Lucius S. Blake

Lucius Sawyer Blake (March 14, 1816 – November 4, 1894) was an American carpenter, businessman, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was an early settler at Racine, Wisconsin, and contributed significantly to the economic development of the city. He also represented Racine in the Wisconsin State Assembly during the 1871 session.

Early life
Lucius S. Blake was born March 14, 1816, in Burlington, Vermont. He had little education in his childhood, and worked as an assistant in his father's shops, following him from Vermont to Erie County, New York, and then apprenticed as a carpenter and joiner. About 1834, the family started moving west by wagon, settling briefly in Michigan and Chicago, before making a claim on 600 acres of land in the area that is now Caledonia, Wisconsin. Lucius and his two elder brothers went first with their father and Lucius and his brother, Albert, were left to occupy and improve their claim until the rest of the family could arrive. They were among the first American settlers in Racine County.

Pioneer businessman
After working several years helping his father establish their homestead, he set off on his own in 1838. After working for a short time employed by Samuel Hale and John Bullen for construction of buildings in Kenosha, he came to Racine and opened his own carpentry shop in 1839. In this era before the invention of threshing machines, Blake's main work product was manual fanning mills for the grain farmers of Racine County. This was highly profitable for him, and he soon incorporated horse power and steam powered machines into his manufacturing, producing as many as 3,000 mills per year. His business earned him the nickname "Fanning Mill Blake".

Beyond his own company, he was described as a critical pioneer and investor in many of the manufacturing businesses of Racine, serving as incorporator and president of Racine Woolen Mills, incorporator and president of the Chicago Rubber Clothing Company of Racine, incorporator and director of the Huffman-Puffer Trunk Manufacturing Company, incorporator and director of the E. H. Pease Manufacturing Company, president of the Turner Stove Manufacturing Company, incorporator and director of the Racine Steam Knitting Company, director in the Nail and Tack Manufacturing Company, and director in the Manufacturers National Bank.

Political career
Politically, Blake was originally a member of the Democratic Party and cast his first vote for Andrew Jackson. As a Democrat, he was a member of Racine's village board in 1844, and then served as county treasurer in 1845, following his father's term in that office. He joined the Free Soil Party when it split from the Democrats in the late 1840s over the issue of slavery, and then joined the Republican Party when it was organized in the 1850s. After Racine became a city, he served as city railroad commissioner in 1860 and then served as a member of the city council in 1869, 1871, 1873, 1874, and 1877.

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, he was appointed provost marshal and draft commissioner at Camp Utley in Racine, and managed the first draft in the state of Wisconsin. He ran for mayor of Racine in 1862, but was defeated by Alvin Raymond. He was chosen as a delegate to the 1872 Republican National Convention, and served as a presidential elector for James A. Garfield, in 1880.

He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1870, running on the Republican Party ticket. He represented Racine County's first Assembly district, which then comprised just the city of Racine. He served in the 24th Wisconsin Legislature but was then defeated running for re-election in 1871.

He ran again for mayor of Racine in 1878 and 1879, but was defeated on both attempts. At the time, he was described as the largest individual taxpayer in the city.

He died of a sudden heart failure at his home in Racine, on November 4, 1894. He was described as a millionaire at the time of his death.

Personal life and legacy
Lucius S. Blake was the third of ten children born to Captain Levi Blake and his wife Mary Ann ( Sanford). His father served as an officer in the New York militia during the War of 1812 and served as county treasurer of Racine County in 1844; he later moved further west and was one of the founders of Sparta, Wisconsin.

Two of Lucius' brothers, Edward and Levi, served as officers in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Levi died of wounds near Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Lucius married Caroline Elliott on December 26, 1843, at Racine. Caroline was an English American immigrant who had settled in Raymond, Wisconsin, with her parents in 1840. Lucius and Caroline had five children, though their first two children died young. Their eldest surviving son, Byron Bradbury Blake, worked as a superintendent at the J. I. Case Company.

In addition to his business and political pursuits, Blake was a deacon and member of the board of trustees of the First Baptist Church of Racine. He was also an early and prominent supporter of the Racine Fire Department&mdash;they named their second steam-powered fire engine in his honor.

The former Blake family residence at 936 Main Street, in Racine, was restored in 1976, and is now operated as private apartments by the company Preservation Racine Inc.