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 66
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Edward C. Graham, is a native son of Wisconsin, and ranks among the wide awake and progressive farmers of LaGrange township. He was born in Tomah township. April 11. 1868. to Michael and Sarah (Nash) Graham, natives of New York state and Ireland, respectively. Michael Graham, who settled in LaGrange township in the early fifties, and his brother, in com- pany with their father. Thomas Graham. came to Wisconsin. where Michael died at the age of forty-three years, in 1879. llis widow. mother of our subject. still (1912) survives. They reared a family of four children: Ella married M. P. Finnerty. and resides at Tomah : Edward ( .. our subject : William, who lives on the homestead. and May. the wife of Fitz Chapman. of Chicago.
Receiving his education in the district schools of his home town. Mr. Graham assisted his father on the farm, which, since his death. our subjeet has conducted. He lives now in the enjoy- ment of his model country home: with his modern residence. erected in 1909. and his commodious barn, built in 1899, with other improvements in keeping with these, have been made. He carries on general farming. dairying and stock raising. making a specialty of Durham and Holstein cattle. Hle takes an active interest in the affairs of his township. has served as treasurer of
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his town, and was treasurer of the school district for twenty years.
He was married in October, 1894, to Miss Elizabeth Brennen, daughter of Edward and Mary (Gillespie) Brennen. of Adrian township. To Mr. and Mrs. Graham have been born four children, viz .: Marie Grace. Irene Katheryn, Mildred Ellen and Michael Francis. Mrs. Graham was a resident of Adrian township for many years. where her father, Edward Brennen, died in Novem- ber. 1909. and where her mother now resides.
Albert Grill*, the wealthy and prominent young farmer who occupies and owns the family homestead of 200 acres in sections ten, eleven and fifteen in Ridgeville township. where he was born on December 16. 1868, is the son of August and Wilhelmina (Sum- merfield) Grill. both natives of Germany, who came to America in 1858 and first located in New York state. Later they moved to Monroe county. Wisconsin, and settled in the town of Ridgeville, where they purchased eighty acres of land in section ten, and another eighty acres in section eleven, where they made their home for about twenty years, and on November 22, 1911. they moved to Norwalk and retired from active farm life. Mr. Grill has always been a hard working man, began life in the midst of "hard times." worked for small wages and endured the hardships of pioneer days, and in all respects has lived a truly strenuous life. In later years. however. he achieved a fair measure of success as a farmer and is highly respected for his honesty and integrity. IIe and Mrs. Grill now live in comparative ease and are really enjoy- ing the fruits of their early efforts.
Their son. Albert. attended the district schools while he was small, being only eleven years of age when he was forced to aban- don his chances for an education on account of his home duties. as he was the mainstay of his parents. and as the result of his econ- omy and perseverance and of his steady and gentlemanly habits, he came into possession of the homestead in his own right and since then he has made many valuable and lasting improvements on the farm in way of bringing the land up and rebuilding the residence. barns. ete .. until now he has one of the ideal conntry homes of the township. Ilis water supply comes from a drive well, 160 feet in depth. with windmill power; he is thoroughly up-to- date in his farming methods and is considered a successful general farmer. He is a Democrat in politics and has held several local offices; was assessor for two years and a member of the school board for about thirty years.
Mr. Grill has been married twice. His first marriage was with
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Miss Bertha Peth. and they had a family of seven children, only three of whom are now (1912) living. viz. : Louis W .. born Feb -. ruary 15, 1892; George, born November 20. 1897, and Elma, born January 10, 18 -. Mrs. Grill died in 1903.
The second Mrs. Grill was Miss Mary Kortbein, daughter of W. F. and A. Kortbein, to whom he was married in 1904. They were the parents of four children. all of whom are living.
Mr. and Mrs. Grill have one daughter. Veluria, born June 14, 1905.
Fred Gross, of the well known firm of Gross & Schaller. drug- gists. is a native son of Wisconsin. He was born in Armena town- ship. Wood county. on February 18. 1864, to A. L. and Louisa (Polansky) Gross, who emigrated from Germany to Wood county. Wisconsin. in the early fifties. before their marriage. A. L. Gross. father of our subjeet. who was a baker by trade. and his brother. Jacob Gross, were the only members of a large family who braved the trials and hardships of an ocean voyage in those early days to become pioneers of Wisconsin. They were both progressive and thrifty and were numbered among the most sub- stantial citizens of Wood county. The father died in 1907 at the age of sixty-nine years. Mrs. Gross. mother of Fred and daughter of Herman Polansky. a well-to-do farmer of Wood county. is still (1912) living at the age of seventy-seven.
