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 67
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Calvin L. Hanshaw, one of the progressive farmers of Port- land township, was born near Monmouth, Warren county. IN .. and is the youngest and only living son of a family of four children born to James and Susannah (Osborne) Hanshaw. The others are Elizabeth, now Mrs. William Whistler, of łowa : Maggie and William, both of whom are deceased. The parents of Mr. Hanshaw, who were natives of Indiana, moved to Ohio after their marriage, and thence to Illinois, where our subject was born, and there the father died in 1867. Ilis widow, mother of our subject, survived until 1904, when she passed away at the age of eighty-two years.
C'alvin was reared on the home farm in Illinois, where he continued to reside until 1872. when he came to Wisconsin and located on his present farm of 155 acres in section seventeen. Portland township. Here Mr. Hanshaw lived for many years in a log house of the early day pattern which was replaced in 1900 with a beautiful and commodious frame residence, and with his modern barn and other outbuildings and the high state of cul- tivation to which he has brought his land, he has one of the best farm homes in the county. He carries on general farming and stock raising and with his thorough methods of operating. he has made a grand success. He is recognized as one of Portland's best citizens. ever ready to aid in any enterprise for the benefit of his town and county.
On February 6, 1901, Mr. Hanshaw was married to Miss Matie Jones, daughter of John X. and Laura Ann (Wheldon) Jones, of La Crosse county. There were nine children in the family; besides Mrs. Hanshaw: Herbert, of Newton Center. Wis .: William, of Bangor: Delia, deceased; Newton lives at Sioux Falls, S. D .: Jesse, of Bangor, Wis .: Nellie, of Winnipeg. Canada ; Jonnie, of Sparta. and one who died in infancy.
CALVIN HANSHAW'S RESIDENCE
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To Mr. and Mrs. Hanshaw have been born two children, viz : Elvira May, born June 9, 1902, and Orville Calvin, born March 3, 1905.
Orlando H. Hastings, veteran of the Civil War, was born at Charlestown, Orleans county, Vermont, March 7, 1840, and is the only surviving member of a family of nine children born to Osmyn and Dolly (Buek) Hastings, natives of Caledonia county, Vermont. The other children were Dolly Aun. Osmyn, Delight. Climena, married Bernard Whitney: Ozro B .. Orsino, twin brother of our subject : Josephine A .. and Angelette J. When our subject was ten years of age. his parents moved to Wisconsin and located in Dodge county. In 1852 they moved to Juneau county and in 1859 to Monroe county where they settled on a farm of 150 acres of wild land in LaGrange township, which the father sold in 1867 to Levi Woodard. and thence moved to Minnesota, where they spent one year. Exchanging farms with their son-in-law, Bernard K. Whitney, they returned to La- Grange township and lived on the farm of seventy acres, where our subject now resides. They later returned to Minnesota. where the father died in 1878 at the age of seventy-five years and the same year his wife, mother of our subjeet, passed away at the age of sixty-nine years. He was prominent in his town- ship, and was always an active man of affairs and was called to the various local offices of trust.
Orlando HI. received his education in the district schools and remained on the home farm until he reached his majority, when he secured employment at farm work in Dane county, Wisconsin. At the age of twenty-two, on August 14. 1862. he enlisted in company F. twenty-fifth Wisconsin infantry, and was mustered into the service at La Crosse. After a few months spent in Minnesota and at Madison, his regiment went to Columbus, Ky., and the following May to Vicksburg. On account of illness Mr. Hastings went to the hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and was given a furlough of three months, at the end of which time he returned to his regiment at Helena, Ark. ; thence the regiment proceeded to Cairo, Ill., and was with Sherman in the Atlantic campaign. Again becoming ill, he was sent to several field hos- pitals and afterwards to the hospital at Rome. Ga., where, on account of disability, he was discharged on October 2, 1864. He then returned to his home in LaGrange township, where he soon after married and for three years conducted a farm in Glendale township, then returned to the town of LaGrange and spent three years. He then went. again to Glendale and in
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1875 came back to LaGrange township, where he has since made his home, actively engaged in general farming.
