History of Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, Part 103

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; Pierce, Eben Douglas
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Chicago Winona : H.C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1318

USA > Wisconsin > Trempealeau County > History of Trempealeau County, Wisconsin > Part 103

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John Bigham, for many years one of the stury farmers who helped to develop the agricultural resources of Trempealeau County, but who now resides in the village of Arcadia, was born in Putnam County, New York, Aug. 27, 1838, son of James and Catherine (McVoy) Bigham. Both his parents were born in Ireland, the father being of Scotch descent. He was reared in his native state, attending district school there until the age of 14 years, and subsequently learned the mason's trade. At the age of 19 he began working away from home, and in June, 1855, he came west alone, traveling by rail to Dunleith, Ill., and from there by boat to Fountain City, Wis. His father was already located in Glencoe, Buffalo County, having arrived there in the preceding April. John Bigham remained with his father about a month and then went to La Crosse, Wis., where he worked in a mill until 1859. While thus employed, however, he was making plans for future independence and took the surest way of doing this by investing, in 1857, in a small tract of land in Buffalo County. In the following year he bought 80 acres in Arcadia Township, two and a half miles south of the village. The Buffalo County tract he held for some years. All this land was wild and there were plenty of Winnebago Indians in the vicinity. In the fall of 1859 Mr. Bigham began breaking his land, using ox teams. Two years later he purchased 80 acres more and from time to time added to the size of his farm, continually improving it, until it now contains 253 acres in a high state of cultivation, and well equipped with good buildings and all needed accessories. In 1902 Mr. Bigham quit the farm and moved into

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Arcadia Village, where he and his wife are enjoying the fruits of their industry and thrift in days gone by. Mr. Bigham was married, Jan. 9, 1867, to Grace K., daughter of Henry and Miranda (Shelby) Gardner, who died Sept. 8, 1917. Their children, five in number, are: Bertha, born April 16, 1868, who is the widow of Clifford Baumbach, and is now engaged in teach- ing school at Whitehall; Minnie, born Sept. 9, 1870, now the wife of John McKivergin, of Whitehall, Wis .; Elmer, born March 6, 1873, living on the old farm; Ellis G., manager and secretary of the Farmers' Co-Operative Creamery in Arcadia Village, and Byrd, born Nov. 27, 1879, who is a drug- gist in Chicago, Ill. Mr. Bigham is a staunch Republican in politics and cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Religiously he was brought up in the faith of the Scotch Presbyterian church.

Peter Myers, one of the elderly residents of Arcadia Village, who may justly lay claim to being one of the pioneer settlers of Trempealeau County, was born in France, Oct. 8, 1836. When a boy of 10 years he came to America with his parents, who settled on a farm eight miles from Syracuse, N. Y., and here young Myers was reared and resided until he was 25 years old. Then, in 1861, he was married to Lena Kraner, daughter of George Kraner, a neighbor. In 1864, with his wife and eldest child, George, he came West, journeying by train to La Crosse, Wis., from there by boat to Trempealeau, and then by ox team to Arcadia Township. Here he home- steaded 160 acres of land in one of the beautiful valleys three miles south of Arcadia Village, which took its name from him and his family and is now known as Myers Valley. The land on which he settled was wild and there were no buildings on it, so his first work was to erect a small log house and barn. There were plenty of Indians in the vicinity, but they gave him no trouble, and he grubbed and cleared his land without interference. After awhile he bought an additional tract of 80 acres, and still later on other land until the farm contained 330 acres. He also built a substantial frame house, a stone barn, 36 by 60, and a stone granary, 24 by 40 feet in dimen- sions. His farming operations were conducted with intelligence and indus- try and proved successful, so that in time he became prosperous. Mr. Myers resided on this farm until 1888, at which time he retired and moved to Arcadia Village, which place has since been his home. He has always been a Democrat in politics, but was never politically active and has held no public offices. Reared a Catholic, he has been true to his faith and is a member of the German Catholic church of Arcadia. Though grown some- what feeble with advancing years, he is a man highly respected and his neighbors took a warm sympathetic interest in his celebration of his eightieth birthday, on Oct. 8, 1916. He is now a widower, his wife having passed away in December, 1899. They were the parents of eight children: George, Anna, Anton, Agnes, Clara, Rosa, Otto and Isadore. George, who was born in New York State, Feb. 14, 1862, remained on the home farm when his father moved to the village, and operated it for 15 years. He is now on one of the other farms of his father. Anna, now Mrs. John Whiffler. is residing in Arcadia and keeps house for her father. Anton, born in 1867, died in 1915. Agnes, born Jan. 6, 1869, later Sister Wilfreda, · of Notre Dame, died Jan. 3, 1917. Clara is the wife of Peter Dahm, of

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Arcadia. Otto is living in Arcadia with his father. Isadore, born Sept. 13, 1881, is living on the old family homestead, where he has been since 1904. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Edward and Julia Haines, who reside on an adjoining farm. His marriage took place Sept. 26, 1905, and he and his wife now have six children: Hildegard, Irene, Wilfred, Ethelreda, Evan- geline and Aurelia.

Louis Remlinger, proprietor of a good farm in Arcadia Township, about two and a half miles southeast of the village of that name, was born at Mauley Station, N. Y., Oct. 6, 1863. His parents were John and Mary (Seibert) Remlinger, who were married at Mauley Station about 1851, the mother having been born at that place in 1839. The father, John Rem- linger, was a native of Germany, born in 1832. In 1865 he came West with his wife and family, making the journey by rail to Dunleith, Ill (now East Dubuque), from which place they took boat to Trempealeau Village, where they remained about a week. Then they came by ox team to Arcadia Town- ship, this last trip taking a day and a half. Here Mr. Remlinger settled on 160 acres of wild Government land in Meyers Valley, on which he built a log shanty, and began improving his land. In 1875, having by this time made fair progress on his farm, he put up a more pretentious and com- modious log house, together with a barn. Later he sold this property and moved to Dodge Township, near Pine Creek, where he spent practically the rest of his life, dying at Arcadia in 1894. He was then, and had been for some time, a widower, his wife having passed away at Arcadia in 1886. They had a family of nine children: John, born in New York State, in 1853, who is a resident of Eau Claire, Wis .; Polly, born in New York State, in 1855, who is now Mrs. Fred Wenzell, of Arcadia Township; George, born in New York State, in 1857, whose present whereabouts is unknown; Jennie, born in 1859, in New York State, who is the wife of John Thompson, of Winona, Minn .; Louis, the subject of this sketch; Nicholas, born in 1867, in Arcadia Township, where he died in 1892; Frank, born in Arcadia Town- ship, in 1869, who is living at St. Mary, Idaho; Mary, born in Arcadia Town- ship, in 1871, who is now Mrs. George Sentz, of Red Wing, Minn .; and Joseph, born in Arcadia Township, in 1873, who is living in Winona, Minn. Louis Remlinger was educated in the common and parochial schools, but never reached advanced studies, as he had to assist his father on the farm at an early age. He resided at home until he was 21 years old and then worked out five years for others. He was married Sept. 9, 1887, to Eliza, daughter of Louie and Eva Fischer, of Arcadia Township. He subsequently rented and worked farms in Trempealeau County until 1895, in which year he bought 72 acres in section 1, township 20, range 10, situated about two and a half miles southeast of Arcadia Village, which place is his present home. Here he does general farming and dairying, keeping graded cows, and having an ample supply of teams and other equipment. He built his present residence, which is a very comfortable one-and-a-half-story brick house, consisting of upright and wing. He has also put up good barns, a granary, tool sheds and other necessary buildings. His wife, Eliza, died July 18, 1911, and on April 12, 1915, he married for his second wife, Barbara, daughter of John and Anna Maier, of Arcadia Township. His children, by

