Property Record
1619 OSHKOSH AVE
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Coles Bashford House |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 70695 |
| Location (Address): | 1619 OSHKOSH AVE |
|---|---|
| County: | Winnebago |
| City: | Oshkosh |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1852 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2005 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Early Gothic Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | Yes |
| Demolished Date: | 2006 |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation-Public History. 2006- Demolished. Photo codes: OS 18/25, 26. Originally the Bashford residence featured fine label moldings suggesting the Gothic Revival. Subsequent removal of dormers and addition of siding and shutters have destroyed the original character. Coles Bashford was a lawyer who arrived in Oshkosh from New York state in 1846. In 1847, he joined with D.W. Forman to build the first operating lumber mill in Oshkosh. Thus, Bashford was one of the early pioneers in the industry which would cause the city's growth and prominence in the state. In 1852, he and Forman sold the unprofitable mill to their foreman, Philetus Sawyer, who then began his rise to wealth and national prominence. As an ardent anti-slavery advocate, Bashford was present at the founding of the Winnebago County Republican Party in October 1854. At that meeting he was nominated for the State Senate, which he won. The following year, in an election rife with fraud, Bashford was elected the first Republican governor of the state over WIlliam Barstow of Waukesha (Democrat). Failing re-election, Bashford returned to Oshkosh to practice law in 1857. In 1863, he moved to the Arizona Territory where he enjoyed a successful career in territorial politics until his death in 1878. |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: | (A) Dr. Charles Goff, "A Yankee Athens Becomes Oshkosh," in Metz, Prairie, Piles, and People, Oshkosh 1976, pp. 131-139. (B) Lawson, P.V. History of WInnebago County, Chicago, 1908, Bio-sketch of Coles Bashford. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |