USA > Wisconsin > Sauk County > A standard history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, Volume II > Part 18
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Charles H. Burdick was reared on his father's farm, and secured his education in the public schools of Baraboo and the Baraboo Institute. He was but sixteen years of age when he began his connection with rail- road matters. His father was at that time in charge of a fenee gang and young Burdick secured a position carrying water to the workmen. During the next four or five years he remained in the vicinity of Baraboo, being identified with the Northwestern Railway in numerous ways, and then went to the Dakotas, but soon returned to Baraboo, where, in the fall of 1882, he started firing on the road. By the fall of 1886 he had earned himself a position as engineer, and during the next thirty years handled the throttle on a freight train, in 1916 being promoted to a passenger run. His record has been one singularly clean, marked by faithful, prompt and steady service and remarkably elear of accidents. For this reason he has earned the confidenee of the employers and has gained himself an excellent reputation among railroad men generally. Mr. Burdick is a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
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His religious connection is with the Presbyterian Church, and his political belief that of the republican party, although politics has played only a small part in his career and he has never been an office seeker. His comfortable home at Baraboo is situated at No. 509 Sixth Street.
Mr. Burdick was married February 27, 1889, to Miss Minnie MeGirr, of Kendalls, Wisconsin, and they became the parents of three children : May, who married Otto Benshausen, of Logansville, Wisconsin, and has one son, Ivan, born August 1, 1916; and Annie and Leona, who are single and reside with their father. Mrs. Burdick died December 23, 1898, and June 22, 1910, Mr. Burdick was again married, being united with Miss Amanda Nelsen, who was born at Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, October 13, 1886, daughter of Andrew Nelsen. Andrew Nelsen was born in Sweden, April 26, 1858, and as a lad of twelve years was taken by his parents to Germany. When he was nineteen years old he came to the United States and settled in Honey Creck Township, Sauk County, where he secured work as a farm hand, later obtained land of his own, and eventually became a successful agriculturist. In his later years he retired to Prairie du Sac, where his death occurred August 1, 1914. In political matters he voted the republican ticket, and his religious faith was that of the Reformed Church. On October 4, 1881, Mr. Nelsen was married to Miss Minnie Klinesmith, who was born at Cleveland, Ohio, December 3, 1863, daughter of Carl and Minnie (Carlof) Klinesmith, natives of Germany, the former born in 1824 and the latter in 1837. They were married in Germany, March 23, 1860, and in the following year immigrated to the United States, first settling at Cleveland, Ohio, where they lived for six years. In 1867 Mr. and Mrs. Klinesmith came to Sauk County and settled in Honey Creek Township, where they pur- chased a small farm. Later they disposed of this and rented a large farm, but in 1887 removed to Chippewa County and bought a property on which Mr. Klinesmith carried on operations until his death, December 25, 1915, his wife having passed away in 1909. They were the parents of seven children, namely: August, deceased; Minnie, who became Mrs. Nelsen ; Matilda; Charles; Louisa; George, deccased; and Alma. To Andrew and Minnie Nelsen there were born nine children, all of whom are living, as follows: George, Charles, Amanda (Mrs. Burdick), Agnes, Arthur, Esther, Edwin, Melvin and Lorene. Mr. and Mrs. Burdick have one son : Charles A., who was born July 27, 1911.
ENOCH SHULTIS. A native of the Empire State of the Union, Enoch Shultis was born in Columbia County, New York, October 3, 1854. His parents, Henry and Malinda (Silvernail) Shultis, of Holland Dutch ancestry, were likewise born in New York State, where they grew to maturity and were married. In 1858, seeking fairer opportunities in the West, they migrated to Wisconsin and located in Waukesha County, where they maintained the family home for a score of years. In 1878 they came to Sauk County and settled first in Winfield Township and later in Excelsior Township, in which latter community the father died in 1898 and the mother passed away in 1901. To them were born eight children, whose names are here incorporated in respective order of birth : Katherine (deceased), Margaret, Betsy Ann, William, Melvina
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(deceased), Enoch, Abram, Jacob and Agnes. Mr. Shultis was a repub- lican in politics and, though never an aspirant for public office of any description, he was loyal and public spirited in civic affairs and gave an ardent support to all measures projected for the good of the general welfare.
