USA > Wisconsin > Clark County > Biographical history of Clark and Jackson Counties, Wisconsin : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States, with accompanying biographies of each, and engravings of prominent citizens of the counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 26
USA > Wisconsin > Jackson County > Biographical history of Clark and Jackson Counties, Wisconsin : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States, with accompanying biographies of each, and engravings of prominent citizens of the counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 26
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44
When the Rebellion arose, and men all over this country forsook their trades and professions, Mr. Welsh was not slow to show his loyalty and patriotism. He enlisted in 1864 in the Forty first Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, Company C, and served 100 days. At the expiration of this time he re-enlisted in Company B, Fifty-second Wisconsin Vol-
nnteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war. He was mustered out at Ft. Leaven- worth, Kansas, and received his final dis- charge at Madison, Wisconsin, in September, 1865. He participated in engagements in Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi and Kansas.
Politically he adheres to the principles of the Republican party. He is a member of the C. H. Gill Post, G. A. R., at Loyal, and belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America.
Mr. Welsh was united in marriage July 3, 1870, to Miss Zeette A. Mowry. She was born in Hartford, Washington County, Wis- consin. February 20, 1849, and is a daughter of John B. and Melvina S. (Churchill) Mowry. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Welsh: Burton U., Abion E., Jennie M., Fred J., Kittie B., Floyd E. and Rollie.
AMES MABIE is one of the reliable farmers of Clark County who have as- sisted in conquering the forest and con- verting the land from the wild state in which nature had left it, to farms of great fertility and beauty. He is a native of Putnam County, New York, born July 22, 1829, and is a son of Levi and Drusilla (Shaw) Mabie, who were also born in New York. They emigrated to Wisconsin in the year 1855, and settled in Fond du Lac County, where the father passed the remainder of his days; the mother died at the home of our subject, in Clark Connty, Wisconsin. The parents were bothi consistent members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and were numbered among the upright citizens of the community. Their family consisted of seven children: Harrison, James, Alanson, Elizabeth, John, Mary and George.
James was the second of the family; he
248
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
was reared on a farm in New York, assisting his father in the labors incident to agricult- ural life. After he came to Wisconsin he resided in Fond du Lac County until 1874, when he came to Clark County and located on the place where he now makes his home. He owns 160 acres of good land, and has cleared about sixty and placed it under culti- vation. He has devoted all his energies to this occupation, and has been an energetic, hard-working man. Through a flaw in the title to his land he lias been obliged to pay for it twice; this injustice has been a great hindrance to his progress, but he has " weathered the gale," and is meeting with success in all his business undertakings.
In politics he affiliates with the Republi- can party, and is a stanch adherent to their principles. He has two children, Henry and Warren, both of whom are living.
LEXANDER A. CAMERON, a mill- wright of Dorchester, was born in Perthshire, Scotland, February 10, 1849, the son of Duncan and Jennie (Mc- Gregor) Cameron, both natives of Scotland. They emigrated to Perthi County, Upper Canada, in 1859, and thence to Portage County, Wisconsin, in 1865, settling upon a farm, where they still reside. Alexander A., their only child, was reared to farm life and educated in the common schools. He learned the machinist's trade in East Saginaw, Michi- gan, at which he worked from 1863 to 1865, and in the latter year removed to Portage County, where he was employed at various points from Ashland to Stevens' Point. Ile built several saw and planing mills on the Wisconsin Central Railroad line, and is now building a planing-mill at Fairfield. He
came to Dorchester in July, 1879, where he has since remained.
Mr. Cameron was married September 18, 1878, to Eva Chamberlain, a native of Penn- sylvania, and daughter of Dwight Chamber- lain, deceased. They have had six children, four now living: Jennie, Lyle, Hazel and Ward.
ENRY WELSH, SR., is an old and highly respected citizen of Clark County, Wisconsin, and the following space will be devoted to a short outline of his career. He was born in Prussia, March 2, 1840. His father, Daniel Welsh, also a native of Prus- sia, emigrated to the United States in 1847, and settled in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, when it was a wilderness, inhabited only by the Indians and wild animals. There our subject was reared amid the privations and hardships of frontier life. He was early ac- customed to the labor incident to converting a dense forest into a fertile farm, and although his life has not been an easy one, it has brought the reward of industry and perseverance. It was in 1876 that he came to Clark County and purchased a farm on section 24, Green Grove Township. He has since lived in this vicinity, excepting four years spent in the mercantile business at Hemlock, Wisconsin. He is now a resident of the village of Colby, having retired from active labors. He is a man well informed on the leading topics of the day, and has excellent business qualifica- tions.
