John Scanlon

John Scanlon (September 10, 1841 – December 6, 1895) was an American farmer from Symco, Wisconsin who spent one term as a Greenback Party member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from Waupaca County, Wisconsin.[1]

For the Australian attorney, see John E. Scanlon.

Background

Scanlon was born in Buninadin, County Sligo, Ireland on September 10, 1841, the son of John Scanlon Sr. and Anna May. He received a common school education, and became a farmer. He came to Wisconsin in 1855, settled in Burnett, but moved to Waupaca County in 1856.

He enlisted in the 7th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment on December 31, 1864, and participated in the Battle of White Oak Road and the Battle of Five Forks in 1865. He and his unit (part of the famed Iron Brigade) were involved in the pursuit and capture of Robert E. Lee's army, and took part in the Grand Review of the Armies at Washington on May 3, 1865. He was mustered out July 3, 1865, when the regiment returned to Madison from Kentucky and was discharged.

Public office

He had held various local offices, including town treasurer and chairman of the town board of supervisors; and was a delegate to the Greenback state convention in 1877. He was elected to the assembly for 1879 from the 2nd Waupaca County district (the towns of Bear Creek, Dupont, Helvetia, Iola, Larrabee, Lebanon, Little Wolf, Matteson, Mukwa, Scandinavia, St. Lawrence and Union, and the first and second wards of New London), receiving 943 votes against 783 for Republican L. D. Moses (Republican incumbent Francis Guernsey was not a candidate). Scanlon was assigned to the standing committee on town and county organization.[2]

He ran for re-election for 1880, and was defeated by Republican Nels Anderson, who drew 962 votes to 419 for Democratic former State Representative Michael Gorman and 345 for Scanlon.[3]

After the Assembly

He returned to farming in Symco, but spent some time as a messenger for the Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin office in Madison.[4][5] He died in Manawa, Wisconsin in 1895.[6][7]

References
  1. Cannon, A. Peter, ed. Members of the Wisconsin Legislature: 1848 – 1999. State of Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau Informational Bulletin 99-1, September 1999; p. 103 Archived December 9, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Warner, Hans B., ed. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin, for 1879. Containing the Constitutions of the United States and of the State; Jefferson's Manual; Rules and Orders of the Senate and Assembly, and Annals of the Legislature; also, statistical tables and history of state institutions Eighteenth Annual Edition. Madison: David Atwood, State Printer, 1879; pp. 507–08, 514, 517
  3. Warner, Hans B., ed. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin 1880 Madison, 1880; p. 527
  4. Cunningham, Thomas J., ed. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin 1891 Madison, 1891: p. 581
  5. Johnson, June W. The Headless Banker : The Murder of Banker H.C. Mead as Waupaca Saw It Appleton: PrintSource Plus, 2001; p. 230]
  6. "Ex-Assemblyman John Scanlon". The Saturday Evening Press. Mensaha, WI. December 14, 1895. p. 3. Retrieved May 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  7. "John Scanlon". The Weekly Wisconsin. Milwaukee, WI. December 14, 1895. p. 1. Retrieved May 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. open access
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