John Lins

John A. Lins
John A. Lins
Member of the Wisconsin Senate; from the 10th district
	In office; January 5, 1885 – January 7, 1889
Preceded by	Henry M. Ackley
Succeeded by	Horace A. Taylor
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly; from the Waukesha 1st district
	In office; January 3, 1881 – January 2, 1882
Preceded by	John Schmidt
Succeeded by	William Langer
Personal details
Born	October 3, 1840; Wachstedt, Province of Saxony, Prussia
Died	March 20, 1905 (aged 64); Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Cause of death	Gastrointestinal bleeding
Resting place	Oak Ridge Cemetery, Eagle, Wisconsin
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Mary Witte
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Volunteers; Union Army
Years of service	1861–1865
Rank	Corporal, USV
Unit	5th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War

John August Lins (October 3, 1840 – March 20, 1905) was a German American immigrant, businessman, and Republican politician. He served four years in the Wisconsin State Senate (1885–1889) and one year in the Wisconsin State Assembly (1881), representing Waukesha County. Earlier in his life, he was a Union Army volunteer, serving with the 5th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment through nearly the entire American Civil War.

Biography[edit]

Lins was born in Wachstedt, a small municipality in what is now the state of Thuringia in central Germany.^[1] In 1857, then age 17, his family immigrated to the United States. His family purchased a farm near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he worked and resided until 1859. In 1859, he went to St. Louis, and then to New Orleans, where he remained until the outbreak of the American Civil War. He returned to Milwaukee, and three days after his arrival, he volunteered for service in the Union Army. He was enrolled in the 5th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment at Camp Randall, and, in July 1861, marched for the eastern theater of the war. Battles he took part in include the Battle of Lee's Mill, the Battle of Williamsburg, the Battle of Savage's Station, the Battle of White Oak Swamp, the Battle of Malvern Hill, the Battle of Crampton's Gap, the Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Gettysburg, the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, as well as the Battle of Cold Harbor, during which he was severely injured.^[1] After the war, he resided at Eagle, Wisconsin, in Waukesha County.

Political career[edit]

Lins was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1880 from Waukesha County's 1st Assembly district. The district at the time comprised the southern half of the county.^[2] He did not run for re-election in 1881. In 1884, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate from the 10th State Senate district, which then comprised all of Waukesha County. He did not seek re-election in 1888. During his term in the Senate, he was chairman of the committee on Town and County Organization in the 38th Legislature.^[1]

In addition to his state legislative offices, Lins was a member of the Board of Supervisors and Treasurer of Waukesha County.^[1]

Electoral history[edit]

Wisconsin Assembly (1880)[edit]

Wisconsin Assembly, Waukesha 1st District Election, 1880^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, November 2, 1880
	Republican	John A. Lins	1,831	57.08%	+9.57%
	Democratic	John Evans	1,377	42.92%	-7.75%
Plurality			454	14.15%	+10.98%
Total votes			3,208	100.0%	+24.00%
	Republican gain from Democratic		Swing	17.32%

Wisconsin Senate (1884)[edit]

Wisconsin Senate, 10th District Election, 1884^[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, November 4, 1884
	Republican	John A. Lins	3,314	48.98%	+11.75%
	Democratic	J. D. McDonald	3,154	46.62%	-5.70%
	Prohibition	George McKerrow	298	4.40%	-3.78%
Plurality			160	2.36%	-12.73%
Total votes			6,468	100.0%	+47.99%
	Republican gain from Democratic		Swing	17.46%

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Timme, Ernst G., ed. (1887). "Biographical" (PDF). The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 486. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
^ ^a ^b Heg, J. E., ed. (1881). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 525. Retrieved May 7, 2021.

External links[edit]

Corp John August Lins at Find a Grave

Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by John Schmidt	Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Waukesha 1st district January 3, 1881 – January 2, 1882	Succeeded by William Langer
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Henry M. Ackley	Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 10th district January 5, 1885 – January 7, 1889	Succeeded by Horace A. Taylor

[bb1887-1] Timme, Ernst G., ed. (1887). "Biographical" (PDF). The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 486. Retrieved May 7, 2021.

[bb1881-2] Heg, J. E., ed. (1881). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 525. Retrieved May 7, 2021.

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