Elihu Phillips

Elihu Lyman Phillips (February 16, 1800 –January 10, 1884) was an American businessman, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing Fond du Lac County during the 1860 and 1861 sessions, and earlier represented Onondaga County, New York, in the New York State Assembly during the 1846 session. His name was often abbreviated as E. L. Phillips.

New York career
Elihu Phillips was born in Manlius, Onondaga County, New York, in February 1800. He was raised and educated in that area, and at age 16 went to work in a store of owned by Amos P. Granger in Syracuse, New York. After a few years, he returned to Manlius and worked in his brother's store for several years until he was ready to begin his own mercantile business.

He also became active in local politics as a member of the Whig Party. In 1836, he was designated a commissioner for the establishment of the Syracuse and Utica Railroad. In 1837, he was elected sheriff of Onondaga County. Finally, he was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1845, to serve in the 1846 session. While living in New York, he was also involved in the state militia and held the rank of colonel.

Through the 1840s, Phillips was active in contracting. He was contracted to build a 60 mile stretch of railroad in western New York. In the year after his election to the New York Assembly, he was appointed canal appraiser and served two years in that role. Afterward he took another railroad contract, building a stretch of the Ohio and Mississippi Railway in Ohio.

Wisconsin career
In 1852, he and his brother moved west to Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, and settled on farms in the town of Empire. Phillips tended to his farms for about 15 years, then moved his main residence into the city of Fond du Lac, and left his farms in the hands of tenants for the rest of his life.

He quickly became involved in politics with the Republican Party, after it was created in 1854, and was elected president of the Fond du Lac County Republican convention in 1855. In 1859, he was nearly nominated for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin at the Republican state convention. He led in the first two rounds of balloting, falling 8 votes short of a majority in both votes. In the third round, Butler Noble overtook Phillips and secured the nomination. Phillips subsequently received the Republican nomination for Wisconsin Senate in the 20th Senate district, which then comprised just his home county of Fond du Lac. He defeated Democrat D. E. Hoskins in the general election and went on to serve in the 1860 and 1861 legislative sessions.

He did not run for re-election in 1861, and was subsequently appointed provost marshal of the Fond du Lac district under the Enrollment Act, in the midst of the American Civil War. Among Wisconsin districts, Phillips had an outstanding record at enrolling volunteers and conscripts for the Union Army.

In the later part of the decade, Phillips secured a charter for the Fond du Lac Savings Bank and served two years as president of the bank.

He died at his home in Fond du Lac on January 10, 1884. He was in poor health and withdrawn from society for several years before his death.

Personal life and family
Phillips worked closely with his brother, Lyman, for much of his life.

Elihu Phillips was married twice. He married Harriet Tousley in 1825, but she died just six months later. In 1828, he married Eleanor Jones, who died in 1838. With his second wife, he had three children, but none survived him: two died in childhood and the third at age 22.

His closest remaining relative at his death was his niece, Susan, a daughter of Lyman Phillips, who was then the wife of Edward Colman. Susan and her husband escorted his body back to Syracuse, New York, for burial.