William C. Allen (politician)

William C. Allen
Born	Template:Birth date Hoosick, Rensselaer County, New York, U.S.
Died	January 12, 1887(1887-01-12) (aged 72) Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Attorney, entrepreneur, politician
Years active	1840s–1880s
Known for	Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, county judge of Walworth County

William Cheney Allen (February 2, 1814 – January 12, 1887) was a prominent American attorney, entrepreneur, and early settler of Wisconsin. He represented Walworth County in the Wisconsin State Assembly during the legislative sessions of 1866 and 1867. Additionally, Allen served as the county judge of Walworth County for ten years in the mid-1800s.

Early life and education

Allen was born in February 1814 in Hoosick, located in Rensselaer County. He spent his early years working on his family’s farm until he turned sixteen. To finance his education, he took up employment as a farmhand with a neighbor named Wheeler, who generously allowed him access to an extensive personal library. Balancing manual labor during the summers with academic pursuits, Allen attended an academy in Jefferson, New York for approximately two and a half years.

Although he initially intended to enroll at Union College, Allen ultimately chose to study law through apprenticeship under attorney Cornelius H. Putnam in Montgomery County, New York. After dedicating four years to legal studies, he gained admission to the New York state bar in 1840. The following year, Allen moved westward to the Wisconsin Territory seeking opportunities in law and commerce.

Delavan pioneer

Allen made his home in Delavan, within Walworth County, where he would reside for most of his life. At that time, Delavan was a modest settlement with only a few basic dwellings. In 1842, under the territorial government of Wisconsin, he was elected county judge and served three consecutive two-year terms. He resumed this judicial role after winning elections in 1849 and again in 1853.

Alongside his judicial responsibilities, Allen participated actively in local business enterprises. He was instrumental in founding the Walworth County Bank in 1850 and maintained involvement until it was dissolved and re-established under new banking regulations in 1863. Furthermore, he played a key role as an incorporator of the "Western Union Railroad," also known as the "Racine, Janesville, and Mississippi Railroad." To dedicate himself fully to railroad development, he resigned from his judgeship in 1856 with nearly two years remaining in his term. The railroad project encountered financial difficulties and was only partially completed before being taken over by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad.

In late 1849, Allen was appointed to a commission tasked with compiling Wisconsin’s inaugural statutory laws. When Wisconsin founded its first school for the deaf in 1852, he joined its board of trustees and remained a member until 1871.

During the American Civil War, Allen identified with the National Union Party. Due to some confusion at the time, his name appeared on the ballot as that party’s candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin in 1861; he secured roughly five percent of the vote. Politically independent by nature, Allen was an advocate for abolitionism and free trade; he opposed fiat currency or paper money backed by silver and supported the temperance movement. His political endorsements included Abraham Lincoln initially, followed by Horace Greeley’s Liberal Republican campaign in 1872, and later Samuel Tilden’s Democratic bid for president in 1876.

Allen won election to the Wisconsin State Assembly representing southwestern Walworth County in both 1865 and 1866. During the 19th Wisconsin Legislature, he chaired the committee on railroads and subsequently led the committee on federal relations during the 20th Wisconsin Legislature.

Later years

In 1870, Allen moved to Racine, Wisconsin, where he established a law practice and was promptly chosen as city attorney. He sustained his commercial ventures in Racine and partnered with Jerome Case to found the Manufacturers' National Bank. The following year, he received an appointment to the newly formed state Board of Charities and Reform, serving as a commissioner until 1874, when declining health led him to step down. Although he withdrew from most public duties thereafter, Allen continued to participate on the bank’s board until his passing at his Racine residence on January 12, 1887.

Personal life and family

William C. Allen was born to Jacob and Lucy (Template:Nee Cheney) Allen, both of whom had English ancestry. His grandfather on his father’s side, Samuel Allen, was a member of the New Hampshire militia during the American Revolutionary War. Early financial difficulties within his father’s affairs inspired Allen to embark on his own professional path at a young age. On October 7, 1840, he married Mary A. McConkey from Voorheesville, New York; the couple did not have children.

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor (1861)

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 5, 1861