USA > Wisconsin > Brown County > History of Brown County, Wisconsin, past and present, Volume II > Part 22
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Politically he gives his allegiance to the republican party but his busi- ness affairs have always claimed his entire time and attention and have prevented him from taking part in public affairs. He is a member of T. O. Howe Post No. 124, G. A. R., and is active in the affairs of the Holy Name Society of St. John's Catholic church. His religion is a vital force in his everyday life and his allegiance to the Roman Catholic church has been uninterrupted. He has always affiliated with St. John's church in Green Bay and since 1894 has been treasurer of the business organization of that institution. He resides at No. 719 East Mason street, Green Bay, and has a host of friends in that city, many of whom have grown up with him and been associated in the development of the city. Mr. Brown has seen the progress and growth of Green Bay and its evolution from an un- organized community into a thriving municipality.
GEORGE G. GREENE.
The profession of law has many prominent followers in Green Bay and there is no more worthy representative among them than George G. Greene, who is acknowledged the head of the bard of Brown county and is now senior member of the firm of Greene, Fairchild, North, Parker, and McGillan, with offices at 301 North Washington Avenue, with which he had been connected since 1868. He determined at an early age to devote his life to the legal profession and his energy and ability have brought him to his present high position among his colleagues.
Mr. Greene was born in Herkimer county, New York, November 18, 1843, a son of Nathan S. and Elizabeth Greene. The father, who was a flour miller of Green Bay for the last fifteen years of his life, died in 1900 and was buried beside his wife, whose death preceded his by some years, at Fort Atkinson.
George G. Greene received his early education at the Illinois Military Academy, from which he was graduated in 1865, taking up the study of law immediately in the Columbia Law School, New York city, from which he received his degree of LL. B. two years later, in 1867. He came at once to Green Bay, where he formed a partnership with Sammuel D. Hast- ings in 1868, and this firm continued until 1883, when it was dissolved, Mr. Hastings having been chosen circuit judge. For the next few years Mr. Greene engaged in the general practice of law in partnership with Judge Ellis and Judge Merrill. In 1892 this association was dissolved and Mr. Greene practiced in conjunction with Charles E. Vroman, the firm becoming Greene, Vroman & Fairchild. Later it was several times changed until now it is Greene, Fairchild, North. Parker & McGillan.
Mr. Greene was married in Green Bay, June 10, 1875, to Miss Na- talie C. Clapp, a daughter of Nathaniel P. and Sarah Clapp, pioneer resi- dents of Kenosha, Wisconsin. They reside at 904 North Monroe avenue and are highly held in social circles in this city. Mr. Greene has given forty-five years of his life to the practice of law and his success from
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the beginning has been marked. He is an alert, progressive, energetic man, a true lover of his profession, delighting in the complicated legal problems which he is so able to solve. The family of which he is at the head is recognized as one of the most prominent in Green Bay. Mr. Greene is a Royal Arch Mason and prominent in the affairs of that or- ganization, but he gives very little attention to affairs outside of his legal business.
ROBERT REDWOOD CAMPBELL.
Robert Redwood Campbell, superintendent of Woodlawn cemetery at Green Bay, was born in this city on the 23d of December, 1843, his parents being John and Mary Campbell. As the name indicates, the family is of Scotch origin and the first representative to come to America was John Campbell. the great-grandfather of our subject, who crossed the Atlantic prior to the Revolutionary war. He was engaged in the saw mill business and used to get his supplies from Canada by the shipload. He married the daughter of an Indian chief near Mackinaw, and to them was born one son, John Campbell, who on reaching manhood married Elizabeth Davenport. John Campbell became a blacksmith by trade but was able to do almost any repair work, not only mending guns but also watches. He came in an open boat from Mackinaw to Fort Howard at a very early day and, the bay freezing up, started back on foot, taking a horse to carry his baggage. At Menominee he had to abandon the horse, but the following year on his return found it still there, it having fed during the winter on the marshes. He was appointed by the United States government as blacksmith at the mission at Grand Traverse but subsequently returned to Brown county and made his home on a farm in the Bay Settlement until his death, which occurred July 28, 1864. He was born on the 13th of February. 1787, and was married January 13, 1815, to Elizabeth Davenport, who was born November 17, 1798, and died November 13, 1870. They had the following children : Hiram, Robert, John, the father of our subject, William, Samuel, Hannah, Elizabeth Roe (1), Elizabeth Roe (11), Henry, Joseph and Hiram Porter. Only the last named is now living and makes his home in Green Bay.
John Campbell, the father of our subject, was born in Michigan, Decem- ber 22, 1819, and in early life came with his parents to Brown county, where he grew to manhood upon a farm. For a time he was employed as a sailor but later turned his attention to farming in what was then known as the Bay Settlement but is now Scott township, Brown county. He attended the mission school at Mackinaw, where he obtained a good practical education. He also gained an excellent knowledge of the Indian language. For four years he was employed by the United States government to sail the Wabezee, used in carrying supplies from Mackinaw to Grand Traverse, and on resign- ing that position returned to the farm, where he lived until his death. At one time he was interested in the fur trade on the north shore of Lake
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Superior, with headquarters on Mackinaw Island. At that time the boats used were pointed at both ends like Indian canoes and called Mackinaw boats. He acted as interpreter for the traders, who exchanged beads, etc .. for the furs and skins collected by the Indians. Most of the time for want of a better shelter Mr. Campbell slept under his boat at night and his principal diet was corn soup and hulled corn, seasoned with tallow and salt and eaten with a wooden ladle. In politics he was a republican. He wedded Mary Smith, a daughter of Joseph Smith, who was of Swiss origin, although the family was founded in the new world at an early day and settled on the shores of Hudson bay, where they lived by the chase and made their own clothing, weaving the same from the furs of the animals slain. At a very early day Mr. Smith went to Chicago and cut hay in what is now the center of the city. After his death his widow married Sergeant Samuel Walkins, who was stationed for a time at Fort Dearborn and later at Fort Howard. Subsequently they made their home on a farm in the Bay Settlement and both died at Suamico, Brown county. The father of our subject passed away February 27, 1907, at the advanced age of eighty- seven years, and the mother died February 26, 1909, both being laid to rest in Rosehill cemetery, Scott township.
Robert R. Campbell received his education in the Bay Settlement, where he attended school until seventeen years of age and then engaged in teach- ing in a district school in Humboldt township. On the 16th of October, 1861, when eighteen years of age, he enlisted for three years in the Green Bay Light Guards, which at Madison was assigned to the Twelfth Wis- consin Volunteer Infantry. At the end of two years he was mustered out and given the privilege of reenlisting, which he immediately did and served until the close of the war, being promoted to the rank of sergeant major. On entering the service he went with his company to Fort Scott, Kansas, to fight the Indians. He then returned to Lawrence, Kansas, and from there went with his company to Fort Riley and on to Fort Leavenworth, marching one hundred and fifty miles on each trip. By boat they then proceeded to Cairo, Illinois, and from there went to Columbus, Kentucky, and on to Tennessee, being engaged in repairing railroad bridges during a part of one summer at Humboldt, that state. They also guarded the railroad and later joined Grant's army at Bolivar and participated in his famous march through Holly Springs, Mississippi, going as far as Lump- kin's Mill. The rebels captured Holly Springs, cutting off their supplies, and on that account Grant was obliged to abandon the capture of Vicks- burg by this route during this winter. The troops underwent many suffer- ings and hardships at that time, as the snow was very deep and the Twelfth Wisconsin Regiment served as a sort of rear guard during the return to Memphis and finally was stationed about fourteen miles from that place. They finally moved to Memphis and from there took boats to form a part of Grant's army at Vicksburg, Mississippi. The regiment was a part of the left wing of Grant's army during the famous siege, in which they had many exciting experiences while creeping up to the enemy's lines of defense, which was done during night time. After the surrender of Vicksburg, the regiment went to Jackson, Mississippi, and had to drive General Johnson Vol II-12
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from there, destroying the railroad and much other property during the attack. They then returned to Vicksburg and proceeded from there to Natchez, Mississippi, where Mr. Campbell reenlisted with the privilege of visiting home on a thirty day furlough, but when his regiment reached Vicksburg on their way home they were called upon to again go to Jack- son, as the rebels were rebuilding the railroad. They retook Vicksburg and this time cleaned the whole locality of rebel troops after very severe fight- ing. Retracing to Vicksburg, they took steamers from there for Cairo. The boats were crowded to the limit with troops and he and his companions were stationed on the hurricane deck, enduring great hardships on account of the extreme temperature, as this trip was made in February and the river was jammed with ice most of the way. Further danger was added to the journey by the rebels, who made navigation on the Mississippi very unpleasant, opening at several times fire from the bank of the river, and for this reason the flotilla was accompanied by two gunboats to protect it from the enemy, who was soon driven off by them. At Cairo, Illinois, disembarkment took place and there the troops were transferred into rail- road cars, which had formerly been used for the purpose of hauling coal and they were not just exactly as clean or comfortable as the pullman of today. Their next destination was Chicago, Illinois, where a great recep- tion was given to the victorious soldiers and the best in the land was offered them. Although they were dirty from the journey and ragged from the service, they greatly enjoyed the reception and feast offered them and the memory of it remains one of the bright spots in those days of hard- ship and fighting. After being at home for thirty days Mr. Campbell joined the regiment at Madison, Wisconsin, and from there they proceeded to Cairo, Illinois, and going up the Mississippi and Tennessee rivers joined Gen- eral Sherman near Kenesaw Mountain and for ninety days helped in the capture of Atlanta, Georgia. The regiment was a part of the Seventeenth Army Corps of the Army of the Tennessee and participated in the terrible fighting of July 21, 22 and 23, of what is called the battle of Atlanta. The commander of the corps, General James McPherson, was killed in this action and General Logan had to take command in the heat of the combat. After- ward they made, with General Sherman, the famous march to the sea. Fol- lowing the capture of Savannah, Mr. Campbell was promoted from the rank of corporal to that of sergeant major of the regiment. The regiment then started northward to meet General Grant at Richmond but had not reached its destination when Lee surrendered and so the regiment went on to Wash- ington and there participated in the grand review. From there they pro- ceeded to Louisville, Kentucky, where they were mustered out of the United States service on the 16th of July, 1865, on account of the close of the war. During nearly all the four years of his service Mr. Campbell never lost even one day of duty. The regiment in its movements during the war traveled three thousand, eight hundred and eighty-eight miles on foot, two thousand, nine hundred and thirty-five by boat and two thousand, five hundred and six by rail, making a total of nine thousand, three hundred and twenty-nine miles. Although Mr. Campbell participated in fifteen battles besides many skirmishes, he was fortunately never wounded.
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Returning to Green Bay, Mr. Campbell then devoted his time to the opera- tion of his father's farm, as the latter was then in poor health, and for four months he taught in a country school in the Bay Settlement. The little schoolhouse which he occupied was built of logs and was also used for town elections but is now a barn. For some time he was subsequently inter- ested in shipbuilding and sailed as watchman on one of the lake boats between Green Bay and Escanaba, Michigan, but at the end of a month was pro- moted to wheelman. Later he was employed as a teamster on the ice between Green Bay and Escanaba and acted as bookkeeper for the company. He drove a wagon for the Merchants Union Express Company for a short time and was later promoted to the position of clerk. Subsequently he rented a farm and engaged in agricultural pursuits, and for four years was employed as bookkeeper at Marinette. At that place Mr. Campbell formed a part- nership with J. D. Smith in the conduct of a general store, which he sold in 1874, buying a farm in the Bay Settlement, which he operated for eight years. He was next employed as bookkeeper by W. D. Cook & Company in the hardware business at Green Bay and at the end of a year accepted a similar position with the firm of Van Winkel & Montague at Garden, Michigan. He remained with them for sixteen years and then returned to Green Bay, where he engaged in the grocery business for four years, assisted by his son and daughter. In the meantime, Mr. Campbell had acquired a large amount of real estate, principally in Green Bay, and on selling his grocery store devoted his entire time to looking after his landed interests. He is now the owner of a number of houses and gives his per- sonal attention to their renting, remodeling and selling. In June, 1907, he was appointed to his present position as superintendent of the Woodlawn cemetery and has since served in that capacity in a very acceptable man- ner.
On the 5th of October, 1867, in the house in which he now resides, Mr. Campbell was united in marriage to Miss Eliza J. Parish, who died on the 27th of April, 1911, and was laid to rest in Woodlawn cemetery. To them were born five children but only two are now living : Elgreen P., who married Emily Van Tassel, of New York, and is employed as book- keeper in Syracuse, that state; and Corena, who lives at home with her father.
Porter Parish, the father of Mrs. R. R. Campbell, was born in Lewis- ton, Niagara county, New York, February 18, 1818, and died in Green Bay, Wisconsin, January 9, 1891. In the fall of 1835, when only seven- teen years of age, he came to this city with his uncle, Linus Thompson, with whom he learned the mason's trade. In 1840 he wedded Mary E. Rouse, a daughter of Judge Rouse, of the Bay Settlement, and they located upon her father's farm here, which Mr. Parish rented for three years. He then opened a grocery store in Green Bay, on the east side of Washington street, near the present site of the City Bank and later engaged in the same business, where the Sherwood Hotel now stands, for three years. Here the Indians came to trade and often danced on the green about the store. Subsequently Mr. Parish built a store on Wash- ington street, where the Gazette office was afterward erected by him.
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There he carried on business until 1871, when he retired from the grocery trade and tore down the old building in order to erect the Gazette build- ing. His home was at No. 706 South Jefferson street, where the Campbell family now live, and there he resided up to the time of his death. For fourteen years he was a member of the city council and took an active and prominent part in public affairs. In 1849 he became a member of the Masonic order, of which he was one of the first to join hereabout, and at his death was laid to rest with Masonic honors, his funeral being largely attended. In his family were eight children, namely: Eliza, who became Mrs. Campbell: Lucy, who married Charles Chipman and is de- ceased: William, who died in Green Bay; Mary, the deceased wife of James Markle; George, a resident of Green Bay; Celia, the wife of John Markle; Louis, who died unmarried; and Hattie, who died young. Judge Talbot Rouse came with his family to Green Bay as early as 1816. His daughter Lucy was married in 1830 to Linus Thompson and was considered the oldest white resident of the state at the time of her death.
Politically Mr. Campbell is a stanch supporter of the republican party and fraternally he is connected with the Knights of the Maccabees and T. O. Howe Post. No. 124, G. A. R., of Green Bay, of which he served for four consecutive years as commander. He is a worthy, public-spirited citizen and is actively interested in the progress and development of his town and county.
PAUL SCHEURING.
Paul Scheuring is one of the few men now living in De Pere who is entitled to be numbered among the early pioneers of that city. He was born in Berlin, Germany, and is a son of Louis and Matilda (Schmoltke) Scheuring, who came to America with their three children in 1849 and settled in Brown county, Wisconsin, three miles west of De Pere, where the family lived for one year. They then removed to East De Pere, later establishing their permanent home at West De Pere. The father was engaged in buying and selling real estate and was for nineteen years agent for the Williams grant. He was a justice of the peace and distinguished for his ability to settle differences between disputing parties without the expense of litigation. His business consisted mainly during his last years in the drawing of deeds and the taking of acknowledgements. In early life he was a painter and decorator and in that capacity did some work for Emperor William, the grandfather of the present emperor of Ger- many. Our subject has a number of pictures painted by him. He died in 1904, at the age of eighty-nine years, and the mother's death occurred in 1883, when she was over seventy-three years of age.
Paul Scheuring was reared in his parents' home and received his early education in an old stone schoolhouse at De Pere. He attended school from three to six months each year, working for his father during vaca- tions. At the age of twelve he started in life for himself as an employe
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of his father and occasionally worked in the sawmills at De Pere. He later engaged in hunting and fishing and in that business did not confine himself to the securing of any special line of game. At one time he en- gaged in fishing for the Clow Fishery. When not hunting and fishing lie worked in the sawmills at West De Pere. From 1862 to 1887 he hunted on the Green Bay marshes and in one season he is credited with having killed twenty-eight hundred ducks as well as other game, including birds and deer. During his experience as a hunter lie at one time brought down twenty-five ducks with two shots from an old-fashioned muzzle-loading shotgun. During the time of the great forest fires in Brown county, in 1871, the smoke on the water was so thick as to furnish a complete cov- ering for hunters, who could not be seen by the ducks, which rendered Mr. Scheuring's task as a professional hunter less laborious than it other- wise would have been under clear skies. In the years between the early '70s and 'Sos ducks sold from eight to fifteen cents each and mallards often reached a figure as high as twenty cents. At that time great flocks of pigeons often filled the skies and Mr. Scheuring has the distinction of having killed with a fish pole eighteen of those birds in one day when a mere boy. He continued the hunting and fishing business until 1887. In 1878, however, he became interested in a small way in bee culture and since 1887 he has devoted his entire time to the bee industry, now having an apiary of one hundred and seventy-five hives. In addition to his other business interests Mr. Scheuring was for several years president of the West De Pere waterworks.
