History of Barron County Wisconsin, Part 48

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1922
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1767

USA > Wisconsin > Barron County > History of Barron County Wisconsin > Part 48

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member of the Blue Lodge No. 223 of Cumberland, and Worthy Patron of the Eastern Star. Mr. Wearne was married at Chicago, Jan. 26, 1898, to Margaret Reinhardt, daughter of Michael and Margaret (Ketter) Reinhardt, of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Wearne have two children: Estella and Norman F. Estella is bookkeeper for the Miller-Olcutt Lumber Co., Cumberland. Norman F. is doing well with his studies in the public schools.

Giles H. Wilsie, manager and part owner of the Liberty Lumber Co., Cumberland, was born in Grand Meadow, Minn., Aug. 9, 1879, son of Munson O. and Mary (Hall) Wilsie, natives respectively of Vermont and New York, who upon coming west settled first in Wisconsin, and next in Winona County, Minnesota, where they were pioneers, going thence to Rushford, Minn., where he engaged in the lumber business; thence to Grand Meadow, Minn., and thence to Troy, Mont., where the father now lives, and where the mother died Oct. 24, 1919. Giles H. was educated in the graded and high schools of his native village. For seven months in 1898, during the Spanish-American War, he trained in camp with Co. G, 12th Minnesota Infantry. With this ex- ception he remained with his parents until 1901, when he went to Spring Valley, Minn., where he was employed at the lumber business for two years. He went to Crookston, Minn., in 1903 as sorter and car checker for the Crookston Lumber Co. From there in 1906 he went to Cayuga, N. D., where he was employed in the lumber business for ten years. He came to Cumberland as manager of the Liberty Lumber Co., in February, 1917. He has built up a good trade and has the confidence of the people with whom he does business, his long experience in the lumber business having made him a thorough master of its various phases. He is third owner, as well as man- ager of the concern. Fraternally he is a member of Cumberland lodge, No. 223, A. F. & A. M .; Rice Lake Chapter, No. 67, R. A. M., and of Cumberland lodge, No. 62, Knights of Pythias. He has a pleasant residence in the city, and is interested in several local concerns. Mr. Wilsie was married June 15, 1903, to Bertha Kumm, born in Spring Valley, Dec. 3, 1879, daughter of Fred and Minnie (Rhode) Kumm, who still reside in Spring Valley, Mr. Kumm being a retired blacksmith and wagon maker. Mr. and Mrs. Wilsie have two children : Fred K. born March 19, 1904, and Fay E., born July 31, 1913. The family faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Pietro Sirianni, business man of Cumberland, was born in Italy, April 15, 1888, son of Francisco and Bridget (Chido) Sirianni, who were born in Italy, and have spent their lives there with the exception of from 1897 to 1900, when he spent three years in the United States. Young Pietro was educated in his native land and came to America in 1900 at the age of twelve, locating with relatives in Cumberland, where he continued his schooling for two years more. In 1902, when but fourteen years of age he started out to see the country, and worked at varying intervals in different towns in Mon- tana, Washington and Oregon. In 1905 he came back to Cumberland, and for three years he worked in the shops in St. Paul. In 1908 he engaged in the retail business for three years. He went to Hudson, Wis., in 1911, and bought a pool hall. In 1915 he came back to Cumberland, and purchased his present establishment. He has the largest pool hall in the city, conducts it in a clean and business-like manner, serves light lunches, and handles cigars, tobacco, candy and novelties. Mr. Sirianni was married Aug. 2, 1908, to Caroline Zappa, born in Pittsburg, Penn., May 10, 1894, daughter of William and Frances (Ronallo) Zappa, natives of Italy, who came to America in 1906, and bought a small tract. of land in Crystal Lake Township, where they now carry on truck farming. Mr. and Mrs. Sirianni have six children: Francisco, born April 26, 1909; Benidatto, born June 4, 1911; Emil, born Sept. 7, 1913; Bridget, born May 18, 1915; Anna, born Dec. 20, 1916, and Albert, born June 15, 1918. The family faith is that of the Roman Catholic Church.

