William Chappell (1813 – March 3, 1872) was an American businessman, railroad promoter, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer.
He was accused of being a leading participant in a railroad corruption scandal during his time in the Legislature, and was nearly expelled from the Senate.
He was a major promoter of the Watertown & Madison Railroad, and rose to prominence in Wisconsin politics, receiving an appointment as an assistant state adjutant general.
[2] In the Fall of 1857, he was elected to the Wisconsin Senate, succeeding his one-time ally S. W. Barnes, who had also been a significant supporter of the Watertown & Madison Railroad.
So Chappell went on to serve another year in the Senate, despite this highly public censure and a vote in his home city of Watertown to request his resignation.