Maurice L. Ayers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maurice L. Ayers, sometimes listed as M. S. Ayres, (December 4, 1819 - June 11, 1874[1]) was an American banker, farmer and hotelier from Burlington, Wisconsin who spent a single term as a Free Soil member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from Racine County.[2][3]

Background

Ayers was born December 4, 1819 in Monroe County, New York. He attended the local public schools until the age of fourteen, when he went to work on a farm for $4 a month. He came to the Midwest in 1845, landing in Chicago, and moving to Rochester, Wisconsin, where he operated a hotel for two years, before moving on to Burlington in the same county, where he purchased another hotel, which he would operate until 1852. On May 5, 1847 he married Luthera Aiken, like himself a native of New York state and of Scottish ancestry. They would eventually have seven children, two of whom would die in infancy.[4]

Legislature

He was elected for the 1849 session of the Assembly, the second session of that body since statehood,[5] representing the district consisting of the Racine County Towns of Burlington, Richmond and Yorkville.[6]

In the 1850 session, he was succeeded by Caleb P. Barns, a Democrat also from Burlington.

Later life

In 1852, he sold his hotel and purchase 160 acres in Rochester, which he farmed for about five years. He became a stockholder of the Fox River Valley Railroad and moved back to Burlington to help run it for about a year. He moved to a new farm in Rochester of 320 acres where he would live for the rest of his life. In 1872 he was part of a group of men, including J. I. Case, who founded the Bank of Burlington (which would eventually be acquired by Marshall & Ilsley Bank. As of 1879 he was one of the owners of the malt house on the east bank of the Fox River in Burlington which was in 1947 converted into the Malt House Theatre.[7] He also owned controlling interest in Burlington's flour mill and considerable real estate investments. At the time of his death, he was Vice-President of the First National Bank of Burlington.

He continued to participate in politics, becoming a member of the Democratic Party, and holding various local offices.

He died June 11, 1874.

References

  1. ↑ Historic places and people in the land of milk and honey: Wisconsin's treasure: a tribute to our past, a celebration of the present and our commitment to continue the good life Historic Hoyt House, 1998; p. 12
  2. ↑ "Members of the Wisconsin Legislature 1848–1999 State of Wisconsin Legislative Bureau. Information Bulletin 99-1, September 1999. p. 24
  3. ↑ Gregory, John Goadby. Southeastern Wisconsin: a history of Old Milwaukee County, Volume 4 Chicago: S.J. Clarke, 1932; p 506
  4. ↑ Portrait and Biographical Album of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens ... Chicago: Lake City Publishing Company, 1892; pp. 560-61, 836
  5. ↑ Turner, A. J., ed. The legislative manual of the state of Wisconsin: comprising the constitutions of the United States and of the state of Wisconsin, Jefferson's manual, forms and laws for the regulation of business; also, lists and tables for reference, etc. Thirteenth Annual Edition. Madison: Atwood and Culver, Printers and Stereotypers, 1874; p. 156
  6. ↑ Manual for the use of the assembly, of the state of Wisconsin, for the year 1853 Madison: Brown and Carpenter, Printers, 1853; p. 40
  7. ↑ The Burlington Historical Society, Dennis P. Tully, Donald J. Vande Sand. Burlington Charleston, South Caroline: Arcadia Publishing, 2005; p. 57


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.