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his first marriage, are: Gertrude, born June 29, 1888, who is the wife of Henry W. Werner, a contracting electrician and prominent citizen of Winona, Minn .; Frank, born Jan. 8, 1889, who is a farmer in Arcadia Town- ship ; William, born March 23, 1891, who resides on the old Remlinger home- stead ; Albert, born May 8, 1892, who served with the Wisconsin State militia on the Texas border ; Elizabeth, born Oct. 4, 1895, who is residing at home ; Leo, born March 12, 1897, who lives at home and assists his father on the farm, and Raymond, born March 28, 1900, who resides at home. Mr. Rem- linger is a Democrat in politics, and for one year was a member of the township board, but otherwise has not been active in public affairs. He and his family are members of the German Catholic church at Arcadia, and he belongs also to St. Joseph's Catholic Society at Winona, Minn.

Ole Gulbrandson Eid, one of the pioneers of Hegge Cooley, spent many years of his life in developing a farm in this county, and was numbered among the substantial and successful citizens. He was born in Blakjar, Norway, and was there reared on a farm. In 1871, hoping to better his condition and to seek the broader opportunities of the New World, he brought his family to America, and while looking about for a location, estab- lished himself in Minnesota for six months. Then he came to Trempealeau County and purchased 160 acres in Hegge Cooley, Pigeon Township, and began his career as an American farmer. He broke and developed a fine place, and became one of the representative men of the county. After many years of hard work and successful endeavor, he retired, but continued to live on the homestead with his son, Gilbert, O. He died there Aug. 26, 1904, and his wife passed away Dec. 21, 1893. They were the parents of six children : Ole and Marius, who are dead ; Gilbert O., on the old homestead ; Andrew, a merchant at Merrillan, Wis., and Hans and Ole, farmers in North- field Township. Jackson County.

Gilbert O. Eid, of Hegge Cooley, Pigeon Township, has one of the best developed farms in this region, and is regarded as one of the most modern and progressive agriculturists in this part of the county. Since young boyhood, he has devoted his efforts to improving his present place, and the results, bearing testimony on every side to thrift, foresight and apprecia- tion of.beauty, have fully justified his endeavor. Born in Blakjer, Norway, June 14, 1858, son of Ole Gulbrandson Eid and Marte A. (Thoreid) Eid he came with them to America in 1871, lived six months in Minnesota, and then with then came to Hegge Cooley. He assisted his parents with the farm duties, and in 1884 purchased the home place. Previously he had purchased two 40-acre tracts adjoining, and later he bought other adjacent property, until he now owns 420 acres of as good land as is to be found in the county, all being in section 2, except 40 acres in section 3. Upon acquiring owner- ship of the homestead, Mr. Eid continued its improvement. He remodeled and enlarged the dwelling, barns and other buildings, and in 1900 he erected his present sightly home. This is an ideal farmhouse in every way, beauti- ful, comfortable and convenient. It is heated with hot air system, equipped with modern plumbing, furnishing a continual supply of hot and cold water, and is provided with an electric light plant, illuminating both house and barns. The other farm buildings are fully in keeping with the residence.

MR. AND MRS. OLE (GULBRANDSON) EID

GILBERT O. EID AND FAMILY

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The whole place is beautified with a well-kept lawn, dotted with flowers and shrubbery, and sloping in grassy sweeps from the building to the highway. The farm is a fertile one and produces the usual crops ; diversified farming and stock raising being conducted along the latest approved methods, and a specialty being made of a fine dairy herd of Holstein cattle headed by a full-blooded sire. In addition to his farm holdings, Mr. Eid is a stockholder in the Pigeon Grain & Stock Company, the People's State Bank, of White- hall, and the Whitehall Community Hospital. Mr. Eid was married July 2, 1882, to Karen Koxlien, who was born in Faaber, Gulbrandsdahlen, Norway, on Nov. 25, 1859, and died Sept. 20, 1907. Throughout all her married life she proved a faithful wife, a loving mother and a kind and charitable woman, and her death was not only a great loss to the family, but a matter of sincere grief to the community wherein her worth was known. She left seven children: May, Olga Nora, Clara, Ella, Anna, George A. and Orvel. May was born May 28, 1883, and is the wife of Charles Borreson, a farmer of Rat Cooley. Olga Nora was born May 22, 1885, and is the wife of Albert Johnson, who helps operate the Eid farm. Clara was born Sept. 30, 1886, and lives at home. Ella was born Feb. 7, 1891, and is now the wife of Ed- ward Goplin, of Hale Township. Anna, born Sept. 22, 1892; George A., born March 12, 1895; and Orvel, born Dec. 25, 1897, are at home. March 27, 1913, Mr. Eid married Mrs. Amelia (Christopherson) Foss, born Feb. 12, 1860, daughter of C. Christopherson and Christine (Peterson) Christopher- son, and widow of Anders Foss, who died April 26, 1900, leaving four children : Anna, now Mrs. Richard Lieske; Carolina, Mabel and Jose- phine.

Henry R. Trowbridge, a successful farmer of section 20, Trempealeau Township, was born on the homestead on which he now resides, Oct. 20, 1877, son of Hiram I. and Eliza (Brown) Trowbridge, a memoir of whom appears elsewhere in this volume. In his boyhood he attended the district school, also spending two seasons in the schools of Winona, Minn. He was trained to agriculture from his early years, and has always remained on the home farm. Sept. 29, 1902, he was married to Tillie, daughter of Gilbert and Auline Gooden, of Holland Township, La Crosse County, Wis., the marriage taking place at the home of the bride's parents and the ceremony being performed by the Rev. W. C. Hill, pastor of Galesville Presbyterian church. Mr. Trowbridge brought his wife to the farm just before Christmas, 1902. Their family circle has since been widened by the birth of two children: Grace, born Aug. 2, 1903, and Gerald, born April 2, 1909, both of whom are living. Mr. Trowbridgeisengagedin general farming and dairying. His farm contains 250 acres, of which 140 are plowed land, the balance being in pasture and timber. The buildings are in good condition and the farm is well stocked. Mr. Trowbridge is also a stockholder in the Farmers' Co- Operative Packing Company, of La Crosse. He is not active in politics, but votes the Republican ticket and has served as treasurer of the school district. Since 1898 he has been a member of Camp No. 2813, Modern Woodmen of America, Trempealeau Village, and he and his wife belong to Trempealeau M. E. church, of which he is a steward, Mrs. Trowbridge being active in the Ladies' Aid Society.

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Hiram I. Trowbridge, in former years one of the leading citizens of Trempealeau Township, and known and respected throughout the county, was born in Meadville, Crawford County, Pa., May 15, 1837. Subsequently he accompanied his parents to Belvidere, in the northern part of Illinois, and just before the Civil War the family came to Trempealeau County, Wis., where the father bought a tract of prairie land. Hiram, with two of his brothers, Edward and Henry, purchased the farm in Trempealeau Town- ship, which included a portion of the old mission grounds. On April 20, 1875, he was married to Eliza (Brown) Johnson, widow of Samuel A. John- son, who had served as a soldier in Company C, Thirtieth Regiment, Wis- consin Volunteers. She was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., July 30, 1848, and at the age of 7 years came West with her parents, the journey being made by train to Dubuque, Iowa, and from there by boat to La Crosse, Wis. Her marriage to Mr. Trowbridge took place on the latter's farm in Trempealeau Township, where their son Henry now lives, and there they began house- keeping, Mr. Trowbridge continuing to improve his farm. In this work he was successful and in time became not only one of the prominent men of his township, but a representative citizen of the county. He and his wife had children as follows: Robert D., born March 17, 1876, and now living in Trempealeau Township; Henry R., born Oct. 20, 1877, residing on the home farm ; Guy E., born Aug. 14, 1880, who is a resident of Great Falls, Mont .; Irenus, who died in infancy, and Myrtle A., born May 31, 1889, who resides with her mother in Winona, Minn. Hiram I. Trowbridge died Nov. 23, 1900, the news of his death being received with sorrow by a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, by whom he was esteemed for his many sterling traits of character.

