Born in the Illinois Territory, Whiteside settled in the mining district in southern Wisconsin. Whiteside practiced law as a member of the Wisconsin Bar.
Legislative career
In 1846, Whiteside served in the first Wisconsin Constitutional Convention of 1846.[3] In 1847–1848, Whiteside served in the Wisconsin Territorial Council. In 1848, Whiteside was elected to the first Wisconsin State Assembly from Belmont, Wisconsin and was elected the first Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly. He then went to California to take part in the California Gold Rush. In the same year, he was elected to the California State Assembly and was elected Speaker of the California State Assembly by a vote of 66–6. Whiteside was a delegate to the Breckinridge Convention in 1860.[4] Whiteside served in the State Assembly until an election defeat in 1863.[5]
Achievements
While in the Wisconsin Legislature, Whiteside authored new laws regarding the renaming and restructuring of new villages and towns; renovations and repairs to the Wisconsin State Capitol; a new municipal water and well system for the capitol building;[6] local tax levy requirements;[7] establishment of the office of adjutant general of the militia of the State of Wisconsin;[8] and plaintiff liabilities.[9]
^"Table 138. Tax revenues from the main local taxes as percentage of total tax revenues of local governments". doi:10.1787/103076070048. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)