USA > Wisconsin > Dane County > History of Dane County, Biographical and Genealogical > Part 21
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John Culb, a prosperous farmer of the town of Oregon, was born in the province of Bavaria, Germany, on September 11, 1848, and is one of three children born to Henry and Elizabeth (Brown) Culb both of whom are also natives of the Fatherland, where the father served six years in the German army. John Culb was reared to manhood in Bavaria and his education was limited to three months during which he attended a public school there. He was the only one of the family who ever came to America, and in 1867, when but nineteen years old, he bade adieu to home and kinsfolk and sailed for the land of better opportunities. Coming directly to Dane county, Wis .. he worked as a farm hand for the first eight years, and then began independent farming by renting land, which method he followed until 1890. During the latter year he moved to the village of Oregon and purchased a house and three lots near the Northwestern Railway station, where he resided four years and which property he still owns. In 1894 he purchased in the valley of Oregon, the homestead where he now resides, compris- ing eight acres, and in 1905 bought another house with four and three-fourths acres of land adjoining the place of his residence. His career has been a successful one, but it appears the more remark- able when it is known that he came to America unable to speak or comprehend a word of the English language, and with a decid- edly limited education in his native tongue. But he applied himself assiduously, not only his work but to books and periodicals, and by a constant practice of this and he has not only succeeded in a material sense but he is as well posted on current topics as the average man in any community. In politics he maintains an inde- pendent attitude and gives his support to men and measures that meet the approval of his better judgment regardless of party label
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or partisan prejudice. He and his wife are consistant members of the Lutheran church. Mr. Culb was married on May 1, 1876, the lady of his choice being Miss Catherine Goerges, a native of Mil- waukee, where she was born on July 7, 1853. She is one of twelve children born to Henry and Catherine Goerges, who now reside at Middleton, Wis. Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Culb : Lucy Elizabeth married Matthew Parr and resides in Be- loit, Wis .; Anna is employed in the city of Madison; Lena resides with an uncle in Minnesota ; Henry George is at home ; Mary mar- ried William Ward and resides in Brooklyn, Wis .; and Frederick, John, Janette, Edward and Earnest Mark reside at home.
J. H. Cunningham, D. D. S., practicing his profession in Madi- son, was born in the same city on Jan. 3, 1865. He was one of twelve children of Patrick and Julia Cunningham, both born in Ireland, the former in 1824 and the latter ten years later. The father served for a short time in the Union army during the Civil War. Two years after his marriage in New York in 1855, he brought his wife to Madison. The seven surviving members of the family are David W., Thomas J., Hanna V., J. H., the subject of this sketch, Mrs. Kelly of Chicago, Mrs. A. O. Bush of Madison and Alice J., now living in California. The father died in his sixty- fifth year and the mother in her seventieth. Dr. Cunningham re- received his preparatory education in the Madison schools and then acquired his technical training in the Chicago college of dentistry, being graduated with the class of 1896. Since 1899 he has prac- ticed in the city of his nativity, and now enjoys a large and lucra- tive business. Politically Dr. Cunningham is affiliated with the Democratic party but has never aspired to office. He is a com- municant of the Roman Catholic church. On June 29, 1905, Dr. Cunningham led to the altar Miss Agnes S. Dempsey, daughter of Dennis and Mary Dempsey of the town of Blooming Grove. There are no children in the family. In a fraternal way the doctor is identified with the Knights of Columbus.