Julius Hensel, a pioneer, was born in Prussia, Jan. 7, 1833, and was brought to this country by his parents at the age of 5 years. His wife, Sarah E. Simpson, whom he married at Cross Plains, Dane County, Wis., was born in England, Dec. 25, 1835, and came to America at the age of 5 years. In 1856 he came to Buffalo County, in this State, and two years later brought his wife here, overland by ox-team. Together they started to carve their fortunes in the wilderness. So well and faithfully did they labor that their original tract of 160 acres had in 1861 been increased to a whole section of land. Loyal to his adopted country, he listened to the call of duty in 1862 and enlisted in Company F, Twenty-fifth Wisconsin Volun- teer Infantry. After doing valiant service for about a year he was wounded at the battle of Atlanta and as a result was confined in the Alfred Harvey Hospital, where, after his partial recovery, he was retained as an assistant for a while before his honorable discharge. Upon his release he returned to his farm, where he successfully carried on farming operations until the summer of 1876, when he retired and moved to Arcadia, where he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of 11 children : Phalana, of Whitehall; Frederic W., of Hay Creek, Ore .; Frank (deceased) ; Alfred Harvey (deceased) ; Hiram E., of Arcadia; Leroy (deceased) ; Ruth E., the wife of Robert Pedder, of Arcadia; Charles, of Sheyenne, N. D .; Earl F., of Whitehall ; Herman T. (deceased), and Fannie J. (deceased).

MR. AND MRS. EARL F. HENSEL

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Rev. Thomas Grafton Owen, clergyman, poet and philosopher, was born in Champaign County, Ohio, July 30, 1830, and at the age of 7 years was taken to McDonough County, Ill., where he received a common school educa- tion. At the age of 28 he entered the service of the Methodist Episcopal church, being ordained deacon at Hannibal, Mo., in 1858, and elder at Hud- son, Mo., in 1860. Mr. Owen took charge of his first church in Illinois. The principal part of his work was in Missouri until the outbreak of the Civil War. In that conflict he did volunteer service as a chaplain. As a member of the Christian Commission he came North, and spent the re- mainder of his life here. In 1870 he left the Methodist church and entered the Congregational church. As pastor of that denomination he came to Trempealeau. Later he moved to Arcadia, where he resided for many years. During his latter years he was a clergyman of the Unitarian faith, serving numerous congregations throughout the Trempealeau Valley and elsewhere. Much of his time was devoted to philosophical and poetic writ- ings, many of which are embodied in his "Drippings from the Eaves," a book worthy of a high place in American literature. After a long and use- ful life, he died April 26, 1912. He was married in Bushnell, Ill., in 1858, to Isabell Provine, who died in October, 1873. In 1874 he married Margaret Craig, who was born in England in 1839.

