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Caswell, Lucien Bonaparte 1827 - 1919 | Wisconsin Historical Society

Historical Essay

Caswell, Lucien Bonaparte 1827 - 1919

Caswell, Lucien Bonaparte 1827 - 1919 | Wisconsin Historical Society

lawyer, businessman, politician, Congressman, b. Swanton, Vt. In 1837 he moved with his family to Wisconsin, settling in Rock County near Lake Koshkonong. He attended Milton Academy and Beloit College, read law, and was admitted to the bar in 1851. He set up a law practice in Fort Atkinson where he became active in local politics and served as district attorney for Jefferson County. A Republican, he was state assemblyman (1863, 1872, 1874). In 1874 he was elected to Congress from the 2nd district, and served from Mar., 1875, to Mar., 1883. He represented the 1st Congressional district from Mar., 1885, to Mar., 1891. In Congress, he was instrumental in securing legislation reducing postal rates, and a measure granting free mail delivery to towns of 10,000 inhabitants; he was active in restoring the land grant to the Northern Pacific R.R., and helped secure legislation creating the U.S. courts of appeal. After leaving Congress, he returned to his law practice in Fort Atkinson. He was an organizer of the First National Bank of Fort Atkinson (1863), the Northwest Manufacturing Co. (1866), and the Citizens State Bank (1885). Biog. Dir. Amer. Cong. (1928); Who's Who in Amer., 5 (1908); L. B. Caswell Reminiscences; J. H. Ott, Jefferson Co. (2 vols., Chicago, 1917) .

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Lucien B. Caswell Papers for details.

View newspaper clippings at Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]