History of Walworth County, Wisconsin, Part 110

Author: Western Historical Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 998

USA > Wisconsin > Walworth County > History of Walworth County, Wisconsin > Part 110

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

MARTIN MULVILLE, Postmaster, Delavan, appointed May, 1870, is the son of Mathew and Bridget Mulville; was born in Ireland Ang. 3. 1843. Having lost his father in childhood, he came to America with his mother in 1851, and for the next two years resided at Oyster Bay, L. I., N. Y. From there they moved to Albany, where they made their home till July, 1857, when they moved to the town of Delavan, Walworth Co., Wis. Mr. Mulville spent the succeed- ing four years on a farm. Sept. 9, 1861, at the age of 19 years, he enlisted in the late war as a private of Co. A, 10th W. V. I., and served with his company and regiment in all the battles and engagements participated in by them till after the battle of Chickamauga. During this battle, Sept. 20, 1863, he lost his left arm by a gun-shot wound, and received an honorable dis- charge for physical disability, June 24, 1864. He was married, at Delavan, July 13, 1864, to Miss Kate Golden. Mrs. Mulville was born in Ireland, and came to America when quite young. They have three children-Cora E., Julia and James. Mr. Mulville served one term as Dep- uty Sheriff and Jailer of Walworth County, and was appointed to his present position in May, 1870.

L. H. NICHOLS, manufacturer of and dealer in boots and shoes; business established in 1864; was born in Genesee Co., N. Y., Nov. 27, 1832; is the son of John and Eliza Nichols; learned his trade with his father in New York, beginning in 1842; served three years, then worked as a journeyman till 1854, when he came to Wisconsin and located at Delavan, where he worked as a journeyman till 1864, when he started in business for himself, which he has con- tinued to this date. He was married, in Delavan, Dec. 6, 1860, to Miss Ione McGraw, daugh- ter of Newton McGraw. Mrs. Nichols is a native of Wisconsin. They have one child, a daugh-

712

HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

ter. named Lionne. Mr. Nichols has, by good work and fair dealing. established a prosperous business.

ALVIN B. PARSONS, retired farmer, Delavan Village, settled in the town of Delavan Ang. 20, 1838; is the son of James and Olive Beach Parsons; was born at Johnstown, Mont- gomery Co., N. Y., Jan. 10, 1812. He received a common-school education and was brought up a farmer. He moved to Covington, Genesee Co., where he was engaged with a brother in the manufacture of gloves and mittens; from Covington he moved to Wisconsin, starting, Ang. 6. 1838, by team to Buffalo, from there by boat to Chicago, and from Chicago to Delavan by team, which he brought from the East, guided by Indian trail to Delavan. Walworth Co .. Wis., where he arrived Aug. 20. He made his home on his brother's claim, on Sec. S. At the land sale of February, 1839, he bought three-eighties on Sec. 9, and one on Sugar Creek, making 320 acres in all. all of which he has sold, and now owns only 40 acres on Sec. 7. On his ar- rival at what is now the village of Delavan, he found only one house, and that uninhabited. It was built of logs, and used on Sabbaths for holding meetings by the few settlers on the prairies. He was married, May 21, 1847. in the town of Pewaukee, Waukesha Co., Wis .. to Miss Catha- rine A. Steward, daughter of Alexander Steward. Mrs. Parsons was born in Johnstown, Montgomery Co., N. Y. They have had three children-Myra E., Ann Maria and James S. The oldest, Myra E., died when 7 years of age. The next two years succeeding his marriage, himself and family lived on the same land with his father: he then moved to his present home in the village of Delavan. He was one of the constituent members of the Congregational Church of Delavan at its organization in 1841. The first membership was eleven, of which his father's family furnished seven. When Mr. Parsons located in Delavan, there was but one other Congregationalist in the town. That was Mr. Charles S. Bailey, who lived with Samuel Phoenix, and was the first Justice of the Peace in the town. Mr. Parsons was the first Sunday School Superintendent. The school was organized as a Baptist Sunday school. He also wrote the constitution and by-laws for the first temperance organization in the town.