Earl F. Hensel, attorney, journalist and public speaker, former county judge and former county attorney, has been prominent in political and public affairs in Trempealeau County for many years, and being still a young man, his friends predict for him a still more brilliant future. He is a native of this State, having first seen the light of day in Glencoe Town- ship, Buffalo County, Feb. 2, 1875, son of Julius and Sarah E. (Simpson) Hensel, who brought him to Arcadia, in this county, as an infant. As a youth he passed through the public schools of Arcadia, and was graduated from the high school there with the class of 1892. With this preparation, he became a teacher for seven terms, three in Buffalo County, one in Trempealeau County, and three in Lamoure County, N. D. In 1897 he entered the law department of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and was graduated therefrom. with the class of 1900, receiving the degree of LL. B. At Blair he hung out his shingle, and there began his professional career. While at Blair he was for a while one of the editors of the Blair Press. His practice soon assumed proportions of importance, his legal ability commanded attention, and when the death of Robert Christianson in July, 1904, left a vacancy in the office of district attorney, he was appointed to the position and moved his family to the county seat. So faithfully and ably did he serve that he was elected to the office that fall and re-elected in the fall of 1906, serving until the close of 1908. In 1912 he was again elected, serving until the close of 1914. In the meantime, July 3, 1909, he had been appointed county judge to serve out the term of Robert S. Cowie, giving universal satisfaction to the attorneys and to the people. Since retiring from county office, Judge Hensel has devoted himself to the practice of his profession, as well as to journalism as local editor of the Whitehall Times-Banner. In addition to the offices mentioned, Judge Hensel has been village attorney of Blair for four years, village attorney of Whitehall eight

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years, township attorney of several towns at various times, president of the village of Whitehall one term, and member of the county board one term. His fraternal relations are with the A. F. & A. M. and the B. R. F. F. Of commanding physique, compelling voice, brilliant oratory and broad kindli- ness, Judge Hensel is a man of marked personality, and it is natural that he should be a leader in local and county affairs. His abilities as an orator are widely known, and in the dark days of the entrance of the United States into the Great War he has been of valuable service on the side of loyalty and patriotism. Judge Hensel was married March 19, 1902, to Eunice G. Owen, daughter of Rev. T. Grafton Owen. This union has been blessed with two children: Alfred Harvey and Margaret C. Alfred Har- vey was born Dec. 31, 1902, endeared himself to all of those with whom he came in contact during his brief life, and died Dec. 24, 1916. Margaret C. was born Dec. 20, 1909. Mrs. Hensel is one of the leading women of the community. She is prominent in all society and charitable work, was one of the founders of the Ladies Chautauqua Circle, has been very active in Red Cross work, and has been an important factor in the daily life of Whitehall for many years.

August Reck, now living retired in Arcadia Village, after a busy life devoted to agricultural pursuits, was born in Poland, Aug. 26, 1844, son of Matt and Chrestena Reck. In 1870 he came to the United States with his parents and other members of the family. Journeying by train to La Crosse, Wis., they took boat from that place to Trempealeau, and from there the party, consisting of father and mother, August, with three sisters and a brother, walked to American Valley, where another brother of our subject, Veto Reck, had already settled. On their arrival, August, then 26 years old, found that he had but 35 cents left of his pecuniary resources. How- ever, the family got together money enough to purchase 80 acres of land in American Valley, which they obtained from Dan Dewey. There seems to have been no improvements on the place, for Mr. Reck at once built a dugout in the side of the hill, with sod roof, for a residence, in which primi- tive dwelling the family lived for two years. The work of grubbing and clearing followed immediately after and furnished him and his sons with strenuous work for some time to come. Until they were able to raise a crop, August had to carry provisions from Trempealeau, a distance of 17 miles, on his back. In 1872 August erected a small log house. By 1874 things were in more promising shape and he began a separate domestic life by marrying Mary Ressel, daughter of Martin and Katherine Ressel, of Arcadia Township. He purchased the farm in his own name and continued to develop it, gradually increasing its value by cultivation and the addition of needed improvements, including the building of a stone house to replace the old log structure, this more substantial dwelling being inhabited up to 1913. In 1905 August Reck sold the farm to his son George, who now owns it, and who in 1913 replaced the stone house by a modern two-story, square, frame house of nine rooms. At the same time, or in the same year, he bought 160 acres in Korpal Valley, to which farm he moved, and where he resided until 1915, when he sold it to his son Joseph and took up his residence in Arcadia Village, where he is now living retired, with his

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History of Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, Part 103

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; Pierce, Eben Douglas Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Chicago Winona : H.C. Cooper Number of Pages: 1318

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; Pierce, Eben Douglas
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Chicago Winona : H.C. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1318