On this date Wisconsin Governor Arthur McArthur was born in Glasgow, Scotland. Arthur McArthur moved to Milwaukee in 1849, where he opened a law office and became involved in Democratic Party politics. He was elected lieutenant governor under the William Barstow administration in 1855. Between the time William Barstow was indicted for election fraud until Coles Bashford was named governor, Arthur McArthur served as governor for four days, from March 21 to March 25, 1856. He was appointed to the 2nd Wisconsin Circuit Court and was active in Scottish ethnic organizations such as the Burns Club. Arthur McArthur's grandson is General Douglas MacArthur (MacArthur's father, Arthur Jr., changed the spelling of their family name). Arthur McArthur died on August 26, 1896 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. [Source: First Ladies of Wisconsin-The Governors' Wives by Nancy G. Williams, p.254]
1864 - (Civil War) Minor action at Dandridge, Tennessee
The 1st Wisconsin Cavalry participated in minor operations in Dandridge, Tennessee.
1884 - Roy Chapman Andrews Born
On this date Roy Chapman Andrews, adventurer, administrator, and Museum promoter, was born in Beloit, Wisconsin. From his earliest childhood he had a desire for travel and adventure. "I was born to be an explorer," he later wrote in his 1935 book "The Business of Exploring." Using money he saved from his job as a taxidermist, he arrived in New York City in 1906 after graduating from Beloit College. Andrews spent his entire career at the American Museum of Natural History, where he rose through the ranks from departmental assistant, to expedition organizer, to Museum director. In 1909 and 1910 he sailed as a naturalist on the USS Albatross to the Dutch East Indies. Andrews was known for leading a series of expeditions through China in the early 20th Century, into the Gobi Desert and Mongolia. By 1920 Andrews was ready for a new adventure. For eight years he had been thinking about a grand scheme to "reconstruct the whole past history of the Central Asian plateau" including its geology, fossil life, past climate and vegetation. Already a seasoned world traveler, Andrews set up housekeeping in Peking with his family, and made his first expedition into the Gobi in 1922. Additional expeditions followed in 1923, 1925, 1928 and 1930. Expecting to find the "missing link" for human evolution, Andrews instead found a wealth of mammal and dinosaur fossils. The finds that garnered the most publicity were dinosaur eggs. "Protoceratops andrewsi" was the first dinosaur fossil discovered by (and named for) Chapman in the Mongolian Gobi, in 1923. Throughout his career, Andrews explored desert islands, raging seas, remote mountains, and deserts. He survived encounters with angry whales, hungry sharks, pythons, and several brushes with armed Chinese bandits. He was erroneously reported dead at least once. In 1934, Andrews became director of the American Museum of Natural History. Andrews is said to have been one of the models for movie legend Indiana Jones. In 1942 he left the museum and moved to California where he spent the rest of his life writing about his experiences. He described his many expeditions in several books including "The New Conquest of Central Asia" (1932), include "Meet Your Ancestors" (1945), "In the Days of the Dinosaur" (1959), and the autobiographical works "Under a Lucky Star" (1943) and "An Explorer Comes Home" (1947). Andrews died in Carmel in 1960. [Source: Encyclopedia Britannica]
1902 - Harrison Carroll Hobart Dies
On this date Harrison Carroll Hobart, a lawyer, politician, and civil war officer, died. In 1846 he moved to Wisconsin, settling in Sheboygan. He served in the territorial lower house, was state senator, and state assemblyman. During the Civil War, he served as captain in the 4th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry (1861-1862) and in 1862 was made lieutenant colonel of the 21st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. In September 1863, Hobart was captured by the Confederates at the Battle of Chickamauga, confined to Libby prison in Virginia, but escaped in February 1864. He was promoted to colonel and commanded the 1st Brigade, 1st Division of the 14th Corps. He participated in Sherman's march to the sea and was promoted to brigadier general. After the war, he returned to his legal practice and settled in Milwaukee. He made an unsuccessful bid for governor in 1865. He was also a UW regent from 1860-1865 and 1867-1869. Hobart died in Milwaukee.
1925 - Fire Destroys Whitewater Hospital
On this date a fire destroyed the Whitewater Hospital. Monetary losses were estimated at $20,000, but no deaths were reported. [Source: Janesville Gazette]
1935 - Bob Uecker Born
On this date Bob Uecker was born in Milwaukee. Uecker played professional baseball from 1962-67 for the Braves, Cardinals, and Phillies. Besides his frequent beer commercial appearances and his role on the TV sitcom Mr. Belvedere, Uecker has been a long-time Brewers broadcaster and played Harry Doyle in the movie Major League (1989). [Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
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