Isaac Whitbeck Van Schaick (December 7, 1817August 22, 1901) 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 ...

businessman and Republican politician. He served two terms in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, representing Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. He also served six years in the Wisconsin State Senate and two years in the

State Assembly State Assembly is the name given to various legislatures, especially lower houses or full legislatures in states in federal systems of government. Channel Islands States Assembly is the name of the legislature of the Bailiwick of Jersey. The Baili ...

. His nephew,

Aaron Van Schaick Cochrane Aaron Van Schaick Cochrane (March 14, 1858 – September 7, 1943) was a U.S. Representative from New York, and nephew of Isaac Whitbeck Van Schaick. Biography Born in Coxsackie, New York, Cochrane attended the common schools and the Hudson ...

, was also a member of congress.

Early life

Van Schaick was born in

Coxsackie, New York Coxsackie ( ) is a town in Greene County, New York, United States. The population in the 2020 census was 8,382, a decrease from the 2010 census. The name of the town is said to be derived from a Native American term, but it has various transl ...

, on December 7, 1817. He was educated in the common schools there and worked on his father's farm. He engaged in the manufacture of glue in New York. He moved to Chicago in 1857, and to

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, Wisconsin, in 1861, where he was in the flour-milling business with his wife's family. After 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 ...

, Van Schaick traveled to

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

and worked for in the cotton industry. He returned to Milwaukee three years later.

Politics

Van Schaick was elected to the Milwaukee Common Council in 1871. He served as 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, ...

in 1873 and 1875. He served in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1877 to 1882. Van Schaick was elected as a Republican to the

Forty-ninth Congress The 49th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1885, ...

in 1884 as the representative of Wisconsin's 4th congressional district. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1886, and was succeeded by Henry Smith of the Union Labor Party. Van Schaick defeated Smith for election to the

51st United States Congress The 51st United States Congress, referred to by some critics as the Billion Dollar Congress, was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Rep ...

in 1888, receiving 22,212 votes to 20,685 for Smith (running on the Democratic and Labor tickets), 527 for

Socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

John Schuler and 302 for Prohibitionist George Heckendorn. He was not a candidate for renomination to Congress in 1890, and was succeeded by Democrat

John Lendrum Mitchell John Lendrum Mitchell (October 19, 1842June 29, 1904) was an American politician and philanthropist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A Democrat, he served one term each in the United States Senate (1893–1899) and House of Representatives (1891& ...

. In 1892 he ran unsuccessfully for State Senator from the

4th district Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...

, losing to Democrat James W. Murphy.

Late life

He moved to

Catonsville, Maryland Catonsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 41,567 at the 2010 census. The community lies to the west of Baltimore along the city's border. Catonsville contains the majority of th ...

, in 1894, where he lived in retirement until his death there August 22, 1901. He was interred in Athens Cemetery, Athens, New York.

Personal life and family

Isaac Van Schaick married Eliza Sanderson, daughter of John Sanderson and Margaret Whitfield, in 1842, in Athens, New York. She survived him, but died two years later, in 1903.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1872, 1874)

Wisconsin Senate (1876, 1878, 1880)

U.S. House of Representatives (1884)

U.S. House of Representatives (1888)

Wisconsin Senate (1892)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Schaick, Isaac Whitbeck 1817 births 1901 deaths American people of Dutch descent Wisconsin city council members Wisconsin state senators Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly People from Coxsackie, New York Maryland Republicans Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin People from Catonsville, Maryland 19th-century American politicians