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 76
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On August 7, 1862. at Tomah. he enlisted in company D, twenty-fifth regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war. His regiment was sent to Minnesota during the Indian Massacre, afterwards returning to La Crosse. and in February. 1863. was ordered to Columbus, Ky .. and from there to Vicksburg, and took part in the siege of that city, and the capture of Helena, Ark. He was with Sherman on his march to the sea and later his regiment was transferred to the army of Tennessee. At the battle of Atlanta, his company went into the engagement with thirty-four guns and came out with seven- teen. Ile was honorably discharged at Washington, D. C., in 1865. In fraternal matters. Mr. Maltby is a member of the Masonic order, and Henry W. Cressy Post, G. A. R., of Tomah.
F. E. Markgraf *. The parents of F. E. Markgraf, Frederick and Anna (Umbright) Markgraf, came to America from Ger- many in the early fifties with a family of two children. After two years spent at Madison. Wis., they moved to the town of Sheldon in Monroe county, where the father purchased a small farm, which he afterwards sold and purchased 320 acres of wild land in sections ten, three and eleven of the same town, and there established a family home and commenced the life of a farmer in the then new country. With no capital but his native ability, in a wilderness without settlement, and markets and trading posts a long way off, and the only means of transportation an ox team. here he built a small log house, and as there were no shingles or roofing to be had, bed sheets were substituted for the roofing which sufficed until a better one could be procured. There the
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family lived for six years, when a larger and better log house was constructed, which they afterward occupied for twenty years. Mr. Markgraf set diligently to work clearing and cultivating his land, and from a sickly calf presented to him. he commenced the raising of stock which resulted in the successful breeding and the building up of a large herd of Durham cattle, with which he in later years kept the farm well supplied. In those early days wild game was plentiful and the family relied on the deer for their meat supply. Mr. Markgraf. Sr., was in every way a suc- cessful farmer, a model citizen, and well informed on almost any subject. In politics he was a Republican, and in religious matters affiliated with the German Evangelical church. In this family there were twelve children, of whom two sons and four daughters are now living. Prior to the death of the father he sold his farm to his son, the subject of this sketch. His wife, mother of our subject. is also deceased.
F. E. Markgraf was born in the town of Sheldon. July 20. 1862, and had the advantages of the district schools until his fifteenth year. He assisted in the management of his father's farm until he purchased it. He cleared 100 acres. and following in the footsteps of his father, has brought it from a wild to a highly cultivated state, and with the substantial residence, barns and other outbuildings, makes it one of the best farms in Sheldon township. Besides general farming, Mr. Markgraf is a breeder of Durham cattle, high grade hogs and sheep, and his farm is well supplied with modern equipments.
He was married at Watertown, Wis., to Miss Tillie Osbreich. daughter of William and E. O. Osbreich. They have three chil- dren, viz: Elma, born February 26, 1890; Louis, born March 4. 1895, and Ada, born April 24, 1897.
David C. Marten*, whose parents. David F. and Caroline (Link) Marten, were early pioneers of Wilton. Monroe county. owns a nice farm of 160 acres in sections four and nine of Wilton township. He was born here on February 22, 1868. and attended school until he was fifteen years old and for several years after- ward, worked as a farm hand in his neighborhood. On November 23. 1898. he was married in the town of Oakdale, to Miss Amelia Rogge, daughter of Henry and Johanna Rogge. She was the sixth child of a family of nine children and was educated in the district schools. Mr. and Mrs. Marten have two children. Erma Caroline, born September 19. 1899. and Elba Henry, born March 18. 1903.
David F. Marten came to America in 1857, two years after his
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brother came, and settled in Monroe county. David worked as a farm laborer for a while, then bought eighty acres in section three, in the town of Wilton, and lived there until he died on August 22, 1905. They had a family of nine children, eight of whom are living. He was a hard working man and good citizen, and in acquiring his beautiful home, he passed through the trials and hardships of the pioneer, and at his death, left his widow and family in comfortable circumstances. Mrs. Marten is still living at the age of sixty-six years.
Our subject is a successful farmer and makes a specialty of the dairy business ; he keeps the best grade of stock and uses the latest methods in his management of the farm. In 1901 he built a nice barn and in 1898 built his residence, with which his other buildings correspond. He is independent in his political views and they are devoted members of the Lutheran church.
