Obed Wheeler

Obed Wheeler
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the Dutchess County 1st District
In office
1892
Preceded byWillard H. Mase
Succeeded byEdward H. Thompson
In office
1878–1879
Preceded byThomas Hammond
Succeeded byIsaac S. Carpenter
Personal details
BornNovember 15, 1841
Dover, New York
DiedJanuary 31, 1898 (aged 57)
New York City, New York
Political partyRepublican
EducationColumbia University (LLB)
Military service
Branch/service United States Army
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War
Battle of Gettysburg
Sherman's March to the Sea

Obed Wheeler (November 15, 1841 – January 31, 1898) was an American businessman and politician from New York who served as a member of the New York State Assembly.

Early life

Wheeler was born on November 15, 1841. in Dover, New York. In 1858, he went to the Amenia Seminary in Amenia. In 1860, he began attending Yale University, but he left in order to fight in the American Civil War.[1] His parents were Thomas Wheeler and Rhoda Ann Olney.[2]

Career

In September 1862, Wheeler enrolled in the 150th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, where he was mustered in as first lieutenant in Company E. In December 1863, he was promoted to captain of his company. He was also made brevet major. He was mustered out with his company in June 1865.[3] His regiment's first battle was the Battle of Gettysburg, and he fought in a number of other battles, including Sherman's March to the Sea.[1]

After the War, Wheeler studied at Columbia Law School and, upon his graduation, was admitted to the bar. However, he never practiced law, as he then became a member of the New York Stock Exchange.[4] He later served as director of the Brooklyn Warehouse and Storage Company, the Schermerhorn Bank of Brooklyn, and the Plaza Bank of Manhattan.

In 1877, Wheeler was elected to the New York State Assembly as a Republican, representing the Dutchess County 1st District. He served in the Assembly in 1878, 1879, and 1892.[5]

Personal life

For many years, he lived in the Murray Hill Hotel in Manhattan.[6] However, his permanent residence was the family mansion in South Dover,[2] and he owned two large farms in Dover Plains.[7] Wheeler never married. He was a member of the Union League Club, the New York Yacht Club, the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, and the Grand Army of the Republic.[2] He was also a freemason and a member of the New York Athletic Club. He was a supporter of the Dover Baptist Church.[6]

Wheeler died on January 31, 1898, in his New York City apartment from a pulmonary hemorrhage. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b Cook, S. G.; Benton, Charles Edward (1907). The "Dutchess County Regiment": (150th Regiment of New York State Volunteer Infantry) in the Civil War. Danbury, Conn.: Danbury Medical Printing Co. pp. 306–309.
  2. ^ a b c Weeks, Lyman Horace (1898). Prominent Families of New York (Revised ed.). New York: The Historical Company. p. 620.
  3. ^ Phisterer, Frederick (1912). New York in the War of Rebellion, 1861–1865. Vol. 5 (Third ed.). Albany: J. B. Lyon Company. p. 3755.
  4. ^ "Obituary - Hon. Obed Wheeler". Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle. Vol. 38. Platt & Platt. 2 February 1898. p. 5.
  5. ^ Lloyd, Will L. (1892). The New York Red Book. Albany: James B. Lyon. pp. 170–171.
  6. ^ a b "Obituary - Obed Wheeler". The Standard Union. Vol. XXXIV, no. 181. Brooklyn. 1 February 1898. p. 3.
  7. ^ a b "Obed Wheeler Passes Away". The Pokeepsie Evening Enterprise. Vol. XV. Poughkeepsie, N. Y.: Enterprise Pub. Co. 1 February 1898. p. 4.
New York State Assembly
Preceded by New York State Assembly
Dutchess County, 1st District
1878–1879 		Succeeded by
Preceded by New York State Assembly
Dutchess County, 1st District
1892 		Succeeded by