37th Wisconsin Legislature

The Thirty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session.
Senators representing even-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first two years of a four-year term. Assembly members were elected to a two-year term. Assembly members and even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 4, 1884. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of a four-year term, having been elected in the general election of November 7, 1882.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican Jeremiah M. Rusk, of Vernon County, serving his second two-year term, having won re-election in the 1884 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events

January 27, 1885: John Coit Spooner 1884 and 1885 [United States Senate elections|elected] United States Senator by the Wisconsin Legislature in Joint Session.
February 16, 1885: Charles Dow published the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
March 4, 1885: Inauguration of Grover Cleveland as the 22nd President of the United States.
March 12, 1885: Wisconsin state legislator William Freeman Vilas was confirmed as United States Postmaster General.
March 26, 1885: Prussia began deporting Poles and Jews from their territory.
June 17, 1885: The Statue of Liberty arrived at New York Harbor.
May 1, 1886: A general strike began in the United States.
May 4, 1886: Wisconsin National Guard soldiers fired at a group of striking workers in Bay View, Milwaukee, killing seven, in an incident known as the Bay View massacre.
May 17, 1886: The United States Supreme Court, in the case Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Co., held that corporations had the same rights as living persons.
September 4, 1886: Apache leader Geronimo surrendered to U.S. Army forces at Skeleton Canyon, Arizona.
September 9, 1886: The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works was signed in Bern, Switzerland.
November 2, 1886: Jeremiah McLain Rusk re-elected as Governor of Wisconsin.

Major legislation

March 9, 1885: An Act relating to fire escapes, and amendatory of section 4575a, of the revised statutes, . Required easy-to-access metallic or fire-proof fire escape ladders for buildings taller than three floors.
March 23, 1885: An Act to regulate the practice of dentistry, and to establish a state board of dental examiners, .
Joint Resolution to amend section 1, article 10, of the constitution, relating to education, . Proposed an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin to clarify the wording of the section defining the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin and other education-supervision officers. The proposed amendment would also remove the maximum compensation limit for the Superintendent, which had been set at $1200 per year.

Sessions

1st Regular session: January 14, 1885April 13, 1885

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Sam S. Fifield
President pro tempore: Edward S. Minor

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly: Hiram O. Fairchild

Members

Members of the Senate

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

Dist.	Counties	Senator	Residence	Party
01	Door, Florence, Kewaunee, Langlade, Marinette,		Sturgeon Bay	Rep.
02	Brown		Green Bay	Dem.
03	Racine		Racine	Dem.
04	Crawford & Vernon		Chaseburg	Rep.
05	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Dem.
06	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Rep.
07	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Rep.
08	Kenosha & Walworth		Somers	Rep.
09	Green Lake, Portage,		Hancock	Rep.
10	Waukesha		Eagle	Rep.
11	Ashland, Clark, Lincoln, Price, Taylor,		Neillsville	Rep.
12	Green & Lafayette		Argyle	Rep.
13	Dodge		Beaver Dam	Dem.
14	Juneau & Sauk		Loganville	Rep.
15	Manitowoc		Meeme	Dem.
16	Grant		Millville	Rep.
17	Rock		Edgerton	Rep.
18			Fond du Lac	Rep.
19	Winnebago		Oshkosh	Dem.
20	Sheboygan		Eden	Dem.
21	Marathon, Shawano,		Wausau	Dem.
22	Calumet & Outagamie		Appleton	Dem.
23	Jefferson		Jefferson	Dem.
24	Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk,,		St. Croix Falls	Rep.
25	Eau Claire, Pepin,		Ellsworth	Rep.
26	Dane		Madison	Dem.
27	Adams, Columbia		Portage	Rep.
28	Iowa & Richland		Richland Center	Rep.
29	Buffalo		Arcadia	Rep.
30	Chippewa			Rep.
31	La Crosse		La Crosse	Dem.
32	Jackson		Tomah	Rep.
33	Ozaukee & Washington			Dem.

Members of the Assembly

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

Committees

Senate committees

Senate Committee on Agriculture
Senate Committee on Assessment and Collection of Taxes
Senate Committee on Education
Senate Committee on Enrolled Bills
Senate Committee on Engrossed Bills
Senate Committee on Federal Relations
Senate Committee on Finance, Banks, and Insurance
Senate Committee on Incorporations
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Senate Committee on Legislative Expenditures
Senate Committee on Manufactures and Commerce
Senate Committee on Military Affairs
Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections
Senate Committee on Public Lands
Senate Committee on Railroads
Senate Committee on Roads and Bridges
Senate Committee on State Affairs
Senate Committee on Town and County Organizations