James St. Angelo, farmer of Cumberland Township, was born in Italy, and was there reared and educated. In 1882 he determined to try his

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MR. AND MRS. DUNCAN MUNROE

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fortunes in the new world. Accordingly he set out and in time found his way to Duluth, Minn. From there in the same fall, he came to Cumberland. Here he purchased 53 acres in Sections 17 and 20, Cumberland Township, which he cleared and on which he erected a set of buildings. On this farm he still carries on general agricultural operations, making a specialty of Jersey cattle. He has shares in the Comstock Co-operative Creamery and in the Farmers' Light & Power Co. He married Angela Carlascio, and they have four chil- dren: Lewis, George, Elizabeth and Thomas.

Thomas St. Angelo, one of the prominent young men of the northwestern part of the county, was born on a farm near Cumberland, Jan. 13, 1889, the son of James and Angela (Carlascio) St. Angelo. He was reared on the home place and attended school at Cumberland. As a youth he was in the employ of the "Soo" line and the Great Northern, for a time as assistant section foreman, and for a while as timekeeper. In 1910 he was appointed local manager at Cumberland, for the Gedney Pickle Co. Eight years later, in 1918, he was appointed local supervisor at Barksdale, Wis., for the Dupont En- gineering Co. In 1919, with headquarters at Cumberland, he was traveling representative for the International Correspondence Schools of Scranton, Penn. March 1, 1920, he assumed the duties of his present position as teller in the Island City Bank. He is also president of the St. Anthony Mutual Aid Society, and has done good work as treasurer of the Palmer School District, so called. Oct. 19, 1908, Mr. St. Angelo married Esther Sammarone, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Sammarone. Mr. Sammarone is a skilled carpenter and me- chanic, and with headquarters at Cumberland, is in the employ of Moorman & Co., bank builders, of St. Paul, Minn. Mrs. St. Angelo died Oct. 27, 1918, leaving four bright children: James, born July 10, 1909; Angeline, born June 3, 1910; Frank born Dec. 11, 1911, and Evelyn born March 28, 1914. The family faith is that of the Roman Catholic Church.

Duncan Monroe, the first settler in the immediate vicinity of what is now the flourishing village of Brill, in Oak Township, was born in Scotland, Dec. 25, 1846. When eleven years of age he left his native country and after three months on the ocean in a sailing vessel reached Canada and located in Nova Scotia, where he remained until 1866. He then came to the States and on Nov. 11, that year, reached the famous old town of Reeds Landing, on the Mississippi River, in Wabasha County, Minnesota. From there he walked to Menomonie, in Dunn County, this state. Upon finding employment with Knapp, Stout & Co., he was sent into Barron County, afoot, and here he worked in a lumber camp on the present site of Rice Lake. In 1867 he was assigned to duty with a crew which was surveying all the Knapp, Stout & Co. land in Wisconsin, and was thus engaged for four years. Then he became a camp foreman for a year. In 1872 he went to Chippewa Falls, in Chippewa County, this state, and was there employed as a stone mason for five years. Then he went to Buffalo County, Wis., and there remained three years. It was in 1880 that he bought forty acres of wild railroad land in section 13, Oak Grove Township, and settled on it. He erected a set of log buildings, and cleared the entire forty. There he successfully farmed for twenty years. In 1900 he sold this place and purchased 40 acres, where the village of Brill now stands. With his two sons, William and John J., he cut through the farm a "tote" road for the Rice Lake Lumber Co. This road is now the principal business street of Brill. In the meantime he worked more or less at his trade, and the foundations of many of the buildings in Rice Lake and the surround- ing country, and nearly all the buildings in Brill, stand as monuments to the fidelity with which he labored. He naturally took much interest in the growth of the hamlet, and for fourteen years operated a hotel, and for four years a store there. After a useful life, worthily spent, he died May 12, 1916. He was a man of industrious temperament, and of genial and kindly disposition, whose presence will long be missed. His wife still resides in Brill, making her home with her daughter, Mrs. John Kopiske. Mr. Monroe was married