George W. Currier, deceased, for thirty-four years prominently identified with the business, social, educational and religious circles Stoughton, was born at Topsham, Orange county, Vt., May 9, 1847. He was one of three sons of Edson and Lucinda (Graves) Currier, the other two being Charles, deceased, and Frank, now clerk of the municipal court of Dane county. In October, 1866, he came to Wisconsin. making his home with an uncle in Fulton, Rock county, Wis., for about a year. In the fall of 1867 he entered Albion academy and alternately taught school and attended classes until
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he was graduated from that institution in 1872. In September, 1873, he was elected principal of schools in Stoughton, then a vil- lage, and for four successive years was re-elected to the position. During the last session of the forty-fourth congress he was ap- pointed to a position in the house of representatives and in 1878 was chosen principal of the Shawano, Wis., schools. The follow- ing fall Mr. Currier returned to Stoughton and engaged in the general insurance business and continued in it until he was again chosen, in 1880, as the head of the Stoughton school system. This position he held until 1885, when he re-embarked in the insur- ance field, and in that business he continued successfully until his death. His political associations were with the Republican party, and for twenty years, as the representative of that organization, he served as justice of the peace. In 1874 he was the Republican nominee for clerk of the court and at one time was editor of the Stoughton Courier, a Republican weekly. In March, 1876, Mr. Currier was united in marriage to Annette, daughter of Dr. Burrow and Caroline A. (Sheldon) Burdick of Edgerton, Wis., and to this union were born two children .- Louis Claire and Zoe L., the latter now the wife of Ray G. Anderson. Mr. Currier's death occurred suddenly on May 14, 1906, a hemorrhage of the brain being the cause. He possessed to a high degree the esteem of his fellow citi- zens and was ranked as one of the most influential and prominent men of Stoughton. Any movement having for its object the bet- terment of his home city found hearty co-operation in this most up- right man. His sudden demise cast a pall of gloom over the city. In no place has his loss been more keenly felt than in the congre- gation of the First Methodist Episcopal church, in whose activities he had taken a leading part for many years, and among the mem- bers of the city library board, of which he was a member. The Stoughton Hub remarked editorially of Mr. Currier.
"Nature used her choicest model of a man when she molded George W. Currier. His life was gentle. He demeaned no living thing. He was tender, sympathetic, charitable and wondrous kind. If he had grievances, he smothered them. Resentment was not in him ; indeed, he would condone a grievous wrong unto him- self rather than harbor it. A cheery smile, a genial 'Good morn- ing,' a warm handclasp were his passports, and he used them every day in the year to one and all alike. He was never belligerent. He would not and could not antagonize aggressively. His battles were always for the right, but he waged them quietly, inoffensively and with malice toward none. In nothing was he fanatical, but was
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always tolerant, clear-headed and broad. Clean, wholesome humor had for him a wondrous charm and he was full of it to the brim."
Charles Albert Curtis, captain United States army, retired, now commandant of the University of Wisconsin corps of cadets, whose home is at 505 Frances street, Madison, was born at Hallowell, Kennebec county, Me., October 4, 1835, a son of Charles Stubbs and Amanda Fitz Allen (Hamm) Curtis, the former a native of Leeds and the latter of Bath, Me. Captain Curtis is a descendant of William Curtis, who arrived in New England on the ship Lyon in 1632. His paternal great-grandfather, William, was a first ser- geant of a company raised in Hanover, Mass, for the Revolution- ary War. His maternal great-grandfather, Abner Curtis, was a second lieutenant of another company from Hanover recruited for the same conflict, which company also contained Captain Calvin Curtis, later a distinguished officer of the Continental army, and fourteen others of the name of Curtis, all lineal descendants of William, the immigrant of 1632. The committee of correspond- ence and safety for 1775 and the years following contained as mem- bers Abner, Bezaleel and Lemuel Curtis, three brothers. There were few organizations, either military or naval, raised in the town of Hanover during that critical period of American history which did not contain some member or members of the Curtis family. Many of them had served with the English army in the French and Indian war. The blockhouse of Hanover, erected in the early days to guard against Indian attacks, was called the Curtis garrison, and what is now Main street was in the early times known as Cur- tis street. The famous Curtis forge of Hanover,-which has been in the possession of the family since 1790,-prior to 1852, when the government established its own works, made all the anchors for the United States navy. On his mother's side Captain Curtis is a di- rect descendant of Captain Jolin Hamm who commanded in the Revolutionary War a company raised in the district of Maine. The subject of this sketch received his preparatory education in the Ver- mont military college and his collegiate training in Bowdoin col- lege, Maine. From July 17, 1861, to April 14, 1862, he served as private military instructor to the field officers of the First Maine Infantry, then in the Army of the Potomac, and was then commis- sioned second lieutenant in Company F, Fifth United States In- fantry. The appointment was made by Pres. Abraham Lincoln for "extraordinary merit." After receiving his lieutenancy he con- tinued service in the same army through the Peninsular campaign and up to the battle of Antietam. In 1864 he served with his regi-
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ment in New Mexico and became a participant in the Indian wars, fighting against the Navajos, Apaches, Sioux and Cheyennes from 1864 to 1869. His promotion to a first lieutenancy was made March 30, 1864, and to the captaincy September 27, 1865. In December, 1870, he was placed on the retired list of the army and since that time has been continuously engaged as commandant at some in- stitution of learning. In 1899 he was appointed a colonel in the Wisconsin National Guard by Governor R. M. La Follette. In his political affiliations Captain Curtis is a Republican. His reli- gious connections are with the Protestant Episcopal church, and he is identified with many other organizations, among them the Masonic fraternity, the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, the Grand Army of the Republic, the Society of the Army of the Poto- mac, the Organization of the Sixth Army Corps, the Sons of the American Revolution, Alpha Pi Sigma fraternity and the Society of the Scabbard and Blade. On May 17, 1866, Captain Curtis was united in marriage to Miss Harriette L. Hughes, daughter of Bar- nett and Martha Lane (Clark) Hughes of Ashland, N. H. To this union have been born five children,-Wardon A., Laurence A. George Hughes (died in infancy), Dorothea Hughes, and Barbara Hilton. Captain Curtis has done considerable writing for news- papers and periodicals and has had one book published by the Har- pers.
E. R. Curtiss, Madison's veteran photographer was born in Southington, Conn., May 6, 1836. His preparatory education was such as the common schools furnished and his business training was received in Albany, N. Y. In 1859 he came to Madison and es- tablished himself in business. His first gallery was in the Badger block, which occupied the present site of the Bowman block, and then moved to the Keyes building. After his removal from the Keyes building he conducted his studio in the Klauber block for twenty-three years. The next five years the Curtiss galleries were in the Fairchild block and in 1888 they were removed to their pres- ent location in the Pioneer block. There is probably no photo- grapher in the state who has had before his camera so many men of note as has Mr. Curtiss. Every member of the legislature from the session of 1866 to that of 1905 has been "snapped" by him, as have also all the governors and other state officers. The negatives are all in Mr. Curtiss' possession. On May 11, 1859 Mr Curtiss was united in marriage to Eva A., daughter of John A. and Martha Lingenfelter of Fonda, N. Y., and to this union were born three children,-Fred W., also engaged in photography in Madison ;
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May E., wife of H. C. Geiger of Atlanta, Ga .; and Helen Gertrude, wife of Paul M. Keely of Sanford, Fla. Mrs. Curtiss is a member of and a substantial worker in the First Methodist Episcopal church of Madison. Her husband is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Courteous, genial, kindly, Mr. Cur- tiss has won for himself an enviable position in the hearts of his fellow citizens; while his integrity,, square dealing and enterprise have placed him in the front rank of Madison business men.
James William Custer, a prominent farmer of the town of Dunn, was born near Madison, Jefferson county, Ind., on March 29, 1834. His father, Jesse Custer, a descendant of Daniel Boone, was born near Lexington, Ky., in April, 1800; the mother, née Nancy Spurgen, was born in the same locality in 1804. Of the seven children in the family four are still living,-Rual F., Isaac, and Daniel Boone, all living in the old home in Indiana, and James Wil- liam, a resident of Dunn township, and the subject of this sketch. What opportunity James William had for an education came in the schools of Kentucky. When eighteen he started life for himself. His first employment was cutting saw logs, and it occupied his time until he was twenty. Another year was spent in a lumber mill and in 1855 he came to Wisconsin, working as a farm hand for a year. After five years spent in working land on shares he was enabled to buy a piece of land one hundred and sixty acres wholly unim- proved; today this is one of the best equipped and most success- ful farms in the vicinity. Politically he is a man of influence in the councils of the Republican party and for six terms served as town chairman and one term as supervisor. Mr. Custer for the past seventeen years has been custodian of the school funds. In religious matters he is a stanch believer in the principles of the Methodist Episcopal church. On December 11, 1856, he married Gertrude, daughter of Philip and Catherine (Dubois) Vanburen, of Kingston, N. Y. Mrs. Custer was born July 17, 1838, and was edu- cated in the public schools of Kingston. Of thirteen children of the Vanburen family Mrs. Custer is the only one still living. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Custer has been blessed with eight children,-John Wesley, born January 3, 1858, married Mary J. Shoultz, and lives in the town of Dunn; Frank, born January 19. 1860, married Louisa Shadel, and now lives in South Madison ; Myrtilla Florence born November 29, 1861, married Myron Conry, and lives in Bruce, Wis .; Boone Cary, born December 13, 1863, died February 9. 1883; Jesse, born September 6, 1866, married Jessie Morse and now lives in Olivia, Minn .; James William, Jr.,
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born March 4, 1870, married Lena Palmer, now resides in Delton, Wis .; Philip, born February 16, 1873, married Jennie Morse, and now lives on his father's farm; and George Washington, born October 18, 18:6, and lives in the town of Blooming Grove. Mr. Custer expects to spend the remainder of his days in the midst of the community in which he has attained so prominent a place.
