USA > Wisconsin > Dane County > History of Dane County, Biographical and Genealogical > Part 29
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iamsport ; William E .. the subject of this sketch ; Frank, of Oregon ; Catherine, of Oregon. All the children were born and educated in Pennsylvania and lived there until they reached maturity. Mr. Fincher was thrown upon his own resources at an early age, and began taking care of himself when he was only fifteen years old .. He followed various occupations but principally the care of trot- ting horses ; at one time he had a retail milk-route. In 1897, when he was twenty-three years old .- he was born January 2, 1874,- he came to Oregon, Dane county and began farming ; he bought a farm of one hundred acres upon which he has rebuilt the fences. and made other improvements, and which is run for general agri- cultural purposes. Two years after coming to Oregon he married Miss Laura Williamson, daughter of John and Phoebe (Bethel) Williamson, of Oregon township, who was born in the same place. They have one child, Raymond Franklin, born on the home farm Mr. Fincher is a Republican, and although comparatively a new comer,-among the native born and the pioneers of the fifties,-has. entered heartily into the life of his chosen home, serving on the school board and winning the esteem of the community by his. friendly spirit and neighborly offices.
James E. Fisher, deceased, was during life one of the most widely- known and highly respected citizens of the city of Madison, in which he had his residence during all of a long and honorable career. He was descended from good old Anglo-Saxon stock and had his nativity in the country which has been in the van of civili- zation and progress for centuries. Mr. Fisher was born in Not- tingham, England, November 2, 1836, and was the son of Edward and Charlotte (Dutton) Fisher, the father having been born and reared in Wales. While a young man Edward Fisher moved to Nottingham, England, and engaged in the manufacture of lace, in which he was very successful, and he continued in that business. until 1845, when he came to America and located at Madison, the · embryonic capital of the future state of Wisconsin. About 1847 he returned to England and remained two years, when he again made the journey to America, accompanied by his only son, whose name introduces this review. They embarked at Liverpool on the sailing vessel "Plymouth Rock" and landed at Boston thirty-five days later. From that city the father and son made their way via railway to Buffalo, and thence on the lakes to Milwaukee, from whence they came by team to Madison. At that time the capital city was a very small village and not a line of railroad was in the state of Wisconsin, and the greater part of the commonwealth was.
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uninhabited except by the Indians. There were no convenient markets and produce was very cheap, the inevitable consequence of a scarcity of money. But the elder Mr. Fisher had brought some money with him, and he engaged very profitably in the busi- ness of loaning the same to those who were more unfortunate than he. He also purchased considerable land which is now incorpor- ated in the city of Madison, and he it was who planted those trees, whose widespreading branches now furnish such convenient shade on Mifflin and Webster streets. Mr. Fisher continued to reside in Madson until his death in 1852. The maiden name of the mother of James E. Fisher was Charlotte Dutton, and she was a native of the same city as was her husband. She was loth to leave the land of her birth, and upon the migration of her husband and son to America she remained in England until 1857, when she was induced to make the journey hither through the earnest solicitation of her son. She died in Madison in 1885, having reared three children: Angelina, James E. and Anna, the son being the one to whom this memoir is especially dedicated. As has been stated, our subject was the only son, and he received his early education in the schools of Nottingham, his native city, and after coming to America he supplemented the knowledge he had secured by attending the public school of Madison for some time. After the death of his father he left school to learn the trade of cabinet- maker, serving a three-years' apprenticeship, and then after work- ing as a journeyman one year, in 1857 he engaged in business for himself, becoming the senior member of the firm of Fisher, Bab- cock and Reynolds. This parnership continued until 1872, when Mr. Fisher purchased the interest of the other members of the firm and became the sole proprietor. His establishment was conceded to be the leading one of the kind in Madison, and he continued in business until the date of his death, February 14, 1896. his mercan- tile career continuing over a period of thirty-nine years, exceeding that of any other merchant in the city, with possibly one exception. He was located during all of this time at the corner of Pinckney and Clymer streets, and during the later years carried on his flour- ishing business in a magnificent brick structure, three stories high, which was erected under his personal supervision. Mr. Fisher was a member of the Episcopal church, and was active and influential in all matters pertaining to the public good. In politics he gave an unswerving allegiance to the principles of the Repub- lican party, and although he never sought political distinction or office, he was recognized as a leader in public affairs, being in a
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large measure for many years "the power behind the throne". For seventeen years he was officially connected with the city fire-de- partment. and for many years was treasurer of the St. George Society, being one of its charter members at its incorporation in 1856. He was a great lover of out-door sports and was captain of the Capital City base ball club in 1868. He was the local leader all those who delighted in the dog and gun, and was the origi- nator of the renowned hunting-boat, "Solid Comfort," which cost, when furnished, $2,400, and contained all the appliances for hunt- ing and fishing, combined with the comforts of home life. One possessing the attributes with which he was so richly endowed must always win friends, and in the case of Mr. Fisher they were as numerous as his acquaintances. To sum up his good qualities, in the language of one who knew him well, he was "a genial, public-spirited man, and a capable and popular citizen." Mr. Fisher was married on December 31, 1885, to Mrs. Mary (Groes- beck) Rundle, a native of the state of New York and the daughter of Chester and Lorena (Deveaux) Groesbeck. One child was born to his union, Edward J., who resides with his mother and attends school in Madison .- a worthy son of an honored parentage.