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Oct. 22, 1871, at Menomonie, Wis., to Ellen Ahern, who was born in Campbell- ton, New Brunswick, Canada, the daughter of Peter and Sarah (McDonald) Ahern, both of whom are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Monroe had twelve children: Peter, Maria, Sarah, Mary E., William, Mary J., John J., Barbara A., Mary H., Rebecca, Sarah and Ellen. Peter was born Oct. 23, 1872, and died Dec. 23, 1906. Maria, born Feb. 22, 1874, is the wife of Albert McGlade, of Solon Springs, Wis. Sarah was born Feb. 12, 1875, and died Dec. 23, 1906. Mary E. was born Oct. 7, 1876, and died Dec. 2, 1906. William was born Jan. 16, 1878, and died June 14, 1901. Mary J., born May 10, 1880, is now the wife of W. C. Carnehan of St. Paul. John J., born July 9, 1882, lives in Chicago. Barbara A., born Sept. 4, 1884, is now Mrs. Arthur Olson, of Min- neapolis. Mary H., born Aug. 12, 1886, is the wife of John Kopiske, of Brill. Rebecca, born Jan. 29, 1888, is the wife of Arndt Olson, of Brill. Sarah, born July 29, 1891, is the wife of Edward Scheller, of Chicago. Ellen, born April 27, 1897, is the wife of Emery Coleman, of Brill.

Fred Nygren, a representative citizen of Brill, is enjoying a life of retire- ment after many years of strenuous farm work, and he is greatly honored throughout the community as a successful man who has used good judgment in all his operations and thereby achieved prosperity and standing. He was born in Sweden April 10, 1860, son of Erick Eklund and Anna Johnson, also natives of that country. He received his education in the schools of his native land. At the age of 21 he entered the standing army of Sweden and served for six years. Then he was employed for some time in rolling mills and saw- mills. He came to America in 1888 and located at Florence, Wis., where he was employed in an iron mine. In 1894 he came to Rice Lake and bought 160 acres of wild land from Knapp, Stout & Co., in sections 1 and 12, Stanfold Township. He set to work with a will, erected a log house and a log barn, and devoted many years thereafter to developing a farm. By arduous work he got about 50 acres under the plow, he replaced the log house with a com- fortable frame structure, and the log barn with a good frame barn, 32 by 40 feet, with full stone basement. Here he followed general farming until 1914. In that year he sold out and bought a farm of 80 acres one mile north of Brill in Oak Grove Township. A year later he sold that place and bought 18 lots in the village and ten acres adjoining. He remodelled the house he found on the land and has made the place into a good little farm. Mr. Nygren was married in May, 1885, to Louisa Johnson, who died Jan. 11, 1920, leaving two children, Theodore and Anna. Theodore lives in Wallace, Mich- igan. Anna married Harry Coleman of Wallace, Mich.

Thomas Parks came to Wisconsin from the Province of Ontario, Canada, in 1876, and settled with his family on a farm in Pierce County. In 1884 he took a homestead of 80 acres in section 24, Oak Grove Township, not far from the village of Brill. Later he purchased 80 acres, adjoining, in section 13, making a good place of 160 acres. He cleared up 30 acres and successfully carried on general farming. Later he moved to section 35, in the same town- ship, where he bought 280 acres to which he later added another 40, making a whole half section of good land, a part of which he developed. He there successfully farmed until his death Aug. 19, 1913. His widow now makes her home with her son, Thomas, on a farm in section 27, Oak Grove Township. He served as superintendent and assessor of Oak Grove Township.

Michael A. Parks, farmer and dealer in farm equipment, Brill, was born in Lanark County, Ontario, Canada, July 23, 1872, son of Thomas and Bridget (Darcy) Parks, who brought him to Pierce County, this state, in 1876, and to Oak Grove Township, this county, in 1884. Here he completed his early schooling in the parochial school of Our Lady of Lourdes Congregation, at Dobie, Oak Grove Township. As a young man he took a course in cheese making in the agricultural department of the University of Wisconsin. He worked at this business for some years at various places. For two years he worked in a sawmill at Lake Nebagamon, Douglas County, this state, and for

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four years farmed near Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, this state. In 1904 he became cheese maker for the Campia Butter and Cheese Co. in their fac- tory south of Campia, in this county. He came to Brill in 1908 and engaged in the sale of farm equipment, implements and machinery. He has built up a good trade and has the confidence of all with whom he has dealings. In 1909 he purchased a farm of 151 acres in Cedar Lake Township, less than a mile east of Brill, and there he lived and successfully farmed. In public life he has been assessor of Oak Grove Township. Fraternally he is popular in the Knights of Columbus and the Modern Woodmen. He and his wife both belong to the Catholic Foresters and to the Fraternal Reserve Association of Osh- kosh, Wis. The family are members of the Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catho- lic church at Dobie, Wis. Mr. Parks was married April 26, 1897, to Rosella McGlade, born in Canada, Oct. 19, 1873, daughter of James and Catherine McGlade. They have an adopted son, James Milton Parks, born June 23, 1904, a bright and dutiful son who is doing well with his studies in the Rice Lake High School.

Hans Olson Westby, for some years a farmer near Cameron, in Stanley Township, this county, was born in Norway, and came to America as a young man. He had learned the blacksmith's trade in his native land, and upon his arrival in this country took up that trade at Highland Prairie, Fillmore County, Minn. . In that county he married his second wife, Gunhild Gulbrand- son, who was born in Gaarden, Loken, Aadalen, Norway, and had come to Fill- more County as a girl. From Highland Prairie they moved to Whalen, in the same county. In 1900 they came to Barron County and located in Stanley Township, where he farmed until his death in January, 1909. He was a sub- stantial, hard working man, and is greatly missed by his family and friends. The mother now makes her home on the old place which is operated by the son, Gilbert. By his first wife, Mr. Westby had four children: Minnie, now Mrs. Julius Kynsberg of Dovre, Barron County; Matilda, wife of J. Bleckoe of Lanesboro, Minn .; Hannah, residing in Chicago, and one who died in infancy. His children by his second wife, Gunhild, were: Charles J., a Brill lumber- man; Olga, the wife of William Peterson, of Stanley Township; Gilbert and Martin, who are on the home farm; Hilda, wife of Thomas Thorson, of Cornell, Wis .; and Henry and Ella, on the home farm.

Charles J. Westby, manager of the Independent Lumber Yard Co., of Brill, whose yards and property he laid out here, and whose business he estab- lished, was born in Fillmore County, Minn., Dec. 7, 1880, son of Hans Olson Westby and his good wife Gunhild (Gulbrandson). He attended the rural schools and the high school at Lanesboro, traveled as a salesman for a while, then became a carpenter, and still later a contracting carpenter. For a while he was located at Cameron, in this county. In 1915 he came to Brill and in his present capacity. With the assistance of B. F. Holbrook he planned the yards, warehouse and office after his own desire, and the convenience of these arrangements has vindicated his good judgment. The yard does a large and constantly increasing business in lumber and other building materials, cement and clay products, and coal and other fuel. Mr. Westby is especially well fitted for the line in which he is engaged, he thoroughly knows the building and fuel market, and his sense of fairness makes him a valuable man for the company which employs him and for the people with whom he deals. He is one of the stockholders of the company. In public affairs he has taken the interest of a good citizen, has been justice of the peace, and has served efficiently as town clerk of Oak Grove since 1918. While most of his holdings are in this county he is also a stockholder in the Zenith Company, Inc., of Minneapolis. Like his ancestors before him he is an adherent of the Nor- wegian Lutheran church.

Carl Duve, who is successfully farming 40 acres of good land in Brill · Village, where he has the advantages of being within easy access of market- ing, shipping and trading facilities, came here in 1918, and has taken his

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place as a representative citizen. In connection with raising the usual crops, he makes a specialty of potato raising and dairying. He is a man of progres- sive temperament, is well liked, and well regarded. His fraternal relations are with the Baraboo Lodge, No. 34, A. F. & A. M. He was reared in the faith of the German Lutheran church, of which he is a regular communicant. Carl Duve was born in Sauk County, Wisconsin, June 12, 1875, son of Ludwig and Louise (Rehders) Duve, natives of Germany who came to America, and as early settlers located in Merrimac, Wis., where they farmed, later moving to Baraboo, Wis., where they engaged in the business of gardening and truck farming. The father died when over sixty years old in 1905, and the mother Dec. 6, 1915. She was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Feb. 28, 1835. The subject of this sketch was educated in the public schools of Baraboo, after which he learned the weaving trade in the woolen mills there. Twelve years later he entered the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co., first as brakeman for a year, and then in the electrical maintenance department for five years. Then he learned the stone mason's trade and followed it at Baraboo, Wis., until he came to Brill in 1918.

Frank L. Coleman, a prominent resident of Brill village, prosperous farmer of Oak Grove Township, and widely known as an expert in intensive potato growing, was born in Waushara County, this state, Aug. 12, 1866, son of Henry and Helen (Boyngton) Coleman, natives respectively of Michigan and Vermont, who settled in Waushara County in an early day, where the father engaged in lumbering and farming until his death in 1891, the mother having died in 1883. Frank L. secured what education he could as a. boy, and has built on that foundation by wide reading and close observation. He learned farming from his father and also worked ten winters at lumbering in the woods and on drives, including six years steady chopping summer and winter on railroad land. Before he was of age he started out for himself in agriculture in Juneau County, this state. He came to Barron County in 1891 and purchased a farm in Section 1, Oak Grove Township, nearly on the Wash- burn County line. The tract was then heavily timbered. He cleared a small space, erected a log cabin and straw sheds, and lived in the cabin while he cleared and grubbed the land. In time he developed a good place with an excellent set of buildings, good fences and equipment, and good stock. In building up this place he became one of the substantial and representative men of the township. For some years he has specialized in raising high grade pota- toes. Few people have equalled his record as an intensive grower, as in 1914 his crop averaged 425 bushels to the acre, and other years the record has been nearly as good. His soil is good and he attributes his unusual success in potato growing to the excellence of the soil, the suitability of the weather, care in selecting seed potatoes, and attention to detail in every stage of the game from planting to storing. He still operates the farm, but in 1916 pur- chased a pleasant home in the village where he and his family now live. Frank L. Coleman was married April 29, 1886, to Carrie E. St. Clair, who was born in Juneau County, this state, Sept. 29, 1869, daughter of Charles and Caroline (Dane) St. Clair, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and New York, who, in the early days, settled in Juneau County where he died Oct. 12, 1907, and where she is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Coleman have had five children : Angie E., Lillian E., Harry L., Bessie H. and Eva M. Angie E. was born March 1, 1887, married Harry Coleman, of Brill, proprietor of the Brill garage, and has four children: Nina E., Grace B., Effie H. and Arnold W. Lillian E. was born Sept. 20, 1888, married Louis Olsen, of Campia, and has one child, Evelyn M. Harry L. was born June 13, 1890, and lives in Wallace, Mich. He married Anna Nygren, and they have four children: Vivian M., Margaret T., Norman F. and Wilma L. Bessie H., born Sept. 12, 1895, died Dec. 21, 1910. Eva M. was born Aug. 21, 1898, and is living at home with her parents.

