Joseph Weeks Babcock (March 6, 1850 – April 27, 1909) was a seven-term

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 ...

member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. Born in Swanton, Vermont. Babcock was the grandson of Joseph Weeks, a Congressman from Vermont. He grew up in

Butler County, Iowa Butler County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,334. Its county seat is Allison. The county was organized in 1854 and named for General William O. Butler. History Butler County was fo ...

, where he started his lumber career working at his father's lumberyard. In 1881 he moved to

Necedah, Wisconsin Necedah is a village in Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 916 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Necedah. Geography Necedah is located at (44.0262, −90.0737). According to the United S ...

, where he amassed a fortune during his 17 years as manager and secretary of the Necedah Lumber Company, and served in 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, ...

from 1888 to 1892.

He married Mary Finch, a native of

Clinton, Iowa Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,469 as of 2020. Clinton, along with DeWitt (also located in Clinton County), was named in honor of the sixth governor of New York, DeWitt C ...

, and the daughter of C. C. Finch. They resided for many years in

, where Babcock was in the lumber business. They had a son, Charles, and a daughter, Amelia. The Babcocks owned a residence on Capitol Hill facing the capitol grounds. In 1892, Babcock was elected to the

53rd United States Congress The 53rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893 ...

from

Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district covers most of the Driftless Area in southwestern and western Wisconsin. The district includes the cities of Eau Claire, La Crosse, and Stevens Point, as well as many Wisconsin-based exurbs of the Minne ...

and was reelected to the six subsequent congresses as well serving from March 4, 1893 till March 3, 1907. In 1893, he helped organize the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee; he was credited with helping achieve Republican successes in the 1894 House elections, and was chairman of the committee for the next ten years. He was a candidate for

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

in 1902, but lost to Joseph Cannon. He was defeated for reelection in 1906 by

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

James William Murphy James William Murphy (April 17, 1858 – July 11, 1927) was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin. Born in Platteville, Wisconsin in 1858, Murphy graduated from the State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Platteville) in 187 ...

. Speeches on "History of Money and Financial Legislature in the United States" and "Three Evenings with Silver and Money" were published in pamphlet form by him in 1896. He continued to live in Washington, D.C., where in 1909 he died at the age of 59 after suffering for several weeks from liver and kidney problems.

Sources

American National Biography The ''American National Biography'' (ANB) is a 24-volume biographical encyclopedia set that contains about 17,400 entries and 20 million words, first published in 1999 by Oxford University Press under the auspices of the American Council of Le ...

, vol. 1, pp. 811–812.
Wisconsin Historical Society biographyMen of Mark in America
Biography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Babcock, Joseph 1850 births 1909 deaths People from Swanton (town), Vermont Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly People from Butler County, Iowa People from Necedah, Wisconsin 19th-century American politicians