James Duane Doty
Encyclopedia
James Duane Doty was a land speculator and politician in the United States who played a large role in the development of Wisconsin
and Utah Territory
.
in 1799, where he attended school and went on to study law. His son was Charles Doty
, who served as his father's secretary, and his cousin was Morgan Lewis Martin
.
In 1818 he moved to Detroit, Michigan and was admitted to the bar
as a lawyer in 1819. He started practicing law, and shortly later he was made the clerk of court of Michigan Territory.
In 1820 Doty was chosen by Lewis Cass
, governor of Michigan Territory
, to serve as secretary to his expedition
to the headwaters of the Mississippi River
.
In 1823, a new federal judicial district
was created for northern and western Michigan Territory
, covering what is now the state of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
. Doty was appointed as the federal judge for the district by President James Monroe
, and, because he was required to live within his district, Doty moved from Detroit to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
in 1823. Doty regularly held court at Prairie du Chien, Green Bay, Wisconsin
, and Mackinac Island, Michigan
. He also served as postmaster at Prairie du Chien from 1823 to 1824. In 1824, Doty moved to Green Bay, where he lived until 1841. Doty remained the district judge until he was replaced by David Irvin
in 1832.
. Doty had supported this idea as early as 1824, and argued that the growing number of residents in Wisconsin were not adequately provided for by the territorial government in Detroit, which was hundreds of miles away from any settlement in Wisconsin. Doty claimed that votes sent by residents west of Lake Michigan could not be sent to Detroit in time to be counted, and that the residents in Lower Michigan cared little about the affairs west of the lake. In 1835, his wishes were partially granted when the Governor of Michigan Territory created a separate legislature to govern the western part of the territory as Michigan prepared for statehood.
In 1835, Doty campaigned to represent western Michigan Territory as a delegate in Congress, but he lost in a three way election to George W. Jones
. Both Doty and Jones were running as Democrats, but Doty had little true loyalty to any political party. He was conservative in view and usually aligned himself with whichever people were most popular at any given time. After losing the election, Doty turned to land
speculation
and bought thousands of acres of land across the state, some of which he began developing into the city of Madison, Wisconsin
.
In 1836, Wisconsin Territory
was officially created. Doty hoped to be the territorial governor, but President Andrew Jackson
appointed Henry Dodge
, Doty's longtime political rival, to the post. With no public title, Doty worked to improve his land holdings in what would become the city of Madison. Doty had this land surveyed and platted, and made plans to create a city on an isthmus
between lakes Mendota and Monona. To gain recognition for the planned city, Doty lobbied the new territorial legislature to select his proposed city as the capital of Wisconsin. A temporary capital had already been established at Belmont, Wisconsin
, but its distance from Milwaukee
and Green Bay coupled with the dissatisfaction of many legislators towards the facilities at Belmont made it likely that the capital would be moved. Doty used numerous tactics to ensure that Madison would be made capital city, wooing legislators with plans for canals and railroads and offering legislators who voted to make Madison the capital choice lots in the new city. Madison was declared permanent capital in November, 1836, and construction at the new city began in 1837.
In 1838, Doty was elected as Wisconsin Territory's congressional delegate, defeating George W. Jones in a rematch of the 1835 election. Despite being elected as a Democrat, Doty formed personal friendships with several Whigs
in Washington, D.C., including Henry Clay
. In 1840, Whig Party candidate William Henry Harrison
was elected president, and he made plans to appoint Doty to the governorship of Wisconsin Territory despite Doty's status as a Democrat. Harrison died before he could make the appointment, but vice president John Tyler
fulfilled Harrison's desire after ascending to the presidency in 1841. Doty was largely unsuccessful as territorial governor, the Dodge supporters in the territorial legislature rejected most of the legislation Doty supported, and Doty failed on four separate occasions to get public support for Wisconsin statehood. Doty's term ended in 1844, and he was not reappointed by Tyler, who instead selected Nathaniel P. Tallmadge
to the post. This left Doty to once again return to his private life.
shortly after Wisconsin became a state, and served from 1849 to 1853, when he was replaced by John B. Macy
. After leaving Congress, Doty left public life and retired to his home on an island (now named Doty Island
) between Neenah
and Menasha, Wisconsin
. His log-cabin home, relocated from the east end of the island, is located in Doty Park on the southeastern riverfront of Doty Island (on the island's Neenah
side). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
appointed him to the position of Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Utah Territory
. Doty was successful in this position. In 1863, Stephen Selwyn Harding
, Utah's territorial governor, was removed from office after public backlash from his criticism of the LDS Church and the practice of polygamy
. Lincoln appointed Doty to the governorship shortly thereafter. As governor, Doty was able to repair the relationship between the federal government and the territory's Mormon
s. Doty also promoted the construction of schools and negotiations with local Native American tribes. Doty died in office on June 13, 1865, shortly after the outbreak of Utah's Black Hawk War. He was buried at the Fort Douglas Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
.
