History of Tolland, (Tolland County) Connecticut United States of America

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William Wallace Eaton, senator, was born in Tolland, Conn., Oct. 11, 1816. He was educated in his native town, studied law in the office of Judge Waldo and was admitted to the Tolland county bar in 1837. He established a law business in Tolland, spent several years in Columbia, S.C., and returning to Connecticut resumed his practice and represented his native town in the state legislature, 1847 and 1848. He was a Democratic state senator in 1850, removed to Hartford in 1852 and represented the city in the state legislature 1853, 1863, 1868, 1870, 1871, 1873 and 1874, serving as speaker in 1853 and in 1873. He was a judge of the Hartford city court, city recorder for four years and clerk of the courts for many years. He was elected to the United States senate as successor to William A. Buckingham for the term beginning March 4, 1875, and on the death of Senator Buckingham, Feb. 3, 1875, he was appointed to fill the vacancy, thus serving in the senate from February, 1875, to March 3, 1881. In the senate he opposed the appointment of an electoral commission to determine the presidential contest of 1876-77; was chairman of the committee on foreign affairs; favored a tariff commission and introduced a bill to effect its appointment. He was a representative in the 48th congress, 1883-85, having been elected as a Democrat in a strongly Republican district. He retired from public life in 1885 and died in Hartford, Conn., Sept. 21, 1898.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Tolland, (Tolland County) Connecticut

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