Good morning.
It’s a sunny day for Whitewater, with a high temperature of thirty-two degrees. In Lincoln Manor, Maryland, it’s a partly sunny day ahead, with a high temperature of forty-six.
The Wisconsin Historical Society recalls that on this day in 1922,
….James Davidson died. He was born in Norway in 1854 and emigrated in 1872. He became a leading merchant in Soldiers Grove and served as village president, village treasurer, assemblyman, state treasurer, and lieutenant-governor before becoming governor of the state from 1906-1911. As governor, he introduced the law providing for bank examiners and promoted legislation giving the railroad commission jurisdiction over most public utilities. He is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison. [Source: History Just Ahead: A Guide to Wisconsin’s Historical Markers, edited by Sarah Davis McBride]
I had not heard of him, or his accomplishments, until I saw the entry on the Historical Society’s website. It’s a reminder to me that most officials, no matter how accomplished in their time, will fade from popular memory. Perhaps this is less true in a time of video recording, but I think it still – mostly – applies. I’m sure, though, that it will not apply to Gov. Walker. One way or another, he’s sure to be remembered.
Google’s puzzle for today asks an historical question, of a time long before Wisconsin’s history: “One of the earliest uses for glass bottles dates back to before 1000 B.C. What group of people is credited with the first use of glass for perfume bottles?”