History of Walworth County, Wisconsin, Part 129

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 129

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MICHAEL FARLEY, farmer, Sec. 8; P. O. Springfield. Mr. Farley is one of the pioneers of the town of Lyons, having settled here in November, 1838. He was born in County Meath, Ireland, near Dublin, in 1809; he emigrated to Canada in 1834. The following year he went to Lewis Co., N. Y., coming here in the fall of 1838 ; he settled immediately on his present farm, which he purchased of the Government. He raised his first crop the following year, sowing about 15 acres, including 10 acres of wheat. Mr. Farley has done well his part toward redeeming the wild uncultivated soil, and is now en- joying the fruit of his industry. His wife was Mary Dolan, born in County Cavin, Ireland, about 1808; after a long life well-spent as a help-mate to her husband, she passed to her reward Feb. 7, 1882. Mr. Farley has eight children, four sons and four daughters. His farm contains 160 aeres.

JOSEPH T. FLANDERS, painter, Springfield. Mr. Flanders is not an old resident of the county, having come to Geneva in April, 1867 ; he was born in Vermont in 1847 ; he was a soldier in the war of the rebellion ; he enlisted in the Ist Vt. C., in 1863, and was in active service in the field until the close of the war. He was in Grant's campaign of the Wilderness ; was with Gen. Sheridan in his Shenandoah campaign, participating in all the battles of that memorable campaign ; was at the battle of Five Forks, and participated in the closing event of the war. On the close of the war he returned to Vermont ; he engaged in business at Springfield in 1872, with Mr. D. C. Davis. They eondneted the business of wagon- making and painting ; they were in partnership about one year ; he is now engaged in the business of paint- ing. Mrs. Flanders was formerly Miss Libbie Gray.

EZRA B. FOWLSTON, farmer, See. 2; P. O. Lyons. Mr. Fowlston is the son of Thomas Fowlston, one of the early settlers of the town of Lyons. Mr. Thomas Fowlston was born in England, May 4, 1796; his parents emigrated to the State of New York when he was 10 years of age, where he was brought up. His wife was Hannah Barton ; they came to Walworth Co. in May, 1839, and settled on Sec. 3. The father of Mr. Fowlston died at the homestead, Aug. 2, 1878 ; he had four children, of whom Ezra B. was the eldest-a daughter, Betsey (is now Mrs. Collins Smith), a brother, Delos (lives in the State of New York), and another sister (is now Mrs. Maria E. Sherman). Ezra B. was born in Otsego Co., N. Y., in 1820 ; he came to Walworth Co. in 1844, and made his first settlement on Sec. 3, in the town of Lyons; he bought the farm on which he now resides in 1854, of Mr. Miner Wileox. Mrs. Fowlston was formerly Miss Almira Campbell, daughter of Peter and Anna Campbell; she was born in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y. Mr. Campbell was one of the pioneers of Walworth Co .; he settled in the town of Lyons in 1839, and died several years later, of cholera, during the prevalence of that disease in this county. Mrs. Campbell still resides in Lyons. Mr. and Mrs. Fowlston have three children-Emmet E., Romelia E. and Willie G. Mr. Fowlston's farm contains 160 aeres.

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HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

LORENZO HAND, residence on Sec. 19; P. O. Geneva. Mr. Hand, commonly known as Prof. Hand, is a native of New Lebanon, N. Y., where he was born in 1814 ; he graduated at Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., in 1842 ; he has made the profession of teaching a life-work, beginning at the age of 17 ; after leaving college, he was engaged for a number of years as Principal of academic institutions in the State of New York ; he had charge of Nassau Academy for a time, and was Principal of Greenville Academy for six years ; he went to Michigan in 1852 and took charge of what was known as Leoni Insti- tute, where he remained four years; he came to Elkhorn, Walworth Co., in 1856, where he taught a select school for two years ; in 1858, he went to La Porte, Ind., where he was Superintendent of the Public Schools for three years ; he then returned to Walworth Co., failing health compelling him to relinquish his profession ; he located on a farm in the town of Lyons, but he has found it impossible to give up entire- ly his chosen profession, and he is now conducting a private school for boys, who make their home with him, and being at all times under his influence, receive the benefit of his large experience and his well- stored mind ; he is the son of Jesse Hand, who came to the town of Lyons, with his family, in 1841 ; though he lived but a few years after becoming a resident of Walworth Co., yet he left a record as an honorable, upright, citizen, and as a man possessed of much more than ordinary intelligence and ability, and he is remembered with marked respect and esteem by all who remember him ; he died in January, 1846, leav- ing a numerous family, whose names are prominently identified with the history of Walworth Co.