Frank Mashak* is another one of the wide-awake and pro- gressive men of Portland township, and is the son of Frank J. and Razy (Sleider) Mashak, natives of Poland and Bohemia respectively. The father came to the United States with his parents when he was nine years of age and early in the seventies he located on a farm of 182 acres in section seventeen, Portland township. Monroe county, where our subject, Frank, was born October 9. 1877. When the father settled on his farm, it was all wild land covered with a heavy growth of timber, which he cleared and brought to a good state of cultivation, improving the farm with a substantial residence, barns and other outbuild- ings, and here made his home until 1904, when he moved to the village of Cashton, where he now resides. Mr. and Mrs. Mashak raised a family of seven children. of which our subject is the third in order of birth. The others are: John, of Cashton : Lena, the wife of Jake Konen, resides in Washington township, La Crosse county; Razy is the wife of Albert Marx and lives at Cashton; Vincent lives at Melvina, where he is engaged in the hardware business; Lonis and Edward, who reside in Portland township.
The subject of this sketch attended the district schools and lived on the home farm, assisting in the farm work until 1904. when he purchased the place, which he has since carried on with marked suceess. He is engaged in general farming and dairying and uses all the improved methods in his operation.
On June 7. 1904, Mr. Mashak was united in marriage with Miss Amelia Dagenhardt, daughter of Henry and Katherine Dagen- hardt, of St. Mary's Ridge. Jefferson township. To this union
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has been born five children, viz: Ethel. Clarence. Raymond, Sylvester and Lorine. Mr. Mashak is a public spirited, enter- prising citizen, and takes an active interest in the affairs of his town and county, and for three years has been a member of the town board. Religiously he and his wife are members of the Middle Ridge Catholic church.
John W. Mashak*, son of Frank J. and Razy (Sleider) Mashak, early settlers and prosperous citizens of Monroe county, was born January 25, 1872. in the town of Portland. He attended the dis- triet school and remained at home with his parents until he was twenty-three, when on May 23. 1895, he married in La Crosse comty. Miss Mary Corn, one of a family of eight children. Mr. and Mrs. Mashak have two children. JJoseph and Levi. After his marriage. Mr. Mashak purchased a farm of 215 acres, where he lived for five years, then moved into the village of Melvina in Jefferson township, and for a short time was engaged in the saloon business. He erected a large briek business building, which is now owned by Tony Pelzer. After disposing of his interests in Melvina, Mr. Mashak, in 1905, moved to the village of Cashton and again embarked in the saloon business, but soon moved from his first location to one near the depot. and after one year, re-purchased his first saloon and has since operated that.
Besides the 215-acre farm which he owns. he purchased in 1906 another farm adjacent to the village of Cashton, which he disposed of in 1907. He also owns considerable property in Cashton. In 1911 he went into the automobile business and now conducts a large garage where he does all kinds of automobile repairing and handles the sale of the Jackson antomobile. and is doing a splendid business in this line.
Mr. Mashak is one of the most enterprising business men of Cashton. public spirited and progressive, and takes a com- mendable interest in all publie matters, especially in those of his town and county. Ile is a Democrat in politics, and both he and his estimable wife are members of the Pine Hollow Catholic church.
Vincent Mashak*' leading hardware merchant at Melvina. Monroe county, Wisconsin, was born April 14. 1883, and is one of a family of eight children, seven of whom are now living. born to Frank and Razy (Sleider) Mashak, natives of Poland and Bohemia respectively ; both are now living. the former at the age of sixty-two and the latter at the age of sixty years. Emigrating to America, the father started life as a poor man, locating near Melvina in Monroe county. forty years ago. He endured the
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struggles and hardships of pioneer life in a new country, and by hard work and perseverance became the owner of six hundred acres of land, much of which was in its wild state. He was ener- getic and thrifty, and brought the land to a good state of cultiva- tion and improvement and it is now worth $100 per acre. He recently removed to the village of Cashton, where he now lives in retirement. enjoying the fruits of his many years of activity and toil.
