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 83
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 83
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 83
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In 1845 Mr. Stellpflug, Sr., emigrated to America with his family, their objective point being Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which they reached in due time. There they continued
to reside until 1854, when, having sold the farm in Washington county, the family started Westward with the intention of settling in Minnesota. They traveled with ox teams and wagons, and on arriving in La Crosse the father left his family while he started out for a trip through Southern Minnesota to look for a desirable place of settlement. But learning that the Indians were somewhat troublesome, he was not willing to risk his family in that section of country, and conse- quently decided to locate in Trempealeau county, and settled on the place where his son, John now lives. Here he and his boys erected a log cabin, which still stands on the place, and began at once to break the land and prepare for a crop. They sowed some winter wheat the first fall, but this did not produce a large crop, as they sowed too late, having not yet learned the character of the soil. The father first secured eighty acres of land, on which the old homestead now stands, and also obtained forty acres of timber. He and his sons improved the place and made a pleasant home, and here the father died, Au- gust 10, 1863, and lies buried on a beautiful rise of land near the old home. Besides the children already mentioned as born in Ger- Germany, and Clements, who was born on the way to America, was a little brother also named John, who was born in Washington county, and died at the new home in Gale township, in August, 1854, in his fourth year, and lies buried by the side of his father. Mr. Stellpflug was a man of large experience and great energy of character, but on coming to a new country when well advanced in life, he did not become acclimated so readily as a younger man would have done, and the ex- posure incident to a pioneer life was very severe on him, dying, as has been before stated, in 1863. The young son and brother, who died soon after the arrival of the family
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in this county, was a victim to the exposure and excitement to the new life.
John A. Stellpfing, who owns and occupies the homestead farm, was born in Germany, September 28, 1838, having been about six- teen years of age when he came with his father to Trempealeau county. Ile helped clear up the homestead farm which the father bought in the name of the son, so that in reality he has always owned the place. In the early days he worked out and earned money for the benefit of the family. Ile was married to Sarah Shonat, who was born in Walworth connty, New York, a danghter of George Shonat, now deceased. She came to this county with her parents in 1855. They have ten children, three sons and seven daughters: Frederick J., Francis G., Joseph C .. Julia A., Abigail E., Ellen S., Katherine A., Mary E., Florence C. and Laura A. The mother of Mr. Stellpflug lives with her son at the old homestead. She still eontinnes in good health for one of her advanced years Our subject came to this county many years ago, when just verging into manhood, and has lived to witness the growth and progress which a period of thirty-seven years has made. Ile is esteemed as a good neighbor, and as an honorable and progressive citizen.
ILMER L. IMMELL, the present Post- master at Blair, received his appoint- ment April 23, 1889, his commission dating from May 20 of that year. He was born in Jackson county, Wisconsin, May 10, 1863, a son of F. M. Immell, a pioneer of Western Wisconsin, having been a resident of Jackson county as early as 1852. Ile was born in Ross county, Ohio, in 1831, a son of Jacob Immell. The former eame to La Crosse county as early as 1852, and was for many
years employed on Black river, and is now a resident of Blair. The mother of our subjeet was Ann Storley.
Elmer L., our subject, has passed the most of his life in Trempealeau county, and was edneated in the public schools of Blair. Ile is an engineer by trade, and for many years has been engaged in operating steam thresh- ers, and since 1351 has been proprietor of the business. He is still engaged extensively in that occupation, owning and operating two engines and threshers, and does a large part of the work in this portion of the county.
Mr. Immell was married to Miss Rose MeKivergan, a daughter of James MeKiver- gan. Hle and his wife have two sons, -1Ingh E. and Russell Ilarrison. Mr. Immnell is a representative of a well-known pioneer family of Western Wisconsin. In his business re- lations he is esteemed as an honorable and upright citizen, and in his official capacity he is both efficient and popular, and in all re- speets has the confidence of the community in which he lives.
UGUST F. HENSEL, a general mer- chant of Arcadia, was born in Prussia, October 17, 1834, a son of John Fred- erick llensel. In the spring of 1839 the family, consisting of parents and five chil- dren, left their German home for America, sailing from the city of Hamburg on the vessel Alfred, and were three months making the passage to New York. A child was born to the parents on ship board, which in honor of the event was called by the name of the vessel, John Alfred. After landing in the port of New York the family proceeded to Buffalo, where they resided two years, the father in the meantime engaging in work on the Erie Canal. In 1841 they removed to
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Milwaukee, which was then but a hamlet, and although but a lad the subject of this sketch remembers the names of all the resi- dents of that place. There the youngest of the family, Charles Albert, was born in 1847, and later the family settled on land in Gran- ville township, which, with the assistance of his sons, the father improved. Ile finally re- turned to Milwaukee, where he passed the last twenty-five years of his life. Ile was a well-known citizen of that town in the early days, and was for many years engaged in house-moving, being the second to engage in that business in Milwaukee. He died in that city May 29, 1886, at the age of eighty-three years, and his wife, who was born May 2, 1801, died in February, 1881. Of their seven children, all are living but the eldest, Caro- line, who married and had quite a numerous family, and died in Oshkosh many years ago. Edward, the eldest son, is a resident of Buf- falo county; Julius is a resident of Arcadia; the subject of this sketch is the next in order of birth: Matilda is the wife of Charles Seott, of Milwaukee; John Alfred also re- sides in Milwaukee; and Charles A., the youngest of the family, resides in Jamestown, North Dakota.
August F., our subject, remained in Mil- waukee until May 5, 1854, and in his youth was engaged in clerking in that city. Ile went to Madison, and continued a resident of Dane county until he came to this part of the State. While on a visit to his parents in Milwaukee he heard reports of Buffalo county as a desirable part of the State in which to locate, and by the advice of his father he re- solved to look for a location in this part of the State. The latter gave him $300 with which to purchase land, on condition that he expended it in Buffalo county. Mr. Hensel accordingly set out for his destination, aecom- panied by his next oldest brother. There were
then no railroads or other public conveyances by means of which they could reach the western part of the State, and they accord- ingly went to Chicago, thence to Dunleith, now East Dubuque, by train, then up the river by steamboat to La Crosse, where they secured the services of a surveyor and pro- ceeded to what is now Glencoe township, Buffalo county, where they made locations. Soon afterward Mr. Hensel improved an op- portunity to purchase a pair of Canadian ponies and a wagon of a Canadian, and with these he returned to Dane county, where he sold his team, went thence to Milwaukee, and returned to Buffalo the same fall with an ox team and wagon. He was accompanied on his return by his brother John, Thomas A. Simpson, William Johnson aud two broth- ers named Piper, though the latter only ac- companied them as far as Sparta. The four companions who came on to Buffalo county were all single men, and all except John made locations, Mr. Simpson. however, loeating in Trempealean county, and John- son soon sold his claim in Trempealeau county and went elsewhere. These gentle- men were among the first settlers of this portion of Wisconsin, and endured all the privations incident to a pioneer life. The winter of 1856-'57 is still remembered by the pioneers as one of remarkable severity, and to add to their sufferings the stock of provisions of the settlers became entirely ex- hausted, and the question as to how they were to subsist became a serious one. Mr. Hensel finally decided to make an effort to reach Fountain City and secure a supply of provisions, and he accordingly started out for that place with a sleigh and three yoke of oxen. He was accompanied by Henry Wer- tenberg and James Faulds, and they were compelled to break the crust of the snow all the way, the distance being sixteen miles.
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Starting on Monday morning, they were three days in reaching that city, and arrived home on Saturday night, after an absence of six days. To show the difficulty under which they labored it may be stated that Mr. IIen- sel wore three pairs of pants on this journey, all of which were worn and cut through at the knees before reaching their destination, and it was necessary that he should borrow a pair at Fountain City before returning home. The cattle had often to crawl on their knees; and after all his labor and sufferings Mr. Hlensel secured for himself but one barrel of flour, which cost him $16 in money and a week's work with three yoke of cattle. IIe nearly perished on this trip, and succeeded in eseaping with his life only by his great will and powers of endurance. In 1862 he sold out in Buffalo county, and in 1863 re- ! moved to Arcadia township, Trempealean county, and settled on land he had purchased some time previously. There he lived with ! his family from 1863 to 1874, or until the village of Arcadia was started. He then re- moved to that place and erected his present store building, which was the finest on the west side of the traek. In 1876 he engaged in merchandising, which he has since con- tinued.
since the organization of that party. We have thus endeavored to give a biography of August F. Hensel, who has been a resident of Buffalo and Trempealeau counties for the long period of thirty-five years, and has wit- nessed the country grow from a state of wil- derness to its present condition of wealth and importance. Ile is numbered among the well-known and esteemed citizens of Trempealean county.