William P. Fisher, of Middleton, is a native of Ireland, but coming to America with his parents at the age of five years, he has practically known no other than the home of his adoption. He was born August 4, 1844. His parents, John and Margaret (Mc Laughlin) Fisher, were both born in Ireland, the former in 1792 and the latter in 1998. They came to New Jersey in 1849 and the following year to Racine, which was their home for six years. In 1856 they removed to Dane, living in the town of Berry for thir- teen years, when the last change of home was made to Springfield, where Mr. Fisher died in 1890, at the extreme old age of ninety- eight years. Although his wife was six years his junior and passed away some years earlier yet even then she passed, by over half a decade, the allotted "four score." They had two children, William P., the subject of this sketch, and Bernard P .; a resident of the town of Fitchburg. Mr. Fisher received his early education in the common school, and supplemented that by academic studies in Prof.' George's seminary. Madison. He reached his majority the closing year of the Civil War but the previous year had enlisted as a private in Company G, of the Forty-ninth Regiment. He was mustered out at Madison in November, 1865. At the close of the war he entered upon his active life as a farmer and has continued in that occupation to the present time. His home farm in Spring-
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field consists of one hundred and sixty acres, and he also owns a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Dane. In politics he is independent, and he and his family are members of the Catholic church. January 15, 1872, he was united in marriage to Miss Jane Glennan, in Fitchburg township, Dane county, by whom he had ten children ; Mary Ann, of Evansville; John Edward, Margaret, Jane, Kate, William, Rose, Francis, Daniel and Ellen, all living. Mrs. Jane (Glennan) Fisher was the daughter of Edward and Ellen (Madden) Glennan, both natives of Ireland, his birth-year being 1821 and hers 1812. They came to Philadelphia in 1847, and lived there ten years. During the subsequent years they made their home successively in Madison (1858), Blooming Grove (1864), Springfield (1870), and lastly in Fitchburg, their present home. They had six children. Mr Glennan is politically affiliated with the Democratic party, and he and his family belong to the Catholic church.
John P. Fladtland of Christiania township is a well-known farmer of that community, where he has lived for many years. He has a fine farm with modern buildings which he has erected and carries on a general farming and stock-raising business. In 1897 the new dwelling was built at a cost of $3,500 and a large new barn and tobacco shed complete the group of new buildings. Born in Sogan, Norway, June 19. 1853, Mr. Fladtland came to Wisconsin with his parents, Peter Stdge and Anna (Olson) Stdge in 1856. Peter was a gardener in Stdge, Norway, and there worked for sixteen years in one place. He determined, however, to attempt to better his fortunes in the west and accordingly took passage with his wife and six children in a sailing vessel. They landed in Que- bec after eight or ten weeks and then continued their journey to Stoughton, Wis .. finally obtaining a farm in the town of Dunkirk. Dane county. Seven years were spent in this locality and then Mr. Stdge purchased a farm in section 23. town of Christiania. This farm consisted of eighty acres of wild prairie land. which Mr. Stdge improved, adding buildings as needed. Mrs. Stdge died in 1892 and after her death her husband went to Douglas, county, Minn. where he died in 1896. Six children were born to them ; Bet- sey, thie eldest daughter. is Mrs. Nels Hanson of Dodge county, Minn. ; John P. is the oldest son ; Sina married Herman Shelkiope of Stoughton ; Ole resides in Mannon. Ward county, N. D. ; Hattie is Mrs. Arnt Hendrickson of Minneapolis; Peter died aged eleven years. John P. attended the Rockdale schools and assisted his father with the work on the farm. He learned the carpenter's 19-iii
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trade and was also for a short time engaged in threshing but most of his life has been spent in farming. In October, 1880, he married Miss Mary Johnson, a native of Norway, daughter of John and Betsey (Larson) Johnson, who were farmers in Norway and came to the United States in 1871. They resided in Edgerton and after- ward in Christiania and now live in Baker county, Minn. Of their seven children, all but the oldest daughter, Julia, are living. Mrs. Fladtland is the oldest living daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Fladtland have five children; Alfred, a prosperous farmer of Ward county, N. Dak .; Nordel, Henry, Florence and Letta, who reside with their parents. All have attended the Rockdale schools and are members of the Lutheran church. Mr. Fladtland is a Democrat but has never taken an active part in political matters.