NATHAN B. HAND, farmer. Sec. 11 ; P. O. Lyons ; he was born in the town of New Lebanon, Columbia Co., N. Y., in 1818 ; his father was Jesse IIand (see sketch of Lorenzo Hand) ; Mr. Hand came to the town of Lyons in 1840, and bought of the Government a farm on Sec. 12, which he owned about six years ; he went by the overland route to California in 1849, consuming six months in making the trip, driving a team of cattle the entire distance ; he was absent about two years ; he purchased his present farm about 1855, of Mr. Peter Van Slyke, of Geneva ; he removed to Geneva in 1872, for the purpose of giv- ing his children better school advantages, where he remained about eight years, and then returned to the farm. Mr. Hand is a representative of quite a numerous family of the earlier settlers of the town of Lyons, among which are numbered some of the most intelligent and substantial men of the county ; he has been married three times, his first wife was Miss Marcia K. Cowles, who died in 1848 ; his second wife, Miss Caroline Hand, died in November, 1878; his present wife was Miss Mary A. Hand, daughter of Nathaniel B. Hand ; he has two children by first marriage-Ellen M., wife of John G. Meadows, and Enima, wife of George Meadows ; he had six children by second wife-Charles H., Frank, Edwy, Rupert, Joe and Hattie.

THOMAS WARDEN HILL (deceased) ; he was born in the town of Swanton, Franklin Co., Vt., Jan. 9, 1817 ; his parents removed to Essex Co. when he was a child ; he lost his parents when quite young, and resided with Joseph Wells until 21 years of age; he came to Geneva in October, 1838; in 1839, he purchased a farm on Sec. 18, in the town of Lyons, which he owned until his death, and which is now the homestead of his family ; in the spring of 1868, he removed to the village of Geneva, and in 1870 was elected to take charge of the Walworth Co. Poor Farm, a position he occupied until his death ; he was Chairman of the Town Board of Lyons for several years ; has twice represented his Assembly Dis- trict in the Legislature, viz., the sessions of 1853 and 1863 ; he died suddenly at the homestead, May 26, 1879. Mrs. Hill, formerly Miss Lydia Ferris, was the daughter of Lewis Ferris, who came to Walworth Co. with his family in 1841, and settled in the town of Lyons; he died February, 1856 ; Mrs. Hill was born in Stenben Co., N. Y., and was married in February, 1843 ; she has three children- Marion E., wife of James E. Brett ; Henry L., who now resides in Geneva and was born March 27, 1849 ; was married to Florence E. Stearns, of Oak Creek, Milwaukee Co., Wis., Nov. 20, 1872; she was born at the same place ; and Charles Fremont, who resides with his mother at the homestead ; he was born in 1856 ; married Miss Mary E. MeBeath, born in Whitewater, Walworth Co.

PERRY G. HOPKINS, firm of Hopkins & Son, hardware dealers, Springfield. Mr. Hopkins was born in the town of Cabbot, Caledonia Co., Vt., in 1818; he lived in New England until 26 years of age, coming to Wisconsin in 1844 ; he settled on Honey Creek in the town of Spring Prairie, where he worked at the business of carpentering ; he came to the village of Springfield in the spring of 1857. Mr. Hop- kins is a carriage-maker by trade, and he established that business in Springfield, which he continued until 1876, when he sold his business to Mr. John Russell ; he engaged in the hardware business under the firm name of P. G. Hopkins & Son, November, 1880 ; his wife was formerly Miss Ennice C. Morrell, born in the town of Warner, Merrimack Co., N. H. Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins have four children-Ellen Jane, wife of Otis Vaughn, lives in Nevada ; Charles M., in Dakota ; Ida May, wife of William Dodge ; and Albert H., who is engaged with his father in business.

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HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

CHIARLES B. McCANNA, proprietor of Springfield Cheese Factory, Springfield. Mr. McCanna is a native of Jefferson Co., N. Y., where he was born in 1851 ; he was brought up a farmer ; came to Fond du Lae, Wis .. in 1876, thence to Allen's Grove, Walworth Co., where he engaged in the manufacture of cheese with Mr. Davis, owning one-half interest in the factory at that place; he and Mr. Davis dissolved partnership in March, 1878; Mr. McCanna built the cheese factory at Springfield the same year ; he also, with Mr. J. H Harris, built a factory on Spring Prairie, the same year, in which he has one-half interest. The capacity of each factory is about 200,000 lbs. per year. In 1881, the actual prodnetion of both fac- tories was 325,000 lbs., besides which they made about 40,000 lbs. of butter. Mrs. MeCanna was formerly Miss Pauline Cheeseman, daughter of Edward Cheeseman, a native of England.

WILLIAM MEADOWS, farmer and wool buyer, See. 2; P. O. Lyons. Mr. Meadows is of En- glish birth. His father, George Meadows, emigrated to the State of New York from England, and thence to Burlington, Racine Co., in 1849, and located on a farm; he removed to Walworth Co. in 1855, and purchased a tract of 290 acres of land in Sees. I and 2 in the town of Lyons. The parents of Mr. Meadows had eight children, three sons and five daughters ; the sons and four daughters are still living ; William and George now own the tract of land on which their father settled ; their brother John G. resides on Sec. 11. Their parents are now residents of Burlington, Racine Co. Mr. William Meadows was born in England in 1833, came to the United States with his parents in 1842. As a business man, Mr. Meadows is prominently known as a wool dealer, a business in which he has been engaged since 1865 ; he is probably the most extensive purchaser of that commodity in Walworth Co. ; he takes an active part in whatever tends to promote the best interests of the county and community in which he lives ; he has been President of the Walworth County Agricultural Society ; was Chairman of the Town Board for the years 1876-77 and '78, and has served one term in the Legislature of the State. Mrs. Meadows was formerly Miss Ann Armstrong, born in the State of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Meadows have three chil- dren-George, William and Lizzie. Mr. Meadows farm contains 133 acres.

EDWARD MOORHOUSE, general merchant, Springfield. Mr. Moorhouse is a native of Dutchess Co., N. Y., where he was born in 1844. When 14 years of age, he came to Walworth Co. with his father, Henry Moorhouse, who settled in the town of Geneva. Edward went to California in 1864, and engaged in quartz milling ; he returned in 1868, and bought a farm about 1870 on Sec. 8, town of Lyons, of Mr. E. Booth ; he engaged here in business in 1875, under the firm name of Moorhouse & Warhurst ; his partner died September, 1880. Mr. Moorhouse has been sole proprietor since the death of Mr. War- hurst ; he has an extensive trade ; he is also engaged in buying grain, stock, wool and poultry.

JUDSON NEFF, lumber dealer, Springfield; born in Cortland Co., N. Y., in 1833; he came to Walworth Co. with his parents, Abraham and Elisabeth Neff, in 1842. The parents of Mr. Neff settled on Spring Prairie. Mr. Abraham Neff was born in the State of New York, in 1797, and died Oct. 27, 1866. Mrs. Neff lives with her son at Springfield. The parents of Mr. Neff had four sons, two of whom grew to manhood, Judson and Henry N. The latter was a Union soldier during the rebellion, and was for a period of fourteen months a prisoner in the Andersonville Prison ; he died at St. Louis, July 26, 1866. Mr. Judson Neff was engaged for a time at the business of carpentering at Honey Creck ; he was after- ward engaged in the mercantile business at Burlington, Racine Co., for about eight years ; was afterward engaged in the salesroom of a sash, door and blind factory in Chicago ; has been engaged in his present business at Springfield since Feb. 24, 1880. Mr. Neff married Miss Celinda Fowler, daughter of Benja- min Fowler, by whom he had two children-none of his family are living.

JACOB OLP, farmer, Scc. 6; P. O. Springfield. He was born in the State of New Jersey in 1807. When 23 years of age he removed to the town of Mount Morris, Livingston Co., N. Y., where he lived until 1852, when he moved to the town of Livonia in the same county ; he came to Walworth Co. in 1854, and purchased the farm, where he has since resided, of Judge Baker, of Geneva; he has been married twice, his first wife was Mary Baylor, a native of New Jersey ; his present wife was Mrs. Eliza- beth Hicks, formerly Miss Salthouse, born in England, and emigrated to. the State of Illinois with her parents when 14 years of age. Mr. Olp had seven children by his first wife, who grew to maturity, four sons and three daughters; three sons and the daughters are still living ; has one daughter by the present wife. Mrs. Olp has three sons and one daughter by her former marriage. Mr. Olp's farm contains 125 acres of land.

JACOB QUACKENBUSH, farmer, Sec. 17 ; P. O. Lyons. He was born in Montgomery Co., N. Y., in 1809, but removed to Oneida Co. with his parents, and thence with them to Oswego ; he came to Burlington, Racine Co., Wis., from Oneida Co .. N. Y., in June, 1840 ; he settled in the town of Roches- ter, Racine Co., the same year, but sold out and settled in the town of Spring Prairie the following year ; has lived in Walworth and Racine Cos. since he first came to the State of Wisconsin ; he bought the farm where he now lives, in June, 1855, of Joseph Cahone ; he has been married twice. His first wife

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HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

died after he came to Spring Prairie ; he had five children by his first wife, four of whom are living ; he has one child by his second wife ; his eldest son Edward and his youngest child Anna are at home.

GILES G. REEVE, general merchant and Postmaster, Lyons. He is a native of Herkimer Co., N. Y .. where he was born in 1833 ; he removed to the town of Trenton, Oneida Co., when 17 years of age ; he came to Walworth Co. March 2, 1866, and settled on a farm on Sec. 27, purchasing what was known as the Crane farm, and, being located here in the village for a time, he engaged in the produce business at Burlington, Racine Co. ; he came here November, 1875, having exchanged his farm for a stock of goods with Farnum & Brown. The business was established by Sperry Northrup abont 1855. Mr. Reeves was appointed Postmaster December, 1875 ; he is also express agent at this point. His wife was Sarah, daughter of Thomas T. and Elvira Worden. Mrs. Reeves was born in Trenton, N. Y., March 6, 1834. They have two children-Parker W. and Mary E., both of whom died in infancy. Mr. Reeves is the only member of his father's family in this State.

JOEL B. SMITH, farmer, Sec. 5; P. O. Lyons; son of Chester Smith, who was born in Ben- nington Co., Vt., May 14, 1795, who is still living, and is residing with his son at the homestead, at the advanced age of 87 years. His father, Oliver Smith, the grandfather of Joel B. Smith, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war; he marched with Gen. Benedict Arnold across the wilderness to Quebec, and participated in the disastrous attack of Gen. Montgomery upon that stronghold. Chester Smith emigrated from the State of New York to the then Territory of Michigan, in the fall of 1834. He came to Wal- worth Co. in April, 1846, and settled on the farm which he purchased of John Smith. His wife was Abigail R. Bostwick. They have four children, two of whom died in Michigan, and a daughter, Martha E., wife of Henry Banker, died in 1866. Joel B. Smith was born in Clarendon, Orleans Co., N. Y., in 1834 ; he married Mary E. Fellows, a daughter of Amos Fellows. They have three children-Lura A., Halbert E. and Anna L. The homestead farm contains 143 acres of land.

CYRUS P. TAYLOR, farmer, Sec. 7; P. O. Springfield; son of Linus Taylor, who came to Wal- worth from the State of New York in June, 1845, and purchased a farm of Palmer Gardner and James Garfield, on Sec. 6, in the town of Lyons. He sold his farm in 1855, and, in 1857, removed to Cham- paign Co., Ill., where he resided until his death. Cyrus P. Taylor was born in Onondaga Co., N. Y., in 1826. He came here with his parents, and has been a resident of the town of Lyons since that time. He is one of the substantial and reliable citizens of Walworth Co .; he has served four years as Sheriff of the county, holding that position for the years 1873 and 1874, and for 1877 and 1878; has been a mem- ber of the Town Board for a dozen years, of which he was Chairman for six years. Mrs. Taylor was formerly Miss Lydia Dikeman, who came to Walworth Co., with her parents, from the State of New York, in 1845, and settled on Sec. 7, town of Lyons. Her father now lives at Elkhorn. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have two sons-Frank E. and Millard D. Mr. Taylor's farm contains 160 acres.

HENRY B. TOWSLEE, Esg., resides on Sec. II; P. O. Lyons. Mr. Towslee was born in Rutland, Vt., in 1811. He is a lawyer by profession ; studied law in his native State, and was admitted to the bar in 1832 ; he came to Wisconsin in the spring of 1839, and located at Southport, now Kenosha, where he resided till 1855, when he removed to Detroit, Mich., where he practiced law till 1858, and then he returned to Kenosha, and engaged in banking; he practiced law in Chicago from 1861 till 1869, when his health having failed he came to Walworth Co., and settled on his farm, which he had purchased in 1851. His farm contains 200 acres.

A. D. VANTINE, farmer, Sec. 4; P. O. Lyons; son of Lester S. Vantine, who was born in the eastern part of the State of New York, and came to Walworth Co. in 1844, and located the same year on the farm where his son, A. D. Vantine, now lives, where he resided until his death. His wife died previous to the death of her husband. They left two children-Darwin D. and Ashley D. The latter was born on the homestead in 1854; he married Eliza Hellowell, known as Nettie Whitmore; they have one son, Lewis A. Ashley D. resides at the homestead. Darwin D. lives at Danville, Ill. ; he was born on the homestead, also, and is the elder of the two. The homestead farm contains 96 acres.

LEWIS S. WEEKS, farmer, Sec. 4; P. O. Lyone. Mr. Weeks was born in Massachusetts, in 1818; when 15 years of age, he removed with his parents to the town of Darien, Genesee Co., N. Y. His parents were Spencer and Elvera Weeks; his father was born in Massachusetts in 1797; his mother was born August, 1798; his father came to Walworth Co., with his family, in 1843, and settled on Sec. 4, town of Lyons, where his son, G. Vernon Weeks, now lives. His father died at the homestead in 1859 ; his mother still lives at the homestead, with her son, G. Vernon Weeks. Lewis S. Weeks came here from Genesee Co., N. Y., in the spring of 1844, and purchased his present farm. He was married in the State of New York to Elvira F. Little, born in Genesee Co. They have two sons-John and Edgar A. Their farm contains 218 acres.

Em Mo Dougald

821

HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

TOWN OF LA GRANGE.

NATURAL FEATURES.

La Grange is one of the northern tier of towns, situated east of Whitewater and north of Sugar Creek. Speaking generally, the northern and southeastern portions of the town consist of rolling or hilly land, the central and southwestern of prairie land. The central sections of the town are quite flat, with slight elevations and sand-sinks. These latter are more frequent than in other parts of the county. An exception to the general hilly character of the north is the northwestern corner, in which is located a marsh containing some five sections. The direction of the hills and bluffs is from northeast to southwest. Heart Prairie, in the southwest, contains about six sections of land, and Round Prairie, in the center of the town, one. The soil in these localities is not sandy and gravelly as in the north, but consists of clay loam and sand, mixed. To the east, its character changes to a heavy clay or sand. Originally, most of the town consisted of oak openings, with small groves of black and white oak. The town is well watered. The South Branch of the Scupernong flows north through Sections 6 and 7 and a portion of 18, into Jefferson County. Pleasant Lake, in Section 24, Green, Middle and Mill Lakes, Sections 25, 26, 35 and 36, are situated in the southwestern corner. The latter three have Honey Creek as an outlet, which runs in an easterly direction. These bodies of water are surrounded generally by high bluffs and timbered land. Pickerel, pike, rock and black bass, perch, etc., find their natural homes in them. They have been stocked also with Mackinaw trout. The depth of the water varies from ten to sixty feet. The town is given up almost entirely to farming, there be- ing no villages within its limits. Nearly every variety of small grain is raised, the average yield being: Wheat, ten bushels per acre; oats, thirty; and corn, twenty-five. Very few of the farms are devoted to dairying, the only butter and cheese factory in town, operated by W. D. Stow, being burned in 1879. The raising of swine is carried on quite extensively, B. Fowler, a resident of Heart Prairie, being particularly successful in bringing his breed of Poland-China pigs to a high state of perfection.

In 1881, the following crops were growing in the town: 6,804 acres of grain; S1 of pota- toes and root crops; 190 of apples (8,070 trees); 4,027 grazing land and grasses; and 5,347 growing timber; the 621 milch cows are valued at $19,160.

During 1880, the following crops were grown and products raised: 34,947 bushels of wheat: 102,760 of corn; 49,675 oats; 12,403 barley; 4,002 rye; 8,006 potatoes; 1,645 root crops; 16,- 165 apples: 30 clover seed; 169 timothy seed: 12,700 pounds of tobacco; 2,134 tons grass; 83,- 290 pounds of butter.

VALUATION OF PROPERTY (1881).

Town of La Grange-Number of acres farming land, 22,043, valued at $414,165; personal property, $139,560; total valuation, $553,725. When first organized, in 1843, the valuation of town property was only $45,622.

SCHOOLS.

The first school in town was a private one, opened on Round Prairie in 1840, and taught by Melissa Cornish. Now, the town of La Grange consists of four school districts and six joint districts, in which are 301 children of school age. Of this number, the attendance is 211. The schools number eight, and the teachers eight; wages of the male teachers, $32 per month, and female, $21.75. The schoolhouses are valued at $3,000; sites, $250; apparatus, $25; total val- nation, $3,275.

ORGANIZATION AND EARLY SETTLEMENT.

La Grange is known as Town 4 north. Range 16 east, and was organized from Elkhorn, by act of the Territorial Legislature, March 21, 1843. The first meeting of the board was held April 3 of that year. The naming of the town is said to have originated with Cyrus Huton,

822

HISTORY OF WALWORTH COUNTY.

Moses Rand and Caleb and Levi Harris, and the all-important cognomen was decided upon at a gathering held in Charles P. Ellis' sitting room a short time before the organization. The lat- ter was a brother-in-law of the Harrises. Although named La Grange originally after the native place of Gen. La Fayette, it did not necessarily imply any intimate connection with that distin- guished patriot, but was imported from the East, where the name is common.

James Holden was the first white settler in the town of La Grange: lived there for forty- three years, and died loved and mourned. He was born in Middlesex, Vt., August 5, 1813. When twenty years of age, he went to Boston, where his brother lived. to seek employment and work in any honest way he could. After being employed at the Fulton Market four years, he went to Chicago for the purpose of seeking a home further West. Learning of fertile lands in the vicinity of Whitewater, he set out on foot, and, after examining the country, made a claim on Sugar Creek. Before he had time to improve it, however, further than to ereet a hut, busi- ness called him back to Chicago. Returning soon after, full of hope and determination to found a home in what appeared to him an unsurpassable region, imagine his feelings when he found that his claim had been jumped! But, luckily, he met Maj. John Davis. who told him of far more promising spots to the north. Thither he again directed his steps. Employing a guide, he reached the beautiful spot which he afterward called home, April 2, 1837. He came upon a gem of a prairie from the northwest, and ascended the high elevation which is now called " Lone Tree Bluff." The outlines of the prairie were so elearly cut and so suggestive of a heart that it received from him then and there, as he looked over its fair, green surface. the name which has since fastened upon it. Mr. Holden made a claim of one square mile, consisting of the timber and prairie land bordering the lake on the south. He built a shanty here, but re- moved it to a spot near the present residence of his widow, when the highway was opened. Edwin De Wolf, the brother of William De Wolf, helped him in his work and shared his bach- elor life with him. But Mr. Holden had other plans than to live this hermit life. Two years passed, and the town, especially the vicinity of Heart Prairie, had quite a number of settlers. George and Robert Esterly, Edwin De Wolf, William MeDugald, James Bret, the Worthing- tons, True Rand and others, were near neighbors; while on Round Prairie were the Cornishes, Caleb Morris, Marshall Newhall, et al. Mr. Esterly had already secured over one thousand acres of land, engaging most extensively in the cultivation of wheat, aud already commencing to experiment with "harvesting machines," not foreseeing then what it would come to. For the past year (so the story runs), Mr. Holden had much to say about a certain " Faith " who was waiting for him in the blue hills of Vermont. In 1839. he visited his native State and re- mained two years, bringing back not " Faith," but "Patience," daughter of Deacon Cyrus Bar- ber, of Barry. This happy event occurred in October, 184], and it is related now by his old neighbors that the joke hung to him for years after that Brother Holden had long and patiently sought Faith, but found faithful Patience at last. Although he disposed of most of his prop- erty, Mr. Holden resided, up to the day of his death. near the old claim, watching with content- ment the growth of the town and county from a wilderness and uncultivated prairie to a rich and improved country. Mr. Holden was genial, a good conversationalist. kind and sympathetic; and no wonder that, as his days drew to an end. a host of friends drew nearer to him. He died at 4 o'clock on Sunday morning, February 22, 1880, and left a widow and children to mourn his loss. They reside upon a portion of his original claim.

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History of Walworth County, Wisconsin, Part 129

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