OHN CLARKE, of Fountain eity, Wis- consin, one of the oldest settlers of Bnf- falo county, was born in Manchester. England, October 20, 1824. His parents were George and Susanna Clarke, the former a son of William Clarke, and was born at Ripon, in 1802, and the latter born at Rip- ponden, near Halifax, Yorkshire, in 1804. They had two children, the subject of this sketeh, and a daughter, who married James Cotton, of England. Ile is deceased and she is now a resident of Aurora, Missouri.
John Clarke received his education in a private school, and subsequently learned his father's trade, that of mill-wright, working some at Manchester and a portion of the time at London. Ile was quite young when his mother died, her death having occurred in January, 1829.
Mr. Hensel was married in Angust, 1860, to Miss Amelia Hensel, also a native of Prussia, and daughter of Ludwig Hensel. They have seven children, viz .: Ida, Alvah, Ayris, Euniee, Jesse. Ivan and Myrtle. They lost cix children,-Emma, who died at the age of twenty-six years; Dexter, in his fifth year, and the remainder died in early infancy. In his political affiliations Mr. Hensel is a Republican, his father having been a Whig in the early times, and later a Republican. Mr. Hensel east his first Presidential vote for John C. Fremont in 1856, and has voted for , the hotel there was robbed of all his money. every Republican candidate for President
In 1850 his father emigrated to the United States, and located at Indianapolis, Indiana. Ile was aetively employed in his business and took a number of contracts for putting np mills in that State. About a year after he came here, he decided to return to England for his family, and have his sou, John, engage with him in business. On his way to New York he stopped at Cleveland, and while at Not long afterward he was found one morn-
.
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ing dead in his room, and it was reported that he died of apoplexy. There was a suspicion, however, that he had been foully dealt with, as one of the proprietors of the hotel soon left for California. About three months after his father's death John arrived in that city, but nothing satisfactory regarding the untimely death of his parent could be ascer- tained.
has passed so many years. As a business man he has been successful; owns an interest in the Fountain City Brewing Company, and has other property.
He was married, in Manchester, England, June 17, 1847, to Elizabeth, daughter of Edward and Alice (Hindle) Waring, of Black- burne, England. Following is the issue from their nnion: Mary A., who died in infancy ; Marion, who married Charles Hensel, now in Dakota; Fannie, wife of Martin Feuerhak; Lillian J., a young lady of acknowledged ability as an artist: Coralla St. V .; Grace Darling, who married John J. Frye; George, who died at the age of twenty-one years; John S. died when four years old, and Sam- uel II. when only two.
From Cleveland Mr. Clarke went to Rus- siaville, Indiana, and completed the contracts his father had taken. lle then went to Fond du Lae, Wisconsin, to ereet a linseed-oil fac- tory, and remained at that place two years. Dr. Bishop, a member of the firm who put up the factory, was building a sawmill at Fountain City and engaged Mr. Clarke to come here and set up the machinery in it. In politics Mr. Clarke was formerly a Republican, but now affiliates with the Democratie party. He was made Justice of the Peace in 1857, about the first justice in the county, and held the office six years. He was appointed District Attorney for Governor Bashford in 1855, which position he occupied one term: was under-Sheriff for one term some years ago; also Trustee of the village one term. He has held all the positions on the school board. Both he and his wife were reared in the Episcopal Church, and are still consistent members of the same. In 1869 1 they made a visit of three months' duration to their old home in England, and while they enjoyed their sojourn there, were glad to return to their adopted country. The latter, being so well pleased with this place, decided to locate permanently here. This was in the spring of 1855. His next construction was a flour mill which he built in connection with John Buehler, now of Alma. This mill was completed in 1958, and was the first one erected in the county. It stood about a half mile south of the site of the present mill. After operating it about two years, he turned his attention to farming, engineering on the boats and working at machinery in the lumber country. In 1866 he erected his machine shop and plow factory at Fountaln City, which he conducted up to January, 1892, when he sold the manufactur- ing business While he was running the mill he and his partner, Mr. Buehler, also carried It should be further stated in conncetion with the family history of Mr. Clarke, that his father was married to a second wife, Mary Barlow, in 1830, near Manchester, England, and by her had four children: William, Samuel, Robert and George Henry, all born in England. Samnel and George Ilenry on a general store. Soon after coming here he began looking around for a home place, found a location that eminently pleased him, made claim on it and at once began improve- ments. Leaving the banks of the Mississippi and going up a little canon, now known as Cedar valley, one finds the attractive home i came to the United States in 1853 with their and beautiful surroundings where Mr. Clarke | mother, and located at Fond du Lac, where
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Q. Q. Peterson
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the mother died shortly after her arrival. Samuel is living at Arkansas City, Kansas, and is engineer for the Santa Fe Railroad Company. George Henry lives at Fairview, Kansas; is a member of the Baptist Church; married Jane Crawford, and has six children.
LE O. PETERSON, of Areadia, is one of the well-known citizens of Trein- peauleau county, of which he has been a resident sinee August, 1868. Ile was born in Sweden, July 17, 1840, a son of Ole Peter- son. The parents never came to America, and still reside in Sweden. Our subject is one of a family of five children, two sons and three daughters, and his only brother resides in Burnside township, Trempealean county. A sister also resides in Burnside township, and the others are still in Europe.
Ole O). was reared in his native country to the occupation of farming, and after attaining a proper age lie entered the army, where he continued about two years. This was not, however, while his country was at war, but he entered the military service as other young men of his country do to receive a discipline which will fit them for a possible war. Mr. Peterson had for some time contemplated coming to America, and finally crossed the ocean to the United States on the City of Paris. His object in coming to America was that he might improve the superior oppor- tunities for advancement in life over those of the older countries of Europe. lle arrived in La Crosse May 24, 1868, and his financial resources being about exhausted he began work on the construction of the Sonthern Minnesota railroad, where he con- tinued for a few months. He next went to Iowa and worked during the harvest season, and in the fall of the same year came to
Trempealean county. Mr. Peterson passed the winters of the two following seasons in the pineries of Wisconsin, and the summers were spent at work in Onalaska. Next he engaged in farming in Arcadia township, which occupation he continued until 1874, and in that year he began merchandising in what is known as the old town of Arcadia, under the firm name of Peterson & Thomp- son. In 1876 Mr. Peterson bought his partner's interest and continued alone until the latter part of 1877. when he sold out to his former partner and retired from active business. In 1883 he re-engaged in business at the same place, under the firm name of Peterson & Bear, and in 1884 Mr. Peterson retired from this firm and formed a partner- ship with W. P. Massuere, under the firm name of Peterson, Massnere & Co. In 1887 he sold out to his partner, since which time he has been practically retired, though he has dealt somewhat in real estate.
Mr. Peterson is a representative citizen of Trempealean county. Ile came to America in 1868, a poor young man and totally un- acquainted with the language and customs of his adopted country, but by industry and perseverance he lias overcome all obstacles and has been successful in many ways. He has accumulated a fine property, owning about 1,000 acres of land in Trempealean county, and has also owned valuable land in Minneapolis. Mr. Peterson has been called upon to serve in various official positions, including that of Supervisor and Town Treas- urer, holding the last mentioned position from 1876 to 1878, and is now a member of the board of trustees of the village of Arcadia. He began his political career as a Republiean, voting for Grant, Garfield and Hayes, but has more recently affiliated with the Democratic party. In 1872 Mr. Poter- son was attacked with the disease known as
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asthma, which was the cause of his discon- tinuing the occupation of farming and en- gaging in merchandising. Ile is still at times afflicted with the disease, though not so severely as formerly.
Ile was married November 13, 1870, to Mrs. Martha Larsen, widow of Peter Larsen.
ENRY M. CROMBIE, who resides on section 26, Gale township, was born in Oswego county, New York, November 16, 1833, a son of William Crombie, who was born February 9, 1804. May 4, 1830, be married Katherine Hasbrouck, who was born December 25. 1810. The paternal grandfather of our subject, also named William Crombie, was born December 16, 1766. The early records of the Crombie family in Amer- ica state that John Crombie, who was the great-grandfather of Henry M., emigrated from the North of Ireland to Londonderry about 1720, and thence with his family to America. The parents of our subject re- sided in Oswego county for many years, and afterward went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, locating on a farm in the Milwaukee woods about eight miles from that city, thence to Delafield, Waukesha county, later to Mil- wankee. four years later to La Crosse, and thence to the vicinity of Black River Falls, where the parents lived until death, the father dying in Waukesha, where he had gone for medical treatment, December 17, 1868, and the mother December 26, 1876. They were the parents of four children, three of whom grew to mature years: Henry M., the eldest; Eliza Marvin, who became the wife of Ephraim Darwin, of Madison, Wisconsin, and is now deceased; William Wallace, a resident of ,Jackson county.