Christian Anderson Dahle was prominent in Dane county for many years and spent the last years of his life from 1890 until his death, April 7, 1905, retired from active business in his pleasant home in Morrisonville. He was born in Norway, December 31, 1831, son of Andrew and Rhoda (Marcus) Dahle, both natives of Norway. Mrs. Andrew Dahle died in Norway and her husband came to the United States in 1852, locating on a farm in the town of Bristol. After a few years in Bristol he went to Minnesota, where he died. Christian A. Dahle was educated in Norway, came to Bristol township upon reaching Wisconsin and soon after went to the northern woods, where he was employed for three years. Returning to Dane county, he farmed for a while in the town of Vienna and finally purchased a farm in Bristol, upon which he re- sided and carried on a successful farming business for twenty-eight years. For about three years he engaged in mercantile pursuits in Sun Prairie and then moved to Morrisonville, where Mrs. Dahle now resides. Mrs. Dahle was, before her marriage, Miss Anna Johnson, and was born in Norway in 1839, daughter of John Sjur- son and Christiana (Anderson) Sjurson, both of whom were born in Norway in the year 1798. In 1848. they came to Dane county and owned a farm in the town of Bristol. Here Mrs. Sjurson died in 1878 and her husband lived for some years longer. He died in Sun Prairie in 1889. Mr. and Mrs. Dahle were blessed with twelve children, but have been saddened by the loss of nine of their sons and daughters. The oldest daughter, Randea Maria, and John, the oldest son, are deceased; Christiana Carolina, Andrew and Marcus are the living sons and daughter. The other children were Ole Andreas, John, Benne Edwin. Ella Josephine, Edwin John, Benne John and an infant. The family is identified with the Lutheran church. Mr. Dahle was a Republican in political sympathy but not an active politician.
Herman Bjorn Dahle, an esteemed and prosperous citizen of Mt. Horeb and for two terms the representative of the second district of Wisconsin in the lower house of the United States congress, was born March 30, 1855, in the town of Perry, Dane county. He comes of excellent Norwegian stock. His father, Onon Bjornson
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Dahle, first saw the light of day in Telemarken, Norway, October 4, 1823, not far from the birthplace of Aasmund Olafson Vinje, Nor- way's greatest lyric writer. His education was the best offered to people of Mr. Dahle's means. He attended school until he was nineteen years of age, first in the district schools and then for a time at Bronkeberg seminary. The first five years of his life after the completion of his studies were spent in teaching in his native parish. While the labor was congenial the salary was not such as to permit of an easy or even comfortable life, and Mr. Dahle, in the prime of his manhood, decided to seek his fortune in the new world. He arrived in New York on July 5, 1848, and started immediately for Wisconsin by way of the Hudson river, the Erie canal and the Great Lakes. Milwaukee was reached in August of the same year, but his stop there was not long, crossing the lake to Michigan to work in the woods. After a few weeks, however, he returned to Milwaukee and was ill there for some time. Upon recovering he sought the Norwegian settlement at Koshkonong and being physically unable to work at manual labor, taught parochial school for ten dollars a month, board and lodging coming from the parents of his pupils. Thus was the winter of 1848-1849 spent. In the spring a cousin, Knute Dahle, joined him and the two pioneers "hired out" for the summer and fall. It was evident to both Dahles that there was no more than a bare existence to be had from this kind of labor so they determined to cast their lot with the emigrants to the California goldfields, the excitement of which was then at its height. The start of the journey westward was on foot, through Madison, Blue Mounds and Platteville to Galena, Ill., where a steamer was taken to St. Louis. The winter of 1859-60 saw the Dahles cutting wood near St. Louis in order to ob- tain money enough to continue their journey. The hardships and trials endured in the journey across the prairie and mountains would fill a small volume; suffice it to say that after successfully combating the fatigues and overcoming the difficulties incident to the trip the Dahles arrived in Georgetown, Cal., on August 5, 1850 Here they met a countryman, a sailor, who had a claim near by and offered them the opportunity of working it for him. The claim proved to be worthless and the two young men, with seven dollars each, given them by their newly found friend, started for Sacramento. At Sacramento they went to work on the levee at $75 a month. Cholera was raging in the vicinity at the time and Knute was stricken. The attack was not severe, however, and as soon as he was able to move his cousin took him to San Francisco
