The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin

Compiled and Published Under the Direction of

J. D. Beck, Commissioner of Labor and Industrial Statistics

©1907 Democratic Printing Company, State Printer, Madison [WI]

Part V. Grand Army Data -- The Wisconsin Department

[p. 811]

The Department of Wisconsin was organized June 7, 1866, and the first Wisconsin Post was chartered at Madison June
10, 1866. This post, now known as Louis Fairchild, No. 11, is still active and has 184 members. Post No. 4, of Berlin, was chartered Sept. 8, 1866, and has maintained ever since an unbroken organization. It is said to be the oldest Post in existence with an unbroken record. Post No. 10, Oshkosh, was chartered Aug. 1, 1866. General James K. Proudfit was the leading spirit in the organization of the G.A.R. in Wisconsin and became the first
Department Commander. He is now the oldest Post Commander and Department Commander living. The following is the list of all Commanders up to the present.

James K. Proudfit .................. 1866 *James Davidson .................. 1885 *D. Lloyd Jones .................... 1896 *H. A. Starr .......................... 1867 *Lucius Fairchild ¥ ................ 1886 *E. B. Gray ............................. 1897 *J. M. Rusk .......................... 1868 H. P. Fisher, from Sept. ......... 1886 Charles H. Russel .................... 1898 *T. S. Allen ..................... 1869-70 *Michael Griffin ..................... 1887 *Henry Harnden ...................... 1899 *Edward Fergusen ........... 1871-72 A. G. Weissert ¥ .............. 1888-89 S. H. Talmadge, from March .... 1900 *A. J. McCoy ....................... 1873 Leander Ferguson, from Oct. . 1889 David G. James ........................ 1900 G. A. Hannaford .............. 1874-75 Benjamin F. Bryant ................ 1890 A. H. DeGroff .......................... 1901 John Hancock ....................... 1876 W. H. Upham ........................ 1891 James H. Agen ......................... 1902 Henry G. Rogers ................... 1877 C. B. Welton ......................... 1892 Joseph P. Rundle ...................... 1903 S. F. Hammond ..................... 1878 E. A. Shores .......................... 1893 Pliny Norcross .......................... 1904 Griff J. Thomas ................ 1879-81 J. A. Watrous ........................ 1894 F. A. Copeland ......................... 1905 H. M. Enos ........................... 1882 W. D. Hoard ......................... 1895 John W. Ganes ......................... 1906 Philip Cheek .................... 1883-84
* Deceased.
¥ Elected Commander-in-Chief
The Department reached its largest membership in 1889, when it was 13,944. December 31, 1906, there were 253
Posts, with 9,378 members. The legislature of 1901 established in the capitol a permanent G.A.R. memorial hall for the preservation of relics and
books commemorative of the war, pictures of war scenes, and portraits of men and women who did good service in war times. This hall was to be maintained by the state. It was made the headquarters of the Department of Wisconsin and was well equipped by the state for that purpose. It was the finest department headquarters in the United States. When, Feb. 27, 1904, fire broke out in the capitol, this hall, with all it contained, was completely destroyed; but in the new capitol there will be a larger room of this kind and much better equipped. H. W. Rood, Company E, 12th Wisconsin, is Custodian of this Memorial Hall. At present the Department is at home at 117 North Hamilton street. Wisconsin is generous in her attitude toward the old soldiers. At the last Encampment--Marinette, June 13-15, 1906--the following named officers were chosen: Commander, John
W. Ganes, Fox Lake; Senior Vice Commander, Jason K. Wright, Marinette; Junior Vice Commander, L. A. Brace, Eau Claire; Medical Director, F. R. Garlock, M.D., Racine; Chaplain, Rev. A. O. Britton, Superior; Assistant Adjutant General; C. A. Pettibone, Waupun; Assistant Quartermaster General, F. A. Bird, Madison; Chief of Staff, F. A. Walsh, Milwaukee; Chief Mustering Officer, Joseph V. Vouller, Green Bay; Judge Advocate, George W. Burnell, Oshkosh; Inspector, R. B. Showalter, Lancaster; Patriotic Instructor, H. W. Rood, Madison. Council of Administration--H. C. Putnam, Brodhead; J. M. Botsford, Eau Claire; Edward Scofield, Oconto; Orville
Strong, Dodgeville; D. J. Dill, Prescott. Trustees--J. L. Bear, Janesville, till 1907; Wm. Handeyside, La Crosse; F. H. Lyman, Kenosha; J. C. Martin, Mineral
Point. The Encampment for 1907 will be held at Oshkosh, June 3-6.

Return to Chapter 5.
Return to the 1907 WI Blue Book main page.

James K. Proudfit .................. 1866	*James Davidson .................. 1885	*D. Lloyd Jones .................... 1896
*H. A. Starr .......................... 1867	*Lucius Fairchild ¥ ................ 1886	*E. B. Gray ............................. 1897
*J. M. Rusk .......................... 1868	H. P. Fisher, from Sept. ......... 1886	Charles H. Russel .................... 1898
*T. S. Allen ..................... 1869-70	*Michael Griffin ..................... 1887	*Henry Harnden ...................... 1899
*Edward Fergusen ........... 1871-72	A. G. Weissert ¥ .............. 1888-89	S. H. Talmadge, from March .... 1900
*A. J. McCoy ....................... 1873	Leander Ferguson, from Oct. . 1889	David G. James ........................ 1900
G. A. Hannaford .............. 1874-75	Benjamin F. Bryant ................ 1890	A. H. DeGroff .......................... 1901
John Hancock ....................... 1876	W. H. Upham ........................ 1891	James H. Agen ......................... 1902
Henry G. Rogers ................... 1877	C. B. Welton ......................... 1892	Joseph P. Rundle ...................... 1903
S. F. Hammond ..................... 1878	E. A. Shores .......................... 1893	Pliny Norcross .......................... 1904
Griff J. Thomas ................ 1879-81	J. A. Watrous ........................ 1894	F. A. Copeland ......................... 1905
H. M. Enos ........................... 1882	W. D. Hoard ......................... 1895	John W. Ganes ......................... 1906
Philip Cheek .................... 1883-84