Robert Macauley (Wisconsin politician)
The Honorable Robert J. Macauley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Dunn district | |
| In office January 1, 1883 – January 1, 1885 | |
| Preceded by | Edward L. Everts |
| Succeeded by | John M. Oddie |
| County Judge of Dunn County | |
| In office January 1, 1898 – January 1, 1902 | |
| Preceded by | John Kelley, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | W. S. Swenson |
| In office January 1, 1874 – January 1, 1882 | |
| Preceded by | P. C. Holmes |
| Succeeded by | John Kelley, Jr. |
| District Attorney of Dunn County | |
| In office January 1, 1891 – January 1, 1893 | |
| Preceded by | R. D. Whitford |
| Succeeded by | Peleg B. Clark |
| In office January 1, 1869 – January 1, 1871 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel W. Hunt |
| Succeeded by | R. C. Bierce |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 18, 1838 Glasgow, Scotland, UK |
| Died | March 17, 1904 (aged 66) |
| Resting place | Evergreen Cemetery Menomonee, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
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| Children |
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| Parents |
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| Occupation | lawyer, judge |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States ArmyUnion Army |
| Years of service | 1864-1865 |
| Unit | 16th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Robert J. Macauley (February 18, 1838 – March 17, 1904) was a Scottish American immigrant, lawyer, legislator, and judge. He was active for most of his adult life as a district attorney and county judge in Dunn County, Wisconsin. In some historical documents his name is spelled McCauley.
Biography[edit]
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Macauley immigrated to the United States with his family in 1842.[1] They initially settled on a farm in Hancock County, Illinois, where his father died five years later. Robert worked on the farm and obtained a basic education until 1852, when most of the family moved north to another farm near Menomonie, Wisconsin. He worked on the new family farm until 1864, when he began studying law in the office of Judge E. B. Bundy, who was married to Macauley's sister, Reubena Hadlock Macauley.[2] But after six months of study, he enlisted for service with the Union Army in the American Civil War.[3]
He was enrolled as a private in Company G, 16th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The 16th Wisconsin was organized under General William Tecumseh Sherman's Military Division of the Mississippi. Macauley arrived with the regiment just after the Atlanta campaign, and participated in Sherman's March to the Sea and the Carolinas campaign.[1][3]
On July 1, 1865, Macauley returned to Menomonie and continued his studies under Judge Bundy, and, in January 1867, he was admitted to the State Bar of Wisconsin at Eau Claire. Judge Bundy then took him on as a partner in his firm.[3]
Public offices[edit]
In 1868, he was elected district attorney of Dunn County; he served until 1873, earning re-election in 1870. In November 1873, he was elected County Judge for Dunn County and served two four year terms. The November after leaving office as County Judge, he was elected to represent Dunn County in the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican in the first election in the state for two-year assembly terms.[1] He did not run for re-election in 1884. He was City Attorney for Menomonie from 1882 until 1890, when he was elected to another term as district attorney. He served a final four-year term as County Judge from 1898 to 1902.[3]
Personal life and family[edit]
Judge Macauley married Cora Olson of Menomonie on May 9, 1869. They had one son and one daughter.[3]
Macauley was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic from the time of its organization, and a member of the Episcopal Church. His farm was approximately four hundred acres and was located about twelve miles outside Menomonie.[3]
Judge Macauley died in Menomonie, Wisconsin, on March 17, 1904.[4]
Electoral history[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 7, 1882 | |||||
| Republican | Robert Macauley | 1,553 | 67.32% | +0.33% | |
| Democratic | Sever Severson | 754 | 32.68% | ||
| Total votes | '2,307' | '100.0%' | +15.35% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Heg, J. E., ed. (1883). "Biographical sketches". The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 490. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services. Wisconsin Vital Record Index, pre-1907. Madison, WI, USA: Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services Vital Records Division, Vol. 1, pg. 16.
- ^ a b c d e f Berryman, John R., ed. (1898). History of the bench and bar of Wisconsin. Vol. 2. Chicago: H. C. Cooper, Jr. pp. 311-313. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ 'Proceedings of the State Bar Association of Wisconsin 1907,' Wisconsin Bar Association: 1907, Biographical Sketch of Robert Macauley, pg. 297-298
External links[edit]
- 1838 births
- 1904 deaths
- Politicians from Glasgow
- People from Hancock County, Illinois
- People from Menomonie, Wisconsin
- People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War
- Scottish emigrants to the United States
- County officials in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin state court judges
- Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- 19th-century American legislators
- 19th-century American judges
- 19th-century Wisconsin politicians