USA > Wisconsin > Biographical sketches of old settlers and prominent people of Wisconsin > Part 7
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Mrs. West died March 11, 1899.
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HON. LUCIEN B. CASWELL.
MONG the prominent and influential men of Wisconsin, there is none who occupy a higher place with the people who know him, than Lucien B. Caswell, of Fort Atkinson. He was born at Swanton, Franklin County, Vermont, November 27, 1827, and is the son of Beal and Betsey (Chapman) Caswell. His father having died when he was three years old, his mother married Mr. Churchill, who with the family emigrated to Wisconsin in 1837, when Lucien B. was but ten years of age, settling in Rock County, where L. B. passed his early youth, and received a common school education. In 1846, he attended the Milton Academy preparatory to entering Beloit College, where he took a partial course, but did not graduate; although the College conferred upon him the degree of A. M., some years later.
In 1850 he entered the office of the Hon. Matt Carpenter to study law; and was admitted to the bar in October 1851, and July 17, 1852, he removed to Fort Atkinson to begin his life work as Attorney and Counseller at Law, and has lived there since that date, enjoying a lucrative practice in his chosen profession.
Mr. Caswell was elected District Attorney in 1854; served as a. member of the Legislature in 1863, '72 and '74, and in 1868 was a member of the Republican National Committee; was elected to the XLIVth Con- gress, and served in Congress fourteen years. Some of his most- important acts while a Member of Congress. were, the securing of a reduction of letter postage from three cents, to two cents; he obtained the passage of a law refunding to the State of Wisconsin, a war tax of over four hundred and forty thousand dollars; he had final charge of the bill establishing the Circuit Court of Appeals, and the law creating the Court for settling the Spanish, and other grants of lands in the territories.
Mr. Caswell was married August 10, 1855, to Miss Elizabeth H. May, who died in 1890. She was the daughter of Chester May, a resident of Fort Atkinson since 1840, and who died in 1849, and Hannah (Damuth) May, who died in April 1879. Mr. Caswell's mother died in December 1877, and her remains repose in the beautiful Evergreen Cemetery at Fort Atkinson.
To Mr. Caswell, six children were born, Chester A., Isabel. Lucien B., George W., Elizabeth May and Harlow O. Caswell.
Mr. Caswell has always had great faith in the future of Fort Atkinson, and organized the two Banks, which today are strong institu- tions, and the Northwestern Manufacturing Company. He has always taken an active interest in the management of these corporations, which have added so materially to the growth of the city.
In March 1898, Mr. Caswell was married to Anna A., daughter of Rev. B. F. and Elizabeth C. Rogers, of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.
LUCIUS B. CASWELL.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
LUTHER GIBBS SHEPARD.
T is the close observation of little things which is one of the Secrets of Success in business, and in fact in every pursuit of life. A man's character is seen in small things, and even from the slightest tests his energy may in some way be inferred. The cultivation of these qualities is of the utmost importance; resolute determination in the pursuit of worthy objects being the foundation of true greatness of character; and energy often enables a man to force his way through dry details and carries him forward in every station of life. And it is. not talent, as much as purpose, that is required to insure a success in any pursuit, be it that of merchant, mechanic or farmer.
The above thoughts suggest themselves to the writer in looking back over the life of one of the most successful men in Dane County-a. man who but a few years ago was a comparatively poor young man, but- who today is perhaps the largest land owner in the second Congressional district, namely, Luther Gibbs Shepard of the town of York, a man who knows what it was to battle with the world, but who with a fixedness of purpose started out, single-handed and alone to fight the battle. Coming from the East to what was at that time the territory of Wisconsin, an almost unbroken wilderness, he was endowed with push; pluck and perseverance and allowed no small obstacles to hinder him in his onward march to success. With true Yankee grit, he applied himself to the one object he had in view when he emigrated to what was called the "wild. and woolly west" -- the accumulation of land.
