Francis Paddock
Francis Paddock (September 15, 1814 – March 29, 1889) was a frontier doctor, farmer, and politician in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Paddock Lake was named after him.
He was born in Camillus, New York, the eldest of six children. He began teaching at seventeen and studied medicine at Fairfield Medical College, the first medical school west of the Hudson River. He later worked with Dr. Hamilton in Auburn.
In 1838, at age 25, Paddock and his family moved to the Wisconsin Territory in a covered wagon. They settled between two lakes now called Paddock and Hooker Lakes in the town of Salem. The family bought about 400 acres of land, built a log cabin, and began a new life. His grandfather, David Paddock, a Revolutionary War veteran, was known as “Blind David” after being blinded in battle.
On August 19, 1841, he married Martha Cecilia Munson. They had fourteen children, nine of whom survived to adulthood (five died in childhood).
Paddock was the first medical professional in the area, but he was also a farmer and businessman. He owned a large herd, including 100 cows and thousands of sheep, and he cultivated his land. He rode on horseback to treat patients, carrying medicines in saddlebags. Stories tell of wolves following him in winter, and he would store medicines in his pantry. If supplies ran low, he would share what remained with his patients. He once delivered a baby at a house without a candle, making light with grease and a rag.
To support education, he established the Paddock school on his land in 1843. When funds were short, he paid the teacher himself and used the front room of his home as a classroom.
Public service came next: he was Salem’s supervisor from 1842 to 1844, and he served as Commissioner of Schools and Justice of the Peace.
In politics, Paddock was elected as a Republican to the Wisconsin State Senate for the 1855 session, representing Kenosha County (the 8th district). He later ran for the Assembly in 1873 but lost to Reform Party candidate Robert S. Houston.
Francis Paddock died in Salem in 1889 and was buried in Salem Cemetery. In 1960, the hamlet of Paddock Lake became a separate village.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 09:35 (CET).