Isaac S. Tallmadge
Isaac Smith Tallmadge (May 31, 1824 – May 27, 1882) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who helped shape early Wisconsin. He served as the district attorney of Fond du Lac County for two terms (1850–1852 and 1856–1858) and represented Fond du Lac County in the Wisconsin State Assembly (the 3rd district) during 1853–1854.
Tallmadge was born in New York, the eldest son of Nathaniel P. Tallmadge, a U.S. senator from New York and the early governor of the Wisconsin Territory. He graduated from Union College in 1842 and later moved to Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, to practice law and enter public service.
In 1859 he ran for a Wisconsin circuit court seat in the 4th circuit but was defeated by David Taylor. Afterward he moved to New York City and continued his work as a lawyer.
He married Cornelia Ruggles in December 1847, and the couple had seven children, though several died young.
In 1881 Tallmadge was struck by a horse-drawn cart, which left him with a severe back abscess. He died from complications of that abscess on May 27, 1882, at Bellevue Hospital in New York.
Tallmadge came from the prominent Tallmadge family of New England, known for many political and cultural figures in American history.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:32 (CET).