John B. Eugene (died July 10, 1878) was a Belgian-American politician. He served in the 1868 Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Brown County's First District.[1]

John B. Eugene
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Brown 1st district
In office
January 6, 1868 – January 4, 1869
Preceded byWilliam J. Abrams
Succeeded byJoseph S. Curtis
Personal details
BornAishe-en-Refail, Belgium
Died(1878-07-10)July 10, 1878
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Resting placeWoodlawn Cemetery, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican

Biography

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Eugene was born in Belgium and moved to northeast Wisconsin in 1855.[2] He worked at a paper mill and lost an arm working.[3] He later worked in Madison with the state Attorney General's office.[3] During the American Civil War, Eugene was the quartermaster of the 43rd Wisconsin Infantry.[4]

Eugene was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly for the 1868 term, representing Brown County's 1st District.[5] He defeated Democratic challenger Arthur Jacobi by a mere 17 votes, 517-500.[6] Eugene was one of the first Belgian-American immigrants from northeastern Wisconsin to serve in the Assembly along with Joseph Wery, Constant Martin, Benjamin Fontaine and Grégoire Dupont.[1]

After serving in the Assembly, Eugene was elected Clerk of Brown County in the fall of 1868.[7] He also later served as a revenue collector,[8] and was a member of the Wisconsin Board of Immigration.[9] During the mid-1870s, Eugene served as a doorkeeper for the United States Congress.[10]

Eugene died in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on July 10, 1878; reports conflict on whether it was due to heart disease or apoplexy.[2][11]

References

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  1. ^ a b Martin, Xavier (1895). Thwaites, Xavier (ed.). The Belgians of Northeast Wisconsin (13th ed.). Madison, WI: Democrat Printing Company. p. 19.
  2. ^ a b "Death of John B. Eugene". Green Bay Weekly Gazette. July 13, 1878. Retrieved September 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "Postmaster of the Assembly". Wisconsin State Journal. January 3, 1863. Retrieved September 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Arrival of the 43rd Regiment". Janesville Daily Gazette. June 30, 1865. Retrieved September 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Wisconsin Legislature - Complete". West Eau Claire Argus. October 27, 1867. Retrieved September 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Brown County Election Returns". Green Bay Weekly Gazette. November 9, 1867. Retrieved September 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Brown County Redeemed". Wisconsin State Journal. November 10, 1868. Retrieved September 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Sawyer, Philetus (November 25, 1895). "Gossip from Madison". The Oshkosh Northwestern. Retrieved September 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "State Board of Immigration". Wisconsin State Journal. March 25, 1870. Retrieved September 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Local Matters". Wisconsin State Journal. July 2, 1874. Retrieved September 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Personal Memoranda". The Appleton Crescent. July 13, 1878. Retrieved September 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.