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 86
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 86
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 86
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Mr. Roettiger has held several local po- sitions of trust, such as Clerk and Treasurer of the town; and in the spring of 1891 was almost unanimously chosen for Mayor, which office he is now filling to the entire satisfae- tion of his constituent -. In polities he is a Republican. By his knowledge of architee- ture and the close attention given to his ocenpation, he has built up a large and con- stantly increasing business. He is a member of the Germania Club and of the Harmonia Society.
ber 31, 1883, to Linda, daughter of Fritz Thuemmel. Three children have been born to them: Elsie, Alvin and Norman. Alvin died in April, 1890. Mrs. Roettiger is a member of the Lutheran Church.
ILLIAM II. BLODGETT, a furniture dealer and undertaker of Whitehall, has been engaged in business since 1884, succeding L. H. Whitney, but which was established by Nelson Comstock in 1874. Mr. Blodgett was born in Beloit, Wisconsin, December 29, 1844, a son of Franklin Blodgett, who settled in that city in May of the same year. IIe was born in Maine, in 1810, and was of English ancestry. Three brothers named Blodgett came to America previous to the Revolutionary war, two of whom settled in the colony of Massachusetts, but where the third brother settled is not known. The descendants of the first two became very numerous in Massachusetts and Maine. Franklin Blodgett married Martha Taylor, a native of Lowell, Massachusetts. After coming to Wisconsin, the family re- mained in Beloit but a short time, removing thence to Baraboo, and later to the State of Iowa. But the family afterward returned to Wisconsin, and lived for a time at Angelo, Monroe county, whence they removed to Winona, but after returning again to Monroe county, they removed to Chatfield, Minne- sota, in 1853. There the family lived thir- teen years, and in 1866 went to Dunn county, Wisconsin, settling near Menomonie, where the father died in 1887, the mother having died in Chatfield, in 1859. They were the parents of ten children, five sons and five daughters, but only four of the family are now living, two sons and two daughters. The
lle was married at Fountain City, Decem- surviving brother of our subject, Edwin, is a
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resident of Menomonie; Jane, the eldest of ! and obtained water for their thirsty com- the family, is the wife of Joseph Wiggins, of Fall City, Dunn county; Nina is the wife of William Raprager, of Menomonie.
William II., the subject of this sketeh, en- listed in February, 1862, in Company B. Fifth Regiment, Minnesota Infantry. This was at a time when the Indians were trouble- some on the frontier, and his company was sent to Fort Ridgely, Minnesota, to garrison that fort and protect the inhabitants against the Indians. This fort was located but eighteen miles from New Ulm, the scene of the terrible massacre in 1862. As soon as information reached the fort that the massa- cre of the inhabitants had begun, a part of his company, ineluding himself, started at once for the seene of trouble. The soldiers left Fort Ridgley at about 9 o'clock, A. M., and marehed at once to the lower ageney of the Sioux, where they arrived at about 1:30 P. M. They took no rations with them. but others followed from the fort with food, over- taking them in the vieinity of the agency. The Indians, aware of their coming, had re- solved to form an ambush for the soldiers. New Ulm and Redwood Ageney, it will be remembered, are located on the Minnesota river, and on arriving at the ageney an Indian chief was seen on the opposite side of the river standing on a log, and his appearance would indicate that his intentions were friendly. He attempted by motions and broken English to induee the soldiers to go aboard the ferry-boat, which was stationed at that place, but the Indian interpreter who accompanied the soldiers immediately warned the Captain that their object was to get the soldiers all aboard the boat, and while they were passing to the other side the savages would have them at their mercy, so the re- quest was not complied with. Two or three soldiers, however, advanced to the river's edge
panions. While they were so doing, the Indian chief, who had evidently concluded that the soldiers were suspicious of their in- tentions, at once gave the signal for attaek, and from all sides a furious and murderous fire was poured. A scene of confusion and slaughter at once followed, the soldiers at once discovering that they were surrounded by many times their number, and a desperate effort was made to fight their way clear of the Indians and get back to the fort. Of the forty-seven soldiers of which the detachment consisted, twenty-three were killed and three others badly wounded. Mr. Blodgett re- ceived a gunshot wound in the first fire, the ball entering his left side, between the two lower ribs, and passing through the body came out at the spine.
