USA > Wisconsin > Dane County > History of Dane County, Biographical and Genealogical > Part 26
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John A. Elliott, a successful farmer of Black Earth, was born in Kennebec county, Maine, August 22, 1827. His parents were Jotham and Lydia (Meder) Elliott, both natives of Massachusetts. Early in life Jotham Elliott went to Maine where he worked in the woods for several years, and then removed with his family to Grafton county, New Hampshire. That county was the family home for about twenty years. In 1856, he came to Wisconsin, re-
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maining about six years; he then moved to Iowa, and after a resi- dence there of two years he came to Black Earth. The subject's mother was a devout member of the Baptist church. Of the eight children of Jotham and Lydia Elliott only two are now living, Mary Ann, widow of I. J. Sargent, living in Brookfield, Vt., and John A., the subject of this sketch. When he was fourteen years of age, John left his home to "work out" and in 1854 he came west, as far as Janesville, Wis. In November, 1857, he came to Madison ; lived one year in the town of Verona, and moved from there to Blue Mounds, where he lived on a rented farm nine years, having also a forty which he had purchased; after selling that he lived in Lafayette county for two years and then bought one hundred and ninety-four acres of partly improved land on section 27 in the town of Black Earth. In 1878 he sold the farm and purchased nine acres in Black Earth village, where he has since resided. Mr. Elliott is one of the pillars of the Black Earth Congregational church. His politics fit in with his religion,-he is a strong Prohibitionist. On November 24, 1859, he married Clarinda (Pitkin) Elliott, the widow of his brother Jonathan, by whom she had five children, Joseph P., Jonathan P., Irving J., Clara J. and Naidie. John A. Elliott was the father of one child. John F., who died at the age of sixteen.
Harvey H. Emery is a well-known and successful farmer of Rut- land, which was his birth-place. John P. Emery. his father, was a carpenter in Vermont, married his first wife there and came west in 1846, locating in the town of Dunkirk, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land. This he later exchanged for a farm in Rutland and in 1867 bought a farm in section 11, which he subsequently made his home. Five children were born to his first wife, of whom J. Q. Emery of Madison is the only survivor. Catherine, George, Jane and Henry were the other children. Henry was killed at Gainesville during the Civil War. John Emery's sec- ond wife was Miss Mary Danks of Vermont and three sons were born to them, Harvey, Charles and Ellsworth. of whom only the first is living. The Emery family have always been active workers in the Free-will Baptist church, of which H. H. Emery contem- plates writing a history. H. H. Emery was born August 3, 1857, attended school at Rutland and at Whitewater and early engaged in farming. His present farm he has occupied since 1880 and has improved it and managed it carefully. It is in very prosperous condition and on it Mr. Emery carries on a large business. He is an independent and prohibitionist in politics and is at present town assessor, though he has never endeavored to obtain political recog-
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nition, unlike his father, who held many offices in the county. In January, 1879, Mr. Emery married Miss Hannah A. Hunt, daughter of Charles and Hannah Hunt who came from England to Herkimer county, N. Y., in 1839. They later located in Rutland, where Mr. Hunt owned a farm. Of their thirteen children, Mrs. Emery is the only one living. Mr. and Mrs. Emery have three children, all graduates from the Stoughton high school. The old- er daughter, Linnie L., is also a graduate from the Whitewater normal school and was a successful teacher before her marriage. She is the wife of Prof. T. I. Doudna, who is a prominent and suc- cessful teacher, at present located in Richland Center. Lloyd Franklin, the only son, is a farmer of Rutland and attended the state agricultural school in 1892-3. Maud A., the younger daugh- ter, resides with her parents.
J. Q. Emery, dairy and food commissioner of the state of Wis- consin, was born in the town of Liberty, Licking county, Ohio, September 15, 1843. His ancestor, Anthony Emery, landed in Bos- ton in 1635. His parental grand parents were Caleb and Margaret (Powel) Emery ; his parents were John P. and Huldah (Darling) Emery, the former a native of New York and the latter of Ver- mont. John P. brought his family to Dane county in 1846, settling in the town of Dunkirk, and later removing to the town of Rutland. Both he and his wife were members of the Free Will Baptist church, the first edifice of that denomination being built on his farm. He was several times a member of the town board of supervisors. By, his marriage to Huldah Darling he was the father of five children : Catherine ; Henry, a member of the Seventh Wisconsin Infantry and killed in the battle of Gainesville, August 23, 1862; J. Q., who also, in August, 1862, enlisted with Captan Miller in the Twentieth Regiment of Wisconsin volunteers; being under age, and having then his only brother in the Seventh Regiment, Wisconsin volun- teers, his father refused to sign his enlistment papers; George and Jane. who died in childhood. After the death of his first wife, which occurred in 1854, he married Mary Danks, and to this union were born three children : Harvey Hall, a farmer ; Ellsworth, died in childhood ; and another child who died in infancy. J. Q. Emery received his elementary education in the common schools of Dane county. He was graduated from the Albion academy, receiving the degree of Ph. B. in 1866. In 1882 Beloit college conferred upon him the honorary degree of A. M. His career as a teacher began in 1863, when he taught for some time in the district schools. Af- ter his graduation from Albion, he was made a teacher there, and
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later was elected without opposition to the position of school sup- erintendent for the eastern district of the county, resigning two years later (in 1869) to accept the principalship of the Union graded schools of Grand Rapids. Shortly after his removal to Grand Rapids, he was made school superintendent for Wood county and was re-elected in1871. These two positions he held for four years, resigning both in 1873 to accept the principalship of the Fort Atkinson high school, in which position he remained for sixteen years. Of his work in this school, the Columbian His- tory of Education in Wisconsin contains this estimate: "Here for sixteen years Professor Emery labored with an earnestness and de- votion to the work which attracted the attention of educators throughout the state, and won for him the love and admiration of hundreds of pupils who were fortunate enough to come under his able and inspiring instruction. Few men in the history of Wiscon- sin have been so universally approved and commended by parents and citizens as was Professor Emery in Fort Atkinson. While en- gaged as principal of this school, he became widely known through- out the state by the interest he manifested in the state teachers' association, the efficient work which he performed in the capacity of instructor of institutes, and in the diligent sympathy he has shown in aiding and encouraging the younger members of the teaching profession." In 1889, he was chosen unanimously by the state board of normal school regents as president of the state nor- mal school at River Falls, without any solicitation whatever on his part. His occupancy of this position continued for four years during which time the school experienced such phenomenal growth as to attract general attention throughout Wisconsin. In conse- quence of the wide acquaintance of the people with his ability, he was nominated for state superintendent of schools on the Republi- can ticket in the fall of 1894, and was elected. He was re-nomi- nated by acclamation and re-elected in 1896, receiving 265,940 votes, the largest number ever given to any candidate for a state office in Wisconsin. As state superintendent he was ex-officio a member of the board of regents of normal schools and of the state university, of the state library commission and of the geological survey. Mr. Emery has been president of the Wisconsin teacher's association and for many years has taken an active part in the pro- ceedings of that organization. Previous to his election as state superintendent he was frequently appointed official visitor to nor- mal schools, and was a member of the board of examiners for teachers' state certificates. As state superintendent he maintained
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the confidence and esteem of the public. When Professor Emery , assumed charge as dairy and food commissioner of the state of Wisconsin there were but five members on the commission. Un- der his administration the number of commissioners has been in- creased to eighteen and every one is an expert; instead of one chemist, as when he assumed charge, there are now three. The laws relating to dairy and food, under his recommendations and efforts, have been greatly modified and expanded. The exhibits Professor Emery has made of food adulterations at state and county fairs and in all the leading cities of the state, accompanied by ad- dresses on food adulteration, have resulted in a great awakening of the public on that question. At the time of his appointment he was president of the state dairymen's association and a member of the board of regents of normal schools. Mr. Emery cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, and has never voted any other than the Republican ticket since. Probably no man is more widely known in the agricultural and educational circles than is Professor Emery. In 1869 he married Marie T., daughter of Giles F. Lawton, of Al- bion, and to this union have been born two children,-Daisy Mabel, who died at the age of twenty months; and Sydney Lawton, now in company wtih his father and managing the farm in Albion. Both Professor and Mrs. Emery are members of the Congrega- tional church.
Merton Jay Emerson, one of the well-known citizens of Cottage Grove townshp, where he has a fine farm and also conducts a well equipped general store, was born in Sandy Creek, a little village in Oswego county, New York. June 3, 1849. In the old Empire state were also born his parents, Minot Ely Emerson and Lucy C. (Wright) Emerson, who removed thence to Wisconsin and settled in Dane county when he was about seven years of age which was about fifty years ago. Here they passed the remainder of their lives, having been honored residents of Cottage Grove township, with whose development in the pioneer days the father was closely identified, having been a farmer by vocation. This worthy couple became the parents of five sons, three of whom are deceased, the only living brother of the subject of this review being R. E. Emer- son, who is now a resident of Boise, Idaho. Five of the sons were gallant defenders of the Union in the Civil War, having been members of Company I, Twenty-third Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Merton J. Emerson was reared on the pioneer farm, in Cottage Grove township, and his educational advantages were limited to the somewhat primitive district schools of the period
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He became largely dependent upon his own resources when but ten years of age, and well and successfully has he fought the bat- tle of life, gaining a worthy success. At the age noted he secured employment on a neighboring farm, and he was thus engaged for three years, while for the following three years he was employed on the farm of his father. The next year he was elsewhere employed in the same arduous field of endeavor, and in the mean- while he zealously saved his earnings, providing for his mainten- ance by means of money earned through his musical ability, the violin being his favorite instrument and his services being in much demand on the occasion of the dances given in the locality. He finally began working land on shares, thus continuing until 1876, and three years later he made his first investment in real estate, purchasing five acres, in Cottage Grove township. Three years later he purchased an adjoining twenty-three acres, taking up his residence on the place in 1882, in which year he also purchased another tract, of twenty-two acres, contiguous to his original place, while still later he added another tract, of thirty-two acres, to his homestead. He made good improvements on the place and continued to reside on the same until March, 1899, when he also purchased forty-seven acres, in close proximity to the old place, and removed to the new farm, where he opened a general store, which he has since conducted most successfully, in addition to supervising the operation of his fine landed estate, which now comprises one hundred and twenty-nine acres. Mr. Emerson started at the foot of the ladder and has known what is implied in every upward step, since the same has been made entirely through his careful and determined efforts. He is a citizen whose name is a synonym for integrity and honor. and this fact, as coupled with his genial nature, has gained to him a host of warm friends in the county in which the major portion of his life has been passed. He takes a loyal interest in local affairs of a public nature, but has never sought office and is independent in his political attitude. October 24, 1877, Mr. Emerson was united in marriage to Miss Viola DeVoe, who was born September 12, 1857, being a daughter of Amos M. and Sally (Lewis) DeVoe. natives of New York and early settlers of Dane county. Her father was a member of Com- pany I, Twenty-third Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, in the Civil War, and died while in the service. Of his five children all are liv- ing except one. Mr. and Mrs. Emerson became the parents of six children, all of whom are living except the eldest, Clayton E., who was born January 19, 1880, and died August 8, 1890. The other
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children all remain at the parental home, their names, with re- spective dates of birth, being as follows. Bertha I., August 14, 1882 ; Pearl B., September 12, 1884; Adaline P., February 18, 1887; Minot E., September 20, 1892 ; and Alta C., March 5, 1896.
Lars M. Engesether, of DeForest, was born at Vienna township. May 25, 1855, on the farm where he lived until recently, when he rented it and moved to his place in Cumberland, Barron county. He is of Norwegian ancestry, both his paternal grandfather, John Engesether, and his paternal grandfather, Lars Mennes, having having been natives of that country and died there. His maternal grandmother, Ingeri (Larson) Mennes was born September 20, 1788. She came to Dane in 1854 and made her home with her son- in-law, in the later years of her life, and up to the time of her death, December 12, 1879, in her ninety-second year. The parents of Lars Engesether. Mikkel J. (born 1819,) and Synneva L. (Men- nes) Engesether, (born, March 15, 1822), were educated in Norway and married in that country in 1844, and the same year came to Dane county, living first near Western church, about six miles north of Stoughton; two years later they came to Vienna township and settled in section 24, on a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, and two years afterward, about 1848, removed to section 25 to the farm now owned by their son, Lars. Mr. Engesether was a Lutheran and one of the founders of the Norway Grove Lutheran church. Afterward, in 1883. he with others built the first Lutheran church of DeForest, of which he and his wife were members until their death. Like so many of his compatriots, he was a Republi- can in politics. He was the father of eleven children, Ingerie, died 1844 (infant) ; John died in 1872, at the University of Wisconsin ; Engerie, now wife of Armond O. Haukeness; Carrie, widow of Hans Grinde; Lars, born 1853, died (infant) ; Lars M., born 1855; Ingerie, born July 13, 1861, died September 25, 1861; Jens, born May 25, 1865, and died August 19, of same year ; Jens, born Octo- ber 14, 1866, died April 28, 1873 ; Maria, wife of O. O. Larson, born September 18, 1862, died October 20. 1892; Synneva, wife of An- drew Esse. Lars M. Engesether began his education in the com- mon schools; this he supplemented by a term of six months at the Marshall academy, and several terms at the Northwestern academy of Madison. Mr. Engesether followed farming as an occupation and has been very successful in his chosen work; his farm at one time covered two hundred and ten acres, but he has disposed of about forty acres. In Barron county he owns a large tract of six hundred and ninety acres, and one hundred and thirty-eight acres
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of which are within the limits of the city of Cumberland. His is a stock farm used principally for the breeding of short-horn cat- tle and Poland China Hogs. He is a Republican and has acted as supervisor for one term; he was also a census taker in 1900. He was one of the first committee to plat the old cemetery at Norway Grove, and he and his family are members of the first Lutheran church, which his father helped to found. He married, March 9, 1886, Miss Johanna Johnson, daughter of Ole and Ingeborg (Rowe) Johnson both of whom were born in Norway, he in March 23, 1835, and she on March 28, 1826. Mr. Johnson and his wife came to Dane about 1860, and located in Medina township; in 1899 they came to DeForest, having retired from the strenuous life of the modern farm. They are members of the Norway Grove Lutheran church, and Mr. Johnson is a Republican. To Mr. and Mrs. Enges- ether have been born nine- children ; Sina Ingebor, born December 3, 1886 ; Amanda Josephine, born February 4, 1888; John L., born September 19, 1889 ; Ingeborg L., born April 1, 1891, and died April 13, 1892; Ingeborg Maria, born January 28, 1893; Maria Jennis, born July 4. 1894; Mitchell L., born February 10, 1897; Otto L., born March 10, 1902; Lilly Johanna, born May 4, 1904.
Ludwig England, who conducts an up-to-date and well stocked hardware store in the village of Mt. Horeb, is one of the younger representatives of the business interests of that thriving place. He was born in Norway on September 11, 1865, and is the son of Lars and Orelog England, both of whom were also born in the land of the Norsk. The family migrated to America in 1866, and, coming directly to Wisconsin and to Dane county, settled in the town of Primrose, where the father engaged in farming and followed that occupation until his death, in 1895, at the age of seventy-three years. The mother still resides on the old. homestead in Primrose. The subject of this review is one of eight children that were born to these parents of whom five are living-Tena married Mathias Strommen and resides in Minnesota ; Lewis is a resident of the state of Iowa; Christian resides on the old La Follette farm in the town of Primrose; Ludwig is he whose name introduces this review; and David resides on the old homestead in Primrose. Our subject was reared and educated in the town of Primrose and spent his early life on the farm, following the occupation of a tiller of the soil until 1901. In 1903 he removed to Mt. Horeb and engaged in the hardware business in company with Olaf Hanson, under the firm name of Hanson & England. About a year later Mr. England purchased the interest of his partner and has since conducted the
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business alone, carrying an extensive line of general hardware, builders' supplies, stoves, etc., and has met with a very gratifying success. Our subject was married on March 3, 1882, to Miss Mary Anderson, of the town of Primrose. Mr. England is a Republican in his political affiliations and his ability and worth as a citizen has been recognized by election to the office of clerk of the school board. Fraternally he has a membership in the Modern Woodmen of America and also in the Beavers.
Iver L. Erdahl, a farmer of the town of Pleasant Springs, was born on October 16, 1851, not far from where he now lives. His father. Lewis Gunderson, was a native of Hardanger, Norway, grew to manhood and married there and after his marriage came to America, settling in the town of Pleasant Springs. There he bought two hundred acres of land, which he improved and lived on it until his death at the age of eighty-three years. Once he visited his old home in Norway. He was a member of the Lutheran church. He and his wife had ten children, viz: Christ, Iver L., Ellen, Tena, Gunder, Nels, Lewis. Betsy, Sophia and John. Christ and Nels are deceased; Iver and Lewis are farmers in the town of Pleasant Springs; Ellen lives in the town of Dunkirk; Betsy lives in Milwaukee, and the rest live in Stoughton. Iver L. Erdahl received a moderate education and lived with his parents until he was about twenty-four years of age. On June 9, 1876, he married Maria Norgard, daughter of Peter and Susanna Osmon- son, and for six years managed his father-in-law's farm. He was then associated with his uncle, Iver G. Lunde, for one year, after which he located where he now lives. He now owns two hundred and twenty acres of the best land in the neighborhood, and carries on a general farming business. Politically Mr. Erdahl is a Repub- lican and takes an active interest in public affairs. He has held local offices and served on the school board. He is a member of the West Lutheran church, of which his father was one of the founders. The parents of Mrs. Erdahl came to Dane county about 1845, being among the pioneer settlers. They are both now de- ceased, leaving two children, Mrs. Erdahl and Andrew who now lives on the old homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Erdahl have had eleven children. seven of whom are yet living. Susan is the wife of John Wesland, of Pleasant Springs: Peter and George are at home ; Clara, Earl Clarence and Mabel are so unfortunate as to be in- mates of the deaf and dumb asylum at Delavan.
Lars P. Erdahl, a thrifty farmer of the town of Pleasant Springs, was born in Hardanger county, Norway, November 16, 1844. His
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parents were Ingebright Pederson, born January 28, 1809, and Anna Helnsdaughter, born January 15, 1810. The father was a tailor, and in 1847 with his wife and three sons he landed in New York after a voyage of four weeks. From New York to Buffalo the family traveled on canal boat; thence to Milwaukee by steamer, and from Milwaukee to the town of Pleasant Springs by ox-team. On June 21. 1847, the father took out his citizenship papers at Madison. He and a cousin got eighty acres in section 2 with a small clearing and a log house and lived there two years. Then the father bought three hundred and fifty acres of land in sections 20 and 21. The first winter the family lived in a dugout, and the next summer put up a log house. There were seven children in the family, Hilga, who went to Kansas in 1860 and died there in 1862; Peter, a retired farmer of Evansville; Lars P., the subject of this sketch; Guri, died in infancy; Helen, deceased; Betsy, deceased ; and an unnamed infant who died in Norway. Peter Erdahl married Sarah Hawkins of Winnebago county, Wis., and by her had six children. Albert, Ellsworth, Julius, James, Annie (deceased), and Vilina. Peter Erdahl was the first man to enlist in the Union army from Pleasant Springs. He was a private in Company G, Third Wisconsin Infantry and acted as regimental color bearer. During one of the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, of which the Third Wisconsin took part, Peter was wounded and taken pris- oner. He received an honorable discharge in 1865. Lars P. Er- dahl also saw some service in the Civil War, in the quartermaster's department in Arkansas. He was educated in the Lutheran church schools, and at the age of eleven, he attended the district school. For one year he was a student at Albion academy. While Mr. Er- dahl has traveled a great deal he has always made Pleasant Springs his home. In 1877 he clerked in a store in Dell Rapids, S. D., then for four years he was in St. Paul, traveling part of the time for the Fuller & Johnson Company of Madison; for another year and a half he was in the hardware business at Rothsay, Minn., with A. Anderson & Co., and in the same business for another year at Fer- gus Falls, Minn .; for some time he was purchasing agent for the Millers' Association of Minneapolis. Since 1885, however, he has managed the homestead farm and done some carpenter work. Mr. Erdahl was formerly a Republican and as such served one term as town treasurer and on the party central committee ; he was also a member of the school board for three terms. Latterly, however, Mr. Erdahl has worked under the banner of the Prohibition party. He is a devout and faithful member of the Lutheran church of
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. Pleasant Springs, whose first structure his father helped build. He has always been a bachelor. A profound thinker, he is one of the best-read members of the community. His farm of two hun- dred acres is in many ways a model. He is a member of Social Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Stoughton, and since 1875 has been a member of Atlantic Encampment, No. 50.
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