Legal career
James Doty was born in Salem, New YorkSalem (town), New York
Salem is a town in eastern Washington County, New York. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 2,702 at the 2000 census. The town of Salem contains a village also named Salem.- History :...
in 1799, where he attended school and went on to study law. His son was Charles Doty
Charles Doty (Wisconsin legislator)
Charles Doty was a Wisconsin pioneer, surveyor, United States military officer and state legislator.Born in what is now Green Bay, Wisconsin, Doty was trained to be a civil engineer and surveyor. He was also the son of Wisconsin territorial governor James Duane Doty, and served as his father's...
, who served as his father's secretary, and his cousin was Morgan Lewis Martin
Morgan Lewis Martin
Morgan Lewis Martin was a delegate to the United States Congress from Wisconsin Territory from 1845 to 1847.-Career:...
.
In 1818 he moved to Detroit, Michigan and was admitted to the bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
as a lawyer in 1819. He started practicing law, and shortly later he was made the clerk of court of Michigan Territory.
In 1820 Doty was chosen by Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass was an American military officer and politician. During his long political career, Cass served as a governor of the Michigan Territory, an American ambassador, a U.S. Senator representing Michigan, and co-founder as well as first Masonic Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Michigan...
, governor of Michigan Territory
Michigan Territory
The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan...
, to serve as secretary to his expedition
Lewis Cass expedition
The Lewis Cass expedition of 1820 was a survey of the western part of Michigan Territory led by Lewis Cass, governor of the territory. On January 14, 1820, United States Secretary of War John C...
to the headwaters of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
In 1823, a new federal judicial district
United States federal judicial district
For purposes of the federal judicial system, Congress has divided the United States into judicial districts. There are 94 federal judicial districts, including at least one district in each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico...
was created for northern and western Michigan Territory
Michigan Territory
The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan...
, covering what is now the state of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
. Doty was appointed as the federal judge for the district by President James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
, and, because he was required to live within his district, Doty moved from Detroit to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Prairie du Chien is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,911 at the 2010 census. Its Zip Code is 53821....
in 1823. Doty regularly held court at Prairie du Chien, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, and Mackinac Island, Michigan
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Mackinac Island is a city in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. In the 2010 census, the city had a permanent population of 492, although there are thousands more seasonal workers and tourists during the summer months. From 1818–1882, the city was the county seat of the former...
. He also served as postmaster at Prairie du Chien from 1823 to 1824. In 1824, Doty moved to Green Bay, where he lived until 1841. Doty remained the district judge until he was replaced by David Irvin
David Irvin (jurist)
David Irvin was a United States territorial judge.Born in Albemarle County, Virginia, Irvin practiced law in Virginia. He was appointed a federal judge in Michigan Territory. When Wisconsin Territory was created, Irvin was appointed one of the justices of the Wisconsin Territorial Supreme Court...
in 1832.
Territorial politics
Following his career as a judge, Doty served as a member of the Michigan Territorial Council from 1834 to 1835, representing the western part of the territory. In this capacity Doty argued for the creation of a new territorial government for Wisconsin, sending petitions to Congress in favor of splitting Michigan Territory into two parts, one east and one west of Lake MichiganLake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. Doty had supported this idea as early as 1824, and argued that the growing number of residents in Wisconsin were not adequately provided for by the territorial government in Detroit, which was hundreds of miles away from any settlement in Wisconsin. Doty claimed that votes sent by residents west of Lake Michigan could not be sent to Detroit in time to be counted, and that the residents in Lower Michigan cared little about the affairs west of the lake. In 1835, his wishes were partially granted when the Governor of Michigan Territory created a separate legislature to govern the western part of the territory as Michigan prepared for statehood.
In 1835, Doty campaigned to represent western Michigan Territory as a delegate in Congress, but he lost in a three way election to George W. Jones
George W. Jones
George Wallace Jones , a frontiersman, entrepreneur, attorney, and judge, was among the first two United States Senators to represent the state of Iowa after it was admitted to the Union in 1846...
. Both Doty and Jones were running as Democrats, but Doty had little true loyalty to any political party. He was conservative in view and usually aligned himself with whichever people were most popular at any given time. After losing the election, Doty turned to land
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
speculation
Speculation
In finance, speculation is a financial action that does not promise safety of the initial investment along with the return on the principal sum...
and bought thousands of acres of land across the state, some of which he began developing into the city of Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
.
In 1836, Wisconsin Territory
Wisconsin Territory
The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin...
was officially created. Doty hoped to be the territorial governor, but President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
appointed Henry Dodge
Henry Dodge
Henry Dodge was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Territorial Governor of Wisconsin and a veteran of the Black Hawk War. His son was Augustus C. Dodge with whom he served in the U.S. Senate, the first, and so far only, father-son pair to serve concurrently....