Vincent, though comparatively a young man, possesses good business judgment and is prosperous in his hardware business. He received his education in the common school, which he at- tended until sixteen years of age, then for three years was em- ployed as elerk in a Cashton store. In 1905, he purchased a stock of hardware and located at Melvina, where he has dealt exten- sively in general hardware, agricultural implements, gas engines and sanitary dairy machinery. Besides his business interests, Mr. Mashak is quite an extensive owner of real estate in Melvina.
On May 8. 1907, Mr. Mashak was married to Miss Lizzie Seitz, daughter of Anton Seitz, and to them have been born two children. viz : Earl and Alta Mashak. In politics, Mr. Mashak is independent in thought and action, and in religious matters he and his wife are members of St. Mary's Catholic church.
Ellis E. Matteson, a native of Monroe county, Wisconsin, is the son of Mark P. and Eliza ( Loek) Matteson, and was born in Little Falls township. December 9, 1867. The father was a native of Michigan and the mother was born in Canada in 1852. They rame to Wisconsin with their family and settled at Hartford, Wis., moving from there to the town of Little Falls near Cataract. where the father purchased a farm of 120 acres. established the family home and reared his family and lived until his death in 1889. He was a successful farmer, and as a man, was held in high esteem and respected as a citizen and neighbor. He took a keen interest in the affairs of his town and county and served on the town board. and for several years was a school director. He was a Republican in polities, and he and his wife were mem- bers of the Episcopal church. They had a family of nine chil- dren, of whom six are now living, viz: Mrs. Christenia Hyslop. Mrs. Amy Morgan, D. T., V. M., A. L., and Ellis E.
Reared on the home farm, Fllis E. attended the district school until he was sixteen years of age, assisted with the farm work and remained at home until he attained his twenty-third year. On April 30, 1891, he was married to Miss Bertha A. Richardson, daughter of Joel F. and Martha M. Richardson. They are the
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parents of three children: Mabel Claire, born April 23. 1892; Hazel Bell, born January 26, 1894, and Forrest Clyde. born JJune 20. 1897. After his marriage, Mr. Matteson lived on the home farm until 1898, when he moved to Black River Falls, Wis., and engaged in the livery business, which he followed for four years. Disposing of his interests here, he returned to Monroe county in 1902 and purchased a farm of 110 acres in the Leon valley. and has since made this his home. He is successfully engaged in general farming and stockraising and keeps his farm well stocked with a good grade of horses, cattle and hogs; he operates an extensive dairy, the income from which amounts to abont $1.200 per year. Since purchasing his present farm, ho has made many improvements, erected a silo, separator house. ete. He is known as one of the progressive and publie spirited citizens of his town, employs modern methods in his farming operations, and is president of the Leon Valley Creamery Association.
E. M. McCann, an extensive farmer and stock raiser of Monroe county, owns a farm in Wilton township, where he resides. He was born April 12. 1867. in the town of Wilton, the son of Patrick and Mary McCann. both natives of Ireland. Patrick came to America some time during the forties, and after stopping for a short time in New York. he moved to Walworth county. Wisconsin, where he was married and lived for several years, then moved to Monroe county and bought 120 acres of wild land and set to work to establish a new home, and after passing through the usual hardships and privations of the early settler, he acquired a comfortable home. where he spent the remainder of his life and died in 1895. His widow is still (1912) living. They had a family of seven children, six of whom are living. They were members of the Catholic church, and Mr. McCann's political views were with the Democratic party.
Edward M .. our subject. was the second youngest of the fam- ily and attended school until he was eighteen, living at home until he was married, October 12. 1892. in the town of Wilton, to Miss Mary Kerrigan, daughter of James and Margaret Kerrigan, and one of a family of five children. three of whom are living. They were also natives of Ireland and came to America some time in the fifties and settled in Walworth county, and later, in 1867. moved to Monroe county, where the father bought 120 aeres of land in Ridgeville township and made their home for sixteen years; he then bought 160 acres in section twenty. township of Wilton, and was at the time of his death in 1905 an extensive
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land owner. Her mother is still living at the age of seventy-five years.
Mr. and Mrs. MeCann have had eight children, seven of whom are living. viz. : James, born April 27. 1894; Marie, born June 5, 1896; Cecilia. born December 12. 1900; Lucy, born April 12, 1902; Edward, born October 12. 1904; Mabel, born February 5, 1906, and Laurenee, born August 13, 1910.
Mr. MeCan is a successful general farmer and his home is ideal in every respect. Ile keeps the best grade of stock and makes a specialty of dairying with a herd of twenty-five Holstein cows. Ile is constantly improving his farm and remodeling his buildings ; he built a new residence in 1906 and his outbuildings correspond. He is a public spirited man : was manager of the Farmers' Creamery Company, of Wilton. for ten years and was one of the organizers of the Farmers' Livestock Association. and is a member of the Catholic church and of the Catholic Order of Foresters.
John McCann* is one of the extensive land owners of Wilton township. and earries on the dairy business on a large seale. He owns seven forty-aere tracts in sections twenty. three and seven- teen. and another twenty acres in section twenty. He was born November 17. 1858, in Walworth county, Wisconsin. the son of Patrick and Mary (Kerrigan) MeCann. both natives of Ireland. Hle lived at home on the farm until he reached his majority. and attended school up to his twentieth year. After his school days were over. he worked as a farm hand on his own account for about two years, and then bought an eighty-acre traet in section twenty, Wilton township. He was married in Tomah; Monroe county, on April 9. 1891, to Miss Bridget Cummings, whose people also came from Ireland in an early day. She was the second of a family of four: her parents were prosperous farmers and highly respected; the father died in 1874 and the mother in 1900, both members of the Catholic church.
Mr. McCann is a successful general farmer and well liked by his neighbors. He is a Democrat in his politics. a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters. and both himself and wife are members of the Catholic church.
Thomas H. McConnell*, who is one of the prosperous farmers in LaGrange township. was born in Green county, Wiseonsin. January 31. 1856. His parents were James and Mary (Dellears) McConnell. both natives of Wisconsin. When Thomas was nine years of age, his parents moved to Walworth county, where they made their home and spent their lives. The father died in 1909
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at the age of eighty-one years, and the death of the mother occurred in 1901 at about sixty-eight years.
Thomas II. attended the district schools of his home town. and was employed at farm work. having been bound ont until he reached the age of eighteen. He remained in Walworth county until he became of age, and then for a time resided in Green Valley. He then went to Dell Rapids in 1883, where he purchased a farm of 160 acres. built a residence and made other improve- ments. After residing here for nine years. he returned 10 Walworth county and purchased a fine farm of 160 acres, paying therefor $10.000. Here he remained for eleven years, and dis- posing of his interests. he. in 1903. moved to Monroe county and purchased his present farm of 160 acres, in section twenty-eight. LaGrange township, which he has since improved with modern buildings. Hle carries on general farming and the place is well stocked with high grade horses, hogs and a fine herd of full blooded Guernsey cattle. Mr. MeConnell has a model home, which he has acquired through his thrift and good management. and is counted as one of the most substantial citizens of the county.
He was married in 1881 to Miss Clara E. Spensley. daughter of Robert and Eliza Spensley. of Walworth county. Wisconsin. They have three children. viz. : Robert E .. at home : Charles HI .. a student in the University of Wisconsin. and Clifford R. McConnell.
Bruce E. McCoy is of Scotch ancestry and is proud of belong- ing to a race of pioneers. He was born in western New York in 1829. when the stage coach and canal were the only means of travel. His father. Jesse McCoy. in 1844. came with his family to Racine county. Wisconsin, via the Great Lakes from Monroe county. New York, and settled on the naked prairie. when the country was devoid of roads and bridges, farm buildings, school houses and the conveniences of civilization. It took four years of work in the woods in winter, prairie breaking in summer. house and barn building in the new home before the town of Mount Pleasant boasted of a schoolhouse, which was built mostly by private subscription. This school was built and conducted on the old plan of seats around the outside, teacher boarding around and parents furnishing wood and paying the teacher pro rata for their children. He became the first teacher at a salary of $10 per month, and for seven years continued to teach in winter and work on the farm in the summer. He was elected and served as town superintendent of school for three years. He helped in organizing the Racine County Agricultural Society and became its first see-
BRUCE E. M 'COY
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BIOGRAPHY
retary. In 1864 he was elected chairman of his town upon war issues and immediately organized and was elected captain of company G, forty-third regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, infan- try, being mustered at Milwaukee. He participated in the battles of Johnsonville and Nashville and later was detailed as judge advocate of a military commission, with headquarters at Murphysborongh. Tenn., and so continned until his regiment was mustered out at the close of the war.
