Biographical history of La Crosse, Trempealeau and Buffalo Counties, Wisconsin : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States, with accompanying biographies of each; engravings of prominent citizens of the counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families, Part 80

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 938

USA > Wisconsin > Buffalo County > Biographical history of La Crosse, Trempealeau and Buffalo Counties, Wisconsin : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States, with accompanying biographies of each; engravings of prominent citizens of the counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 80
USA > Wisconsin > La Crosse County > Biographical history of La Crosse, Trempealeau and Buffalo Counties, Wisconsin : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States, with accompanying biographies of each; engravings of prominent citizens of the counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 80
USA > Wisconsin > Trempealeau County > Biographical history of La Crosse, Trempealeau and Buffalo Counties, Wisconsin : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States, with accompanying biographies of each; engravings of prominent citizens of the counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 80

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In 1869 he established his hardware store on the corner of IIill and Main streets, where he erected a two-story brick building. Ile has condueted his business here ever since; has been prosperous in his undertakings, and now has one of the largest stores in the county. Ile also has a tin shop in connec- tion with his establishment, in which he manufactures all the tinware he sells. Mr. Stoll is a man of keen business sagacity, and during his long residence here has made a number of paying investments. Ile is a stockholder in the Fountain City Milling Company and in the Fountain City Brewing Company. He also has a farm of 280 acres near the town of Milton, besides some thirty- four acres of swamp land.

Mr. Stoll was married in New Glarus,

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Green county, Wisconsin, June 6, 1852, to Barbara, daughter of Christian and Mary Lieehti. The issue from this union is as fol- lows: Lena, born in Ohio, married Christian Florin. Her death occurred June 25, 1878; Emma, born at Fountain City, April 5, 1856, became the second wife of Christian Florin ; Frederick, born June 6, 1859, died July 4, 1863; John J., born March 10, 1861; Ed- ward, born January 23, 1865, died August 9, 1865; William G., born July 10, 1867; and a child that died in infancy. William is engaged in business with his father, and has charge of the tinshop. Mrs. Stoll died July 21, 1885. October 7, 1886, Mr. Stoll wed- ded Mrs. Lonise Schwaninger, his present companion.

His son-in-law, Christian Florin, above re- ferred to, is also a native of Switzerland. He emigrated to the United States in 1868, and at once located in Fountain City. By his first wife, Lena, whom he married November 26, 1872, he had four children: John, Oscar, Mira and Lonisa. After her death he was married, May 25, 1880, to her sister Emma. In 1869 he became a partner with Mr. Stoll, and they are still associated together in busi- ness. In politics he is Democratic.

Mr. Stoll occupies a prominent position among the pioneers of this county. Few names are more intimately associated with its growth and development than his. Ile is a member of the A. O. U. W., Lodge No. army experience was a most thrilling one. 13, of Fountain City, and in polities gives his support to the Republican party.

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FRANK HARE, a well-known eitizen of Trempealean county, and a gallant sol. dier in the war of the Rebellion, resides on seetion 6, in the town of Caledonia. Ile was born in Clinton county, New York, in

1839, and is of Spanish extraction, his pater- nal grandfather having been a Spaniard by birth, and for many years a resident of New York State, where he died. The father of our subject, Joseph Hare, was a native of New York, and was married to Elsie Irish. In 1851 he emigrated with his family to Wisconsin, and settled in La Crosse county. In 1861 he removed to Pierce county, and in 1865 to Trempealeau cou :. ty, where he died in 1870. IHis wife died Deeember 26, 1885, the day following her eighty-fifth birthday. Joseph Ilare and wife had seven children, four sons and three daughters, and three sons and two daughters are still living. The eldest, Mary Ann, still lives in New York; Lemuel, the eldest son, resides in Trempea- leau; Avis now resides in Pierce county; Deeatur was a member of the Eighth Wis- consin in the war of the Rebellion, and now resides at Independence, Trempealeau county ; Huldah Jane was twice married, and died in Carson City, Nevada; Merrill, also a member of the Eighth Wisconsin, died after the war, of disease contracted in the army.