Enoch Shultis was four years of age when he accompanied his parents to Wisconsin. His schooling was obtained in the public schools of Waukesha County, where he continued to reside until 1875, when he came to Sauk County and settled in Reedsburg. Shortly after his advent here he rented land and engaged in the great basic industry of agricul- ture. In 1889 he bought his present farm of 120 acres, located 31/2 miles distant from the village of Reedsburg. His place is in a high state of cultivation and boasts many modern improvements. In his political convictions Mr. Shultis is a staunch supporter of prohibition principles and he has served his community as town supervisor and as treasurer of the local school board, having retained the latter office for the past sixteen years. He is diligent and conscientious in public service and is well deserving of the high esteem uniformly accorded him.
In 1880 Mr. Shultis was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Smith, a daughter of James and Bell (Bernhard) Smith, pioneer settlers in Excel- sior Township and they are both deceased. Three children were born of this union ; Lee, who owns a farm of 166 acres in Excelsior Township, married Gertrude Montgomery and they have three children, Max, Doro- thy and Darrel; Isabel is the wife of Nelson Price, and they have three children, June, John and Milton; and Clara is deceased. Mrs. Shultis was summoned to the life eternal in 1885. For his second wife Mr. Shultis married Miss Elizabeth Nye, a native of Sauk County and a daughter of Jonathan and Esther (Smith) Nye. Prior to her marriage she taught for a number of years in the graded school of Reedsburg. Mr. and Mrs. Shultis have five children : Esther, Rose and Roe (twins) and Ruth and Royal (twins). Esther is the wife of Frank Montgomery and they have two children, Philip and Roger. Both pairs of twins are at the parental home.
DANIEL CROSBY is one of the capable sons of Sauk County, a man whose life has been spent within these boundaries and whose career has been not without substantial results and creditable alike to himself and his community.
He was born in 1864 in Merrimack Township, only a mile east of his present home. He is a son of Luther and Harriet (Sutton) Crosby, both of whom were born in New York State, near the City of Buffalo and near Lake Erie. They were married in New York in 1844 and soon afterwards moved to Marengo, Illinois, where they had an interest as farmers for about six years. From Illinois they came to Sauk County and this was their home the remainder of their peaceful and purposeful lives. On coming to Sauk County Luther Crosby built with his own labor a house of logs which furnished shelter for his family and in which five of his family were born. Of the eight children all were born in log homes, though three at Marengo, Illinois. The youngest of these children was Daniel Crosby, who was only five months old when his mother died.
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The father passed away in 1894. A brief record of each of these children is as follows: Frances, who married Enoch Noyes, both now deceased ; Calvin, who served one year in the Union army during the Civil war, afterwards moved to Miller, South Dakota, and died in that state about thirty-five years ago; Nancy A., living at Baraboo, is the widow of Addi- son Brown, who died about eighteen years ago; Ida M., deceased ; Emma, Mrs. Charles Todd, their home being in Merrimack Township as neighbors to Daniel Crosby; Willie, deceased; Mary, wife of William Hill and living at Sorana, Wisconsin; and Daniel.
On the old farm and among the scenes where his later as well as his earlier years were spent Daniel Crosby had a happy boyhood and attended the public schools of his home locality. He lived at home and bore his share of responsibilities in connection with the old farm until 1890, when, at the age of twenty-seven, he married Miss Matilda Leppla, daughter of Peter and Christina (Zerbell) Leppla, both natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Crosby's family consists of five children, all sons, all unmarried, and named as follows: Ervin, Alto, Alvern, Clarence and Milton. The two oldest are now employed at Sauk Prairie, while the rest are at home.
In the meantime Mr. Crosby has been steadily at work getting himself prosperously situated in the world. In his home farm he has 176 fertile acres, and he also owns thirty-six acres on the bluff at Devils Lake. He bought a part of that farm in 1898 from H. G. Mertske of Baraboo, the place being known as the old Samuel Cramer farm. On his home place Mr. Crosby has done most of the improvements in the way of building construction and the profits have been derived chiefly from the cream produced by his fine herd of cattle and from hogs. He is one of the successful general farmers and stock raisers in this community. Politic- ally he has always voted the republican ticket.
GOLLMAR BROTHERS, of Baraboo, have been long known to the home people as blacksmiths, machinists, proprietors of iron manufactories, business men and good citizens; also as owners and promoters of a well- known circus, in which field they are more generally known by outsiders. The Gollmar Brothers' circus was established in 1891, the first per- formance being given in Baraboo in May. Charles A. Gollmar was its manager, Benjamin F. its treasurer, and Fred C. its advance agent. and Walter S., equestrian director. Their father, Gotlieb G. Gollmar, was born in Germany, December 13, 1823, and died in Baraboo, June 5, 1914. Their mother, Mary Magdelene Juliar before her marriage, was born in Alsace-Lorraine, July 8, 1829, and died in Baraboo, January 26, 1916. They were married in Chicago, November 17, 1848, and lived happily together over sixty-seven years. Before going to Chicago, Mr. Gollmar had resided in Medina County, Ohio, later learned the trade of a blacksmith at Toledo, and worked on the Ohio Canal with James A. Garfield, afterward President of the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Goll- mar came from Chicago to Baraboo by team in 1851, bought a lot at the northwest corner of Third Avenue and Birch Street, Baraboo, where they lived until their death. Of a family of fourteen sons and daughters the following are deceased, Sarah, Sarah A., Jacob (who was interested in
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the circus when it was organized), Caroline C. Knight, William HI., and Lillie M. Foster. The ones now living are Edward T., Charles A., Benja- min F., Fred C., Walter S., Frances Brown, Baraboo, and Dr. Arthur H. Gollmar, Kankakee, Illinois. During his lifetime at Baraboo Mr. Gollmar worked at his trade, farmed and engaged in the lumber business. His sons were brought up to his old trade and well educated, and, as Gollmar Brothers, sold their circus to the Patterson Carnival Company in 1916.
JERRY COUGHLIN is one of the oldest locomotive engineers in the employ of the Chicago Northwestern Railway. He has been continuously in the service for thirty-three years. That does not limit his entire rail- road experience, since as a boy of tender years he was working with a section gang, and it might be said with truth that practically his entire life has been lived in a railroad atmosphere. He has won the confidence of his superior officials by his excellent work and is one of the most popular members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in the state.
Mr. Coughlin was born in Watertown, Wisconsin, August 28, 1857, a son of Timothy and Margaret (Callahan) Coughlin. Both parents were natives of County Cork, Ireland, and were brought to this country when children. The father was born in 1816 and the mother in 1823. Timothy Coughlin was also a railroad worker and became a contractor for railroad building. In 1860 he moved to Sauk County, Wisconsin, and acquired a farm in Greenfield Township. He lived the quiet life of an agriculturist until his death in 1868. His widow survived him and died at Baraboo in 1902. There were five children: Kate, who died in 1877 ; Jerry, Timothy, Michael and Elizabeth.
On the family farm in Greenfield Township Jerry Coughlin spent the first eleven years of his life. He had little opportunity to attend school but made the best of such opportunities as were presented. When only thirteen years of age, in 1870, he found a job as water boy for a section gang on the Northwestern Railroad, and as experience and strength per- mitted he was soon placed on the pay roll as a regular hand, later worked on the gravel train and about 1875 he removed to Baraboo and obtained work in the coal shed and as an engine wiper. These were the stages through which he passed in an effort to realize his ambition to reach the dignity of locomotive engineer. From engine wiper he was promoted to fireman in 1879, and after five years of employment at shoveling coal and keeping up steam he was made engineer in 1884. Since then he has been steadily engaged in making his runs over different divisions of the Northwestern Road, and has grown gray-headed in the service of this company.
Politically Mr. Coughlin is independent. He is a faithful member of the Catholic Church and is affiliated with the Brotherhood of Locomo- tive Engineers, the Catholic Order of Foresters and the Knights of Columbus. On April 21, 1890, he married Miss Mary Weidenkopf. She was born in Ohio March 3, 1862, and has spent most of her life in Sauk County. Her parents were John and Florentina (Gosenschmidt) Weid- enkopf, both natives of Germany. On coming to America they located in Ohio, from which state John Weidenkopf enlisted for service in the
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Mexican war. For his services he was given a land warrant, which he finally located in Sumpter Township of Sauk County. The land warrant called for 160 acres, and he subsequently bought 40 acres in Baraboo township. He located on that land in 1864, and followed agriculture and became a prominent citizen in Sauk County. He died April 30, 1890, while his widow survived him until May 4, 1906. Mr. and Mrs. Weiden- kopf had twelve children : Wilhelmina, deceased; John; Caroline ; Charles; Louise, who is deceased; Mary; Elizabeth ; Josephine; Bertha and Amelia, deceased; Julia and George. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Coughlin have been born two children. Robert Jerry, born August 1, 1892, was graduated from the Baraboo High School, spent one year in Notre Dame University at South Bend, Indiana, and in 1916 finished a course in the electrical engineering department of the University of Wisconsin and follows his trade and profession in the City of Chicago. When war was declared he enlisted in the engineering corps and was commissioned a lieutenant. He is a young man of great promise. Edward Weidenkopf Coughlin, born October 13, 1896, completed the course of the Baraboo High School in 1913, and gave a good account of himself as a member of the Marriott Hardware Company of Baraboo. He enlisted in Company I of the Sixth Regiment, Wisconsin National Guard, and is now in training at Camp Douglass. He is sergeant of his company.
