The Madison Isthmus is where the downtown and near east portion of Madison, Wisconsin is situated, between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona . It is located between Madison's northeast side to the east and the University of Wisconsin campus to the west.
23-631: After visiting the area in 1829, land speculator and judge James Duane Doty purchased 1,200 acres (490 ha) of land on the isthmus. By 1836 Doty had convinced the Wisconsin Territory legislature to relocate the capital to the site from its original location in Belmont . Construction of the Capitol began the following year, in 1837. The southwestern portion of the Isthmus is home to
46-428: A clear Democratic majority. After much debate, the convention produced a constitution, but the state's residents considered the document to be too radical and voted it down in a referendum, despite public campaigns for the constitution led by Doty and other delegates. A second convention called in late 1847 produced a constitution that was accepted by the people, and this enabled Wisconsin to achieve statehood in 1848. Doty
69-655: A new federal judicial district was created for northern and western Michigan Territory, covering what is now the state of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan . Doty was appointed as the federal judge for the district by President James Monroe . Before taking up his new duties, on April 14, 1823, Doty married Sarah Collins at Whitesboro, New York . Because he was required to live within his district, Doty and his new wife moved from Detroit to Prairie du Chien in 1823. Doty regularly held court at Prairie du Chien, Green Bay , and Mackinac . He also served as
92-606: A summer-long exploration of the part of Michigan Territory lying west of Lake Michigan as far as the headwaters of the Mississippi River . Upon his return to Detroit, Doty resumed his legal practice. In the winter of 1822 Doty traveled to Washington, D.C. , where on March 13, with the sponsorship of Henry Wheaton , he was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States . In 1823,
115-439: Is also located completely on the isthmus. Madison is one of only two major U.S. cities built on an isthmus, the other being Seattle, Washington . 43°05′01″N 89°22′18″W / 43.08361°N 89.37167°W / 43.08361; -89.37167 James Duane Doty James Duane Doty (November 5, 1799 – June 13, 1865) was a land speculator and politician in the United States who played an important role in
138-654: The Wisconsin State Capitol , State Street , and Madison's main business and financial districts. The Yahara River crosses the isthmus at its northeastern end, connecting Lake Mendota to Lake Monona. The street grid within the isthmus is laid out in a southwest-to-northeast pattern. Three main arterial roads connect east and west Madison along the Isthmus: U.S. Highway 151 (US 151, East Washington Avenue), East Johnson Street, and East Gorham Street. The Williamson (Willy) Street business district
161-528: The capital of Michigan Territory , where he became an apprentice to Charles Larned , the attorney general. On November 20, 1818, he was admitted to the bar in Wayne County and Michigan Territory. He practiced law until September 29, 1819, when he was appointed clerk of court for Michigan Territory. In June 1820 he resigned the clerkship in order to serve as secretary to the Lewis Cass expedition ,
184-677: The creation of a new territorial government for Wisconsin, sending petitions to Congress in favor of splitting Michigan Territory into two parts, one east and one west of Lake Michigan . Doty had supported this idea as early as 1824, and argued that the growing number of residents in Wisconsin were not adequately provided for by the territorial government in Detroit, which was hundreds of miles away from any settlement in Wisconsin. Doty claimed that votes sent by residents west of Lake Michigan could not be sent to Detroit in time to be counted, and that
207-611: The development of Wisconsin and Utah Territory . A descendant of Mayflower immigrant Edward Doty , Doty was born in Salem, New York , in 1799. He was less than three years old when his family moved to Martinsburg, New York , which was founded by his mother's brother General Walter Martin . Doty attended the Lowville Academy several miles north of Martinsburg in Lowville, New York . In 1818, Doty moved to Detroit ,
230-488: The dissatisfaction of many legislators towards the facilities at Belmont made it likely that the capital would be moved. Doty used numerous tactics to ensure that Madison would be made the capital city, wooing legislators with plans for canals and railroads and offering legislators who voted to make Madison the capital choice lots in the new city. Madison was declared the permanent capital in November, 1836, and construction at
253-594: The east end of the island, is located in Doty Park on the southeastern riverfront of Doty Island (on the island's Neenah side). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . In 1861, Doty returned to public service when Republican President Abraham Lincoln appointed him to the position of Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Utah Territory . Doty was successful in this position. In 1863, Stephen Selwyn Harding , Utah's territorial governor,