Joseph E. Flanagan, an intelligent, energetic and exceedingly popular young farmer of the town of Oregon, is the son of worthy Irish immigrants, who was born in the city of Stoughon, Dane county, on January 17, 1871. His parents were Martin F. and Sarah (Cunningham) Flanagan, both of whom were natives of the Emerald Isle, the father being born at Galway, November 9, 1823, and the mother at Sligo, June 24, 1832. Tradition has it that the founder of the Flanagan family in Ireland was a Spanish officer who was taken prisoner at the time of the victory of the English over the Spanish forces in the latter part of the sixteenth century. This officer is believed to have drifted to Galway, Ireland, where he took the name of Flanagan, married and became the head of the Irish family of that name. Martin Flanagan migrated to the United States from Canada in 1863, and coming to Wisconsin first located at Stoughton, Dane county, where he worked during the harvest time of that year for Luke Stoughton, the founder of the city that bears his name. Mr. Flanagan was then employed by the Chi. & N. W. Railroad Company on construction work, while that road was being completed into Madison, and he remained in the employ of that railroad company three years. He then took up his residence in Stoughton and was employed there as a construc- tion foreman for twenty years, after which he sold his home there and purchased the farm in the town of Oregon. where his son, the subject of this review now resides. When Mr. Flanagan first came to Stoughton, the site where the city now stands had only a mere cluster of small "shacks," rude dwellings of the hardy pioneers of that locality. Oxen hitched to home-made wagons- predecessors of the twentieth century automobile-were the means of conveyance and transportation in that day, and the farmers cut
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their grain with the cradle and threshed it with the flail. While a small boy in his native land, Mr. Flanagan took the temperance pledge from the Father Matthew .and during his life was consist- ently opposed to the use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage. Though never a radical political Prohibitionist, he always thought it best to leave liquor alone, as he frequently saw the effects of its baneful influence. Although the parents of his wife resided at Dunham Flats, Canada, Mr. Flanagan and his wife were married at White Hall, N. Y., in February, 1855, and for forty-five years they traveled the path of life together, the wife dying on December 24, 1900, and the husband on September 27, 1903. Five children were born to them, the names of and other facts concerning whom are given as follows: Mary A. is deceased ; Simon married Miss Kit- tie Fitzgibbons, of Monroe, Wis., and now resides in Kansas City, Mo .; John M. married Miss Alice Lawler and resides in the town of Dunn, Dane county ; Joseph E. is the subject of this review, and Katie resides with the latter on the old homestead. Joseph E. Flan- agan was educated in the high school of the city of Stoughton, and remained at home during the most of the time until the death of his parents, and during the winters of 1891-2-3 he taught in the dis- trict schools. He and his sister, Katie, recently purchased the interest of the other heirs in the old homstead and live thereon. Mr. Flanagan is a Democrat in his political belief and is a member of the Catholic church in the village of Oregon.
O. F. Flint is one of the highly respected citizens of the village of Oregon, where he has resided since 1904, but his residence in Dane county dates back to the days of his boyhood. He was born in the state of Maine, his parents being James M. and Saralı (Gore) Flint, both of whom were also natives of the Pine Tree state, the respective families of each being long resident there. Farlin Flint, the father of James M., was one of the earliest settlers of what is now the town of Rutland, Dane county, where he took up two hundred acres of government land and upon the same lived until he was eighty years of age and then went to New Hampshire where he died, aged eighty-four years. James M. Flint also mi- grated from his Eastern home, and coming to Dane county in 1858, settled in Rutland and pursued the life of a farmer until his death, himself and wife having both passed away several years ago. After reaching manhood in Maine, and until his removal to Wis- cconsin, he conducted a saw and shingle mill in his native state. O. F. Flint, whose name introduces this memoir, was born, April 7, 1848, and hence was but ten years old when his parents came to
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what was then "the far west." He received his education in the Flint school in the town of Rutland, and assisted his father on the home farm until he had reached the age of twenty-seven years. He then purchased a farm for himself and followed agricultural pur- suits incessantly and with good success until 1904, when he sold his farm and moved to the village of Oregon, where a fine home and six acres of land affords him the respite he desires and a reasonable amount of activity in gardening. Mr. Flint is a pronounced Pro- hibitionist in his political views, and while living in the town of Rutland served as a school official for a number of years. He was married on February 19, 1879, to Miss Sarah J. Carrison, a native of England, who came to the United States with her parents when but eight years old. She is a member of the Free Baptist church in the town of Rutland. Mr. and Mrs. Flint have no children. Mrs. Flint's parents. George Carrison and wife, are honored citi- zens of the village of Oregon, having been residents of Dane county since 1867, and her paternal grandfather had lived here for more than fifty years prior to his death.
Arthur O. Fox, of Madison, was born on his father's farm in the town of Fitchburg, Dane county, Wisconsin, November 2, 1855. He was a son of Dr. William H. Fox, one of the pioneers of the . state, a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere in this work. Arthur was educated in the common school of his home district. a private school at Detroit, Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin, spending three years in the last named institution. He began his business career in the accounting department of the Michigan Cen- tral Railroad, at Detroit, and while in this position became inter- ested in the live stock traffic between Canada and the United States to such an extent that he determined to become a stock importer and breeder. Accordingly returning to Wisconsin, he bought a tract of land adjoining his father's farm and commenced sheep-breeding and importing. This business proved eminently successful and developed much beyond his expectations so that within twenty years, he had become the largest breeder of pure-bred, pedigreed. mutton sheep in the United States and had accumulated a tract of farming lands, approximating one thousand acres, adjoining and including the old family homestead. In the early nineties. Mr. Fox also became interested in various other real estate operations and as the city of Madison offered special advantages for the pur- suit of this business, as well as for the education of his several child- ren, he removed in 1895 to the capital city. Here he soon became identified with some of the leading manufacturing and banking
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institutions of the city. His recognized business judgment and foresight caused his associates to confer on him positions of trust and responsibility. Among the various enterprises with which he has been identified is the Northern Electrical Manufacturing Com- pany, which was formed at Madison in 1895 for the purpose of man- ufacturing electrical machinery. He was chosen at the beginning to take the general management of its affairs and under his direc- tion the plant was built and equipped. This company has grown from nothing in 1895 to one of the largest and most prosperous manufacturing institutions in the West, its products going all over the world, and its sales amounting to a million dollars annually. In 1903 the position of president of the company was bestowed upon Mr. Fox in addition to that of general manager. both of which positions he now holds. The growth and prosperity of this insti- tution has been an important factor in the upbuilding of the east- ern part of the city of Madison. It is of especial interest to note that Mr. Fox was one of the first to recognize the importance of the introduction of the uses of electricity and electrical machinery on farms. Some of the first electrical equipments installed on farms in the United States were made and installed by the Northern Com- pany in 1898, under his direction, and the success of these has led to the quite general introduction of the use of electricity on farms. Mr. Fox says that within ten years, plows and other farm imple- ments will be very generally propelled by electricity instead of being drawn by horses. Upon the death of his father, Mr. Fox acquired and still owns the old homestead farm which his father bought from the government in 1841 and 1842, to which much has since been added. In 1882. Mr. Fox was married to Miss Anna Williams, daughter of Chauncey L. Williams of Madison. To them were born seven children as follows: Morris F., Cornelia Lillian, Annie Myra, Katherine, Neill W., Lucia and Helen. All except Helen, who died at the age of five years, are now living. The oldest son Morris, is now associated with his father in business.
