Contributed to the Pierce County WIGenWeb Project by Nance Sampson nsampson@spacestar.net
@2000 by Nance Sampson

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Submitted by Debbie Barrett June 13, 2001
mrsgrinnin@home.com

HON. NILS P. HAUGEN, congressman of the Eighth district, P. O. River Falls, 
was born in Modum, Norway, March 9, 1849.  His ancestors were farmers and
mechanics.  His grandfather, Nils Haugen, was a blacksmith.  His parents,
Peder and Karen Haugen (the latter born in Stensrud), came to America in 
1854, and after residing one year in Rock county, Wis., removed in the 
spring of 1855 to Pierce county, and bought 120 acres of government land, of
which Peder Haugen still holds the original patent.  The aged parents of our
subject are yet living on the farm.  As a boy Nils Haugen attended the 
common schools at Martel, Wis., and afterward the Decorah Lutheran Norwegian
seminary, for more than two years.  Later he taught school, which occupation
he followed for a little over two years.  He began the study of law at Ann
Arbor university in 1872, and graduated in the class of 1874.  He located
at River Falls, and became a member of the firm of Morse, Smith & Haugen.

In the spring of 1874 he was appointed court stenographer, and retained the 
position for seven years, reporting for Judges Humphrey, Bundy and Barron.
He was elected as a republican to the assembly for 1879, and re-elected for
1880.  In 1882 he was elected railroad commissioner of the state receiving
83,507 votes, against 69,870 for Ambrose Hoffman, democrat; 11,870 for John
Nader, prohibitionist, and 6,601 for T. G. Brunson, greenbacker.  He was
re-elected in 1884, when he received 162,116 votes against 145,001 for Conrad
Kretz, democrat; 7,962 for Henry Sanford, prohibitionist, and 3,346 for John
Kiefer, greenbacker.  At a special election held January 18, 1887, he was
elected to the Fiftieth congress, for the term beginning March 4, 1887, 
receiving 8,159 votes, against 6,803 votes for Samuel C. Johnson, democrat, 
and 2,620 votes for Peter Truax, prohibitionist.  He was re-elected to the
Fifty-first and Fifty-second congresses, at which latter election he received
17,609 votes, against 15,261 for W. F. Bailey, democrat, and 2,911 for W. C.
Jones, prohibitionist.  Mr. Haugen married Belle Rasmussen, a native of 
Hudson, Wis., and one child, Constance, has blessed this union.

--Taken from the "Historical and Biographical Album of the Chippewa Valley
Wisconsin Including A General Historical Sketch of the Chippewa Valley;
Ancestral Records fo Leading Families; Biographies of Representative Citizens,
Past and Present; and Portraits of Prominent Men.  Edited by George Forrester.
Published in Chicago, Illinois by A. Warner. Publisher. 1891-2. Pages 630-631