USA > Wisconsin > Monroe County > History of Monroe County, Wisconsin, past and present : including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county [microform] > Part 58
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HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY
William H. received his education in the common schools, assist- ing in the farm work during his boyhood. He remained on the home farm with his parents until he reached the age of twenty-six. when he purchased his present farm, which he has since conducted with great success. This farm, as well as its proprietor, is famous for the production of the celebrated prize-winning Brown Swiss cattle, which are said to be among the very best of milk producers in the country, yielding as high as $101 per head in milk and cream per year.
Mr. Boomer occupies a prominent place among the progressive and influential farmers of the county, and takes a lively interest in all publie matters pertaining to the welfare of his community.
On June 15. 1899. Mr. Boomer was married to Miss Estella Relief Nelson, daughter of J. C. Nelson. a prominent citizen of Tomah.
George Bradley, who has been a resident of Monroe county since 1864, is a native of Lincolnshire. England, where he was born June 26. 1843. At the age of nine years he became page for John Frankish and was four years in that service: he received 12 cents per day. his duties being to carry mail to and from the postoffice. He was then employed at farming. at about $25 per year. until one year before leaving his native country, when he worked in the city of Lincolnshire, at the end of which time. when twenty-one years of age, he came to America, purchasing a passage ticket from Lincolnshire direct to Fond du Lac, Wis., where he arrived with just $1.50 in his pocket. He immediately set ont for employment and was engaged by a farmer to work for $14 and board for one month, at the end of which time he arranged to continue in the same employment for one year for $200 and board, which sum he saved, thus obtaining his first start in the new country. Four years later he left Fond du Lac and went to Waupun. thence to Portage and to Oakdale. Monroe county, and came to Sparta town- ship in 1882 and leased the John Moffat farm, where he resided for seven and a half years, and then went to the John Teasdale farm. where he remained for one and one-half years, thenee to the John Youngman farm. now the county farm, which he conducted for four years. He then removed to near the line of the city of Sparta. where he continued to farm on a ten-acre tract, and also took care of the West Cemetery for a period of eight years, since which time he has resided in section 10. Sparta township.
Ile was first married to Miss Jane Hatch, of Berkshire, Eng- land. who died December 8. 1902. at the age of sixty-three years. The children of this marriage are Lizzie, Mary Jane. Lonisa,
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Georgia and John. His second marriage occurred JJanuary 16, 1904. to Mrs. R. Il. Rogers. In religious matters he affiliates with the M. E. church. He is a man of genial temperament and one who enjoys his home.
Darwin L. Brainard belongs to that class of sturdy men who, coming to Wisconsin in an early day, have witnessed its develop- ment from a state of complete wilderness to a populous community of fertile farms and have taken a part in the wonderful trans- formation that has been wrought. He is a native of Canada and was born November 17. 1843. to Francis and Harriet (Duclous) Brainard. She was the daughter of Anthony and Mary Duclous, of Vermont, and after marriage removed to Canada, where they resided until 1846, when they returned to Vermont. There they lived until 1853. when they removed to Wisconsin with their fam- ily and settled in Monroe county, then a wilderness inhabited by wild beasts and Indians, and endured all the hardships and priva- tions incident to the development of a wilderness into thriving farms. Here they passed the remainder of their lives. the father living to the age of eighty years and the mother to the age of ninety years.
Darwin L. received his education in the common schools of his home town and has been a resident of Monroe county fifty-eight years. He is one of the solid, substantial men of his township, one of integrity and high standing in his community. both as a business man and good citizen. He was married January 12. 1867. to Miss Martha McQueen, daughter of James and Nancy McQueen, of Glendale. To them have been born three children. viz : Ida J., who is now Mrs William C. Keller. resides at Mason City, Iowa : Bernice E., now Mrs. Otis E. Sherman. resides at Aspen. Col .. and Jimmie L .. who lives at Fargo. N. D. In politics Mr. Brainard adheres to the principles of the Republican party and takes a commendable interest in all matters pertaining to the good of his town and county.
D. L. Brainard enlisted Angust 14. 1862. at Sparta, under Milton Montgomery in Company D, Twenty-fifth Regiment. Vol- unteers of Wisconsin, and served to the end of the war and was identified with his regiment in all of its marches and battles, being mustered out of the United States service at Washington. June 7, 1865, by reason of the end of the war.
Fred A. Brandt, postmaster of Sparta. was born at Melvina, in Monroe county. on November 14. 1868, the son of Charles F. and Aurelia (Wilson) Brandt. natives of Germany and Pennsylvania, respectively. His parents came to Wisconsin before their marriage
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and were among the early pioneers of the state ; the father died in 1895, and the mother now resides in Marengo. Ohio. They had a family of nine children, the eighth child being Fred A .. our sub- jeet. Six others are living.
Mr. Brandt spent his youth on the homestead farm. attending the district schools of Melvina and later the public schools of Sparta, and after ably fitting himself for teaching he followed that vocation for several years, teaching in varions localities in Monroe county. In 1887 he became a member of the Sparta post- office foree, first serving in the capacity of clerk, and was later promoted to the office of assistant postmaster. These positions he held for a period of twenty years, and immediately following the death of Postmaster Dr. D. C. Beebe, Mr. Brandt was appointed by President Roosevelt to fill the vacancy, on Angust 1. 1908. He was reappointed for the four-year term on December 14. 1908. withont opposition, his substantial efficiency so befitting him for the duties of that position.
In 1910 the Sparta military branch office was established. with Mr. Brandt as its superintendent, and on July 27. 1911. the Postal Savings Bank of Sparta was established under his direction, and during his administration, in which he has so faithfully performed his duties, the people of Sparta have enjoyed a most conservative and well-managed postal service. The United States postoffice inspector expressed himself to our subject "That the sales of sav- ing cards and stamps is larger than many larger offices in the state." Since the bank has been established individual deposits were made to the amount of $2.000. and the deposits have been gradually increasing all the time and there has been no year but what the postal savings have increased over the preceding year.
Mr. Brandt is a man of excellent qualifications both in business matters and socially. He has been a member of the Masonie order three years and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for the past eighteen years, and has twice represented the Grand Lodge at the encampment both at Superior and at Janesville. Wis. Ile is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.
On December 25, 1895. Mr. Brandt was married to Miss Jennie Angle, daughter of Oscar Angle. of Sparta. Their children are F. Percey. Glenn F .. Deland C. and Wendell W. Brandt.
Barthol Brandon. Prominent among the farmers of Wells township is he whose name heads this sketch. Born at Hessan. Germany. October 9, 1856. he emigrated to the United States in 1881. and after spending nine months in the city of Chicago he came to Monroe county. Wisconsin, and for two years worked at
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farming in the Lyons valley. At the end of that time, in 1883, he married Mrs. Martha Matilda Davis, widow of Theron Davis. who was a soldier in the Civil War. In 1862 he enlisted in Company F. Twenty-fifth Wisconsin Infantry, and served until 1863, when he died at Memphis, Ten. Mrs. Brandon's father came to America when she was eight years of age and spent some time working in the coal mines in Pennsylvania. He afterward came West to Wis- consin and located in the town of Wells. where he homesteaded and purchased 280 acres of land. He was the father of ten children, three of whom-Martha Matilda, second in order of birth, Louise and Adam-are now (1912) living. The father was a thrifty and prosperous farmer. well thought of in the sections where he lived. and at the time of his death was the owner of 320 acres of land. Ile was a member of the Methodist church, while his wife was a Presbyterian.
Mr. and Mrs. Brandon have a large farm. highly cultivated and well improved. with a good class of buildings, and in his farming operations he uses up-to-date methods and is generally successful. In political opinion he is a Republican, and in religions faith he and Mrs. Brandon are members of the Lutheran church.
William J. Brennan, banker and prominent citizen of Tomah, is a native son of Monroe county and was born October 12, 1876. Ilis parents. Edward and Mary (Gillispie) Brennan, were natives of Ireland. The father emigrated to America in 1849. and in 1860, at Beloit. Wis., he married Mary Gillispie. Eleven children were born to them, ten of whom are now living. William being the seventh in order of birth. His father, a strict and devoted member of the Catholic church. died in Monroe county in 1909; the widow and mother of our subject still survives at the age of sixty-eight years. In his lifetime he followed farming and was an expert gardener and a lifelong Democrat.
Mr. Brennan was reared on his father's farm. receiving his education in the common schools of the county and at the Tomah high school, from which he was gradnated with the class of 1899. After his graduation he followed educational work, teaching school in winter and helping on the home farm in summer. He remained on the farm until the death of his father. In 1905 he became man- ager of the Farmers' Cooperative Butter Association. and con- tinued the management of the association, which was organized in 1892, until 1911, when he resigned. In 1910 they produced 690.000 pounds of butter. After supplying the local trade the balance of the produce was shipped to Philadelphia, Pa. In 1911 Mr. Bren- nan entered the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank at Tomah and
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accepted the position of cashier. The other officers of the bank are Thomas Anderson, president. and Rudolph Andres, vice-president. This is one of the strongest business institutions in the county; its capital is $25.000 and surphis $10.000.
Mr. Brennan is a consistent member of the Catholic church and a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters. Politically he is a Democrat. He was married on June 30. 1909, at Tomah, to Miss Kathryn Costello.
J. E. Broadwell, secretary of the HI. L. Stevens Company. architectural engineers, with headquarters in Chicago, has in his career demonstrated the value in the business world today of well- directed industry and energy. for although still a young man. Mr. Broadwell has worked his way to a position of responsibility and trust. His ancestors were of English-French descent. His parents, Horace and Ann Eliza (Perry) Broadwell, were natives of Platts- burg. N. Y., but came to Wisconsin in 1858 and settled at Madison, where J. E. was born on June 9, 1865. At the tender age of one year he came with his parents to Tomah. Monroe county. and there grew to manhood, receiving his education in the graded and high schools of Tomah. After graduating from the last named institu- tion he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits and for seven years successfully conducted his farm, located three miles from Tomah. Mr. Broadwell next engaged in the insurance business. starting at first as local agent and gradually worked his way to the position of field superintendent of Wisconsin and Minnesota for the Fidelity Mutual Life Association of Philadelphia. having charge of their interests in the various departments. He later became associated with the Equitable Life Insurance Company and was made field manager for the state of Wisconsin and northern Michigan. Among the life insurance men of the state he held an enviable position by reason equally of his high personal standing and business qualifications. He followed the insurance business for fifteen years prior to becoming interested as secretary of the HI. L. Stevens Company. with branch offices in various cities of the United States. So extensive has the business of the company become in erecting reinforced concrete buildings in the United States and Canada that it requires several branch offices, and Mr. Broadwell has headquarters at Minneapolis, working the terri- tory from Milwaukee. Wis .. to Winnipeg. Canada.
The father of Horace and grandfather of our subject was Will- iam Broadwell. Cyrus Perry, maternal grandfather of subject. was a relative of the famous Commodore Perry.
Mr. Broadwell is prominent in fraternal orders-a member of
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Valley Lodge. No. 60. A. F. & A. M .: Sparta Chapter, No. 19. R. A. M .: Sparta Commandery. No. 16. Knight Templars: a Modern Woodman of America. Woodmen of the World and the Eastern Star. He is also a trustee of the Methodist Episcopal church.
On November 11, 1886, Mr. Broadwell was united in marriage with Miss Sarah R. Lovell. of Sparta. daughter of the late Carr and Ruth (Wyman) Lovell. Peter Wyman, maternal grandfather of Mrs. Broadwell, was a native of Maine and built the first saw- mill at Wilsonville.
Mr. and Mrs. Broadwell have one daughter-Jessie Elberta Broadwell.
Hans Bronson is a prosperous farmer and worthy citizen of Leon township. Monroe county, Wisconsin. and settled there after his marriage. His birth occurred May 16, 1867. in the town of Portland. this county, and he is the eighth child of a family of ten children, six of whom are now living. born to II. and Anna (Stigen) Bronson. His parents were both natives of Norway and left their native land in 1853 for America with a family of four children. two of whom died on the ocean voyage and were buried at sea. Upon arriving in this country they came to Wisconsin and homesteaded 120 acres of land in Portland township. Monroe county, to which he afterward added forty acres, and there made their home and reared their family. Te father was born Jan- mary 15, 1818. and died March 16, 1910. Mrs. Bronson was born March 1. 1823, and passed away in 1909. loved and respected by all who knew her. In his long and active life he labored under the difficulty of being crippled: still he overcame many obstacles and succeeded in the end. Ile was an honorable and highly respected citizen, a member of the Lutheran church and in politics a Repub- lican.
Hans Bronson spent his boyhood on his father's farm, attend- ing the district school and assisting in the farm work, remaining there until he reached the age of twenty-four. when on December 31. 1891, at Westby, Wis., he was married to Miss Dora Swenson, daughter of Magnus Swenson. Unto this union has been born one daughter-Edna, born December 4. 1892. After his marriage Mr. Bronson purchased 151 acres of land in section 26. Leon township, where he has since resided, engaged in general farming. stock raising and dairying. He has made many needed improvements ; in 1900 he built a modern residence. in 1903 the barn and in 1908 the silo. His artesian well. 285 feet deep. furnishes an abundant supply of pure water, which under hydraulie pressure is carried by a system of pipes 150 feet to the house. 160 feet from the house
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to the creamery tank and 50 feet to the street watering trough. Mr. Bronson uses modern methods in all his farming operations, and his well-improved and cultivated farm is one of the ideal coun- try homes of the county. In polities he is known as a progressive Republican. and he and his wife are members of the Lutheran church.
George Brooks, a prominent citizen and farmer of Wells town- ship, was born in Morrow county. Ohio. September 27. 1851. son of James and Maria (Hulb) Brooks, natives of the Keystone state. They moved to Wisconsin with their family of five children-three boys and two girls in 1854 and settled in Monroe county. Although James' school advantages were limited and he was prac- tically a self-educated man, the natural thrift and enterprising energies with which he was endowed won for him success and the respect and confidence of his community. He served as justice of the peace for some twenty years, was a strong temperance advocate and was affiliated with the Prohibition party, and was identified with the Methodist clergy. He was born in 1818 and passed away on March 17. 1895. Ilis wife, mother of our subject. died in 1858. and he was married for a second time to Margaret Juliet Morgan. by whom he had seven children.
George attended the district schools until he was sixteen and assisted with the farm work at home. Ile remained on the home- stead until he was twenty-one and then for two years lived with his brother. After his marriage he lived on the old homestead for a time and then purchased a farm of 135 acres in the town of Wells. where he has since made his home, and is considered one of the most successful and enterprising farmers of that town. He has always taken an interest in the affairs of his town and has held many minor offices : he has been treasurer of the town for four years : was also a member of the school board for eighteen years. assessor and overseer of highways, and in polities is a Republican.
Mr. Brooks was married November 29. 1874. at Sparta. to Miss Martha Krotzman, daughter of John and Frederica Krotzman. To this union were born three sons, viz: Phillip E., born March 9. 1876. died March 9. 1905. leaving a wife and two sons: James Ernest, born March 21. 1883, physician and surgeon of Chicago, and George E .. born IInne 15, 1892. now manager of his father's farm.
Arthur F. Brownell, of section 8. Portland township. Monroe county. was born at Sheldon, Minn .. November 21, 1883, son of Arthur S. and Phoebe (MeKee) Brownell, natives of Michigan and Minnesota, respectively. When Arthur was fourteen years of age
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in 1897 his parents moved to Portland township and located on the farm where our subject now resides. The mother, who was a charming lady of many womanly virtues, passed away in 1899 at the early age of forty-one years. The father, who is still living, resides on a farm in Montana. Besides Arthur there is one brother, Philip Brownell, living in Montana, and one sister, Miss Cora Brownell, who lives in Portland township. Arthur was raised on the farm and educated in the district schools of his neighbor- hood. and sinee moving to the present farm has resided there and since the death of his mother in 1899 has had full charge of the place. IIe belongs to the younger elass of farmers of his town- ship and is thoroughly practical and up-to-date with his farming operations.
On June 29. 1904. Mr. Brownell was married to Miss Eliza- beth M. Shultz. daughter of Gotlieb and Minnie (Preng) Shultz. formerly of Portland township, but now residents in the town of Sparta. To Mr. and Mrs. Brownell have been born five children; they are Arthur G., born May 9, 1905: Ernest W., born June 1, 1907 ; Mabel E., born April 27, 1909; David L., born October 10, 1910, and Harry T., born August 5, 1912.
John B. Brunner, of Ridgeville township. Monroe county. is one of the representative farmers and substantial citizens of this section. Ile was born in Hegenheim, France, April 9, 1837. His parents were John Brunner and Anna Rieder, natives of France. In 1852 Mr. Brunner with a consin emigrated to America and first located in Washington county, Wisconsin, and for two years worked as a laobrer. He then went to live with an uncle at Black River Falls and for six years worked in a lumber camp in that locality. At the end of that time, in 1862. he came to Monroe county and purchased 146 aeres in section thirty, town of Ridge- ville. where he has since made his home. His farm is well improved by cultivation and substantial buildings. both residence and barns. On his place are two living springs, one hard and the other soft water, which furnish an abundance of pure running water for stock and drinking purposes.
In August, 1864, Mr. Brunner was drafted into service and was assigned to Company H, Third Wisconsin Infantry, and served until June 9. 1865, when he was honorably discharged. He saw much active service: was engaged in several severe skirmishes and took part in the battles of Nashville, Tenn., and Deeatur, Ala., after which his regiment was transferred to North Carolina and placed under the command of General Slocum, and took part in the engagement of Goldury and Raleigh. N. C. After receiv-
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ing his discharge Mr. Brunner returned home and in 1870 home- steaded forty acres of land adjoining his farm. Mr. Brunner has all his life been an active, hard working man, and in addition to his general farming he has carried on a profitable dairy business. keeping a fine herd of milch cows. He is now on the shady side of life and makes his home with one of his children on the old homestead, practically retired from labor.
