USA > Wisconsin > Sauk County > A standard history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, Volume II > Part 6
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On December 25, 1890, Mr. Hass was married to Miss Mettie May Pratt, who was born in Juneau County, Wisconsin, a daughter of Lorenzo Pratt, an early settler of Mauston and a soldier of the Civil war, who died at Mauston, where his widow still resides. To Mr. and Mrs. Hass there have been born two children, as follows: George, a graduate of Reedsburg High School, who attended Carroll College one year and the University of Wisconsin two years, and is now attending the Marquette Law School, preparing for a career in the legal profession; and Louise, a graduate of Reedsburg High School and of the School of Oratory at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, residing at home.
JOIIN M. TRUE was born in Moultonboro, New Hampshire, October 9, 1838. He received an academic education and taught in the public schools of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. His marriage to Miss Annie Becde took place in New Hampshire in 1864 and together they came to Wisconsin in 1866, locating on a farm near Baraboo. For a time Mr. True com- bined school teaching with farm work. In 1874 he was elected county register of deeds, which office he held for a period of six years. He served as city-assessor in Baraboo for seven years and for fourteen years acted as supervisor from his ward, being chairman of the County Board of Supervisors eleven years during this time.
At the organization of the City of Baraboo he was elected a member of the Board of Education, which position he held for a period of more than twenty-five years. For several years he was selected to fill the office of president of the Sauk County Agricultural Society, also acting as secretary of the association several times. Mr. True was active in the Farmers' Institute work in the state for a number of years and was a
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regent of the University of Wisconsin during the administration of . Governor W. D. Hoard. As secretary of the State Agricultural Society, which office he occupied for six years, he assisted in locating the present state fair grounds in the City of Milwaukee. Upon the organization of the State Board of Agriculture he was asked to act as first president of the board and later he served as its secretary for twelve years.
Mr. True was a member of the State Assembly in the sessions of 1898-1899 and 1900-1901, and of the State Senate from the district com- posed of the counties of Sauk and Columbia in 1911-1915.
HARRY ELLSWORTH COLE is a son of Thomas Cole who came with his father's family to the State of Indiana in the pioneer days of that com- monwealth. Their home for many years had been near Columbus, Ohio. The grandfather of Thomas Cole was a Methodist Divine. The mother, Caroline Moyston Cole, had journeyed with her family from Schenectady, New York, about the same time that her future husband came from Ohio. Her ancestors were the sturdy settlers of New Am- sterdam, earnest followers of the Dutch Reformed church. After the marriage of Thomas Cole and Caroline Moyston they located on a farm adjoining the Town of Pierceton, Indiana, and here the son Harry Ells- worth was born soon after the Civil war opened. He graduated from De Pauw University at Greencastle, Indiana, in 1892. He was an enthusiastic member during his college days of the Delta Upsilon fraternity, representing his chapter at the Boston Convention in 1891.
Before attending De Pauw he had taught several terms of school and following his graduation he accepted the principalship of the schools in Pierceton. During these years he had done reportorial work during vacations on the Muncie (Indiana) Daily Times and after a year of teaching he returned to newspaper work, accepting a position upon the La Crosse (Wisconsin) Republican and Leader. On April 27, 1894, in company with A. D. Dorsett, a classmate at De Pauw, he purchased an interest in the Baraboo News from J. F. Kartack. Mr. Cole, Mr. Dorsett and Mr. Kartack began the publication of the Baraboo Daily News on June 4, 1894. Since then Mr. Kartack and Mr. Dorsett have severed their connection with the paper but Mr. Cole is still actively interested in the publication.
On May 24, 1899, Mr. Cole and Miss Dorothy Matchette, of Pierce- ton, Indiana, were united in marriage, and through the years their home has been one of open hospitality to friends and acquaintances.
Besides his life work, which has been to publish a paper of high ideals and practical usefulness in the community, Mr. Cole is connected with other activities in the locality. As a member of the republican
political party he has always stood frankly for his convictions and worked for them. He was one of the organizers of the Sauk County Historical Society and has occupied the position of president of the organization since its beginning. He is a life member and curator of the State Historical Society. On account of his interest in matters historical he was tendered an honorary membership in the Historical Society of the City of Chicago.
In literary activities he has always been interested, being president
HE Cale
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of the Fortnightly Literary Club of Baraboo and a frequent speaker at similar clubs.
As a creed Mr. Cole holds that life is worth living and he follows it with enthusiasm.
RILEY J. MARTINY is a Sauk County farmer who has not contented himself entirely with the routine handling of lands and crops and live- stock, but has gone in for a specialty. That specialty is the raising of seed corn, and he has adhered to such high standards in the production of seed corn that all he can produce has a ready sale here and elsewhere.
Mr. Martiny was born in Baraboo township of this county March 2, 1868, a son of August and Jane (Wilder) Martiny. On other pages will be found an article referring to his father, one of the venerable old timers of Sauk County who is now living retired near Baraboo.
At the family homestead in this county Riley J. Martiny spent his early years, and at the same time attended the district schools and the Bar- aboo High School. After his education he worked for seven years with the railroads, but in 1895 came back to the land and bought 137 acres in Delton Township. He has since increased his estate to 247 acres. His building improvements are all modern, and include two large silos and two seed corn drying houses. Mr. Martiny has made a specialty of Golden Glow seed corn for the past eight years. His corn has met every test of germination, hardiness and running true to type, and every year's experience gives him a better hold on the business and increases the value of his product. Aside from the production of seed corn Mr. Martiny's farm is devoted to the breeding of Guernsey cattle and Duroc Jersey swine. He has two large hog houses in addition to his large barn.
Mr. Martiny has at the same time taken an active interest in public affairs, has been a member of the town board for five years, and is an active republican. He and his family worship in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Fairfield Township.
August 12, 1893, Mr. Martiny married Mary Atkinson, member of an old and prominent family of Sauk County. She was born in Delton Township on the old homestead February 17, 1873, daughter of John and Mandilla L. (Hackett) Atkinson. Both the Atkinson and Hackett names are widely known over Sauk County. John Atkinson, her father, was born at Emden in the state of Maine, January 26, 1818, a son of Christopher and Betsey (Johnson) Atkinson. Christopher Atkinson was born at Fredericksburg, Virginia, while his wife was a native of Maine. In Virginia Christopher learned the hatter's trade, was employed in that line at New York for some time and afterwards moved to Farmington in the State of Maine. He married there and had a family of thirteen children. Three of these children are still living. Joseph Atkinson, in Maine; Mrs. Walworth D. Porter, of Baraboo; and George, of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Christopher Atkinson in 1856 came to Sauk County and his wife followed him the next year. They lived with their son John in Fair- field Township, and Christopher passed away at the venerable age of ninety-six years in April, 1873. His widow died in Baraboo in 1877, aged eighty-six.
John Atkinson, father of Mrs. Martiny, grew up in the State of Maine
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with a public school education, and did much work on the home farm and in the lumber woods in the winter season. It was in 1855 that he came to Sauk County and joined the pioneer settlers, establishing his home in what is now Delton Township. There he bought 100 acres of wild land, and by his own labors cleared up a considerable part of it. It was a farm of excellent improvements long before he passed away. He died there July 21, 1893. His widow is still living on the old homestead, and that has been her home continuously for over sixty years. John Atkinson married in 1856 Miss Mandilla L. Hackett. She was born at New Vine- yard, Maine, January 10, 1835, daughter of Hartson and Martha T. (Johnson) Hackett. John Atkinson and wife had five children: Emily is the widow of Frank Wilder and has two children, Frank and Ethel ; Nellie is the wife of Frank Getchell and had three children, Perry P., Tina and Dillie; Fannie married Mark Getchell and their one child is Edith; Mary L. is Mrs. R. J. Martiny ; and Joseph B. died August 6, 1893, at the age of twenty-nine. John Atkinson was a republican in politics, and was one of the founders of that party in the State of Maine. His widow is an active member of the Congregational Church.
To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Martiny have been born three chil- dren, named Pierce, Evelyn and Keith.
FRED C. KRUSE is proprietor of the Roseland Stock Farm in Westfield Township. His career is a stimulating example of what may be accom- plished by a man of energy in pursuit of a definite ambition and a deter- mination to make a home and achieve something out of the ordinary in farming.
Mr. Kruse is a native of Westfield Township, where he was born March 18, 1868, a son of Herman and Annie (Luehrsen) Kruse. His parents were both natives of Germany. In 1853 they came to New York City, where his father engaged in the wholesale candy manufacture for a number of years. He realized considerable capital in that and in the fall of 1867 came west and invested in land in Westfield Township of Sauk County. For a 160-acre farm he paid sixty-five hundred dollars. That was a rather high price for land at that time. The father spent the rest of his years here and died in 1883. The mother, who was born August 9, 1828, lived to the venerable age of eighty-nine. There were four chil- dren : Henry ; Lucy, who died in 1903; Fred C., and Annie.
Fred C. Kruse grew up on a farm, attended school at Loganville, and when only fourteen years of age he started out to make his own way in the world. Nothing has ever been given him and by looking out for himself he has steadily made progress to his present prosperous and satis- fying situation. He learned the milling trade and worked at it two years. Then for four years he worked in mills and on farms, and always having an eye to the future he saved his wages until he could buy forty acres in Westfield Township. That was the nucleus of his present estate and he has since added to it until the Roseland Stock Farm comprises 136 acres. He cleared up a large part of the land with his own sturdy right arm, and in getting the land ready for cultivation he sold any number of cords of wood at eighty cents per cord. Most of the returns from this timber he invested in permanent improvements, and he now
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has some of the best building equipment found in the township. His stock and dairy barn is 40 by 84 feet. For the past eleven years Mr. Kruse has been handling thoroughbred Holstein cattle. He has a dairy of about twenty-five cows and keeps about forty-five head of livestock. Another feature of his industry is the breeding and raising of high class poultry. His farm is operated on a business plan and under the firm name of Fred C. Kruse & Sons.
Mr. Kruse has always been interested in movements directed to improve the condition of the community, and especially the local schools. He has served as school director, but has never been an aspirant for offices in the political sense. He is a republican and a member of the Lutheran Church. November 29, 1892, he married Miss Anna Hasz. She was born in Loganville in 1870, a daughter of Christ and Dora ( Westedt) Hasz. Her parents were early settlers in Sauk County and her father died here at the age of fifty-five and her mother at fifty-one. Five chil- dren comprise the family of Mr. and Mrs. Kruse: Conrad, who married in 1916 Elsie Feldtman, of Loganville; Paul; Edwin; Martha, who died at the age of four months; and Clara.
EDUARD CLEMENT. Beginning his career as a school teacher and as clerk in a country store, Eduard Clement is now a member of one of the largest mercantile firms in Sauk County, operating a department store at Reedsburg.
Mr. Clement is a native of Sauk County and was born in Sauk City January 25, 1874. His people have lived in this section of Wisconsin fully seventy years. His father is the venerable Lucius Clement, who is now living retired at Sauk City. Lucius Clement was born in Southern Switzerland, at Graubuenden, in 1838, a son of Henry and Margaret (Schneller) Clement. In 1847 the family came to America, landing at New York City, going on to Milwaukee, and from there driving across the country with wagon and ox team to Sauk City. Henry Clement took up forty acres of Government land, and while proving up and developing his farm he followed his trade as carpenter. Henry Clement lived on the old homestead, and in 1871 moved into Sauk City, where he died three years later. He was born in 1800 and died in 1874. His widow survived him about ten years and was eighty-two years of age at the time of her death. They were the parents of five sons: John Jacob, who died on a farm in Minnesota; Lucius; Flourin, who lives in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin ; Matthew, who died as a soldier in the Civil war; and Henry, who is a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church at St. Paul, Minnesota.
At the age of twelve years Lucius Clement began making his own way in the world. For his first work he was paid two dollars a month during the year 1848-49. The following year he worked at wages of four dollars a month, and after that felt that he was on the road to prosperity because his wages were raised to seven dollars a month. During the sum- mer he would drive teams for breaking the sod, and the winters were spent in splitting rails.
At the age of twenty-two Lucius Clement married Miss Engelina Sutter, who was born in Switzerland in 1837, and immigrated to this
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country in 1848. She died in 1917. After his marriage Lucius Clement took up some land of his own. He continued farming actively for about eight years, at the end of which time he sold his land and moving to Sauk City engaged in the grain and agricultural implement business. He was one of the leading dealers in that class of commodities for about twenty years. At the same time he improved a farm of forty acres near the village, and had that farm largely in order to give his sons something to do. About twelve years ago he retired from farming and had previ- ously given up his mercantile interests. Lucius Clement is an active member of the Evangelical Church, was a member of the town board, the first after the village was incorporated, and for about fifteen years was alderman and for about ten years was assessor.
Mr. and Mrs. Lucius Clement had six sons and six daughters, and ten are still living, six sons and four daughters. Henry is a farmer in Dakota, and by his marriage to Helen Tasker, of West Point, has three children. John, who lives in Iowa, married Eva Tasker and has four sons and one daughter. Margaret is the wife of Dr. Whitlaw, of Lodi, Wisconsin. Joseph is a carpenter at Sauk City and married Selma Buerli. Christiania is the wife of Mr. Habberman, a manufacturer at Lodi, and they have five children. Lena married Michael Kindschi, a shoe merchant at Plattsville, Wisconsin, and their family consists of four boys. The seventh in age is Eduard, of Reedsburg. Sarah married William J. Neu, who lives at Three Lakes in Oneida County, and they have four children. Lucius married Emelia Miller and has one child. Lucius Clement has had a very interesting career. He graduated from the Sauk City High School, taught school two years, was a student in Milwaukee College about one year, and then joined the Fifth United States Cavalry and went with that regiment to Porto Rico. After the Spanish-American war he became superintendent of school and organized one of the English schools in Porto Rico. Returning to America, he entered the railway mail service and for two years had one of the fast mail runs between Chicago and St. Paul. He then became assistant super- intendent of mails at St. Paul, and has handled the responsibilities of that office for the past nine years. The youngest of the living children is Benjamin C., who gained his active business experience as clerk in Mil- waukee and Three Lakes, and is now managing a store at. Clayton, Wisconsin. He married Mary Berns.
Mr. Eduard Clement grew up in his father's home at Sauk City and had a good education. He finished grammar school course under Super- intendent W. H. Schultz, and then for two years was a teacher in Sauk County, and another two years in Dane County. Removing to Lodi, Mr. Clement entered the store of Seville & Bissell, and after Mr. Seville retired he became a member of the firm. He was in active business there until 1903, when he removed to Reedsburg and took employment with the firm of Webb & Schweke. In 1908 Mr. Clement with others organized the present large department store conducted under the firm name Kruger, Huebing & Clement. Mr. Clement is president of the company and has been instrumental in the building up of its magnificent trade. It is a store containing five distinct departments and handling all classes of general merchandise and also dealing extensively in farm produce.
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The main store is 86 by 80 feet, two stories and basement, and there is also a warehouse for flour and seed. Mr. Clement is interested in another mercantile house in Clayton, Wisconsin.
In matters of polities he is affiliated with the republican party. He has been a member of the school board for about six years and was president of the board two years. He and his family are members of the Presbyterian Church, and he is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America. In 1899 Mr. Clement married Miss Estella Leeson, of Spring Green, Wisconsin. Five children have been born to their union : Rebecca, Robert, Ruth, Eugene and Edna, all of whom are living, all at home and they have received the best of advantages in the local schools.
J. BRIGGS. Among the substantial business houses of Baraboo that owned and operated by J. Briggs, who carries flour, feed, seeds and gro- ceries, enjoys a dependable reputation and perpetuates 'an old and honor- able name in Sauk County, the parents of Mr. Briggs having been pioneers here in 1855.
J. Briggs was born in Oneida County, New York, May 16, 1854, and is a son of Amyntus and Emily (Dunham) Briggs. They were born, reared and married in New York and from there came to the Baraboo country in January, 1855. The father was a cooper and a chair and basket-maker, and carried on his business in the village of Newport. He was born in September, 1802, and died in 1887. His widow survived until 1896, dying at Baraboo. They had thirteen children and six of these survive.
In the public schools of Sauk County J. Briggs secured an excellent common school education. In the spring of 1876 he went to Minnesota and spent three years in Winona County, going then into Wadena County and there purchased 160 acres of land, on which he resided for twenty-one years. In December, 1899, he returned to Sauk County and in 1902 he embarked in his present business at Baraboo and since 1904 has been located at No. 139 Third Street. Mr. Briggs has a wide acquaintance which yearly grows wider because of the dependable quality of the com- modities he handles and of his honorable business methods, his store therefore being the leading one of its kind in the city.