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#1732780567095276-483: The first postmaster of Prairie du Chien from 1823 to 1824. In 1824, Doty moved to Green Bay, where he lived until 1841. Doty remained the district judge until he was replaced by David Irvin in 1832. Following his career as a judge, Doty served as a member of the Michigan Territorial Council from 1834 to 1835, representing the western part of the territory. In this capacity Doty argued for
299-638: The governorship of the Wisconsin Territory despite Doty's status as a Democrat. Harrison died before he could make the appointment, but vice president John Tyler fulfilled Harrison's desire after ascending to the presidency in 1841. Doty was largely unsuccessful as territorial governor; the Dodge supporters in the territorial legislature rejected most of the legislation Doty supported, and Doty failed on four separate occasions to get public support for Wisconsin statehood. Doty's term ended in 1844, and he
322-479: The new city began in 1837. In 1838, Doty was elected as the Wisconsin Territory's congressional delegate, defeating George W. Jones in a rematch of the 1835 election. Despite being elected as a Democrat, Doty formed personal friendships with several Whigs in Washington, D.C., including Henry Clay . In 1840, Whig Party candidate William Henry Harrison was elected president, and he made plans to appoint Doty to
345-783: The outbreak of Utah's Black Hawk War . He was buried at the Fort Douglas Cemetery in Salt Lake City , Utah. Both the community of Dotyville, Wisconsin and town of Doty, Wisconsin were named in his honor. Doty Street in Madison is named after him. Doty Island , divided by the cities of Neenah and Menasha ; and James Island in Menasha are named after him. In addition, Doty Park in Neenah takes his name. David Irvin (jurist) David Irvin (1794 – 1872)
368-517: The post. With no public title, Doty worked to improve his land holdings in what would become the city of Madison. Doty had this land surveyed and platted, and made plans to create a city on the isthmus between lakes Mendota and Monona. To gain recognition for the planned city, Doty lobbied the new territorial legislature to select his proposed city as the capital of Wisconsin. A temporary capital had already been established at Belmont, Wisconsin , but its distance from Milwaukee and Green Bay coupled with
391-716: The residents in Lower Michigan cared little about the affairs west of the lake. In 1835, his wishes were partially granted when the Governor of Michigan Territory created a separate legislature to govern the western part of the territory as Michigan prepared for statehood. In 1835, Doty campaigned to represent western Michigan Territory as a delegate in Congress, but he lost in a three-way election to George Wallace Jones . Both Doty and Jones were running as Democrats , but Doty had little true loyalty to any political party. He
414-564: The union on May 29, 1848. Irvin then moved to Galveston, Texas , where he bought a large tract of land. Reportedly, Irvin took part in the American Civil War on the side of the Confederacy. Irvin's court decisions were more common sense then following the law. He said his horse 'Pedro' had more common sense than the lawyers in his courtroom. He would often adjourn court to shoot prairie chickens . This biography of
437-826: Was a United States territorial judge. Born in Albemarle County, Virginia , Irvin practiced law in Virginia. He was appointed a federal judge in Michigan Territory . In 1841, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society . When Wisconsin Territory was created, Irvin was appointed one of the justices of the Wisconsin Territorial Supreme Court and served until Wisconsin was admitted to
460-496: Was conservative in view and usually aligned himself with whichever people were most popular at any given time. After losing the election, Doty turned to land speculation and bought thousands of acres of land across the region, some of which he began developing into the city of Madison, Wisconsin . In 1836, Wisconsin Territory was officially created. Doty hoped to be the territorial governor, but President Andrew Jackson appointed Henry Dodge , Doty's longtime political rival, to
483-557: Was elected to the United States House of Representatives shortly after Wisconsin became a state, and served from 1849 to 1853 as the representative of Wisconsin's newly created 3rd congressional district and served as part of the 31st and 32nd Congresses . He was replaced by John B. Macy . After leaving Congress, Doty left public life and retired to his home on an island (now named Doty Island ) between Neenah and Menasha, Wisconsin . His log-cabin home, relocated from
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#1732780567095506-562: Was not reappointed by Tyler, who instead selected Nathaniel P. Tallmadge to the post. This left Doty to once again return to his private life. In 1846, Doty returned to politics, this time as a delegate to the First Wisconsin Constitutional Convention. Doty came to the convention as an independent, but sided with the Whigs on most issues and emerged as the opposition leader at the convention, which had
529-518: Was removed from office after public backlash from his criticism of the LDS Church and the practice of polygamy . Lincoln appointed Doty to the governorship shortly thereafter. As governor, Doty was able to repair the relationship between the federal government and the territory's Mormons . Doty also promoted the construction of schools and negotiations with local Native American tribes. Doty died in office at age 65 on June 13, 1865, shortly after
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