William Arthur McKeighan (January 19, 1842 – December 15, 1895) was a Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

 Populist politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

.

McKeighan was born in Millville, New Jersey

Millville, New Jersey

Millville is a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city population was 26,847. Millville, Bridgeton and Vineland are the three principal New Jersey cities of the Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area which...

. He moved with his parents to Fulton County, Illinois

Fulton County, Illinois

Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 37,069, which is a decrease of 3.1% from 38,250 in 2000. Its county seat is Lewistown. Canton is the largest city. Both cities are southwest of Peoria, and the county is considered...

 in 1848. He enlisted in the 11th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry

11th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry

The 11th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was raised by orator Robert Green Ingersoll who became its first colonel and Basile D...

, in September 1861, to fight in the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. When the war ended he was stationed on a farm near Pontiac, Illinois

Pontiac, Illinois

Pontiac is a city in Livingston County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,931 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Livingston County...

. He decided to take up farming. He moved to Nebraska in 1880 and continued farming near Red Cloud, Nebraska

Red Cloud, Nebraska

Red Cloud is a city in and the county seat of Webster County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,131 at the 2000 census.-History:The region of present-day Red Cloud was intermittently occupied and used as hunting grounds by the Pawnees until 1833. In that year, a treaty was signed in...

.

McKeighan started to take interest in creating the Farmers' Alliance

Farmers' Alliance

The Farmers Alliance was an organized agrarian economic movement amongst U.S. farmers that flourished in the 1880s. One of the goals of the organization was to end the adverse effects of the crop-lien system on farmers after the American Civil War...

 and was elected Probate Judge of Webster County

Webster County, Nebraska

-History:Webster County was formed in 1871. It was named after the statesman Daniel Webster.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,061 people, 1,708 households, and 1,118 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile . There were 1,972 housing...

 from 1885 to 1887. He ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Representative

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 in the 1888 election. He ran and won the 2nd district

Nebraska's 2nd congressional district

Nebraska's 2nd congressional district encompasses the core of the Omaha metropolitan area. It includes all of Douglas County, which includes Omaha, and the urbanized areas of Sarpy County...

 seat in 1890. Following the results of the 1890 census

United States Census, 1890

The Eleventh United States Census was taken June 2, 1890. The data was tabulated by machine for the first time. The data reported that the distribution of the population had resulted in the disappearance of the American frontier...

 being apportioned, McKeighan ran for the newly created 5th district

Nebraska's 5th congressional district

Nebraska's 5th congressional district is an obsolete district. It was created after the 1890 census and abolished after the 1940 census.-References:*...

 in 1892 and won again. He ran and lost for reelection in 1894, and died in Hastings, Nebraska

Hastings, Nebraska

Hastings is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, United States. It is the principal city of the Hastings, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Adams and Clay counties. The population was 24,907 at the 2010 census...

 on December 15, 1895. He is interred in Red Cloud Cemetery, Red Cloud, Nebraska

Red Cloud, Nebraska

Red Cloud is a city in and the county seat of Webster County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,131 at the 2000 census.-History:The region of present-day Red Cloud was intermittently occupied and used as hunting grounds by the Pawnees until 1833. In that year, a treaty was signed in...