On this site Morgan L. Martin (1805-87) built this home in 1837, after his marriage to Elizabeth Smith of Plattsburgh, N.Y. It was a center of social, literary and political accomplishment for nearly a century. Coming here in 1827 as a young attorney, he began to lay the foundation for Statehood. A member of the Michigan Territorial Council 1831-35, he returned in 1838-44 to serve on the Wisconsin Territorial Council. From 1845-47 he represented the Territory in Congress, at which time he introduced the bill "to enable the people of Wisconsin Territory to form a constitution and state government, and for the admission of such state into the Union." The constitution submitted by the Convention of 1846 was rejected and Martin, elected president of a second Convention in 1847, did much of the preliminary revision here at Hazelwood. It was accepted by vote of the people and President Polk approved the Act of Admission on May 29, 1848.
Comments 0 comments