Hugh Porter (September 23, 1843 – August 1, 1936) was an American farmer and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for three terms, representing Crawford County.
Hugh Porter | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Crawford district | |
| In office January 2, 1899 – January 7, 1901 | |
| Preceded by | James O. Davidson |
| Succeeded by | John A. Haggerty |
| In office January 3, 1887 – January 5, 1891 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Curley |
| Succeeded by | Ambrose Thompson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 23, 1843 Morgan County, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | August 1, 1936 (aged 92) Viroqua, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Viroqua Cemetery, Viroqua, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Mary Alice Cron (died 1934) |
| Children |
|
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Volunteers Union Army |
| Years of service | 1865 |
| Rank | Corporal, USV |
| Unit | 49th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Biography
editHugh Porter was born in Morgan County, Ohio, on September 23, 1843. He came west with his parents at age 12 to the town of Newport, in Columbia County, Wisconsin.[1] The family then briefly moved to Allamakee County, Iowa, before settling more permanently in the town of Seneca, Crawford County, Wisconsin, in the Fall of 1855.[2]
In the last year of the American Civil War, he volunteered for service and was enrolled as a private in Company F of the 49th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to corporal before the regiment was mustered out in November 1865.[3] His regiment didn't see any combat, and was solely tasked with logistics and provost duties in Missouri.[4]
He was elected chairman of the town board and president of the Crawford County Agricultural Society before running for Wisconsin State Assembly in 1886. He won two consecutive terms in the Assembly, in 1886 and 1888, running on the Republican Party ticket; he was not a candidate in 1890.[5]
He was elected to a third and final term in the Assembly in the 1898 election, serving in the 1899 session.[6] He did not run again in 1900.
After leaving the Assembly, he moved to Viroqua, Wisconsin, where he resided for the rest of his life. There, in 1905, he was a co-founder of the Viroqua Co-Operative Creamery and served for several years on the board of directors.[1]
He died at his home in Viroqua on August 1, 1836.[1]
Electoral history
editWisconsin Assembly (1886, 1888)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 2, 1886 | |||||
| Republican | Hugh Porter | 1,671 | 56.80% | +7.25% | |
| Democratic | Thomas W. Tower | 1,271 | 43.20% | −9.70% | |
| Plurality | 400 | 13.60% | +12.69% | ||
| Total votes | 2,942 | 100.0% | -8.03% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 6, 1888 | |||||
| Republican | Hugh Porter (incumbent) | 1,829 | 53.06% | −3.74% | |
| Democratic | James A. Robb | 1,559 | 45.23% | +2.03% | |
| Prohibition | Thomas W. Gay | 59 | 1.71% | ||
| Plurality | 270 | 7.83% | -5.76% | ||
| Total votes | 3,447 | 100.0% | +17.17% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
Wisconsin Assembly (1898)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 8, 1898 | |||||
| Republican | Hugh Porter | 1,828 | 60.11% | +1.08% | |
| Democratic | Peter N. Peterson | 1,213 | 39.89% | ||
| Plurality | 615 | 20.22% | +2.17% | ||
| Total votes | 3,041 | 100.0% | -20.89% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
References
edit- ^ a b c "Hugh Porter, 92, Last Veteran At Viroqua, is Dead". La Crosse Tribune. August 1, 1936. p. 1. Retrieved March 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Timme, Ernst G., ed. (1887). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 494. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- ^ "Forty-Ninth Regiment Infantry". Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion, 1861–1865 (Report). Vol. 2. Office of the Adjutant General of Wisconsin. 1886. p. 858. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ Quiner, Edwin B. (1866). "Forty-Ninth Infantry". The Military History of Wisconsin. Clarke & Co. pp. 866–867. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- ^ a b c Timme, Ernst G., ed. (1889). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 504. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- ^ Froehlich, William H., ed. (1899). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 766. Retrieved March 22, 2022.