b. April 9, 1808, in Hallowell, Maine; d. August 12, 1878, in Mackinac Island, Michigan. Dummer moved west in 1832 and eventually settled in Springfield, Illinois. There he formed a law partnership with John T. Stuart in 1833, which lasted until 1837, when Abraham Lincoln became Stuart's partner. After the dissolution of their partnership, Dummer lived in Jacksonville and then in Beardstown where he maintained a successful law practice. He was active in Whig politics, serving as Beardstown's alderman and as a state senator. After the dissolution of the Whig party, he joined the Republican party. In 1864, he was elected as a delegate at large for the state at the Baltimore convention that renominated President Lincoln. That same year, Dummer returned to Jacksonville and joined the law firm of Dummer, Brown, and Kirby and continued practicing law until 1878. Due to failing health, he moved to Mackinac, Michigan.