▁that ▁and ▁bought ▁more ▁land . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁Iowa ▁by ▁ox ▁team ; ▁he ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁pione ers ▁of ▁W inn esh iek ▁County , ▁Iowa , ▁bu ying ▁ 3 6 0 ▁acres ▁from ▁the ▁U . S . ▁government ▁land ▁office , ▁ 1 6 0 ▁of ▁which ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁improved . ▁He ▁stayed ▁in ▁Iowa ▁only ▁one ▁year , ▁then ▁returned ▁to ▁" W al nut ", ▁where ▁he ▁stayed ▁for ▁a ▁further ▁year ▁before ▁he ▁came ▁to ▁D ane ▁County , ▁Wisconsin ▁in ▁or ▁near ▁Oregon , ▁Wisconsin , ▁and ▁bought ▁another ▁tract ▁of ▁land , ▁which ▁he ▁would ▁farm ▁for ▁many ▁years . ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁log ▁house ▁on ▁the ▁land , ▁where ▁the ▁family ▁camp ed ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁years . ▁He ▁plant ed ▁fruit ▁and ▁sh ade ▁trees , ▁and ▁ere cted ▁some ▁frame ▁buildings . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁ ▁D w ight ▁was ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party , ▁held ▁various ▁offices , ▁and ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁a ▁single ▁one - year ▁term ▁in ▁the ▁Wisconsin ▁State ▁Assembly ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 . ▁D ane ▁County ▁had ▁one ▁less ▁seat ▁in ▁the ▁subsequent ▁Assembly , ▁and ▁D w ight ▁did ▁not ▁return . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁D w ight ▁spent ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁time ▁studying ▁financial ▁questions ; ▁as ▁a ▁result , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁D w ight ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁United ▁States ▁President