James H. Foster
James H. Foster | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Ware, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | 11 August 1907 (aged 80) Berlin, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Farmer, politician, bank president |
| Years active | 1847–1907 |
| Known for | Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate; founding president of Berlin National Bank |
James Hervey Foster (August 3, 1827 – August 11, 1907) was a pioneering farmer and Republican politician in Wisconsin. He represented Winnebago County, Wisconsin in both the State Assembly (1869–1870) and the Wisconsin State Senate (1871–1872).
Early life
Foster was born in Ware, Massachusetts, in August 1827 and received a basic education through local common schools. In 1846, he relocated westward with his family to the Wisconsin Territory, settling on farmland in what is now Nepeuskun, Wisconsin, located within Winnebago County. He attended college briefly at Ripon College but did not complete a degree.
Political career and public service
Foster first emerged in public life in 1847 when he delivered an address during Independence Day festivities. He went on to establish both a debating club and a temperance organization, later serving multiple years as superintendent of schools.
In 1850, with the creation of a post office at his family residence in Koro, Wisconsin, Foster became its inaugural postmaster. He maintained this position until his election as register of deeds for Winnebago County in 1858, securing re-election in 1860. Following his father's passing in 1862, Foster returned to his postmaster duties.
He continued as postmaster until winning election to the State Assembly in 1868; at that time, his daughter Florette assumed the postmaster role. Foster served two terms in the Assembly (1869–1870) on the Republican ticket before winning a seat in the State Senate representing Winnebago County (1871–1872). After Florette married in 1872, Foster resumed the postmastership until his appointment as presidential elector in 1876, when his younger daughter Jennie succeeded him.
Although he did not seek further elected office afterward, Foster remained engaged with the Republican Party as a delegate and state party secretary. In 1877, he was appointed clerk—later deputy commissioner—to the Wisconsin Railroad Commissioner’s office, serving under five commissioners over sixteen years. He also received honorary roles as a delegate to the Mississippi River Improvement Convention in 1881 and the National Farmer’s Congress in 1887.
In 1891, Foster helped establish the Berlin National Bank located in Berlin, Wisconsin, where he became its founding president. He moved to Berlin during the early 1900s and passed away at his residence there in August 1907.
Personal life and family
James H. Foster was the sole son of Asahel B. Foster and Avis (Template:Nee Topliff), who was related to Revolutionary War officer William Eaton. The Foster family lineage traces back to Sergeant Thomas Foster, an English immigrant who arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634.
In 1848, Foster married Lucy Jane Lathrop in Green Lake, Wisconsin. Together they had three daughters; at his death, he was survived by his wife and two daughters.
Outside of his professional and political pursuits, Foster was a dedicated advocate for temperance throughout his life, supporting moral reform and social measures rather than legislative action.
Wisconsin Assembly (1868, 1869)
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 2, 1869
Wisconsin Senate (1870)
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 8, 1870