Henry D. Barron

The Honorable
Henry D. Barron
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 11th circuit
In office
July 1876 – January 22, 1882
Preceded bySolon H. Clough
Succeeded bySolon H. Clough
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 8th circuit
In office
July 1860 – January 1, 1861
Appointed byAlexander Randall
Preceded byS. S. N. Fuller
Succeeded byLucien P. Wetherby
17th & 23rd Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly
In office
January 8, 1873 – January 14, 1874
Preceded byDaniel Hall
Succeeded byGabriel Bouck
In office
January 10, 1866 – January 9, 1867
Preceded byWilliam W. Field
Succeeded byAngus Cameron
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 24th district
In office
January 1, 1874 – July 1876
Preceded byJoseph E. Irish
Succeeded bySam S. Fifield
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the AshlandBarronBayfieldBurnettDouglasPolk district
In office
January 1, 1872 – January 1, 1874
Preceded bySamuel S. Vaughn
Succeeded bySam S. Fifield
In office
January 1, 1866 – January 1, 1870
Preceded byAlbert C. Stuntz
Succeeded bySamuel B. Dresser
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the AshlandBurnettDallasDouglasLa PointePolk district
In office
January 1, 1863 – January 1, 1865
Preceded byGeorge R. Stuntz
Succeeded byAmos S. Gray
Personal details
Born(1833-04-10)April 10, 1833
Wilton, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 22, 1882(1882-01-22) (aged 48)
St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placePrairie Home Cemetery, Waukesha, Wisconsin
Political party
SpouseElla Kellogg (died 1889)
Professionlawyer

Henry Danforth Barron (April 10, 1833 – January 22, 1882) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. He was the 17th and 23rd speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, served six years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge, and was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate. He also held several local offices and was a member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents.[1] He is the namesake of Barron County, Wisconsin.

Biography

Born in Wilton, New York, he graduated from law school at Ballston Spa, New York, and moved to Wisconsin in 1851.[2] After arriving in Wisconsin, he became a publisher of the Waukesha Democrat and its successor, the Chronotype. He was also appointed Postmaster of Waukesha by President Franklin Pierce. He relocated to Pepin County in 1857 and began a law practice. He was appointed Wisconsin circuit court judge by Governor Alexander Randall in 1860 and served until the election of a successor.[1]

In 1862, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly from the vast northwestern assembly district comprising the lightly populated counties of Ashland, Burnett, Dallas (now Barron), Douglas, La Pointe (now Bayfield), and Polk. He was re-elected in 1863, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1871, and 1872.[1]

In 1869, he was offered appointment as chief justice for the Dakota Territory by President Ulysses S. Grant but turned it down. He was subsequently appointed fifth auditor of the United States Treasury, in April 1869, and served in that role until he returned to the Assembly in January 1872.[1]

He was chosen as speaker for the 1866 and 1873 legislative sessions. In 1873, he was elected to the Wisconsin Senate, and was elected president pro tem of the Senate in 1875. He was re-elected to his senate seat in 1875, but was then elected to the Wisconsin circuit court again in the Spring of 1876, defeating incumbent judge Solon Clough.[3] He remained on the court until his death in 1882.[1]

In addition to his public offices, he was a Republican presidential elector in the 1868 and 1872 presidential elections and was chosen president of the electoral college for both elections. He was a Vice President of the Wisconsin Historical Society, and a member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents.[1]

Barron lived in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. Barron County, Wisconsin, which he represented for many years as "Dallas County", was named after him by act of the legislature in 1869.[4][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Bashford, R. M., ed. (1876). "Official Directory". The legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 457. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  2. ^ "Barron, Henry Danforth 1833 - 1882". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  3. ^ "Judicial Elections". Wisconsin State Journal. April 15, 1876. p. 1. Retrieved December 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Barrett-england to Barrus".
  5. ^ Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 159.
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by
Albert C. Stuntz
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the AshlandBarronBayfieldBurnettDouglasPolk district
January 1, 1866 – January 1, 1870
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Samuel S. Vaughn
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the AshlandBarronBayfieldBurnettDouglasPolk district
January 1, 1872 – January 1, 1874
Succeeded by
Preceded by
George R. Stuntz
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the AshlandBurnettDallasDouglasLa PointePolk district
January 1, 1863 – January 1, 1865
Succeeded by
Amos S. Gray
Preceded by Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly
January 10, 1866 – January 9, 1867
Succeeded by
Preceded by Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly
January 8, 1873 – January 14, 1874
Succeeded by
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 24th district
January 1, 1874 – July 1876
Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by
S. S. N. Fuller
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 8th circuit
July 1860 – January 1, 1861
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Solon H. Clough
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 11th circuit
July 1876 – January 22, 1882
Succeeded by
Solon H. Clough