Calvin Randall Morse

Calvin Randall Morse (August 11, 1847 –February 18, 1911) was an American newspaper publisher and Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Pierce County during the 1899 term. His name was often abbreviated as C. R. Morse, and he was sometimes referred to by his middle name "Randall".

Calvin Morse was born in Bethel, Vermont, in August 1847. He received his early education in Vermont, but came west with his parents in 1856, settling in River Falls, Wisconsin.^[1] As a young man, he partnered with his father in the newspaper business under the firm name A. Morse & Son. When his father was unable to continue working, he sold his share of the company to J. D. Moody, and the firm became known as C. R. Morse and Company. Moody then sold out to J. H. Wilkinson, and the firm became Morse & Wilkinson, their principal publication was the River Falls Journal daily newspaper.^[2]

In 1882, Morse made his first run for Wisconsin State Assembly, running as the Republican Party nominee in the Pierce County district. He lost a very close election, falling just 31 votes short of John Day Putnam.^[3]

Morse subsequently served several local offices, including alderman, member of the school board, and county supervisor. He also was a frequent attendee of local and regional Republican conventions and caucuses. In 1898, he made another run for Wisconsin State Assembly, receiving the Republican nomination in October of that year.^[4] At the general election, Morse defeated his Democratic opponent Ferris White, taking 70% of the vote.^[1] Morse declined to run for another term in 1900 after the death of his son earlier that year.^[5]

Calvin Morse was the elder of two children born to Abner Morse and his second wife, Mary (née Randall). Abner Morse was editor of the Green Mountain Herald in Vermont before moving to Wisconsin and entering the newspaper industry there.^[2]

Calvin Morse se casó con Mary Belle Horton en 1879. Estuvieron casados ​​solo siete años antes de que ella falleciera en 1886 por complicaciones del embarazo. Tuvieron tres hijos, pero uno murió en la infancia y otro a los 18 años, en 1900. Su hijo menor y único superviviente, Stanley Randall Morse, sirvió como suboficial en el 341.er Regimiento de Infantería de los Estados Unidos durante la Primera Guerra Mundial . Falleció en 1960 sin dejar descendencia. ^{[ 6 ]}