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William W. Wilshire
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 3rd district
In office March 3, 1873 – June 16, 1874
Preceded by	Thomas Boles
Succeeded by	Thomas M. Gunter
In office March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877
Preceded by	Thomas M. Gunter
Succeeded by	Jordan E. Cravens
Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court
In office 1868 – February 1871
Personal details
Born	William Wallace Wilshire (1830-09-08)September 8, 1830 Shawneetown, Illinois, U.S.
Died	August 19, 1888(1888-08-19) (aged 57) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place	Mount Holly Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. 34°44′15.3″N 92°16′42.5″W / 34.737583°N 92.278472°W / 34.737583; -92.278472
Political party	Democratic
Other political affiliations	Republican (before 1874)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	Union Army
Years of service	1862–1864
Rank	Major
Unit	126th Illinois Infantry
Battles/wars	Civil War

William W. Wilshire (born William Wallace Wilshire; September 8, 1830 – August 19, 1888) was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Arkansas's 3rd congressional district (1873–74 and 1875–77).

Biography

Born in Shawneetown, Illinois, Wilshire was educated in the country schools. He spent three years in California engaged in gold mining, from 1852 to 1855, when he returned to his home in Port Byron and engaged in the coal mining and mercantile business. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1859.

Wilshire entered the Union Army as major in the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served from July 16, 1862. Following the Siege of Vicksburg, his regiment was sent to Arkansas and on the Little Rock Campaign under Major General Frederick Steele's force. He resigned July 16, 1864 because of health reasons.

After the war, he relocated to the capital city of Little Rock, Arkansas, and commenced the practice of law. He was appointed solicitor general of the state in 1867. From 1868 to 1871, he was chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, leaving the position to resume his law practice.

The 1872 general election of Wilshire as a Republican Representative to the Forty-third U. S. Congress for the Third Congressional District was disputed by Democrat Thomas Gunter and, after a lengthy review by the Committee on Elections, Gunter was declared the winner and rightful occupant of the seat, ultimately taking the oath on June 16, 1874.

Wilshire was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1876. He engaged in the practice of law in Washington, D.C., where he died August 19, 1888.

He was interred at Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock.

Notes

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

References

• United States Congress. "William W. Wilshire (id: W000567)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

1. ^ Herndon, Dallas T., ed. (1947). Annals of Arkansas. Vol. 1. Hopkinsville, Kentucky: The Historical Record Association. p. 540. LCCN 48002456. OCLC 3920841.
2. ^ Arkansas Courts, A Self-Guided Tour of Justice Building Portraits (2016), p. 8.
3. Gunter vs. Wilshire. Washington, D.C.: The House of Representatives During the First Session of the 43rd Congress. 1874. Papers in the Case of Thomas M. Gunter vs. W. W. Wilshire, Third Congressional District of Arkansas

v t e Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas
Territory Bates Conway Sevier At-large Yell Cross Yell Newton Johnson Hynes Breckinridge
1st district Greenwood Hindman Roots Hanks Hodges Gause Dunn Cate Featherstone Cate McCulloch Macon Caraway Driver Gathings Alexander Lincoln Berry Crawford 2nd district Warren Rust Warren Rust Hinds Elliott A. A. C. Rogers O. P. Snyder Slemons Jones Breckinridge Little Brundidge W. Oldfield P. Oldfield Miller Mills Tucker Bethune T. Robinson Thornton V. Snyder Griffin Hill 3rd district Boles Edwards Boles Wilshire Gunter Wilshire J. Cravens J. H. Rogers McRae Dinsmore Floyd Tillman Fuller Ellis Fulbright Trimble Hammerschmidt T. Hutchinson A. Hutchinson Boozman Womack 4th district Gunter Peel J. H. Rogers W. Terry Reid Little W. B. Cravens O. Wingo E. Wingo W. B. Cravens W. F. Cravens Tackett Harris Pryor Thornton Anthony Dickey Ross Cotton Westerman 5th district Peel Dinsmore Reid Jacoway Ragon D. Terry Hays Alford 6th district Neill Brundidge J. Robinson S. Taylor C. Taylor Sawyer Reed Glover McClellan W. Norrell C. Norrell 7th district Wallace Goodwin Parks Kitchens Harris

• American Civil War
• United States
• Illinois
• Law
• Politics

• 1830 births
• 1888 deaths
• People from Shawneetown, Illinois
• Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas
• Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas
• Chief justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court
• People of Illinois in the American Civil War
• Union army officers
• Burials at Mount Holly Cemetery
• 19th-century American judges
• 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives