Jonas Swenholt (December 20, 1855 – March 8, 1923) was an American businessman and politician. 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, ...

. Jonas Swenholt born in the town of

Oconomowoc Oconomowoc ( ) is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The name was derived from Coo-no-mo-wauk, the Potawatomi term for "waterfall." The population was 15,712 at the 2010 census. The city is partially adjacent to the Town of Oc ...

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 the son of John and Ingeborg Swenholt, both of whom were immigrants from

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. Swenholt moved with his parents to a farm in

Scandinavia, Wisconsin Scandinavia is a village in the Town of Scandinavia in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 328 at the 2010 census. Geography Scandinavia is located at (44.461513, -89.148659). According to the United States Census Bure ...

Waupaca County, Wisconsin Waupaca County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,812. The county seat is Waupaca. The county was created in 1851 and organized in 1853. It is named after the Waupaca River, a Menominee la ...

in 1863. In 1880, Swenholt moved to

Wittenberg, Wisconsin Wittenberg is a village in Shawano County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,081 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Wittenberg. History In 1886, the Wittenberg Indian School was established by the Norweg ...

Shawano County, Wisconsin Shawano County (pronounced SHAW-no) (originally Shawanaw County) is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,881. Its county seat is Shawano. Shawano County is included in the Shawano, WI ...

. Swenholt was in the mercantile and lumber business. He served as postmaster of Wittenberg and different village and town offices. Swenholt served as register of deeds for Shawano County in 1896. Swenholt then served in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1901 and 1905 as a

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 ...

from Shawano County. In 1905, Swenholt moved to

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

where he was the Wisconsin State Game Warden until 1907; he then worked as a mail clerk until his death. Swenholt died of a stroke at his house in Madison, Wisconsin.Jonas Swenholt, 67, Fatally Stricken, ''Wisconsin State Journal'', March 9, 1923, pg. 10 His son was

Helmer Swenholt Helmer Swenholt (28 June 1886 – 8 May 1952) was born in Wittenberg, Shawano County, Wisconsin (near Shawano, Wisconsin). Having pursued a degree in engineering, he put his education to work in the Army Corps of Engineers. He was an officer and Ve ...

, a United States Army officer.

Notes

1855 births 1923 deaths Politicians from Madison, Wisconsin People from Wittenberg, Wisconsin People from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin People from Scandinavia, Wisconsin Businesspeople from Madison, Wisconsin Farmers from Wisconsin Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly American people of Norwegian descent {{Wisconsin-WIAssembly-Republican-1850s-stub