History of Grant County, Wisconsin, Part 139

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1044

USA > Wisconsin > Grant County > History of Grant County, Wisconsin > Part 139

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CARSTEN HINNERS, retired farmer ; born in Weddenwarden, Hanover, Jan. 13, 1825. His early life was spent on a farm ; in 1844, he came to America, landing at New Orleans; he came by way of St. Louis and Galena to Grant Co .; his first work here was for D. Harms, of Smelser, and for seven years he worked in that vicinity, he then bought a farm on the school section, town of Belmont, La Fayette Co., and became the first settler on the school section; in the spring of 1863, he sold the farm and came to Platteville where he built a most pleasant home. He married Dora Wicters in his and her native village, they have no children. Mr. Hinners is a Democrat, and served three years each on both the town and village boards. Is a member, with his wife, of the German Methodist Church, of which he is steward (verwalter). A brother of Mr. Hinners named Nicholas, died in Germany, leaving two sons -- Henry and Frederic, both of whom are with the family of their uncle, though the former is in a Belmont store ; their father spent several years of his life in South Carolina.

THOMAS J. HOOPER, druggist, Platteville; was born Jan. 15, 1839, in Cornwall, England. His father, Thomas Hooper, emigrated to America in the summer of 1845, with his family, and settled in Platteville, where he resided till his death in March, 1861, at the age of 56. Mrs. Hooper was born in 1807, and is still living with her children. Thomas J. was married in Platteville in September, 1866, to Miss Mary Wright, who is a native of Platteville, and daughter of James C. Wright, one of the earliest settlers in La Fayette Co., Wis. Mr. Hooper has been engaged in the drug business ever since his marriage. Has one child-Hattie.

JACOB HOOSER, Sr., Platteville; one of the earliest of Grant Co.'s pioncer settlers, was born Oct. 25, 1807, in Lancaster Co., Penn. His father, Jacob F., a blacksmith, soon after took bis family to St. Louis. On July 15, 1828, young Hooser arrived in Galena, Ill., then comprising the U. S. warehouse, a store and Jonathan Meeker's furnace. Four days later, Mr. Hooser came to Platte- ville. Here he met J. H. Rountree, and was by him employed to burn a quantity of charcoal, and to do sundry jobs of blacksmithing. During the summer of 1829, Mr. Hooser opened up a farm on the Pec- atonica River. The next year was spent at mining in "Jimtown." In the spring of 1831, he bought out the claim of a miner, which purchase gave him 160 acres, 80 of which he still owns. At the out- break of the Black Hawk war, he assisted in the building of a stockade on the present farm of Mr. Roseleib, then owned and occupied by E. M. Orrin. Early in the summer of 1832, Mr. Hooser went to Galena, where he earned good wages at shoeing horses during the Indian war. On the surrender of Black Hawk, Mr. H. again sought his Platteville farm, where he has since resided. He married, near Eddysville. Ill., Elizabeth Knotts, who died Feb. 14, 1865, leaving three children-Justus D., Jacob and Amanda E. The present Mrs. Hooser was Mary Bennett, and by her he has three children-Marietta, Lester M. and Archie B. The 160 acres before mentioned, was bought of the Government, at the first land sale ever held at Mineral Point.

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JUSTUS D. HOOSER, Platteville; eldest son of Jacob Hooser, Sr., was the third white child born in Platteville, March 12, 1832, on the farm where his father now resides. His early life was spent in this town. In 1850, he went to California, where he spent seven years in the gold mines. On his return in 1858, he settled on 76 acres of his present farm, to which he afterward added 100 acres. He married Mrs. Harriet Clark. Her parents were early settlers in Smelser, where her father built his stone house by moonlight, wheeling the material from a distance of half a mile. He was a stone-mason by trade, and was busily employed each and every day in building the houses of his neighbors, so that his own work must be done "after business hours." Mrs. Hooser married in England George E. Clark, who died in Grass Valley, Cal. His only son is James M. Clark. Mr. and Mrs. Hooser have five chil- dren-Joseph, Buther, Elizabeth, Jacob W. and Justus D., all born on the Platteville homestead.

