# Joseph W. Babcock

Joseph Weeks Babcock (March 6, 1850 – April 27, 1909) was a seven-term Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin.
Born in Swanton, Vermont. Babcock was the grandson of Joseph Weeks, a Congressman from Vermont. He grew up in Butler County, Iowa, where he started his lumber career working at his father's lumberyard. In 1881 he moved to Necedah, Wisconsin, where he amassed a fortune during his 17 years as manager and secretary of the Necedah Lumber Company, and served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1888 to 1892.
He married Mary Finch, a native of Clinton, Iowa, and the daughter of C. C. Finch. They resided for many years in Necedah, Wisconsin, where Babcock was in the lumber business. They had a son, Charles, and a daughter, Amelia. The Babcocks owned a residence on Capitol Hill facing the capitol grounds.
In 1892, Babcock was elected to the 53rd United States Congress from Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district and was reelected to the six subsequent congresses as well serving from March 4, 1893, till March 3, 1907. In 1893, he helped organize the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee; he was credited with helping achieve Republican successes in the 1894 House elections, and was chairman of the committee for the next ten years. He was a candidate for Speaker of the House in 1902, but lost to Joseph Cannon. He was defeated for reelection in 1906 by Democrat James William Murphy. Speeches on "History of Money and Financial Legislature in the United States" and "Three Evenings with Silver and Money" were published in pamphlet form by him in 1896.
He continued to live in Washington, D.C., where in 1909 he died at the age of 59 after suffering for several weeks from liver and kidney problems.

## Sources

* 1 2 "Babcock, Joseph Weeks". The Biographical Dictionary of America. Vol. 1. 1906. p. 171.
* ↑ Hinman, Ida (1895). The Washington Sketch Book, Supplement. Washington, D.C.: Hartman & Cadick. p. 17. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
* United States Congress. "Joseph W. Babcock (id: B000004)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
* American National Biography, vol. 1, pp. 811–812.
* Wisconsin Historical Society biography
* Men of Mark in America Biography
* "Ex-Congressman J. W. Babcook". The New York Times. 28 April 1909. p. 9. ProQuest 101878577.
U.S. House of Representatives :
| Preceded byAllen R. Bushnell | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1907 | Succeeded byJames William Murphy |
vteWisconsin's delegation(s) to the 53rd–59th United States Congresses (ordered by seniority) :
53rd
Senate:
▌W. Vilas (D)
▌J. Mitchell (D)
House:
▌N. Haugen (D)
▌C. Barwig (D)
▌G. Brickner (D)
▌T. Lynch (D)
▌J. Babcock (R)
▌L. Barnes (D)
▌H. Cooper (R)
▌G. Shaw (R)
▌O. Wells (D)
▌P. Somers (D)
▌M. Griffin (R)
54th
Senate:
▌W. Vilas (D)
▌J. Mitchell (D)
House:
▌J. Babcock (R)
▌H. Cooper (R)
▌M. Griffin (R)
▌S. Barney (R)
▌S. Cook (R)
▌J. Jenkins (R)
▌E. Minor (R)
▌T. Otjen (R)
▌E. Sauerhering (R)
▌A. Stewart (R)
55th
Senate:
▌J. Mitchell (D)
▌J. Spooner (R)
House:
▌J. Babcock (R)
▌H. Cooper (R)
▌M. Griffin (R)
▌S. Barney (R)
▌J. Jenkins (R)
▌E. Minor (R)
▌T. Otjen (R)
▌E. Sauerhering (R)
▌A. Stewart (R)
▌J. Davidson (R)
56th
Senate:
▌J. Spooner (R)
▌J. Quarles (R)
House:
▌J. Babcock (R)
▌H. Cooper (R)
▌S. Barney (R)
▌J. Jenkins (R)
▌E. Minor (R)
▌T. Otjen (R)
▌A. Stewart (R)
▌J. Davidson (R)
▌H. Dahle (R)
▌J. Esch (R)
57th
Senate:
▌J. Spooner (R)
▌J. Quarles (R)
House:
▌J. Babcock (R)
▌H. Cooper (R)
▌S. Barney (R)
▌J. Jenkins (R)
▌E. Minor (R)
▌T. Otjen (R)
▌J. Davidson (R)
▌H. Dahle (R)
▌J. Esch (R)
▌W. Brown (R)
58th
Senate:
▌J. Spooner (R)
▌J. Quarles (R)
House:
▌J. Babcock (R)
▌H. Cooper (R)
▌J. Jenkins (R)
▌E. Minor (R)
▌T. Otjen (R)
▌J. Davidson (R)
▌J. Esch (R)
▌W. Brown (R)
▌H. Adams (R)
▌W. Stafford (R)
▌C. Weisse (D)
59th
Senate:
▌J. Spooner (R)
▌R. La Follette Sr. (R)
House:
▌J. Babcock (R)
▌H. Cooper (R)
▌J. Jenkins (R)
▌E. Minor (R)
▌T. Otjen (R)
▌J. Davidson (R)
▌J. Esch (R)
▌W. Brown (R)
▌H. Adams (R)
▌W. Stafford (R)
▌C. Weisse (D)
▌J. Nelson (R) :