William M. Fenton

William Matthew Fenton (born December 19, 1808 in Norwich , Chenango County , New York , †  May 13, 1871 in Flint , Michigan ) was an American politician . Between 1848 and 1851 he was lieutenant governor of the state of Michigan.

Career

In 1826, William Fenton graduated from Hamilton College in Clinton . He then went to sea for four years. He lived in Michigan since 1835: first in Pontiac and then in Fenton, which was later named after him . There he initially worked in trade and the real estate industry. After studying law and being admitted to the bar in 1842, he began to work in this profession. At the same time he embarked on a political career as a member of the Democratic Party . In the years 1846 and 1847 he sat in the Senate of Michigan , where he campaigned particularly for schools for the blind and deaf-mute.

In 1848, Fenton was elected Lieutenant Governor of Michigan alongside Epaphroditus Ransom . He held this office between 1848 and 1851. He was Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Senate. After his time as Lieutenant Governor, he worked for the Federal Land Registry in Flint. He was mayor of this city between 1858 and 1860. During the civil war he supported the establishment of volunteer units from his state with financial means. Then he first became a major and then a colonel in an infantry regiment with which he went to war. Until 1863 he took part in several battles. Then he had to quit military service for health reasons. In 1864 he ran unsuccessfully for governor of Michigan. He later worked for the fire department in Flint. He died on May 12, 1871, of an injury sustained during a fire service on the same day.

Web links

• William M. Fenton in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• The Political Graveyard