On his return from the war he was married to Miss S. Allonva Bowker, daughter of Abram Bowker, also a pioneer settler, and due to ill health sold his farm and went into the milling business at Kenosha. Wis. In 1868, he, with W. L. Hughes, purchased the La Fayette mill at La Fayette, Monroe county, and continued its operation until it was washed away completely in the great flood of March 1876. During this time the pine forests in towns of La Fayette and Greenfield were being eut and the mill furnished the flour and feed for the Parmlee. Wilsonville. Tester and Bacon sawmills. He also furnished about 10,000 railroad ties and 5.000 cords of wood annually for the Chicago. Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway at La Fayette Station (since discontinued).
About 500 Winnebago Indians made their summer camping ground at La Fayette, and his business relations with them were always pleasant and no difficulties ever arose, nor did he ever loose any money by trusting them.
Hle was chairman of the town of La Fayette during five years of his eight years' residence there. He opposed the bondmg of the town for $4,000 to secure the building of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway from Elroy to Sparta, and with others suc- ceeded in cutting the bond issue to $2,000. He was the lone mem- ber of the county board of supervisors to oppose the selling of $31.000 of tax certificates to George Runkle for 10 cents on the dollar, and taking the brunt of the bitter grafting opposition. filed his written protest on behalf of the town of La Fayette. and event- ually recovered from the county, for the town, the face value, dollar for dollar, of all La Fayette tax certificates so sold.
On the complete loss of his La Fayette mill in 1876 he bought the depot mill in Sparta, which was burned in Jannary, 1878. Ile immediately rebuilt the present standing mill. which three years later he sold to Peter Miller, and later, with Lyman Newberry and others, joined in developing a silver mine in Colorado, in a new camp, to which, at that time. both the Rock Island and the Union Pacific railroads were extending their lines. Simultane- onsly both roads stopped their work and the camp was a failure.
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Just before going "dead broke" he and Henry Foster and others took a hand in townsite building, went into North Dakota, took up homesteads on the banks of a fine lake, in what is now McIntosh county. theu unsurveyed except into townships, and on a line of what they believed a railroad survey northwest from Aberdeen would take. They surveyed a village plat for a county seat, gave away lots to all who would build on them, had a nice country town, but when the looked-for railroad came the railway station was established four miles away. and the villagers moved their houses and the county seat over to it. About this time he bought the Sparta Democrat of B. W. Perry, and the Sparta Advertiser off F. A. Brown, and consolidated them into one plant. He was the editor and publisher of the Monroe County Democrat for ten years, advocating honesty in politics, as well as in personal matters. Individual, rather than class development in our schools. integrity rather than policy for success in every- day life, state rights as against a stronger central government. a broader patriotism as against the selfishness of partisanship and of seeret societies.
After selling The Monroe County Democrat in 1895. he gave much of his time to the development of ontlot 125. on which the Gillman mill stands, and other real estate transactions in Texas and Old Mexico.
Ile cast his first vote at the time the old Democratic party was selling our public domain at $1.25 per acre and was plotting to make slavery national instead of sectional. His vote was against both these, and he continued a loyal Republican up to the time it resumed specie payment. and later demonitized silver and began its crusade for a greater centralization of political power in the general government.
In 1881 he bought his present home. corner East Oak and East avenue, where his sons. Robert and Clark, grew to manhood. and from where he buried his wife in 1893. and his son. Clark. in 1907.
In 1910 the first large manenver camp of 10.000 federal and state troops, under command of General Hodges. U. S. A., was stationed on the United States military reservation in the town of La Fayette and in his honor was named "Camp Bruce E. McCoy." In 1912 encampment was similarly so named. and both the Chicago. Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway and the Chicago & Northwestern Railway have named the railway station in La Fayette "McCoy."
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The last seventeen years his home has been in the family of his son, Robert.
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