30th Wisconsin Legislature
The Thirtieth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 10, 1877, to March 8, 1877, in regular session.
| 30th Wisconsin Legislature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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![]() Wisconsin State Capitol, 1863 | |||||
| Overview | |||||
| Legislative body | Wisconsin Legislature | ||||
| Meeting place | Wisconsin State Capitol | ||||
| Term | January 1, 1877 – January 7, 1878 | ||||
| Election | November 7, 1876 | ||||
| Senate | |||||
| Members | 33 | ||||
| Senate President | Charles D. Parker (D) | ||||
| President pro tempore | William Hiner (R) | ||||
| Party control | Republican | ||||
| Assembly | |||||
| Members | 100 | ||||
| Assembly Speaker | John B. Cassoday (R) | ||||
| Party control | Republican | ||||
| Sessions | |||||
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This was the first legislative session after the redistricting of the Senate and Assembly according to an act of the previous session.
Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Assembly members were elected to a one-year term. Assembly members and odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 7, 1876. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 2, 1875.[1]
Major events
- January 29, 1877: President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Electoral Commission Act to attempt to settle the disputed 1876 United States presidential election.
- March 2, 1877: The Compromise of 1877 secured the election of Rutherford B. Hayes, resolving the disputed 1876 United States presidential election.
- March 4, 1877: Inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes as the 19th President of the United States.
- May 6, 1877: Chief Crazy Horse of the Oglala Sioux surrendered to United States troops in Nebraska.
- July 16, 1877: The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 lead to rioting in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis.
- September 5, 1877: While in captivity, Chief Crazy Horse was killed by an American soldier.
- November 6, 1877: William E. Smith elected Governor of Wisconsin.
- November 29, 1877: Thomas Edison demonstrated his phonograph for the first time.
Major legislation
- January 31, 1877: Joint Resolution agreeing to an amendment of section four of article seven of the constitution of the state of Wisconsin, 1877 Joint Resolution 1. Confirmed a constitutional amendment adding two seats to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, to be chosen at the Spring 1878 election.
- February 16, 1877: Joint Resolution relating to the coinage of silver, 1877 Act 3.
Party summary
Senate summary

| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dem. | Ref. | Lib.R. | Rep. | Vacant | ||
| End of previous Legislature | 6 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 33 | 0 |
| 1st Session | 8 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 33 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 33.33% | 66.67% | ||||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 10 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 33 | 0 |
Assembly summary

| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dem. | Ref. | Soc. | Gbk. | Ind. | Lib.R. | Rep. | Vacant | ||
| End of previous Legislature | 35 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 52 | 100 | 0 |
| Start of 1st Session | 33 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 61 | 100 | 0 |
| From Jan. 31 | 32 | 62 | |||||||
| Final voting share | 38% | 62% | |||||||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 41 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 100 | 0 |
Sessions
- 1st Regular session: January 10, 1877 – March 8, 1877
Leaders
Senate leadership
- President of the Senate: Charles D. Parker (D)
- President pro tempore: William Hiner (R)
Assembly leadership
Members
Members of the Senate
Members of the Senate for the Thirtieth Wisconsin Legislature:[2]

Members of the Assembly
Members of the Assembly for the Thirtieth Wisconsin Legislature:[2]

Changes from the 29th Legislature
New districts for the 30th Legislature were defined in 1876 Wisconsin Act 343, passed into law in the 29th Wisconsin Legislature.
Summary of changes
- 10 Senate districts were left unchanged (or were only renumbered).
- Brown County became its own senate district (2), after previously having been in a shared district with Door and Kewaunee counties.
- The Dane County district boundaries were slightly redrawn and renumbered (25, 26).
- Milwaukee County went from having 2 districts to 3 (5, 6, 7).
- Green and Lafayette counties were combined into one district (12).
- Fond du Lac County's eastern district was combined with Manitowoc County as one district (20).
- Pierce County was removed from the 24th district and added to a new district with Eau Claire and Dunn counties (30).
Senate districts