Ilenry M., onr subject, assisted his father,
who was a hotelkeeper, and after attaining to manhood lie engaged in lumbering, and for many years was head sawyer at the mills in the vicinity of Black River Falls and La Crosse. Ile now owns a fine farm and pleas- ant home, on which he has made all the im- provements. He was married December 4, 1861. to Miss Harriet W. Clark, a native of Ohio, who died at Black River Falls March 9, 1869. May 27, 1873, Mr. Crombie was united in marriage to Mary E. Davis, a daugh- ter of S. P. Davis, a pioneer of Jackson county. Mrs. Crombie was born near Roeh- ester, Monroe county, New York, in 1849, and came West with her parents when nine years of age. Mr. Crombie had two dangh- ters by his first marriage: Rhoda C., wife of William Baker, of La Crosse; and Stella H., wife of Edwin Houk, of Melrose. Five children have been born to the present union, four of whom survive, namely: Harrison A., Walter I., Letitia V. and Austin P. They lost their first child, Alta Eliza, at the age of two years. Mr. Crombie is a well-known citizen of Trempealeau county, where he has lived for more than thirty years. He has been Postmaster at Glasgow, and also of this place since 1873. He always takes a com- mendable interest in promoting the moral, religions and material growth of the com- munity in which he lives. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at North Bend, Jackson county, Wis- consin.
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ALBERT N. GOODHIUE, who owns and conducts the Trempealean Herald, pur- chased the paper in 1889 of C. V. Stewart, who succeeded F. A. Brown as owner and proprietor; and still earlier the paper was owned and conducted by Frank Kribs.
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The Herald is a weekly journal, Republican in polities, and has a cirenlation of 500.
in Colonial times and are the sons of Alexan - der P. Butman, a native of New York and of Elbert Goodhne is a native of Trempealean, born November 23, 1860, a son of Francis A. Goodhue, who was an early settler of this city, where he still resides. He is a native of Vermont, a millwright and carpen- ter by trade, and came to Trempealean in 1856. Elbert N. was educated in the public schools, and afterward studied law for abont two years, but on account of poor health he relinquished the study of law and learned the business of telegraphy. He was engaged as operator for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, and also the Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul & Omaha road. He next pursued the study of stenog- raphy, intending to follow the business of court reporter, and with that end in view was for some time in the office of Cameron & Losey, of La Crosse. But delicate health re- quired more active exercise, and for a time he was amanuensis for the Minneapolis Elevator Company, for the Mazepa Mill Company, and later was assistant to the secretary of the general manager of the Northern Pacifie railroad, being located at St. Paul. But, de- eiding to engage in the newspaper business, English ancestry. Their paternal grand- father was John Butman, an early settler of the State of New York, where he lived until death, after which the grandmother removed with her family to Erie county, Ohio, and settled in the town of lInron, in the Iluron river valley. The family consisted of three brothers and two sisters: John, Benjamin. Alexander, Hannah and Nancy, all of whom have now passed away. Alexander, the lat- est survivor of the family, died November 5 1888. The mother of the subjects .of this sketch was Rebecca Smith, a daughter of Enock Smith and wife, who were early settlers of Florence, Erie county, Ohio, where they resided until death. Alexander Butman was three times married, and by the first marriage there were three sons and a daughter, the latter of whom died early in life. Of the three sons Stark is the eldest, Iliram the second in order of birth, and Asa, the youngest, resided for some time in La Crosse county in an early day. He served in the Union army in the war of the Rebellion, after which he settled in Rock Island county. Illinois. He was married in Muscatine. lowa, and now resides in the State of he purchased the Herald, of which he ' Nebraska, engaged in farming. There were other children in the family by later mar- riages, Alexander Butman having been the father of eight who grew to mature years,
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