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and from there, by steamer, to Oregon. During the winter they earned a livelihood by cutting and rafting trees to a saw mill near Salem and in the spring returned to the goldfields. At Yreka, where gold had been but lately discovered, the Dahles were fairly successful, but before end of the summer their water supply gave out and they removed to a claim on the Humbug river. They "struck it rich" on the Humbug and after prospecting for some time in the vicinity, they determined to return to Koshkonong. The trip was made via Sacramento, San Francisco, the Isthmus of Panama, New Orleans, St. Louis and Galena to Koshkonong, where they arrived on January 3, 1853. Later in the same year O. B. Dahle located in Perry, where he opened a small store. His business interests in this town continued until 1897, when he re- tired and removed to Mr. Horeb. In 1854 O. B. Dahle married Miss Betsy Nelson of Racine and the union has been blessed with several children, four of whom are still living, Hon. Herman B., the subject of this sketch ; Mrs. James A. Peterson of Minneapolis, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin; Theodore Dahle, asso- ciated with the former congressman in the Mt. Horeb business concern ; and Henry L. Dahle of Mt. Horeb. Hon H. B. Dahle received his education in the district schools of the town of Perry and for a while attended the University of Wisconsin. In 1877 he married Miss Anne Kittleson of Perry and the same year removed to Mt. Vernon, where he engaged in the general merchandise busi- ness. Ten years later he made Mt. Horeb his home, becoming the senior partner in the firm of Dahle Brothers. He is also largely interested in and was one of the incorporators of the Mt. Horeb bank. His first election to congress was in 1898, and in 1900 he was re-elected, receiving some 22,000 votes. Politically he is a Republican and has for many years been a leader in his party.
Charles Dahlk is a prosperous farmer of Middleton and a veteran of the Union army. With his brother he came to America in 1857 and located in Middleton. The brothers were natives of Mecklenburg-Shwerin, where their parents, Christian and Sophia Dahlk always lived. Christian was a laborer and the father of four sons and two daughters, of whom Charles and John came to America and afterward Frederick Joachem. Charles was born Au- gust 29, 1830. received his education in the common schools in Ger- many and upon coming to Middleton, became a farmer. Taking up eighty acres of wild land in section 32, he proceeded to clear it and later added to it another eighty acres. Many improvements were made and substantial buildings erected. In 1878 this farm was
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sold and the present homestead purchased. This was formerly owned by Samuel Billings and was already under cultivation. Mr. Dahlk built he barns in 1880 and rebuilt the house the same year. He is a member of the Republican party, has held a position on the school board and other local offices. In 1864 he enlisted in the Forty-second Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry as a private in Company I. Until the end of the war his regiment was stationed at Cairo and engaged in picket and guard duty there. The last year he served under Captain Michals. In November, 1865, Mr. Dahlk married Miss Esther Lillibridge of Middleton, a daughter of Clark and Eliza (Tift) Lillibridge, who came to New York from Washington, R. I., and in 1857 came to Wisconsin. Mr. Lillibridge was a farmer and lumberman. Mr. Dahlk has joined the Evangelical Association and is one of its earnest sup- porters.
Chas C. Dahn, of Waunakee, was born in Germany, December 31, 1867, and came with his parents to Dane in 1869. His father, William Dahn, born 1839, and his mother, Frederica (Schwenn) Dahn, born 1838, were also Germans; they came first to the town of Dane but soon after moved to Vienna, where they owned a farm of two hundred acres. This Mr. Dahn improved and paid for by his own hard labor, and was their home for many years until they felt that their age and toil entitled them to the more restful con- ditions of village life, and they made their residence in the village of Dane. Charles, being scarcely more than a babe when his par- ents came to this country, has received an American education in the common schools of Vienna. He has followed his father both in the choice of his occupation and in the industry with which he improves his farm of one hundred and twenty acres. He is allied to the Republican party in his politics, and he and his wife,-as are also his parents,-are members of the Lutheran church. On January, 1895, he was married to Miss Louise Wilke, who was born in Dodge county, October 20, 1871. She is the daughter of Carl and Caroline (Schwenn) Wilke, who are also mentioned in this work. Their children are Deloy Agnes, born December. 3, 1896, William Carl, born January 27, 1897. died January, 1897; Elmer Otto, born December 21, 1899; Roy Ernest, born April 21, 1905.
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