Hugh Porter (September 23, 1843August 1, 1936) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

farmer and

Republican 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 ...

politician from the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

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 ...

. He was a 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, ...

for three terms, representing

Crawford County Crawford County is the name of eleven counties in the United States: * Crawford County, Arkansas * Crawford County, Georgia * Crawford County, Illinois * Crawford County, Indiana * Crawford County, Iowa * Crawford County, Kansas * Crawford County, ...

Biography

Hugh Porter was born in

Morgan County, Ohio Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,802, making it the third-least populous county in Ohio. Its county seat is McConnelsville. The county was created in 1817 and later organ ...

, on September 23, 1843. He came west with his parents at age 12 to the town of Newport, in

Columbia County, Wisconsin Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,490. Its county seat and largest city is Portage. The county was created in 1846 as part of Wisconsin Territory. Columbia County i ...

. The family then briefly moved to

Allamakee County, Iowa Allamakee County () is the northeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,061. Its county seat is Waukon. History Allamakee County was formed on February 20, 1847. The derivation of the name is ...

, before settling more permanently in the town of

Seneca, Crawford County, Wisconsin Seneca is a town in Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 893 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Seneca is located in the town. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total ...

, in the Fall of 1855. In the last year of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, he volunteered for service and was enrolled as a private in Company F of the

49th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 49th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 49th Wisconsin was organized at Camp Randall in Madison, Wisconsin, and mustered into federal service ...

. He was promoted to

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...

before the regiment was mustered out in November 1865. His regiment didn't see any combat, and was solely tasked with logistics and provost duties in Missouri. He was elected chairman of the town board and president of the Crawford County Agricultural Society before running for

in 1886. He won two consecutive terms in the Assembly, in 1886 and 1888, running on the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

ticket; he was not a candidate in 1890. He was elected to a third and final term in the Assembly in the 1898 election, serving in the 1899 session. He did not run again in 1900. After leaving the Assembly, he moved to

Viroqua, Wisconsin Viroqua is the county seat of Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,504 at the 2020 census. The city is in the town of Viroqua. Etymology The town was originally named “Farwell” after Leonard J. Farwell, second Go ...

, 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. He died at his home in Viroqua on August 1, 1836.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1886, 1888)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 2, 1886 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 6, 1888

Wisconsin Assembly (1898)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 8, 1898

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Hugh 1843 births 1936 deaths People from Morgan County, Ohio People from Crawford County, Wisconsin People from Viroqua, Wisconsin Farmers from Wisconsin Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 19th-century American legislators