Louis A. Wiltz
Louis A. Wiltz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 29th Governor of Louisiana | |
| In office January 14, 1880 – October 16, 1881 | |
| Lieutenant | Samuel D. McEnery |
| Preceded by | Francis T. Nicholls |
| Succeeded by | Samuel D. McEnery |
| 15th Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana | |
| In office April 24, 1877 – January 14, 1880 | |
| Governor | Francis T. Nicholls |
| Preceded by | Caesar Antoine |
| Succeeded by | Samuel D. McEnery |
| 25th Mayor of New Orleans | |
| In office November 30, 1872 – November 30, 1874 | |
| Preceded by | Benjamin Flanders |
| Succeeded by | Charles J. Leeds |
| Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives | |
| In office 1868 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 21, 1843 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Died | October 16, 1881 (aged 38) New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Resting place | St Louis Cemetery No 1[1] New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Micael Bienvenu |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States |
| Branch/service |  Confederate States Army |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Unit |  Chalmette Regiment[2] |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Louis Alfred Wiltz (January 21, 1843 – October 16, 1881) was an American politician from the state of Louisiana. He served as 29th Governor of Louisiana from 1880 to 1881 and before that time was mayor of New Orleans, lieutenant governor of Louisiana, and a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
Biography
[edit]Wiltz was born on January 21, 1843[3] in New Orleans to J.B. Theophile Wiltz and the former Louise Irene Villanueva. His paternal family were among the first German settlers in Louisiana and his mother came from a noble Spanish family, her father coming to Louisiana with the Spanish Army.[4] He attended public school until the age of 15, when he began work with Plauche and Company. After the company failed, Wiltz became the clerk for the Second District Court of Louisiana. With the outbreak of the American Civil War, Wiltz joined the Confederate States Army as a private but quickly rose to the rank of captain. In 1863, Wiltz married Micael Bienvenu of St. Martinville, the seat of St. Martin Parish. They had four daughters and one son.
In 1868, Wiltz was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives and the New Orleans School Board. In 1872, he was elected mayor but could not take office until January 1873 because of the refusal of the Republican mayor to vacate the office. In addition to serving two years as mayor, Wiltz was once again elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives and served as lieutenant governor. He was succeeded by E. D. Estilette.[5]
With the implementation of the new Louisiana state constitution of 1879, the gubernatorial term of Francis T. Nicholls was cut short by one year. An election was held in 1879, and Louis Wiltz easily defeated his Republican opponent. Wiltz's term as governor was one rife with corruption. The corrupt Louisiana Lottery continued to have influence over the state legislature. The state treasurer, Edward A. Burke, embezzled state funds while the public schools were neglected, and black disenfranchisement continued.
Wiltz died of tuberculosis while in office on October 16, 1881, in New Orleans. Lieutenant Governor Samuel D. McEnery, a fellow Democrat, succeeded Wiltz.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Louis Alfred Wiltz". Find A Grave. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
- ^ Bartlett, Napier (1875). Military Record of Louisiana. L Graham & Company. p. 28.
- ^ Onofrio, Jan (1999). Louisiana Biographical Dictionary. Somerset Publishers, Inc. p. 303. ISBN 9780403098170. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
- ^ "The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, (1900) p. 83.
- ^ Andrews, Elisha Benjamin (1903). The United States in our own time; a history from reconstruction to expansion; being an extension of "The history of the last quarter century. C. Scribner's Sons. pp. 160–67.Internet Archive
External links
[edit]- State of Louisiana – Biography
- Kendall's History of New Orleans, Chapter 22: Wiltz
- New Orleans Public Library page
- Works by Louis A. Wiltz at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Louis A. Wiltz at the Internet Archive
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1843 births
- 1881 deaths
- 19th-century mayors of places in Louisiana
- American people of German descent
- American people of Spanish descent
- Hispanic and Latino American state governors of the United States
- Democratic Party governors of Louisiana
- Lieutenant governors of Louisiana
- Mayors of New Orleans
- Speakers of the Louisiana House of Representatives
- Democratic Party members of the Louisiana House of Representatives
- 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis
- Tuberculosis deaths in Louisiana
- 19th-century members of the Louisiana State Legislature