He was married March 7, 1866, to Miss Clarissa J. West, daughter of the late Hiram West. She died in 1882 in her thirty-fifth year. They had six children born to them, viz: George W .. deceased ; Lettie J. is the wife of Albert Doolittle, of Vilas county, Wisconsin; Lydia I., wife of Fred II. Bundy, of Sand Point, Idaho; Mary Josephine, deceased ; Ella C., married William Kampman, of Minneapolis, and Orlando Jay is deceased. Mr. Hastings married for his second wife, Miss Christina Semersen, daughter of Christian Semersen. a native of Denmark. She died December 9, 1910, aged sixty-four years. Mr. Hastings has been active in the affairs of his town and has been director and treasurer of the school district. He is a member of the Henry W. Cressy Post, G. A. R., of Tomah.
Lyle H. Heath# belongs to the younger class of prosperous farmers of Monroe county. He was born in Arcadia. Trempea- lean county. Wis., and is the son of Edwin S. and Anna (Busby) Heath, of La Crosse and Trempealeau counties. The father removed from Trempelean to La Crosse county, and in 1911 came to Monroe county. The paternal grandparents of Mr. Heath were Oscar B. and Ann (Miller) Heath, long-time resi- dents of Marengo. Wis., and who later removed to La Crosse county, where he died in 1902. His wife, grandmother of our subject. survived nine years and passed away April 2. 1911. Lyle II. attended the public schools and was reared on a farm in La Crosse county. where he lived until the fall of 1911. when he removed to Monroe county and purchased the Dedrick Langrehr farm of 160 acres in section five, Sparta township. He is engaged in general farming and takes pride in raising Holstein cattle. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Yeomens. While only a recent settler in Sparta township, Mr. Heath is interested in the affairs of his town and county, and is one of its most loyal citizens. He has one brother, William O., who resides in Los Angeles. Cal.
Mr. Heath was married on September 1, 1910, to Miss Martha LaFleur, daughter of Henry LaFleur. of New Amsterdam. Wis. They have two children, Mabelle A. and Willard L.
M. O. Heffernan, cashier of the Farmers' State Bank. Nor- walk, is the son of Morris and Elizabeth (Sims) Heffernan. natives of Canada and England respectively. His father in early life left his native country and came to the States, and for some time after his arrival, followed the occupation of a
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sailor on Lake Erie. His next move was westward, this time coming to Wisconsin, where he arrived in the early fifties, loeating in Hazel Green township, Grant county, where he engaged in farming and continued to reside, and at the time of his death in 1904, owned one of the best farms in the county. His widow, mother of our subject, still survives. Mr. Heffernan, grandfather of M. O., was also a native of Canada, where he spent his life in the occupation of farming. The ancestors on the Heffernan side were of Irish descent, while the Sims family were of English extraction (Cornish). William Sims, the maternal grandfather, was for many years a resident of Hazel Green township, Grant county, where he died in 1890 at the age of ninety years.
M. O. Heffernan was the ninth child of a family of thirteen children, twelve of whom are living; the others besides our sub- jeet are John, of Wilton; William, deceased; Albert lives at Ireton, Iowa ; Thomas, of Dubuque, Iowa; Abbie, wife of E. J. Osborn, Carroll, Iowa; James E. lives at Birmingham, Ala .; Mary is the wife of Grant Wills and resides at Cuba City, Wis., as does Osear; Walter lives in Beloit; Jesse E. at Black Earth, Wis .; Clyde and Elmer reside at Platteville, Wis. Mr. Heffernan, our subject, received his education in the public schools of Grant county and at the Platteville Normal school, graduating from the latter institution with the class of 1901; he began teaching the same year at Hollandale, Wis., and in 1902 became principal of the Norwalk high school, continuing as such until 1909. In 1905 he was a candidate for county superintendent of schools in opposition to M. M. Haney, but was defeated after a hotly contested campaign. Closing his term as principal of the high school in 1909 he went to Hayti, S. D., where for two years he was engaged in the furniture business. Returning to Norwalk in May, 1911, he became cashier of the Farmer's State Bank, which position he still retains. This financial institution was organized September 17, 1907, with a capital of $10,000. The total footings of this bank often reached the snug sum of $100,000, and is considered one of the soundest institutions in the county.
On August 16, 1907, Mr. Heffernan was married to Miss Mabel McGary, daughter of Eugene and Lydia McGary, one of the prominent and highly esteemed families of Norwalk, and whose biography appears elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Heffer- nan are the parents of two children, viz: Olive Lydia, and Eugene, who is deceased. Mrs. Heffernan was graduated from
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the Sparta high school with the class of 1898 and for several terms was a teacher in the schools of Norwalk.
Adam J. Heintz. Among the many successful and public spirited farmers of Portland township. Monroe county, is Adam J. lleintz. He is the son of Peter and Barbara Heintz, natives of Germany, where Adam was born February 20. 1847. the eldest of a family of seven children. Of the others, Katherine is the wife of William Jenson and lives at Cashton: Caroline, widow of August Miller. Portland township: Adeline, wife of John Schmitz, of Portland township: Mary, deceased. was the wife of Peter Weber. When our subject reached the age of one year. his parents emigrated to America, arriving here in 1848. They came to Wisconsin and first settled in Jefferson county, and in 1863 moved to Monroe county, where the father purchased eighty acres of land in Portland township, to which he later added three 40's, and here established the family home where they passed the remainder of their lives. The mother died in 1882 at the age of seventy-six years: the father survived until August 2. 1892. when he passed away at the age of seventy-two years.
Our subject was reared on the farm and attended the district schools, assisting in the farm work until twenty-three years of age. when he purchased 120 acres of wild land in section twenty-three, Portland township, and was one of the first settlers in that section. Starting in life with no capital but his native ability, he endured the many hardships of the pioneer, and by the good graces of W. H. Blyton and Martin Erickson. of Sparta, who extended him a line of credit for supplies. he was enabled to clear his land and place the same under cultivation. The first successful crop raised was wheat. His farm is under a high state of cultivation and well improved with a good residence. barns and tobacco sheds and other buildings. He has spent his whole life in farming and has been generally successful.
In August. 1872, Mr. Heintz was married to Miss Victoria Mashak, daughter of Bartlemas Mashak. Mrs. Heintz died two years later in 1874, leaving one daughter. Anna, who is now the wife of Matt Marx. of Brush Creek. His second marriage was with Mary Schmitz, daughter of John Schmitz, of Portland town- ship. Of this union six children have been born, viz: John lives at home: Peter lives at C'ashton: Lena is the wife of August Meisner. of Portland township: Maggie is the wife of Frank Masenberg, of Jefferson township: Christ and Agnes Heintz are at home. In the early days of the township Mr. Heintz was a member of the side board and for thirty years has been treasurer
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of the school district. He and his family affiliate with the Pine Hollow Catholic church.
Herman Heintz*, a prominent farmer of Oakdale township, was born in Monroe county, Wisconsin, March 3, 1866, the son of John C. and Caroline (Hubert) Heintz, both natives of Germany. The parents came to America in 1852, and located in Waukesha county, this state, where they lived for five years. In 1857 they moved to Monroe county, where the father purchased 120 acres of land in section thirty in the town of Oakdale, to which he later added sixty acres, all of which was wild land covered with timber. He erected a log house of one room, in which the family lived for twenty years, and with his own hand cleared eighty acres, and placed the same under a good state of cultivation. The trip from Waukesha to Monroe county was made in a second class wagon which contained all their earthly possessions, and which was drawn by an ox team. Some relies from this old wagon are now in possession of our subject. They were honest, hard working people, devoted to their home and family and were members of the Lutheran church. Their family consisted of eight children, five of whom are now living. As a man he took great interest in all publie matters, and for twenty years was school clerk of his town, and secretary of his church. The mother was also born in Germany, and died in 1906.
Herman was educated in the district schools and at the age of twenty years purchased 180 acres of land in sections ten, twenty and thirty. Oakdale township, being the old homestead. Many of the improvements made by his father were on the place. the residence, which has been rebuilt by Mr. Heintz, was erected thirty-six years ago, and the barn was built thirty-eight years ago. A modern, up-to-date barn. 30 by 104, has recently been built, and a large compressed air tank furnishes water through a system of pipes for both house and barn. Mr. Heintz has an ambition to run his farm in the latest up-to-date manner, and in his operations uses all the modern devices. Ile was the first man in Monroe county to use a manure spreading machine, which was ordered direct from the factory, and he is the first man in the town of Oakdale to engage in alfalfa raising. He makes a success of this adventure, and during this year of 1912 has cut three erops from five aeres. He is an extensive dealer in and breeder of Holstein cattle, and now has a fine herd of 250 head. In addition to his general farming operations, he carries on an extensive dairy business, and is also an extensive raiser of full-
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blooded white leghorn chickens. In every sense Mr. Heintz is a model and influential citizen, and one of the prosperous and progressive farmers of the county.
John Heintz, who is one of the successful citizens of Jefferson township. Monroe county. Wisconsin, was born in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, July 17. 1854. the son of Michael and Catherine (Boltz) Heintz. The parents were natives of Rhein Pfaltz, a prov- ince of Bavaria. The father came to America in 1849 and first located at Grand Haven. Mich .. where he was employed in the pineries for four years. In the fall of 1852 he returned to his native country. got his wife and came back to America in the spring of 1853 and settled on forty acres of land in the town of Sullivan, Jefferson county, and there passed his life. He was born in Mareh. 1824, and died November 6, 1870. His wife, mother of our subject. was born in 1836. and died March 3. 1898. The father had a liberal education. secured in his native country, and after settling in this country, experienced all the ups and downs of pioneer life. He was honorable and upright, and a man of genial disposition, and with his wife was a member of the Catholic church. At the time of Michael Heintz's death. Mrs. Heintz. mother of our subject. acquired 140 aeres of land in Jefferson county. and in 1863 Michael Heintz purchased 160 acres of land, part of which was in Monroe and a part in Vernon county.
John attended the common schools until he was seventeen years old. and lived with his mother until 1884. when the family became separated, and he began to look out for himself. Has improved a farm and at present has one of the best, if not the best, orchards in the town. In 1911 had a fruit yield of 300 bushels of apples. On May 6. 1884, he was married at Ottawa. Waukesha county, to Miss Barbara Bischel, daughter of Henry and Barbara (Ruf) Bischel. To this union has been born nine children. viz. : Gertrude B., born September 22. 1885, graduated from the Cashton high school in 1905, and for five years she taught school in Monroe and Chippewa counties, Wisconsin, which she gave up to accept a position with Marshall Field & Co .. of Chicago. At present (1912) Gertrude is employed in one of the departments of the Boston store, Chicago; Clara J .. born October 31. 1887. is in business at La Crosse Steam Laundry; Bruno Henry, born January 21. 1890. is at home on the farm; Michael P., born Deeember 29, 1891: Agnes G .. born December 22, 1893: Frances Emma, born May 12. 1896: Imcia M., born September 17. 1899: Philamena. born May 29, 1902; Francis, born August 7. 1904. Several of the children attended high school at Cashton.
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Mrs. Heintz is the fourth child in a family of eleven children, eight of whom are now living. Her father came to America in 1851 and located in Waukesha county, Wisconsin ; he was born at Gallinsheim Hessen Dormstadt, Germany, on the Rhine, July 18, 1828. The mother was born Angust 20, 1831, in Bavaria, Ger- many, and came to America with her parents in 1849. They were married at Ottawa. Waukesha county, Wis .. in 1857, and cele- brated their golden wedding April 20. 1907. They have five sons, three daughters and forty-three grandchildren. Mr. and Mrs. Heintz are members of the Catholic church, while in politics he is a Democrat.
William Heiser, one of the influential and public spirited eiti- zens of Jefferson township. is the son of Adolph Heiser and Eliza- beth (Fuhrmeister), both natives of Germany. The father came to America from Germany in 1851 with his brother William, and located at Beloit, Rock county, Wis. He was a watchmaker by trade and followed this occupation for some time in Beloit, when in 1856 he moved to the town of Jefferson, in Monroe county, and purchased 120 acres of land in section twenty-three, and there made his home and engaged in farming for thirty-six years, when he retired from active labor and spent the remainder of his life
enjoying the well-earned fruits of his many years of toil. He died at Milwaukee in 1908. He had received a good education in his native county and was a man well posted on all current topics. He was well known in Monroe county as one of the most successful farmers: was prominent in public matters, and all worthy projects received his hearty support. He was a Democrat in politics and took a great interest in the affairs of his party. For several years he was chairman of the town board and clerk of the town. and no man stood higher in the estimation of the community than did he. The mother of our subject, who was a woman of many virtues. died in 1882.
William Heiser was born at Beloit, Wis .. October 5. 1854. and is one of a family of five children, four of whom are now (1912) living. He received his education in the district schools which he attended up to his eighteenth year, assisted his father in the farm work and lived on the homestead until his father retired. In 1844 the grandfather, Christopher Fuhrmeister, emigrated from Ger- many to America and first located at Rockford, Ill., and after- wards, in 1856. removed to Monroe county and purchased a farm of 320 acres in sections twenty-two, twenty-three and twenty- seven, in the town of Jefferson. He was a successful farmer and one of the pioneers of the county. After his death. the farm was
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acquired by our subject, who has since made many valuable improvements. In 1904 a large barn was built. the residence was enlarged and the land improved by cultivation so that now it is one of the most fertile and productive farms in Jefferson town- ship, and is located five miles northeast of Cashton, and the farm is well stocked with good cattle, horses and hogs, while the up-to- date methods used in his operations makes him one of the most successful farmers and dairymen in his town. Publie spirited and generons, Mr. Heiser has always been active in affairs of his county and has held several offices of the town; he was constable for one year. assessor three years, clerk of the school district for twelve years and is now serving his twelfth term as chairman of the town board. He has also been connected with several busi- ness enterprises ; he was president of the Farmer's Creamery of Cashton for two years, and treasurer for eight years: vice presi- dent of the Monroe County Tornado Insurance Company of Mon- roe county, and is president of the American Society of Equity; he is a Democrat in politics and active in the councils of his party.
Mr. Heiser has been twice married, first on July 26. 1890. to Miss Matilda M. Smith. Two children were born to this union. viz .: Frederick G .. born October 29. 1891. and William J., born April 29. 1893. Mrs. Heister died in 1893, and he married for the second wife Miss Adelia Smith, daughter of Jacob and Kate Smith. October 2. 1899. Her parents were both natives of Germany. The father died in 1904 and the mother survives at the age of eighty years. They had a family of ten children. One daughter has been born to this second marriage-Elsie, born March 7. 1900.
C. C. Helmke*, a resident of Wilton, Monroe county. is an extensive stock raiser and general farmer, and was born in the town of Wilton. September 17, 1864. Ilis parents. Christian and Elizabeth (Marten) Ilehnke, came from Germany to America in 1850, with one child. and located in Columbus, Wis .. for a short time, then moved to Monroe county the following year. where for five years Mr. Helmke worked as a farm laborer. In 1855 he bought a farm of his own, containing eighty acres, in section nine. of the township of Wilton. where he lived for years in a log cabin of two rooms, and later added to his original purchase another eighty-acre traet. all of which was wild land and had to be cleared and broken before any profits could be realized. He died in 1872 and the remaining ones of his family continued to live there, and in 1877 erected a new frame house in which they lived until our subject bought out the interests of the other heirs and erected a fine new residence in 1899, which has since been his home. The
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mother died in 1906. They were well educated, thrifty and highly respected people and members of the Lutheran church. Ile was a Democrat in politics.
C. C. attended school until he was fourteen years of age and was the mainstay of his parents on the farm and instigated most of the later improvements. Ile was married on June 3, 1897, in the town of Wilton to Mrs. Hannah Pach. Her people also came from Germany and located in Monroe county in 1870: they had eight children, seven of whom are living. They are now living in Wilton. the father at the age of seventy-three and the mother is seventy-one, and both are devoted members of the Lutheran church. Mr. Pach owns 160 acres of fine land in Sheldon township.
Mr. Helmke has been a successful stock raiser for thirty years; he is a Democrat in politics and has served as assessor of the town of Wilton and was also treasurer for three years and for twenty years was a member of the school board.
David Hemstock, a prominent drayman of Sparta, is the second eldest of a family of ten children. Ile was born in Milwaukee county. Wisconsin, October 13. 1858. to William and Elizabeth (Steadman) Hemstock, natives of England and Canada, respect- ively. The parents came to Wisconsin more than fifty years ago and located in Milwaukee county, where they remained for a short time and moved to La Crosse county and purchased a farm in Burns township, which by hard work and perseverance they brought to a high state of cultivation and made it their homestead until 1899, when the father died at the age of seventy-three years.
William Hemstock. the paternal grandfather, was a native of Canada, where he spent his life and raised his family of four sons. the third being the father of David. our subject. Mr. Steadman, maternal grandfather. was a native of London, England, and was a captain on the high seas for some time. Ile came to Canada and made that his home for a number of years. and moved to La Crosse for a short time and later to Chicago, Ill., where he spent the remainder of his life.
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