HENRY A. HILL, whose death occurred in a hospital at Madison May 19, 1915, was one of the worthy and capable farmer citizens of Sauk County, and his career and some reference to his family deserve perpetu- ation in these chronicles.
He was born in Sumpter Township July 3, 1870, and was only forty- five years of age when he passed away. His parents were Henry M. and Annie (Burga) Hill. His father was born in one of the New England states while his mother was a native of Switzerland. Henry M. Hill came to Sauk County at an early day, cleared up a farm in the woods, subsequently had a place near King's Corners, and finally lived retired at Prairie du Sac, where he died in 1893. His wife passed away in 1887. Their children were William, Lorinda, Jacob, Maria and Henry A., the last two being now deceased. The father was a republican and a very strong temperance worker at a time when that cause was not so strong as it is today. He was a Methodist.
Henry A. Hill grew up on his father's farm, acquired a public school education, and took up his vocation in life with an earnestness which assured his success and prosperity. He first owned a farm south of Baraboo known as the H. J. Case farm, later the Lewis Cowles farm, and he then moved to the place where his widow and family reside.
Mr. Hill was a republican and was affiliated with the Modern Wood- men of America, and was active in the Methodist Episcopal Church. October 12, 1892, he married Miss Fannie Astle. Mrs. Hill was born in Sumpter Township of Sauk County February 12, 1870, a daughter of John and Flora (Stone) Astle. Her father was born in Merton, Wiscon- ยท sin, in 1846, son of W. and Sarah Astle, who came from England and were early identified with the settlement and development of Southern Wisconsin. John Astle owned a large farm in Sauk County and was for
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many years elosely identified with the welfare of his community. He died in 1910, and his widow is still living. Their children were named Fannie, Belle and' Amy, the last being now deceased.
Mrs. Hill is the mother of two children : Glenn, born June 4, 1899, and graduated from the Baraboo High School with the class of 1917; and Harland, born July 27, 1906, is still a student in the local schools.
FRED METCALF was born on the parental estate in Excelsior Township, May 20, 1861, and he is a son of Isaac and Mary (Riden) Metcalf, con- cerning whom further data appear elsewhere in this work in the sketeh of the father. Mr. Metcalf grew up in this locality and was educated in Public School No. 6. He has always been a farmer by occupation and owns an up-to-date estate of 240 acres. In 1904 he erected a beautiful residenee and he also has a fine barn, 32 by 64 feet, and a silo, 14 by 28 feet. He raises Holstein cattle and feeds about thirty head. In politics he is a democrat and he has been township assessor for the past seven years. He is also a director on the local school board.
November 17, 1889, Mr. Metcalf married Miss Elnora Rose, a daughter of Eleas and Bettie (Shultis) Rose, who formerly owned a farm in Waukesha County and subsequently had the farm now owned by Charles Mittelstadt. Mr. Rose is deceased and his widow is now living in North Prairie, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Metcalf have three sons, Wayne, Harry and Clarence. The family belong to the Methodist Church and are held in his esteem by their numerous friends and neigh- bors.
E. BURT TRIMPEY. Since coming to Baraboo Mr. Trimpey has shown that business and professional enterprise and public spirit which make him one of the city's most valued citizens. He is a very busy man, but always finds time to lend a hand when necessary to the promotion of any organized movement for the general good. Both he and his wife are ex- ceedingly talented people and are well known in local social circles.
Mr. Trimpey was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, April 26, 1878, a son of John S. and Nancy (Younkin) Trimpey. His parents were also natives of Pennsylvania and the paternal ancestors came originally from Germany. John S. Trimpey has followed farming and is still living in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. His wife died there in 1889. Their large family of nine children comprised the following: Sarah, Columbia, Almira, William, Etta, John Wesley, E. Burt, Ella and Ida, the last dying in 1909.
