John C. Harmon (June 16, 1845 – January 22, 1921) was an American lumberman and pioneer of Wisconsin and Washington. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Chippewa County during the 1893 sessions.
John C. Harmon | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Chippewa 1st district | |
| In office January 2, 1893 – January 7, 1895 | |
| Preceded by | James Andrew Taylor (whole county) |
| Succeeded by | Charles A. Stanley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 16, 1845 Wooster, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | January 22, 1921 (aged 75) Puyallup, Washington, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Hill Cemetery, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
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| Children |
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Biography
editJohn C. Harmon was born in June 1845 in Wooster, Ohio. As a child, he came with his parents to the Wisconsin Territory, settling in Beaver Dam in 1847. He was educated there and went to work in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, in the lumber business. He was justice of the peace and county supervisor in Chippewa County, and was elected town treasurer of the town of Big Bend in 1881 and 1882.[1]
He then moved into the city of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, where he was again elected county supervisor and member of the city council. He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1892, running on the Democratic Party ticket.[1] He represented Chippewa County's first Assembly district, which then comprised the southwest corner of the county.[1] He was part of a brief Democratic majority in the Legislature. His most notable contribution was likely authoring the first law to make Labor Day a holiday in Wisconsin.[2][3] He was not a candidate for re-election in 1894.
He moved to Puyallup, Washington, about 1908 and resided there until his death in 1921.[4] His body was interred at Chippewa Falls' historic Forest Hill Cemetery.[5]
Electoral history
editWisconsin Assembly (1892)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 8, 1892 | |||||
| Democratic | John C. Harmon | 1,257 | 53.26% | ||
| Republican | C. P. Barker | 821 | 34.79% | ||
| Populist | Mellen Larabee | 184 | 7.80% | ||
| Prohibition | F. Sprague | 98 | 4.15% | ||
| Plurality | 436 | 18.47% | |||
| Total votes | 2,360 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic win (new seat) | |||||
References
edit- ^ a b c d Cunningham, Thomas J., ed. (1893). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 636–637. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
- ^ "State Labor Day Law Originated in Chippewa Falls". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. September 1, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved April 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ An Act to make labor day a legal holiday (PDF) (Act 271). Wisconsin Legislature. 1893. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
- ^ "Dies at Masonic Home". The Tacoma Daily Ledger. January 23, 1921. p. 8. Retrieved April 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "John C. Harmon's Body is Enroute". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. January 28, 1921. p. 3. Retrieved April 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.