Frank Hare, the youngest of his father's family, enlisted at Preseott, Pierre county, Wisconsin, in June, 1861, in Company B, Sixth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and has the honor of being the first man who put his name on the company roll. He was, how- ever, at once followed by fifty others. IFis and proves him to have been a daring soldier. Ile followed the fortunes of the Sixth Wis- consin, which formed a part of the Iron Brigade, and no military organization in the war of the Rebellion did more heroic service. We shall endeavor to give a condensed record of Mr. Hare's military service. After enlist- ment he drilled with his company at Prescott for about three weeks, when they were ordered to Madison, where they went into camp

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and drilled until after the battle of Bull Run. They then started for Washington, arriving in Baltimore in time to have a skirmish with the secessionists of that city, and after arriv- ing in the Capital city they went into eamp at Arlington Heights, and there received muskets and drilled. They went thence to Camp Lyons, where they were witnesses of the first punishment of desertion, and were drawn up to see the soldier shot for that crime. They returned to Arlington Heights, and there engaged in drilling and pieket duty. and also assisted in building the forts about that place. The first battle in which Mr. Hare took part was that of the second battle of Bull Run, under General Pope, after which he went to South Mountain, and was detailed to assist in burying the dead, burying the first member of his company that was killed in battle, A. B. Wilson. The next conflict in which he was engaged was the terrible battle of Antietam, where he received a wound in the left thigh. This required his confinement in the hospital, first at HIagerstown, then at Washington, and thence at the New York" City Hospital, where he remained two months. He went then to Fort Hamilton. and a week later took steamer to Alexandria, where he entered the convalescent hospital.

There Mr. Hare took steamer for Bell Plain, and after landing in Chesapeake bay he rejoined his regiment, and the following day started on the march to Fredericksburg, taking part in the battle at that place under Burnside. Ilis regiment made the celebrated charge at Fitzhugh's Crossing and covered the retreat of Burnside. They then returned to Bell Plain Landing, fought at Chancellors- ville under Hooker, and took part in the great battle of Gettysburg, where he fought as a member of the Iron Brigade for three days. Joining the forces of General Grant, they took part in the terrible battle of the Wilder-

ness, May 5, 1864, and he was shot through the left leg by a minie ball and fell into the hands of the enemy, by whose surgeon his leg was amputated on the field. He lay on the field of battle until June 6, when he was re- moved to Gordonsville. His experience in the battle of the Wilderness, both before and after he was wounded, was the most thrilling. General John A. Kellogg, in an oration on Decoration Day at Faribault, Minnesota, May 30, 1874, gave a graphic account of the battle of the Wilderness fought May 5, 1864. Among other things he says: "I had the misfortune to be slightly wounded and taken prisoner. On being taken to the rear, I hap- pened to be temporarily confined near the Rebel hospital. Under a high tree I noticed two wounded men wearing the blue, and soon discovered them to be Captain Rollin P. Con- verse and Corporal Frank Hare. The cor- poral had been wounded in the leg, and had just suffered an amputation above the knee. The captain had been shot through the body and also through the thigh, and the rebel surgeons had decided to experiment on him by what is known as a hip amputation. Con- verse knew that his wound was mortal, and was desirous of avoiding unnecessary suffer- ing. Whispering to Hare, he told him that in his inside coat pocket was a small Colt's revolver, which had escaped the notice of the enemy, and he desired Hare to get this and prevent if possible his being disturbed before he died. Corporal Hare obeyed the order, and when the attendants attempted to remove the captain to the amputating table, he cocked his revolver and in a quiet way commanded them to desist, saying he would shoot the first man who laid hands on the captain. A guard was brought up, and with cocked muskets aimed at llare's breast, ordered him to drop the pistol. Ile only laughed at them, saying : ' What do you suppose I care for my life

Illespic

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with my leg gone? Kill me if you will, but that man is my captain. He has ordered me not to permit him to be moved, and I shall obey his orders to the best of my ability, and so long as I live and have strength to shoot it will be dangerous for any man to touch him while he lives.' Struck with admira- t'on at his coolness, the guard was ordered to leave them, and one rebel officer, looking admiringly at Hare remarked, .I would like a regiment of such men.' This aronsed the dying captain, who replied: ' I had the honor to command a hundred such men; the North is full of them, and sooner or later we shall triumph, and your rebel flag will be trailed in the dust.' These were his last words, which having been uttered, he fell back dead."

Mr. Hare was taken from the battlefield of the Wilderness by his captors to Gordons- ville, where he suffered a second amputation He was married, March 13, 1569, to Miss Sophrona Terpna, and they have one son, Cortez. of his limb. While at that city the Rebels, fearing an attack by the Union troops, placed Mr. Hare and other prisoners on flat cars and ran into a swamp, where they remained three days without food or water. They were then taken to the stockade at Andersonville, where OHIN GILLESPIE is president of the Bank of Arcadia, which was established by him in 1883. Ile does a general business, and the officials of the bank are John Gillespie, president; and Joseph Roth, cashier. Mr. Gillespie has been a resident of Trempealean county sinee 1873. lle was born in Stirlingshire, Scotland, in 1827, and at the | age of nineteen years he emigrated to Can- ada, where he remained three years, residing first at Pictou and then at Collingwood. From Canada Mr. Gillespie went to Roches- ter, New York, where he was engaged as clerk in a mercantile institution for two years; but, wishing to secure employment that they stayed fourteen days, and thence to Cas- tle Thunder, Richmond. From there they were taken to Libby prison, and in Septem- ber, 1864, came out on what is known as the "Ten Thousand Exchange." After having been a prisoner four months and fourteen days, and all of this time in a severely wounded condition, Mr. Hare was taken to City Point and thence to Annapolis, Mary- land, where the third amputation of his limb was performed. At the latter city he obtained his discharge and returned to Prescott, Wis- consin, and there, in 1866, the fourth opera- tion was performed. which consisted in re- moving the bone to within an inch of the world promise better than a simple clerkship, hip socket. When his wound had sufficiently | he accepted an agency for the sale of shoulder 42

healed he came to Trempealeau county, where he has since lived.

lt would seem impossible after the long and intense suffering that he endured that Mr. Hare should be' able to perform much manual labor, or realize in any way innch enjoyment in life, but on the contrary he started out determined to make for him- self a home. Ile has improved a farm, and has a pleasant home and surroundings, located about two miles southeast of Galesville. Ilis farm contains 140 acres, on which he has made all the improvements, but even his iron constitution and determined will cannot wholly prevail against the sufferings he has endured, and as the year: pass by he feels more and more the effects of his experience as a soldier. As he was a brave soldier in the cause of the Union, so he is a respected and esteemed citizen.

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braces for a man living in Syracuse, New York. In the sale of this article he was quite successful, and decided to engage in its manufacture himself, and accordingly lo- cated near Ithaca, where he continued for a number of years. After his marriage he re- turned with his wife to Canada on a visit with friends in that Dominion, and later went to Fort Wayne. Indiana, where he was con- nected with a toll gate on a public road. After a time he purchased the stock and operated the business thirteen years. From Indiana he removed to Rochester, Minne- sota, where he engaged in farming and mer- chandising until he came to Trempealeau county.

Mr. Gillespie was married, at Ithaca. to Eliza Hollister, who died in Indiana. Ile was afterward married, in that State, to Miss Amanda Penniman, and it was owing to her illness that he removed to Minnesota. She died, however, at Rochester, and he was sub- sequently married to his present wife, Mrs. Mary B. Murphy. Mr Gillespie has three children by his first marriage, a son and two daughters, and the former, John, is a farmer near Rochester, Minnesota; Mary is now Mrs. D. Search, and resides in London, Eng- land: Eliza is the wife of John Pennington, also of Rochester: a son and daughter were born to the second marriage: Charles, who resides in the province of Ontario, Canada. and IIelen, wife of F. Parks, of Carthage, New York. Mr. Gillespie is a well-known citizen of Trempealeau county, is a successful business man, and is numbered financially among the leading citizens of this county.

LRICHI FRIED, one of the prominent business men of Fountain City, Wis- consin, is the subject of this biography. He was born in Switzerland, August 24,

1846, son of John and Margaret (Lietha) Fried, also natives of that Republic. His father, a farmer by occupation, emigrated to the United States in 1857, landing in New York. From there he came direct to Wis- consin and located in the town of Cross, Buffalo county, where he purchased a par- tially improved farm. lIe remained there and enltivated his lands until 1870, when he sold out to his sons, Ulrich and Leonhardt, and removed to Arcadia, Trempealeau county. same State, where he died in 1873. His widow is now living in Stutsman county, North Dakota, with her youngest son, Anton. Their seven children are as follows: Peter, Ulrich, Leonhardt, Magdalina, John, Mary, now Mrs. Gnsal. and Anton: all living ex- cept John and Magdalina.

The subject of our sketch remained with his parents until he was about seventeen. years of age, attending school and working on the farm. He then went to Fountain City and learned the carpenter's trade, at which he worked for six years. At the end of that time he and his brother Leonhardt bought their father's farm, condneting it together for a while and afterward dividing it between them. In 1880 he purchased his brother Peter's farm, adjoining his own. He has 140 acres under cultivation, there being 550 acres in the farm.

In 1874 Mr. Fried. while on the farm, began to deal in sewing-machines and agri- cultural implements, and in 1884 moved this business into Fountain City, locating on Front street. He has established a fine trade here and is doing an extensive business. Ile makes a specialty of agricultural implements, handles the J. F. Seiberlig's mower and binder, all the latest improved farm ma- chinery, and a full line of chain and iron force and lift pumps. He handles the Seam- stress and Jennie June sewing-machines.

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Ilis establishment is one of the best of its kind in the city.

Mr. Fried was married in the town of Milton, Wisconsin, July 2, 1870, to Sedonia, daughter of Rudolph and Mary Gasal, and has seven children, namely: Emil, Rudolph, Peter, Gaudenz, Maggie, Alma and Erwin.

C. BUTTON, attorney and counselor at law, Trempealeau, has been a mem- ber of the bar of this county since 1879, succeeding his brother S. W. Button, now Judge of Monroe county, and resides at Sparta. Judge Button was engaged in the practice of law at Trempealeau for a number of years, and also served as a soldier in a Wisconsin regiment, in the war of the rebel- lion. Ile was severely wounded in the ser- vice in his left shoulder, from which he has never fully recovered.

Julius C. was born in Lorain county, Ohio, the son of Charles and Cynthia (Watson) Button. The parents removed from the State of New York to Ohio, thence to Mich- igan, later to La Salle county, Illinois, set- tling near Ottawa. From Illinois they re- moved to Green county, Wisconsin, abont 1845, where the father died the following year. The mother survived until 1879, when she died at the old home in Green county. Charles Button and wife had fourteen chil- dren, ten sons and four daughters, and eight brothers and one sister are now living. The eldest, Rev. Asa Button, was a minister of the gospel for over forty years. He was instantly and very mysteriously killed by a train of cars on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, near Chicago. He had attained to the age of seventy-five years, but was strong and robust at the time of his death. The second brother, Rev. Ard But-

ton, is a Methodist clergyman, and now a resident of Kansas; Hollis W. is in the railroad service in California; Rev. Charles Button is a Baptist clergyman, and lives at Riverside, California; Zebulon is a farmer and lives in Kansas; Ulysses S., a merchant of Tomah, Wisconsin, where he has lived for many years; Ralsey W., is with his brother Ilollis in California; and J. C. Button, the subject of this sketch.

The latter came to Wisconsin with his father's family, where he received a liberal edu- cation, graduating at Beloit College in 1952, and soon afterward began the study of law at Beloit. The California gold excitement was then at its height, and Mr. Button with thousands of others became a victim of the gold tever and joined the high caravan which crossed the plains toward the Pacific coast. The party of which he was a member left Wisconsin in the spring of 1852, and crossed the plains to Oregon with teams, the trip consuming about six months. Mr. Button remained in the vicinity of Salem, Oregon, engaged in teaching and practicing law for three years. He then went to San Francisco, and was also in Sacramento for a time. after which he returned to Wisconsin, via the Isthmus of Panama, in the fall of 1855. On his return he resumed the study of law. reading at Monroe, Green county, and also at Janesville, and was admitted to the bar in the former place in the fall of 1857. After practicing for a time in Southern Wisconsin, he opened an office at St. Croix Falls, Wis- consin, and was soon afterward elected Dis- trict Attorney. But the country where he was located was too new and without im- mediate prospects of settling up rapidly, and he therefore removed to Prescott, where he was in practice for a period of sixteen years, and was also Prosecuting Attorney for two terms.

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In 1878 Mr. Button crossed the Atlantic and made an extended tour of the old world, visiting many of the most important points mentioned in ancient and modern history. Starting from the port of New York, he landed at Glasgow, Scotland, where he visited most of the places of historical interest in that country. He went thenee to England, over which he took an extended tour; from London he went to Paris, thence to Lyons and on to Spain. Returning to France he went to Dijon and passed through the Mt. Cenis tunnel into Italy; visited Turin and Geneva, the leaning tower of Pisa; visited Rome and Naples, and at the latter place took ship and crossed the Mediterranean sea to Alexandria, Egypt, thence to Cairo, where he stood on the top of the pyramid of Cheops. This pyramid is 480 feet in height, and its base covers an area of thirteen aeres. He went thence up the Nile to the Red Sea, through the Suez canal, then took boat to Joppa, thence to Jerusalem. This celebrated ancient city was his headquarters for some time while visiting other places of interest. He went next to the sea of Galilee, crossed the Jordan river, and visited various places of interest including Sidon and Tyre. He crossed the country from Beyroot to Damas- ens, a distance of seventy miles and returned, there took ship and went to Tarsns, visited the island of Patmos and old Troy on the way to Constantinople. From the latter city he went up the Black Sea and visited Odessa, Sebastopol, Constantinople, Athens, Corinth, and Corfn, crossing the Adriatic Sea to Brindisi and Naples. At Naples he learned of the death of Vietor Einmannel, whose funeral he attended, and there witnessed a most brilliant military display. Going thence to Venice he there learned of the death of Pope Pius, and returned to Rome and wit- nessed the funeral display which followed the

death of that potentate. He then went from Rome to Florence, visited the famons cathe- dral at that place, thence to Prague and Munich and various other places, including the city of Berlin, thence to Moscow and St. Petersburg. He next started for the city of Christiania, but the change in the climate occasioned by his rapid change in latitude cansed him to take a severe cold, and he therefore changed his mind and visited Ham- burg, Amsterdam and the Hagne. He went thence to Brussels and stood upon the famous field of Waterloo, next to Geneva, then to Calais, thence to London and Liverpool. He erossed into Ireland and visited Dublin and various other places of interest, including the famous eity of Cork, going thence to Queenstown, whenee he sailed for New York.

Soon after his return Mr. Button came to Trempealeau to visit his brother, who was engaged in the practice of law, and was in- duced by him to remain. They practiced for a time in partnership, when owing to failing health the brother went to Texas, and on his return located at Sparta.

Mr. Button's wife was formerly Miss Char- lotte Wheaton, a native of New York. They have no children, having lost a son Charles in 1864, at the age of five years. Mr. Button received a liberal literary education in early life, which has been supplemented by a prae- tieal knowledge of the world, obtained by extensive travel. It is estimated that his trip to the old world covered a distance of abont 25,000 miles; about 800 of which he traveled on foot. He has always been an ex- tensive reader, and is well informed on the various issnes of the day. His professional practice he follows rather as a matter of pas- time, and to afford him an ocenpation for the mind rather than as a business. He is a pro- gressive and enterprising citizen, and his

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knowledge of the world makes him a most entertaining and profitable companion. As a eitizen he commands the respect and esteem of all with whom he comes in contaet.

ON. ALEXANDER A. ARNOLD, one of Wisconsin's representative citizens, and a pioneer of Trempealeau county. resides at his beantiful farm home about one mile northeast of the center of the village plat of Galesville. He was born in Rhine- beek, Dutchess eounty, New York, October 20, 1833, a son of Archibald II. R. Arnold. The family is of English origin, but the first American aneestor came to this country dur- ing the early history of the colonies. The great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch was Ahab Arnold, and from him our subject gets his middle name. The latter was one of twelve sons, was a native of Rhode Island, and a pioneer of Dutchess county, New York. IIe lived to the advanced age of ninety years. Welcome Arnold, the grandfather of A. A. Arnold, married Mary Row, who was of Hol- land Dutch ancestry. Archibald 11. R. was the only son of his parents, as was also Wel- come Arnold, who lived to the advanced age of ninety-seven years. The mother of' onr subjeet was Catherine M. E. Shultz, also of Holland Dutch aneestry. The parents eon- tinned to reside in Dutchess county until death. The father was a man of considerable ability, was a Demoerat in politics, and both he and his wife were long members of the Christian Church. The husband survived the wife and mother a number of years. They were the parents of seven children, all of whom grew to manhood and woman- hood, and all are still living but two. The eldest, Mary, died at the age of sixteen years; Alexander was the next in order of birth;

Geraldine married Edward Crummey, and resides at Poughkeepsie, New York: Emma became Mrs. Roberts, and died at Pongh- keepsie in 1890; Rosa P. married Charles Williams, and lives in the latter city; Ham- ilton J., a resident of Kansas City, is engaged in the drug business; Washington W., the youngest, is also at Kansas City, where he is engaged in the real-estate business.

The boyhood days of our subject were spent on a farm and in attending school, and for a time he was a student at Starkey Academy, and what was then known as Nine Partners Boarding School, and also at Poughkeepsie College. Ile taught school for a time, and in 1855 was graduated at the Ohio Law School. Ile next entered the office of the late Hon. Theodore Miller, of Hudson, New York, where he remained as a student six months, and was then admitted to the Supreme court of that State. Early in 1557 Mr. Arnold come to Wisconsin, and con- tinued for a short time in Elkhorn, Walworth connty, residing with a consin, where he was also admitted to the bar, and there tried his first case in law. He had two consins, W. A. Johnson and Mrs. George A. Smith, re- siding in Galesville, and, desiring to see more of Wisconsin before making a permanent settlement, he came to Galesville, in June, 1857. Here he decided to remain, and im- mediately engaged in the practice of his pro- fession.

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Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 938

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 938