E. Burt Trimpey wisely made use of the advantages afforded him by the public schools of Somerset County and also attended normal schools. For two years he was a teacher at Mount Union in Somerset County, and during that time he instructed in all the grades, from kindergarten up to post-graduate courses in the grade school. Subsequently at Uniontown, in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, he took up the study of photography, and was there one year. Subsequently he followed the profession in Star Junction, Pennsylvania, for a year, at Rockford two years, and for about six months was located at Waycross, Georgia. In 1905 he removed to Anderson, South Carolina, and enjoyed a large business in that city for
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about five years. In 1910 Mr. Trimpey removed to Baraboo and set up the studio which he still conducts at 407 Oak Street. He is a leader in the profession, does high class artistic work, and undoubtedly ranks with the best photographers in the state.
Since coming to Baraboo Mr. Trimpey has taken an active part in the Farmers and Merchants State Bank. He has been a very active member of the Baraboo Commercial Club, serving as director, and is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the Sons of Veterans. His membership in the latter organization is due to the fact that his father enlisted as a Union soldier in 1864 and was in the final campaigns of the war until the sur- render of Lee at Appomattox. Mr. Trimpey is also a member of the Photographers Association of America and also belongs to the American Numismatic Association. His association with this order is due to his interest in a special hobby, the collection of coins, and he has probably the best collection of that kind in Sauk County. It contains a large range of coinage both of America and foreign countries and includes a number of colonial coins, as well as some examples of ancient coinage. Politically Mr. Trimpey is independent, especially in local matters, and in national politics is a republican.
Mr. Trimpey married a member of one of Sauk County's oldest fam- ilics. Miss Aliee Kent became his wife March 10, 1910. She is a daughter of Sylvester Kent, who was born in Canaan, Vermont, in 1820, a son of David and Sallie (Ingalls) Kent, who spent all their lives in Vermont. Sylvester Kent married Rebecca Dennett, who was born at Canaan, Ver- mont, in 1823. While they lived in Vermont four children were born to them : Emeline, Philander, Sarah and John. It was during the decade of the '50s that the family came west to Sauk County, Wisconsin, and located on Sauk Prairie. Sylvester Kent bought a farm there and in course. of time made a good home. After coming to Wisconsin one other child was born, Alice, now Mrs. Trimpey. About forty years ago Sylves- ter Kent and family removed to Baraboo, and for a number of years he conducted a wood yard in that city. He died in 1904 and. his wife in 1903. He was a democrat and both were active in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Mrs. Trimpey was educated in the Baraboo High School. She early showed a talent for artistic pursuits and has studied painting, especially water color and pastelle work under some of the best masters. Her in- dividual work has met with a large appreciation and has been sold in some of the largest stores of Chicago and other cities. Since their mar- riage she has done much to assist Mr. Trimpey in his professional work. In 1915 Mrs. Trimpey invented the "Pricilla Sewing Rack," which is now extensively manufactured at Racine and is being sold all over the country, netting considerable revenue to Mrs. Trimpey.
ANTONE JACOBY. One of the very best country homes and farms in Honey Creek Township is that owned by Antone Jacoby. The land com- prising it has been developed through the long years of successive own- ership and occupation by members of the Jacoby family. It was fully seventy years ago that the Jacobys first settled in Sauk County, and Antone Jacoby is a native son of this community. Wisconsin was still
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a territory when the family came here and Mr. Antone Jacoby first saw the light of day in the same year that the republican party carried on its first presidential campaign.
Mr. Jacoby was born in 1856, on the homestead of his father in Honey Creek Township. He is a son of Peter and Mrs. (Schultz) Jacoby. His mother was born in Germany and his father in the Duchy of Luxem- burg. Peter Jacoby came to Sauk County in 1846. At that time very few settlements had been planted in Sauk County, all the land was very much as nature had left it, and he was one of the brave pioneers who determined to make his home where only Indians and wild game had subsisted for generations. He had the physical equipment necessary for such a task. He was a hard worker and in the course of time most of the timber was felled, the stumps grubbed out, and the soil broken up and put in condition for cultivation. In the early days he hauled his grain to be ground as far as Milwaukee. Ox teams invariably were hitched to the wagon or to the plow, and the Jacobys lived in the county a num- ber of years before the first railroad was constructed. Peter Jacoby made wheat his principal crop, and all the harvesting was done by hand, with the old-fashioned scythe and cradle, and the grain was flailed or threshed out by the tramping of oxen. It is said that the first hogs raised on the Jacoby farm were sold for two and a half cents a pound. Peter Jacoby lived here until his death thirty years ago, while his good wife survived until eighteen years ago. They had ten children, five dying in infancy. Antone was the oldest of the family. The second, Ferdinand, died at Milwaukee three years ago. Matt is a real estate man in Madison. Mrs. Mary Vogel also lives in Madison. Theo. is a resident of Iowa.
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