| Dist. | 29th Legislature | 30th Legislature |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheboygan County | Door, Kewaunee, Oconto, Shawano counties |
| 2 | Brown, Door, Kewaunee counties | Brown County |
| 3 | Ozaukee County | Racine County |
| 4 | Monroe, Vernon counties | Crawford, Vernon counties |
| 5 | Racine County | Northern Milwaukee County |
| 6 | Southern Milwaukee County | Southern Milwaukee County |
| 7 | Eastern Dane County | Central Milwaukee County |
| 8 | Kenosha, Walworth counties | Kenosha, Walworth counties |
| 9 | Iowa County | Green Lake, Marquette, Waushara counties |
| 10 | Waukesha County | Waukesha County |
| 11 | Lafayette County | Chippewa, Clark, Lincoln, Taylor, Wood counties |
| 12 | Green County | Green, Lafayette counties |
| 13 | Dodge County | Dodge County |
| 14 | Sauk County | Juneau, Sauk counties |
| 15 | Manitowoc County | Manitowoc County |
| 16 | Grant County | Grant County |
| 17 | Rock County | Rock County |
| 18 | Western Fond du Lac County | Western Fond du Lac County |
| 19 | Manitowoc County | Winnebago County |
| 20 | Eastern Fond du Lac County | Sheboygan, Eastern Fond du Lac counties |
| 21 | Marathon, Oconto, Shawano, Waupaca, Northern Outagamie counties | Marathon, Portage, Waupaca counties |
| 22 | Calumet, Southern Outagamie counties | Calumet, Outagamie counties |
| 23 | Jefferson County | Jefferson County |
| 24 | Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix counties | Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk, St. Croix counties |
| 25 | Green Lake, Marquette, Waushara counties | Eastern Dane County |
| 26 | Western Dane County | Western Dane County |
| 27 | Columbia County | Adams, Columbia counties |
| 28 | Crawford, Richland counties | Iowa, Richland counties |
| 29 | Adams, Juneau, Portage, Wood counties | Buffalo, Pepin, Trempealeau counties |
| 30 | Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin counties | Dunn, Eau Claire, Pierce counties |
| 31 | La Crosse County | La Crosse County |
| 32 | Buffalo, Clark, Jackson, Trempealeau counties | Jackson & Monroe counties |
| 33 | Ozaukee, Washington counties | Ozaukee, Washington counties |
Summary of changes
- 45 Assembly districts were left unchanged (or were only renumbered).
- Adams County became its own Assembly district, after previously having been in a shared district with Wood County.
- Chippewa County became its own Assembly district, after previously having been in a shared district with Taylor County.
- Columbia County went from having 3 districts to 2.
- Dane County went from having 4 districts to 3.
- Dodge County went from having 6 districts to 4.
- Door County became its own Assembly district, after previously having been in a shared district with Northern Kewaunee County.
- Dunn County became its own Assembly district, after previously having been in a shared district with Pepin County.
- Juneau County went from having 1 district to 2.
- Ozaukee County went from having 2 districts to 1.
- Rock County went from having 5 districts to 3.
Assembly districts


| County | Districts in 29th Legislature | Districts in 30th Legislature | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | Shared with Wood | 1 District | |
| Ashland | Shared with Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk | Shared with Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk | |
| Barron | Shared with Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk | Shared with Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk | |
| Bayfield | Shared with Ashland, Barron, Burnett, Douglas, Polk | Shared with Ashland, Barron, Burnett, Douglas, Polk | |
| Brown | 3 Districts | 3 Districts | |
| Buffalo | 1 District | 2 shared with Pepin | |
| Burnett | Shared with Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Douglas, Polk | Shared with Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Douglas, Polk | |
| Calumet | 1 District | 1 District | |
| Chippewa | Shared with Taylor | 1 District | |
| Clark | Shared with Jackson | Shared with Lincoln, Taylor & Wood | |
| Columbia | 3 Districts | 2 Districts | |
| Crawford | 1 District | 1 District | |
| Dane | 4 Districts | 3 Districts | |
| Dodge | 6 Districts | 4 Districts | |
| Door | Shared with Northern Kewaunee | 1 District | |
| Douglas | Shared with Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Polk | Shared with Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Polk | |
| Dunn | Shared with Pepin | 1 District | |
| Eau Claire | 1 District | 1 District | |
| Fond du Lac | 3 Districts | 4 Districts | |
| Grant | 4 Districts | 3 Districts | |
| Green | 1 District | 2 Districts | |
| Green Lake | 1 District | 1 District | |
| Iowa | 2 Districts | 2 Districts | |
| Jackson | Shared with Clark | 1 District | |
| Jefferson | 3 Districts | 3 Districts | |
| Juneau | 1 District | 2 Districts | |
| Kenosha | 1 District | 1 District | |
| Kewaunee | Divided between Door and Brown | 1 District | |
| La Crosse | 1 District | 1 District | |
| Lafayette | 1 District | 2 Districts | |
| Manitowoc | 3 Districts | 3 Districts | |
| Marathon | 1 District | 1 District | |
| Marquette | 1 District | 1 District | |
| Milwaukee | 11 Districts | 11 Districts | |
| Monroe | 2 Districts | 2 Districts | |
| Oconto | 1 District | Shared with Shawano | |
| Outagamie | Divided between Shawano and own district | 2 Districts | |
| Ozaukee | 2 Districts | 1 District | |
| Pepin | Shared with Dunn | 2 shared with Buffalo | |
| Pierce | 1 District | 1 District | |
| Polk | Shared with Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas | Shared with Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas | |
| Portage | 1 District | 1 District | |
| Racine | 2 Districts | 2 Districts | |
| Richland | 2 Districts | 2 Districts | |
| Rock | 5 Districts | 3 Districts | |
| Sauk | 2 Districts | 2 Districts | |
| Shawano | Shared with Northern Outagamie & Eastern Waupaca | Shared with Oconto | |
| Sheboygan | 3 Districts | 3 Districts | |
| St. Croix | 1 District | 1 District | |
| Taylor | Shared with Chippewa | Shared with Clark, Lincoln, Wood | |
| Trempealeau | 1 District | 1 District | |
| Vernon | 2 Districts | 2 Districts | |
| Walworth | 3 Districts | 3 Districts | |
| Washington | 2 Districts | 2 Districts | |
| Waukesha | 2 Districts | 2 Districts | |
| Waupaca | Shared with Shawano & Northern Outagamie | 2 Districts | |
| Waushara | 1 District | 1 District | |
| Winnebago | 4 Districts | 4 Districts | |
| Wood | Shared with Adams | Shared with Clark, Lincoln, & Taylor |
References
- Heg, J. E., ed. (1882). "Annals of the Legislature" (PDF). The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 239–241. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- Bashford, R. M., ed. (1877). "Official Directory" (PDF). The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 445–488. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
