William Starr (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Starr
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From The History of Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin (1880)
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| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Fond du Lac 1st district |
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| In office January 5, 1863 – January 2, 1865 |
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| Preceded by | Charles F. Hammond |
| Succeeded by | D. C. Van Ostrand |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 3, 1821 Middletown, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | April 18, 1879 (aged 58) Ripon, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Erysipelas |
| Resting place | Hillside Cemetery, Ripon |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Annie (Clark)
(m. 1857–1879) |
| Children | William James Starr |
William Starr (March 3, 1821 – April 18, 1879) was an American teacher, a politician who fought against slavery, and an early settler in Wisconsin. He served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing western Fond du Lac County. For the last ten years of his life, he was the president of the board that oversaw the Wisconsin State Normal Schools, which were colleges for training teachers.
Contents
William Starr's Life Story
Early Life and Moving West
William Starr was born in Middletown, Connecticut, on March 3, 1821. His father passed away before he was born. When he was eight years old, he moved to Lewis County, New York, to live with his mother and her new husband. He worked hard on his stepfather's farm, clearing land and helping to build it up.
William mostly taught himself until he was 14. After that, he went to an academy in Watertown, New York, for several winters to continue his studies.
In the summer of 1843, William traveled west to the Wisconsin Territory. He hoped to find new opportunities there. He first settled in Southport (Kenosha) and started a school. He taught subjects like Latin, Greek, and English.
Life in Fond du Lac County
In 1845, William Starr moved north to a village called Ceresco in Fond du Lac County. Ceresco was a special community that had just been started. It was based on ideas of people living and working together, sharing everything. William briefly ran a school there, but soon he started a business selling goods.
He became the second postmaster for the town of Ripon. A postmaster is the person in charge of a local post office. He served in this role until 1850. William was also one of the people who helped start Brockway College in Ripon. He was one of its first leaders.
In 1859, William Starr was part of a group in Ripon. They tried to get the people of Fond du Lac County to vote. The vote was about whether Ripon should become part of Green Lake County instead. The vote seemed to pass, but a court later said it wasn't valid.
Fighting Against Slavery
In 1860, a famous person named Sherman Booth came to Ripon. He was an abolitionist, meaning he was against slavery. Booth had been put in prison for helping enslaved people escape, which was against a law called the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. He escaped from prison and came to Ripon.
The people of Ripon welcomed him warmly at a public meeting. William Starr was in charge of this meeting. They decided to form a "League of Freedom." This group would resist any attempts to enforce the unfair fugitive slave laws. A government official tried to arrest Booth at the meeting, but the people threw him out. The group voted to stop Booth from being arrested. They also formed a "vigilance committee" to start a local defense group.
The next day, William Starr was chosen to tell the officials to leave town without Booth. Because of his important role in these events, he was briefly kept under house arrest.
Serving in Government and Education
William Starr was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1862 and 1863. He represented the northwest part of Fond du Lac County. After his second term in 1864, he was chosen to join the Board of Regents for the Wisconsin State Normal Schools. These schools were important for training teachers across Wisconsin.
In 1868, he was elected president of this board. He continued to serve in that important role until he passed away.
William Starr died in Ripon, Wisconsin, in April 1879. He passed away from a skin infection called erysipelas.
Personal Life and Family
William Starr married Annie Clark. She had been married before. William and Annie had one child together, named William James Starr.
His granddaughter was a well-known artist named Ruth Starr Rose.
