Edward Scofield

Scofield's house, located at 610 Main St. in Oconto, Wisconsin Edward Scofield (March 28, 1842February 3, 1925) was an American lumberman and Republican politician. He was the 19th governor of Wisconsin (1897–1901) and served in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Door, Marinette, and Oconto counties. Earlier in life, during the American Civil War, he served as an officer in the Union Army.

Early life Scofield was born in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, on March 28, 1842. He became a printer's apprentice at a newspaper in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and worked in the newspaper business for a number of years.

Civil War service At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Scofield volunteered for service in the Union Army and was enrolled as a private in Company K of the 11th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment. He was granted an honorary brevet to major after his release and mustered out of federal service. Later becoming president of his own lumber company, the Scofield & Arnold Lumber Co. of Marinette.

Campaign and election In 1896 Scofield was elected as the 19th Governor of Wisconsin. He entered the gubernatorial race as a conservative against progressive Republican Robert M. La Follette, winning the Republican nomination on the sixth ballot. In November, he defeated his Democratic opponent, Willis C. Silverthorn, in a five-way general election: 264,981 for Scofield; 169,257 for Silverthorn; 8,140 for Prohibitionist Joshua H. Berkey; 1,306 for Christ Tuttrop of the Socialist Labor Party; and 407 for Robert Henderson of the short-lived "National Party"—a splinter movement from the Prohibition Party. Scofield went on to win the general election with 53% of the vote.

Personal life and death Scofield married Agnes Potter (1850–1919) and they had three children, Julia, Paul, and George.

Scofield died in his home in Oconto on February 3, 1925 (age 82 years, 312 days). He is interred at Evergreen Cemetery in Oconto.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Senate (1886, 1890)