The final escape of Mr. Blodgett and his survival of the terrible wound that he received are among the most remarkable ineidents in the history of Indian warfare. When the attack began it at once became evident that the soldiers were surrounded on all sides. Mr. Blodgett, on being shot, fell to the ground, but quickly got upon his feet and ran for shelter to the house of the ferryman ; but the rattling of the bullets upon the building at once told him that his place of hiding was known to the savages, and it would be sure death to remain there. He immediately left the building and running back presently saw three men on different sides of the same tree, endeavoring to dodge the bullets. The di- rection in which he was fleeing was toward these men. but before he reached them all were killed. Observing the direction from which the shot came that killed one of the three soldiers, he cast his eye in that direc tion and saw an Indian hastily reloading his gun. Mr. Blodgett had thus far kept pos session of his own gun, which he immediately
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brought to bear upon the savage and shot him passed this outlet but was expelled from the stomach through the opening the bullet had made through his body. It is said to have been the first case on record of a person so wounded recovering, and is regarded so im- portant that it is printed, and is on record in the Surgeon General's office, United States Army, at Washington, District of Columbia, and in the Medical and Surgical History of the Rebellion, part second, surgical volume, page 941. This, of course, ended the mili- tary career of Mr. Blodgett, which, though dead. Quick as possible he reloaded his gun from a fallen comrade's ammunition and continued his retreat. He presently came upon a sollier who was retreating in the same direction and called him to run faster, but in reply to the command he showed him his hand which had been badly in- jured. Their paths here slightly di- verged, Mr. Blodgett going to the right and his comrade to the left, and hearing a noise as though pursued the former dropped down into the path and crawled into the brief, was a most remarkable one. His bushes. Two Indians immediately passed in ' recovery, which was thought to be impos- pursuit, almost stepping upon him as they passed in their eagerness, and soon overtook
carpentry, which he followed until 1884, but owing to physical weakness he was obliged sible, was of course a very gradual one, and he has never recovered his former con- the soldier, whom they tomahawked. There ; dition. In time he learned the trade of Mr. Blodgett lay in the bushes in pain, and distinctly heard the voices of the Indians, who lit their pipes and sat down to smoke after , to give it up, engaging in his present occu- the brutal murder of the soldier.
This event occurred at about 2 o'clock p. M., and there he lay until dark, when he made an attempt to reach the fort. But the night was dark and the ground rough, and he made but little headway. le came, however, to a little pond or lake near by his place of con- realnent, where he slaked his thirst and lay down upon the ground. The next morning he again started for the fort, but again made but little headway, as it was necessary that he should keep concealed in the bushes, as say- ages might still be prowling about. At dark he had made but four miles, and he now ventured in the road, and at 2 o'clock at night succeeded in reaching the fort, and all this time he had been without food.
His eseape was certainly a most remark- able one, especially taking in consideration the severe nature of the wound. The bullet that entered his body, lacerated the ontlet of the stomach to the bowels, and for fourteen days nothing that was taken into his stomach
pation.
Mr. Blodgett was married in Eau Claire, January 22, 1973. to Miss Victoria A. Snoad, of Kilbourn City, and they have one son, Harry E., born November 27, 1873. They lost a son, Clair, born July 10, 1875, and died at the age of ten days. They have one daughter, Gracie M., born May 8, 1884. Mr. Blodgett is one of the enterprising and intel- gent citizens of Whitehall, and, notwithstand- ing the fearful experience and great suffering he has endured from his army career, is one of the progressive business men of his town. Politically he was formerly a Republican, but is now a Prohibitionist. He is an honored member of Winfield Seott Post, at Whitehall.
EV. GEORGE P. DISSMORE, of Pigeon township, is one of the early settlers of West Wisconsin. He was born at Mar- blehead, Massachusetts, about fifteen miles
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from Boston, December 2, 1834, a son of | West in 1857. The latter was a shoemaker Thomas Dissmore. The genealogy of the family in America is traced back to two brothers who emigrated with their families from England in early colonial days. One of these brothers settled at Marblehead, and the other in what is now the State of New Ilampshire, and our subject is descended from the former. The descendants of the latter, who are now scattered over various parts of the Union, spell their name Dens- more, but the original orthography of the name is Dissmore. The exact time of the coming from England of the two brothers above mentioned is not exactly known, though at least 200 years must have clapsed since then, as the name appears in the carly colonial history of the New England colonies. The paternal ancestry of the subject of this sketch were seafaring men, his grandfather having followed the sea for fifty years, as did all his sons except Thomas, the father of our sub- ject. Thomas Dissmore married Mary Rey- nolds, also of Marblehead, and in the spring of 1857 he emigrated with his family to Wisconsin, settling in what is now Juneau county, where the family lived for about four- teen years. They then came to Trempealean county and lived until 1890, when the father went to Barren county to reside with his youngest son. The mother died when our subject was but five years old, and the father afterward remarried, and with his wife now lives in Barron county, both having attained to advanced age. George P. is the only sur- viving child of his mother; a sister died in early life. Two sons and a daughter were born by the second marriage of the father, -- Thomas, deceased; Martha, the widow of Rev. E. D. Barbour, of Barron county. Wis- consin, and Benjamin, the youngest.
Rev. George P. Dissmore was educated in his native State, and accompanied his father
by trade, but engaged in farming after coming West. Our subject was engaged in teaching most of the time in early life, and at the age of fifteen years he united with the church, and has been engaged in the ministry since early manhood. He preached for three years in the village of Warner, Junean county, and later in Vernon county for one and a half years, and has been pastor of the First Baptist Church of Whitehall for more than twenty-five years, though the church has had other pastors for short terms. Mr. Dissmore was ordained in the Baptist Church at Manston in 1859. He now resides on section 8, township 22 north, range 7 west, where he has lived for nearly thirty years, having secured the land that comprises his fine farm of 160 acres under the homestead law. He is eminently a pioneer of Trem- pealean county, having helped to organize Pigeon township, and was its first Town Clerk.
Ile was married in 1859 in Juneau county. just before his ordination to the ministry, to Mary E. Rogers, a daughter of Renben Rogers, who emigrated from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin when the latter was a Territory. Ilis final settlement was at Mauston, where he lived until death. Mrs. Rogers is in the ninth generation of descent from John Rogers, who was burned at the stake at Smithfield, England. Mr. and Mrs. Diss- more have ten children, two sons and eight daughters. They have lost two sons, one by accidental drowning, and two died in in- fancy. Rev. Dissmore is one of the well- known citizens of Trempealeau county, where he has lived so many years. He is a man of great energy and force of character, and while he has been all his life successfully engaged in the ministry he has also cleared and developed a fine farm, on which he and
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his family reside. As a minister he is naturally thought they meant him harm. He earnest and impressive, and has labored ; sent for Goerke, who had been with the In- faithfully all his life to make men and ' dians and who explained matters to him. women both better through the influence of the gospel. He is respectedl and esteemed also as a progressive and enterprising citizen.
ENRY TECKEMBURG, one of the old pioneers and business men of Fountain City, Wisconsin, was born in the duke- dom of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, Feb- ruary 10, 1827. Ilis father. Claus Teckemburg, was a son of Frederick Teckemburg, and was a farmer by occupation, and his mother was nee Margaretta Schlichting. They had a family of nine children, namely: Frederick, Ah- rand, Henrick F., Henry, William, Rudolph, Johannas, Engene, Louise, now Mrs. Uter- moehl, of Fountain City. All are living ex- cept Frederick, Ahrand, Rudolph, Johannas and Eugene.
The subject of our sketch was reared at home, attended school until he was fifteen, and then entered upon a five years' appren- ticeship to the mercantile business at Lübeck. After his term of apprenticeship had expired, he clerked for several years, thus acquiring a thorough knowledge of the business. Ile emigrated to the United States in the spring of 1852, landing in New York city and from thence coming West to Davenport, Iowa. In the spring of 1858 he started for La Crosse, where he opened a store and conducted it until fall. Then he moved his business up to Ilolmes Landing, now Fountain City, and opened the first store in the place. On the first night after he landed with his goods he slept by them, and in the morning he was awakened by a great pow-wow from a num- ber of Indians who had gathered around him. He could not speak the Indian language, and
The red men only wanted to greet him and buy goods. His trade was good from the first, and rapidly increased. In 1855 he erected a brick store, which was burned in 1878. The same year he erected his present building. In 1857 he sold his goods to R. W. Feigle, and, in company with August Finkle- burg, started a sawmill near the river at the foot of Hill street. This was the second sawmill in the county. They operated it one year. In 1859 he took the machinery further north and erected another mill, which he ran about a year, after which he sold out. This inill was burned down sometime in the '80s. Ile opened his mercantile business again, in 1859, across the street from his old stand. Ile had traded his store property to Mr. Finkleburg for his interest in the sawmill at the time he moved it north. About 1870 he bought the building and moved his goods over into it. In 1872 he sold ont to Carisch Bros. He then operated in wheat, and engaged in farming on the land he had pur- chased just above the city in 1859. In 1879 he again returned to the mercantile business. That year he also bought the Bishop sawmill below town, and ran it until 1885. He has carried on his mercantile business continu- ously since.
Mr. Teckemburg is a stockholder in the Fountain City Brewing Company and also in the Fountain City Milling Company. At one time he held the position of County Clerk ; also served in other offices of local promin- ence and trust. Not at any time, however, has he sought office, and has only served when he thought it his duty to do so.
Ile was married, June 27, 1854, at Foun- tain City, to Margaret, danghter of Hans J. and Barbara (Meyer) Rahm, natives of Swit-
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
zerland. A record of the eleven children born to them is as follows: Teekla, born Sep- tember 22, 1955, died January 2, 1856; Gus- tave A., born August 19, 1856, died August 25, 1857; Gustave II., born March 13, 1858, died October 8, 1859; August, born October 1, 1859, died October 9, 1859; Edwin, born December 3, 1860; Emma, born September 5, 1862, is now the wife of Fred Voegeli; Matilda, born August 17, 1864, died Feb- rnary 1, 1891; Henry, born September 28. 1866. died July 19, 1968; Albert, born March 7, 1869; Laura, born January 25, 1871, died December 17, 1872; Flora, born May 6, 1873.
Mr. Teckemburg is a man who stands high in the community where he has so long resided. In polities he is Democratie.
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OIIN O. MELBY engaged in the bank- ing business at Whitehall, Wisconsin, in 1888, with a capital of $10,000. The seventh semi-annual report made to the State Treasurer, January 4, 1892, is as follows: Resourees: Loans and discounts, $60,679.56; tax certificates, 8618.14; overdrafts, 873.02; specie, 82.456.55; cash items, $20.72; bank fixtures, 8891.65; United States National Bank notes, $1,099.00; dne from banks, $15,- 911.91; total, 881,780.55. Liabilities: Cap- ital, $10,000.00; surplus, 84,700.00; deposits, $67,080.55; total, 881,780.55. The corre- spondents of this bank are: Second National Bank, Winona; La Crosse National Bank, La Crosse; Metropolitan National Bank, Chi- i eago; National Bank of the Republie, New York, and N. A. Andresen & Co., Christi- ania. A bank was established at this place in 1878 by Messrs. Allen & Son, but con- journey abroad.
October 15, 1545, was educated in his native land, and came to the United States in 1869. llis father, now deceased, was never in this country, and the mother still lives among the pine-clad hills of her own land. On coming to America Mr. Melby went to Omaha, Ne- braska, but a few months later to La Crosse, Wiseonsin, and in the spring of 1870 he moved to Ettrick, Trempealean county. Wis- consin. There he worked in the store of Iver Pederson for nearly five years, during which time he held the office of Town Treas- urer four years, and in company with his employer purchased the gristmill at that place. In the fall of 1874 he was elected Register of Deeds of Trempealean county, and in the spring of 1875 he sold his milling interests to his partner, Mr. Peterson. lle held the office of Registrar of Deeds continu- ously for twelve years, and on retiring from the office was succeeded by the present in- cumbent, Simon Olson. From July, 1957, to July, 1855, Mr. Melby was cashier of the Bank of Galesville, Wisconsin.
In 1875 he was united in marriage, at Ettrick, to Miss Jennie L. Beach, daughter of Charles G. Beach. The father came with his family from Vermont to Trempealeau county in 1866. The mother is now deceased. and the father resides with his daughter. Mrs. Melby. After a year in the Bank of Galesville, as already stated, Mr Melby re- solved to make a visit to his native land, and spent three months of the summer of 1>>> in the land of his childhood, visiting the scenes of his earlier days and the friends and kindred whom he had left many years before. After a pleasant visit in Europe he re-joined his family in Vermont, whither he had accompanied them before starting on his
Mr. Melby and his brother Anton, em- Mr. Melby was born at Askim, Norway, ployed in the bank as cashier, are the only
tinued only one year.
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
members of the family in America. Mr. and Mrs. Melby have three children, two daughters and a son: Kittie, Charles and Mary. Onr subject is one of the successful business men of Trempealeau county, owns much valuable real estate, and has been a stockholder in the Bank of Galesville sinee its organization. He has a pleasant home at Whitehall, Wisconsin. Cordial and genial in his disposition, fair and honorable in his dealings, he commands the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens.
