William John McCoy (September 30, 1834 – June 28, 1897) was an American farmer, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served six years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Grant County.
William J. McCoy | |
|---|---|
 Portrait from History of Grant County Wisconsin (1900) | |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Grant 2nd district | |
| In office January 1, 1883 – January 3, 1887 | |
| Preceded by | Daniel Bartlett Stevens |
| Succeeded by | Reuben B. Showalter |
| In office January 7, 1878 – January 6, 1879 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Bock |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Trotter Mills |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Grant 4th district | |
| In office January 3, 1876 – January 1, 1877 | |
| Preceded by | Delos Abrams |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 30, 1834 Argyle, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 28, 1897 (aged 62) Lancaster, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Beetown Cemetery, Beetown, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Julia Edwards (m. 1858–1897) |
Biography
editMcCoy was born on September 30, 1834, in Argyle, New York.[1][2] He moved to Beetown, Wisconsin, in 1852 and to Lancaster, Wisconsin, in 1880.[1] McCoy died on June 28, 1897.[1]
Career
editMcCoy was elected to the Assembly in 1875 and served four terms.[1] Additionally, he was Chairman of the Beetown Board for five years between 1869 and 1876. He was a Democrat.[2]
Electoral history
editWisconsin Assembly (1875)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 2, 1875 | |||||
| Democratic | William J. McCoy | 735 | 55.06% | +12.72% | |
| Republican | John Brackett | 600 | 44.94% | ||
| Plurality | 135 | 10.11% | -5.22% | ||
| Total votes | 1,335 | 100.0% | -0.67% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
Wisconsin Assembly (1877)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 6, 1877 | |||||
| Democratic | William J. McCoy | 922 | 45.92% | +0.56% | |
| Republican | William B. Clark | 721 | 35.91% | −16.94% | |
| Greenback | Goodpel Lamson | 365 | 18.18% | +16.38% | |
| Plurality | 201 | 10.01% | +2.52% | ||
| Total votes | 2,008 | 100.0% | -24.79% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
Wisconsin Assembly (1882, 1884, 1886)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 7, 1882 | |||||
| Democratic | William J. McCoy | 1,335 | 61.24% | +20.52% | |
| Republican | Daniel B. Stevens (incumbent) | 795 | 36.47% | −20.69% | |
| Greenback | Goodpel Lamson | 50 | 2.29% | +0.17% | |
| Plurality | 540 | 24.77% | +8.34% | ||
| Total votes | 2,180 | 100.0% | +54.39% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 4, 1884 | |||||
| Democratic | William J. McCoy (incumbent) | 1,333 | 50.34% | −10.90% | |
| Republican | Charles H. Baxter | 1,235 | 46.64% | +10.17% | |
| Prohibition | Ezra Abrams | 80 | 3.02% | +0.17% | |
| Plurality | 98 | 3.70% | -21.07% | ||
| Total votes | 2,648 | 100.0% | +21.47% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 2, 1886 | |||||
| Republican | Reuben B. Showalter | 1,133 | 47.01% | +0.37% | |
| Democratic | William J. McCoy (incumbent) | 1,111 | 46.10% | −4.24% | |
| Prohibition | Andrew Cairns | 166 | 6.89% | +3.87% | |
| Plurality | 22 | 0.91% | -2.79% | ||
| Total votes | 2,410 | 100.0% | -8.99% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Wisconsin Items: W. J. McCoy". The Weekly Wisconsin. July 3, 1897. p. 4. Retrieved May 7, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Bashford, R. M., ed. (1876). "Official Directory" (PDF). The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 467. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Bashford, R. M., ed. (1878). "Official Directory" (PDF). The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 470–471. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Heg, James E., ed. (1883). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 491. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Heg, James E., ed. (1885). "Biographical" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 431. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Timme, Ernst G., ed. (1887). "Biographical" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 498. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