Joseph Grierson Fox, of Oregon, was born in Suntown, Ireland, about fifty miles from Dublin, April 12, 1822. His parents were William and Eleanor (Lynn) Fox, both natives of Ireland. His father was a merchant of Dublin, but after coming to the United States, he took up the occupation of farming. settling in La Grange. Ind .. which remained his home. Joseph Fox was one of a family of ten children, six brothers and four sisters, and was about eleven years of age when he accompanied his parents to this country. In 1844, then a young man of twenty-two, he came to Dane county and
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took up one hundred and sixty acres of government land in the town of Oregon. To this he added from time to time until he had a fine farm of three hundred and fifty-five acres of improved land which was devoted mostly to the raising of Belgian horses. Mr. Fox affiliated with the Presbyterian church and in politics with the Democratic party ; he served as the register of deeds of Dane county. He was twice married; his first wife, whom he married June 22, 1845, was Miss Mary Lalor, daughter of Patrick Lalor, of Tena- kill, Queens county, Ireland. By her he had four children, George Fox, M. D., of Janesville; Anna Catherine, (deceased) ; Eleanor, now Mrs. Wm. Kiser, of Mena, Ark .; Joseph Patrick, (deceased). Mrs. Fox died August, 30, 1850. On May 24, 1855, Mr. Fox married Harriet Lucinda,-daughter of Christian Adamson, Esq., of Ballinlack, Ireland,-who died February 24, 1895. They had one son, J. H. Fox, who was born May 20, 1856, and who married, June 16, 1886, Ida, daughter of John Q. Kiser, Esq., of Fitchburg township; they have one daughter, Carrie Dora, born November 30, 1890. All of the children and the grandchild of Mr. J. G. Fox were born in the town of Oregon. J. H. Fox is a member of the Modern Woodmen of Oregon, and his father was a Mason. The latter died June 17, 1906.
Jacob P. Fox is the owner of a farm in Dane county and is a well-known member of the community. Conrad and Catherine (Smith) Fox, his parents, came from Germany, where Mr. Fox was born in 1813 and his wife in 1818. Their home was in Water- loo township, Jefferson county, where they obtained an eighty acre farm, which has since been the home of the family. Here Mr. Fox died in 1874 and his wife in September, 1902. Or their twelve sons and daughters, but five are living. The family attended the Lutheran church. Jacob P. Fox was born April 1, 1861, at Water- loo, Jefferson county, Wisconsin. He attended the district school but was early obliged to make his own way; he worked out upon farms in the neighborhood and was employed by Orson Carskaden for seven years. In 1894, he purchased the eighty-acre farm,which is his present residence and which he has improved and equipped in many ways. He raises short-horned cattle and Poland China hogs and also various kinds of farm produce. With no assistance, by his own energy and thrift he has made for himself a prosper- ous and comfortable home. He is a member of the Republican party but devotes himself to his business rather than to active participation in politics. September 14, 1886, he married Laura L. (Carskaden) Fox, daughter of Orson Carskaden of York and
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widow of Conrad Fox, brother of Jacob P. Fox. Conrad Fox died in 1881, leaving two children ; George O., who married Miss Odelia Dobbelstein and Charles C. Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Fox have one son, Earl J., who was born November 3, 1894. The family is identified with the Methodist Episcopal church.
Philip Fox, M. D., of Madison, belongs to a family noted as among the pioneer families of Dane county, and also for the num- ber of its members that have devoted themselves to the medical profession. The family comes from Moat-a-Granough, County Westmeath, Ireland, and the original form of the name is An Sionnach, Fox being the Anglicized form. The history of the family in America already covers four generations, the first being Rev. William Fox, who with his wife, Eleanor (Lynn) Fox and six children came to America in 1834 and made their home, first in Tecumsah, Michigan, and soon after in La Grange county, Indiana. They had been preceded by their second son, William H. Fox, who came to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1833, being at that time nineteen years of age. In 1839 he joined his family in La Grange county and soon after began the practice of medicine at Lima. in that county. In the autumn of 1842 the two brothers, Dr. William H. and George, aged respectively twenty-eight and twenty-two years, left La Grange county and drove across the country to Chicago and then continued their journey through the forests and oak open- ings of southeastern Wisconsin, passing through the frontier vil- lages of Janesville and Delavan and located in the town of Fitch- burg, Dane county, both entering land in section 35. George en- tered one hundred and twenty acres at the land office in Milwaukee, and then returned to Indiana and spent the winter in Michigan City, La Porte county ; but in the following spring in company with his wife and two children returned to make a permanent set- tlement. He built a log-house. sixteen by thirteen feet, which was the family home for thirteen years and the temporary home of other relatives who soon followed these pioneers. The wife of George Fox, whom he married in Indiana, was Catherine Keenan, a native of King's County, Ireland, who came to the United States in 1838. They had six children, of whom two sons, Philip. of Madison,-the subject of this sketch,-born at Lima, Indiana. March 27, 1840,-and William of Milwaukee, were physicians, and one daughter, Ellen, married a physician, (Dr. Wilson). Their other children were Maria, (Mrs. Capt. Gerraughty) ; Katie, (Mrs. G. Barry) ; and Addie, (Mrs. D. E. Kiser). Upon the farm, re- claimed from the wilderness and afterward increased to three hun-
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