Lisbon Town Chairmen
According to the town records, the first election was held April 5, 1842, at the stone schoolhouse in Section 35 on the north side of what is now County Trunk Highway K, just west of State Trunk Highway 74., when Samuel Dougherty waschosen Moderator, and David Bonham, and Lucius Botsford, Side Supervisors. DavidBonham was also elected Clerk; James Weaver, Treasurer; Rollin Blount, Assessor;George Comstock, Collector; David Bonham, Ed Smith and School Commissioners; E.W. Fowler and Thomas Redford, Constables; John Weaver, Sealer of Weights andMeasures; A. A. Redford, Samuel Dougherty, David Bonham and William Weaver,Overseers of Highways; A. A. Redford, William B. Caldwell and William Weaver,Fence Viewers. The whole number of votes did not exceed twenty.
Each man received aunanimous 17 votes when elected except for a eight-eight tie between WilliamWeave and George Caldwell for Fence Viewer. Bonham as Chairman, broke the tieand voted for his brother-in-law (William Weaver). [Source: The History of Waukesha County, 1880.Note: In “Yesteryear in SussexRevisited by Fred H. Keller”, Fred’s review of the original April5, 1842 to February 4, 1848 record book, David Bonham was electedChairman, unanimously, at this meeting with 17 electors present.]
The Township has beenserved by the following chairmen:
David Bonham 1842 – 1843 William Steele 1884 – 1885 Nathan Goodell 4/4-4/13/1843 (resigned) Roderick Ainsworth 1885 – 1886 George Comstock 4/22/1843 – 1844 William H. Edwards 1886 – 1888 Thompson Richmond 1844 – 1847 Roderick Ainsworth 1888 – 1889 James Weaver 1847 – 1848 William D. McGill 1889 – 1890 Henry Phillips 1848 – 1849 John R. Small 1890 – 1892 George Elliot 1849 – 1850 John A. Rogers 1892 – 1894 Elisha Pearl 1850 – 1851 Richard Craven 1894 – 1895 Robert Black 1851 – 1852 Roderick Ainsworth 1895 – 1896 Rooman Palmer 1852 – 1853 Richard Craven 1896 – 1897 George Cairncross 1853 – 1859 William H. Edwards 1897 – 1900 Richard Cooling 1859 – 1861 C. B. Buck, Jr. 1900 – 1902 Henry R. Savage 1861 – 1862 William H. Edwards 1902 – 1903 William McDonald 1862 – 1863 C. B. Buck, Jr. 1903 – 1904 William Weaver II 1863 – 1865 William D. McGill 1904 – 1907 A. M. Robbins 1865 – 1866 William H. Edwards 1907 – 1909 William Weaver II 1866 – 1868 Henry Rhineford 1909 – 1910 Andrew L. Davidson 1868 – 1869 William H. Edwards 1910 – 1911 Henry Phillips 1869 – 1871 Charles Malsch 1911 – 1917 John Watson 1871 – 1872 John P. Stier 1917 – 1921 Henry Phillips 1872 – 1873 Rodney D. Williams 1921 – 1924 Roderick Ainsworth 1873 – 1875 William D. McGill 1922 – 1924 William Small 1875 – 1877 William C. Zillmer 1924 – 1955 Richard Weaver 1877 – 1878 Paul Pichler 1955 – 1961 Charles Buck, Sr. 1878 – 1879 Arthur Manke 1961 – 1969 William Small 1879 – 1880 Marvin E. Burg 1969 – 1977 Henry Phillips 1880 – 1882 Richard Jung 1977 – 1984 William Small 1882 – 1883 Donald R. Holt 1984 – 1997 James Templeton 1883 – 1884 Gerald Schmitz 1997 – Present
Community picnic during early August 1901 at the Elmer WeaverWoods (former Thomas Weaver Woods, north of present day Stoney Halquist Park)with former Town of Lisbon Supervisors and Chairmen attending. The identity ofthese men follows, with the Town Chairmen in bold print, left to right, frontrow, Charles Buck, Jr., McCartan, Jeremiah Smith, Charles Beier; secondrow, August Busse, John Tempero, Jim Weaver, Charles Vick, unknown, AndrewDavidson (Andrew L. ?), Albert Brandt, Dave Tempero, and Jim Lounsberry; thirdrow, George Howard, John Rodgers, Will Edwards, Fred Haass, GeorgeBates, host Elmer Weaver, and John Small; fourth row, Henry Howard,Charles Brown, George McKerrow, Robert Leadly, John Slicker, George Brown,August Mindemann, Perdergast, Charles Buck, Sr., William Hurtgen, JohnWatson, Richard Weaver, and Richmond Weaver; last row, GeorgeRussell, Charles Walters, Philip Stier, Herman Busse, William D. McGill,and Roderick Ainsworth. In the background is a teepee file of tamarackpoles that were used for the raising of hops, which at this time was a dyingindustry because of a bug called the “hop louse”. According to a newsreport, 500 attended this event, including the very first settler of the Town ofLisbon, Thomas Spencer Redford.