William D. “W.D.” Connor moved to Marshfield, Wisconsin in 1895, and became a successful lumberman and real estate investor in the Pacific Northwest. He established the towns of Laona, Wisconsin, Stratford, Wisconsin, and Connorville, Michigan in the course of growing his lumber business. Connor is credited with establishing the practice of sustainable forestry. He also tirelessly pursued modern lumber technologies. Very involved in politics and public service, he served for twenty years as a member of the Wood County Board of Supervisors, and was twice elected chairman. In 1892, 1894, 1896, 1902 and 1904 he was elected a delegate to the Republican State Convention and in 1904 he was also elected one of the four delegates-at-large to the National Republican Convention, by the regular Republican State Convention. This was the controversial 'gymnasium convention' that looms large in the history of the progressive movement in Wisconsin. According to the Dictionary of Wisconsin Biography:
He was at first identified with the Robert M. La Follette wing of the party. In the 1904 progressive-stalwart split, Connor was chosen by the "gymnasium convention" as one of the progressive delegates to the Republican national convention. Although the national convention refused to accept the credentials of the Progressive delegation, the La Follette forces were recognized as the legal Republican ticket by the state supreme court and Connor became chairman of the Republican state central committee..
Connor was elected as a Republican to the office of Lieutenant Governor in 1906; receiving 174,750 votes against 104,398 for Michael F. Blenski, 25,036 for William Kaufmann, 8,724 for August F. Fehlandt and 510 for John Veirthaler. He served as twentiethLieutenant Governor of Wisconsin from January 7, 1907 - January 4, 1909, but had a significant falling-out with the Governor Robert La Follette. Connor, along with Marinette lumberman Isaac Stephenson, were La Follette's main political backers from the business community. "Fighting Bob" La Follette's strong stand against the railroads, which then had monopolies on industrial transportation, appealed to the two men; and each of these millionaire lumbermen expected help to become United States Senator when La Follette became governor. Instead, and to their chagrin, at the first opportunity La Follette famously nominated himself to the U.S. Senate and arranged State Senate confirmation. La Follette kept serving as governor and left Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seat unfilled until January 1, 1906, when he resigned to join the U.S. Senate. He publicly proclaimed this unusual action was done to ensure that his 1904 platform was enacted in Wisconsin. After serving as lieutenant governor, Connor withdrew from statewide elective politics, although he remained active at the local and county level. He was to serve for twenty years on the Wood County Board, was president of the Marshfield library board from its organization in 1901 until his death, and was also a trustee of Carroll College.
Death
Connor died in Phoenix, Arizona and his place of interrment is presumed to be somewhere in Marshfield, Wisconsin.
Family life
W.D. Connor's father, Robert Connor, was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. W.D. married Huldah Marybelle Witter on August 12, 1888, and they had eight children: Mabel Frances Connor, Helen Melissa Connor, Donald Witter Connor, Marian Elizabeth Connor, William Duncan Connor II, Richard Malcolm Connor, Gordon R. Connor and Constance Connor. He was the grandfather of Melvin R. Laird and the great-grandfather of Jessica Laird Doyle, wife of Governor Jim Doyle of Wisconsin.
