Boyd Phelps
Boyd Phelps | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 13th District | |
| In office December 2, 1857 – December 6, 1859 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Alonzo J. Edgerton |
| Chaplain of the Wisconsin Senate | |
| In office June 5, 1848 – January 1, 1849 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 15, 1804 |
| Died | March 17, 1886 (aged 81) Morris, Minnesota, U.S. |
Other political affiliations | Republican |
Rev. Boyd Phelps (October 15, 1804 – March 17, 1886) was an American Methodist clergyman, politician, and early pioneer to the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Phelps served a single term in the Minnesota Senate during the 1st Minnesota Legislature.
Early life and career
[edit]Phelps was born on October 15, 1804 in Tyrrell County, North Carolina.[1][2] Around the age of 19 Phelps became a Methodist minister and in 1826 moved to Indiana and worked for the Indiana Conference of Methodists.[1][3]:63 Phelps later moved to Wisconsin Territory, in 1839 Phelps preached his first sermon in Evansville, Wisconsin.[3]:157[4]:207 In 1841 Phelps ministered in Green Bay, Wisconsin.[3]:63 In August 1856, Phelps relocated to Hamilton, Wisconsin and was the Presiding Elder of the Beaver Dam District.[4]:207
Phelps was later appointed by the Methodist church to preach in Minnesota Territory.[3]:129 While in Minnesota Territory Phelps settled in the village of Elkhorn in Mower County, Minnesota where he owned a farm.[5]
Political career
[edit]1857 constitutional convention
[edit]Phelps was a member of the Republican Party of Minnesota. From July 13, 1857 to August 29, 1857 Phelps was elected as a representative of the 8th Council District of the Minnesota Territorial Republican Constitutional Convention which helped ratify the Minnesota Constitution.[2][5]
Minnesota Senate
[edit]On October 13, 1857 Phelps was elected to serve in the Minnesota Senate representing Minnesota's 13th Senate district.[5] At the time, the district included Dodge County and Mower County.[5] Phelps served during the 1st Minnesota Legislature from December 2, 1857, to December 6, 1859.[5] During his term, Phelps was a member of the towns and counties, public lands, and engrossments committees.[5]
Later life and death
[edit]Following his political career, Phelps continued to serve as a local minister for the Methodist church. Phelps died on March 17, 1886 in Morris, Minnesota.[1][2][6][7]
Personal life
[edit]Phelps was married to Clarissa Robinson in 1833, together they had five children.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "DEATH OF REV. BOYD PHELPS". Morris tribune. March 24, 1886. p. 3. LCCN sn91059394. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Carroll, Grady Lee Ernset Sr. (1994). The Reverend William Glendenning (1747-1816): Pioneer Methodist Circuit Rider and Churchman, Raleigh, North Carolina. p. 181.
- 1 2 3 4 Bennett, P. S. (1890). History of Methodism in Wisconsin, in Four Parts. Cincinnati: Cranston & Stowe.
- 1 2 Miller, W. G. (1875). Thirty Years in the Itinerancy (PDF). Milwaukee: I. L Hauser & Co.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Boyd Phelps". Minnesota Legislators Past & Present. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- ↑ "DIED - At his residence in Morris, March 17, Rev. Boyd Phelps". The Sun. March 18, 1886. p. 4. LCCN sn91059392. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Neighboring Towns". Little Falls Transcript. March 19, 1886. p. 5. LCCN sn89064525. Retrieved October 4, 2026.