Joseph Rankin

Joseph Rankin (September 25, 1833 – January 24, 1886) was an American businessman and Democratic politician. He was elected to two terms as U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 5th congressional district, but died during his second term. Earlier in his career, he served 11 years in the Wisconsin Legislature, representing Manitowoc County, and was chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Biography

Joseph Rankin was born in Passaic, New Jersey, in 1833. As a child, his parents moved the family to New York, and he was educated at the Homer Academy in Cortland County.

In 1854, he came to settle at Mishicot, in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. He worked briefly in the lumbering industry, but soon opened a general store.

Rankin was soon elected to the Manitowoc County Board of Supervisors, and, in 1859, he was elected to his first term in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Manitowoc's 1st Assembly district (the village of Manitowoc and some of the eastern part of the county).

Civil War service Rankin left office in 1861, as the secession crisis was taking place across the American south. Rankin immediately volunteered for service in the American Civil War and joined up with a company of volunteers known as the "Manitowoc Guards". He was initially elected lieutenant, but was later removed by a vote of the company. Rankin instead accepted a commission from the Governor to assist in new recruiting efforts.

He recruited a new volunteer company in Manitowoc and was elected captain.

The 27th Wisconsin Infantry mustered into service in March 1863 and was ordered to Columbus, Kentucky, for service in the trans-Mississippi theater of the war. They were soon ordered to proceed to Vicksburg, Mississippi, but participated in the Battle of Yazoo City en route. They were organized into XVI Corps at the Siege of Vicksburg.

After the fall of Vicksburg, they were assigned to VII Corps (Department of Arkansas) and participated in the "Little Rock campaign" under General Frederick Steele. They subsequently joined Steele's detachment in the Camden Expedition through southern Arkansas, in coordination with the simultaneous Red River campaign in Louisiana. He insisted that he was not a candidate for Congress through the Summer, but at the district convention in Manitowoc, his name was placed in nomination. He was chosen as the Democratic nominee on the 126th ballot, over Thomas R. Hudd, who had campaigned extensively for the nomination.

U.S. House of Representatives (1882, 1884) Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality 1882 General Democratic 12,933 62.73% Rep. 6,108 29.62% 20,618 6,825 Proh. 813 3.94% G'back 764 3.71% 1884 General Democratic 17,851 59.25% Rep. 11,610 38.53% 30,129 6,241 G'back 473 1.57% Proh. 126 0.42% Ind. 67 0.22%