Representative Alanson Mellen Kimball

Alanson Mellen Kimball (March 12, 1827 – May 26, 1913) was an American politician and businessman who represented Wisconsin in the United States House of Representatives from 1875 to 1877. A member of the Republican Party, he served one term in Congress from Wisconsin’s 6th congressional district and earlier held a seat in the Wisconsin State Senate, where he represented Adams, Juneau, and Waushara counties. His public career unfolded during a significant period in American history, as the nation adjusted to the political and economic challenges of the post–Civil War era.

Kimball was born on March 12, 1827, in Buxton, York County, Maine. Little is recorded in standard references about his formal education, but like many men of his generation from rural New England, he grew up in an agricultural environment that emphasized self-reliance and practical skills. This early background in a small Maine community helped shape the work ethic and business acumen that he later brought to his pursuits in the Midwest.

In 1852, Kimball moved west to Wisconsin, part of a broader migration of New Englanders seeking opportunity in the developing states of the Old Northwest. Settling in what would become his long-term home region, he engaged in agricultural and mercantile pursuits, building a livelihood in farming and local trade. His involvement in these enterprises connected him closely with the economic life of central Wisconsin and provided a foundation for his entry into public service, as he became known among his neighbors as a capable and industrious citizen.

Kimball’s political career began at the state level. A Republican, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate and served one term, in 1863 and 1864, representing the counties of Adams, Juneau, and Waushara. His tenure in the Senate coincided with the Civil War, a period in which Wisconsin played an important role in supporting the Union cause. In the legislature he participated in shaping state policy at a time when questions of war finance, support for soldiers and their families, and postwar development were central concerns.

Building on his state legislative experience, Kimball was elected in 1874 as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives for the 44th Congress, representing Wisconsin’s 6th congressional district. He served in Congress from March 4, 1875, to March 3, 1877. During this single term in the House of Representatives, he contributed to the legislative process and participated in the democratic governance of the nation during the closing years of Reconstruction and the onset of the Gilded Age. As a member of the House, he represented the interests of his Wisconsin constituents, whose concerns included agriculture, commerce, and the continued development of the state’s infrastructure and resources. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1876.

After leaving Congress, Kimball returned to private life in Wisconsin and became involved in the lumber business, an industry of major importance to the state’s economy in the late nineteenth century. He remained active in Republican politics and served as a delegate to the 1884 Republican National Convention in Chicago, participating in the selection of the party’s national ticket and contributing to the broader direction of Republican policy in the post-Reconstruction era. His continued engagement in party affairs reflected his ongoing influence and standing within Wisconsin’s Republican ranks.

Kimball spent his later years in Waushara County, Wisconsin. He was married to Frances Kimball, who predeceased him, as did their first son, Charlie. Alanson Mellen Kimball died in Pine River, Waushara County, Wisconsin, on May 26, 1913. He was interred at Pine River Cemetery. His legacy in the state is reflected in the naming of the town of Kimball, in Iron County, Wisconsin, in his honor, a recognition of his role in the political and economic development of Wisconsin during the nineteenth century.