Maxon, Densmore William 1820 - 1887 | Wisconsin Historical Society

Historical Essay

Maxon, Densmore William 1820 - 1887

Maxon, Densmore William 1820 - 1887 | Wisconsin Historical Society

surveyor, farmer, politician, b. Oneida County, N.Y. He moved to Wisconsin in 1843, settling on a farm at Cedar Creek, Washington County. He was deputy surveyor of Washington County (1843), built the first sawmill at Cedar Creek, and was Polk Township chairman (1846-1859). A Democrat, he was state assemblyman (1848, 1852, 1867-1872, 1882) and state senator (1858-1861). Maxon was instrumental in establishing the Northern Hospital for the Insane at Oshkosh, and served on its board of trustees for 10 years. He was a commissioner of the La Crosse and Milwaukee R.R. land grant (1856), of the Wisconsin R.R. Farm Mortgage Land Co. (1868), and of the Sturgeon Bay Canal land grant (1878). A. M. Thomson, Political Hist. of Wis. (Milwaukee, 1900); E. B. Usher, Wis. (8 vols., Chicago, 1914); Wis. Blue Book (1883).

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Densmore W. Maxon Papers for details.

Learn More

Explore more than 1,600 people, places and events in Wisconsin history.

[Source: Blue book]