William Prentiss Rounds (August 15, 1827August 5, 1905) was an American businessman, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate (1875 & 1876) and

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 ...

(1870 & 1871), representing Winnebago County.

Biography

William P. Rounds was born in

Bridgton, Maine Bridgton is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,418 at the 2020 census. A resort area in Maine's Lakes Region, Bridgton is home to Bridgton Academy, a private preparatory school, and the Four on the Fourth Roa ...

, in August 1827. He received a common school education and came to the Wisconsin Territory in 1845, settling in

Milton Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free t ...

, in Rock County. He moved north to

Menasha Menasha () is a city in Calumet and Winnebago counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 18,268 at the 2020 census. Of this, 15,144 were in Winnebago County, and 2,209 were in Calumet County. The city is located mostly in Winne ...

in 1849, where he served in several local offices. He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1869, running on the Republican ticket and was subsequently re-elected in 1870. He did not run again in 1871. He represented Winnebago County's 2nd Assembly district, which then comprised roughly the northern-most quarter of the county. Following the Peshtigo fire, in October 1871, he was active in the recovery and relief efforts, and was responsible for disbursing donated funds and goods. In 1874, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate, representing all of Winnebago County. Later in life, he was involved in the paper manufacturing business and was president of two paper mills in Menasha; he was also a director of the first national bank of Menasha until his death. He died after a long illness in August 1905, at his home in

Fox Crossing, Wisconsin Fox Crossing is a village in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. It was incorporated from the former Town of Menasha in 2016. The population as of the 2020 census was 18,974. Fox Crossing is located in the Fox Cities region and the Appl ...

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1869, 1870)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 2, 1869 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 8, 1870

Wisconsin Senate (1874)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 3, 1874

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rounds, William 1827 births 1905 deaths People from Bridgton, Maine Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Republican Party Wisconsin state senators 19th-century American legislators 19th-century Wisconsin politicians