Landing in Milwaukee in 1845 thoroughly equipped for the respon- sibilities he was assuming and with only five hundred dollars, he suffered the usual uphill experience of a poor boy trying to make his way. He started out on foot from Milwaukee the day he was 22 years old, walking to Fort Atkinson a distance of about 50 miles. Not finding at this point just what suited him, he went to Walworth County and there hired out to work on a farm by the month. He afterwards went to Dodge County where he purchased a 200 acre farm in the town of Port- land, to which he soon after added eighty acres of timber land. His next purchase was 240 acres in the town of York, Dane County, where he now resides on Sections 19 and 20, and which was the nucleus of his present large tract in these sections.
One of the elements of his success came from the habit of weighing, favorably or unfavorably, every situation he happened to be in, and of sifting out the inevitable results through his own good judgment. He comes of good old Puritanic stock. His great grandparents were Jonathan Shepard, who died in 1800, and Marian (Strong) Shepard, who died in 1810, both being of English descent.
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His grandparents were Jonathan Shepard, who was born in West- field, Massachusetts, February 6, 1757, and died in Blandford, Massachusetts, in 1838, and Abigail (Boise) Shepard, who was born in Blandford, June 22, 1764, and died in 1816. They were married in Blandford, Massachusetts, and had twelve children, five boys and seven girls, namely: Leonard; Jonathan; Chandler; Eli; Bradford; Electra; Abigail; Letitia; Mary; Arlina; Paulina and Sarah.
The parents of Luther Gibbs Shepard were Chandler, the third son of Jonathan and Abigail (Boise) Shepard. Chandler was born at Blandford, Massachusetts, December 19, 1790 and died at Perrysburg, Cataraugus County, New York, December 28, 1835, aged 45 years and 9 months, and Lois (Gibbs) Shepard, who was born at Blandford in 1794 and died in Perrysburg, New York, October 15, 1836, aged 42 years. She was the daughter of Martin and Hulda (Scott) Gibbs. Chandler and Lois (Gibbs) Shepard were married in 1814 and lived in Otis, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, with the exception of one year in Hartford, Connecticut. When Luther G. was seven years of age they removed to Erie County, New York, remaining one year, when they removed to Perrysburg, Cataraugus County, New York, where they spent their days, and where Chandler was buried on New Years day 1836. They had six children, all born in Massachusetts, namely: Harmony, born in 1815 and died in 1818; Dennison Chandler, born February 28, 1817 and died at Burr Oak, Kansas, June 29, 1899, aged 82 years. He was twice married, first to Harriet Allen and the second time to Helen Perry; Hulda Ann, who was born April 10, 1819. She married Nathaniel W. Hurd, of Perrysburg, New York, who died about 1892. They had eight children, three sons and five daughters; Luther Gibbs, the subject of this sketch; Leverett Spencer, who was born August 25, 1827 and died in the town of York, Dane County, in November 1882, aged 55 years. He married Catharine Van Gosbeck in 1853 and had five children, two sons and three daughters. all of whom are dead except Lewis, who is now living with his mother in Topeka, Kansas; Sarah Jane, who was born June 14, 1829 and married Lyman Waters, of Toland, Massachu- setts, in 1853 and they are now living in Copenhagen, New York, having one daughter, Frances, now Mrs. James Lansing, of Scranton, Penn- sylvania.
Luther Gibbs Shepard was born in the town of Otis. Berkshire County, Massachusetts, September 9, 1823, and was married January 1, 1850, to Mary Jane, daughter of Elder Andrew and Betsy (Miller) Sherburn, of Augusta, New York. Elder Sherburn was a minister of the gospel and a soldier in the revolutionary war, and died in 1830. Two children were born to Luther G. and Mary J. Shepard, namely, Eliza Ann, who died September 28, 1854, aged 18 months, and Curtis, who was born September 30, 1850 and married Emma Hasey, March 1878 and has two children, Edna, born January 30, 1883, and Rodney, born October 16, 1885, and now lives on a farm in the town of York, Dane County.
On the 10th day of January 1863, death entered the happy home and took the wife and mother. March 24, 1864, Mr. Shepard married Lydia
LUTHER G. SHEPARD.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
A., daughter of Zina L. Wright, who was born in Durham, Green County, New York, November 27, 1807, and Lydia E. (Cook) Wright, who was born in Stockbridge, Oneida County, New York, May 30, 1813; they were married at Sheridan, Chautauqua County, New York, February 8, 1832, where they remained for four years, when they removed to Perrys- burg, Cataraugus County, New York, and resided the remainder of their days. Zina L. died at the age of 84, and his wife at the age of 77 years.
Mrs. Lydia Anne (Wright) Shepard was born in Perrysburg, Cataraugus County, New York, October 22, 1843 and was the grand- daughter of Christopher Wright, who was born in Connecticut and died in Durham, Green County, New York, and Mattie (Davis) Wright who was born in Wales and died in Durham, New York. Mrs. Lydia A. Shepard had four brothers and three sisters, namely: Frank C. Wright, now living at Deansville, Wisconsin; Leander S. and Albert C. Wright living at Perrysburg, New York, and Edgar M. Wright who died in New York City, May 15, 1862, at the age of 23 from fever contracted in Virginia while doing duty as a soldier under General McClellan and now lies in the cemetery at Perrysburg, New York, by the side of his father and mother; Letitia E. (Wright) Haskell, now living in Detroit, Michigan; Helen and Cynthia Wright who died in infancy.
Four children were born to Luther G. and Lydia A. Shepard, namely: Ida Emojean, born February 4, 1864 and married to Robert J. Lackey, March 18, 1885 in the town of York, now living in Charles City, Iowa, and they have two children, Allen J., born March 13, 1886, and Jessie Dollie, born June 21, 1888; Luther Gibbs, Jr., born February 14, 1869, who married Algenia Johnson December 23, 1892, they live in the town of York and have one child, Jay Morrell, born May 4, 1894; Mary Lydia, born March 17, 1873 who married Guy L. Rogers March 3, 1896, now residing in Cloquet, Minnesota, and Jessie Dollie, born May 16, 1877.
Luther G. Shepard is a man who has made use of the stumbling blocks in his path as stepping-stones, and being a man who had the resistless force of perseverance, he was not contented to remain in the ranks of small land owners, so he followed the advice of the old Colored preacher who when asked to define Christian perseverance, said: "It means firstly to take hold, secondly to hold on, thirdly and lastly to never let go." He has "held on" so well that today he owns over fourteen hundred acres of fine land in one body in the town of York, Dane County, and is the largest taxpayer in the town. Aside from his large holdings in Dane County, Wisconsin, he is the owner of several large farms in other Western states, and is the owner of mortgages on many fine farms in Wisconsin as well as other states.
In the early 60's, Mr. Shepard was a large raiser of cattle and sheep, and in one year during the war he sold one clip of wool for one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven dollars and eighty seven cents. In one year he fattened and sold over eighteen hundred dollars worth of steers. Thus by hard work, indomnitable energy and dogged perseverance, he won triumphs through all opposition, and after a constant struggle and an almost ceaseless battle with discouragements he rescued success from the inhospitable surroundings of his earlier life. Being fired by a deter-
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mination to succeed, he was "up with the birds" in the morning, even before any of his neighbors, and putting his whole heart and soul into his work, he became a stalwart example of American push and energy.
When asked how he made such a success of life, Mr. Shepard modestly replied that he always lived within his mean s and endeavored to be wide awake to all opportunities that would foster his business. He never was a man to chase the Will-'o-the-wisp, but like a stream he found his natural course and followed it; pushing resolutely forward, setting his face as a flint against all alluring influences. He is a man who says but little, but that little counts, and his opinions carry weight and are effective.
In politics Mr. Shepard is a Republican, but lays no claim to being a politician, although he has been urged at different times by his friends to allow his name to be put on the ticket, he felt that with his increasing business cares he had no time to devote to political affairs; although he did on one occasion accept the Chairmanship of the Board of Supervis- ors, and at another time the office of Justice of the Peace. But with all his busy cares he found time by careful reading to keep well posted in the affairs of his country.
In this sketch there has been no attempt at befogging or misleading, but we have endeavored to give a straight, clean, plain, unvarnished sketch of a successful life, in the hope that future generations may profit- by it.
SEPHRENESS M. EATON.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
SEPHRENESS MILLARD EATON.
SYMPATHETIC knowledge of the world, and the recognition of the elements of progress in it, enables a man to better endure the struggle in the battle of life; and the man who seizes his opportunity and improves it in any community or walk of life, as a rule, prospers. This fact was early recognized by Sephreness Millard Eaton, of Watertown, Wisconsin.
Mr. Eaton was born December 26, 1832, in Canada, 25 miles east of Kingston in what was then called Leeds, and when about four years old came with his parents to the United States, settling first at Edinburg, Portage County, Ohio, where they remained a couple of years, then removed to Pike, Alleghany County, New York. In the fall of 1842, when he was ten years old, his parents emigrated West, traveling with team and canvass-covered wagon, camping nights by the roadside. They arrived in Chicago, October 27, 1842, which at that time was a very small village in a very large mud hole. An account of stock taken while in Chicago showed but seventy-five cents in cash, a pair of oxen, a wagon and a cow. Remaining but a short time, they started for Whitewater, Wisconsin, where they arrived November 2, 1842, and remained two years on a farm belonging to N. P. Parsons, one and one- half northwest of Whitewater, in the town of Cold Spring, Jefferson County, where they settled on a piece of wild, government forest land in what is now the town of Hebron, Jefferson County, and built a log cabin, clearing the land and making a fine farm, which is still owned by S. M. Eaton, his brother and sister. The winters of 1842-3 will long be remembered by the few settlers in Wisconsin at that time as very hard, long winters, entailing much suffering and privation.
April 1, 1855, Sephreness Millard Eaton was united in marriage to Eleanor Jane Green, who was born in Orleans County, New York, July 28, 1832, and is the daughter of Joseph Elliott and Polly (Caine) Green. Four children was the result of this union, namely: Francis Marion, born in Hebron, Wisconsin, January 7, 1856; he married Emma Nute and they have four children, Pearl, Clayton, Almon Ransom and Myron; Edward Orthello, born in Whitewater, Wisconsin, November 3, 1859; he married Mary Jones; they lived in Englewood, Illinois, and he was employed in the Michigan Central Railroad freight office, when he died March 29, 1890, and his wife died in October of the same year, leaving one daughter, Bessie, who now lives in Milwaukee with her mother's sister; Clarence Clayton, born in Whitewater August 7, 1861; he married Julia Ford and has two children, Sumner and Roswell, and now lives in Columbus, Wisconsin, and is editer and publisher of the Columbus Democrat; Ella Alsea, born in Whitewater, April 11, 1865; she married Eugene Abele and has two children, Eugeine Louisa and Hazel Eleanor Eaton, and now
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lives in Milwaukee.
Mrs. Eleanor Jane (Green) Eaton is a great granddaughter on the paternal side of John Green, who was a relative of General Green who fought at the battle of Monmouth during the Revolutionary war; and on the maternal side, of John Palmiteer, who, when ten years old, was a servant to General Washington, who taught him to read. Her maternal grandfather was Dennis Caine. Her father, Joseph Elliott Green, was born at Batavia, New York, January 10, 1805, and her mother, Polly (Caine) Green, was born August 24, 1808, and they were married at Albany, New York, January 1, 1825. They lived in this vicinity until September 28, 1844, when with their family, they moved from South Barre, Orleans County, New York, to Wisconsin, arriving at White- water, September 30, and settled permanently at Hebron, Jefferson County, Wisconsin, in May 1845, where he had the previous winter built a log cabin on a piece of pre-empted land. Twelve children were born to them, namely: Luther Bebee, born December 26, 1826, and married Julia E. Green; Dennis, born January 14, 1829, and met with an accidental death in 1830; Calvin, born December 21, 1830; Eleanor Jane, married to S. M. Eaton; Willlam Henry, born February 13. 1834, married Charlotte Reynolds; John Pulsifer, born November 30, 1835, married Luella Green; Anna, born March 27, 1837, married Zebulon Mead; Sarah, born March 26, 1839, married Charles S. Cartwright; Aseneth, born April 22, 1841, married Henry Edwards; Lucinda, born December 22, 1842, married Leister Blakeley; James Wandel, born March 30, 1845 and George Washington, born December 26, 1846.
Mr. Eaton lived in Whitewater seven years, during which time he worked at his trade of carpenter and joiner. In those days twelve to fourteen hours constituted a day's work, and there being no machinery for the purpose he was compelled to make all his flooring, doors, saslı, &c., by hand. He built the School House in District No. 4 in the town of Hebron for the sum of seventy-five dollars, making all the desks and seats of oak, the floor of white ash, two of the doors of basswood and the outer door of walnut 12 inches thick.
In 1866 Mr. Eaton moved to Fond du Lac, where in company with his cousin C. A. Hickey, he organized the first bottling works for car- bonated beverages. In the fall of 1867 he sold his interest to his part- ner and moved to Watertown, Wis., where, with his brother-in-law, J. P. Green, he established a similar business, which continued two years, when Mr. Green disposed of his interest to S. S. Woodard, and two years later Mr. Eaton bought out Mr. Woodard and took in his son F. M. Eaton, and added the retail ice business. This business is now being conducted by them under the name of the Badger State Bottling Com- pany.
Sephreness Millard Eaton is the son of Almon Ransom Eaton, who was born in Vermont, May 12, 1805, and died in Hebron, Wis., Decem- ber 15, 1885, aged 80 years, 7 months and 3 days. He married Orissa Carey, daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Haskins of Massachusetts. She was born in St. Albans, Vermont, but lived in her early life in Canada, near Kingston. Six children were born to them, three in Canada, namely: Sephreness Millard, the subject of this sketch, and two that
-CLARK-ENG- - MIL-
MRS. S. M. EATON.
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died in infancy, and three who were born in the United States, namely: Recellus Chauncey, who was born in New York January 31, 1841, and was drowned in the Bark river in Wisconsin in 1861; Caroline Amelia, born in Cold Spring, Wis., and now married to James Fryer; Ephraim Lewellen, born March 27, 1846, who was twice married, first to Mrs. Jane Struthers and next to Sophia Bailey, with whom he lived until his death; she survived him some ten vears. Three of the family are still living, namely: Sephreness M., Caroline Fryer, living on the old home farm in Hebron, and Ephraim L., who is a noted Methodist D. D. at Des Moines, Iowa, and pastor of the First M. E. Church of that city.
Whilst not a member of any church, Mr. Eaton is a firm believer in God and his goodness; he is a member of the Masonic fraternity and a Knight Templar. In politics he is a staunch Republican, and has been a member of the Board of Alderman of Watertown, and President of the City Council of that city for four years.
Mr. Eaton is justly proud of his ancestry and, as will be seen by the annexed genealogy, traces back to the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers.
GENEALOGY.
(1) Francis Eaton, one of the Maflower company. (2) Benjamin Eaton, his son. (3) Benjamin Jr., his son. (4) Francis, his son, who married Thankful Alden, granddaughter of John Alden and Priscilla, the young lady whom he courted for Miles Standish, but married himself. (5) Jabez, his son. (6) Jabez, Jr., his son. (7) Almon Ransom.