REV. EDWARD HOYER, Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran St. Paul's Church, of Platteville; was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1853. When 11 years of age, his parents emigrated to America, and settled iu Monroe Co., Wis. His father, Rev. August Hoyer, is now Pastor of the Luther- an Church of Princeton, Wis. Rev. Edward Hoyer is a graduate of the Northwestern University, of Watertown, Wis., Class of 1873. He is also a graduate of Concordia Seminary, of St. Louis, Mo., Class of 1876. He immediately entered the ministry, and was located at Manchester, Green Lake Co., Wis .. till October, 1878, since which time he has been in Platteville. He was married in November, 1878, in Spring Valley, Minn., to Miss Mary Kiesel, and has one son-Arthur.

GEORGE HUNTINGTON, farmer, Sec. 22; P. O. Platteville ; was born Jan. 10, 1811, in Yorkshire, England, where his early life was spent as a farm laborer. He came to America in 1845, with his wife (formerly Ann Cooper) and three sons. Both Mr. and Mrs. Huntington were born near Goole, Yorkshire. He located in Platteville, where he resided until 1852, when he went with his family to California. Since his returo, in 1856, he has resided on his present farm, now comprising 240 acres. There are now five children-James, John, George, Dennis and Thomas ; the two youngest were born in Platteville.

JOHN HUNTINGTON, Platteville. Born in Goole, Yorkshire, England, May 1, 1803. His wife was Mary Hatfield, who was born April 30, 1811, in Laxton, Yorkshire, England ; married March 24, 1831, and their bridal tour was to their future home in America. Up to 1837, their home was Pittsburgh, Penn. In the spring of 1837, they came to Platteville, where he bought 160 acres of his pres- ent farm; only 17 acres were broken, and on this was a small log cabin in which the young couple began life in Badgerdom. It was replaced in 1859, by the substantial brick farmhouse, now occupied by a son. Mr. Huntington has been a lifelong and most successful farmer. He now owns 680 acres of splendid land . under cultivation, besides 120 acres of timber. Since October, 1869, Mr. Huntington has resided in the city of Platteville. Mr. and Mrs. Huntington have had ten children-William H., Anne, Mary A., Sarah, Elizabeth, Maria, John P., Thomas T., Lydia J. and George R .; William H. died Aug. 13, 1861 ; Anne died July 3, 1835 ; Sarah died July 9, 1847, and Thomas, Oct. 9. 1855.

RICHARD HUNTINGTON, deceased ; was the first of the Huntington brothers to settle in Grant Co. He was born Aug. 1, 1804, in Swinefleet, Yorkshire, England, and came to America in 1830, locating at Pittsburgh, Penn. He remained there until 1835, when he came to Platteville ; it was then a small collection of miners' log huts, and had but recently received the name of Platteville. In the spring of 1836, he made what was then known as a "squatter's claim" of part of the present estate; this land he bought of the Government on its coming into market. He began here in a primitive log house, which was replaced in 1857, by the present roomy and substantial brick farmhouse. His first wife, nee Mary Myers, died in the fall of 1846, leaving four children-William M., Robert M., Richard J., and Lydia A. . On the 22d of April, 1847, he married Miss Lucy Colburn ; she is of the old Puritan stock, and was born in Chittenden Co., Vt., but was reared and educated in and near Burlington, Vt .; 1845, was the date of her settlement in Platteville. Mr. Huntington was a life-long and most successful farmer. He took pride in his beautiful prairie farm, and made such additions as to leave a large estate to his posterity. He was a prominent and honored member of the P. M. Church, and was a man of kindly and benevolent convictions. He died April 28, 1871. Few of the pioneers of Platteville could count more real friends, and none could have left a place more difficult to fill. By his second marriage, he had six children-Mary E., Frank E., Laura M., Samuel W. and Carrie E. Charles W. died May 11, 1864. Since 1879, his widow and youngest daughter, now Mrs. J. H. Spink, have resided in the city of Platteville. £ Mrs. Huntington

is a member of the M. E. Church.

A. J. HUTTON, conductor of institutes for the State Normal School of Platteville, is a native of Dunfermline, Scotland ; born in 1846. When 11 years of age, his parents emigrated to America and

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settled in Portage Co., Wis., where they still reside. Prof. Hutton was educated at the Platteville Normal School, graduating in 1869, being a member of the first graduating class. In the fall of 1869, he went to Augusta, Eau Claire Co., Wis., and taught in the public school one year ; then returned to Platteville, and for one year was Principal of the Academic Department of the State Normal School. He then returned to Eau Claire, and was Principal of the West Side Schools of that place till the fall of 1879, since which time he has been in his present position. He was married in July, 1872, in Platteville, to Miss Kate McGregor, of that place, and sister of President McGregor of the Normal School. Has three children -- Emily, Mar- garet and James.

JAMES IVEY, farmer ; P. O. Platteville ; was born April 20, 1816, in Camborne, Cornwall, En- gland. His occupation in early life was that of tin dresser. He married, in his and her native parish, Mary Ann Eudey, by whom he has nine children-James A., Honor A. (Mrs. L. D. Culver), Jennie (Mrs. Alexan- der Thomas), Elizabeth ( Mrs. John Carhart), Edward M., M. Julia, Benjamin F., Rosina and Nellie ; the eldest was born in Camborne, and all the others in Grant Co. The parents came to America and located at Lancaster in 1845, Mr. Ivey working in the Pigeon and Rockville diggings ; at the latter point he erected one of the very first framed houses, and for a time worked in the furnace of Squire Emery. In 1855, he bought a farm on Sec. 2, town of Harrison, having spent the preceding year in California. In 1872, he came to present location in Platteville; here he has in all 202 acres. ' At one time, while in Harrison, Mr. Ivey had nine children of " school age," i. e., from 4 to 20 years. His eldest son served under Gen. Thomas in his Tennessee campaign of 1864-65.

THOMAS JENKINS, miner; was born in Cornwall, England, June 26, 1832, in the parish of Kenwyn, and received a common-school and academic education in England. His father, Benjamin Jen- kins, went to Brazil, South America, with his family in 1837, and was engaged in mining there till 1842, then returned to England. He came to the United States in 1848 and settled in Platteville, where he was engaged in mining till 1851, when he went to California, returning to Wisconsin in 1857; went again to California, overland, in 1861, and from there to Montana in 1866. He returned to Platteville in 1868, and has resided there since. He was married in 1858, in Dodgeville, Wis., to Miss Sheba Martin, daughter of William Martin, of that place, and has four children living-Bennie, Ida, Nettie and Mary. Mr. Jenkins was a member of the Village Board of Platteville six years in succession from 1870, and was Assessor five years of the time; he represented his district in the Legislature of 1874, and is at present a member of the City Council.

THOMAS JENKINS, farmer; is a native of Cornwall, England; born in 1833, in the par- ish of St. Agnes, son of Nicholas Jenkins came to America in 1848, leaving England on the 6th of April, arrived in Mineral Point, Wis., on the 10th of June; he engaged in mining there till April 1, 1849, then came to Platteville April 15, 1852; he started for California and returned June 3, 1857. In 1862, he went again to California and from there to Montana, returning to Platteville in 1868, where he has since resided; he was married in Platteville Dec. 24, 1859, to Miss Elizabeth Enner, who died in April, 1860. His second wife, to whom he was married Jan. 5, 1871, was Mrs. Eliza A. Daney, daughter of William Martin, of Dodgeville, who was also from Cornwall, England; she was the widow of Joseph J. Daney, a native of Mineral Point, Wis., who died in Platteville October, 1869, leaving three children- Nora A., Joseph E. and Frank S. Mr. Jenkins has three children by the second marriage, Orville M., Clarence P. and Cora A.

W. T. JENNINGS, teacher, Principal of the Rock Graded School of Platteville; was born in Keweenaw Co., Mich., in 1858. His father, William Jennings, was a native of Cornwall, England, and came to America in 1848. He settled in Hazel Green, Grant Co., Wis., and in September, 1850, he married Miss Elizabeth Collins, also a native of Cornwall, England, who came to America in 1848. Immediately after marriage, he removed to the copper regions of Michigan and was engaged in mining there till his death June 17, 1860, by the falling of earth and rock where he was engaged in blasting. After his death, Mrs. Jennings returned to Hazel Green, whe she resided about four years, then returned to Michigan for about the same length of time. In December, 1868, she married William Trewartha, who died in 1871; since her second marriage she lias resided in Grant County, and since August, 1877, in Platteville. William T. Jennings was educated at the High School in Hazel Green and the Normal School at Platteville, graduating from the Normal in June, 1878, since which time he has been teaching, and has been in his present situation since April, 1880; he also taught winters from 1874 to 1878. He has one brother John, and one sister, Mary Ann, now Mrs. Joseph Thomas, of Michigan.

JESSE S. JONES, Platteville; was born in 1823, in Orange Co., N. Y .; from there he re- moved to Ohio, thence, in 1847, to Grant Co., Wis. In early life he learned the trade of leather dress-

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ing, and followed it until he came to Wisconsin; his first enterprise was to open a small store in Wing- ville, groceries, notions, etc. ; he then began mining in Iowa Co., struck some rich diggings and cleared about $1,000; in 1849, he was one of the first to discover the rich " New California Diggings ; " here he did a large business, with varied success, but finally met with some serious losses, though he still owns a fine quarter-section of land in that vicinity ; while he was a resident of Clifton, he was the first Town Clerk elected, and afterward served a number of terms as Chairman, etc. ; in 1865, he came to Platteville and bought his present homestead ; here be has erected substantial buildings, and laid out and planted his grouods in a most tasteful manner, making his one of the most elegant suburban homes in the city. His wife was Miss Elizabeth, a daughter of F. C. Kirkpatrick, of the early pioneers of Grant Co. ; they have several children. For a number of years after coming to Platteville, Mr. Jones was actively engaged in the milk business, supplying city customers, but has relinquished the work ; he has 60 acres, twenty of which are in the corporation, and this land gives him ample facilities to indulge his fancy for rearing fine stock ; he has of late devoted much attention to the breeding of fine horses ; his pride is the Black Hawk, Re- iable, a magnificent type of that famous family of horses ; his weight is 1,750 lbs., and, as a writer in be Chicago Field says, is tremendously built, with immense sloping shoulders, strong limbs, round barrel and deep, powerful chest; his owner, considers him the best living type of Tyler's old Black Hawk ; he shows a three-minute gait, with no training whatever. Another of Mr. Jones' favorites is Tartar, a splen- lid horse, directly descended from Royal George, and showing many of the best points of that regal line of trotters.

OBED C. JONES, Sec. 6; P. O. Platteville; was born March 23, 1810, in Trumbull Co., Ohio, where his early life was spent ; at 15, he went to Oswego Co., N. Y., but afterward returned to Ohio ; n 1837, he went to Hancock Co., Ill., spent a year and then came to Platteville; Obed King was then the only settler at " Whig ; " after a short stay he returned to Illinois, and, the next year, brought his family o Harrison for permanent settlement ; locating on what is now the Levi Bushnell farm; he followed bis trade of carpenter, and worked at millwrighting for many years; during 1839, he put the screening and bolting apparatus into the historic old McKee Mill. Mr. Jones has owned three different farms, and spent 1868 ind 1869 in the city of Platteville; in 1870, he settled on his present farm of 160 acres. He married, in Hartford, Trumbull Co., Ohio, July 20, 1834, Miss Ursula Miner, who was born Jan. 27, 1818, in Hart- and, Conn. Her parents located as early as 1820, in Ohio, where she grew to womanhood. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have six living children-Pluma A. (born in Vernon, Trumbull Co., Ohio), Albert H., Maria 1., Celia J., Julia A. and Mollie E., ali born in Harrison. Julius M. Jones enlisted in the 4th W. V. I .. nd died of typhoid fever on the banks of the Potomac, Dec. 2, 1861. Albert served three years with he 35th W. V. I., and was with Sherman on his march to the sea and through the Carolinas. Be- ides J. M. this pioncer couple have lost five children -Ursula J., aged 16 ; Calvin R., aged 19; Lura L., ged 9; Elluna L. aged 9, and an infant. Mr. Jones is a member of the Christian Church and is a Re- publican ; he served ten years as a Justice of the Peace, and is well and widely known as a well-posted old ettler.

SAMUEL M. JONES, wagon and plow maker, Platteville ; was born in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, Oct. 27, 1840; son of David Jones, who came to America in 1852, and settled in Mifflin, Iowa Jo., Wis., where he resided till his death in 1860. Samuel M. learned his trade with Gideon Hawley, of Platteville, and has been in business for himself since 1867 ; was in company with Edward Davis seven r eight years, and a member of the firm of Potter & Jones about three years. He was married, in May, 867, to Miss Emma Davis, daughter of Edward Davis, of Platteville, and has six children-Fannie, Sam- el E., Lina, Emma, Nora and Thomas.

JACOB KARRMANN, manufacturer and dealer in boots and shoes, Platteville ; was born 1 Prussia in 1841 ; he learned his trade in the old country, and came to America in 1866; he lived one ear in Pottsville, Penn., and a few months in Galena, Ill., and has been in Plattevillesince 1867. In 1868. e married Miss Sophia Kabele, and has seven children-Jacob, Peter, George, Mary Elizabeth, Anna Lena, Magdalena Catharine and Bertha Wilhelmina.

JOHN KEMLER, retired merchant, Platteville; has been a resident of Platteville since January, 844, and was in the mercantile business from that time up to 1871 ; he was born in Hanover, Germany, 1 1818, and came to America in 1837 ; he spent one summer in New York City, then went to Savannah, a., and resided there two years, being one year overseer on a plantation. He came to Galena, Ill., in the oring of 1842, and was there till the fall of 1843 ; then went to Germany and was married in 1844 to Miss Iaggie A. Meyer, of Hanover; then returned to America and settled in Platteville, as before stated. Mr. [cmler has four children, all living in Platteville. His oldest daughter, Minnie, is now the wife of H. P.

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Schroder ; Julia is now Mrs. Geo. Handy ; A. W. Kemler married, and in the mercantile business of the firm of Huntington & Kemler, and James C., who is clerking for his brother. Mr. Kemler spent the summer of 1866 in Germany, being accompanied by his wife and daughter Julia ; was Village Trustee for several years.

J. F. KIRKPATRICK, Platteville; is of Scotch descent, his ancestors having been ban- ished to South Carolina and Georgia during the religious troubles in the middle of the last century. His grandfather, with six stalwart brothers, fought under Washington and Marion for freedom and revenge upon the mother country. All returned in safety, except the grandsire of Mr. Kirkpatrick, who was foully murdered by Tories. All were over six feet in height, and enlisted from Georgia. The father of Mr. Kirkpatrick, with two brothers, came from Georgia to what is now Madison Co, Ill., in 1800. He was the father of eight sons, of whom John F. was born Sept. 8, 1811. Five of the sons came to the lead regions of Illinois and Wisconsin. J. F. Kirkpatrick came to Belmont Mounds early in 1832 and planted a crop of corn ; then came the Indian scare and subsequent war, in which Mr. Kirkpatrick took an active part as one of Capt. Craig's company. Returning to the north of Platteville that fall, he discov- ered the " Burying Ground Diggings." He married, near Washburn, Mary J. Basey, who died, as did her four children. The present Mrs. Kirkpatrick was Mary Ellen Somers, born in Clarke Co., Ind .; they have five children-Henrietta (Mrs. George Brunskill), Emma A. (Mrs Jas. Stevens), Anne, Ella May and Clyde, all born in Platteville. Since 1838, Mr. Kirkpatrick has resided in Platteville. Here be was eight or ton years in mercantile business, and for twenty-two years in the butchering business. Mr. Kirkpatrick has served for many years on both the town and village boards.

HENRY C. LANE, retired, Platteville; was born Sept. 19, 1819, in Hartford, Trumbull Co., Ohio. In early life, he learned the trade of blacksmith, which trade he began soon after his arrival in Platteville in the spring of 1840. A log shop, on the present site of Hendershott's store, was the scene of his first labors here. He worked for and boarded with Samuel Moore for a time. In 1842, he built a frame house-part of which is still standing in the rear of Hendershott's store-and the same year bought the log shop of Mr. Moore. In August, 1843, he married, in Ohio, Miss Alvira Holcomb, who was born in Broome Co .; N. Y., but reared in Ohio. She has vivid and amusing memories of their " wed- ding tour," notably the journey through the then new and primitive Southern Wisconsin. Milwaukee was a hamlet with two small hotels, so crowded that the landlord was obliged to dislodge certain guests, in order to accommodate them. He said the routed sleepers had " gone to bed early, any way." " The young couple began in the before-mentioned frame house, which was their home until 1847, when Mr. Lane bought out Judge Inman. Thus they lived in what is now a part of the Wright House until 1856 or 1857, when they took possession of the large and pleasantly located residence previously built, and now occupied by them. Mr. Lane has taken much pride in laying out and planting his grounds, and has a beautiful place. He carried on blacksmithing and the hardware business until 1867, building for a shop the present store of Mrs. Block. It was then the best blacksmith-shop in Wisconsin. L. N. Devendorf and himself built their store, and Mr. Lane has built and remodeled other structures in this city. Mr. and Mrs. Lane have four children-Maria, Etta, Gulana and Jessie, all born in Platteville, and all mar- ried and settled in homes of their own.

GEORGE R. LAUGHTON, retired, Platteville; has been a citizen of Platteville since Dec. 25, 1842. He was born in London, England, in 1820; came to America with his parents in 1835; lived in New York City and Monroe Co., N. Y., till 1842, when he came to Wisconsin, and located in Platte- ville. He was engaged in merchandising in Brockport, N. Y., three years, and two years in Clarkson, same county, previous to his coming to Wisconsin. He followed the same business in Platteville till 1846, then engaged in farming two miles out of the village till 1873, when he retired from active business, and came to Platteville to reside. He is at present a member of the City Council, and was one year Super- visor while living in the town. He was married in Platteville in 1844, to Miss Mildred M. Durley of that place, and has had seven children, five of whom are still living, four of them sons, whose average weight is 250 pounds, none of them weighing less than 200, and all in good health. Mr. Laughton was the originator and promotor of the erection of the Grant County Soldiers' Monument at Lancaster, which was the first of the kind erected in the United States.

ISAAC LORD (deceased) ; was born in Parsonsfield, Me., in 1803. He was engaged in the boot and shoe business in Maine, and came from there to Platteville in 1839. He was married, in 1843, in Elizabeth, Ill., to Miss Emaline Morton, daughter of Chester Morton, a native of Massachusetts. Soon after his marriage, Mr. Lord purchased land in Platteville and vicinity, and also in La Fayette Co., and in the spring of 1854, he went on a farm at what is called the West Plat Mound, and was engaged in

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farming there till the fall of 1870; then removed to the village of Platteville, where he resided till his death, Aug. 16, 1877. He left two children-Isabel, now Mrs. Minard Mills, of Plymouth Co., Iowa, and Purl, who is reading law with S. W. Bell.

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History of Grant County, Wisconsin, Part 139

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1044

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1044