William H. Markham was born in Independence, Wisconsin, on December 13, 1888. After attending Lawrence College and the University of Minnesota, he graduated from the latter in 1911. He was admitted to the Minnesota bar and practiced law in that state until 1913, when he moved to Horicon, Wisconsin. There Markham served as city attorney and alderman before being elected mayor and state senator from the 13th district in 1926. In 1928, he ran for United States Senator against Robert M. La Follette, Jr., as an independent Republican and lost. By 1934 Markham's political views had changed and he made an unsuccessful effort to keep his state senate seat as a progressive. Throughout the thirties he was interested in the rights of farmers and was instrumental in forming the American Farmers Foundation, a group established in 1939 to bring about fair prices for farm products. Markham remained active in Horicon politics, and ran for Dodge County judge in 1938. Markham is also known for his efforts in the preservation of the Horicon Marsh.
