William W. Wilshire
Encyclopedia
William Wallace Wilshire (September 8, 1830 - August 19, 1888) was a U.S. Representative
from Arkansas
.
Born in Shawneetown, Illinois
, Wilshire was educated in the country schools.
Spent three years in California in gold mining, from 1852 to 1855, when he returned to his home in Port Byron and engaged in the coal mining and mercantile business.
He studied law, and was admitted to the bar
in 1859.
He entered the Union Army
as major in the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served from July 16, 1862, to July 16, 1864, when he resigned his commission on account of ill health.
After the war located in Little Rock, Arkansas
, and commenced the practice of law.
He was appointed solicitor general of the State in 1867.
Chief justice of the State supreme court from 1868 to 1871, when he resigned and resumed the practice of law.
Presented credentials as a Republican
Member-elect to the Forty-third
Congress and served from March 4, 1873, to June 16, 1874, when he was succeeded by Thomas M. Gunter
, who contested his election.
Wilshire was elected as a Democrat
to the Forty-fourth
Congress (March 4, 1875-March 3, 1877).
He was not a candidate for renomination in 1876.
He engaged in the practice of law in Washington, D.C.
, where he died August 19, 1888.
He was interred in Mount Holly Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas
.
United 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...
from Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
.
Born in Shawneetown, Illinois
Shawneetown, Illinois
Shawneetown is a city in Gallatin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,410 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gallatin County...
, Wilshire was educated in the country schools.
Spent three years in California in gold mining, from 1852 to 1855, when he returned to his home in Port Byron and engaged in the coal mining and mercantile business.
He studied law, and was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1859.
He entered the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
as major in the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served from July 16, 1862, to July 16, 1864, when he resigned his commission on account of ill health.
After the war located in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, and commenced the practice of law.
He was appointed solicitor general of the State in 1867.
Chief justice of the State supreme court from 1868 to 1871, when he resigned and resumed the practice of law.
Presented credentials as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Member-elect to the Forty-third
43rd United States Congress
The Forty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1873 to March 4, 1875, during the fifth and sixth...
Congress and served from March 4, 1873, to June 16, 1874, when he was succeeded by Thomas M. Gunter
Thomas M. Gunter
Thomas Montague Gunter was a U.S. Representative from Arkansas.Born near McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee, Gunter pursued classical studies and was graduated from Irving College in 1850.He studied law....
, who contested his election.
Wilshire was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Forty-fourth
44th United States Congress
The Forty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1875 to March 4, 1877, during the seventh and...
Congress (March 4, 1875-March 3, 1877).
He was not a candidate for renomination in 1876.
He engaged in the practice of law in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where he died August 19, 1888.
He was interred in Mount Holly Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
.