Elisha W. Keyes | |
|---|---|
 Elisha W. Keyes, c. 1902 | |
| 6th and 22nd Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin | |
| In office April 1886 – April 1887 | |
| Preceded by | Hiram N. Moulton |
| Succeeded by | James Conklin |
| In office April 1865 – April 1867 | |
| Preceded by | William T. Leitch |
| Succeeded by | Alden Sprague Sanborn |
| Chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin | |
| In office 1869–1877 | |
| Preceded by | Horace Rublee |
| Succeeded by | Horace Rublee |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Dane 2nd district | |
| In office January 1, 1882 – January 1, 1883 | |
| Preceded by | Louis K. Luse |
| Succeeded by | Clement E. Warner |
| Member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents | |
| In office February 1, 1877 – 1889 | |
| District Attorney of Dane County | |
| In office January 1, 1859 – January 1, 1860 | |
| Preceded by | J. W. Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Henry M. Lewis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Elisha William Keyes January 23, 1828 Northfield, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | November 29, 1910 (aged 82) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Hill Cemetery, Madison, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Republican |
| Parent |
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| Profession | lawyer, insurance salesman, judge |
Elisha William Keyes (/kaɪs/ kies; January 23, 1828 – November 29, 1910) was an American lawyer, politician, postmaster, and local judge. He was the 6th and 22nd Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, and represented Dane County in the Wisconsin State Assembly. He was Postmaster of Madison from the end of the Civil War until the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. He is most known for his eight years as Chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin and his work building a Republican Party political machine.
With the assistance of former Governor Alexander Randall and others, he helped establish the "Madison Regency," a powerful dispenser of political patronage jobs to the Republican Party faithful. "Boss" Keyes became known as a wily political manager, and saw the state Republican party through its evolution from an abolitionist-driven movement to its consolidation as a dominant and enduring force in Wisconsin. Although he had engineered the campaigns of many candidates, Keyes' own quests for national office were unsuccessful, often running against men he had once worked to elect.