Angus Cameron (July 4, 1824March 30, 1897) was an American lawyer, banker, and Republican politician from La Crosse, Wisconsin. He served ten years as a

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

, representing

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

from 1875 to 1885. He earlier served as the 18th speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly and served four years in the

Wisconsin Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those ...

representing La Crosse County.

Early life and career

Angus Cameron was born in the town of Caledonia, New York, on July 4, 1824. He attended Temple Hill Academy in

Geneseo, New York Geneseo is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Livingston County, New York, Livingston County in the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York, United States. It is at the south end of the five-county Rochester metropo ...

, and then the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in

Lima, New York Lima (, the name is a shibboleth) is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 4,154 at the 2020 census. The town is in the northeast part of the county, south of Rochester. The village of Lima is located withi ...

, which is now

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

. He later studied law with the firm of Wadsworth and Cameron in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

. He graduated from the State and National Law School in 1853, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in a law partnership known as Wadsworth & Cameron. He later formed a business partnership with Frederick H. Wing, which was active in banking as Cameron & Wing.

Political career

In 1857, Cameron moved to

La Crosse, Wisconsin La Crosse ( ) is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population was 52,680 as of the 202 ...

, where he continued his legal and banking careers. Initially a Whig, he joined the Republican Party when it was founded in the mid-1850s. He was twice elected to the

, serving first in the

1863 Events January * January 1 – Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation during the third year of the American Civil War, making the abolition of slavery in the Confederate States of America an official war goal. The signing ...

and 1864 terms, then again in 1871 and 1872. He was a delegate to the

1864 National Union National Convention The 1864 National Union National Convention was the United States presidential nominating convention of the National Union Party, which was a name adopted by the main faction of the Republican Party in a coalition with many, if not most, ...

. He was elected to two terms 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. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

, serving in the 1866 and 1867 terms; he was elected speaker of the Assembly for the 1867 term. Cameron also served on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents from 1866 to 1875, and helped found Christ Church of La Crosse. In February 1875 the

Wisconsin Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...

, in joint session, elected Cameron to the United States Senate, and he served from March 4, 1875, to March 3, 1881. He did not seek reelection in 1881. During this term he was appointed chairman of a committee to investigate alleged election fraud in

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

during the disputed United States presidential election of 1876. In February 1881 Senator Matthew H. Carpenter died in office, and on March 10 Cameron was elected to complete the remaining four years of his six-year term. Cameron took his seat on March 14, and served until March 3, 1885. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1885. After leaving the U.S. Senate, Cameron returned to his banking and legal interests. Cameron died in La Crosse on March 30, 1897, and was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in La Crosse.

Personal life and legacy

Angus Cameron was the seventh of 11 known children born to Scottish

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

Duncan and Sarah (' McColl) Cameron. Angus Cameron's younger brother, Dugald D. Cameron, also came to La Crosse, Wisconsin, and served two terms in the

in the 1850s. Angus Cameron married Mary Papillon Baker in 1856. They had no known children. Cameron Park in downtown La Crosse was named for him. The village of Cameron, in

Barron County, Wisconsin Barron County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,711. Its county seat is Barron. The county was created in 1859 and organized in 1874. History The county was created in 1859 as D ...

, was also named for him.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, Angus 1824 births 1897 deaths People from Livingston County, New York Politicians from La Crosse, Wisconsin Genesee Wesleyan Seminary alumni State and National Law School alumni Speakers of the Wisconsin State Assembly Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Republican Party United States senators from Wisconsin 19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature 19th-century United States senators American people of Scottish descent Wisconsin pioneers