GEORGE PASSAGE. merchant. Delavan; business established in 1842, being the oldest dry goods merchant in the county. Mr. Passage was born in Duanesburg, Schnectady Co., N. Y., Feb. 5. 1817; is the son of John and Eleanor (Corell) Passage. When quite young, he moved to Castile, Wyoming Co., where he spent four years in a hotel. He then came to Wisconsin, arriving at Delavan, Walworth Co., in June, 1842. He at once built a brick store, the first building of the kind in the village, and commenced business in the mercantile line. The building was situated on Walworth avenne, corner of Terrace street. In company with A. H. Taggart, he carried on the business seven years, under the firm name of Taggart & Passage. He next formed a partnership with Mr. James Aram in the same business, which business was conducted under the name of Passage & Aram seven years. He was next engaged in mercantile business with W. W. Bradley, under the firm name of Passage & Bradley. In 1870, he formed a partnership with Myson Goodrich, as Passage & Goodrich, merchants, since which time Mr. Passage has conducted the business alone. Mr. Passage was active in encouraging the building of the railroad to this place, in which he sunk about $8,000. In 1865. he went to the oil regions of Pennsylvania, where he built and operated two livery stables-one at Titusville and one at Pithole. Both were burned, by which he sustained a loss of $7.000. He returned in May, 1866; was married. at Gainesville. Wyoming Co., N. Y., Feb. 26, 1840, to Miss Altie Davinson. They had six children- five girls and one boy. Eva is now the wife of J. A. Vaughn, of California: Georgiana is now Mrs. Myron Goodrich, of Arizona; Emma J. is the wife of Dr. Sawyer, of Milwaukee; Rose V., now Mrs. T. M. Stacus, of Dowerville, Cal .: Frank married Miss Barnum, and lives at Breckinridge, Minn .: Ella is the wife of Mr. Page Buckley, of Del- avan. Mrs. Passage died in December, 1866. Mr. Passage was married again, in New Scot- land, Albany Co., N. Y., in November, 1867, to Miss Ann Vanderpool, her father now living, at the age of 99 years. He has one son by this marriage-William. Mr. Passage has 18 acres of land in the corporation limits. besides twenty-five village lots. He has served several times as a member of the Village Board of Trustees.

SYLVANUS S. PAUL, farmer; P. O. Delavan: has a farm of 200 acres situated on Sec. 1, Darien, and Sec. 36. Richmond. He was born in Chili, Monroe Co., N. Y., March 4, 1828; is the son of Zebulond and Malinda Spery Paul. He was brought up a farmer; came to Wiscon-

713

HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

sin in 1847 and located on his present farm in Darien. He was married, on Christmas, 1855. in Ohio, to Miss Sophia Gibson. daughter of Prof. John Gibson. Mrs. Paul was a native of Massachusetts. They had two children-Dephonzo G. and Walter C. The older, Dephonzo. married Miss Eva Tenny, and resides in California; the younger died at the age of 5 years. Mrs. Paul died April 14, 1860. Mr. Paul was married again, Sept. 10. 1862, in Richmond, Wis., to Miss Elizabeth Green, daughter of John Green. Mrs. Paul was born in Cayuga Co., N. Y. Mr. Paul conducted his farm until 1881. when he leased it and moved to Delavan. The winter of 1881-82, he, in company with Mark Calkins, went to California, where he contem- plates making his future home.

AMOS PHELPS, proprietor of Delavan Mills, has owned and operated the mills since 1869. He is a native of Canada East, but of New England parentage. He is the son of Jeremiah and Margaret Phelps; was born June 15, 1823. He came to Wisconsin in 1846, and located at Bur- lington, Racine Co., where he was engaged in milling and farming till 1865, except two years which he spent in California, in 1850-52. He went to Minnesota in 1865, and engaged in mill- ing at Sheldon, Mauston Co. He continued at that place until 1869, when he came to Delavan and bought a half interest in a flouring-mill at this place. In 1870, he bought out his partner, and since that time has conducted the business alone. Mr. Phelps was married, at Burlington, Racine Co., Wis., Feb. 25, 1853, to Miss Maria C., daughter of Isaac Lyon. Mrs. Phelps was born in Columbia Co., N. Y. They have two daughters living, the eldest having died at Mad- ison in 1874.

CHESTER W. PHILLIPS, deceased. He was born in Glover, Vt., in December, 1833; when 18 years of age, bought his time of his father; remained in his native town until his ma- jority, then moved to Worcester, Mass., where he resided until 1861, when he came to Delavan, Wis. For the two years succeeding his arrival in this place, he kept the Delavan House. At the same time he was engaged in the livery business; sold out in 1870, and devoted his attention to farming and the growing of blooded stock and fast horses. He was the owner of a great number of the best trotters in the West. He was also interested in the extensive carriage works at Clinton Junction, Wis. His farm, situated near Delavan Lake, two miles east of Delavan, was known as Lake Lawn Stock Farm. He was married, in 1853, to Miss Hannah J. Barker. They had five children, all of whom are dead. Mr. Phillips lost his wife in March, 1868. He was married again, Jan. 27, 1869. to Mrs. Anna Mary Mabie, widow of Jeremiah Mabie, and daughter of Solomon Field. Mrs. Phillips was born in South East, Putnam Co., N. Y. She was the mother of three children by her former marriage. Three were also born by the later marriage -- two sons and a daughter-Ernest F., born Nov. S, 1869; Huldah A., born Nov. 1, 1873, died in infancy; Chester W., Sept. 8. 1874. Mr. Phillips continued to carry on the stock business on an extensive plan till the time of his death, which occurred Sept. 26, 1878. Mr. Phillips was a man who, through his own unaided efforts, native shrewdness and enterprise. had acquired a large property, but, from the nature of his business, with its many uncertainties and temptations, like many others engaged in growing fancy stock, he became embarrassed. Too proud to humble himself by changing his mode of living, he let his trouble prey upon his mind until they were ended in his untimely death. He is remembered as a true friend by those of his acquaintances worthy of his regard, and by his family as a kind and affectionate husband and father.

HENRY PHOENIX, deceased, was born in the town of Greenwich, Washington Co., N. Y., June 28, 1792; was the son of John and Martha Martin Phoenix. His father died when the subject of this sketch was 6 years of age. Some years later, he apprenticed to a tanner named Shark, at Painted Post, N. Y .. where he served till he was of age. On the death of his em- ployer, he was given charge of the business. Later, he went to Dansville, and, in company with his brother, Samuel F., he started a tannery, which they carried on till they moved to Painted Post, and from there to Perry, Genesee Co .; was there five years, then went to Troops- burg; retained the business at Perry under the management of Samuel F .; at this place, they were engaged in mercantile and other business. Henry was Postmaster. In 1836, in company with his brother, Samnel F., he came to Wisconsin Territory in search of a new home. They selected a site for a village and farms in Walworth County, naming the town Delavan, after the great temperance advocate of that name. They returned to the East, and went back to

714

HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

Wisconsin that winter with men and teams to make improvements on their land. Henry re- turned to the East, and, in the summer of 1838, having settled up the business in the East, he then set out with his family, arriving in Delavan in June of that year. His brother having moved his family the year before, and erected a saw-mill and house on the outlet to Delavan Lake, Henry brought a stock of goods with him, which was opened in the log house of his brother, and which was the first mercantile business established in the town. The following year, 1839, they built the grist-mill. a store and shops, on the present site of Delavan, had the town surveyed and platted, and thus founded the village of Delavan. The subject of this sketch was married, at Painted Post, Steuben Co., N. Y., November, 1819, to Miss Ann Jennings, daughter of John Jennings. Eleven children were born to them, five of whom are living at this date-1881. The eldest, Mary C., is the wife of Mr. John F. McKee, of the town of Darien, their farm lying adjacent to the village of Delavan: Martha is the widow of Aaron H. Taggard, and resides in Delavan; Betsy P. is the wife of L. S. Frost, of Chicago; William H. is living at Rockford, Ill. ; Ann J. is now Mrs. J. W. Patterson, of Oakland, Cal .; Ellen M. was the wife of H. B. Sullivan, and died in September, 1879, at Oakland, Cal .; four died in infancy in the East, and one in Delavan. Mr. Phoenix, while a resident of New York, represented his district in the Legislature of that State one term (1827). He was a man of pronounced religious and temperance principles, and a zealous member of the Regular Baptist Church. Full of energy and public spirit, his influence was potent in shaping the development and aiding the growth of the village of which he and his brother were the founders. His plans were cut short by his death, which occurred Feb. 27, 1842, a little less than five years after his settlement in Dela- van. The early history of this village bears witness to the excellent traits of character of the Phoenix brothers, and will always stand as a monument to their memory. Mrs. Henry Phoenix was killed by the cars at Delavan in 1857.

WILLIAM PHOENIX, deceased, one of the earliest pioneers of Walworth County, was born in Sussex Co., N. J., March 17, 1793. By occupation he was by turns farmer, clerk and school teacher. While quite vonng, he moved to what was known as the lake country of New York. He was married at Milo, Yates Co., July 18, 1818, to Miss Susan Bruce, daughter of John Bruce (who was subsequently one of the early settlers of Darien, Walworth Co., Wis. ). Soon after his marriage, Mr. Phoenix moved to Tioga Co., Penn., where he lived four years, and then moved to Franklinville, Cattaraugus Co., N. Y., where he was engaged in mercantile business. He subsequently returned to Pennsylvania, and went from there to Perry, Genesee Co., N. Y., from where he emigrated to Wisconsin in 1836, arriving in what is now the town of Delavan. Walworth Co., Sept. 26. The only settler in the town at that date was a man by the name of Perkins, who lived in a log shanty on the north side of Turtle Creek. The Phoenix family were the first settlers in the village. He was the first Postmaster of Delavan, being ap- pointed to that position in the summer of 1837. He was elected Chairman of the Town Roard of Delavan, and re-elected several times. He also served as Justice of the Peace. In 1855, he moved to Packwaukee. His death occurred Nov. 25 of that year. His widow survives him; at this writing, makes her home in Packwaukee. They had five children. The eldest, Henry H., is a resident of Whitewater; the second, Mary A., is now Mrs. Edwin Brainard, of Eau Claire, Wis .; Samuel A. married Frances Bentley, of Packwaukee, Wis .; William A. was killed in California while on duty as Sheriff of Calavaras County, aged 24 years; John W. died in Dela- van, aged 11 years.

SAMUEL F. PHOENIX, deceased, was born in Dansville, N. Y., Dec. 18, 1798. His father died while he was a mere infant, and he was reared by his stepfather, Joshua Bartlett, a man of education. at that time employed in teaching. His education, so far as it was confined to books, was gained in the common schools of his district, and was completed at the early age of 15 years, at which period he entered into business in connection with his brother Henry, a relation which continued until severed by the death, Samuel nearly twenty years after. Oct. 24, 1822, he was married, at Smyrna, N. Y., to Miss Sarah A. Kelsey, daughter of Samuel Kelsey, of the town of Sherburne, N. Y. Until 1837, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Phoenix was in Genesee Co., N. Y. In the spring of 1836, Messrs. Samnel and Henry Phoenix made a journey of exploration and inspection to the new Territory of Wisconsin, arriving during the first days of July at the present site of the village of Delavan. After making several prospect-

715

HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

ing tours in the country, on the 6th of July Henry returned to New York. On July 19, 1836, Samuel made his first claim in Delavan by blazing trees, ete., and christened it Temperance Colony Claim. This claim was near Swan, now Delevan Lake. Early in the spring of 1837, Mr. Phoenix returned to Perry, N. Y., for his family, arriving with them at Delavan in July, 1837. In February, 1838, the brothers built a saw-mill on the outlet of Delavan Lake, and. in 1839, a large grist-mill. Becoming convinced in a short time that Turtle Creek would be a more favorable location for the future village of Delavan, they determined on the present site, and, securing a traet of about 4,000 acres, located many claims for their friends, who soon fol- lowed them from the far East, and thus laid the foundation for the present beautiful and flour- ishing village. In all their enterprises, they were assisted and encouraged by William Phœ- nix, their cousin, who came with his family in October, 1836. The Phoenix brothers were men of high moral and religious principles, who were desirous of encouraging the settlement of the better class of emigrants in the little colony. To this end they encouraged and materially aided the building of schoolhouses and churches, and the sale of lots in the young village. "They also provided for the prohibition of the sale of liquors, by stipulation, in the early conveyances, that none should be sold on property sold by them. They were energetic, thrifty people, and would undoubtedly have made their influence felt in shaping the destiny of Delavan had their lives been spared. Unfortunately, they both died while the village was in its infancy-Samuel, on Sept. 6. 1840, and Henry, Feb. 28, 1842. Mr. and Mrs. S. Phoenix had only one child, a son, named Franklin K. of whom a sketch is given elsewhere in this work. The mother, still full of energy, and with mental faculties unimpaired, is an honored member of society in the village founded by her husband forty years ago.

FRANKLIN K. PHOENIX, proprietor of the Phoenix Nursery, of Delavan, Wis., is the son of Samuel F. and Sarah A. Phoenix; was born in Perry, Genesee Co., now Wyoming Co., N. Y., March 3, 1825. In July, 1837, he came to Walworth Co .. Wis., with his parents, and located on Sec. 15, town of Delavan, in September of that year. He returned East in the spring of 1.841, and attended school in his native town one year; returned to Delavan in 1842 and estab- lished a nursery, which he carried on until June, 1854, when he moved to Bloomington, Ill., where he engaged in the same business on an extensive scale, having at one time 600 aeres un- der stock, making one of the largest nurseries in the country, if not in the world; annual sale amounted to $200,000. Owing to a succession of unfavorable seasons, he became embarrassed, and was obliged to close out the business in 1877. He remained at Bloomington one year later, then went to the State of New York, where he remained until Angust, 1879, and then returned to Delavan, there he has since resided. On his return to Delavan, he re-established a nursery. He was married, at Darien, Walworth Co., Wis., Dec. 2, 1850, to Mary E. Topping, daughter or Thomas Topping. Mrs. Phoenix was born in Montgomery Co., N. Y. They had seven chil dren -five sons and two daughters-Samuel T., A. Melville (died at 18 years of age), Fred S., F. May. Frank, John J., Carrie.

EDWARD POWERS was born in Dutchess County, State of New York, on Sept. 1, 1830. His father was Col. Charles Wesley Powers, whose grandfather, Justus Powers, emigrated to that county from Naumburg, in Germany. about the year 1752. His mother, whose maiden name was Jane Ann Benjamin, was a descendant of an English family of some note. Edward was the fifth of a family of eight children, of whom four besides himself are now living, one being Rev. Dr. Horatio N. Powers, an Episcopal elergyman of prominence, and another being Dr. Frederick Powers, at present a practicing physician in Westport, Conn. The subject of this sketch was educated at Amenia Seminary, an institution situated in the vicinity of his early home. He was brought up a farmer, but, upon reaching the age of 21, he abandoned that occupation, and adopted, temporarily, that of teacher, using his leisure time for the study of the higher mathematics, in order to fit himself for the profession of civil engineering. In 1853, he entered into that profession, commencing in a subordinate capacity on a projected railroad in his native State, called the " Lebanon Springs Railroad." now known as he " Har- lem Extension, and rising from that to a higher position on a projected road in the same State, called the Sackett's Harbor & Saratoga Railroad. He also assisted for a time in the construc- tion of the second irack of the Hudson River Railroad. In the spring of 1856, he came West, accepting a position in Iowa on what was then called the Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railroad,

