{{short description|19th century American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}} {{infobox officeholder |name = G. C. Hixon |image = Gideon C. Hixon.png |caption = From ''A Biographical History, with Portraits, of Prominent Men of the Great West'' (1894) |state = Wisconsin |state_senate = Wisconsin |district = 31st |term_start = January 6, 1873 |term_end = January 4, 1875 |predecessor = Angus Cameron |successor = Sylvester Nevins |state_assembly1 = Wisconsin |district1 = La Crosse 1st |term_start1 = January 2, 1871 |term_end1 = January 6, 1873 |predecessor1 = Theodore Rodolf |successor1 = Alexander McMillan |party = Republican |birth_date = {{birth date|1826|3|28}} |birth_place = Roxbury, Vermont, U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|1892|9|23|1826|3|28}} |death_place = La Crosse, Wisconsin, U.S. |resting_place = Oak Grove Cemetery, {{nowrap|La Crosse}} |spouse = {{unbulleted list | {{marriage|Sarah E. Crosby|1850|1856|end=died}} | {{marriage|Ellen Jane Pennell|1861|1892}} }} |children = {{unbulleted list | Frank Pennell Hixon | {{sup|(1862–1931)}} | Joseph Morris Hixon | {{sup|(1864–1936)}} | William Lloyd Hixon | {{sup|(1867–1916)}} | George Cooley Hixon | {{sup|(1871–1923)}} | Robert Hixon | {{sup|(1878–1945)}} }} |occupation = Tinsmith, lumberman, miller, banker |signature = Signature of Gideon Cooley Hixon (1826–1892).png }} '''Gideon Cooley Hixon''' (March 28, 1826{{spaced ndash}}September 23, 1892) was an American businessman and Republican politician. He was a pioneer settler of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and represented {{nowrap|La Crosse County}} 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 In historical documents, his last name is sometimes spelled "Hickson".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.<ref name="biog">{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/biographicalhist00manh/ |title= A Biographical History, with Portraits, of Prominent Men of the Great West |year= 1894 |publisher= Manhattan Publishing Co. |pages= [https://archive.org/details/biographicalhist00manh/page/660/ 660–663] |accessdate= July 25, 2022 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="biog"/> Learning of the many business opportunities in the west, and having a significant amount of capital from his tinning work, he decided to form a partnership with William Wheeler Crosby—the half-brother of his wife—to establish a lumber mill venture in the vicinity of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Crosby had moved to La Crosse in 1854, and the Hixons followed in 1858. Gideon would remain in La Crosse for the rest of his life.<ref name="hist">{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/cu31924028871536/ |title=History of La Crosse County, Wisconsin |year= 1881 |publisher= Western Historical Co. |last= Butterfield |first= Consul Willshire |page= [https://archive.org/details/cu31924028871536/page/499/ 499], [https://archive.org/details/cu31924028871536/page/519 519], [https://archive.org/details/cu31924028871536/page/583/ 583] |accessdate= July 25, 2022 }}</ref>
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.<ref name="hist"/>
He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1870, running on the Republican Party ticket. He was elected in La Crosse County's first Assembly district, which then comprised the southern half of the county.<ref name="1871bio">{{Cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/B5CUTWMGTJZGT83 |title= The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1871 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |chapter= Official Directory |page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AB5CUTWMGTJZGT83/full/AAUNSFQPRW3HDF8M 378] |accessdate= July 25, 2022 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="1872bio">{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/3PZNSAQ7F7WRA85 |title= The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1872 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |chapter= Official Directory |page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A3PZNSAQ7F7WRA85/full/AEDXRXPVT27UH582 450] |accessdate= July 25, 2022 }}</ref>
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.<ref name="1874bio">{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/QGNJJMPXQ5JNX8R |title= The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1874 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |chapter= Official Directory |page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AQGNJJMPXQ5JNX8R/full/AFTXM2OWQYXLZS8S 454] |accessdate= July 25, 2022 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="hist"/> In addition to his elected offices, Hixon was involved in many business ventures in and around the city of La Crosse. After prospering in his initial lumber ventures, he ultimately owned several productive mills, producing flour, wool, paper, and other goods. With his profits, he became an investor in other ventures. He was one of the founders of the La Crosse National Bank in 1877, and was then president of that bank.<ref name="hist"/> He was also an investor and a driver behind the La Crosse Street Railway company.<ref name="hist"/> He was also a founder of the short-lived La Crosse Petroleum Company which sought to exploit the oil reserves which were believed to exist in west central Wisconsin.
