History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2), Part 49

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 885

USA > Wisconsin > Buffalo County > History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2) > Part 49
USA > Wisconsin > Pepin County > History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2) > Part 49

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adheres to the principles of the Republican party. For fourteen years Mr. Carpenter has shared the joys and responsibilities of domestic life with his wife Mamie, whose family name was Allen. She was born in Kellogg, Minn., daughter of C. E. and Ella (Evans) Allen, and in her girlhood attended school there. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter: Doris, Ruth, Ralph and Linden, all bright children, giving promise of future usefulness. The family stands high in reputation and are numbered among the substantial people of Stockholm township.

Arthur Henry Kelly, proprietor of a fine stock and poultry farm in section 2, Waterville township, Pepin county, the old Kelly homestead estab- lished by his father, was born on this place Sept. 24, 1882, son of Michael and Mary (Martin) Kelly. The parents were natives of Ireland and Eng- land respectively. Michael Kelly, after coming to this country in 1852 and settling in Wisconsin, worked thirteen years as a sawyer for Carson & Rand. Then, seeking a more independent career, he bought the land where his son Arthur now lives and began to develop a farm. His dwelling at that early period, though only a small frame house, was superior to those of most of the pioneer settlers, who usually lived in log cabins, and it was, moreover, the first frame building in this locality. At that time there were no roads in the vicinity and communication between the settlers was diffi- cult. The land he bought was thickly covered with virgin timber, which kept his axe busy for many a winter before he had the farm cleared. It contained 107 acres, all valuable land, and is situated on the Dunn-Pepin county line. Here he resided until his death, Oct. 25, 1915. He had been a very active man, not only as farmer but as a participant in the affairs of local government, serving as assessor for a number of years, as school clerk for fifteen or twenty years, having been one of the organizers of the district, and also as a member of the Roman Catholic church at Eau Galle, of which he was a trustee. For a number of years he also looked after the cemetery there. His wife is now residing on the farm with her son Arthur. Arthur H. Kelly was the seventh born of his parents' ten children. In his boyhood he attended district school No. 3 in Waterville township, and also a school at Eau Galle, Dunn county. He became active on his parents' farm at the age of 14 years, learning all the details of agricultural work, including stock raising, and since 1900 has been the sole manager. He is now operating it as a general stock farm, of which branch of farm work he has made a specialty, and has fitted up his place with modern barns and all conveniences for this purpose. He is breeding up in Holstein cat- tle, having a number of full-blooded animals, and also breeds Duroc-Jersey hogs, Oxford sheep, Rhode Island Red chickens and Mammoth Bronze turkeys. His poultry interests are an important branch of his business, and by careful study and management he has made it a profitable one. His enterprise in these various directions has met with its due reward, and Mr. Kelly now ranks among the leading stock farmers and poultrymen of this locality, and also as one of the most prosperous citizens of his town- ship. He is a member of the Roman Catholic church at Eau Galle, and in politics is independent. His business interests occupying his whole time, he has taken no active part in public affairs. So far he has not married.

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William Edmunds Plummer, who passed away at his home in Durand on Wednesday, July 10, 1918, was a highly esteemed citizen who had had a successful career, both as a business man and as one of the leading mem- bers of the Pepin county bar. He was born in Durand, April 10, 1861, son of Judge S. L. Plummer and Eunice Craig Belknap, who were descendants of early New England settlers. Soon after his birth his parents moved from Durand to a Dead Lake Prairie farm, where he grew up and attended the district school. Later he became a student at the Valparaiso Uni- versity. With a natural talent for the law, he graduated easily from the Law Department of the State University. He then established an office in Durand, where for thirty years he enjoyed a good practice. In 1882, in company with his father, he engaged in the mercantile business in Arkan- saw, retaining an interest in the same until 1904. His marked ability and agreeable personality made their due impress on his fellow citizens, who from time to time elected him to various offices of responsibility and trust, including those of clerk of the Circuit Court, county clerk, district attorney, county judge and member of assembly, in all of which he made a good record. The office of district attorney he held at the time of his death. Few citizens of the county had more loyal friends and admirers, and his demise at the comparatively early age of 57 years was an event that caused widespread sorrow. Mr. Plummer was married, June 24, 1890, to Rose Oesterreicher, of Durand, Wis., who survives him. To them were born five children: Winifred (Mrs. Nat Ward) ; a son who died in infancy; Harold, now serving with the American forces in France, being a member of the famous 32d division and in the first troop of American soldiers to fight on German soil; Clara, and Marguerite. The brothers and sisters of the subject of this sketch were: Forrest, of Arkansaw; Mary (Mrs. Walter Anderson), of Arkansaw; Frank, formerly of Arkansaw but now deceased; David, of Downing; Arthur, of Arkansaw; Carrie (Mrs. B. L. Milliren), of Pepin ; Lillie (Mrs. Frank Rounds), now deceased; and Lane, of River Falls. The five first mentioned were older and the last three younger than the subject of this sketch.

Englebert Oesterreicher, one of the best known and most honored residents of the city of Durand, Pepin county, in the development of which he has taken a leading part, both as business man and public official, but who is now living practically retired, was born in Austria, Oct. 8, 1840. Educated in his native land, he came to the United States in the spring of 1878, locating at once in Durand, where he engaged in the meat business with Philo Barton, the partnership lasting until the death of Mr. Barton in 1888. Mr. Oesterreicher then became sole proprietor of the business, in which, in 1890, his son Anton became associated with him, the style of the firm then becoming E. Oesterreicher & Son. About this time Mr. Oesterreicher engaged the buying and shipping of livestock, his son in the meanwhile looking after the interests of the meat market. He con- tinued in the livestock business until 1905, in which year he retired from it on account of ill health. In 1893 he erected the modern brick block in Durand which still bears his name, but which he sold in 1916. He still owns, however, considerable property in Durand. Mr. Oesterreicher's public

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MR. AND MRS. ENGLEBERT OESTERREICHER

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career began many years ago. He was one of the first aldermen of Durand village, and the third mayor of the city of Durand. In 1893 he was again elected mayor and was also several times a member of the city council. During his administration as mayor in 1889 Durand, through his efforts, became possessed of her first fire-engine. For several years also he was a member of the county board, during which period he took an active part in having the first bridge constructed across the Chippewa river at Durand. He also served a good many years as president of the school board. In 1884, when the first Catholic church was built, Mr. Oesterreicher lent his aid and influence to the cause, advancing some of the necessary funds. The great fire in Durand in 1881 swept away all his property, but with char- acteristic enterprise he immediately built a new meat market, his store being the first erected after the fire. He also took an active part in the county seat fight, and his aid and influence were potent factors in having the county seat restored to Durand after it had been for some time located at Arkansaw, a less convenient place. Mr. Oesterreicher was one of the founders of the First National Bank of Durand, and was its first vice- president, an office in which he still continues. Thus it will be seen that, for the most part, his career has been one of intense activity and has been intimately connected with the growth of the city. In public life, as in business, he was always conscientious, and was in almost everything re- markably clear-sighted. The respect in which he is now held is a well- earned tribute to his character and is shared in by practically all of those who in times past may have been his political opponents. Mr. Oesterreicher was married in Austria, Feb. 16, 1863, to Julia Frasl, who died in Durand, Dec. 22, 1915. On Feb. 16, 1914, they had celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Oesterreicher: Anton, Mary, Louise, Rose, Pauline, Englebert, Jr., and Wilhelmina, whose record is briefly as follows: Anton, who was born Jan. 1, 1864, is now pro- prietor of the Central Meat Market in Durand. He is married and has five children, Mary, Lucy, Elena, Inglebert and Anton, Jr. Mary, born March 7, 1866, married Frank E. Horner, and died in 1898, leaving two children, Frank and William. Louise, born Aug. 10, 1868, is now the wife of Theodore Zeisinger, a hardware merchant at Cornell, Wis. Rose, born May 22, 1872, is the widow of W. E. Plummer, who died July 10, 1918. Their children were: Winifred, now Mrs. Nat Ward; William, deceased; Harold L., now a lieutenant in the First U. S. army under General Pershing ; Clara, and Marguerite. Pauline, born Sept. 16, 1875, is the wife of Henry Nicklas, a hardware merchant of Durand, and has three children, Esther, Henry, Jr., and John. Englebert, Jr., born Oct. 29, 1884, is now residing at Truckee, Calif., a special policeman in the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad. He married Mabel Clark and has two children, Marie and Winni- fred. Wilhelmina, born Jan. 7, 1886, is the wife of Charles Ford, of Genoa Junction, Wis., where they have a drug store, and has two children, Leigh and Emmet.

Nicholas Bowman, a pioneer whose name is intimately connected with the development of Round Hill, in Waterville township, was born in Havre de Grace, France, in November, 1827. His parents were natives of Gun-

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stett, Alsace, France, and in the fall of 1827 set out for America, but failing to make connections with the boat, were obliged to winter at Havre de Grace, continuing their voyage the following spring. For nine years they lived at Buffalo, N. Y., coming westward to Ohio in 1837, and to Racine, Wis., in 1840. Nicholas Bowman attended the public schools of New York, Ohio and Wisconsin. As a young man he helped to construct and put in operation the first factory of the J. I. Case Thresher Company at Racine, a plant which at that time required only a three-horse treadpower to operate all its machinery. From Racine, Mr. Bowman went to East Troy, in the same state, where he built and put in operation a small cabinet factory. In 1857 he brought his family to Pepin county and purchased land at Round Hill, in Waterville township. This tract, on the west bank of the Chippewa River, became a famous center as the Round Hill landing. Upon his arrival here he built a shanty from lumber which he purchased from a mill further up the river and rafted down to his landing. The succeeding years were busy ones and his activities many. One of his first ventures was to erect a sawmill, for which he had to bring the boiler and engine up the Chippewa River on a keel boat. He also put up a blacksmith shop, and in the mill and shop got out all the woodwork and ironwork used in constructing the first famous Round Hill booms, used by the Beef Slough Lumber Company. The lumber for the first schoolhouse in his district was also sawed at this mill. Soon after his arrival he started operating a ferry to the east bank of the river, the first team ferry across the Chippewa below Eau Claire. The trail north and south was improved and Round Hill became a center of travel, Mr. Bowman opening his home to such travelers as desired food and lodging. Later when steamboats began to ply the Chippewa his warehouse was the point of distribution for all supplies for Dead Lake, Arkansaw and vicinity. In the meantime Mr. Bowman had been devoting considerable attention to farming. He added to his original holdings from time to time until he owned the present Round Hill farm, and to the culti- vation of this tract he devoted his latter years almost exclusively. Mr. Bowman took an active interest in whatever was for the good of his town and county. The cemetery at Round Hill is located on land which he pre- sented. All in all, his was a useful life, a betterment to the community, and his death, Nov. 10, 1880, was long and sincerely mourned. Mr. Bow- man was married, Oct. 12, 1847, to Olive Kees, who was born in Oneida county, New York, July 3, 1829, and came to East Troy, Walworth county, Wis., in 1844. She took an active part in all community and church work and was a kind and loving mother, an affectionate wife and a good neigh- bor. Mr. and Mrs. Bowman were blessed with four children: Jerome C., C. Evangeline, Martha M. and N. Walter. Jerome C. died in infancy. C. Evangeline is the wife of John McMahon, of Frankfort township, and they have four children, Erle D., John N., Nathan A. and Walter O. Martha M. is the wife of W. L. Bachelder, of Hastings, Fla., and they have three chil- dren, Frank J., Clara H. and Ada. N. Walter, a leading business man of Durand, married Belle Barber, daughter of Henry W. and Cecelia A. (Dick- son) Barber; two children were born to them, Dorothy C. and Mildred O. Mildred O. died at the age of six months.

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MR. AND MRS. NICHOLAS BOWMAN N. WALTER BOWMAN AND FAMILY

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N. Walter Bowman, of the firm of Bowman & McMahon, Durand, was born on his father's farm at Round Hill, Waterville Township, April 18, 1866, son of Nicholas and Olive (Kees) Bowman, the pioneers. He re- ceived his education in the district school of his neighborhood and in the public schools of Durand. His father dying when young Walter, as he was called, was fourteen years of age, upon him and his mother fell the responsibility of operating the farm, which he carried on successfully as he grew to manhood, being especially interested in stock and dairy farm- ing. While still on the farm, and having scarcely attained his majority, he took several contracts for rafting lumber from Round Hill to Alma, and on each contract achieved a success, both for his employers and for himself. In 1893, after his mother's death, he rented the home farm, and came to Durand, where for two years he was local agent for the White Sewing Machine Co. On Sept. 25, 1895, he formed a partnership with J. W. Schur, and engaged in well drilling and the sale of windmills, pumps, and supplies. In 1905, he bought out the Schur interests, and immediately sold a partnership to N. A. McMahon, the firm assuming its present name. Busy as Mr. Bowman has been in developing his splendid business, he has not been unmindful of other aspects of life. As a member of the County Board from the first ward of Durand, his business judgment and wide acquaintance was a valuable asset in county affairs. As a member of the Library Board for many years he has been an important factor in the upbuilding of that institution. His interest in the welfare of his city is shown by the fact that he was president five years of the Business Men's Association and is still an active member. Mr. Bowman was married, Nov. 2, 1896, to Belle Barber, daughter of Henry W and Cecelia A. (Dickson) Barber, who like his own family were among the earliest pio- neers. She was born on the farm of her parents in Frankfort Township, this county, July 18, 1865, attended the district schools of her neighbor- hood, and the High school of Durand, and became a teacher, teaching in Pepin County with marked success and efficiency for eleven years, four of which were spent in the city schools of Durand. Since her marriage, she has retained her interest in educational and welfare work, serving two years as president of the "Parent-Teacher Association" of Durand, and as chairman of Child Welfare for Pepin County. She has taken an active and untiring part in Red Cross work, and in club work, having been president of the Woman's Federated Travel Club of Durand two years, and serving at the present time as vice president of the Tenth District Auxiliary of the Wisconsin Federation of Woman's Clubs. Mr. and Mrs. Bowman have had two daughters, Dorothy C. born July 23, 1905, and Mildred O., born Sept. 12, 1907, and died Feb. 22, 1908.

The Bowman residence, recently completed, is one of the finest homes in Durand. It is situated on a commanding site, at the corner of Third Avenue and West Prospect Street, surrounded by a spacious lawn. Its lower story is of rough brown brick and the upper story of light stucco, the whole being ornamented with light cement trimmings. The garage is of corresponding construction. The residence, of the best architectural

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design, is thoroughly modern throughout, and reflects the good taste and home loving characteristics of its owners.

Bowman & McMahon have the leading industrial organization in Du- rand, the firm consisting of N. Walter Bowman and N. A. McMahon. The firm was founded in September, 1895, by N. Walter Bowman and J. W. Schur, the latter being succeeded by N. A. McMahon in 1905. The business was first conducted in Mr. Schur's barn. Later a building was rented from Jacob Fritz, on the present site of the Peoples Store. In 1900 the firm purchased a lot, and erected the present building, a brick veneer block, 50 by 80 feet, two full stories and a basement, giving 1,200 sq. ft. floor space, fully equipped with all modern appliances, such as heating plant, water works and the like. The firm handles pumps, windmills, gaso- line engines, water supplies, buggies, wagons, Edison phonographs, sewing machines, automobiles, and many other articles, and issues a large cata- logue to enlighten its constantly increasing customers at a distance. Its well drilling business is the largest in this part of the state. Eight well drilling machines are in use, operated by skilled mechanics to the number of some 25, and wells are drilled in Pepin, Pierce, Buffalo, Trempeauleau, Eau Claire, Dunn, Chippewa, St. Croix and Jackson Counties in Wis- consin, and in Winona, Wabasha and Goodhue Counties in Minnesota. The story of the growth of this department of the business is most inter- esting. When Mr. Bowman first started putting in wells, the wells were driven by a sledge by manual labor, and where rock or a hard formation was encountered, a churn drill was raised by a rope, operated by hand. In this early work of drilling by hand, Mr. Bowman concluded that there must be an easier and faster way of drilling wells than by manual labor. So he scoured the country for the best drilling machine that was manu- factured at that time, and by incorporating many improvements in the drilling jack and tools, he soon had one of the most perfect drilling ma- chines in western Wisconsin. As the demand for his wells increased, other machines were added, resulting in the present extensive equipment. The work of this firm in supplying farmers, cities and manufacturing plants with pure flowing water has been an important factor in the eco- nomic development of this region, and has given a decided impetus to agricultural endeavor.

Henry W. Barber, one of the notable pioneers of Frankfort township, Pepin county, and for many years one of the township's leading citizens, was born in Livingston county, New York, Feb. 7, 1828, and was there reared to the age of eighteen. From there he went to Westfield, Chautauqua county, in the same state. He taught school for a short time, but in 1855 determined to seek the broader opportunities of a newer coun- try. Upon reaching the Mississippi River at La Crosse, he took a steam- boat to Reed's Landing, in Minnesota, and from there boarded a keel- boat bound up the Chippewa River. Landing at Frankfort township, he bought land on Dead Lake Prairie and started making improvements. To this farm in the spring of 1858 he brought his bride, and shortly afterward erected a frame house, the first frame house on Dead Lake Prairie. When he arrived there were no roads, but merely trails through the wilderness,

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MR. AND MRS. HENRY W. BARBER EARL ". BARBER AND FAMILY

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the chief denizens of which were Indians and wild animals. None of the red men actually resided in the vicinity, but parties of Sioux and Chippewas were almost constantly passing up and down the Chippewa. Sometimes as many as 300 Sioux would pass the place, decked out in war paint and feathers, on their way to fight the Chippewas. On their return other orna- ments would be in evidence in the shape of scalps and fingernails of their enemies. Occasionally a party of the savages would walk into the house and help themselves to flour and tobacco. They were quite a terror to the family, especially to Mrs. Barber, whose great-grandmother was scalped by Indians at Cherry Valley, New York, during the "Revolutionary War." In time, however, the white population increased, and the Indians ceased their visits, and a prosperous community took the place of the savage wilder- ness. In its development Mr. Barber took his full share. As a man of forceful character and one of the early arrivals, he became very prominent in county and local politics. He served on the school board of his district from its organization untill his death; in his township he was town super- visor, town chairman and justice of the peace; in the county he was chair- man of the county board, register of deeds and clerk of court. After a long and useful life he died, Jan. 12, 1899, leaving behind him the record of an unblemished career, and his passing was acknowledged as a deep loss to the county and was sincerely mourned by his friends. Henry W. Barber was married at Westfield, N. Y., Nov. 25, 1857, to Cecelia A. Dickson, who was born at that place, Sept. 27, 1831, daughter of Fayette and Isabel (Rexford) Dickson. She was of Colonial, Revolutionary and War of 1812 ancestry. In 1778 her Great-grandmother Dickson was scalped in the Cherry Valley (New York) massacre, and the son, Mrs. Barber's grand- father, a lad of 14 years, became a drummer boy in Washington's army. Mrs. Barber came west in 1858 with her husband, endured the hardships of pioneer life in the wilderness, and took an active part in the social life of the community and in church work. She was a great lover of nature, and some of her happiest hours were spent in the cultivation of flowers. She died Feb. 19, 1918, firm in her faith in the life everlasting. Mr. and Mrs. Barber were the parents of four children: Hattie, who died at the age of 11 years; Edward H., who died in 1898; Belle, now Mrs. N. W. Bowman, of Durand, and Earl D., who lives on the home farm.

Earl D. Barber, proprietor of an excellent farm of 235 acres in sec- tion 3, Frankfort township, Pepin county, was born in this township Sept. 21, 1869, son of Henry W. and Cecelia (Dickson) Barber. Of pioneer ancestry, his early years were not spent in ease or luxurious living, but in useful toil as soon as he became strong enough to work. His education was not neglected, however, as he was sent to the district school and after- wards to the high school at Arkansaw. Mr. Barber has been no rolling stone, but has remained at home, for a number of years being his father's associate in the work of the farm, and at the father's death taking com- plete charge of the estate. As a general farmer he has achieved a decided success and is doing a profitable business. He is also a shareholder in the Arkansaw Creamery and the Farmers' Telephone Company. In politics a Republican, he has served on the school and town boards, and he is fra-

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ternally affiliated with the Odd Fellows' and Beavers' lodges at Arkansaw. On June 18, 1901, Mr. Barber married Della L. Lord, who was born in McLeod county, Minnesota, May 21, 1879, daughter of Henry S. and Mary M. (Bennett) Lord. Mr. and Mrs. Barber have been blessed with six children: Edward, Earl, Cecil, George, Hazel and Frances. Edward was born July 9, 1903 ; Earl, April 1, 1905; Cecil, Dec. 21, 1906; George, June 12, 1911; Hazel, April 6, 1913; and Frances, July 21, 1915.

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History of Buffalo and Pepin Counties Wisconsin (Volume 2), Part 49

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Number of Pages: 885

Author: Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Publication date: 1919
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 885