ON. JOHN J. SENN, a resident of Fountain City, Wisconsin, and one of the old pioneers of Buffalo county. was born in Canton St. Callen, Switzerland, March 28, 182s. llis parents, John J. and Kathe- rina (Graesli) Senn, were natives of Switzer- land, the former born in May. 1798, and the latter January 1, 1800. Grandfather Senn was named Jacob. John J. Senn, Sr., was a farmer by occupation. He emigrated to the United States in 1554, two years subsequent to the coming of his son.
The subject of our sketch was reared be- neath the parental roof, receiving the advan- tages of a common-school education. He learned the trade of weaving and dying, and followed that business up to the time of his emigration. He sailed from llavre de Grace for New Orleans on board the good ship Robert Kelley, landing in the latter city November 9. 1952, where he worked at his trade of dyeing. Three months later he went to St. Louis, where he worked at a branch of the dyeing trade three months. The next two years he spent at (falena, Hlinois, working in the mines in winter and at the carpenter's trade in summer. His next move was to Fountain City, landing here May 19, 1555. local offices; was a delegate to the State con-
It was about that time that the name was changed trom Holmes Landing to Fountain City. Mr. Senn worked at whatever employ- ment he could obtain in the new town until the fall of 1558. He then engaged in teach- ing school at Eagle Mills, now known as Mil- ton, and taught there and in the towns of Belvidere and Fountain City until the spring of 1863, when he took up painting and fol- lowed it until he entered the war. He enlisted September 3, 1864, at Fountain City, in Company F., Ninth Wisconsin Infantry ; spent three weeks at Camp Randall, Wiscon- sin, from whence they were ordered to Little Rock, Arkansas. He was placed in detached service in General Solomon's brigade band. He had had some experience in military serv- ice while he was a citizen of the republic of Switzerland, where he was a bugler. In the latter part of January, 1865, he went on an expedition with his command through Arkansas.
After he was mustered out of the service, June 3, 1865, he returned home and again engaged in painting. In the fall of that year he was nominated by the Republicans and elected to the office of County Treasurer, which position he held for one term. He was a candidate in 1567, but was defeated. In 1869, however, he was again elected, serving one term. After his time ex- pired, he engaged in the insurance busi- ness, which he has since continued. In 1874 he was one of the principal organizers of the Fountain City Mntnal Farmers' Fire Insurance Company, which organization was perfected May 16, 1874. He was chosen secretary of the company, in which capacity he has since acted, also being the principal agent. Besides attending to their rapidly increasing business, he is also agent for some foreign companies. He has held various
gas Gavency
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
ventions in 1872 and 1878; was elected a violent in its character that revolvers were member of the General Assembly by the drawn, and the quarrel seemed likely to tor- Republican party in 1876, and again in 1877. | minate seriously to one or both of the parties. Mr. Senn was married at Belvidere, May 8, 1861. to Elsbeth Weibel. The three chil- But better counsels prevailed, and they agreed to work the claim in partnership. As dren born to them are: Amanda, Laura, who , these gentlemen came to know each other died June 29, 1888, and Emil, who died Sep- tember 23, 1871. better, and to appreciate each other's better qualities, a friendship was formed which only ceased with death. Their attachment was ever a subject of remark.
He is a member of the A. O. U. W., Lodge No. 13, Fountain City; also of Peter Weber Post, No. 257, G. A. R., of which he is adjutant.
OHN COMSTOCK GAVENEY, of Arcadia, attorney and counselor at law, is the only surviving son of James Gave- ney, deceased, who was one of the early, well- known settlers of Trempealean eounty.
James Gaveney was born at Bally Bay, county Monaghan, Ireland. He lost his parents in early life, and about the time he reached his majority he went to Dublin, and was for some time a member of the police force of that city. In 1848 he came to the United States, going first to Mineral Point, Wisconsin, where he was for : time engaged in lead mining. In 1852, when the excite- ment attending the gold discovery in Cali- fornia was at its height, he joined Captain Sublette's company and crossed the plains to the l'acitic coast. IIis first location in that State was at French Corral, where he re- mained one year, and was afterward at Forest City about four years. While at the former place Mr. Gaveney formed the acquaintance of Noah Comstock, another pioneer and prominent citizen of Trempealeau county, and the circumstance attending the making of this acquaintance was indeed peculiar. It appears that a dispute arose between them as to the title of a certain claim which grew so
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