Senator Joseph Very Quarles

Joseph Very Quarles Jr. (December 16, 1843 – October 7, 1911) was an American lawyer, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer who served as a United States senator from Wisconsin from 1899 to 1905 and later as a United States district judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin from 1905 until his death. A member of the Republican Party, he contributed to the legislative process during one full term in the United States Senate and played a significant role in the political and legal development of Wisconsin in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was a nephew of John Bullen Jr. and William Bullen, who established the first settlement at Kenosha, Wisconsin, linking him to the earliest Euro-American development of that community.

Quarles was born on December 16, 1843, in Kenosha (then Southport), Wisconsin Territory. His family’s connections to the Bullen brothers placed him within a prominent pioneer lineage in southeastern Wisconsin. Growing up in a frontier environment that was rapidly transitioning into a settled community, he was exposed early to public affairs and civic development, influences that would later shape his legal and political career.

Quarles pursued higher education in the Midwest, attending the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1866, completing his studies shortly after the end of the Civil War. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar, beginning a legal career that would span several decades. During his career as an attorney, he became one of the founders of the Milwaukee-based law firm that would later be known as Quarles & Brady, a firm that continued into the modern era and stands as a lasting testament to his professional influence in the legal community.

During the American Civil War, Quarles served as an officer in the Union Army, an experience that placed him among the generation of veterans who would go on to shape postwar politics and governance. After the war and the completion of his legal training, he established himself in practice in Wisconsin and soon entered public life. He represented Kenosha County in the Wisconsin Legislature, participating in state-level lawmaking during a period of growth and institutional consolidation. He also served as the 20th mayor of Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he was involved in municipal governance and local improvements, further solidifying his reputation as a capable public servant.

Quarles’s rising prominence in state and local politics led to his election as a Republican to the United States Senate. He was elected to represent Wisconsin in the Senate and served from March 4, 1899, to March 3, 1905. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history marked by industrial expansion, the Spanish–American War’s aftermath, and the early stirrings of the Progressive Era. As a member of the Senate, Joseph Very Quarles participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents at the national level. He was Chairman of the Committee on Transportation Routes to the Seaboard during the 56th Congress, a role that placed him at the center of debates over internal improvements and commercial infrastructure. He later served as Chairman of the Committee on the Census during the 57th and 58th Congresses, overseeing legislative matters related to the federal census, a critical tool for apportionment and public policy. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1905, concluding his single term in the Senate.

After leaving the Senate, Quarles continued his public service in the federal judiciary. In 1905 he was appointed United States district judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. In this capacity he presided over a wide range of federal cases during a time of increasing federal regulatory activity and economic change. He held this judicial office from 1905 until his death in 1911, bringing to the bench the experience of a seasoned lawyer, legislator, and former senator. His judicial service extended his influence beyond partisan politics into the broader administration of justice in Wisconsin.

Joseph Very Quarles died in office on October 7, 1911. By the time of his death, he had left a substantial legacy as a Civil War officer, state legislator, mayor, United States senator, federal judge, and founding partner of a major law firm. His career reflected the trajectory of many nineteenth-century Midwestern leaders who combined military service, legal practice, and public office, and his work helped shape both the civic life of Wisconsin and the institutional development of the federal government during a transformative era in American history.