Benjamin F. Fontaine (February 27, 1837 – January 9, 1910) was a Belgian American hardware merchant and politician. He served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1880 and 1881, representing northeast Brown County.[1]

Benjamin Fontaine
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Brown 1st district
In office
January 5, 1880 – January 2, 1882
Preceded byDavid M. Kelly
Succeeded byJohn M. Hogan
Personal details
Born(1837-02-27)February 27, 1837
Pietrebais, Province of Brabant, Belgium
DiedJanuary 9, 1910(1910-01-09) (aged 72)
Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placeFort Howard Memorial Park, Green Bay
Political partyRepublican
SpouseDesiree Fontaine
Children4

Biography

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Fontaine was born in 1837 in Belgium, and was educated to the standards of the time.[2] He moved to the Town of Green Bay in 1855 and later moved to the town of Scott, where he lived from 1860 to 1864 and was town chairman in 1863.[3] From there, he moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1865 and started a hardware business in 1870, which he maintained until 1907.[3]

He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly from Brown County's 1st Assembly district for the 1880 session and was re-elected for the 1881 term.[2] Fontaine was one of the first Belgian-American immigrants to northeastern Wisconsin to serve in the Assembly; others included Joseph Wery, Constant Martin, John B. Eugene and Grégoire Dupont.[1] Immediately following his time in the Assembly, Fontaine served two terms on the Green Bay City Council.[3] In 1892, Fontaine was a founding member of the Belgian Republicans Club in Green Bay.[4]

Fontaine was married and had four children. He died on January 9, 1910, and was buried at Fort Howard Cemetery.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Martin, Xavier (1895). Thwaites, Reuben (ed.). The Belgians of Northeast Wisconsin (13th ed.). Madison, WI: Democrat Printing Company. p. 19.
  2. ^ a b Biographical Sketches - 1881 Blue Book (PDF). Madison, WI: Wisconsin State Legislature. 1881. pp. 504–505. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "Old Hardware Dealer Dies". Green Bay Semi-Weekly Gazette. January 12, 1910. Retrieved September 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Enthusiastic Republicans: The Belgian Republican Club Organized". Green Bay Weekly Gazette. September 28, 1892. Retrieved September 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.