, Doty's longtime political rival, to the post. With no public title, Doty worked to improve his land holdings in what would become the city of Madison. Doty had this land surveyed and platted, and made plans to create a city on an isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
between lakes Mendota and Monona. To gain recognition for the planned city, Doty lobbied the new territorial legislature to select his proposed city as the capital of Wisconsin. A temporary capital had already been established at Belmont, Wisconsin
Belmont, Wisconsin
Belmont is a village in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 871 according to the 2000 census.-History:Founded in 1835 by land speculator John Atchison, Belmont was the original capital of the Wisconsin Territory, and the original territorial capitol building is preserved...
, but its distance from Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
and Green Bay coupled with the dissatisfaction of many legislators towards the facilities at Belmont made it likely that the capital would be moved. Doty used numerous tactics to ensure that Madison would be made capital city, wooing legislators with plans for canals and railroads and offering legislators who voted to make Madison the capital choice lots in the new city. Madison was declared permanent capital in November, 1836, and construction at the new city began in 1837.
In 1838, Doty was elected as Wisconsin Territory's congressional delegate, defeating George W. Jones in a rematch of the 1835 election. Despite being elected as a Democrat, Doty formed personal friendships with several Whigs
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
in Washington, D.C., including Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
. In 1840, Whig Party candidate William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
was elected president, and he made plans to appoint Doty to the governorship of Wisconsin Territory despite Doty's status as a Democrat. Harrison died before he could make the appointment, but vice president John Tyler
John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...
fulfilled Harrison's desire after ascending to the presidency in 1841. Doty was largely unsuccessful as territorial governor, the Dodge supporters in the territorial legislature rejected most of the legislation Doty supported, and Doty failed on four separate occasions to get public support for Wisconsin statehood. Doty's term ended in 1844, and he was not reappointed by Tyler, who instead selected Nathaniel P. Tallmadge
Nathaniel P. Tallmadge
Nathaniel Pitcher Tallmadge was an American lawyer and politician. He was a U.S. Senator from New York and Governor of the Wisconsin Territory.-Early life:Tallmadge graduated from Union College in 1815...
to the post. This left Doty to once again return to his private life.
Wisconsin statehood
In 1846, Doty returned to politics, this time as a delegate to the First Wisconsin Constitutional Convention. Doty came to the convention as an independent, but sided with the Whigs on most issues and emerged as the opposition leader at the convention, which had a clear Democratic majority. After much debate, the convention produced a constitution, but the state's residents considered the document to be too radical and voted it down in a referendum, despite public campaigns for the constitution led by Doty and other delegates. A second convention called in late 1847 produced a constitution that was accepted by the people, and this enabled Wisconsin to achieve statehood in 1848. Doty was elected to the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
shortly after Wisconsin became a state, and served from 1849 to 1853, when he was replaced by John B. Macy
John B. Macy
John B. Macy was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.Macy was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he received a liberal education. He moved to New York City in 1826 and later in that year to Buffalo, New York. He resided in Cincinnati, Ohio from 1842 to 1845...
. After leaving Congress, Doty left public life and retired to his home on an island (now named Doty Island
Doty Island (Wisconsin)
Doty Island is an island in the state of Wisconsin in Winnebago County, Wisconsin. Doty Island is between the cities of Menasha, and Neenah on the Fox River at Lake Winnebago at .-History:...
) between Neenah
Neenah, Wisconsin
Neenah is a city on Lake Winnebago in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 24,507 at the 2000 census. The city is bordered by, but is politically independent of, the Town of Neenah. Neenah is the southwestern-most of the Fox Cities of Northeast Wisconsin...
and Menasha, Wisconsin
Menasha, Wisconsin
Menasha is a city in Calumet and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 16,331 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly in the Town of Menasha in Winnebago County; only a small portion is in the Town of Harrison in Calumet County. Doty Island is located...
. His log-cabin home, relocated from the east end of the island, is located in Doty Park on the southeastern riverfront of Doty Island (on the island's Neenah
Neenah, Wisconsin
Neenah is a city on Lake Winnebago in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 24,507 at the 2000 census. The city is bordered by, but is politically independent of, the Town of Neenah. Neenah is the southwestern-most of the Fox Cities of Northeast Wisconsin...
side). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Career in Utah
In 1861, Doty returned to public service when Republican President Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
appointed him to the position of Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
. Doty was successful in this position. In 1863, Stephen Selwyn Harding
Stephen Selwyn Harding
Stephen Selwyn Harding was the Governor of the Utah Territory for the Liberal Party in 1862 and 1863 and was chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court from 1863 to 1865. Harding was an ardent abolitionist....
, Utah's territorial governor, was removed from office after public backlash from his criticism of the LDS Church and the practice of polygamy
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
. Lincoln appointed Doty to the governorship shortly thereafter. As governor, Doty was able to repair the relationship between the federal government and the territory's Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
s. Doty also promoted the construction of schools and negotiations with local Native American tribes. Doty died in office on June 13, 1865, shortly after the outbreak of Utah's Black Hawk War. He was buried at the Fort Douglas Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah.