History of Walworth County, Wisconsin, Part 143

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 143

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AUSTIN MOODY, contractor and builder, Geneva. Mr. Moody was born in South Hadley, Mass., in 1837; he first eame to Geneva in 1857. In the following year he engaged in the drug business, the firm being Moody & Smith. After about one years' partnership, Mr. Moody purchased the interest of his partner, and conducted the business alone until October, 1861, when he sold out to Mr. George Ferris; he then returned to Massachusetts, and began the business of contracting and building with his father-in-law. In 1864, he enlisted in the 61st Mass. V. I., and served until the close of the war in the capacity of Hospital Steward. After the close of the war, he went to Indianapolis, Ind., and engaged in the business of life insurance ; he returned to Geneva in 1867. Since his return, he has been engaged in contracting and building. Of the many beautiful and costly dwellings at Geneva, and along the shores of Geneva Lake, Mr. Moody has had the contract for, and superintended the construction of the greater part, including the buildings of J. S. Rumsey, George Dunlap, N. K. Fairbanks, Edmund Burke, etc. ; he also built the Episcopal Church of Geneva, a beautiful edifice, built of round or cobble stone, a Gothic structure of rare beauty and design. Mrs. Moody was formerly Miss Ellen C. Sherman, a native of Massachusetts. Mr. and Mrs. Moody have three children-Irene M., Jennie S. and Henry Spencer.

GURDON MONTAGUE, Geneva; Mr. Montague is a native of Weathersfield, Conn., where he was born in 1819 ; he removed when 11 years of age to the town of Trenton, Oneida Co., N. Y. ; he began to learn the trade of millwright when 16 years of age, which has been his principal business through life ; he eame to Milwaukee in 1845, landing in this eity on June 30 of that year ; he came to Walworth Co. in the fall of that year ; he soon after, with his brother Richard, built a saw-mill at the head of Geneva Lake, where the saw and feed mill of C. L. Douglass now stands; he also built a saw-mill in the town of Richmond for Isaac Ferris ; he came to Geneva in the fall of 1846, and has resided here since, except a year's residence in Delavan ; he built the grist-mill of R. W. Warren, and has done much of the millwrighting in this and surrounding counties. Mrs. Montague was formerly Miss Maria Post, who came to Wisconsin from St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., in 1847. They have two daughters-Eva M., wife of O. B. Myers, of Canon City, Colo., and Louisa O., wife of S. M. Butler, of Englewood, Ill.

JAMES B. NETHERCUT, book-keeper for John Haskins Manufacturing Company ; he was born in Geneva in 1856. His father is George S. Nethereut, one of the earliest settlers of Geneva. He received a commercial education at the Spencerian Commerial College, Milwaukee ; he has occupied his present position since 1878.

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CHARLES A. NOYES, Postmaster, Geneva ; son of Charles A. Noyes, Sr., who was born in West- ern New York, Sept. 12, 1812 ; when about 18 years of age, Mr. Noyes, Sr., went to Buffalo, and en- gaged in elerking for Pratt, Taylor & Co., shipping merchants of that eity. He went to Chicago early in the spring of 1836 ; then to Milwaukee, where he met and formed the acquaintance of Mr. Juno, the pioneer settler of that city. He had been in Milwaukee but a short time, when hearing of Geneva Lake, and the advantages offered by the water privilege here, he resolved to come hither, which he did the same spring. Mr. Noyes beeame identified with the very earliest history of Geneva, an account of which will be found elsewhere. In 1837, he went to Richmond, Ill., and made a claim which included the water privilege of that town. He remained there about one year, when he sold his claim ; he then removed to Hebron, where he lived one year. Was also connected with the early settlement of Salem, Genoa and other points. He crossed the plains to California, in 1850; returned, via the Isthmus, in 1853, and lo- cated at Genoa, where he purchased an interest in the mills of that place. He went to Minnesota in 1857, and returned to the Pacific Coast in 1858 ; came baek in 1872. He died Nov. 26, 1881. His wife died at Genoa io 1856. The parents of Mr. Noyes, Jr., had five children, three of whom are living, viz., Mary E. Rowe, Charles A. and Martha I. Fuller. Charles C. was born in Randall, Kenosha Co., in 1841 ; he enlisted at Genoa, in 1861, in the 8th W. V. I., Co. K. He participated in all the battles in which his regiment was engaged, up to the advance on Corinth, Miss., where he was severely wounded in the knee, which incapacitated him for further service; he has been a great sufferer from the effect of this wound, and only an iron constitution and a determined will have been sufficient to support him. Mr. Noyes has much improved during the past few years. After he had sufficiently recovered from his wound he was appointed Postmaster at Genoa, a position he held for several years, and also held some local offices in that village. He was afterward elected Register of Deeds, serving from 1869 till 1875, a period of six years ; he afterward located on a farm for a time. In 1877, he accepted an appoint- ment to a clerkship at Washington ; but resigned his clerkship to accept the office of Postmaster at Gen- eva in 1878. MIr. Noyes married Jennie Lind Umphrey, a daughter of B. B. Umphrey ; Mrs. Noyes died Jan. 19, 1882. Mr. Noyes has one daughter-Gertie.

CYRIL I. OATMAN, Geneva ; he was born in Rusland Co., Vt., in 1815, where he lived until 20 years of age. In the fall of 1835, he went to St. Louis, Mo., thence to Illinois. In the spring of 1837, he purchased a farm in Putnam, near Henry Co., on the Illinois River ; in that State he was vari- ously engaged till the fall of 1838, when he came to Walworth Co. In the following February he invest- ed in real estate, purchasing several hundred acres of land from the Government. He returned to Ver- mont in 1839, but his home has been in Walworth Co. since 1838. He engaged in the mercantile business in 1843; sold goods in East Troy for five or six years ; he has been Justice of the Peace for twenty-five years, and was Under Sheriff for a number of years. He is a Democrat in politics, and a single man.

CHARLES PALMERTIER, lumber dealer ; is one of the prominent business men of Geneva, and is the present State Senator from this district. He was born in Greene Co., N. Y., in 1834 ; his parents, Lawrence and Mary Palmetier, were natives of Dutchess Co., N. Y. ; the family came to Walworth Co. in 1847, and settled in the town of Bloomfield on a farm originally settled by George Edwards, and known as the Edwards farm. The parents of Mr. Palmertire moved to Lake Co., Ill., in 1864, and thence to Winthrop, Iowa, where they now reside. Mr. Palmertire served during the war of the rebellion, in the Sth Wisconsin, the famous Eagle Regiment. He enlisted as a private in 1861 ; was promoted to 4th Ser- geant of Co. K; was promoted to Second Lieutenant, Oet. 10, 1862, and First Lieutenant, May 5, 1865. He was at the front for the first three years of his service, participating in all the campaigns and battles in which the famous Sth was engaged. His war record is one of which he may justly be proud ; during the last year of the war, he was on detached duty ; he was a part of this time in command of Camp Utley, at Racine, and was for a time Acting Quartermaster, at Camp Washburn, Milwaukee. After the war, he settled at Geneva Lake, and engaged in the business of carpentering with S. C. Sanford ; was for a time in the furniture business, and afterward for a time engaged in the mercantile trade ; in July, 1871, he en- gaged in the lumber business as successor to Gilbert & Barber. Politically, Mr. Palmertire has been iden- tified with the Republican party since its organization ; and he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention, that nominated James A. Garfield for the Presidency ; and was elected to the State Senate in 1881.

EDWARD PENTLAND, farmer, See. 18 ; P. O. Elkhorn. Mr. Pentland is a native of the "Emerald Isle." He was born in County Down, near Belfast, Sept. 20, 1818, where he lived till the Spring of 1843, when, with his father's family, he emigrated to the United States ; they arrived in the town of Geneva in July of that year ; his father settled near where his son now lives, and died in 1845 ; his wife died in 1849. The parents of Mr. Pentland had four children ; three sons and one daughter ; Edward is

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the only one living in Walworth Co. For several years after coming to Walworth Co., Mr. Edward Pentland was engaged in various pursuits. He worked for some time in the lead mines at Galena ; he was also, for several years, engaged in lumbering on the Wisconsin and Chippewa Rivers ; he also made two trips, overland, to California ; the first time in 1849, returning in 1852; he again made the trip in 1853, and was absent about two years. He was married in 1852, after his first return from California, to Mary S. Brewster, daughter of Deodat and Lois Brewster (see sketch of Laura Palmer Brewster). They have three children-Franklin, who lives in Nevada; Henry, in Kansas, and Charles at home. The parents of Mrs. Brewster came to Geneva, in 1838 ; she was among the earliest teachers of Walworth Co .; she taught the first school taught by a female in the village of Geneva. Mr. Pentland has seen much of the world, and has improved his opportunities for obtaining information, and is numbered among the most intelligent citizens of the town in which he lives. In religion, he is a Protestant, and in polities, a Republican.

CYRUS K. PHELPS, farmer and stock-raiser, See. 1; P. O. Springfield ; he is one of the promi- nent farmers and stock-raisers of Walworth Co. ; he resides in the northeast part of Geneva, on Sec. 1, where he has a fine location, a beautiful farm of 200 aeres. He was born in the town of Darien, Genesee Co., N. Y., in 1818, but was brought up in the town of Alexander, in that county. His parents were Daniel and Betsy King Phelps ; his father died, April 26, 1868; his mother died Jan. 3, 1864. They came to the town of Geneva in 1842, and settled on See. 1; they died on the homestead of their son, Cyrus K. The parents of Mr. Phelps had five children, of whom Cyrus K. was the only son; the daugh- ters are Parmelia, wife of Samuel P. Jenks ; Sally, wife of Eli Webber ; Lavina, wife of George Wick wire, and Adelia, wife of David Williams. Mr. Phelps is the youngest but one, of his father's family ; he came to Geneva in the spring of 1840, and entered his present farm ; he was married to Adeline Williams, born in the town of Darien, Genesee Co. She died in the fall of 1879. Mr. Phelps has four children, three sons and one daughter, all of whom were born on the homestead ; Asa W., Jennie J., Jerome D. and Arthur H. Mr. Phelps makes a specialty of merino sheep ; he has a flock of 300, as fine as are to be found in the county, he also has several fine specimens of the Durham breed of cattle.

ERASMUS D. PHILLIPS, retired, Geneva ; born in the town of Savoy, Berkshire Co., Mass., May 31, 1809 ; when 3 years of age, his father moved to Adams, where he was brought up ; married Catha- rine Browning of the same county. Mr. Phillips was a student of Williams College during the freshman years ; he studied law in the office of George N. Briggs, Esq., of Berkshire Co .; afterward removed to Buffalo, N. Y., and was for a time a law student in the office of Erastus Root in that city ; he came to Milwaukee in the spring of 1836, aud was soon after admitted to the bar ; while in Milwaukee he engaged in speculating, buying and selling of land claims ; in 1856, he came to Geneva and purchased 21 acres of land within the corporation of the village, on which he has since lived. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips have two children-Darwin E., born near Milwaukee in 1850 ; he is now engaged in manufacturing at Blue Rapids, Kan. ; and Aliee G., wife of S. C. Ford. Mr. Phillips was one of the Board of Supervisors of the town of Oak Creek, near Milwaukee, and was Postmaster there twenty-one years, beginning with the administration of President Van Buren.

THOMAS H. PRICE, florist, Geneva. Mr. Price was born in Wales in 1835 ; he came to the United States in 1857 ; resided in Cleveland, Ohio, one year, where he was engaged in the business of a florist ; he then went to Rock Island, Ill., where he was in the employment of Gen. N. B. Buford for about two years. On the breaking-out of the war, he enlisted at Omaha for three years in the 1st Neb. V. I ; at the battle of Fort Donelson he was severely wounded in the forehead ; he also participated in the battle of Shiloh, and was severely wounded in the right leg at the battle of Girardeau. After several months' con- finement in the hospital, he went before a Military Examining Board and passed a successful examination; was made a First Lieutenant and transferred to the 4th Neb. U. S. C. T .; his regiment was placed in Gen. Butler's command and participated in many important engagements ; he took part in the capture of Fort Fisher, where for gallant and effective service he was made Captain ; after the elose of the war, he was assigned to duty in the defense north of the Potomac, and was placed in command of Fort Lincoln ; he left the service in May, 1866. Mr. Price was a gallant and meritorious soldier, and served faithfully and well his adopted country in her time of peril. Since the war he has been a great sufferer from his wounded leg, and has been obliged to submit to a painful operation, which has partially restored the use of his limb. After the elose of the war, Mr. Price returned to Wales, and was married to Miss Jane Evans ; he is a fine florist and has devoted the greater part of his life to the culture of plants and flowers. His green house gives evidence of his taste and skill in that direetion.

GEORGE W. RANSFORD, proprietor of the St. Denis House, Geneva ; he is a native of the town of Chatham, Columbia Co., N. Y., where he was born in 1828; after leaving school, he was engaged as

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clerk in a dry goods store for a time, and was afterward engaged in the drug business for several years ; he came to Geneva in the fall of 1869, has been engaged in the hotel business since that time ; he was pro- prietor of the Lake House for about three years, and leased the St. Denis Hotel in 1874; his wife was Miss Lydia Head, born in the town of Kinderhook, Columbia Co., N. Y.

B. O. REYNOLDS, M. D., Geneva ; he was born in Cayuga Co., N. Y., in 1824. When 13 years of age he moved to Marion, Co., Ohio, then to Marseilles, Wyandot Co., in the same State. The Doctor's early advantages were not of a superior character, and his success, and the position which he has attained in life, are due to his indomitable energy ; he began the study of medicine at the age of 17 ; he graduated at the Rush Medical College, Chicago, in 1851, aud about ten years later at the Opthalmie College of New York City ; he began the practice of medicine at Huntsville, Ohio, and came to Racine Co., Wis., in 1848 ; in 1854, located at Elkhorn, Walworth Co .; in December, 1861, he was commissioned Surgeon of the 3d W. V. C., and served with distinetion in that capacity until February, 1865. The estimate placed upon his ability as a Surgeon while in the army, may be illustrated by the following quotation from the order of Brig. Gen. J. R. West, Chief of Cavalry Division, and signed by Joseph E. Lynch, Surgeon in Chief of Cavalry Division: "The Operating Staff will consist of Surgeon B. O. Reynolds, 3d W. V. C .; Surgeon W. W. Bailey of 1st Mo. V. C., and no operation shall be performed without their sanetion and diree- tion, and in all doubtful cases the Board of . Operating Surgeons, and Surgeons in Charge, will consult together and a majority shall decide upon the expediency and character of the operation." Dr. Reynolds settled in Geneva in 1866, where he soon acquired an extensive and lucrative practice ; he has always taken a prominent part in all public enterprises, whose tendeney was to promote the best interests of Geneva ; has been Mayor of the village since 1874. Politically, the Doctor has been a Republican since the establishment of that party, which he helped to organize; he represented the Second Assembly Dis- triet one term, being elected in 1875, and in 1877 was clected to the State Scnate; his wife was Miss Mary Smith, born in Trumbull Co., Ohio. They have two sons, both of whom have received medical edu- eations ; J C., the oldest, is a graduate of Rush Medical College, Chicago; he also took a medical course at Bellevue Medical College, New York City, and is engaged in practice with his father. Their younger son, Willis S., graduated at the Chicago Medical College ; is located at Mitchell, D. T.

E. D. RICHARDSON, the oldest banker in Walworth Co., and one of the oldest in the interior of the State ; was born in Burlington, Otsego Co., N. Y., Nov. 26, 1810; he was bred a farmer, and had the common school advantages of the time and place where he was born ; he acquired a thorough primary ed- ucation early, and taught successfully in his native county several years before attaining to the age of 21 years. At that time he accepted an urgent invitation from the citizens of Cooperstown, N. Y., to take charge of the school in the village. With a single assistant, Miss Betsy Williams Spafard, who after- ward became his wife, he conducted the school for three years, when his health failed, and he was obliged to give up the arduous responsibilities of the position. For a time he traveled in the then new Western country to rceuperate his health, and then returned to Cooperstown, where he followed the occupation of book-keeper for several years. In 1842, having lost his wife, he came West, and first settled on a farm of 160 acres, on Section 31, in what is now the town of Lyons. It was adjacent to the village of Geneva, and in 1844, five aeres, on which was his homestead, was annexed by special act of the Legislature to the village of Geneva. Thus, though identified with the village sinec his settlement in 1842, he did not become a resident of the town until 1844. He kept possession of his farm for many years-perhaps until 1854. He soon after his settlement became a elerk in Spafard's store, and was elected a Justice of the Peace. He held this office for thirteen years, and became thereby the fiduciary agent of many of the resi- dents and non resident property holders of the county. In 1848, he began banking in Geneva, establish- ing the bank of Geneva. It was the first interior bank established in Southern Wisconsin. He has been its sole proprietor for thirty-four years, and through all the vicissitudes of the time has never failed to meet every obligation on demand. . His career as a banker is found in the sketch of his bank elsewhere in this history. He has been honored by nearly every office of trust within the gift of his townsmen. He was Town Clerk in 1845-46-50; President of Village Board of Trustees in 1856, 1870, 1877, and held many other offi- ees of trust. He was Chairman of the County Board of Supervisors in 1870. Mention is made of these offices only to show the general confidence reposed in him through the long lapse of years during which he has been a citizen of Geneva. Mr. Richardson married Miss Betsy W. Spafard, in Cooperstown, N. Y., Oct. 23, 1834 ; they had one child-Elizabeth, wife of Mr. C. E. Buell, now eashier of the Bank of Geneva. Mrs. Richardson died Aug. 30, 1841, at Cooperstown. Feb. 16, 1843, Mr. Richardson married Miss Alma O. Spafard.

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WILLIAM ROSS, farmer, Sec. 22 ; P. O. Geneva ; was born in Rahway, N. J., in 1812; his father was Morris Ross, born in New Jersey, but removed to Yates Co., N. Y., with his family in 1823, and to Walworth Co. in November, 1838, settled on Sec. 15, in the town of Geneva, purchasing his farm of the Government; he resided on Sec. 15 a number of years, and then removed to the village of Geneva, and theuce to Columbia Co., where he died. He had nine children, of whom three sons and three daughters are still living. William Ross was married in the State of New York, to Polly M., daughter of Jacob Herrick ; he came to Geneva at the time his father came, in 1838, and settled on the farm where he now lives. Mr. and Mrs. Ross have had seven children, three sons and four daughters ; two sons and one daughter are living; Moses, who resides in Minnesota ; Washington, in the town of Geneva, and Eliza, living at home. The deceased children are Adeline, who died at the age of 22 years; Martin F., a member of the 22d W. V. I., died at Danville Ky .; Marinda, died in 1862; Ella, wife of A. L. Gilbert, died in 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Ross are members of the Baptist Church of Geneva ; they are the only constituent members of that church now remaining.

GEORGE ROSS, farmer, Sec. 10; P. O. Springfield ; Mr. Ross is the son of Morris Ross (see sketeh of William Ross). He was born in the town of Jerusalem, Yates Co., N. Y., in 1825 ; he came to Walworth Co. with his parents in 1838 ; he has lived in the town of Geneva since he first came to the county, and until 1877, at the homestead. In that year he purchased his present farm of Mr. O. P. Standish. Mrs. Ross was formerly Miss Clarinda Gray, daughter of Elihu Gray. Mr. and Mrs. Ross have four children-Libbie, Cora, Bion and Maud. Mr. Ross has 192 acres of land.