Halvor Huset, now deceased, was one of the first settlers in Maple Grove Township. He underwent all the privations of pioneer life, and, assisted by

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HALVOR HUSET AND FAMILY

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his good wife and his family, built up a good farm, and attained a position of respect and honor in the community. He was a splendid type of honest, rugged, hard-working citizenship, and left to his large family a heritage of staunch character. Born in Norway June 5, 1846, he was there educated and devoted his years to farming until 1872. In that year he came to America and located in Dane County, Wisconsin. It was only two years later, in 1874, when he came to Barron County and took a homestead of 160 acres in Section 32, East, Maple Grove Township. The tract was then a dense forest. No roads connected it with the outside world. Provisions had to be packed in on his back. He had no horses or oxen, and was compelled to burn the wood which he cleared from a little space in which to erect his first house. But he was not daunted by hardships; he developed the place little by little; he erected good buildings, mostly from trees cut on his own place; he assisted his later neighbors in establishing their homes and getting their farms started; he helped build roads; he was interested in the opening of a school; he was a good supporter of the church, and, all in all, was a good and useful citizen. In time he had one of the best farms in the township, with a modern home, commodious barns and suitable outbuildings, with a full equipment of tools, implements and machinery. On this place he conducted general farming and dairying until his lamented death April 12, 1915. Since that time the farm has been conducted by the sons, Alvin and Leonard, who in 1920 purchased the place from their mother. These young men are worthily following in their father's foot steps, and are taking their share in the progress of the commu- nity, Alvin having served for two years in his present position as secretary of the local branch of the American Society of Equity. Mr. Huset was mar-' ried May 1, 1873, to Isabelle Granum, daughter of Ole and Ingra (Lee) Granum, natives of Norway, who came to America in 1848 and settled in Dane County, this state, where the father died Feb. 2, 1891, and the mother May 20, 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Huset were the parents of thirteen children. Erick and Ole, the two first born, died in infancy. Edward was born July 25, 1875, and now lives in Maple Grove Township. Oscar was born May 3, 1878, and died Oct. 3 of the same year. Ida was born Oct. 24, 1879, and died Jan. 22, 1901. Oscar (second) was born March 30, 1882, and lives in Dallas Township, this county. Gustav was born Dec. 16, 1884, and died Jan. 17, 1887. Gena was born March 20, 1887, and is the wife of Martin Berg, of Dallas Township. Minnie was born July 8, 1889, and is at home. Hilda was born May 1, 1891, and is the wife of William Lawrence, of Dallas Township. Delia, born Oct. 30, 1893; Alvin, born Aug. 1, 1896, and Leonard, born Jan. 1, 1899, are on the home farm. The family faith is that of the United Brethren Church.

Harry Sherman, owner and proprietor of the Sherman Auto Co., Cumber- land, is one of the active business men of the city, believes thoroughly in its future possibilities, and is taking his share in everything which he believes to be for the best good of the county and state. He has made his own way in the world since early boyhood, and has met with a good measure of success. He was born in Russia Oct. 17, 1884, and there attended school. As a young man he became a wheat dealer in Keove, Russia, and so continued until 1913. But he was not satisfied with conditions there, so in 1913 he started out to try his fortunes in the New World. He landed in Boston Nov. 20 and came directly to Barron County where he located at Barron as a dealer in hides and furs. He came to Cumberland in the fall of 1914 and continued to deal in hides and furs. But he still sought larger possibilities, so on March 19, 1917, he purchased a third interest with Le Jeune & Faurot, in an automobile busi- ness. Later he bought out Michael Le Jeune, and still later Sely Faurot, so that he is now the sole owner. In 1920 he erected a fine garage, 50 by 120 feet, a fireproof building on Second street, equipped with all modern machinery. He holds the agency for the Oakland and Overland cars and Republic trucks, carries a full line of automobile accessories, and does general repair work, having what is considered one of the best establishments of its kind in the

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History of Barron County Wisconsin, Part 48

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1767

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1922
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1767