Chauncey H. Purple (c. 1820 – December 13, 1882) was an American businessman and clerical worker from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

who served one term as a Whig member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

from

Waukesha County, Wisconsin Waukesha County () is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat and largest city is Waukesha. Waukesha Co ...

. He was also a prominent member of the

temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...

in that state.

Background

Purple was born in Weedsport, in

Cayuga County, New York Cayuga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 76,248. Its county seat and largest city is Auburn. The county was named for the Cayuga people, one of the Indian tribes in the Iroquois Conf ...

, in about 1820. He spent some time "in mercantile pursuits" before moving to Wisconsin in 1844. He lived first in Waukesha, then called Prairieville, where he operated a

dry goods Dry goods is a historic term describing the type of product line a store carries, which differs by region. The term comes from the textile trade, and the shops appear to have spread with the mercantile trade across the British Empire (and forme ...

store for some years.

Legislature and other state service

He was living in Brookfield Center when he was elected to the Assembly for a one-year term in 1854 as a Whig, succeeding Free Soiler Elisha Pearl. He was not a candidate for re-election, and was succeeded by fellow Whig

Benjamin F. Goss Benjamin Franklin Goss (April 24, 1823 – June 6, 1893) was an American farming, farmer, printer (publishing), printer and merchant from Pewaukee, Wisconsin, Pewaukee, Wisconsin, who served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly from Waukesha ...

. In 1858 he was invited to

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

to take a position as

bank clerk ''The Bank Clerk'' is a 1919 American short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle. The film is considered to be lost. Cast * Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle * Molly Malone See also * List of American films of 1919 * Fatty Arbuckle fil ...

in the office of Samuel D. Hastings, then

Wisconsin State Treasurer The State Treasurer of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Thirty-six individuals have held the office of State Treasurer since statehood. The incumbent is Sarah Godlewski ...

and a fellow temperance advocate. He was soon promoted to Assistant State Treasurer, a job he would hold for about ten years under Hastings and his successor William E. Smith (both

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

After state service

After retiring from the Treasurer's office, Purple moved to

Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...

and went into the lumber trade, in which he was doing well until the

Panic of 1873 The Panic of 1873 was a financial crisis that triggered an economic depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 to 1877 or 1879 in France and in Britain. In Britain, the Panic started two decades of stagnation known as the "Lon ...

Personal life

He was first married in Weedsport; that wife's name is unknown, but when she died he was left with a step-daughter. In 1850 he remarried, to Mary C. Patterson, with whom he would have seven more children. He was very active locally and at a wider level in the temperance movement, taking a leadership position in several organizations, including the

Sons of Temperance The Sons of Temperance was and is a brotherhood of men who promoted the temperance movement and mutual support. The group was founded in 1842 in New York City. It began spreading rapidly during the 1840s throughout the United States and parts o ...

Good Templars The International Organisation of Good Templars (IOGT; founded as the Independent Order of Good Templars), whose international body is known as Movendi International, is a fraternal organization which is part of the temperance movement, promotin ...

and

Band of Hope Hope UK is a United Kingdom Christian charity based in London, England which educates children and young people about drug and alcohol abuse. Local meetings started in 1847 and a formal organisation was established in 1855 with the name The United ...

. He was also an active member of the

Congregational Church Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

. He died unexpectedly from "

neuralgia Neuralgia (Greek ''neuron'', "nerve" + ''algos'', "pain") is pain in the distribution of one or more nerves, as in intercostal neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia, and glossopharyngeal neuralgia. Classification Under the general heading of neuralg ...

of the heart" on December 13, 1879. Hastings, Samuel D. "Sketch of the Life and Services of Hon. Chauncey H. Purple" in Draper, Lyman Copeland, ed. ''Report and Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, for the Years 1880, 1881, and 1882'' Vol. IX. Madison: David Atwood, State Printer, 1882; pp. 410-412

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Purple, Chauncey 1820s births 1882 deaths Businesspeople from Wisconsin Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Wisconsin Whigs 19th-century American legislators People from Brookfield, Wisconsin People from Weedsport, New York 19th-century American businesspeople Sons of Temperance Temperance activists from Wisconsin 19th-century Wisconsin politicians