George Cabanis

George Edwin Cabanis (September 7, 1815; death date unknown) was an American carpenter and builder from Bigpatch, Wisconsin who served one term as a Republican member of the Wisconsin State Assembly representing Grant County's First Assembly district (the Towns of Harrison, Hazel Green, Jamestown, Paris, Platteville and Smelser).^[1]

Background

Cabanis was born in Greensburg, in Green County, Kentucky in 1815. When he was seven years old, his family moved to Sangamon County, Illinois (among the first white settlers in that area). He served in the Black Hawk War, and in 1834 moved to New Diggings, Wisconsin to prospect for lead. In 1844 he moved to the Town of Smelser in Grant County, where he settled. He served as town clerk, school superintendent, and town chairman at various times.

Legislature

In 1871, he was elected to the Assembly to succeed fellow Republican Joseph Harris, defeating former Assemblyman and State Senator Democrat John Rountree by a vote of 670 to 615. He was assigned to the standing committee on mining and smelting.^[2] He did not run for re-election in 1872, and was succeeded by Liberal Reform Party candidate Thomas G. Stephens.

Personal life

He married Mary Ann Lauterman, a native of Illinois. They had two sons: Jasper (who died in 1862), and James Henry Cabanis, who would be elected to his father's old Assembly seat in 1881.^[3]

It is unclear whether the "G. E. Cabanis" and "Geo. E. Cabanis" who is reported as principal of various area public high schools (Potosi, Mineral Point and Darlington) from 1887-1891 is the same man.

References

1. State of Wisconsin Legislative Bureau. "Members of the Wisconsin Legislature 1848–1999 Information Bulletin 99-1, September 1999. p. 34 Archived December 9, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
2. Turner, A. J., ed. The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin; Comprising Jefferson's Manual, Rules, Forms and Laws for the Regulation of Business; also, lists and tables for reference Madison, 1872; pp. 383, 448, 463, 470
3. Butterfield, Consul Willshire. History of Grant County, Wisconsin: An account of its settlement, growth, development and resources; an extensive and minute sketch of its cities, towns and villages, their improvements, industries, manufactories, churches, schools and societies; its war record, biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers; the whole preceded by a history of Wisconsin, statistics of the state, and an abstract of its laws and constitution and of the constitution of the United States Chicago: Western Historical Co., 1881; p. 1016