Mr. Fred Gross was educated in the public schools of his county and early entered as clerk the employ of Garrison & Whittlesey, druggists and general merchandise, of Grand Rapids. Wis., and at the age of nineteen he had full charge of the drug department. Following this employment. Mr. Gross went to Dakota and Montana. but soon again returned to Wisconsin, and on October 1. 1884. located at Sparta. and at first was located in the store of William Potter Palmer for a period of four years. when he became a partner of Mr. Pahner and the firm was Palmer & Gross, also continuing until April. 1895. when Mr. Paul Sehaller purchased the interest of Mr. Palmer and the firm became Gross & Schaller. The building occupied by them was bought in April, 1896, at which time the store was enlarged and many improvements made, and now ranks as one of the model stores in Wisconsin and the business a thriving success.
In public affairs Mr. Gross is no less active and influential than as a business man. in advaneing the interests of Sparta. Believing it to be the duty of every citizen to contribute to the extent of his ability to the good government of the community in which he lives, and also that good municipal government is a matter of
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the greatest importance in any city, he took from his business the time necessary to serve as mayor of his eity two years, supervisor of his ward for several terms and is now president of the board of trustees of the Monroe County Insane Asylum, is ex-officio superintendent of the poor and a director in the Bank of Sparta. He is now a director of the Monroe County Telephone Company and was its first secretary. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the LaCrosse Club.
On June 24, 1903, he was married to Miss Wanetta Baldwin, daughter of R. S. Baldwin, of Sparta.
John L. Guthrie, who resides on his farm in section three. Oakdale township, is the son of William and Susan ( Wright) Guthrie and was born in Genesee Valey, N. Y .. September 2. 1837. Ilis parents were born in New York state. the father on July 18, 1803, and died on October 15, 1853. Susan Wright, mother of Mr. Guthrie, was born in Hebron, N. Y., February 7, 1808, and was married to William Guthrie at Salem, N. Y., July 11. 1831. She was the mother of four children, two sons and two daughters, of whom but one, our subject, survives. She lived to a ripe old age and died June 8. 1896. At the age of twenty-three, in 1860. John L. came West from New York and located at Fox Lake, Wis. During the same year he came to Oakdale township, Monroe county, and for a time engaged in getting ont railroad ties and wood. He later purchased from the railroad company 160 acres of land in section three, where he now resides. He was married at Tomah. April 27, 1863, to Miss Caroline Leffingwell, daughter of Hiram and Julia Leffingwell. both of whom are now deceased. Mrs. Guthrie was born in Steuben county, New York, and is the fifth child in order of birth in a family of seven children. To Mr. and Mrs. Guthrie have been born six children : Julia S .. now the wife of Frank Snider. of Oakdale; William L .. married Florence Logan, of Oakdale, now deceased, and has three children : Emma, at home; Cora is the wife of Elmer Hill, of Tomah, and has five children : Bertha is now Mrs. W. Wallace, of Oakdale, and Arthur J., who resides at home. When Mr. Guthrie first located on his present farm it was a dismal looking swamp, which, by hard work and persistent effort, he has reclaimed and converted into one of the best farms in Oakdale township. He has built a fine residence and large and commodious sanitary barn and other outbuildings and keeps his place well stoeked with a good grade of horses, pure bred Jersey cattle and hogs, and besides his general farming, he makes a specialty of
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dairying. Although on the shady side of life. Mr. Guthrie takes great pride in keeping his farm in a first-class and up-to-date con- dition. One of the very first settlers in Oakdale township, Mr. Guthrie passed through all the ups and downs of pioneer life, and is now reaping the fruits of his privations and the many years of toil.
A Republican in politics. Mr. Guthrie has always taken an active interest in the couneils of his party, and has been called upon to fill many offices of trust. He was chairman of the town board and a member of the side board for thirteen years. elerk of his school district for twenty-nine years and was one of the organ- izers of the Oakdale Co-operative Butter Association. His son, Arthur, has filled the office of treasurer. Since its organization, Angust. 1862. Mr. Guthrie enlisted in Company G, Berdons First United States Sharp Shooters. from Dodge county. Wisconsin ; he was engaged in the second battle of Bull Run, South Mountain. Antietam and Blackman's Ford. He was discharged on account of disability in February. 1863. He is a member of the Kilpatrick Post No. 29. G. A. R., of Camp Douglas.
William N. Guy, whose birth occurred in Canada. May 27. 1853. is one of a family of twelve children, three of whom are now living. born of the marriage of Thomas and Anna (Spear) Guy. natives of England and Canada. respectively; the Guys being of French extraction. Besides William N .. the others living are Orlean James, of Kansas City. Mo .. and Norman Wesley Guy, of Sparta. The parents of Mr. Guy married in Canada February 27. 1843, and came to Illinois in an early day: thence to Monroe county, Wisconsin, when William was but a mere boy. They first located and spent some time in the then village of Sparta. and subsequently removed to a farm in Sparta township and engaged in farming. Thomas Guy, the father, who was one of the pioneers of Monroe county. and a substantial and representative citizen. was born in 1822, and died in May. 1873. aged fifty-one years. Anna Spear Guy. mother of our subject. was born May 5. 1825. and died in June. 1892. aged sixty-seven years.
William N. Guy attended the district schools of his neighbor- hood. was reared on the home farm, where he remained for twenty-one years, when he located in section five. Sparta town- ship. Ile was married January 1. 1876. to Miss Isabella Nicol. She is the daughter of Alexander and Anna (Denwoody) Nicol. who came to Sparta township. Monroe county, among the first pioneers. He was the son of Robert and Mary (Pringle) Nicol. and was born in Roxbury county, Scotland. in 1827. Ilis parents
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were also natives of Scotland, where they spent their entire lives, and raised a family of two sons and three daughters; the father was by trade a shoemaker, and in religious faith was a Presby- terian. Alexander Nicol left the land of his nativity in 1852, and upon his arrival in this country settled first in Westchester county, New York, but afterwards came west to Wisconsin and located in Rock county. and worked at his trade of carpenter and joiner. In 1857 he came to Monroe county, and purchased eighty acres of land. and ever after made this county his home. Mr. Nicol was married in Scotland to Miss Ann Denwoody, a danghter of John and Ann (Stevenson) Denwoody. There were four sons and two daughters born to this marriage, namely, Alexander, Robert, John, who lives in Sparta : James resides in California ; Isabella, now the wife of William N. Guy. and one daughter who died in infancy named Jennette May. Mr. Nicol was one of the most sub- stantial and highly respected citizens of Sparta township, and after a residence of fifty-three years in Monroe county, died in 1910 at the age of eighty-three years. It was he who erected the original building that stood on the lot now occupied by the Dodge & Davis store. The mother of Mrs. Guy was born February 14. 1827, and died March 9. 1910. aged eighty-three years.
Mrs. Guy was born at Janesville. Rock county. Wis .. and when three years of age moved with her parents to Monroe county. At that time there were but three or four families in the township, which was then a dense wilderness, inhabited by wild beasts and Indians. Mr. and Mrs. Guy are the parents of five children : Anna L. is the wife of John Herring. Agnes is the wife of Carl Pieree, and Charles N. and Harry W., all of whom live in Sparta township. and Russell lives at home. Mr. Guy is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Sparta, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Maccabees. Beavers and the Order of Good Templars.
Charles N. Guy was born in the town of Sparta. March 4. 1881. He attended the district schools and remained on the home farm until he reached the age of twenty-two years. when he removed to the Teasdale farm. where he remained for two years. He next went to the Putnam farm. which he conducted for five years, and in the spring of 1912 purchased his present farm of 120 acres from Joseph Heasty.
On April 21. 1903. Mr. Guy was married to Miss Elizabeth MeGarvey. daughter of James and Mary (Ryan) MeGarvey, of Wilton. Wis. To this union have been born four children. James William, born July 26, 1904: Isabella. born April 10. 1906; Thomas, born October 25. 1908. and Nelson Arthur, born June 19, 1911.
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Harry W. Guy was born in Sparta township, February 20, 1890. He received his education in the common schools and remained on the home farm until 1911, when he removed to the Lawson farm, which he now carries on in conjunction with the work on the home place. He was married October 4, 1911, to Miss Lila Burg, of Sparta. He is a member of the Modern Wood- men of America, the Knights of the Maccabees and the Methodist Episcopal church.