Hixon suffered from heart disease for many years, and largely retired from business and politics in the early 1880s, turning over his affairs to his sons. He ultimately died of heart failure on the morning of September 23, 1892, at his home in La Crosse.<ref name="biog"/>
==Personal life and family== [[File:HixonHouseFrontLaCrosse.jpg|thumb|right|Gideon C. Hixon House, front]] thumb|right|Gideon Hixon House, rear Gideon Hixon was a son of Joseph Hixon and his wife Electa (''{{nee}}'' Cooley). His maternal grandfather was Green Cooley, one of the founders of Springfield, Massachusetts.<ref name="biog"/>
Gideon Hixon married twice. He first married Sarah E. Crosby, of Maine, in 1850. She died in 1856. He subsequently married school teacher Ellen Jane Pennell in 1861. They had five sons together who all survived him. He left an extensive estate to his wife and sons, which became the basis for generations of successful business ventures, and a charitable foundation which still exists today.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.gideonhixon.com/the-gideon-hixon-fund/gideon-cooley-hixon/ |title= Gideon Cooley Hixon |website= Gideon Hixon Fund |accessdate= July 25, 2022 }}</ref>
His house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.firstrepublic.com/articles-insights/life-money/plan-your-legacy/one-familys-approach-to-cultivating-legacy-across-six-generations--and-counting |title= One Family's Approach to Cultivating Legacy Across Six Generations — And Counting |date= May 21, 2022 |first= Kelly |last= Arrillaga |website= First Republic Bank |accessdate= July 25, 2022 }}</ref>
==Electoral history== ===Wisconsin Assembly (1870, 1871)=== {{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Assembly, La Crosse 1st District Election, 1870<ref name="1871bio"/>}} | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| '''General Election, November 8, 1870''' {{Election box winning candidate with party link |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Gideon C. Hixon |votes = 1,005 |percentage = 66.73% |change = +21.92% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = John J. Cole |votes = 501 |percentage = 33.27% |change = }} {{Election box plurality |votes = 504 |percentage = 33.47% |change = +23.09% }} {{Election box total |votes = 1,506 |percentage = 100.0% |change = -13.15% }} {{Election box gain with party link no swing |winner = Republican Party (United States) |loser = Democratic Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Assembly, La Crosse District Election, 1871<ref name="1872bio"/>}} | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| '''General Election, November 7, 1871''' {{Election box winning candidate with party link |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Gideon C. Hixon |votes = 1,840 |percentage = 57.83% |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Democratic Party (United States) |candidate = N. D. Loomis |votes = 1,342 |percentage = 42.17% |change = }} {{Election box plurality |votes = 498 |percentage = 15.65% |change = }} {{Election box total |votes = 3,182 |percentage = 100.0% |change = }} {{Election box new seat win |winner = Republican Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}
===Wisconsin Senate (1872)=== {{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Senate, 31st District Election, 1872<ref name="1874bio"/>}} | colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| '''General Election, November 5, 1872''' {{Election box winning candidate with party link |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Gideon C. Hixon |votes = 2,213 |percentage = 53.13% |change = -19.26% }} {{Election box candidate with party link |party = Liberal Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Gilbert M. Woodward |votes = 1,952 |percentage = 46.87% |change = }} {{Election box plurality |votes = 261 |percentage = 6.27% |change = -38.53% }} {{Election box total |votes = 4,165 |percentage = 100.0% |change = +8.15% }} {{Election box hold with party link no swing |winner = Republican Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.gideonhixon.com/ Gideon Hixon Fund Home Page]
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-wi-hs}} {{s-bef|before = Theodore Rodolf }} {{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nowrap|from the La Crosse 1st district}} |years= January 2, 1871{{spaced ndash}}January 1, 1872 }} {{s-non|reason = District abolished }} |- {{s-non|reason = District created }} {{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nowrap|from the La Crosse district}} |years= January 1, 1872{{spaced ndash}}January 6, 1873 }} {{s-aft|after = Alexander McMillan }} {{s-par|us-wi-sen}} {{s-bef|before = Angus Cameron }} {{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin Senate}} {{nowrap|from the 31st district}} |years= January 6, 1873{{spaced ndash}}January 4, 1875 }} {{s-aft|after = Sylvester Nevins }} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hixon, Gideon}} Category:1826 births Category:1892 deaths Category:People from Roxbury, Vermont Category:Politicians from La Crosse, Wisconsin Category:School board members in Wisconsin Category:Wisconsin city council members Category:Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Category:American bank presidents Category:Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Category:19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature Category:Sawmill owners Category:Bankers from Wisconsin Category:Tinsmiths