USA > Wisconsin > Fond du Lac County > Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, past and present, Volume II > Part 39
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After leaving the army John Airhart made his way by degrees southward and hired out to a farmer by the name of Peter Spaun near Albany, New York. He afterward went to the town of Bethlehem, in Albany county, New York, and on the 15th of September, 1815, he was married there to Mary (McCarg) Kilmer, the daughter of William and Mary (Ostrander) Kilmer. By her first marriage Mrs. Airhart had a daughter and by her second marriage nine children were born, namely: Eveline, who married John S. Tupper; Mary Magdalene, the wife of Nathan Cary; Sarah and Dinah, both of whom died in childhood; Edward C .; Helen, who married Washington Nobles; William B .; John H., who enlisted as a private in Company G, Fourteenth Regiment, Wis- consin Volunteers, during the Civil war and died at Devalls Bluff, Arkansas; and Martha J., who became the wife of H. S. Clark.
Soon after his marriage John Airhart purchased six acres in the town of Bethlehem, which he afterward sold, and in 1830 he bought of William Sill, a farm of thirty-three acres. This he later sold and invested in eighty acres in Schoharie, New York, lying along the Hudson river, near Castleton. Upon that place he resided until 1848, when he disposed of the property and with his family came to Wisconsin. It was not until 1837 that he secured his naturali- zation papers, which are still in possession of the family. The journey west- ward was made by canal boat to Buffalo and thence around the lakes. They landed at Sheboygan, where Mr. Airhart left his family and started with his eldest son. Edward, on foot to find a favorable location. They pursued a westerly Vol. II-17
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course and at length bought of William Oliver two hundred acres in the town- ship of Osceola, Fond du Lac county, whereon John Airhart resided until his death in October, 1880. In the meantime he purchased other tracts of land in the same township, eighty acres of which he deeded to one daughter, forty acres each to two others and one hundred and twenty acres to a son, William B., who sold the property and removed to Fond du Lac, where he died in 1889. The land which was purchased of Mr. Oliver was partly under cultivation, but the only building thereon was a crude log shanty. The following year Mr. Air- hart built a barn, hauling the lumber from Sheboygan, which was also his grain market. There were only four families in the town at that time, but set- tlers came rapidly, although log houses and shanties were the only houses to be seen for a considerable period. Mr. Airhart owned the first team of horses in the town. He regarded this as a necessity, however, as the nearest mill was at Mayville, and it would have been very difficult to have made the journey thither on foot to secure the grist. The marriage of his daughter Helen to Wash- ington Nobles in 1849 was the first marriage celebrated in the town and her death in the same year occasioned the first burial in the town. In the summer of 1851 Mr. Airhart built a residence for his family, which is still in good condi- tion and stands on the original foundation. With the help of his sons more land was cleared each year and as time passed the family prospered, their home being a place of hospitality and good cheer, their friends being ever sure of a cordial welcome.
Mr. Airhart was a man of many sterling qualities. He became thoroughly American in spirit and interest, although originally forced to adopt this land as a place of residence. He lived to the venerable age of ninety years and during that period never heard from any of his people whom he left at the age of six- teen. After his death a niece and her family were found in Washington county, although she is now deceased. Other members of the Ehrhardt family, how- ever, are still living there. Mr. Airhart was a stanch republican and was a member of the Dutch Reformed church. The remains of him and his wife rest in a vault in the Empire cemetery, and all honor is due them as pioneer resi- dents of Fond du Lac county, to the upbuilding and development of which they contributed largely.
Their son, Edward C. Airhart was born March 16, 1828, in Bethlehem, Al- bany county, New York, and his boyhood and early manhood was spent in the home of his parents, during which period he attended school during the winter months and in the summer seasons worked on the farm. He was the eldest son and his steady habits and reliable disposition made him early the choice of his parents as the staff of their old age. He repaid parental love and care by filial devotion, doing everything in his power to render them happy and comfortable in their later years. In June, 1848, he came to Wisconsin with the family and was of great assistance to his father in the selection of a home in the new west and in the development of a farm. Reaching Sheboygan, he and his father started on foot in search of a favorable location and finally determined upon the township of Osceola, in Fond du Lac county, where they purchased a large tract of land of two hundred acres that in time was converted into the old homestead. One of the other brothers, William, became a carpenter and the younger brother, John, lost his life in the Civil war, but Edward C. Airhart remained at home. cultivating the farm for his father and caring for his parents, both of whom lived to the advanced age of ninety years.
In 1852 Edward C. Airhart was married to Miss Sarah J. Walters, a daugh- ter of Aaron Walters, of the town of Eden. She died in 1867, leaving a daughter, Helen, who became the wife of Andrew Pasenger and removed to Lowville, Lewis county, New York, but after the death of her husband she re- turned to the west and now resides in Fond du Lac. In 1868 Edward C. Air- hart wedded Mary Tripp, a daughter of Ephraim and Sarah (Bartlett)
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Tripp, of the town of Eden, and formerly a successful teacher of Fond du Lac county. Three daughters were born unto them: Edith May, whose birth occur- red July 10, 1869, and who became the wife of George Cary ; Mary Eveline, who was born October 5, 1872, and is the wife of Charles W. Hughes; and Olive Marguerite, who was born January 21, 1884, and is the wife of Guy E. Bemis.
Mr. Airhart was a stanch republican, always taking an active and helpful part in conventions and holding many local offices. He never sought office but was once nominated to represent his district in the general assembly, but an adherent of the republican faith could not be elected because of the large demo- cratic majority. He was of a jovial nature and generous disposition and was a much loved neighbor and a good citizen, who had a host of friends, who were always welcome guests in his home. Failing health made it necessary for him to leave the farm and in the fall of 1904 he removed to the city of Fond du Lac, where he hoped to spend many years in rest and freedom from care. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Campbellsport and assisted in building the small but beautiful church edifice there. He took a deep interest in the various lines of church work and lived a life in harmony with his profes- sions. On the 26th of December, 1904, he was taken suddenly ill and after four weeks passed away, January 23, 1905, his remains being interred by the side of his parents in Empire cemetery. After his death his widow took pos- session of and still resides on the old homestead, her younger brother, Albert N. Tripp, looking after the interests of the farm for her. He has done much to improve its fertility besides relieving her of its care and management. Both the Airhart and Tripp families deserve more than passing notice in the history of Fond du Lac county because of the prominent part which they have played in its upbuilding and in the work of public progress as the years have gone on.
LEANDER J. SHELDON.
Leander J. Sheldon, proprietor of the Onward stock, grain and poultry farm, occupies a nice home in the midst of a tract of one hundred and twenty acres of land on section 22, Metomen township, where he carries on general farming and stock-raising, making a specialty of timothy seed. He was born in Col- chester county, Nova Scotia, March 18, 1842, his parents being Matthew and Jane (Turner) Sheldon, both of whom were natives of Nova Scotia, the former of German and Irish descent and the latter of English and Irish lineage. The father, who was a millwright by trade, came to Wisconsin in the fall of 1850, taking. up his abode in Metomen township, Fond du Lac county, where in June, 1851, he was joined by his wife and children. He purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land on section 22, constituting the farm that is now the prop- erty of his son Leander, and both he and his wife remained upon that place until called to their final rest. In the family were four children of whom our subject was the youngest. The others, George, Benjamin and Julia, are all de- ceased.
Leander J. Sheldon was about nine years of age when the family removed to this state and his youthful days were spent as a pupil in district school No. 6, in Metomen township. Through the summer months he assisted his father on the farm and continued in the work of the fields until after the crops were harvested in the late autumn. He remained with his parents and cared for them until their death and he has always followed the occupation of farming as a means of livelihood.
On the 20th of February, 1868, Mr. Sheldon was married to Miss Amanda Elizabeth Ingalls, a daughter of Jebediah and Kate (Helmer) Ingalls, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of New York. The father was of Scotch
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lineage while the mother was a representative of an old Dutch family. On removing westward to Wisconsin in pioneer times he settled in Sheboygan county and took up government land. His wife in her maidenhood came to this state with her parents, who also settled in Sheboygan county and Mr. and Mrs. In- galls were married there. A few years later Mr. Ingalls went to Minnesota and was killed at the time of the Indian massacre. His widow afterward became the wife of Simon Dennis, a farmer of Green Lake county, and a few years later they sold their property there and went to Fond du Lac county, where they lived for a time. Mr. Dennis died in Green Lake county, but Mrs. Dennis is still living. Her children were: Jane, now deceased; Mrs. Sheldon, who was born in Sheboygan county, July 21, 1850; and George W., a farmer of Spirit Lake, Iowa. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon have been born three children: Ben- jamin F., whose birth occurred December 22, 1868, and who assists in the oper- ation of the home farm; George Matthew, who was born March 3, 1870, and is an attorney of Tomahawk, Wisconsin; and Julia A., who was born June I, 1873, and is the wife of Dr. Elvin Jackson, a veterinary surgeon of Caldwell, Idaho. Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon occupy an attractive home upon their farm of one hundred and twenty acres which is highly improved with all modern equip- ment and accessories. He carries on farming along progressive lines and his success is evidenced in the appearance of the place. He belongs to no secret society and to no church, and in politics is independent. He prefers to form his opinions according to the dictates of his judgment and while thoroughly in- dependent, he at the same time recognizes his duties of citizenship and is ready to aid any measure promoted for the public good.
CHARLES A. GAUGER.
Charles A. Gauger is the owner of one hundred and thirty acres of land known as the Metomen Sheep Farm, located on section 36, Metomen township, Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, and upon this property he carries on one of the larg- est sheep-raising enterprises in this section of the country. By his scientific methods and his specialized knowledge he has accomplished his own prosperity and has made his influence felt in the growth and expansion of the industry with which he is connected. He was born in Cooperstown township, Manitowoc county, Wisconsin, April 11, 1873, and is a son of William and Wilhelmina (Vol- brecht) Gauger, natives of Germany. The father came to America in 1852, making the journey with his parents. He was then only two and a half years of age and was reared and educated in Milwaukee. When he grew to man- hood he went to Manitowoc county, where he took up timber land and followed farming for a number of years. In 1879 he came to Fond du Lac county, locat- ing in Metomen township, where he purchased one hundred and twenty acres . of unimproved land on section 36, just across the road from the place where Charles A. Gauger's farm is now located. At different times he added to his property holdings and owned at the time of his death over five hundred acres, well improved and intelligently developed. He died upon this place on August 2, 1902, and his wife remained upon the original property until 1908, when she rented the farm and moved to the village of Brandon, where she now resides. They were the parents of six children, of whom Charles A., of this review, is the eldest. The others are: Fred, a farmer residing in Springvale township, Fond du Lac county ; Ida, the wife of Herman Koehler, of Brandon: Bertha, who married August Toll, a farmer of Metomen township; Amelia, the wife of Fred Dornbrock, of Milwaukee; and Tillie, who wedded Louis Enz. a resident of Alto township, this county.
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Charles A. Gauger received his education in Union Prairie school, No. 8, Metomen township, and was from his earliest youth interested in agriculture assisting his father in the work of the home farm. When he was twenty-six years of age he started his independent career, cultivating one hundred and thirty acres of land which were given to him by his father. He lives upon this property, which is located a mile southeast of the village, and has brought his entire tract to a high state of cultivation. It is known as the Metomen Sheep Farm, taking its name from the principal industry which Mr. Gauger carries on.
He first became identified with sheep-raising in 1880, when his father be- gan the breeding of fancy sheep. They started with herds of Cottswold, Shrop- shire and Merino sheep, and these breeds Charles A. Gauger is still raising but is gradually getting in the finer wool grades. He has a herd of seventy ewes and raises on an average of fifty lambs annually for the fancy markets of the state. He is deeply interested in his work and scientifically efficient in the operation of his enterprise, and his success is the natural result of his long experience and his careful and conservative methods.
In 1899 Charles A. Gauger was united in marriage to Miss Rosa Olp, a daughter of Robert and Mathilda Olp, natives of Germany. The father came to the United States in 1854 and located in Manitowoc county, Wisconsin. His wife came to America a few years later and they are now living upon their original farm in Manitowoc county. Mr. Olp has a deed for his property signed by James K. Polk. To Mr. and Mrs. Olp were born eight children, as follows : Otto, a resident of Medford, Minnesota; Julia, the wife of Otto Knoth, of Cooperstown, Wisconsin; William, residing in St. Louis; Helena, deceased wife of Herman Gauger, of Cooperstown; Gustave, of Waupun, Wisconsin ; Rosa, who became Mrs. Charles A. Gauger; Bertha, who married William Wagner, of Metomen township; and Robert, residing near Reedville, Manitowoc county. Mr. and Mrs. Gauger are well known in social and religious circles of the vil- lage of Brandon. They hold membership in the German Lutheran church. To their union have been born three children, the eldest of whom died in infancy. The others are: William, who .was named for his paternal grandfather and great-grandfather, and who was born February 25, 1903, and is attending school No. 8, of Metomen township; and Esther, whose birth occurred July 25, 1906, and who is attending the same school. In his political affiliations Charles A. Gauger is a consistent democrat and always votes the party ticket although he has never sought public office. He is one of the substantial and representative citizens of his district who are interested in the various phases of'public life. He is a stockholder of the Farmers Creamery and Farmers Elevator Companies of Brandon, in which capacity he has influenced the policies of those organiza- tions. He is a charter member of the American Society of Equity in Brandon, and has been for many years an influential figure in that organization. Thirty- two years' identification with the various details connected with the raising and care of fancy grades of sheep have established him among the men whose in- telligence and conservative management of a private enterprise make them valued and representative citizens of the community.
WILLIAM BINDERT.
William Bindert is the owner of an excellent farm of eighty-five acres on section 15, Eldorado township, and in its operation has met with well merited success. His birth occurred in Germany in the year 1845, his parents being William and Wilhelma Bindert. It was in 1873, when our subject was a young man of twenty-eight years, that the family home was established in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
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William Bindert, Jr., has devoted his attention to general agricultural pur- suits throughout his entire business career. He is now the owner of a valuable and productive farm of eighty-five acres on section 15, Eldorado township, on which he erected the buildings and made all improvements. His principal crops are barley and oats, which he sells to local dealers. He is industrious and energetic and has ever followed the most modern methods of agriculture, so that his labors have been attended with excellent results.
In 1875 Mr. Bindert was united in marriage to Miss Augusta Prenslow, by whom he has four sons and three daughters. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Evangelical church, the teachings of which he exem- plifies in his daily life. He has been a resident of Fond du Lac county for al- most four decades and is well known and highly esteemed within its borders.
MICHAEL R. PERCELL.
Michael R. Percell has been recognized for many years as one of the leading agriculturists of Fond du Lac county. He was born in Lodi, Wisconsin, No- vember 4, 1854, and was educated in the public schools of that city until he en- tered business life as an employe of the American Express Company at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in which capacity he served for twenty-five years. He re- signed this position to take up agricultural pursuits in which he is at present engaged. His land is part of the old Carberry estate situated a few miles out, on the Oshkosh road. Under his management the fields have become more pro- ductive than ever before and new branches of farming have been introduced by him, buildings have been erected and improved farming implements installed. Mr. Percell takes great interest in his farm and gives much attention to its beauty of appearance. He maintains it in the highest state of productivity and has be- come known in Friendship township as one of the most capable men in his chosen line of activity.
Michael R. Percell was united in marriage April 24. 1891, in St. Joseph's church of Fond du Lac, to Miss Mary Jane Carberry, a member of the prom- inent family of that name living at Carberry Corners, in Fond du Lac county. Their married life has been exceptionally happy and much of the beauty and comfort of the homestead is due to the untiring efforts and energies of Mrs. Percell.
Michael R. Percell was a charter member of the Wisconsin National Guard and retained his connection with that organization for about five years. He con- sistently votes the democratic ticket on national and local issues but takes no active part in public affairs. At the age of fifty-eight he apparently has many years of active and industrious life before him and his future success estimated by his past fortunes is practically assured.
CHARLES E. ANDERSON.
Charles E. Anderson has been for many years a prominent and active farmer in Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, where he has gained a reputation for thor- ough knowledge in the details of practical agriculture. He was born in the town of Friendship, on February 24, 1858, and is a son of William S. and Sarah (Ir- win) Anderson, natives of England. He was educated in the public schools of his native township. The farm which he operates he inherited from his parents. It was entirely unimproved and covered with timber at the time his father pur- chased it, but under capable and wise management and by arduous labor and
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constant application it was soon transformed into a modern and up-to-date tract of land.
Charles E. Anderson was married in Friendship in 1897 to Miss Minnie Conole, and they have become the parents of two children: William, aged eleven years; and Madeline, aged nine, both of whom live on the home farm with their parents. Mr. Anderson has always been affiliated with the republi- can party but takes no active part in local politics, preferring to give his atten- tion entirely to the many details of farm life. He is a prominent Episcopalian, active in religious circles, and is well known and popular in the community in which he resides.
JOHN L. SCOTT.
John L. Scott, a well known agriculturist and representative citizen of Meto- men township, owns and operates an excellent farm of one hundred and three acres on section 25. His birth occurred in Ontario, Canada, on the 29th of De- cember, 1859, his parents being John and Anne (Crowel) Scott, who were na- tives of Canada and Ireland respectively. The father, a farmer by occupation, was of Scotch-Mohawk-Dutch descent. In 1869 he crossed the border into the United States, purchasing and locating on the farm of one hundred and three acres which is now in possession of our subject. Mr. and Mrs. John Scott re- sided thereon continuously until 1903, when they took up their abode in Bran- don, where the latter passed away in 1906. She had emigrated to Canada in 1829 and was married in that country. After the demise of his wife John Scott, Sr., returned to the home farm, living with his son John until called to his final rest in 1907. His demise was the occasion of deep and widespread regret, for he had been a resident of this county for almost four decades and had become well known and highly esteemed within its borders. To him and his wife were born the following children : Patience V., who lives with her brother John ; Zenas F., who passed away in 1907; Samuel Morris, who was drowned in Little Green Lake; John L., of this review; Mary R., the wife of Fayette Butts, of Brandon ; James A., a ranchman; and William S. and David H., who are ranch- men of Wyoming.
John L. Scott obtained his early education in school No. 8, of the joint dis- trict comprising Metomen, Springvale, Alto and Waupun townships and Bran- don high school from which he graduated. After putting aside his text-books he sold sewing machines for two or three years and then worked at the car- penter's trade in Brandon for three years. Subsequently he spent one year in Minnesota and two years in South Dakota and then returned to Brandon, here working at his trade for three more years. On the expiration of that period he turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits and has since resided on the home farm of one hundred and three acres in Metomen township, which he purchased from his father prior to the latter's death. In addition to the culti- vation of cereals he also devotes considerable attention to stock-raising and in both branches of his business has won success. He has ten dairy cows and is breeding into the Guernsey line. He is a shareholder in the Brandon Creamery Association and the County Fair Association.
On the 10th of February, 1901, John L. Scott was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Inglis, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Murray) Inglis, who were born, reared and married in Scotland. They emigrated to the United States in 1857, locating two miles south of Brandon, in Alto township, Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin. Mr. Inglis there purchased land and followed farm- ing until 1910, when he removed to Brandon, where he has since lived in honor- able retirement and is enjoying good health at the age of eighty-seven years.
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His wife passed away on the farm in 1898. They had seven children, as fol- lows: Agnes, who is deceased; Agnes, the second of the name, who is the wife of Alex McDonald, employed as shipping clerk in the iron works at Johnstown, Pennsylvania; William, who resides on the old home farm in Alto township, this county; Jessie, who lives at Brandon with her father; Mary, the wife of Allen McDonald, a mail carrier of Bellemead, New Jersey ; Nellie, who gave her hand in marriage to Alex Whitton, manager of the Roberts Produce Company of Roberts, Wisconsin; and Mrs. Margaret Scott. The last named is the mother of four children: Anna Elizabeth, who was born on the 28th of November, 1901 ; Hattie May, whose birth occurred on the Ist of May, 1903; William In- glis, born August 26, 1906; and Margaret Agnes, whose natal day was Febru- ary 8, 19II. The first three named attend school in joint district No. 8.
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