When his adopted country was threatened with destruction, he responded to the call for inen to come to her defense; he enlisted Au- gust 17, 1862, as a private in Company II, Twenty-sixth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and served until October 14, 1863. He was
249
CLARK AND JACKSON COUNTIES.
then honorably discharged on account of dis- ability cansed by a gun-shot wound received in the battle of Chancellorsville, May 2, 1863. In acknowledgment of the services rendered, he is granted by the Government a pension of $17 per month.
Mr. Welsh was united in marriage, No- vember 12, 1863, to Miss Emma Sidell, a native of Saxony, Germany, born July 15, 1843. This union has been blessed by the birth of nine children: Daniel P., Anna, Minnie, Henry, William, Lucy, Emma, Lena and Louis. Mrs. Welsh died September 13, 1886. Four years after, May 6, 1890, Mr. Welsh was again married, uniting with Mrs. Emma Penny, widow of the late O. W. Penny, and daughter of Jolin Thistle, and a native of Newfoundland. She had two children by her first marriage-Arthur and Lucy.
Mr. Welsh, since his residence in Colby, which dates from . August, 1887, has held many of the township offices, and has dis- charged the duties devolving upon him with great fidelity. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and of the G. A. R. post of Colby.
REDERICK J. SEIF, of section 2, Wes- ton Township, Clark County, was born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, June 9, 1851, the son of Joseph and Christine (Siles) Seif; the former, a native of Kelpton, Germany, came to the United States about 1838; the latter was also a native of Germany. They were the parents of nine children, eight of whom still survive, viz .: Frank J., Otto, Joseph, Frederick, Sophia, Pauline, August, Christine and Jolın.
The subject of this sketchi was reared to farm life, and educated in the common schools of Dale, Wisconsin. He came to this county
in 1875, settling first in the town of Sherwood Forest, and then came to his present farm of eighty acres, fifty-two of which is cleared. Here he is successfully engaged in general farming and stock-raising. He was married July 5, 1875, to Mary Weisner, of Pine Val- ley, this county, and they have seven children, -Frank, William, John, David, Charles, Frederick and Louis. Mr. Seif was a mem- ber of the Town Board in Sherwood three years, and chairman of the same two years. He was also School Clerk in Sherwood Forest Township two years, and is now serving his fourth year as a Director in the School Board here. Was also member of the Town Board two years, one year of which he was chair- man. Religionsly, he is a member of the Lutheran Church, and politically a Democrat. He is a very promient and enterprising citi- zen.
ARCUS CLARK, an industrious and successful agriculturist of Manchester Township, will be given the following space in this record of the leading men of the county. He was born in Caledonia, Living- ston County, New York, August 20, 1828, and is a son of Calvin and Mary (Blake) Clark. The father was born in Vermont, and spent the most of his life in farming in New York and Canada; he died in Canada about the year 1838; his wife was also born in Vermont, and died in the Dominion of Canada about 1837; she was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The family consisted of eight children :---- Charles, Arvilla, Joseph, Marcus, Walter, Hannah, Amanda and David.
When Mr. Clark was a lad of ten years he was left an orphan, and was thrown out in the world to do for himself; his parents liad
250
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
removed to Canada when he was six years of age, and he remained there until 1850, when he came to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and secured employment with a stage line company; he was shifted from place to place nntil 1857, when he bought his present farm; he first entered eighty acres, and has since added another eighty, all of which is under cultiva- tion; he lias the best improveinents in the township, consisting of a substantial residence, and large convenient barns for the storing of grain and the protection of live-stock. In considering the fact that all this property has been accumulated through his own per- sonal efforts, Mr. Clark.is entitled to no lit- tle praise for the " grit " he lias shown.
In 1864, when there came a call for ad- ditional inen to go to the aid of the Union, he enlisted as a member of Company C, First Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry, and served until the declaration of peace; he was mus- tered ont of the service and discharged at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, August 19, 1865. He participated in the battles at Selma, Alabama, West Point, Georgia, and Columbus, Georgia, and was in many minor engagements. Politically he is identified with the Republican party; he has held some of the township offices, and is a leader in his party. He was Superintendent of the County Poor Farm from 1880 until 1885, making a faitlıful and efficient officer.
Mr. Clark was married December 19, 1858, to Miss Caroline Syverson, of Black River Falls, Wisconsin. She was born among the pine-clad hills of Norway, March 27, 1837. Eight children have been born of this union: Edward, Minnie, Delia, Francis T., Arvilla, Effie, Nellie, Mary and Lucy. Francis T. and Lucy are deceased. Edward married Miss Ida Perry, and they have two children: Roos and Bessie M. Delia is the wife of Garret W. Quackenbush, and is the mother
of three children: Roy, Mark, and an infant minamed. Miss Minnie Clark is a milliner and dressmaker at. New Lisbon, Wisconsin, and is a successful business woman.
ILLIAM II. H. GLIDDEN has been identified with the agricultural inter- ests of Clark County, Wisconsin, since 1866. He was born at Crown Point, New York, May 12, 1840, and is a son of Achiel C. and Lucy (Sever) Glidden. Achel C. Glidden was born at Whiting, Vermont, and there grew to maturity ; he removed with his parents to Essex County, New York, and there met and married his wife. He was a farmer all his life; the land he first bought in Essex County still belongs to members of the family. In early days he was a Whig, and afterward a staunch supporter of Republican principles; he was a believer in religious or- ganizations, although he was not & member of any church. He died in the year 1870, at the age of sixty-three years. His wife was born in Essex County, and died at the age of sixty-six years in 1878. Her parents were Parley and Pollie Sever, natives of the State of New York.
William H. H. Glidden is one of a family of twelve children: Sophronia S., Mariett, Achel C., Parley S., Loretta, William H. H., Steplien T., Myron S., Joseph, Josiah, Al- phonso and Jennie.
He is the sixth of the family, and was reared in Essex County; he attended the common schools of that day, and remained at home, giving his father the benefit of his labor until he was eighteen years of age. When he first started out for himself he went to St. Lawrence County, New York, and worked on a farm by the month; he continued in this place until he decided to go West,
251
CLARK AND JACKSON COUNTIES.
where his opportunities of securing a home would surely be greater than in the more crowded East. Accordingly he came to Wis- consin in 1866, as before stated. He pur- chased eighty acres of forest land, and has given his time and efforts to the clearing of this farm; he now has twenty-five acres under cultivation, and it is well improved witlı sub- stantial buildings. Considering that Mr. Glidden's capital consisted of willing hands and a brave heart, the only reliable capital after all, he is to be congratulated upon the success with which his efforts have been crowned. Politically he is allied with the Republican party, and has been called to fill many of the township offices. He is a mem- ber of the A. O. U. W., lodge No. 32, Neills- ville.
September 5, 1861, Mr. Glidden was uni- ted in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Bresee, who was born in Stockholm, St. Lawrence County, New York, June 11, 1843. Her parents, Calvin B. and Sarah J. (Sever) Bresce, were natives of New York, and there passed all their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Glidden have had born to them three children: Eva J., Willie A. and Myrtie L.
ETER I. HARMER, a successful farmer of Jackson County, was born near Lon- don, England, in November, 1841, the son of William Harmer, a native of the same place. The latter came to this country in 1841, settling in Fond du Lac County, Wis- consin, where he died at the age of ninety years. In England he followed the occupa- tion of thatcher, but in this country en- gaged in farming. Our subject's mother, Hannah (Mitchell) Harıner, was born in England, and died at an advanced age in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. The parents had
twelve children, five of whoin are now living, -Charles, Harriet, Sarah, Edmond S. and Peter I.
The subject of this sketch, the youngest child, was reared and educated in Fond du Lac County on a farın. In 1863 he enlisted in the late war, in Company B., Fourth Wis- consin Cavalry, and was afterward transferred to Company F, and later to Company L. He participated in the battle of Mobile, and was in inany minor engagements. He was hon- orably discharged in May, 1865. After the war Mr. Harmer remained on the farm with his father nutil 1867, when he came to Al- bion Township, Jackson County, Wisconsin, and bought 120 acres of land on section 33, where he now lives and carries on general farming and stock-raising. Politically he is a Republican, and is now a member of the School Board. He was married in 1867, to Almira Dewey, widow of Reuben S. Dewey, and they had eight children, four of whom survive,-Nettie May, Emery B., Gertrude E. and Willie R.
HARLES FREMONT CARLETON, a farmer and stock-raiser of section 1, Warner Township, Clark County, was born in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, Marclı 31, 1857, the son of Thomas V. and Aurilla (Burgess) Carleton, both natives of Maine. The father, now of Neillsville, came to this State soon after the Mexican war, having participated in that struggle under Generals Taylor and Scott. He was in the battles of Santa Ana, Monterey, Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo and others. He was a miller by trade, and also followed farming several years, but is now retired. In 1869 the famn- ily removed to Algona, Iowa, where the father ran a grist-inill and the sons farmed until the
252
BIOGRAPIIICAL HISTORY OF
fall of 1871, when they returned to Wisconsin and settled in Neillsville. The parents had five children: Ellen, now Mrs. Moody ; Henry; Charles, our subject; Clinton, and Nettie, now Mrs. Whitman.
Charles F. received his education in the common schools, and first commenced work as freight agent at Hatfield, Wisconsin, which occupation he continued one year; then spent two or three years with his father in the flouring mill, but has since been en- gaged principally in farming. He spent two winters logging in the pineries, after which, in July, 1888, he came to his present farm of cighty acres in section 6, Beaver Town- ship, and forty acres in section 6, Warner Township. He is now working on the farm of George L. Lloyd.
Mr. Carleton was married December 15, 1880, to Emily, daughter of John Owens, of York Township, this connty. They have had three children, two of whom are now living: Ethel B. and Thomas V. Socially Mr. Carleton is a member of the A. O. U. W., and politically a Republican.
EORGE E. MAYNARD, of section 20, Hixton Township, Clark County, was born in Brandon, Rutland County, Vermont, January 25, 1841, the son of John and Persis (Murray) Maynard, the former a native of Ticonderoga, New York, and the latter of Sudbury, Vermont. The father, a son of Abner Maynard, a soldicr in the war of 1812, was a descendant on the maternal side of the noted Ethan Allen, of Revolu- tionary fame. The parents had three chil- dren: George E., J. Edgar and Warren M. Edgar now lives in Kingston, Green Lake County, and Warren works on the railroad and lias no regular home. George E. came with
his parents to Green Lake County, Wisconsin, in 1855, settling on a farm in Kingston, Green Lake County, whicrc he lived until 1861. He then enlisted in Company A, Second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and served until August 21, 1861, having been wounded at the first battle of Bull Run. He re-enlisted in the fall of 1862, in Com- pany B, First United States Sharp Shooters, Colonel Berdan's Regiment, and was dis- charged in May, 1863, by order of Gencral Hooker, on account of disability. Ile as- sisted in rescuing Burnside's Artillery from the Innd on the Rappahannock river, and was in the battles of Fredericksburg and many others. He again re-enlisted, in Au- gust, 1864, in Company HI, First Wisconsin Cavalry, and served until the close of the war, participating in the battles of Franklin, Pulaski, Nasliville, and in inany raids and skinnishes.
After the war Mr. Maynard went to Mar- quette County, Wisconsin, where he followed farming three ycars. In 1868 he went to Osage County, Kansas, settling in Burling- game, where he worked in the coal mines, but in 1872 returned to Wisconsin, and worked in the woods one season. In 1873 he came to this county and settled in Green- wood, where he lived until 1879, and in that year he settled on his present farm. He first homesteaded forty acres, built a log house 18 x 24 feet, and in 1880 the floods drove the family out of the house. He then bought sixty acres more on higher ground, built a frame house 18 x 24 feet, one and a half stories high, with an L 16 x 24 feet, one story, and he now owns 100 acres, thirty-five of which is cleared.
Mr. Maynard was married in May, 1863, to Adaline E. Marshall, a daughter of Thomas (deceased) and Phœbe . (Worth) Marshall. Mr. and Mrs. Maynard have six children,
253
CLARK AND JACKSON COUNTIES.
namely: Frank E., Charles E., Phoebe P., John T., Warren M. and George O. Mr. Maynard has been Justice of the Peace, Health Commissioner and School Clerk. Both he and his wife are members of the Baptist Church, and the former is a Repub- lien politically.
ENRY MEIER, of scctions 33 to 27, War- ner Township, Clark County, was born in Selbeck, Lippe-Detmold, Prussia, May 12, 1848, the son of Ernest (dcceased) and Mina (Machintanz) Meier, both natives of Germany; the latter died when Henry was seventeen years of age. They were the par- ents of ten children, six of whom still sur- vive: Mina, Dorothy, Christopher, Ernest, Henry and Louise.
Mr. Meier, onr subject, came to the United States in 1875, having had to borrow $130 to make the trip, and first stopped in She- boygan County, Wisconsin, where he worked four years on a farm. During this time he paid off his debt, and also supported a wife and two small children. In 1879 he came to this county, locating in Warner Township, where he left his family in a sheep liouse while he worked in the woods for Fred Bu- ker. Since coming to this county he has worked in the pineries eight winters, and during that time worked on the farmns in the summer. In 1880 he settled on his present place of eighty acres, thirty-five of which is cleared. Mr. Meier was in the German army from 1868 to 1871, and during that time was in the French revolution from 1870 to 1871. He was in the battles of Woerth, Vionville, Gravelotte, Beaumont, Sedan, Strasburg, Metz, Amiens, Orleans, Le Mans, Montheliard, St. Quentiu, Paris and Pon- tarlicr.