JABEZ EATON, SR (5). FAMILY :- He resided and died in Pike, Alle- gheny County, New York; Lucy, b. March 24, 1760; Elizabeth, b. June 5, 1763; Simeon, b. May 20, 1765; Jabez, Jr., b. January 26, 1767 and died in Leeds, Ontario, September 20, 1825; Luraney, b. April 26, 1769, died in Massachusetts December 18, 1778; Oliver (twin), b. November 14, 1771, died July 29, 1799; Olive (twin), b. November 15, 1771; Solo- man, b. April 10, 1774; Cyrus, b. June 1, 1780, died April 17, 1788; Tim- othy, b. June 19, 1782; Selah, b. Nov. 21, 1783, died December 26, 1783.
JABEZ EATON, Jr. (SIXTH GENERATION) :- Oliver, b. November 15, 1794, died in Canada May 29, 1842; Cyrus, b. June 24, 1796, in Massa- chusetts, and died in Hebron, Wisconsin, October 21, 1876; Sarah, b. October 18, 1798, died in Janesville, Wisconsin, October 18, 1885; Chaun- cey, born April 28, 1801, died in Leeds, Ontario; Hiram, b. December 8, 1803, died in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; Almon Ransom, the father of our subject; Minerva, b. September 4, 1807, died in Cold Spring, Wisconsin, 1850; Jabez Leonard, b. December 29, 1809, died in Cold Spring, Wis- consin in 1847 (killed in a well); James Edson, b. April 7, 1812, died in Peoria, Illinois, May 30, 1888; Almira Julia, b. June 3, 1615, died in Chicago, August 9, 1882.
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JOHN HELMES.
THE MAN who is sincere in the expressing of himself, in whatever line it may be, becomes a factor in the world, and leaves a lasting impression on the world. Such a man is the subject of this sketch. He had an earnest ambition and was an indefatigable worker, and in addition had earnestness, ambition and talent, and his achievements show what a poor boy may accomplish.
John Helmes, son of Peter and Margaret (Kuhne) Helmes, was born in Prussia, November 13, 1835, coming to America in the year 1853, his brother Peter having preceded him one year. In his father's family there were six children-Peter, Karl, Catharine, Philip, an infant son, and John.
Soon after his arrival in Wisconsin, John with his brother Peter, worked for Dickinson, Ely & Van Orman, at that time manufacturers of Fanning Mills, in Waterloo, Wisconsin, receiving as wages seven dollars per month. Being a good mechanic, and not afraid of hard work, he was not long in establishing a business of his own, in the manufacture of Fanning Mills, and adding cabinet work, made nearly all the coffins used in the vicinity at that time, besides doing a great deal of carpenter work.
In 1860 he married Elizabeth Daum, daughter of Philip Daum, a farmer then living in the town of Portland, Dodge County, Wisconsin. Four chil- dren were born to them-Minnie, born November 6, 1861, and married to Rev. Martin Deninger, a Lutheran minister, August 27, 1878, and now resides at Mosel, Wisconsin; Josephine, born May 22, 1863, and mar- ried to Rev. Philip Springling, a Lutheran minister, September 26, 1882, now residing at Sheboygan, Wisconsin; a son who died in infancy, and John, Jr. (namesake of his father), who was born September 18, 1869, who is a Lutheran minister, and was married January 13, 1892, to Ida Paskarbeit, and has one child. Now preaching at Menasha, Wisconsin.
Mr. Helmes has always been an active, pushing, enterprising busi- ness man, and to his public spirit and enterprise, the Village of Water- loo, Wisconsin, is much indebted. It is admitted that if it had not been for John Helmes, Waterloo would not have held the advanced position among the villages of the state that it does today.
Beginning in 1858, he, with his brother Peter, built the first brick block in the Village, which is now occupied by Ferdinand Schulz and lo- cated on the west side of Monroe street: in 1860, he built a brick dwelling on the corner of Madison and Mill streets: in 1861, built a briek dwelling on East Madison street; in 1865 built the brick dwelling on East Madison street now owned and occupied by John Crosby; in 1870 he began the manufacture of brick, and the product of his kilns was of such a superior quality, that he soon found himself with an elegan
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