William Pitt Lynde

William Pitt Lynde
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 4th district
In office March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1879
Preceded by	Alexander Mitchell
Succeeded by	Peter V. Deuster
Mayor of Milwaukee
In office 1860–1861
Preceded by	Herman L. Page
Succeeded by	James S. Brown
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 1st district
In office June 5, 1848 – March 3, 1849
Preceded by	District established
Succeeded by	Charles Durkee
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
In office 1869-1870
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
In office 1866
Personal details
Born	December 16, 1817 Sherburne, New York
Died	December 18, 1885 (aged 68) Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Yale College, Harvard Law School
Occupation	Attorney

Gravesite in Forest Home Cemetery

William Pitt Lynde (December 16, 1817 – December 18, 1885) was an American lawyer and politician from Wisconsin who served in the United States House of Representatives and as Mayor of Milwaukee.^[1][2]

Biography

Lynde was born in Sherburne, New York. He graduated from Yale College, in 1838, and Harvard Law School, in 1841, and was admitted to the bar. He moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin shortly thereafter.

In 1842 he founded the law firm Finch & Lynde with partner Asahel Finch, Jr. Finch & Lynde survives today as Foley & Lardner, one of the oldest and largest law firms in the country.

Lynde became Attorney General of the Wisconsin Territory in 1844 and United States Attorney for Wisconsin in 1845.^[3] He also served as president of the board of trustees of the Village of Milwaukee.

When Wisconsin was admitted as a state in 1848, Lynde was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives, one of Wisconsin's first two representatives. He joined part of the 30th United States Congress from June 5, 1848 till March 3, 1849 representing Wisconsin's 1st congressional district. He lost his reelection bid for the 31st Congress. He was also unsuccessful in the 1849 election for associate justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Lynde served as Mayor of Milwaukee in 1860. His Wisconsin political career also led him to the state legislature; he served in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1866 and the State Senate in 1869 and 1870. He returned to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1875, where he served two full terms this time representing Wisconsin's 4th congressional district as part of the 44th and 45th Congresses from March 4, 1875 till March 3, 1879.

Lynde died in 1885 in Milwaukee at age 68. He is interred in Milwaukee's Forest Home Cemetery.^[4]

References

1. William Pitt Lynde, Wisconsin Historical Society
2. 'Proceedings of State Bar Association of Wisconsin,' Wisconsin State Bar Association: 1901, Biographical Sketch of William Lynde Pitt, vol. 3, pg. 313
3. Obituary Record of the Graduates of Yale College Deceased during the Academical Year ending in June 3 1856 (PDF). 1856. p. 306.
4. "Historical People". Forest Home Cemetery. Retrieved May 16, 2014.

External links

• United States Congress. "William Pitt Lynde (id: L000538)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• William Pitt Lynde at Find a Grave