Robert McKee Bashford (December 31, 1845 – January 29, 1911) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 25th Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, and represented Dane County in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1893 to 1897.
In 1890, Bashford became mayor of Madison, defeating Arthur Loomis Sanborn in the April election.
[1][2] He resumed his law practice, including arguing before the United States Supreme Court in the 1905 case of United States v. Stinson, in which he successfully defended a land purchaser from the federal government's attempt to reclaim the land based on accusations of fraud.
[4] In 1908, Bashford was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but lost a special election for the position four months later.
[7] His former home, now known as the Robert M. Bashford House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.