Gideon Hixon

Gideon Cooley Hixon (March 28, 1826 – September 23, 1892) was an American businessman and Republican politician. He was a pioneer settler of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and represented in the Wisconsin State Senate and State Assembly. In historical documents, his last name is sometimes spelled "Hickson".

Biography

Born in Roxbury, Vermont, he moved with his family to Massachusetts, where he was raised and educated. His father died in 1836, and he went to live with his grandfather after completing his education and worked on his farm. He disliked farm work, though, and at age 16 he went to work in a factory, then apprenticed as a tinsmith. He then worked as a tinning contractor for several years in a hardware business in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and that business brought him west to St. Louis in 1856.

His first wife died in 1856, and his original lumber mill was destroyed by fire in 1862. However, he bounced back in another lumber mill partnership in 1863, known as Hixon & Withee and later G. C. Hixon & Company. They dealt timber lands and mills around La Crosse and ran the products down the Mississippi River to Missouri, where they also operated a lumber yard. Hixon also became involved in local politics during the 1860s; he was elected to the La Crosse Common Council in 1863, and was then elected city assessor in 1865. After the redistricting of 1871, La Crosse was combined into a single Assembly district. Hixon was then elected to represent that new Assembly district in the 1872 session.

In 1872, he was the Republican candidate for Wisconsin State Senate in the 31st State Senate district, which was then identical to his Assembly district. He defeated Liberal Republican Gilbert M. Woodward and served a two year term. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1874.

After serving four years in the Legislature, Hixon was elected to several terms on the La Crosse school board, and was president of the board in 1877 and 1878.

His house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Electoral history Wisconsin Assembly (1870, 1871)

Wisconsin Senate (1872)