716

HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

one of the pioneer roads of Iowa, and forming now a part of the Chicago & North- Western Rail- way. In the location and construction of this road. ho was employed the better part of three years, during which time occurred the great financial crisis of 1857. As this disturbance in the financial world had a tendency for some time to retard railroad building in general, Mr. Powers, in 1859, went. South, and. after doing some engineering in connection with the Mississippi levees, he engaged in the work of making topographical maps of cotton plantations in Mississippi and Louisiana, having his headquarters at Natchez. He was so employed at the time of the secession of the Sonth and of the breaking-out of the war, and in May, 1861, he returned North, his business in the South having collapsed and his surroundings having become unpleasant. Early in 1862. he entered the serv- ice of the United States as a clerk in the Quartermaster's Department of the army, retaining this position until the close of the war. In 1866, he accepted a position in the engineering department of the Chicago. Roek Island & Pacific Railroad. In this capacity he made, under the direction of the Chief Engineer, Mr. E. H. Johnson, the first survey for the great bridge over the Mississippi River between Rock Island and Davenport, built jointly by that company and the United States, his plans and estimates forming the basis of the action of Congress in making ap- propriations for the work. The present bridge was subsequently built under the direction of United States engineers. As an engineer on the Rock Island road, Mr. Powers had charge of the location and construction of abont 100 miles of the line westward from Des Moines; in Iowa. In 1869, he resigned his position on that road to take charge of a railroad in Illinois-the Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur Railroad-as Chief Engineer. In 1871, he entered into the service of the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company, having charge of the location and construction of their line from Green Bay to Escanaba. 114 miles, which was built during that and the follow- ing year. - He has also at different times had charge of various other surveys and works of rail- way construction, embracing engineering operations in the States of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Michigan, and elsewhere, including the location of 195 miles of railway in Dakota in 1879, for the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company. On Oct. 27, 1874, Mr. Powers was married, in Delavan, Walworth Co., Wis., to Miss Elizabeth Adelia Sharp, youngest daughter of Capt John Sharp, deceased, and from that time this place has been his home. In 1877. he purchased his present residence in that beautiful village. He has one child. a daughter, named Sarah Cornelia. He is at present in the employ of the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company, with office at Escanaba, Mich., where he is Resident Engineer of a branch of that road called the Escanaba & Lake Superior Railway. Mr. Powers has attained some prominence outside of his profession as an advocate of the practicability of producing rainfalls by condens- ing the aqueons vapor of the atmosphere by means of concussions of artillery firing. While connected with the army. he noticed that, as a rule, great battles were followed by heavy rains, and later, he investigated the subject and wrote a book upon it entitled " War and the Weather." in which he cited numerous instances of rain apparently brought on by artillery firing, and in which he elaborated a theory of the cause of the phenomenon. He has also lectured on the subject in Washington City, New York, Chicago, and other places, and has made some efforts to induce Congress to authorize experiments in the matter by the War Department. In these efforts, made some years since, he received mnch encouragement from many prominent publie men, among whom were Gen. James A. Garfield, our late lamented President, as shown by a testi- monial in Mr. Powers' possession bearing the signature, among others, of this noble man, whose death the nation has so recently been called upon to mourn. Mr. Powers has faith that, sooner or later, though perhaps not in his own lifetime, his theory will be proved to be correct, and that man will be able to control the weather so far as to abolish droughts in this country.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Walworth County, Wisconsin, Part 110

Author: Western Historical Co Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 998

Author: Western Historical Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 998