Local History Index: Government Index:
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 was chosen Moderator, and David Bonham, and Lucius Botsford, Side Supervisors. David Bonham 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 and Measures; 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 a unanimous 17 votes when elected except for a eight-eight tie between William Weave and George Caldwell for Fence Viewer. Bonham as Chairman, broke the tie and voted for his brother-in-law (William Weaver). [Source: The History of Waukesha County, 1880. Note: In "Yesteryear in Sussex Revisited by Fred H. Keller", Fred's review of the original April 5, 1842 to February 4, 1848 record book, David Bonham was elected Chairman, unanimously, at this meeting with 17 electors present.]
The Township has been served 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 Weaver Woods (former Thomas Weaver Woods, north of present day Stoney Halquist Park) with former Town of Lisbon Supervisors and Chairmen attending. The identity of these men follows, with the Town Chairmen in bold print, left to right, front row, Charles Buck, Jr., McCartan, Jeremiah Smith, Charles Beier; second row, August Busse, John Tempero, Jim Weaver, Charles Vick, unknown, Andrew Davidson (Andrew L. ?), Albert Brandt, Dave Tempero, and Jim Lounsberry; third row, George Howard, John Rodgers, Will Edwards, Fred Haass, George Bates, 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, John Watson, Richard Weaver, and Richmond Weaver; last row, George Russell, Charles Walters, Philip Stier, Herman Busse, William D. McGill, and Roderick Ainsworth. In the background is a teepee file of tamarack poles that were used for the raising of hops, which at this time was a dying industry because of a bug called the "hop louse". According to a news report, 500 attended this event, including the very first settler of the Town of Lisbon, Thomas Spencer Redford.