Albert Solliday Explained

Albert Solliday
State:Wisconsin
State Senate:Wisconsin
District:23rd
Term Start:May 30, 1892
Term End:January 2, 1899
Predecessor:Walter S. Greene
Successor:John H. Harris
Order1:24th
Title1:Mayor of Watertown, Wisconsin
Term Start1:April 1884
Term End1:April 1886
Predecessor1:William H. Rohr
Successor1:William F. Voss
Party:Democratic
Birth Date:13 February 1841
Birth Place:Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Death Place:Watertown, Wisconsin, U.S.
Restingplace:Oak Hill Cemetery,
Allegiance:United States
Branch:United States Volunteers
Union Army
Wisconsin National Guard
Battles:American Civil War
Spanish–American War

Albert A. Solliday (February 13, 1841December 13, 1924) was an American dentist, soldier and politician. He was the 24th mayor of Watertown, Wisconsin, and represented Jefferson County in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1892 to 1899.

Biography

Born in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Solliday graduated from Circleville High School in Circleville, Ohio. During the American Civil War, Solliday served as a musician in Company A of the 114th Ohio Infantry Regiment. He remained through the entire service of the regiment, from Fall 1862 through July 1865.[1]

In 1868, Solliday moved to Watertown, Wisconsin where he worked in the dentistry profession. Solliday served on the Watertown school board and the Watertown common council, and was elected mayor for two consecutive terms, in 1884 and 1885.

During these years, he also became active with the Wisconsin National Guard and was captain of the "Watertown Rifles" guard company.[2] He was promoted to adjutant of the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment in 1888, then major for the 1st battalion of the regiment in 1892, and finally was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the regiment in 1895.[2]

In the Fall of 1891, Wisconsin state senator Walter S. Greene died in office. As it became obvious that special sessions of the Legislature would be needed to deal with redistricting in 1892, a special election was called in the Spring of 1892 to fill his seat. Solliday was the Democratic nominee in the special election, and went on to win with 59% of the vote.[3] He went on to win election to a full four year term at the 1894 general election.[4]

At the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, Solliday was still serving as lieutenant colonel of the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and mustered into federal service with the regiment. They participated in the Puerto Rico campaign in 1898, and occupied the cities of Ponce and Coamo.[5] Hostilities ended in August 1898, and the regiment returned to Wisconsin in September.[6]

The regiment was mustered out in November 1898, and Solliday was then appointed quartermaster and commissary general for the state of Wisconsin, with the rank of brigadier general.[7] He served just over two years in this role after the war.

Solliday died at his home in Watertown, Wisconsin.[8] [2]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Senate (1892, 1894)

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Special Election, May 24, 1892| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 6, 1894

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 - 1866 . 1888 . Ohio Roster Commission . 8 . 114th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry . 109 . April 2, 2022 .
  2. News: Final Roll Call for Veterans of Two Wars . Watertown Daily News . December 13, 1924 .
  3. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin . 1893 . State of Wisconsin . Cunningham . Thomas J. . https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1893/reference/wi.wibluebk1893.i0016.pdf . Biographical Sketches . 631 . April 2, 2022 .
  4. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin . 1895 . State of Wisconsin . Casson . Henry . https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1895/reference/wi.wibluebk1895.i0016.pdf . Biographical Sketches . 669 . April 2, 2022 .
  5. News: For the Dead of the Second Regiment . . October 15, 1898 . 2 . April 2, 2022 . .
  6. The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin . Beck . J. D. . Joseph D. Beck . State of Wisconsin . 1907 . https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1907/reference/wi.wibluebk1907.i0011.pdf . State and Educational Institutions, Grand Army Data . 824 . April 2, 2022 .
  7. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin . 1899 . State of Wisconsin . Froehlich . William H. . https://images.library.wisc.edu/WI/EFacs/WIBlueBks/BlueBks/WIBlueBk1899/reference/wi.wibluebk1899.i0014.pdf . The Judiciary, United States Government, State Government, Miscellaneous State Societies, etc. . 649 . April 2, 2022 .
  8. 'Wisconsin Blue Book 1897,' Biographical Sketch of Albert Solliday, pg. 666