He was married August 14, 1872, to Amelia Eichmeicr, who was born in Brake, Lippe- Detmold, Prussia, March 8, 1846, the danghter of Fredericlı Eichmeier, deceased. Of their eight children, five are still living: Henry A. F., August H., Frederich W., Lydia E. and Ernest (). All of the children are at home except Fred, who lives with the minister at Immanuel Church, this county. Religiously Mr. Meier is a member of the German Reforincd Church, and politically a Democrat.
EORGE BURKE, Justice of the Peace, Town Clerk, and proprictor of the Douglas House, of Thorp, Clark County, was born in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, October 16, 1854, the son of John and Ellen (McCarty) Burke, the former a native of County Cork, Ireland, and the latter of Kingston, Canada. The father came to the United States when a young man, and to Wisconsin about 1840. The parents had seven children, six of whom survive, namely: George, our subject; Mary, now Mrs. Mar- phy; Lizzie, Mrs. Roth; Ella, Mrs. Poppe; Lulu, Mrs. Snyder; and Pearl, who is un- married. One son, Edmund, was killed on the railroad March 21, 1888, at the age of thirty-two years.
George, the subject of this sketch, was reared to farm life and educated in the com- mon schools of his native county, where he was also engaged in farming. In 1882 hecame to Thorp, and the following fall began the hotel business, which he has since followed. He has been Town Clerk for the past four years, also Justice of the Peace and Clerk of the School Board. In 1890 he was the Democratic nominee for County Clerk, and came within thirty-six votes of being elected,
254
BIOGRAPHIICAL HISTORY OF
running several hundred ahead of his ticket. He was married November 21, 1888, to Altie Craig, who was born in Portage County, Wisconsin, December 25, 1869, the daughter of George W. Craig, of Thorp. They have two children: Gertrude, born September 4, 1889, and John, September 18, 1890. Mr. Burke owns his hotel building, and also a farm of eighty acres one and a half miles east of Thorp.
LIVER G. WINTER, a farmer of Manchester Township, Jackson County, is a man of high standing in tlie com- inunity and unquestioned integrity of clrar- acter. He was born in Franklin County, Maine, February 28, 1821, and is a son of Benjamin and Olive (Gray) Winter, natives of the State of Maine, where they passed all their lives. They were the parents of six children: John, Fannie, Oliver G., Elisha, Joseph and Harrison. Oliver G. was the third born child; he was reared in his native county to the occupation of a farmer, and re- ceived his education in the public schools. In 1857, when the tide of emigration was still flowing steadily to the West, he deter- mincd to seek ont a home in this new section of conntry, and accordingly set out on this mission; he came to Jackson County, and for several years was engaged in the lumber business, operating a sawmill a portion of the time. In 1871 lie purchased liis present farm, which consists of 120 acres, most of which is under cultivation; there are neat comfortable buildings, and barns and sheds for the care and protection of the live-stock and the storing of grain; all the surround- ings give evidence of thrift and wise manage- ment.
Mr. Winter is a stanchi Republican, and
enjoys the distinctlon of having been a dele- gate to tlie convention that organized tlie Republican party. August 12, 1854, the Democrats, Whigs, and a third party, had called conventions in the town of Strong, Franklin County, Maine; all were set for the same hour, and when they were couvened eacli body appointed a man to consult with each other, and see if some union could not be effected. They finally agreed to unite and organize a new party; a vote was taken on this which was unanimous. After this, tlie question arose: "What name shall be given the new party ?" John H. Willard, of the town of Wilton, arose and moved that it should be called the Republican party; this motion was seconded and carried without dis- sent. Mr. Winter was a delegate to the Democratic convention, up to that time being a strong adherent to the principles of that body. However, upon the organization of the new party he cast his lot with it, and has ever since been a stanch supporter of its movements. It is indeed a pleasure to record the history of a man who has had so promi- nent apart in the political history of this conntry, and one who is so worthy in every way of the lionor.
In 1860 Mr. Winter was elected by the Republicans of Jackson County as Clerk of the Circuit Court, serving one term with great credit to himself and the entire satis- faction of his constituency. Since that time he has held many of the local offices, and there is perhaps no other farmer in the com- munity better posted on the leading issues of the day than is he. In church matters he fulfills his obligation to the utmost, being an active and consistent member of the Metli- odist Episcopal society.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.