George Washington Ryland

(Redirected from George W. Ryland)

George Washington Ryland (December 19, 1827 – July 4, 1910) was an American merchant, banker, and Republican politician. He served as the 15th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin (1887–1891) and operated the first bank in Lancaster, Wisconsin.

George Ryland
15th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
In office
January 3, 1887 – January 5, 1891
GovernorJeremiah McLain Rusk
William D. Hoard
Preceded bySam Fifield
Succeeded byCharles Jonas
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 16th district
In office
January 5, 1880 – January 5, 1885
Preceded byOscar Clark Hathaway
Succeeded byEdward I. Kidd
Personal details
Born(1827-12-19)December 19, 1827
Garrett County, Maryland, U.S.
DiedJuly 4, 1910(1910-07-04) (aged 82)
Lancaster, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placeHillside Cemetery, Lancaster, Wisconsin
Political party
Spouses
  • Nancy A. Logsdon
    (m. 1855; died 1856)
  • Elvira M. Holloway
    (m. 1860; died 1910)
Children
  • C. H. Ryland
  • (b. 1856; died 1860)

Biography

edit

George W. Ryland was born near Selbysport in Garrett County, Maryland. He was raised and educated there, teaching country school in the winters to pay for his own education.[1]

In April 1853 he moved to Lancaster, Wisconsin, which would be his home for the rest of his life. He was employed by former Wisconsin governor Nelson Dewey to mow hay, earning a dollar a day.[1] Later that year, he was employed as a clerk in the store of John Alcorn, and from there became a partner in a general goods store with the brothers John and Simon Lewis. In 1860, he and his brother-in-law, John Chandler Holloway, bought out a grocery business and its building and constructed a new brick store in its place. In that building, they also began operating a bank in 1865.[1]

They eventually closed their mercantile business, sold the old building, and expanded their banking business into a new two-story building under the business name "Ryland & Holloway".[1]

In politics, Ryland was originally a Democrat, and was appointed postmaster at Lancaster during the administration of Franklin Pierce. He subsequently became a Republican, and was reappointed postmaster under presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. As a Republican, Ryland was elected to two terms in the Wisconsin State Senate, serving from 1880 until 1885. He was subsequently elected Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin in 1886 and re-elected in 1888.[2] He was chairman of the town board for 20 years and chairman of the county board for 17 years, leaving both positions in 1891, when his term as Lieutenant Governor expired.[1]

Also during his term as Lieutenant Governor, he became involved in the effort to organize the State Bank of Grant County, which was established in 1888 with Ryland serving as president. Ryland operated the bank for the next ten years, retiring in 1899.[1]

Ryland died at his home in Lancaster, July 4, 1910.[1]

Electoral history

edit

Wisconsin Senate (1879, 1881)

edit
Wisconsin Senate, 16th District Election, 1879[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 4, 1879
Republican George W. Ryland 3,129 57.65% +4.03%
Democratic James Wilson Seaton 1,676 30.88% −0.14%
Greenback S. N. Jones 623 11.48% −3.89%
Plurality 1,453 26.77% +4.18%
Total votes 5,428 100.0% -17.42%
Republican hold
Wisconsin Senate, 16th District Election, 1881[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 8, 1881
Republican George W. Ryland (incumbent) 2,868 65.61% +7.97%
Democratic George S. Whitcher 1,370 31.34% +0.47%
Greenback S. N. Jones 133 3.04% −8.43%
Plurality 1,498 34.27% +7.50%
Total votes 4,371 100.0% -19.47%
Republican hold

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor (1886, 1888)

edit
Wisconsin Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election, 1886[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 2, 1886
Republican George W. Ryland 131,063 45.38% −4.90%
Democratic John Day Putnam 116,424 40.31% −4.73%
Labor George A. Loyd 21,772 7.54%
Prohibition Charles Alexander 17,188 5.95% +3.34%
Plurality 14,639 5.07% -0.17%
Total votes 288,840 100.0% -10.38%
Republican hold
Wisconsin Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election, 1888[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 6, 1886
Republican George W. Ryland (incumbent) 176,488 49.78% +4.40%
Democratic Andrew Kull 154,735 43.64% +3.33%
Prohibition Chris Nelson 14,533 4.10% −1.85%
Labor Nelson E. Allen 8,763 2.47% −5.07%
Scattering 46 0.01%
Plurality 21,753 6.14% +1.07%
Total votes 354,565 100.0% +22.75%
Republican hold

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f g "George W. Ryland". Lancaster Teller. July 7, 1910. p. 1. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Timme, Ernst G., ed. (1889). "Biographical" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 490. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  3. ^ Heg, J. E., ed. (1881). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 498. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  4. ^ Heg, J. E., ed. (1883). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 498. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
edit
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
1886, 1888
Succeeded by
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 16th district
January 5, 1880 – January 5, 1885
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
January 3, 1887 – January 5, 1891
Succeeded by