A. Hyatt Smith

A. Hyatt Smith
1st and 5th Mayor of Janesville, Wisconsin
In office April 1857 – April 1858
Preceded by	John J. R. Pease
Succeeded by	William A. Lawrence
In office April 1853 – April 1854
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	J. Bodwell Doe
United States Attorney for the District of Wisconsin
In office 1848–1849
Appointed by	James K. Polk
Preceded by	Thomas W. Sutherland
Succeeded by	George W. Lakin
5th Attorney General of the Wisconsin Territory
In office January 22, 1846 – June 7, 1848
Appointed by	Henry Dodge
Preceded by	William Pitt Lynde
Succeeded by	James S. Brown (state government)
Personal details
Born	Abraham Hyatt Smith (1814-02-05)February 5, 1814 New York City, US
Died	October 16, 1892(1892-10-16) (aged 78) Janesville, Wisconsin, US
Resting place	Oak Hill Cemetery Janesville, Wisconsin
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Ann Margaret Cooper (Kelley) ​ ​ (m. 1838; died 1885)​
Children	Minnie C. Smith (b. 1841; died 1913) William Hyatt Smith (b. 1842; died 1843) Fanny F. Smith (b. 1842; died 1843) J. Maurice Smith (b. 1845; died 1926) Anna Kate (Patterson) (b. 1853; died 1914)
Profession	lawyer, politician

Abraham Hyatt Smith (February 5, 1814 – October 16, 1892) was an American lawyer, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was the 5th Attorney General of the Wisconsin Territory, the 2nd United States Attorney for the District of Wisconsin, and the first mayor of Janesville, Wisconsin. In historical documents his name is almost always abbreviated as A. Hyatt Smith.

Biography

Born in New York City, Smith studied law and was admitted to the New York bar in 1835. In 1842, he moved to Janesville, Wisconsin Territory, where he built a mill and practiced law. Smith served as a delegate to the first Wisconsin Constitutional Convention of 1846 as a representative of Rock County. In 1847, Wisconsin Territorial Governor Henry Dodge appointed Smith as the Attorney General of the Territory serving until Wisconsin became a state in 1848. In 1848, President James Polk appointed Smith as the United States District Attorney serving until 1849. In 1853, Smith was elected first Mayor of Janesville after its incorporation as a city. He later served as Mayor again in 1857. He was also involved with the railroad industry and other forms of communication. For some years, he was Regent for the University of Wisconsin at Madison.