George Gale

George W. Gale (November 30, 1816 – April 18, 1868) was an American lawyer, judge, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served as a Wisconsin circuit court judge and as a member of the Wisconsin State Senate. He was the founder of Galesville, Wisconsin, and Gale College, and was a driving force behind the creation of Trempealeau County, Wisconsin.

Early life and education Born in Burlington, Vermont, Gale grew up working on his father's farm. He received a common school education and, in March 1839, he began studying law at Waterbury Center, Vermont. While at Waterbury, he also worked as postmaster, and, in 1841, was admitted to the Vermont Bar.

Career Shortly after achieving the Bar, he left Vermont for the Wisconsin Territory. He settled at Elkhorn, Walworth County, where he established a law practice. He became involved in the abolition movement as a member of the Liberty Party, and, in 1845, he founded the Elkhorn Western Star, a newspaper from the Liberty Party perspective, and was editor and publisher of the paper for a year.

In 1847, he was elected district attorney for Walworth County and was elected to represent Walworth County as a delegate to Wisconsin's 2nd constitutional convention. During the 1851 session, Gale purchased a significant amount of land near La Crosse, Wisconsin, and located there after the session. He was quickly elected county judge of La Crosse County in a special election that September. Also in 1851, Gale was appointed Brigadier General of the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division of the Wisconsin Militia by Governor Nelson Dewey.

Gale became a member of the Democratic Party while living at La Crosse. He was a prominent voice in the Democratic Party of Wisconsin at state conventions of this era and an outspoken opponent of the Know Nothing movement.

Also during this time, Gale began to advocate for the establishment of a college or academy of higher learning in the area, but was unable to sway the voters of La Crosse. In response, in 1853, Gale purchased about 2,000 acres of land about 15 miles north of La Crosse. A board of trustees was organized in 1855, and Galesville University began construction in 1858 on a tract of 40 acres donated by Gale.

By law, Gale's circuit court term began on the first Monday of January 1857 and expired the first Monday of January 1863. However, during the 1861 session of the Legislature, a law was passed to legislate him out of his seat in the sixth circuit and instead make him judge of the newly-created eleventh district. The Legislature deemed the seat vacant and the Governor, Alexander Randall, appointed state representative Isaac E. Messmore to the judgeship on April 10, 1861. A legal battle ensued, in which Gale was supported by the Attorney General of Wisconsin, James Henry Howe. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled on Gale's favor in the case State ex rel. Attorney General v. Messmore, deeming Messmore's appointment invalid. Gale completed his term, serving through the end of 1862.

He had suffered for several years from breathing difficulty, and his health began to fail in the summer of 1862. He began taking trips around the South and West of the country in an attempt to revitalize his health, but largely retired from public life. During these final years, he wrote a number of works of historical study, including History of the Chippewa Nation of Indians, Genealogical History of the Gale Family in England and in the United States, and Upper Mississippi. He died of Tuberculosis at his home in Galesville, in 1868.

Personal life and family George Gale was the son of Peter Gale and Hannah Gale (née Tottingham). His father was a minuteman with the Vermont Militia in the War of 1812, his grandfather, also named Peter, had served in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. His mother was a descendant of Puritan colonists at the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

George Gale married Gertrude Young of Schenectady, New York, in December 1844. They had three children together—George Jr., William, and Helen. George Jr. and William followed their father into the legal profession, Helen married H. J. Arnold, a pharmacist in Kansas City. Gale was survived by his wife and all three children.

Published works