In 1877 Mr. Scheuring was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Wil- lard, a daughter of John P. and Harriet P. (Hurd) Willard, of De Pere, who removed from Massachusetts to Chicago and came to De Pere in 1873. Her father was a member of the firm of Willard Sons & Com- pany of Chicago, now known as Willard Sons & Bell Company. He came to De Pere to start a steam forge in connection with the De Pere Car Works, which at that time was known as the Willard steam forge, and later as the Willard & Hurd steam forge. He continued in that business until 1880, at which time he retired, and his death occurred in 1905, at the age of seventy-three years. Mrs. Willard is still living in De Pere and is now seventy-eight years of age. To Mr. and Mrs. Scheuring eight children were born. Myra E. and Harriet M. died in infancy. Frank W., foreman of the Lyons Boiler Works, married Lottie Remington, of De Pere, and they have two daughters. John P., who is a dairy farmer in Lawrence township, married Bessie Morrison. Alice H. married Peter Peters, of De Pere, and they have a son and daughter. Charles E., who is employed in the Lyons Boiler Works at West De Pere, married Martha Wertz and they have two sons. Marie E., resides in De Pere. George A., the youngest member of the family, died in infancy.
In 1888 Mr. Scheuring was elected county supervisor of Brown county and has served continuously ever since, this current year, 1912, being his twenty-fourth year as a member of the board, and since 1904 he has been its chairman. When the state of Wisconsin passed the workhouse law, which enabled counties to build workhouses for tramps and delinquents,
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he was one of the committee to build the Brown county workhouse, which was the first of its kind to be built under the new law. The committee for the construction of that building consisted of Henry Hagemeister, of Green Bay, Thomas Turriff and the subject of this review. The experi- ence which Brown county had with the workhouse as an economic solu- tion to the tramp question was so gratifying that a number of other coun- ties in the state built workhouses on the same general plan. He was also one of a committee to build the addition to the county asylum, putting in a new boiler and engine, and also chairman of the committee that built the present jail and the Brown county courthouse, both of which were completed in October, 1910. Mr. Scheuring was affiliated with the demo- cratic party until 1896, when Bryan became the democratic candidate for president, since which time he has been a loyal member of the Republican party. His long residence in Brown county has served to place him among the pioneers of this portion of the state and he has seen De Pere grow from a small hamlet to a thriving industrial center, being at one time in its history a shipping port of marked consequence in northeastern Wiscon- sin. He recalls distinctly the time when he saw as many as twenty-eight vessels of all kinds in the river harbor at De Pere, all of which were en- gaged in transportation connected with De Pere and Brown county. He has been identified with many of the enterprises in the city during the past years and has so acquitted himself as to gain and retain the respect of his fellow citizens. Mr. Scheuring is not only a pioneer of Brown county but he is also one of its most desirable and useful citizens.
P. F. DORSCHEL.
P. F. Dorschel is the president of The Bank of Green Bay, occupying this position of administrative direction since 1908. He came to this city in 1891, being at that time a young man of about twenty-seven years. His birth occurred in Ontario, Canada, August 12, 1864, his parents being Joseph and Agnes (Dantzer) Dorschel. The family comes of Pennsylvania Dutch an- cestry and the father left the Keystone state about 1835, going to Canada, where he followed the carpenter's trade, which he had previously learned. He is still a resident of Ontario but the mother died in 1890 and was laid to rest in Berlin, Ontario.
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