Edwin Hillyer (1825–1908) was an American industrialist from Waupun, Wisconsin. Hillyer first came to Waupun in 1847, eight years after Seymour Wilcox, the settlement's founder.
Edwin Hillyer | |
|---|---|
 Capt. Edwin Hillyer c. 1849 | |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Dodge County 6th district | |
| In office 1853–1854 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 30, 1825 Atwater, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | December 8, 1908 (aged 83) Saint Petersburg, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Angeline Hillyer |
| Children | 5 |
| Parent(s) | David Hillyer,[1] Charity Hillyer |
| Profession | Insurer, Industrialist, Librarian, Politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | U.S. Army (Union Army) |
| Years of service | 1861–1863 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands | Company K, 10th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment |
Life
editEdwin Hillyer was born in Ohio on September 30, 1825. Edwin, along with his brother, Joseph Talcott Hillyer, settled in Waupun in 1847. When they first arrived, both of them worked in lumber. In 1849, Edwin and eight other Waupun settlers came down with gold fever and formed a company to travel to California. They all returned in 1852.[1]
Civic Life
editHillyer was heavily connected to several early Waupun industries. When he returned from California, he engaged in a store business with his brother before he sold his share a few years later. He and others established the Dodge County Mutual Insurance Company, and Hillyer worked there for the entirety of its existence. In 1856, he played a major role in constructing the Milwaukee & Horicon Railroad between Waupun and Horicon.[2] Hillyer was also a leader in the formation of the Forest Mound Cemetery.
For a time, Hillyer was the deputy warden at the Wisconsin State Prison. It was also he who directed the landscaping in front of the original building.
Hillyer had also served in the Assembly for the 6th Wisconsin Legislature. He ran as a Democrat.
Waupun Public Library
editThe Waupun Library Association was established in 1858 through the efforts of Hillyer and William Euen. Hillyer was the first librarian and ran the library out of his insurance office. When it began, the library only had nine feet of shelving. In 1895, citing his advanced age and the job's strenuous work, he turned the book stock over to the city. When the city took ownership of the library, the mayor appointed a new library board which included Hillyer and Lucius D. Hinkley, another prominent Waupun industrialist. He was involved in the 1904 construction of the Carnegie Library in Waupun. Hillyer served on the board until his death.[3]
Military service
editWhen the Civil War broke out in 1861, Hillyer raised part of two companies for the Wisconsin Volunteer Infantries. Company D. of the 3rd and Company K. of the 10th. He was appointed captain of Company K. He served until he fell ill in 1863 and resigned from his post. He was honorably discharged from the military.[2][3]
Death and legacy
editEdwin Hillyer died at the age of 83 on December 8, 1908.
In 1966 the Wisconsin Magazine of History published the first half of Hillyer's Gold Rush Journal, which chronicled his journey from Waupun to California.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b The History of Dodge County, Wisconsin. Western Historical Company, 1880.
- ^ a b The First One Hundred Fifty Years: A History of Waupun, Wisconsin, 1839 to 1989. James Laird, 1989.
- ^ a b The First Hundred Years: A History of Waupun, 1839-1939. Scott, Edith Moul, 1939.
- ^ John O. Holzhueter, & Edwin Hillyer. (1966). From Waupun to Sacramento in 1849: The Gold Rush Journal of Edwin Hillyer. The Wisconsin Magazine of History, 49(3), 210–244. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4634148