27th Wisconsin Legislature

The Twenty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session.
This was the first session since 1856 in which the Democratic Party held control of the Assembly.
Senators representing even-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Assembly members were elected to a one-year term. Assembly members and even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 4, 1873. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 5, 1872.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Democrat William Robert Taylor, of Dane County, serving the first year of a two-year term, having won election in the 1873 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events

January 5, 1874: Inauguration of William Robert Taylor as 12th governor of Wisconsin.
June 16, 1874: Wisconsin Supreme Court chief justice Luther S. Dixon resigned from the court. Governor William Robert Taylor immediately appointed Milwaukee city attorney Edward George Ryan to become the 5th chief justice.
July 1, 1874: The Sholes and Glidden typewriter was first marketed in the United States, it was principally designed by Wisconsin resident C. Latham Sholes.
October 9, 1874: The Treaty of Bern was signed, establishing a General Postal Union for the coordination of international mail deliveries.
November 25, 1874: The Greenback Party was established as a United States political party, composed mostly of farmers suffering the financial effects of the Panic of 1873.

Major legislation

February 26, 1874: An Act to prohibit certain provisions and conditions in contracts, . Outlawed contract terms which attempted to remove contract disputes from court jurisdiction.
March 7, 1874: Joint Resolution providing for biennial sessions of the legislature and compensation of members, . Proposed an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin to change Assembly terms from one year to two years. This version of the amendment would be defeated, but a later attempt at the same change would be approved in 1882.
March 10, 1874: An Act to regulate railroads in certain respects, . Required that railroad lines passing through populated areas must make at least one stop in that area per day.
March 11, 1874: An Act relating to railroads, express and telegraph companies, in the state of Wisconsin, . Implemented regulation of railroad freight and passenger rates, and established the Wisconsin Railroad Commission to enforce the new law. Referred to in historical documents and newspapers as the "Potter Law" for its chief sponsor D. Potter.
March 12, 1874: An Act in relation to railroads, . Declared that all railroad lines in the state would be common carriers, and carry each others passengers and cars without discrimination.

Sessions

1st Regular session: January 14, 1874March 12, 1874

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Charles D. Parker
President pro tempore: John Chandler Holloway

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly: Gabriel Bouck

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Twenty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature:

Dist.	Counties	Senator	Residence	Party
01	Sheboygan		Lyndon	Dem.
02	Brown, Door, & Kewaunee		Kewaunee	Dem.
03	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
04	Monroe & Vernon		Tomah	Rep.
05	Racine		Racine	Lib.R.
06	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
07	Dane		Madison	Rep.
08	Kenosha & Walworth		Whitewater	Rep.
09	Iowa		Linden	Rep.
10	Waukesha		Merton	Dem.
11	Lafayette		Gratiot	Rep.
12	Green		Brodhead	Ref.
13	Dodge		Beaver Dam	Dem.
14	Sauk		Sauk City	Rep.
15	Manitowoc		Manitowoc	Dem.
16	Grant		Lancaster	Rep.
17	Rock		Beloit	Rep.
18			Fond du Lac	Rep.
19	Winnebago		Oshkosh	Rep.
20			Marshfield	Dem.
21	Marathon, Oconto, Shawano, Waupaca,		Shawano	Rep.
22	Calumet & Southern Outagamie		Chilton	Ref.
23	Jefferson		Milford	Dem.
24	Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Pierce, Polk,			Rep.
25	Green Lake, Marquette, & Waushara		Wautoma	Rep.
26	Dane		Middleton	Lib.R.
27	Columbia		Courtland	Rep.
28	Crawford & Richland			Dem.
29	Adams, Juneau, Portage,		Grand Rapids	Rep.
30	Chippewa, Dunn,,			Dem.
31	La Crosse		La Crosse	Rep.
32	Buffalo, Clark, Jackson,		Sumner	Rep.
33	Ozaukee & Washington		Addison	Dem.

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Twenty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature:

Employees

Senate employees

Chief Clerk: J. H. Waggoner
* Assistant Clerk: Robert A. Gillett
** Bookkeeper: T. S. Ansley
* Engrossing Clerk: Mrs. Fannie Vilas
* Enrolling Clerk: W. L. Abbott
* Transcribing Clerk: John W. Brackett
* Clerk for the Committee on Engrossed Bills: E. S. Knight
* Clerk for the Committee on Enrolled Bills: Will Bates
Sergeant-at-Arms: O. U. Akin
* Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: E. J. Cole
Postmaster: A. J. White
* Assistant Postmaster: Nils Michelet
Doorkeeper: W. H. Bell
* Assistant Doorkeeper: M. Lynch
* Assistant Doorkeeper: M. H. Cram
* Gallery Doorkeeper: J. A. Newman
* Gallery Doorkeeper: J. K. Dunn
* Committee Room Attendant: J. Williams
* Night Watch: Fred Bright
Lt. Governors Messenger: Wendell Paine
Clerk's Messenger: Eddie McCurdy
Messengers:
* Fred Richards
* Daniel Fitzpatrick
* Charlie Colvin
* Richard Murphy
* Marcus Moody

Assembly employees

Chief Clerk: George Wilbur Peck
* Assistant Clerk: Frank Hatch
** Bookkeeper: J. W. Ryckman
* Engrossing Clerk: J. C. Eggers
* Enrolling Clerk: E. C. Enos
* Transcribing Clerk: G. J. Patton
Sergeant-at-Arms: Joseph Deuster
* Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Columbus Germain
Postmaster: Agesilaus Wilson
* Assistant Postmaster: A. S. Weil
Doorkeepers:
* B. S. Rollin
* Michael Kelly
* W. Hyde
Night Watch: Bernard C. Wolter
Fireman: Felix McLindon
Committee Room Attendants:
* D. S. Harkness
* W. Hughes
* Richard Donovan
* Edward Flaherty
Porter: David Goodell
Speaker's Messenger: Clinton Snow
Chief Clerk's Messenger: Winnie Hassell
Sergeant-at-Arms' Messenger: Helson Bronnell
Messengers:
* Charles Johnson
* Charles Murphy
* James Foran
* Frank Dunn
* Willie Pitman
* Charlie Whitton
* Theodore Cooper
* Walter Reyson