James Duane Doty
James Doty | |
|---|---|
| 5th Governor of the Utah Territory | |
| In office June 22, 1863 – June 13, 1865 | |
| Appointed by | Abraham Lincoln |
| Preceded by | Stephen S. Harding |
| Succeeded by | Charles Durkee |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 3rd district | |
| In office March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1853 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | John B. Macy |
| 2nd Governor of the Wisconsin Territory | |
| In office September 30, 1841 – June 21, 1844 | |
| Appointed by | John Tyler |
| Preceded by | Henry Dodge |
| Succeeded by | Nathaniel P. Tallmadge |
| Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Wisconsin Territory's at-large district | |
| In office January 14, 1839 – March 3, 1841 | |
| Preceded by | George Wallace Jones |
| Succeeded by | Henry Dodge |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Duane Doty November 5, 1799 Salem, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 13, 1865 (aged 65) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic (Before 1851) Independent (1851–1853) Whig (1853–1854) Republican (1854–1865) |
| Spouse | Sarah Collins |
| Children | 2 |
| Signature | |
James Duane Doty (November 5, 1799 – June 13, 1865) was an American land speculator, politician, and pioneer. He served as the 2nd governor (1841–1844) of the Wisconsin Territory and 5th governor (1863–1865) of the Utah Territory, and played a significant role in the early development of both territories. He also served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district from 1849 to 1853.
He was a member of the Lewis Cass expedition in 1820, which made the first American surveys of the territory now comprising the state of Wisconsin, and was then appointed federal district judge over that region. Doty was the original owner of much of the land that is now downtown Madison, Wisconsin; he was largely responsible for establishing the site of the city and securing its status as the capital city of Wisconsin. To secure Madison's selection as capital, Doty used numerous tactics including offering legislators choice lots in the new city in exchange for favorable votes; by the time of the final vote, approximately half the legislators owned land in Madison. One of his business partners, Michigan Governor Stevens Mason, described him as "a liar, a calumniator and a swindler."