Walter Roy Guy* belongs to the younger class of successful farmers of Sparta township, and was born in Monroe county April 26, 1886, and is the son of Wesley and Ella ( Aylesworth) Guy, natives of Wisconsin. Walter was reared on his father's farm, and his experience was the same as that of most farmer boys. He attended the district school of his home town, and assisted with the farm work until 1906, when he went to La Crosse and became manager of the Rapid Milling Company, remaining in that position for three years, when he came to Sparta and purchased what is known as the Sam Biddeson farm. containing 120 acres in section twenty-seven, Sparta township, where he now resides engaged in general farming and stock raising. He is thoroughly up to date in his farming methods. and keeps his farm well supplied with modern labor saving devices. Since purchasing his present farm he has enlarged his residence, built two new silos and made many other improve- ments, including a flowing well which furnishes an abundance of pure running water for house and stock.
Mr. Guy was married September 4. 1909. to Miss Sophia. daughter of Frank and Amelia Riser, of La Crosse county. Mr. Guy takes an interest in the affairs of the county, and in social matters is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.
William Henry Hanchett is a native son of Monroe county and has always lived on the farm where he now resides. He was born in 1867 and is one of a family of seven children born to George E. and Elizabeth (Oakley) Hanchett. Of the others. Azaline is deceased, Helen married Christian Dahl and lives at Bismark, N. D .; John O .: Ruth M .. now Mrs. Edward Schmidt, of Crandon, Wis .; George E., of Pierce county, North Dakota, and Herman E., of Madeline Island. in Lake Superior.
George E. Hanchett has been a resident of Monroe county since 1856. He was born in Litchfield county, Connecticut. January 22, 1828, a son of Isaae and Chloe (Brown) Hanchett. who were also natives of Connecticut. The first Hanchett came to this country on the coaling ship "Marion John" from
GEORGE E. HAANCHETT
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Plymouth, England, to Massachusetts in 1630 and was of Eng- lish ancestry. Thomas Hanchett was a Puritan of Norman French descent, and was probably the ancestor of all the Han- chetts in this country. The father of George E. died in 1840, leaving a widow, four sons and four daughters; the mother lived to be seventy years of age; her death ocenrred in Dodge county, Wisconsin. One of the sons was a soldier in the late Civil War, member of a Wisconsin regiment. At the age of sixteen years, George learned the blacksmith trade, and in 1854 he joined the train of western emigrants coming to Wisconsin, and two years later settled on a farm in Monroe county which has since been his home. He erected comfortable dwellings and other neces- sary buildings and his specialty has been fruits and berry culture, and of this industry he and his son, William Henry, have made a marked success. The father began the fruit culture in 1886 and has had as high as sixty acres devoted to this line at one time, and holds the reputation of being one of the most successful fruit growers of the state. They have made a study of the soil and climate and the varieties best adapted to these, and hence their success. Mr. George Hanchett was married on November 6, 1862 to Miss Elizabeth Oakley, daughter of John and Eliza Oakley, prominent settlers of the county. Mrs. Han- chett was born in Columbia county, New York, and died in Monroe county April 6, 1902. She was the mother of seven children. Mr. George Hanchett has represented the people of his township as clerk, assessor, treasurer and chairman of the board, and supports the principles of the Republican party, taking active interest in all their movements. Ile is loyal to home enterprises, honorable and upright in all his dealings, and worthy of the confidence bestowed upon him by his fellow citizens.
William H. acquired his early education in the district schools of his neighborhood and grew to manhood on his father's farm, which originally contained forty acres and to which has sub- sequently been added 220 acres, making a total of 260 acres known as one of the most productive fruit farms in Wisconsin. The father began the raising of small fruits in 1886, and since reaching his majority, onr subject has worked the farm in con- nection with his father, making fruit raising a specialty. The farm is highly cultivated and improved with a fine array of buildings, and besides general farming, they carry on a fine dairy business, the farm being at all times stocked with the best horses and Guernsey cattle. Mr. Hanchett, Jr., is a man of high
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standing in the community, and his upright demeanor and char- acter command the confidence and respect of all who know him. He was one of the organizers of the Sparta Fruit Growers' Association, and for several years has been its president, suc- ceeding Mr. L. S. Fisher. He has been township clerk, chairman of the town board and is a member of the state board of public affairs, and in 1912 declined the nomination to the general assembly. He is a member of the class of 1898, state agricultural college, also of the Modern Woodmen Association, the Beavers. and the Angelo Union church.
On September 16, 1909, Mr. Hanchett was married to Miss Bessie L. Anderson, daughter of Nels and Christina ( Williams) Anderson, who came from Norway in 1856 and located at Deer- field, in Dane county.
Michael M. Haney, county superintendent of schools of Mon- roe county, Wisconsin, is an earnest and enthusiastic educational worker who has established for himself a reputation that has popularized him with the patrons of the schools over which he has jurisdiction.
Mr. Haney was born August 15, 1867, at Winona. Min., son of John and Julia (McDonald) Haney. natives of County Galway, Ireland.
Late in the 50's they came to the United States and settled at Winona, Minn .. where the father was employed in railroading.
In 1870 they moved to the town of Sheldon, Monroe county, Wisconsin, and settled on a farm. Here they lived and died. he in the fall of 1903 at the advanced age of eighty years, and she in 1905 at the age of seventy-two years.
They raised a family of seven children, five boys and two girls, six of whom are now living.
Mr. Haney's parents were poor and were unable to give him the educational advantages that he desired. He. however. made the most of those offered him. After finishing the common school he walked four miles to attend the village school and began to teach on a third grade certificate. He continued to teach and go to school during vacation until he secured a state certificate. Hle assumed charge of his first school in the town- ship of Sheldon, in the district where he first attended school. This was followed by teaching in the district schools at Oil City, Lyon's Valley and Leon, and later in the villages of Glen- dale, Kendall and Norwalk in Monroe county, Ontario in Vernon 1
county, where he once attended school, and Boaz in Richland county.
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Ilis long and varied experience in teaching fitted him for the office of superintendent, to which he was elected in the spring of 1905. By the choice of the people he has since been returned to the same office three successive terms. Some of the stronger features of the work during his terms of office have been closer supervision, the introduction of the graded system, and freearm movement in penmanship and emphasis on the "Three R's."
Mr. Haney was united in marriage August 15, 1895, to Miss Lenora Moore, daughter of A. D. and Janette (Jones) Moore, of Glendale, Wis.
They have three children, Gladys J., Merwyn A., and Winona J. Haney.
Sever Hansen*, a prosperous and loval citizen of section twelve, Sparta township, Monroe county, was born in Koljing, Denmark, February 12. 1849. the only son born to Ilans and Jacobine Hansen, who lived and died in Denmark. The father was a soldier in the Danish army and was killed in battle during the war with Germany at the age of twenty-six years. After the death of his mother. which occurred three years later when she was only twenty-five years old, Sever went to live with his unele, JJohn Hansen. where he remained until he reached the age of fourteen years. lle then began to make his own way in the world by working on a farm for two years, after which he went to sea and was a sailor for about two years; farming, however, was the ocenpation which appealed most favorably to him, and he returned to Denmark and followed that line for some nine years. In 1876 he emigrated to America and arrived in Sparta, Wis., on April 1, of that year: he hired out to Benjamin Morse, with whom he remained two years. and in 1879 was employed by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company at construction work on the Viroqua branch of that road. After the completion of this he was employed at the same work in Iowa. Missouri and Canada, and later re- turned to Sparta and again took a position with the Milwaukee road and while thus employed. in 1882, he purchased his present farm, containing at that time sixty acres, to which he later added another forty acres and took up his residence there for two years. He again returned to the employ of the road for a short time, before taking up his permanent residence on the farm in 1886, and since then he has made many improvements in erecting buildings and clearing the timber land. He now has a good residence, barn, granery. machine shed. etc., and has brought the land to a high state of cultivation. making it
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one of the model farm homes in that section of the county, and Mr. Hansen is considered one of the most successful general farmers and stock raisers.
On January 8, 1883, Mr. Hansen was married to Miss Helen Hansen, a native of Norway. They have six children, viz: Ilenry T. lives in Sparta township, Carl F. is a graduate of the Agricultural Department of the State University of Wisconsin, and now in the employ of the experimental department of that institution : Emma A., Norman J., Fred A., and Viola M .. all reside at home. Mr. Hansen is known as an energetic and en- terprising citizen, and in religious association he and his family are members of the Sparta Norwegian Lutheran church.
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