MICHAEL ROUSE, farmer, Sec. 14 ; P. O. Springfield ; he was the son of Nehemiah and Maria Rouse ; his father was a native of New York ; his mother of Pennsylvania ; they came to Walworth Co. with their family, in November, 1840, and settled on Sec. 14, on the farm on which their son William now lives. Mr. Rouse purchased his farm of Mr. B. Stork ; he died at the homestead in June, 1874; his wife died Jan. 5, 1875. The parents of Michael Rouse had nine children, who grew to maturity-five sons and four daughters-all of whom are living but one daughter. The names of the surviving children are as follows: Michael, Anthony, Hannah M. (now Mrs. E. B. Farnum), George, Lydia A., William, Amanda (now Mrs. William Wamsley), and J. Dewey. Michael was born in the town of Jerusalem, Yates Co. N. Y., June 6, 1827, married Pamelia S. Wright, daughter of Daniel Wright, who was born in Otsego Co., N. Y. They have one son, John W., born February, 1869. Mr. Rouse bought his farm of Henry Jackson ; it was originally settled by William Slork.

WILLIAM H. SEYMOUR, of the firm of Seymour Brothers, proprietors of City Meat Market, Geneva ; son of Robert and Harriet (Jaques) Seymour. The parents of Mr. Seymour were born in Rhinebeck, Dutchess Co., N. Y. They came to Walworth Co. in the spring of 1854, and settled on the farm originally settled by Sherman S. Rockwood. Mr. Robert Seymour was born July 14, 1814, and died Feb. 20, 1879 ; his wife was born Oct. 29, 1812, and died Oct. 19, 1878. They have six children, three sons and three daughters, all of whom are living. William H. was born in Dutch- ess Co., N. Y., in 1838 ; he came to Walworth Co. with his parents ; he came to Geneva Lake and engaged in his present business in 1867 ; he married Miss Helen Garfield, daughter of William Garfield. Mrs. Seymour was born in Elkhorn, in July, 1845; they have two children, Frank and Julia. A. T. Sey- mour is associated with his brother in business ; was born in Dutchess Co. in 1836 ; he enlisted in 1862 in the 28th W. V. I., was a Lieutenant of Co. I of that regiment ; during a part of his terin of service, was Aid-de-Camp to Gen. Slack ; he served till the close of the war, after which he located at Pine Bluff, Arkansas ; he ran a plantation for a time ; he also held the offices of Postmaster and express agent for several years. Previous to the war, Mr. Seymour had spent some time in California ; he has recently re- turned from Arkansas. His wife was Miss Margaret Wornack, born in Tennessee.

JAMES SIMMONS is the son of John Simmons, a lawyer, a graduate of Rhode Island College iu 1797. His father emigrated from Connecticut to Vermont in 1799. The subject of this sketch was born at Middlebury, Vt., June 11, 1821. He graduated with honor, from Middlebury College, in July, 1841, and commenced the study of law in the office of Hon. Horatio Seymour, of Middlebury, Vt., an uncle of ex-Gov. Seymour, of New York. In 1843, he came West, and first settled in Geneva. There he completed his legal studies in the office of the late C. M. Baker, and was admitted to practice at the Walworth Co. bar, in October, 1843 ; he opened an office at Geneva, and practiced his profession for two years, at which time failing health obliged him to temporarily change his avocation ; he accordingly entered a store. In the burning of the building (Ferguson's), in December, 1845, he barely escaped with his life. The following summer, with health still frail, he returned to Vermont, and was employed in the office of a Railroad Engineer, on the survey of the Rutland & Burlington R. R., for something

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History of Walworth County, Wisconsin, Part 143

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