last Legislature for
the erection of a monument in COM
memoration Of Nelson Dewey, first
governor Of the state of Wisconsin,
was fortunate in being able to Sc
cure sculptor of the standing OF
TrentanOve to furnish and execute
the design. He has already labored
for the state, and to the states adj
vantage. The marble figure OF PEI e
Marquette, which represents Wis
cousin in the Statuary Hall of the
Capitol at Washington, and whie b
is TrentarOve's work, won instant
approval as the finest piece of sculr-
ture in that collection. The Dewey
monument will be of granite, sur
mounted by sitting statue of Gov.
Dewey in bronze. 1t was not none y
that tempted Trentanove to COM
pete for the commission, as the
whole appropriation is only $4,000
and the sculptor's share of it will be
but $4,000. He is interested in the
subject, and in Wisconsin, whose
people appreciate his talent. The
first substantial patronage which he
received in this country came from
citizen Of Wisconsin, tie late Will
liam E. Cramer, who purchased his
noble statue. The Last of the
Spartans, for presentation to. the
Layton Art Gallery.
This recognition was Immediately
followed by the commission from
other citizens Of this state for the
marble bust Of Senator Matt H.
Carpenter which enriches the por-
trait gallery of the State Historical
Society at Madison. The Polish
citizens of Milwaukee choose him to
make the KoscIako monument IN
Milwaukee, which is notable among
the eighteen bronze equestrian
statues in the United States. Ee
is content to work for the love of
his art and the appreciation of the
public, when he works for Wiscon-
SIN.
1t is credita BILE to Wisconsin that
she has undertaken to perpetuate in
bronze the memory OF her first
chief executive. He was typical
man Of his time-a time when en-
terprlsing spirits left comfortable
homes in the East to endure the
prlvatlons of frontier life and erect
an empire in the wilderness. Nell
son Dewey was native of the state
Of New York. He was a member
of the family which later gave the
nation the Hero of Admiral
George Dewey. who fought under
the American flag that memorable
naval battle Of May 1st, 1898, which
won thousand islands without los
ing a man. Nelson Dewey came
to Wisconsin as soon as there was a
Wisconsin to come to, arriving in
1886, the year in which the territory
was cut off from Michigan and given
an independent status under the
name which it bears today. There
were fewer people in the whole
territory at that time than there
are now is single ward in Milwau-
kee. Milwaukee was village. 1t
had held its first election in the pre-
ceeding year, at which the whole
number of votes cast was 119. The
bulk Of the population at that time
occupied the lead region, and the
lead region was the center of activi-
ty. 1t was the southwestern cor
ner Of the future state. Dewey,
born in 1914, was in the first flush
of manhood-just past 81. He
brought with him good legal edu-
cation, and formed a law partner
ship with j. Allen Barber at Ian
caster.
Plunglng energetlcally into law
and lead mining, Dewey and Barber
both became rich. In 1848, when
Wisconsin was admitted to the I'm
ion, and Dewey was elected COVER
nor, he was only IN his thirty
fourth year, but foremost citizen
of the young commonwealth. Young
men were at the front in those
days. Dewey's successor as COVER
nor four years later was Leonard J.
Farwell, who was only 80. Dewey's
administration was laudably honest
and energetic. He was reelected :
a mark of popular approval not ac-
corded t. any of his predecessors
for many years. At the conclusion
of his second term he re-entered
business life, and threw his energies
into the enterprise Of creating a city
on the bank of the Mississippi at
CassvilIe. Few men in Wisconsin