In 1861 Mr. Brunner was married to Miss Elizabeth Wolf. daughter of Jacob Wolf. of Black River Falls. Of five children born to them four are now living, viz: Lizzie, born August 8. 1867; John. born October 29. 1870: Lonisa, born October 15, 1872, and Fred, born October 6. 1874. Mrs. Brunner, who was a kind and indulgent wife and mother, passed away in 1905. leav- ing besides her family a host of friends to mourn her loss.
Adelbert H. Burdick, who lives on his farm of 120 acres, located in one of the charming spots in La Grange township, in section 28. is a native of Hartford. Wis., and was born August 11. 1862. son of Shadrach A. and Mary Elizabeth (Hart) Burdick, natives of New York state. When a small boy the father came to Wisconsin with his parents, who located on a farm near Hartford, and when our subject was five years of age they removed to Jacksonville, Monroe county, and in the spring of 1868 to the farm where Adelbert now resides, and which at that time contained but sixty-five aeres, only ten of which were cleared, and a small house 12x16, which still stands on the place. He afterward built a modern residence to which additions have since been made. and a large and well-constructed barn. out- buildings and other improvements make this one of the ideal homes in La Grange township. The father died February 19. 1909, aged seventy-two years. Ezra Burdick, grandfather of our subject. came to Wisconsin with an ox team and was one of the early residents of Hartford and among the first settlers of that section.
Adelbert II. is the eldest son of a family of four children; of the others Roswell U. resides at Tomah. Alpha is deceased, and Vonnie is the wife of W. C. Stotera, of Montana. Mr. Burdick received his education in the district schools and in the Tomah High School. and when a young man went to South Dakota, where he preempted a quarter section of land and during the six years he was there, in addition to looking after his farm, he assisted in the survey of the country around Devil's Lake and across the river from Sitting Bull. He returned to the home farm in 1889, which he rented for five years. then moved to the
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city of Tomah and for eight years was engaged in the mercantile business. At the end of that time he returned to farm life on what is known as the Folly farm, and here built the first silo North of Tomah, and the third in Monroe county. He moved to his present farm in 1910 and has since built an addition to the barn and a silo, King system of ventilation, and a system of water works which furnishes his house with hot and cold water. Ile built a creamery room and made many other improvements. Mr. Burdick is engaged in general farming and dairying and keeps a fine herd of Guernsey cattle, of which breed he owned and raised the first in Monroe county and has a herd of fourteen full-bloods.
Hle was married March 3. 1886, to Miss Nina B. Baldwin, daughter of Alfred F. and Maria N. (Tracy) Baldwin. natives of Ohio. They came to Wisconsin and settled near Sparta in the sixties, and were later residents of La Grange township. The father died March 4, 1912, at the age of seventy-seven years. Mrs. Baldwin, mother of Mrs. Burdick, survives. Mrs. Burdick has one sister. Lueelle, who is the wife of J. C. Dunlapp, of Tomah. In religious faith Mr. and Mrs. Burdick are members of the Baptist church, and Mr. Burdick is a member of the Mod- ern Woodmen of America.
Dennis Burke*, of Wells township, who is engaged in farming and breeding blooded stock, was born in the state of Ohio. Feb- ruary 26, 1855. son of Dennis and Bridget (Heely) Burke. both natives of Ireland. The father came to America in 1840 and after a time went to New Hampshire, where he spent one year, then moved to Ohio and was employed as a laborer for five years. In 1857. when our subjeet was less than two years of age. the family came to Monroe county. Wisconsin. and located on a tract of wild land in Wells township, which the father purchased from a Mr. Faucett. Here he established the family home and by hard work and perseverance cleared the land and brought it to a high state of cultivation. By working on the farm and in the mills he accumulated sufficient means to purchase more land. and at the time of his death owned 260 aeres in Wells township. He was born in 1817 and lived for eighty years, his death hav- ing occurred in 1897. The mother, who was born in 1816. lived to the ripe age of ninety-three years and died in 1909. The father was twice married: by his first marriage he had two children. Ile married for his second wife Miss Bridget Heely. by whom he had two children. They experienced the hardships of pioneer days and lived to enjoy the fruits of their many years of toil.
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