Benjamin F. Millard
21st Mayor of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
In office
April 1892  April 1893
Preceded byJacob Leinenkugel
Succeeded byW. H. Stafford
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Chippewa district
In office
January 7, 1889  January 5, 1891
Preceded byThomas J. Cunningham
Succeeded byJames Andrew Taylor
Personal details
Born(1850-05-05)May 5, 1850
Baraboo, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedJanuary 27, 1926(1926-01-27) (aged 75)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Resting placeCremated
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
  • Eva Buzzell
    (divorced)
  • Ruth Butterfield
  • two earlier wives
Parent
  • Franklin Millard (father)
OccupationLumberman, florist, mine operator

Benjamin Franklin Millard (May 5, 1850  January 27, 1926) was an American businessman, politician, and pioneer of Alaska and Washington. He was the 21st mayor of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and represented Chippewa County in the Wisconsin State Assembly during the 1889 session.

Biography

Benjamin F. Millard was born on May 5, 1850, in Baraboo, Wisconsin. As a child, he moved with his father to Minnesota, then to Menomonie, Wisconsin, in 1858, before finally settling at Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in 1861. He came from an impoverished background and went to work in the logging camps around Chippewa Falls.[1]

He was able to become a majority owner of the Chippewa Falls Woolen and Linen Mills, and owned a number of greenhouses.[2] He was active with the Republican Party of Wisconsin, and was elected to the Chippewa Falls city council and the Chippewa County board of supervisors. In 1888, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly and served in the 1889 session of the Legislature.[1] He was defeated running for re-election 1890.[3] In 1892, however, he was elected mayor of Chippewa Falls, and served a one-year term.

In 1898, he moved to the District of Alaska. There, he organized the Galena Bay Mining Company and purchased a stake in the Bonanza Copper Mine of Alaska. He also owned or part-owned several other mining companies, including the Cliff and Granite Gold Mines.[2]

Later in life, he relocated to Seattle, Washington, where he died in 1926.[2]

Personal life and family

Millard married four times. He was survived by two children and his fourth wife.[2]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1888, 1890)

Wisconsin Assembly, Chippewa District Election, 1888[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 6, 1888
Republican Benjamin F. Millard 2,662 48.81% +10.23%
Democratic Robert Patten 2,538 46.53% -7.78%
Prohibition John Bates 254 4.66% -2.45%
Plurality 124 2.27% -13.46%
Total votes 5,454 100.0% +18.21%
Republican gain from Democratic
Wisconsin Assembly, Chippewa District Election, 1890[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 4, 1890
Democratic James Andrew Taylor 1,562 47.96% +1.42%
Republican Benjamin F. Millard (incumbent) 1,518 46.61% -2.20%
Prohibition Joseph Burrington 177 5.43% +0.78%
Plurality 44 1.35% -0.92%
Total votes 3,257 100.0% -40.28%
Democratic gain from Republican

References

  1. 1 2 3 Timme, Ernst G., ed. (1889). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 503. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Benjamin F. Millard". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. February 10, 1926. p. 4. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Cunningham, Thomas J., ed. (1891). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 587–588. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
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