In 1885 Mr. Briggs was married to Miss Jessie E. Troup, who was born in 1863 in St. Joseph County, Michigan. . She is a daughter of Benjamin Franklin and Eunice (Batholamew) Troup. They were very early settlers in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, and built the first house, a primitive one of logs, west of the Lac qui Parle River. Later they removed to Todd County, Minnesota, and resided there until 1907, when they came to Baraboo. The father of Mrs. Briggs died here in 1911, and her mother died May 15, 1917, being in her eighty-fourth year. Mrs. Briggs has one sister, Florence May, there being but two children in her parents' family.
Mr. and Mrs. Briggs have four children : Beulah, Marie, Wesley and Reginald. The comfortable family residence is at No. 502 Sixth Avenue. In politics Mr. Briggs has never been unduly active but his strong senti- ment in regard to absolute temperance has made him an adherent of the prohibition party and he takes much satisfaction in the very apparent
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growth over the country of temperance feeling and the wise legislation that is being contemplated in every progressive commonwealth. With his family he belongs to the Congregational Church.
Grant A. Briggs, brother of J. Briggs, and a well-known and highly- respected resident of Baraboo, now engaged in the fur business at No. 141 Third Avenue, was born February 26, 1862, in what was then the village of Newport, in Delton Township, Sauk County, Wisconsin. He was educated in the public schools and the old Newport Academy. Early uniting with the Methodist Episcopal Church, he subsequently became a local minister in that body and for two years was supply preacher for Doctor Mckay, the regular pastor of the church at Parker's Prairie, and later, for two more years, engaged in evangelistic work, with great encouragement.
In 1899 Mr. Briggs came to Baraboo, where his brother William had started a fur business. In this way he became interested in this line, subsequently succeeding his brother, and has continued in the business up to the present time, being assisted by his son, Harry Milton, who was educated in the grade and high school and in a business college at Baraboo.
On March 1, 1888, Mr. Briggs was married to Miss Minna Goulix, of Delton Township, Sauk County, who died May 18, 1894, the mother of two children: Cassie P., who is the wife of Samuel Harvey, of Baraboo, and they have three children, Philip, Lillian and Ethel; and Dean, who died at the age of three years. In 1896 Mr. Briggs was married to Miss Gertrude Alexander, of Verndale, Minnesota, and they have one son, Harry Milton, who was married on Thanksgiving Day, 1916, to Miss Edith M. Huntington, of Baraboo. Since old enough to cast a vote Grant A. Briggs has given his political support to the temperance cause and has reason to believe that his influence in this direction has had weight.
JOHN BLOCK has acquired financial independence by many years of successful enterprise as a farmer in Sauk County, and while not com- pletely retired he is in a position to enjoy a well earned leisure and busies himself largely with the supervision of his farm from his home in Prairie du Sac Township.
Mr. Block was born in Germany .December 26, 1842, a son of John and Sophia (Wolf) Block. His parents came to America and located at Milwaukee in 1862, when he was twenty years of age. A year and a half later they came to Sauk County and with their son Fred bought a farm and lived with this son the rest of their lives. The father died here about twenty-five years ago and the mother twelve years later. There were six children : Fred, who died ten years ago; Louis, who lives in the Village of Prairie du Sac; John; Henry, who died at Baraboo four years ago; Reka, who is married and lives in Milwaukee; and Sophia, who married Vinzens Nold, of Sauk City, and died about five years ago, leaving four children.
John Block was reared and educated in Germany and after coming to Sauk County at the age of twenty-six married Miss Theresa Juble. Seven children were born to their marriage. Charles is now farming
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in Minnesota and is married and has six children. Robert is married and has a home adjoining his father. George is proprietor of a grocery store at Hinsdale, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. William lives on the same farm as his father at Prairie du Sac and is unmarried. Anna married Richard Roberts, and her husband is connected with the grocery store at Hinsdale with her brother George. Emma married Herman Brown, lives in Baraboo, and has seven children, one of whom is married. Clara is the wife of Ed Ketline, a farmer in Prairie du Sac township, and they have four children.
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