Assembly committees

Assembly Committee on AgricultureChester Hazen, chair
Assembly Committee on Assessment and Collection of TaxesC. E. Estabrook, chair
Assembly Committee on Bills on their Third ReadingJohn K. Parish, chair
Assembly Committee on CitiesJ. E. Friend, chair
Assembly Committee on EducationC. E. Buell, chair
Assembly Committee on Engrossed BillsSamuel B. Stanchfield, chair
Assembly Committee on Enrolled BillsR. W. Pierce, chair
Assembly Committee on Federal RelationsA. W. Sanborn, chair
Assembly Committee on IncorporationsMarion Wescott, chair
Assembly Committee on Insurance, Banks, and BankingW. H. Blyton, chair
Assembly Committee on the JudiciaryPliny Norcross, chair
Assembly Committee on Legislative ExpendituresS. D. Hubbard, chair
Assembly Committee on Lumber and ManufacturesThomas B. Mills, chair
Assembly Committee on Medical SocietiesJ. C. Reynolds, chair
Assembly Committee on MilitiaF. W. Byers, chair
Assembly Committee on Privileges and ElectionsCharles G. Thomas, chair
Assembly Committee on Public ImprovementsM. C. Hobart, chair
Assembly Committee on RailroadsH. J. Goddard, chair
Assembly Committee on Roads and BridgesGeorge G. Cox, chair
Assembly Committee on State LandsS. R. Clark, chair
Assembly Committee on State AffairsL. J. Brayton, chair
Assembly Committee on Town and County OrganizationWilliam H. Young, chair
Assembly Committee on Ways and MeansThomas Porter, chair

Joint committees

Joint Committee on Charitable and Penal Institutions
Joint Committee on Claims
Joint Committee on Printing

Employees

Senate employees

Chief Clerk: Charles E. Bross
* Assistant Clerk: Fred W. Coon
* Bookkeeper: J. H. Whitney
* Engrossing Clerk: J. M. Hayden
* Enrolling Clerk: E. S. Hotchkiss
* Transcribing Clerk: F. J. Turner
* Proofreader: Adelbert D. Thorp
* Clerk for the Judiciary Committee: Willard W. D. Turner
* Clerk for the Committee on Enrolled Bills: John O. Newgard
* Clerk for the Committee on Engrossed Bills: John O. Newgard
* Clerk for the Committee on Claims: John O. Newgard
* Document Clerk: J. J. Marshall
Sergeant-at-Arms: Hubert Wolcott
* Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: T. J. George
Postmaster: J. F. McKenzie
* Assistant Postmaster: George A. Ludington
Gallery Attendant: Michael Bransfield
Document Room Attendant: Frank Partridge
Doorkeepers:
* John C. Frisvold
* Frederick H. Johnson
* Alvah Eaton
* William Crank
Porter: O. J. Wiley
Night Watch: H. Worthington
Janitor: Daniel Corbett
Messengers:
* W. M. Smith
* Ben Smith
* Lemuel Parry
* Elliot B. Davis
* Ferdinand Werner
* Adolph Glenz
* Willis Melville
* Werner Pressentine
* Guy Paine

Assembly employees

Chief Clerk: Edwin Coe
* 1st Assistant Clerk: John W. DeGroff
** 2nd Assistant Clerk: Theodore W. Goldin
* Bookkeeper: J. T. Huntington
* Engrossing Clerk: Egbert Wyman
* Enrolling Clerk: L. J. Burlingame
* Transcribing Clerk: Ellis C. Oliver
* Proofreader: D. P. Beach
* Clerk for the Judiciary Committee: Frank D. Jackson
* Clerk for the Committee on Enrolled Bills: Robert W. Pierce Jr.
* Clerk for the Committee on Engrossed Bills: Warren Meiklejohn
* Document Clerk: H. G. Brown
Sergeant-at-Arms: John M. Ewing
* Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: William A. Adamson
Postmaster: J. H. Young
* Assistant Postmaster: Frank M. Durkee
Doorkeepers:
* W. A. Mayhew
* G. W. Dart
* A. A. Curtis
* Fred Dewey
Fireman: W. J. Bendixon
Gallery Attendants:
* Goetlieb Schuebbert
* W. Muntz
Committee Room Attendant: L. B. Kinney
Document Room Attendant: John H. Pulcifer
Porter: James Nolan
Policeman: Ed. Dempey
Flagman: F. O. Janzen
Night Watch: Michael J. Wallrich
Wash Room Attendant: Bertie Oftelie
Messengers:
* James Howley
* Willie Gillett
* Willie Baker
* Herman Schulze
* Eugene Wescott
* Charles McGee
* Eddie Sherman
* Willie Robson
* Clifford Best
* Willie Smith
* Lewis Adams