Joel Foster Nason (August 31, 1827 – December 3, 1908) was an American farmer, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate, representing the northwest corner of the state in the 1885 and 1887 sessions.

Joel F. Nason
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 24th district
In office
January 5, 1885 – January 7, 1889
Preceded byJames Hill
Succeeded byCharles Simeon Taylor
County Clerk of Polk County, Wisconsin
In office
January 5, 1866 – January 1, 1872
Preceded byCharles H. Staples
Succeeded byWilliam J. Vincent
Personal details
Born(1827-08-31)August 31, 1827
Crawford, Maine, U.S.
DiedDecember 3, 1908(1908-12-03) (aged 81)
Osceola, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placeRamsey Cemetery, Osceola, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
  • Bethiah Hanscom
    (died 1862)
  • Mary Ann Godfrey
    (died 1885)
  • Fannie Field
    (m. 1887⁠–⁠1908)
Childrenat least 7
OccupationFarmer

Biography

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Joel Nason was born on August 31, 1827, in Crawford, Maine.[1] He had little education in his early years, but attended an academy in Monson, Maine, and worked as a teacher before moving to the west.[2]

He came to Wisconsin in April 1850 and settled at St. Croix Falls where he initially worked as a lumberman before cultivating a farm. He served as a county commissioner from 1861 to 1863, and was elected county clerk in 1865, 1867, and 1869.[1] He was appointed receiver at the United States General Land Office in St. Croix Falls in 1871, and was re-appointed in 1875, 1879, and 1883.[1]

In 1884, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate running on the Republican Party ticket. He represented the 24th State Senate district, which then-comprised most of northwestern Wisconsin—Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk, St. Croix, and Washburn counties—and served in the 1885 and 1887 sessions of the Legislature.[1]

He died in 1908 at Osceola, Wisconsin.[3]

Electoral history

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Wisconsin Senate (1884)

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Wisconsin Senate, 24th District Election, 1884[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 8, 1884
Republican Joel F. Nason 5,785 61.37% −2.77%
Democratic Reuben F. Little 3,641 38.63%
Plurality 2,144 22.75% -5.54%
Total votes 9,426 100.0% +47.86%
Republican hold

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Heg, James E., ed. (1885). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 423. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  2. ^ Williams, J. Fletcher (1881). "St. Croix Falls". History of Washington County and the St. Croix Valley. North Star Publishing Co. p. 299. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  3. ^ "Nason, Joel Foster". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
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Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 24th district
January 5, 1885 – January 7, 1889
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
Charles H. Staples
County Clerk of Polk County, Wisconsin
January 5, 1866 – January 1, 1872
Succeeded by
William J. Vincent